[Morgoth]

H.D., on 29 January 2010 - 10:03 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 21 January 2010 - 05:12 PM, said:

A major problem for me when it comes to Codex Alara is that Butcher suffers from Eddings-a-vities.

Spoiler

Gods forbid I kill a main character

.. Apart from that though I found it enjoyable in a light sort of way.

This is a very valid statement. But, I'll answer it by stating tht Butcher is fantastic at putting his characters in impossibly bad situations.

True, but at the same time

Spoiler

None of the villains die either. For gods sake, even that lady who got impaled by a poisoned spear was resurrected to continue being a villain for the next books. It's just absurd. At least in the Dresden files the cool villains can die, and some of Dresden's companions kick the bucket too

[QuickTidal]

Morgoth, on 07 February 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

H.D., on 29 January 2010 - 10:03 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 21 January 2010 - 05:12 PM, said:

A major problem for me when it comes to Codex Alara is that Butcher suffers from Eddings-a-vities.

Spoiler

Gods forbid I kill a main character

.. Apart from that though I found it enjoyable in a light sort of way.

This is a very valid statement. But, I'll answer it by stating tht Butcher is fantastic at putting his characters in impossibly bad situations.

True, but at the same time

Spoiler

None of the villains die either. For gods sake, even that lady who got impaled by a poisoned spear was resurrected to continue being a villain for the next books. It's just absurd. At least in the Dresden files the cool villains can die, and some of Dresden's companions kick the bucket too

See...

Spoiler

I don't mind that people don't die, these people have damn near superhuman powers, and so I feel like Jim is building it up so that if and when big characters die it has more of an impact. That said, I am only 60 pages or so into PRINCEP'S, so I can't say as to the end of the series yet, but I'm not going to be devastated if everyone lives.

[QuickTidal]

If there is a better assembled book than PRINCEP'S FURY by Jim Butcher, I don't know what it is. Seriously! I find that all the various plot threads are evenly spaced, and each completely engrossing in its own right to make the story virtually "unputdownable"! This book is like reading crack...I can't stop reading it....I need to sleep, have to work tomorrow, but I GOTTA know what happens next!!! Arg! Butcher is my pusher.

[QuickTidal]

Holy sweet merciful ****!!!!

Spoiler

PRINCEP'S FURY, the end of Chapter 16, Tavi, Varg and co. come upon the edge of the Canim Shuar Range plateau to see the plains below, and all the way to the horizon the ground is covered in croach and Vord....and there are no other ranges left!!! That was a HOLY SHIT moment that I had to go back and read twice. The fierce and warlike Canim decimated and the last of its population (a quarter of a million) holding the Vord at bay at the only defensible land left! My god. That line "Only Shuar remains." was goddamned chilling.

[HoosierDaddy]

MASSIVE ALERA AND DRESDEN SPOILERS IN LINK SUPPLIED BELOW. I REPEAT. MASSIVE SPOILERS OF MT. DHOOMIAN EPICOSITY.
*******************************************************************************************************

Anywho, this link contains Jim himself on his forums at Jim-Butcher.com waxing on the Codex and Dresden files. Some really cool random information here. For those who have finished Alera only, and probably through Turn Coat in Dresden.

http://www.jimbutche...=5;sa=showPosts

[QuickTidal]

Very cool linkage!

I especially like the possibility of

Spoiler

150 years after the events of FLF, a more steampunky Alera has to take on the ENEMY of the Vord?!! Are you fucking with me Jim? That sounds so badass!!!!

[polishgenius]

I haven't finished this yet so I'm having to avoid the last few spoilers... boo. My local bookshop hasn't got Princep's Fury.


Anyway, it's very good fun with characters to get attached to, which makes sense, since this is Jim Butcher. Although I don't think the action has as much verve as Dresden does, not sure why.

But I have to agree with Morgoth a bit on his complaint, and one thing that really does get on my nerves is how (spoiler up to the end of Captain's Fury)

Spoiler

ridiculously competent Tavi is, to the point where other characters lose out on moments just so Butcher can show us how awesome he is again. I mean, at the start of Captain's Fury Tavi is a competent swordsman. The book spends ages building up to a fight between Araris and that mental chick, right down to showing us how great she is by having her wound Araris when he wasn't expecting it, despite uneven odds... and then this fight never fucking happens because Tavi's suddenly turned into a combination of Yoda and Hannibal fucking Lecter. Pissed me right off, it did. That's the worst offender but there are others. Even by the standards of your average Mary Sue/Gary Stu/whatever you want to call it, it's stupid.

Still, despite that rant I am enjoying it a lot, although so far it hasn't nearly matched the glory of Harry Dresden.

[acesn8s]

polishgenius, on 23 May 2010 - 09:50 PM, said:

I haven't finished this yet so I'm having to avoid the last few spoilers... boo. My local bookshop hasn't got Princep's Fury.


Anyway, it's very good fun with characters to get attached to, which makes sense, since this is Jim Butcher. Although I don't think the action has as much verve as Dresden does, not sure why.

But I have to agree with Morgoth a bit on his complaint, and one thing that really does get on my nerves is how (spoiler up to the end of Captain's Fury)

Spoiler

ridiculously competent Tavi is, to the point where other characters lose out on moments just so Butcher can show us how awesome he is again. I mean, at the start of Captain's Fury Tavi is a competent swordsman. The book spends ages building up to a fight between Araris and that mental chick, right down to showing us how great she is by having her wound Araris when he wasn't expecting it, despite uneven odds... and then this fight never fucking happens because Tavi's suddenly turned into a combination of Yoda and Hannibal fucking Lecter. Pissed me right off, it did. That's the worst offender but there are others. Even by the standards of your average Mary Sue/Gary Stu/whatever you want to call it, it's stupid.

