danr62
Sage
I'm pretty sure that Alera and Dresden are his only two series. And none of those books had those fake deaths, as far as I can recall.
I used to love the Dresden Files books but I feel that since Changes it's been spinning it's wheels and not really going anywhere.
I really wanted to like Codex Alera and I gave the first one a shot.There are four major female characters in the book all with their own personalities, agendas and goals. This is good. Two of them are after their first conflict, captured by minor bad guys, deprived of their magic and repeatedly threatened with rape. One of the other's is almost accidentally date raped (it's his 'pokemon's' fault not his, that doesn't make it any better) by another major character and the last one is a love interest for the main hero.
While I've seen him do better in Dresden Files that just put such a bad taste in my mouth I don't think I'll give the rest of Codex Alera a try.
I used to love the Dresden Files books but I feel that since Changes it's been spinning it's wheels and not really going anywhere.
I really wanted to like Codex Alera and I gave the first one a shot.There are four major female characters in the book all with their own personalities, agendas and goals. This is good. Two of them are after their first conflict, captured by minor bad guys, deprived of their magic and repeatedly threatened with rape. One of the other's is almost accidentally date raped (it's his 'pokemon's' fault not his, that doesn't make it any better) by another major character and the last one is a love interest for the main hero.
While I've seen him do better in Dresden Files that just put such a bad taste in my mouth I don't think I'll give the rest of Codex Alera a try.
I just started reading the Dresden files. I am walking into danger zone here. His books are so good and they can very easily influence you on the way of your writing.
If ya don't like it, you don't like it.
Many of us, however, including myself, absolutely loved those books.
I'm not saying that you can't. I'm just stating my opinion on what I have read of the series.
1) Threats of violence don't make any sense with the slave collars already on the water crafters. Regular violence would have no meaningful impact when they are being magiced into obeying everything Kord wants. Also it also is quite blatant that Odiana was raped when she was a slave previously and Kord continuously makes mention of rebreaking her. Even if we do assume that Kord really just intended to beat the women the magic items depriving them of their free will and the general oppressive atmosphere still feels too close to sexual violence for my taste.
2) It would not be fully consensual. It'd be more along the lines of getting a girl drunk or high in hopes of getting 'lucky' from her impaired judgment than roofing her into unconsciousness. Not the legal definition but not really on the moral up and up. Also I got the impression that she was closer to Tavi's age than Bernard's, that just might be a mistake on my part though.
3) I have no doubt that any of the characters aren't awesome in their own ways at later points in the series. In Dresden Files he showed an immense talent at making everyone their own personal shade of badass as different points in the series, especially the female characters. What I take issue with is that the one female character who doesn't have a near rape experience is romantically tied to the main character. It's a lesser issue but it still grates on me a little bit.
I tried Codex Alera. Got a couple dozen pages in and stopped (I realized this when I found the first book on my shelf last night). Can't remember why - maybe I'll check them out again. I like the Dresden Files well enough.