History Literature / CodexAlera

* PlotTailoredToTheParty: Bernard [[InvokedTrope has to figure out]] how to logically include the use of Marat cavalry in a ''wall battle'', since Hashat of the Horse Clan would never forgive him for leaving her out of the climactic Vord conflict.

*** Considering how clever Attis is, this could be ObfuscatingStupidity.

*** Intentional to keep the secret. Butcher's done similar things before.

** Tavi.

* EigenPlot: Bernard [[InvokedTrope has to figure out]] how to logically include the use of Marat cavalry in a ''wall battle'', since Hashat of the Horse Clan would never forgive him for leaving her out of the climactic Vord conflict.

* CrazyAwesome: Tavi does this frequently. Lampshaded in the second book.
-->'''Doroga:''' Maybe you have not noticed. Tavi does things big.
-->'''Bernard:''' How so?
-->'''Doroga:''' He saw how the Keepers see the heat of a body. Saw how they respond to damage on the ''croach''. So he set it on fire.
-->'''Bernard:''' Tavi...set the Wax Forest on ''fire''?
-->'''Doroga:''' Left out that part, did he?

* TheBet: The series was originally written on one. Jim Butcher was in a debate over whether [[FictionIdentityPostulate a good story required a good idea, or a good story could be written with a bad idea]]. The other member of the argument, whose name has now been lost to time, bet that Butcher could not write a good story based on a terrible idea he came up with. Butcher responded that he would take [[BeyondTheImpossible two]]. The ideas were the LostRomanLegion... and ''{{Pokemon}}''.

* BeyondTheImpossible: Tavi does this frequently. Lampshaded in the second book.
-->'''Doroga:''' Maybe you have not noticed. Tavi does things big.
-->'''Bernard:''' How so?
-->'''Doroga:''' He saw how the Keepers see the heat of a body. Saw how they respond to damage on the ''croach''. So he set it on fire.
-->'''Bernard:''' Tavi...set the Wax Forest on ''fire''?
-->'''Doroga:''' Left out that part, did he?

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler: Subverted several times, then played straight with Lady Aquitaine's ultimate fate; Amara says this trope almost word for word as she executes her.]]

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler: Played straight with Lady Aquitaine's ultimate fate; Amara says this trope almost word for word as she executes her.]]

* HumansAreBastards: In ''Princeps Fury'' we are given a list of the previous sentient races on the planet that the Alerans have exterminated. It is a pretty long list. Though to be fair, it sounds they were all trying to exterminate the Alerans with equal enthusiasm.

* HumansAreBastards: In ''Princeps Fury'' we are given a list of the previous sentient races on the planet that the Alerans have exterminated. It is a pretty long list. Though to be fair, it sounds they were all trying to exterminate the humans with equal enthusiasm.

* HumansAreBastards: In ''Princeps Fury'' we are given a list of the previous sentient races on the planet that the Alerans have exterminated. It is a pretty long list.

* DiscriminateAndSwitch: When Tavi suggests adding Mistress Cymnea to the staff of the First Aleran Legion, Max instantly objects. When Cymnea asks if his problem is with the fact that she is a woman or because she is a madam, Max says that the prolem is that she is a ''civilian''.

** When Isana and Fade first interacted, she was unsure if he could truly understand her simple instructons due to his mental disability. [[spoiler: Later books would reveal that she was privy to [[ObfuscatingStupidity his true identity]] the entire time]].
*** At the end of the first book Tavi asks her [[spoiler: who is Araris and if he was still alive. She tells him no, he is dead...and "always remember that". Her knowledge is clear even in the first book.]]

* RedBaron: Skilled swordsmen of Alera are often given sword-based nickames which become part of their actul names.

