Was unsure whether to give this 4 or 5 stars.
It was definitely gripping enough. It wrecked my morning routine a few times because I got caught up spending too much time reading. And on my way home I was excited at the thought of reading what happens next.
Some nice twists along the way, but I felt they started to get a bit predictable as the book progressed.
I think that's the reason I didn't go 5 stars, it all felt a little too "neat" towards the ending and I could see it coming.

Anyway, I have all books in this series and will be continuing on. Hope the standard is maintained. ( )

(2004)Pretty good beginning to the Codex Alera series. Fantasy in the land of Alera that is being threatened with attack from the Marat horde who are being driven to the attack by a more subtle enemy.For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal. But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon." "Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy - the Marat - return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine." "Caught in a storm of deadly wind furies, Tavi saves the life of a runaway slave named Amara. But she is actually a spy for Gaius Sextus, sent to the Valley to gather intelligence on traitors to the Crown, who may be in league with the barbaric Marat horde. And when the Valley erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Amara will find Tavi's courage and resourcefulness to be a power greater than any fury - one that could turn the tides of war.Tavi is then captured by the Marat and somehow confinces them not to eat him, as is their custom with all enemies. Instead he must go on a test of wills and strength to find a special mushroom. He does and his captors are indebted to him.The war breaks out in Alera and with the help of the Marat that befriends Tavi, they defeat the attackers (for now). Tavi and his slave friend Fade are deemed to be knights.

Loved it. Checking right now to see if there's a second :-) Love the magic system and the world building was simple, familiar yet just that little bit different. Easy reading, and a little infectious! ( )

This is the better series by Jim Butcher. This one is appropriate for a YA audience. ( )

When I borrow books from friends, I really want to enjoy them. In this case, I couldn't get into it because of the genre, which means I probably shouldn't review it. Fantasy just isn't something I generally enjoy. This one couldn't win me over. :(. I made it almost half way through before I decided to call it quits. There were some exciting parts that kept me interested, yet not often enough to keep me going. I probably just don't have imagination enough to totally understand furies and powers and such. I'm sure if those were easy for me to grasp and picture, this would have been a fun read.