Codex Alera Books in Order By Jim Butcher
There are some people who will never understand what
loyalty means. They could tell you what it was, of course,
but they will never know. They will never see it from the inside.
They couldn’t imagine a world where something like that was real.”
― Jim Butcher, First Lord’s Fury
- Furies of Calderon (2004)
- Academ’s Fury (2005)
- Cursor’s Fury (2006)
- Captain’s Fury (2007)
- Princeps’ Fury (2008)
- First Lord’s Fury (2009)
An Intro to Codex Alera
Codex Alera is a set of six books that take place in the land of Alera. The lands have all broken up into smaller districts run by smaller groups of the first lost Roman Legion that stumbled into this world. The land is infested with Furies, elements (earth, air, water etc) that are bound to people, with the strongest able to manifest their furies into animal shapes. Through the books we follow the main protagonist, Tavi, as he deals with the world and the growing tension between the different clans, until a much larger enemy rises that forces the clans to either work together, or fight alone.
The fact that Codex Alera is a completed fantasy series, which is what I for one love to hear. While there are so many great fantasy books out there, I always enjoy digging into a series knowing full well that the story is complete. That I won’t have to wait a year, two years or more, for the next book, or for the ending. It’s always so bad getting into a set of books that you just love to immerse yourself into, only to find out that you won’t get to know how it ends.
The story, Jim Butcher has claimed, was born from a bet between him and another member of the Del Rey Online Writer’s Workshop. The idea was to settle a debate they were having as part of the Del Rey Online Writer’s Workshop. The debate was whether a terrible author could write a great book with a great concept, or if a great author could write a great book with a terrible concept. Which is more important, the concept or the author. Butcher believed that the latter was more important, and challenged to give him two random concepts and he would include them into the story. Butcher was given; Lost Roman Legion (the people of Alera) and Pokemon (furies).
Who is Jim Butcher?
Jim Butcher is an American author, born in Independence, Missouri in 1971. He is most well known for his fantasy works, The Dresden Files (which currently has 17 books published), Codex Alera (a finished fantasy book series of six books) and more recently Cinder Spires (with one book out currently). His interest in fantasy and sci/fi began when he was ill with strep throat as a child. Jim Butcher’s sisters introduced him to The Lord of the Rings and The Han Solo Adventures to help pass the time. He also claims that these authors were a source of inspiration, also amongst these are C. S. Lewis and Lloyd Alexander.
When he was a teenager, he wrote his first novel and set out to become a writer. At this time, Butcher was given the nickname Longshot. This was because usually only 3 in 1000 actually manage to get published, and of those select few, only 1 in 10 earn enough to take this profession on as full time. After a few failed attempts to get published, he was able to hit his stride with his Dresden Files (2000), a professional wizard in a modern-day Chicago.
I think men who lust for power are capable of almost anything.
― Jim Butcher, Furies of Calderon
The Order
Below is the best to read Codex Alera series. The books follow one after the other, with the ending of the previous book being the essence of the plot for the next book.
WARNING: There may be spoilers for some of the books mentioned. These are taken from the official descriptions but can sometimes spoil parts of previous books. So please be careful!
Furies of Calderon (2004) 
Codex Alera #1
168,850 words, 688 pages, 48 chapters, 11hrs 15mins to read.
3,517 average words per chapter, 14.3 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.12 out of 5 on Goodreads
For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bonds with the furies – elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote 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 the lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy – the Marat horde – returns to the Valley, Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war …
Academ’s Fury (2005) 
Codex Alera #2
172,130 words, 702 pages, 60 chapters, 11hrs 30mins to read.
2,868 average words per chapter, 11.7 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.26 out of 5 on Goodreads
For centuries, the people of Alera have relied on the power of the furies to protect them from outside invaders. But the gravest threat might be closer than they think.
Tavi has escaped the Calderon Valley and the mysterious attack of the Marat on his homeland. But he is far from safe, as trying to keep up the illusion of being a student while secretly training as one of the First Lord’s spies is a dangerous game. And he has not yet learned to use the furies, making him especially vulnerable.
When the attack comes it’s on two fronts. A sudden strike threatens the First Lord’s life and threatens to plunge the land into civil war. While in the Calderon Valley, the threat faced from the Marat is dwarfed by an ancient menace. And Tavi must learn to harness the furies if he has any chance of fighting the greatest threat Alera has ever known . . .
