Jim Butcher, Cursor’s Fury

Cursor's Fury

Jim Butcher

Ace December 2006, $24.95, 448 pp.

ISBN 0441014345

In the realm of Alera where people can bind elemental furies and use their powers, Tavi is one of the fair who has no magical abilities. He is trusted by First Lord Gaius and was once his page. Now he is a Cursor, gathering intelligence to protect the realm from its enemies. However, not everyone is satisfied with the First Lord's rule; High Lord Kalare wants the position, and he makes a devil's bargain with the monstrous looking, magic wielding Canim.

The battleground where the Canim will make their first stand is Cerus and Tavi through a series of deaths Tavi is now the captain and the leader of the First Alera legion. He is a natural leader, and even though the Canim have fifty thousand troops camped to a few thousand Aleran soldiers, Tavi is determined to hold the line until other legions arrive to aid him. What he doesn't know is that Kalare has imprisoned the spouses of Lords Atticus and Placida, and neither man will make a move until their loved ones are freed. Tavi knows if he doesn't find a way to stop the coming horde, they will overrun all of Alera.

Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files writes high fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien. The author is a fantastic world builder, who has created a society with its own culture, politics and values, and it seems so real, the reader will believe such places actually exist. This is a unique hero who thinks he is losing because he has no fury crafting, but doesn't understand one doesn't need magic to be a leader and inspire loyalty. There is much intrigue and political maneuvering in CURSOR'S FURY, but the battle scenes are fantastic because they are easily visualized. Mr. Butcger deserves a Gugo nomination for this fine book.