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Codex Alera
(aka: The Codex Alera)

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Codex Alera (Literature)
"There's something broken inside your skull, [Tavi]. You do all your thinking sideways."
Antillar "Max" Maximus, Princeps' Fury

Magical Roman Legionaries straight out of Avatar: The Last Airbender versus the Zerg, wolfmen with Blood Magic, telepathic yetis and white-haired elves. Riding ground sloths and terror birds. Sometimes, the Legionaries fight each other, too.

A high fantasy/intrigue series written by Jim Butcher (of The Dresden Files fame), the Codex Alera is set in a world that is populated by the descendants of the IX Roman Legion (according to the Word of God). 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, everyone save one.

Young Tavi is the only known Aleran who does not have access to any furies. At best, he is treated like a special needs child. However, since he cannot rely on furies, Tavi uses something that many of his countrymen fail to utilize: his brain.

Shortly before Tavi was born, the only son and heir of the aging First Lord of Alera was 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 expedite that event). Chief among them are Aquitainus Attis, the High Lord of Aquitaine, and Kalarus Brencis Majoris, the High Lord of 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...

Standing with Tavi are his uncle Bernard (an Earth- and Woodcrafter), his aunt Isana (a very powerful Watercrafter), the young Cursor Amara (a Windcrafter), and the half-wit slave Fade, along with the other friends and allies he makes as he is swept up in the battles to save Alera.

The series consists of:

  • Furies Of Calderon (2004)
  • Academ's Fury (2005)
  • Cursor's Fury (2006)
  • Captain's Fury (2007)
  • Princeps' Fury (2008)
  • First Lord's Fury (2009)


The Codex Alera series provides examples of:


Alternative Title(s): The Codex Alera

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