I just finished reading Captain’s Fury (ok, so I actually wrote that on January 17th, but I’m trying to pace these posts out a bit for you :), which is the fourth installment of the Codex Alera. I downloaded it on Friday to my new Kindle. Early Sunday morning, I finished it. Yup, it was that good. I’m sorely tempted to get the next two in the series, take a couple of vacation days, and have the series done by next week.

Jim Butcher has crafted a marvelous world set in what appears to be the Roman era, except this time things are a little more fantastical, since the Alerans have a sort of magic they call Furycraft. Everyone does, that is except Tavi, the story’s main hero. In the previous book, Cursor’s Fury, that had begun to change. In this book, we find out all the reasons why.

The fulcrum of the story remains simple. Tavi is in a tough spot. He must find a way to get out of it. He has some great friends that help him. Bad people want to kill him.

If you have read fantasy, you have read it before. That’s where Butcher comes in. He keeps the story fresh. It is funny. It is intense. It is dark. It is merciless. It is kind. It is sad. It is happy. It is all the shades of gray in between. I don’t know how he does it, but I’m impressed and I can’t wait to finish the series.

Butcher is quickly becoming my favorite author. I have now read eight of his books, and I have been entertained by each of them. There are another five of his books on my shelf right now, and I definitely will be buying the other two books in this series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (What’s This?)

Oh. This is the first book I read on my Kindle. That was pretty cool. Read my Kindle review here.