Furies of Calderon: Typical epic fantasy

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

I read Furies of Calderon while waiting for Jim Butcher’s next DRESDEN FILES novel. Butcher’s little blurb at the end of his books had convinced me to give it a whirl.

Let it be known, this is not to the caliber of THE DRESDEN FILES. It is a good book nonetheless. The story follows several characters in the world of Alera who find themselves intertwined together in a land on the brink of war. Furies of Calderon is a book of themes. Bravery, honor, love, family and sacrifice are all themes predominately displayed through out the story.

Alera itself is not described in much detail so the reader is left mostly to context to piece together what the world is like. The main characters are likable, but not easy to identify with. What I liked most about Furies of Calderon is its simple yet engaging storyline. It’s essentially good vs evil. I’m a sucker for a story where the good guys win, and heroes get the girls… or guys. That happens here, but we’re left with a tense feeling at the end. Trouble still brews.

Overall I would recommend Furies of Calderon to anyone who enjoys classic epic fantasy story telling. I do however caution DRESDEN fans: Furies of Calderon is no substitute while waiting for the next DRESDEN FILES installment.

~Justin Blazier

This story is a pretty straight-up very long boy-with-a-destiny-and-friends-must-defend-the-keep-from-the-evil-enemy-horde kind of epic fantasy that doesn’t stand out. There are a lot of the usual tropes which made it impossible for me to forget I was reading an epic fantasy novel (rather than becoming absorbed in the story). At first it’s hard to really like any of the characters but by the end I liked them better and I thought the plot was heading in a more interesting direction (away from the evil enemy horde). The romances are very thin but the occasional dry humor is appealing.

I’m willing to read the next book, but mostly because I already have it on my shelf.

~Kat Hooper