Category Archives: 2 Treasure Boxes

Fantasy, 2 Treasure Boxes, Goodreads

Princep’s Fury by Jim Butcher

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This entry is part [part not set] of 7 in the series Codex Alera Series

Book Review: 2 treasure boxes
Book five of the Codex Alera
Publisher: Ace; Reprint edition (November 24, 2009), Paperback: 640 pages, ISBN-10: 0441017967, ISBN-13: 978-0441017966

Princeps‘ Fury is an action filled story, told in great Jim Butcher style. The story continues with the threat of the Canin greatly reduced, but Tavi is once again sent away, this time overseas with the Canin. The High Lord is hoping to protect Tavi but once they arrive, they are met with a huge surprise. In the meanwhile back in Alera the Vord have reappeared. This story takes place in both Alera and Canin.

This is the fifth of six books in the Codex Alera Series. It is a high fantasy taking place in the Aleran Empire in a society similar to that of ancient Rome. This book is told in the third person narrative from the various different characters point of view, but primarily from that of the main protagonist Tavi. Jim Butcher has also written numerous contemporary fantasy books, primarily the Dresden Files.

There was plenty of action, some of it pretty gory, and all coming from various different characters and different events.  I liked how they escaped the Canin homeland, I liked how more information was revealed about the Great Fury, and I liked the details provided about Tavi’s father.  There were minor developments in the characters and a bit more information about the Vord was revealed.

The story ebbed at the end with some minor conclusions, but it did not come to any real closure, so the story ended in the middle of the conflict.  I always find it annoying when a book is not a complete story with a beginning, middle and end but it did motivate me to read First Lord’s Fury.
To Purchase: “Princeps’ Fury” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Goodreads, Fantasy, 2 Treasure Boxes

Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher

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This entry is part [part not set] of 7 in the series Codex Alera Series

Book Review:2 treasure boxes
Book four of the Codex Alera
Publisher: Ace; Reprint edition (November 25, 2008), Paperback: 656 pages, ISBN-10: 0441016553, ISBN-13: 978-0441016556

Tavi, as Captain has now successfully held the Canin back for 2 years.  Due to his youth, there is an annoying political ploy to remove him and then change his successful battle strategy. Tavi also finally learns his proper heritage.  This story continues both the Canin incursion as well as the civil war conflict with Kalare and takes place about 2 years after Cursor’s Fury.

Captain’s Fury is the fourth of six books in the Codex Alera Series. This is a high fantasy taking place in the Aleran Empire in a society similar to that of ancient Rome. This book is told in the third person narrative from the various different characters point of view, but primarily from that of the main protagonist Tavi. Jim Butcher has also written numerous contemporary fantasy books, primarily the Dresden Files.

There are some startling developments in the story.  There are a number of exciting scenes, one where Tavi breaks out of prison, one where he breaks the leader the Canin out of prison and another is where his uncle sneaks into Kalare lands. I liked this book better than Cursor’s Fury, I thought the story was well told.

This books comes to a complete conclusion of the story, yet leaves room for the story to continue, which is the best kind of ending. I recommend this series, but you need to read the books in order since the story builds. I am looking forward to reading Princeps’ Fury.
To Purchase: “Captain’s Fury” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Fantasy, 2 Treasure Boxes

The Codex Alera series By Jim Butcher

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This entry is part [part not set] of 7 in the series Codex Alera Series

Book Review:  2   Treasure Boxes

This is a new and interesting concept in Fantasy.  The series is about a country called Alera on the world of Carna, where there are elemental beings who can control metal, air, water, earth or fire, they are called Furies.  Some of these beings are wild and can do harm, but when they are wild they do not seem to have a lot of intelligence.  There are also several peoples who live there. They all have different physical looks and abilities.

There are the Calderons who the story centers around, and who resemble us physically, and almost everyone has the ability to bond  with Furies. They can both with anywhere from 1 to 5 Furies from the age of adolescence on with varying degrees of strength.  The nobility tend to have access to the most Furies with the greatest strength, and as this ability tends to be hereditary, that probably explains why.

The Marats, who are similar to us, but different in looks in that they are extremely pale, light skinned and different in that they have an ability to bond mentally and emotionally with other creatures.

The Carin are humanoid but with wolf characteristics both physically and socially.  They have access to a different form of magic that they acquire through the death blood of either their enemies or their own people.

The Iceman are savage, apelike creatures who can communicate with each other without speaking and they seem to have control over the weather.

The final peoples are the Vord, who are enemies to everyone.  They are not humanoid, but rather more insectoid. They operate under the mental command of queens, have the ability to read minds, can burrow into a dead body and re-animate it while adding great strength and no fear. They can also move extremely fast. The queen has the ability to hatch out many different sized and shaped Vord, she also has the ability to create new forms of Vord to better able them to fight their enemies.

The stories center around Tavi a young sheep herding apprentice. From the Calderon valley of Alera and his family. There are 6 books in the series, where Tavi is the protagonist, showing his growth as a person as well as his many adventures fighting the various peoples on his world.  I found the series to be interesting and intriguing.

Book 1: Furies of Calderon, Book 2: Academ’s Fury, Book 3:Cursor’s Fury, Book 4: Captain’s Fury, Book 5: Princep’s Fury, Book 6: First Lord’s Fury


2 Treasure Boxes, Contemporary Fantasy

The Night Watch Series by Sergei Lukyanenko

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This entry is part [part not set] of 5 in the series The Night Watch
2 Treasure Boxes
This is a highly entertaining modern fantasy novel that is written in an unique manner. This series was originally written in Russian and then translated to English.
It takes place in Russia and the story revolves around “Others”. “Others” are people who have the ability to access the “Twilight”, which allows them to use Magic, but at a cost.  These “Others” include Witches, Magicians, Enchantress/Sorceress, Vampires, Werewolves, and others.  With each individual having different levels of power.
There are basically 3 power structures within the “Others”, there are those who are on the side of the light, those on the side of the dark and inquisitors, who are on neither the light or dark side, but rather are above both and monitor both.  The circumstances surrounding a human being when he/she becomes an “Other” will determine whether they are a light other or a dark other.
All 3 power structures main purpose is to maintain an equal balance between the light and the dark. The books all revolve around the protagonist Anton Gorodetsky. Each book has 3 separate, complete stories which are all related to  create a larger story.  Each book is complete unto itself, which is very nice. It takes a little while to get used to the writing, since it was originally written in Russia.

Book 1: The Night Watch,      
Book 2: The Day Watch           

Book 3: The Twilight Watch,

Book 4: The Last Watch