Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher

This is good, old fashioned fantasy. The main characters are likable, honorable and mildly conflicted. There is lots of action with doses of humor throughout. I felt like a complete nerd because I wanted to be IN the novel.

The people of Alera have a unique bond with their furies: elementals of earth, air, water, fire, wood and metal. For example, a wind fury can help you fly and a fire fury can start a fire. Some people connect with more than one fury. In the Calderon Valley, Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. When the Marat threaten the valley, Tavi must rely on his courage and resourcefulness to fight them. Meanwhile, the First Lord struggles to save a realm on the brink of civil war.

I don’t want to spoil the plot by reviewing each book. If you're worried about this being YA, know that with each book the pace increases, and the characters are faced with more complex problems as they age. Also, some of the characters are older so you aren’t stuck the entire time with a young protagonist.

Book 1: The Furies of Calderon

Book 2: Academ’s Fury

Book 3: Cursor’s Fury

Book 4: Captain’s Fury

Book 5: Princeps’ Fury

Book 6: First Lord’s Fury