Still, despite that rant I am enjoying it a lot, although so far it hasn't nearly matched the glory of Harry Dresden.

Yeah, I think the scope got too big near the end of the series. too big and too fast for my tastes.

[QuickTidal]

I have a decided itch to want to re-read this entire series. For the few flaws it may have it is still one of my favourite series of fantasy books ever.

[QuickTidal]

I spoke of it this morning, and that made me pine for it...so having not had an actual copy of the first one, I bought it today and have begun my Codex Alera re-read. It's interesting to see people like Aldrick and Odiana and have them talk about Araris so early on. Loving it already!

[foolio]

I am considering reading Butchers Furies series and I saw something above about "sexual torture" and shit. I am not really crazy about perverse literature, is this going to be a problem for me? Should I go with smething else? I am not uptight or anything I just am not remotely entertained by endless odd sex exploration in fantasy....

[HoosierDaddy]

Sexual torture? Um, I'm going to just say no to that. I can't even think of anything remotely close to sexual torture that takes place in these books. I can see where the idea would COME from, but it's never used that way. At least, I don't remember it having happened and I read books 3-5 at least 3 times.

[Tsundoku]

I just bought the first 3 at a second hand store at my local shops and am looking forward to them.

That is, once I get through the massive 'to read' pile sitting on my kitchen table - growing at a far faster rate than I can read them.

I have a problem.

This post has been edited by Sombra: 30 June 2010 - 11:14 AM

[dktorode]

i started the 2nd book a few days ago.....cant put it down.
Non stop action.

[QuickTidal]

Yeah, there's nothing even close to sexual torture in any of the 6 books in the series.

[Pig Iron]

H.D., on 30 June 2010 - 03:51 AM, said:

Sexual torture? Um, I'm going to just say no to that. I can't even think of anything remotely close to sexual torture that takes place in these books. I can see where the idea would COME from, but it's never used that way. At least, I don't remember it having happened and I read books 3-5 at least 3 times.

Discipline collars in book 1.

Spoiler

They get away just in time, but there's no doubt what was going to happen (and had happened before to Odiana (name?)).

It works in the story, but it's a bit much if you want the series to qualify as YA. There's really no graphical details though.

[QuickTidal]

Pig Iron, on 03 July 2010 - 12:43 PM, said:

H.D., on 30 June 2010 - 03:51 AM, said:

Sexual torture? Um, I'm going to just say no to that. I can't even think of anything remotely close to sexual torture that takes place in these books. I can see where the idea would COME from, but it's never used that way. At least, I don't remember it having happened and I read books 3-5 at least 3 times.

Discipline collars in book 1.

Spoiler

They get away just in time, but there's no doubt what was going to happen (and had happened before to Odiana (name?)).

It works in the story, but it's a bit much if you want the series to qualify as YA. There's really no graphical details though.

The discipline collars aren't really sexual "torture" as they are described more akin to a drugging that makes everything that happens not bother the wearer and in fact makes them want to be enslaved. Which is awful naturally, but not really torture (AKA graphic and depraved) of a physical or sexual nature. Odiana is...a special kind of freakshow...as you will come to learn in the later books...then again, so is Aldrick...but that's why they aren't exactly the heroes of the tale. They are not really used much more on the scale that they were for the first book. There is a brief period on Kalare in a later book, but again it isn't all that torturous really. Basically, don't be concerned that this is a running theme or anything. It's certainly not...just a setting aspect..and Butcher treats it with as much derision as it should have when he does mention it.

Nope, these books are about swashbuckling, fury-wielding, legion fighting Alerans, a warrior caste race of Dogmen named the Canim, The barbarian Marat, and the mysterious and completely relentless creatures called The Vord. If you settle into them, I think you will find them even better than Dresden...if only by a small margin, cause Dresden is still brilliantly awesome!

Note: The books become significantly less YA (I don't think they were ever intended as such really...other than Tavi being young when they start) after book 2 Tavi is basically in his late teens and early twenties, and the books take on a more adult tone.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 03 July 2010 - 03:28 PM

[cerveza_fiesta]

I have read almost none of this thread for threat of spoilers, but just bought the first book.

I am tempted to shelve it and pick up TCG instead.

To delay the completion of one series in favour of starting another?? Dunno what I should do now.

[champ]

cerveza_fiesta, on 23 March 2011 - 01:26 PM, said:

I have read almost none of this thread for threat of spoilers, but just bought the first book.

I am tempted to shelve it and pick up TCG instead.

To delay the completion of one series in favour of starting another?? Dunno what I should do now.

Read tCG first and then use Codex as a pick me up for when you finally complete the Malazan saga...

It's safe to say you will feel a void after completion and the Codex saga goes a long way in filling the gap!

Or that is what it did for me... Trouble is I only got 1 more Codex book to go and I will be back to square one again...

[cerveza_fiesta]

Yeah. That's what I was going to do with AFFC from Martin, but then everybody said it would leave an even BIGGER hole since it's so slow, boring and there are no plans for ADwD to come out anytime soon.

I guess I'll get TCG then and hold off on this one for a bit. I'll admit I'm pretty intrigued by the back cover description. Book one of Codex is good and thick too...almost always a good thing for me....except with wheel of time.