I loved, loved, loved the Codex Alera series, beginning to end. First Lord's Fury packs a mighty punch. I can't even begin to describe the mounting dread I felt reading this book, knowing on the one hand that some sort of satisfactory ending must be waiting, yet not being able to see how our hero and the vast cast of characters whom I've truly come to love would be able to survive. I was picturing widespread death and destruction, a la the seventh Harry Potter book, and yet I must say that Jim Butcher was not quite as ruthless with the lives of his beloved characters as I'd feared. Mustn't give anything away! I read the six books of Codex Alera non-stop. I do feel that the author did an outstanding job of wrapping up the story and leaving no loose threads, but I will really miss the world he's created in Alera, and wish that he'll revisit the Realm in some future storytelling.