Cursor’s Fury (2006) 
Codex Alera #3
150,555 words, 614 pages, 55 chapters, 10hrs 5mins to read.
2,737 average words per chapter, 11.2 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.36 out of 5 on Goodreads
Power-hungry Kalare has rebelled against Alera’s aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus. Ill-equipped to face this attack, Gaius must seek support – even from the combative High Lord of Aquitaine. Kalare has also seized valuable hostages that could mean the difference between victory and failure. And Amara, the First Lord’s Cursor, has been tasked with their rescue. She has earned this trust but are her allies as worthy – or does the Lady Aquitaine see the time as ripe for betrayal?
Treachery is rife elsewhere, as young Tavi of Calderon will find. Posted away from the war, Tavi joins a legion anyway, under an assumed name. Then Kalare does the unthinkable – uniting with the brutish Canim. When treason wipes out the army’s command structure, Tavi finds himself leading an inexperienced legion against the might of the Canim horde – the very last resort of a war-torn realm.
Captain’s Fury (2007) 
Codex Alera #4
146,630 words, 598 pages, 61 chapters, 9hrs 20mins to read.
2,403 average words per chapter, 9.8 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.37 out of 5 on Goodreads
Tavi of Calderon, now captain of his own Legion, has been fighting a bitter war for two years. Then he discovers the invading Canim warriors are harbingers of a far greater threat. The Canim are being hunted in their turn by a savage race that forced them from their homeland – and which has pursued them to the Aleran borders. With options fast running out, Tavi proposes an alliance with the Canim.
But the Senate’s new military commander wishes only to wipe out the Canim ‘scourge’, and would also kill Aleran slaves that have sought freedom with these aggressors.
Tavi must reconcile Aleran and Canim, slavemaster and slave, Citizen and Proletarian, if an alliance is to be forced. And he must lead his Legion in defiance of the law, against both friend and enemy – before the greatest army of all launches its assault.
Princeps’ Fury (2008) 
Codex Alera #5
130,940 words, 534 pages, 46 chapters, 8hrs 45mins to read.
2,846 average words per chapter, 11.6 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.37 out of 5 on Goodreads
Tavi of Calderon, now recognized as Princeps Gaius Octavian and heir to the crown, has achieved a fragile alliance with Alera’s oldest foes, the savage Canim. But when Tavi and his legions guide the Canim safely to their lands, his worst fears are realized.
The dreaded Vord – the enemy of Aleran and Cane alike – have spent the last three years laying waste to the Canim homeland. And when the Alerans are cut off from their ships, they find themselves with no choice but to fight shoulder to shoulder if they are to survive.
For a thousand years, Alera and her furies have withstood every enemy, and survived every foe.
The thousand years are over…
First Lord’s Fury (2009) 
Codex Alera #6
169,435 words, 691 pages, 59 chapters, 11hrs 20mins> to read.
2,871 average words per chapter, 11.7 average pages per chapter
Published by Ace Books
4.39 out of 5 on Goodreads
For Gaius Octavian, life has been one long battle. Now, the end of all he fought for is close at hand. The brutal, dreaded Vord are on the march against Alera. And perhaps for the final time, Gaius Octavian and his legions must stand against the enemies of his people. And it will take all his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.
Because a sound tree doesn’t have bad roots, Amara. No enterprise of greatness
begins with treachery, with lying to the people who trust and love you
― Jim Butcher, Furies of Calderon
Overall
While this series may have come about from a challenge, it is no less amazing. In my opinion, I find that to make these books even more enjoyable. These were great reads and ones that I could not put down. Jim Butcher is able to up the stakes with each book, without it feeling stale, repetitive or even unbelievable for this world.
If you have enjoyed any of Jim Butcher’s work and want to learn more about his or any other of his work, then feel free to check out his website. You will be able to find on the website’s homepage, a timeline of the progress of his next books.
Which one is your favourite or most looking forward to picking up next?
Let us know!
Happy reading!
Codex Alera Total Word Count and More!
- Total words: 938,540 words
- Total pages: 3,827 pages
- Total chapters: 329 chapters
- Total reading time: 62hrs 30mins
More of the same, but different:
Things to Note:
- Word count is an approximation.
- Amount of pages may differ due to different publications, font style and/or size etc.
- Time spent reading is generally an approximation based on the word count and the average reading time. The average reader will read 250 WPM (Words Per Minute).
- This is the original publisher of the books.
- The current Goodreads score at the time of writing.
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