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Furies of Calderon | Rating | |
| A | |||
| Jim Butcher | |||
| Series | Related Books | ||
| The Codex Alera | Furies of Calderon, Academ's Fury, Cursor's Fury | ||
In the land of Alera, every human can summon the magical elementals known as Furies. They help with everyday chores as well as more powerful deeds such as healing and battle. Every human, that is, except Tavi. But it may be Tavi who proves pivotal to events in the valley of Calderon, as the inhuman Marat horde threatens to swarm them all under. But there is more going on than a mere invasion. Treachery and greed are rotting Alera from within.
This is a new world from the maker of The Dresden Files. There, Butcher created a unique vision of modern Chicago, and build a deep and involved world of magic and the supernatural to lay over our own like an unseen film.
With such a complex and otherworldly setting arising out of an everyday, familiar city, it should come as no surprise that he does no less well when he has a blank slate to work with. Alera is a fascinating setting with a history all its own, and the method behind magic is similarly unique. The characters are no less complex, each with their own personality and worries. It was a truly enjoyable experience.
With this book the author split the story into no less than four main parts, with occasional forays elsewhere to boot. Yet never was it confusing. Each of these parts were distinct and important, and they meshed well together. Nor did it feel choppy, split at natural points in their individual tales. This is no easy task, with so many paths to follow, but Butcher accomplished it admirably.
Butcher is as adept at writing scenes filled with action as he is creating worlds, and just as his fantasy-mystery novels contain the occasional fight here and there, so too does Furies of Calderon. More, because this is set in its own world, the fights can be more than small-scale affairs that must have some plausible way of being hidden from the general populace. There are larger struggles, and the last third of the book is a battle worthy of any epic you could care to name. The character employ intelligent tactics.
The story is filled with tension, and readers never can be certain exactly how things will come to pass. Butcher is not an author that guarantees the good guys come out on top, and certainly not in every way. This looks to be an excellent start to an excellent series, and I certainly am looking forward to seeing the story continue.
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