Talk:Codex Alera

Little is Known
I think this phrase is clearly absent from the Marat section, making it stand out as incomplete. For balance, the phrasing should be used in all races, just to be fair to all of them... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.210.207.73 (talk) 06:32, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Spoilers
Isn't this all a bit spoiler-y? For example, shouldn't it be possible to list and describe the characters, without mentioning all the major plot points? Then, maybe, after those, have a spoiler section with a synopsis. What do you think?
 * Wiki isn't a fansite, so if the best way to frame the page is to have spoilers throughout we shouldn't make special concession. I'm not saying either way is better, however, and this page needs a lot of work. - Debuskjt 19:25, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Well, I was thinking more about how the way almost all other movie and novel and play pages are done: they usually have a spoiler divide before getting into the nitty gritty details. Novium 21:59, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Someone needs to look at WP:Plot "Wikipedia articles on published works (such as fictional stories) should contain real-world context and sourced analysis, offering detail on a work's development and historical significance, not solely a detailed summary of that work's plot." Articles get deleted regularly that are just plot summaries.--Doug Weller (talk) 19:58, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Acutally, Manual_of_Style_(writing_about_fiction) is more appropriate. It notes a balance is required. One of the primary source, ie. straight from the book, information it lists as being something to include is

Castes of Canim
To me it seems that there are only 3 castes of Canim. The "Hunter" caste seems to be a specific role of some warriors, just like the legion has scouts. They don't count the smiths seperate from the farmers and the other makers. None of the Canim ever called the hunters a caste and the Alerans considered the scouts proof that there was a more organised army and not just raiders. 208.81.184.4 (talk) 13:05, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Is it just me?
Or does the plot of these novels seem really similar in a lot of ways to the Dicksword books?

Lol Gaius the only metalcrafter?
Hey, in the first novel there was a centurion or something that was a metalcrafter (his name starting with P). He was a skilled warrior on the side of good but he died anyway. Just mentioning since Gaius is not the only one to use their abilities 0.o —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.75.86.134 (talk) 21:24, 23 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Learn to read... It says that Gaius (and as of the last book Araris) were the only people shown to manifest metal furies. They are NOT the only metalcrafters, the article doesn't even say that, stop being a troll.--Blackstone Dresden (talk) 15:54, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Demos
Yeah, why doesn't he have his own section? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.176.103.199 (talk) 19:28, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

Knights Aqua
Were there ever any Knights Aqua? The title would be reasonable but I don't think it appeared in the books. Watercrafting is used offensively on a few occasions but all the legion watercrafters were medics as far as I know. --Raisins7777 (talk) 06:48, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, when the First Lord arrives in Bernardholt at the end of Furies of Calderon, all six types of Knights were mentioned as arriving with him. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.115.249.38 (talk) 02:57, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes, there are Knights Aquas. And someone had changed that to Knights Pisces; the Knights Pisces were a different group, a nickname for some of Tavi's "fish." Critterkeeper (talk) 08:50, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

Pokemon connection / origins of the story
Jim Butcher freely admits in many interviews and discussions that this series sprang from an online dare. He got into a debate about whether it was the base idea that was important, or whether it was the execution that mattered in whether a story was good or not. His opponent suggested that he give Butcher a bad idea, and Butcher make a good story from it. Butcher replied by asking him to give him *two* bad ideas. The first was the Lost Roman Legions, which the opponent had apparently seen far too many stories based upon at that time. The second was one word -- "Pokemon." When Butcher did a little research into the actual premise of Pokemon, and animism in general, he discovered that it was actually a pretty good basis for a magical system. You can still see the Pokemon origins in the battles between furies, and in the oversized weapons many of the fighters wield. Unfortunately, I learned all this from seeing Butcher in person at Duckon 2009, and don't have the references to back it up, but a quick spin through his web site would probably turn up plenty of references. Anyone here have the time? Critterkeeper (talk) 17:06, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Zerg?
The Vord:
 * 1) assimilate other life forms
 * 2) reproduce rapidly
 * 3) live on a waxy growth that covers the ground
 * 4) come from "the stars"
 * 5) are telepathically linked and controlled by a single entity

but aren't mentioned even as being similar on the page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.84.11.220 (talk) 16:20, 11 June 2010 (UTC)

They seem more like the Borg; indeed the Queen made a lot of stements nearly identical to the Borg Queen in First Contact. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.103.223.51 (talk) 16:26, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Zerg? I totally agree. Borg? not so much - no technology. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.84.124.217 (talk) 22:49, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

Wrong timeline?
From the article on Wikipedia (3rd paragraph):

"At a Question and Answer session at the 2010 Dragon*Con in Atlanta, Ga, Jim Butcher revealed that the origin of the Codex Alera series was a bet. Another author bet him that he could not write a good story from a bad idea. Jim replied that he would let the other author pick not one, but two bad ideas, and he would write a good story about it. The two bad ideas the other author gave him were the lost 9th Roman Legion and Pokemon."

Wasn't that earlier? They asked him that question a couple of times... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.75.87.113 (talk) 09:06, 29 September 2010 (UTC)


 * He definitely went into this at DucKon in 2009, where he was a Guest of Honor. It also wasn't another author he was debating, just someone on a message board.  I've made changes to that effect, clarifying the language a bit and adding a couple details while I'm at it.  The actual identity of the person he was debating has been forgotten; Jim didn't even remember what board the debate was on.  If anyone can track down an archive of the actual debate, that would be invaluable!  Critterkeeper (talk) 08:47, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

Echoes of RuneQuest
Note: I am not talking about anything nefarious, just speculating on a possible source of ideas. I wonder if Mr. Butcher ever read a description of the plains tribes of Gloriantha. Each tribe had a connection to a particular animal, somewhat like the Marat. And, of course, the idea that everyone can do magic, which is almost universal among the people of the Empire, is something that RuneQuest introduced to roleplaying games, although the magic of Alera is quite different. 65.79.173.135 (talk) 13:20, 1 August 2013 (UTC)Will in New Haven65.79.173.135 (talk) 13:20, 1 August 2013 (UTC)