Yeah, it is about as awesome as it sounds. A high fantasy/intrigue series written by JimButcher (of ''TheDresdenFiles'' fame), the Codex Alera is set in a world that is populated by the descendants of one of the {{lost Roman Legion}}s (according to the WordOfGod). They have carved out a massive empire led by the "First Lord" and they all have magic--specifically, they all bond with one or more "furies", elementals of air, water, fire, earth, wood or metal. Those who control enough furies can become Citizens, with increased privileges and obligations above the common freeman, but everyone has at least one fury. Well, everone save [[UnSorcerer one]].

Shortly before Tavi was born, the only son and heir of the aging First Lord of Alera was [[SuccessionCrisis killed in battle]], causing the various high nobility to scramble and plot to position themselves to take power when the First Lord dies (or, in some cases, to move that event forward slightly). Chief among them are Aquitainus [[TheChessmaster Attis]] (the High Lord of Aquitaine) and the High Lord of [[CompleteMonster Kalare]]. As Alera falls into civil strife, the various non-human enemies of Alera prepare to take advantage of these divisions while a far more dangerous threat lurks in the shadows...

* CardboardPrison: The Grey Tower is supposedly impregnable. Tavi breaks two characters out of it, the first with only a couple hour's preparation, the second after the prison's defenses were redesigned ''by Tavi himself''.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Fidelias, who betrays the First Lord for what he views as the greater good: the long-term stability of Alera: by ensuring that there is a strong and younger First Lord in charge.
** Also [[spoiler: Aquitainus Attis, who was actually a friend of Septimus and only turned against Sextus after Septimus died, feeling that a man who couldn't even protect his own son was unworthy of being First Lord]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Caria's ultiamte fate after [[spoiler: her poisoning of Sextus is exposed]] is never explicitly stated. WordOfGod is [[spoiler: that she died when Sextus destroyed Alera Imperia]].

** When Amara and Bernard are infiltrating the Vord stronghold, Amara ends up captured by Brencis, who has been using slave collars to subvert Cursors and conduct threesomes. Amara gets a slave collar attached to her, and Brencis believes that things are going to plan... [[spoiler: until he finds she's already wearing ''Bernard's'' slave collar, which cancels Brencis' slave collar and allows her to kick his ass]].

** Prior to the books, Aldrick and Araris were in a duel that lasted for ''ten hours''.

** When Amara and Bernard are infiltrating the Vord stronghold, Amara ends up captured by Brencis, who has been using slave collars to subvert Cursors and conduct threesomes. Amara gets a slave collar attached to her, and Brencis believes that things are going to plan... until he finds she's already wearing ''Bernard's'' slave collar, which cancels Brencis' slave collar and allows her to kick his ass.

* DarkActionGirl

* TookALevelInBadass: Tavi takes one in every time skip between books, but perhaps the most noticeable is Ehren, who goes from being a wimpy kid obsessed with his studies in the second book to a {{Badass}} AntiHero (of sorts) in the third to all that and a brilliant {{Chessmaster}} in the fifth.
** Centurion Schultz, who stars as a [[NewMeat fish]] in ''Cursor's Fury'' and is a [[SergeantRock Centurion]] by ''Captain's Fury'', mirroring the First Aleran's transformation into one of the most elite armies on Alera.

* SequelHook: The series ends with [[spoiler:the defeat of the Aleran Vord Queen and forming an alliance between Alera, Canim, Marat and Ice Men. Too bad that the Vord in Canea are still active and will be coming for Alera in one hundred and fifty years.]]

* SequelHook: Good job, Tavi! You [[spoiler:defeated the Aleran Vord Queen, set up an alliance with the Canim, Marat and Ice Men, married the girl and started the New Academy!]] Too bad that [[spoiler:the Vord in Canea are still active, you have a lot of political opposition to fight through, including those who still contest your legitimacy!]]

* SenselessSacrifice: When Amara and Bernard are spying on Vord activities, they see a Ceresian cohort sacrifice themselves in an attempt to hold off the Vord long enough for a group of civilians to reach the safety of the city walls. Amara is particularly sickened when, after killing the last of the soldiers, the Vord catch up to the holders in less than two minutes, rendering their brave sacrifrice completely pointless.