First Lord's Fury

Codex Alera, Book 6

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 23 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

The next book in the thrilling New York Times best-selling series.

For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war - and the rightful First Lord of Alera.

But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Gaius must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them - using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.

©2009 Jim Butcher (P)2009 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A complex plot.” (Publishers Weekly)

“[A] fitting conclusion to the Codex Alera.” (Booklist)

"This is an entertaining and great super finish to the Codex Alera...The storyline is fast-paced...Fans will relish the saga." (Genre Go Round Review)

Good Finish, though I wish for more

I've read the first books in the series and wanted to read this one as soon as it came out. I had a long trip planned that required lengthy plane travel and thought I'd give an audio book a try...prevent that bleary eyed feeling after hours of reading :). This was very, very good. The writing was great and the narrator did a wonderful job bringing the words and characters alive. It was so much easier to carry my MP3 around the airport and on to the plane than a large hardcover...also the story drowned out the crying kids two rows up :)

Great read!!

excellent conclusion to a great series!!! sad that it ended!!! performance was also wonderful!! going to start on the next series immediately! haven't been let down yet by th os author! recommend the Dresden files for anyone who hasn't listened to them yet!

The payoff is worth it!

I've now listened to the entirety of the series but I seriously considered not finishing it. I didn't feel connected to the characters or story and I knew the ending was going to be predictable. I still don't like Kate Reading's narration as much as I wished I liked it, but I'm glad I stuck it out! This was a satisfying conclusion and by far the best book in the series.

Butcher did it again

Full disclosure: I am not normally a fan of this genre. I read all of the Dresden books by Jim Butcher, and decided to give another of his series' a listen. Very satisfied. Book 6 wraps up the series, nicely. There's room for more, though I doubt Butcher will ruin it for more money. Kate Reading does a superb job of narration, and keeps the dialects and accents for each of the characters consistent, making it that much easier to follow. The occasional horn blows... not sure why they're still on a digital version of the audiobook, but I thought they were useful as pause points to take a break. Maybe they're there to wake you up so you don't sleep through the whole book, should you be tired while listening? Either way, they didn't bother me.
I doubt anyone would read Book 6 without reading any of the previous books in the series (do people do that?), so without giving away the ending, I would say this book wraps things up satisfactorily. Great job, Mr. Butcher! Now, write another Dresden book, already!

A great end

A few loose threads. A few side characters never had their fate mentioned. I have decided to go with a happy ending for them.

Sorry that it's over! More! Need more!

Any additional comments?

Although this series started off with a couple of hiccups for me: so very many characters and plots to track, and fight scenes that seemed interminable, I stuck with it because I had faith in Jim Butcher, and he did not disappoint! This series only got better as it went along with wonderful character development as well as intriguing problems to be solved by the main hero.

My only complaint now is that I wish there was more! It certainly was left open for more books to follow, and I hope that happens. I will miss these characters. Jim Butcher made you feel for each and every one of them - even the anti-heroes, as he spun the tale and showed that most everyone thought they were doing the right thing, even if how they went about it seemed 'wrong'. Highly entertaining and imaginative story. Well worth the listen.

Kate Reading is amazing

Great series. This book ties up all the strings of the story but still leaves room for more. Reading does a terrific job differentiating the voices and her acting, as always, is spot on. Thanks

Loved it!

So sorry to see the series end. The narration was enjoyable to listen to and the storyline was engaging. Another Jim Butcher win!!

My favorite

I've listened to this series in its entirety, and read the books, too many times to count at this point. It is such a fulfilling story and to think, I almost never read it. Mr. Butcher was already my favorite author with TDF, but I was never big in horse and sword fantasy. When I first started reading TDF the first book in this series wasn't out quite yet. By the time I got desperate enough to check it out, they were on their 3rd installment, and I thought "why not, I've got nothing else to read." This story is so complete that it saddens me to think there won't be anymore installments. I wish there were a spinoff or a future perspective written by the heirs of Tavi. I would like to know what happens to Aleta in the next 200 years or so. I would like to know the evolution that the people of Aleta will experience after the glory of this books events have faded and people revert back to their cantankerous and jaded ways. Will people be ready in 200 years when their enemy returns? Or will it just be a handful of dedicated people who remember and believe? It needs to be told!!

Are the horns necessary...?

I am both a fan of Jim Butcher and Kate Reading (the narrator). Both deliver a superb finish to a great series. Jim Butcher does a great job providing personality in his characters and Kate Reading delivers believable portrayals of each individual. I highly recommend the series to anyone looking for a great story. My only frustration are the horns, which I assume was to signify the change in cd's... If the editors can remove the horns it would be perfect!