madamgreene's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
WOW, just WOW! I don't even know where to start!
There are spoilers from the last book here, so if you haven't read book two yet, stop now :)
Tavi is growing into such a worthy hero I feel completely giddy and fangirly. I just want to gush and talk about how great he is :D But that really won't do, now, will it? Tavi really showed his maturity and his abilty to lead in this book. And I think the one person who was the most amazed by that fact was himself. He had some excellent ideas, and he was able to get his soldiers to follow them, and ultimately the legion that was supposed to not even see a battle could actually fight.
Isana went through some really difficult times, having to deal with an enemy she had chosen to ally herself with in the last book, in order to save Tavi and Bernhard. Isana is still a very strong woman, and I am sure she will be able to get the best out of her situation. She completely threw me for a cruveball though. I was partly right in my prediction, but the other part was a little off...
Bernhard and Amara are great as well - they will fight for what is right - no matter what their orders are. And the fact that they can fight together helps both them, their allies and the First Lord.
I will not write any more for fear of starting off with spoilers. I will say though, that the battles alone are worth reading for, and there is still both a little bit of romance and a whole lot of friendship.
There are spoilers from the last book here, so if you haven't read book two yet, stop now :)
Tavi is growing into such a worthy hero I feel completely giddy and fangirly. I just want to gush and talk about how great he is :D But that really won't do, now, will it? Tavi really showed his maturity and his abilty to lead in this book. And I think the one person who was the most amazed by that fact was himself. He had some excellent ideas, and he was able to get his soldiers to follow them, and ultimately the legion that was supposed to not even see a battle could actually fight.
Isana went through some really difficult times, having to deal with an enemy she had chosen to ally herself with in the last book, in order to save Tavi and Bernhard. Isana is still a very strong woman, and I am sure she will be able to get the best out of her situation. She completely threw me for a cruveball though. I was partly right in my prediction, but the other part was a little off...
Bernhard and Amara are great as well - they will fight for what is right - no matter what their orders are. And the fact that they can fight together helps both them, their allies and the First Lord.
I will not write any more for fear of starting off with spoilers. I will say though, that the battles alone are worth reading for, and there is still both a little bit of romance and a whole lot of friendship.
enbyglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Another eminently enjoyable book in this series. While for whatever reason I'm not personally as invested in the characters as those of the Dresden Files, Butcher more than makes up for it with this uniquely stylish brand of high fantasy.
kutterek's review against another edition
4.0
So good!
The third book was great, but definitely used to set up the rest of the series. I loved learning more about many of the characters and the character growth and story development was satisfying. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!
The third book was great, but definitely used to set up the rest of the series. I loved learning more about many of the characters and the character growth and story development was satisfying. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!
countkrunk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
iam_griff's review against another edition
4.0
This was an incredible book in the series! Which an amazing twist in the end. Am really enjoying these characters, they’re all interesting with depth. The political intrigues can be a bit much for me at times as that level of subtlety is a bit beyond me
feoh's review against another edition
4.0
Very solid fantasy. This series contains all the same depth and intrigue that have made me a huge Jim Butcher fan and hopeless Dresden Files addict.
The system of magic is intriguing, and tends to take science into account wherever possible.
The system of magic is intriguing, and tends to take science into account wherever possible.
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
5.0
Wow - this series is just getting better - from the beginning, it is the simple farm boy type of story, but by book three, you really have evolved into a much stronger and deeper character, and at no point is he a whiney pilot shooting whomp rats, he is full on a Bad A!! Aleran - I cannot say enough about this series, as each book begins a new part of Tavi's life, and it does not simply pick up where the last one left off - Jim Butcher does a great job of having each book be a stand alone though, knowing the characters from the previous will help you as you progress - this is not one of those series where the end of the book makes you HAVE to read the next because of unresolved issues - it makes you read the next book because you WANT to see what happens next in Alera - this is my new favorite series - Bless Jim Butcher and Alera!
book_bird_anja's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5*
Codex Alera 3 is the weakest book in the series so far and I was somewhat disappointed. I found it difficult to stay focused during the middle portion, as it was quite dull. The characters remain likeable, but there is a lack of depth in terms of character development and the story. The story feels extremly streched and on the other hand the ending feels rushed. The main plot line involving the threat of a new species invading is barely addressed, so much of the story feels unnecessary. There are some nice surprises at the end that give motivation to move on to the next book, but overall Codex Alera 3 does not live up to the promise of the first two books.
Codex Alera 3 is the weakest book in the series so far and I was somewhat disappointed. I found it difficult to stay focused during the middle portion, as it was quite dull. The characters remain likeable, but there is a lack of depth in terms of character development and the story. The story feels extremly streched and on the other hand the ending feels rushed. The main plot line involving the threat of a new species invading is barely addressed, so much of the story feels unnecessary. There are some nice surprises at the end that give motivation to move on to the next book, but overall Codex Alera 3 does not live up to the promise of the first two books.