In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies — elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal — 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. As his homeland erupts in chaos — when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies — Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war.

"At the start of Butcher's absorbing fantasy, the first in a new series, the barbarians are at the gates of the land of Alera, which has a distinct flavor of the Roman Empire (its ruler is named Quintus Sextus and its soldiers are organized in legions). Fortunately, Alera has magical defenses, involving the furies or elementals of water, earth, air, fire and metal, that protect against foes both internal and external. Amara, a young female spy, and her companion, Odiana, go into some of the land's remoter territories to discover if military commander Atticus Quentin is a traitor — another classic trope from ancient Rome. She encounters a troubled young man, Tavi, who has hitherto been concerned mostly with the vividly depicted predatory 'herdbanes' that threaten his sheep as well as with his adolescent sexual urges (handled tastefully). Thinking that Amara is an escaping slave, Tavi decides to help her and is immediately sucked in over his head into a morass of intrigues, military, magical and otherwise. Butcher (Storm Front, etc.) does a thorough job of world building, to say nothing of developing his action scenes with an abundance of convincing detail. This page-turner bodes well for future volumes." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[A] real page-turner, with the classic plot of a kingdom threatened by both an outside invader and internal treachery enlivened by an abundance of original details and sheer storytelling gusto....A promising series launcher." Booklist

"Butcher creates a world modeled on ancient Rome that is full of warring lords and elemental magics. With strong, likable characters and a graceful storytelling style, this series debut should appeal to fans of epic fantasy." Library Journal

A martial arts enthusiast whose resumé includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog.