Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4)
by Jim Butcher
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim ButcherEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-11-25
ISBN: 0441016553
Number of pages: 656
Publisher: Ace
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780441016556
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4)
Book Review: Not for everyone / a dissenting opinon
Summary: 1 Stars
If you feel that action is only exciting when there are real consequences, enjoy strong female characters, want complex and multi-layered characters, or are looking to read something that strays from tired, century-old cliches in the fantasy genre, this series is not for you.
Thus far, people have been hung, cut nearly in half, burned, poisoned, bled out, crushed by tons of rock, suffered systemic infection, and one was even afflicted by two very lethal poisons AND impaled for good measure, yet all survived without so much as a visible scar to show for it. It completely kills any suspense. You know going in that only the most minor of side characters faces any real harm, and even then it's unlikely.
As for women, all non-villain female characters in the series are constantly overwhelmed by their emotions and express it by crying gratuitously. They all feel terrified and fail to recognize their own worth or beauty unless a man tells them otherwise. A mere look or touch is enough to turn them into a high school boy's fantasy: little nymphets who attack men and outright demand that they be sexed up, regardless of whether or not a war is being fought a hundred yards away. Even extremely powerful female villains engage in sex attacks. They just can't control themselves! To boot, any female character of any power or importance whatsoever is paired with an equally (and usually MORE) powerful male, while there are countless males who are perfectly capable single.
The characters also have no depth to speak of. The good characters are all good and pure and do no wrong. Any "questionable" acts have justifications clearly spelled out for the reader. In other words, the poor souls simply "do what they must" and can't really be held accountable or considered to have any negative traits. The villains are utterly evil with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They literally will not so much as say a single kind word without ulterior motives. Since there is no reason to feel even the slightest bit of compassion for these clearly-labeled "bad" guys, there is no reason to feel compelled by their characters. Only one character can be said to have conflicted loyalties, and even then it's glaringly obvious what he's going to do.
As for the plot... Well, it involves a farm boy who has grown up without realizing that he is the most powerful person in the universe, discovers that he has royal bloodlines, and becomes a natural leader who steps in and leads armies without any prior experience or knowledge. Through the course of various conflicts, aided by a well-rounded group of adventurers (the usual suspects: a warrior girlfriend, womanizing best friend, legendary swordsman, etc.), he eventually takes his rightful place on the throne. Cliche much? We've even had a couple fall in love through such scenes as him having to hold her to keep her warm because they were stuck together in a cave during a storm. I kid you not.
I may as well be describing Rand (savior of the universe), Mat (womanizing best friend), Aviendha (warrior girlfriend), Lan (legendary swordsman), the Aiel (warrior-society who have multiple clans, carry prisoners over their shoulders, and end up in a civil war), and so on. And WoT was itself derivative in many ways of earlier fantasy (as Jordan admitted). Like it or not, you can't deny that the core plot is the generic "farm boy saves the universe" storyline that's been done countless times.
I have no doubt that I'll get bombarded with "not helpful" tags just because I dared to disagree with those who enjoy the series, but it's just not for everyone. This is comfort/escapist fantasy, and only a portion of the SciFi/Fantasy community enjoy that sort of book. The Dresden series is worth checking out, though. The author himself is capable, so I can only guess that he intentionally set out to write this sort of series. It's a shame.
Summary of Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4)
In his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world in which the elemental forces of nature take physical form and are used for protection. Now, as enemies become allies and friends become bitter foes, a danger beyond reckoning looms for all.
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