Nothing at all like Harry - Rated 
This book is completely different form Harry Dresden files. But this doesnt mean to say it isn't any good. Its Great! Admittedly if you've got your "harry" head on, you start looking for clues that remind you of his series but you need to switch it off. However give this series a go, not to everyones taste, but you can't please everyone. I really enjoyed it, refreshing to see how Tavi (main character) evolves and by book 4 you see the man he becomes. Jim Butcher is one of those authors who writes so well that you want to rush through the book to find out what happens but force yourself to slow down because you don't want to miss anything.
A FANTASY DOCTOR REVIEW - Rated
This review is for books one, two and three of The Codex Alera.
We start the story with Tavi and his uncle looking for a lost herd of sheep, while looking they attacked by a Marat warrior.
Tavi is forced to flee while his uncle lies injured, his uncle finally manages to escape. This leaves only Tavi to hunt.
After several days of running Tavi manages to escape. While returning home he finds an injured woman, her name is Amara and she is a Cursor(warrior, spy, assassin) for the First High Lord.
And so Tavi's adventure begins through the invasion of the Marat and the treason of some of Alera's high lords. Through to his education at the Academy and to him joining the Cursors and stopping an assassination attempt by the dreaded Vord.
And then his adventure continues through civil war and to the invasion of the Cane, during this time he has command of his own Legion and eventually to the defeat of the Cane.
These are the first Jim Butcher novels I have read and they were brilliant, they were very well written, the magical elements of the story were great(they were almost as good as the magic in Erikson's books) and the battle scense's were AMAZING definatly in the top three of any fantasy I have ever read.
P.S, The forth book in this series is out now on hardback.
I hope this review was of some help to you.
Sword and Sorcery - but totally devoid of humour - Rated 
If you enjoyed the Harry Dresden books, don't expect this to be in the same style. There is not even a glimmer of a smile in this book. Having said that it is a perfectly fine story, but it doesn't really stand out from the crowd. Harry on the other hand is unique!
Great Fantasy - Rated
I bought this book having enjoyed Butcher's Harry Dresden Series on a whim and really enjoyed it. Unlike the Harry Dresden series which are based in the modern day world this more traditional fantasy. The Aleran people are supported by elemental 'furies' - earth, air, fire, water etc. that aid them to perform magic. The main protaganist, fifteen year old Tavi has no fury, highly unusual for one his age. However his intelligence and ingenuity compensate for his lack of magic. He is drawn into an adventure involving high treason and war with their savage neightbours - the Marat. A highly enjoyable tale that is captivating and engaging from the start. Other characters are well drawn and it is a complex and well written novel. This is the first in a series and although this is a complete story it leaves the reader hungry for the next installment - roll on July!
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