Book #22

Book I of The Codex Alera: Furies of Calderon
by Jim Butcher

I decided to try The Furies of Calderon, Jim Butcher's second series after Dresden and the one he originally wanted to write: epic fantasy. And yes, that is exactly like me, and Briar, and the ghoul book. Heh. I only hope that my series ends up on TV.

It was a great book, though it was very long, and felt at times like a chore. Not because it was boring, but just because so much happened, so much information was put out, and it took so very long for the main plot themes to wrap up that the tension was a little wearing. But everything ends well, amazingly enough; the final battle (which takes up more than a hundred pages) was up to Butcher's usual standard of excellence, which I have come to expect, and crave, from the Dresden books.

The Furies were okay; it's a nice take on magic, though not exactly an original one (not that a good fantasy series needs to be totally original; I'm not sure a fantasy series can be, considering how many ideas have been put into print in the past), but I particularly liked the Marat. These are the big enemy, the race (non-human, though pretty danged close) that live outside the kingdom of men and which threaten the dominance of the civilized group. They have a great concept for a society that isn't based on technology and knowledge and order, like ours: they follow animal totems, just like the Indians they're based on (I assume -- obsidian knives, loincloths, long hair in braids with feathers woven into it, close ties to nature and disdain for modern weapons and those who use them -- what would you think?), but in the case of the Marat, they bond with those animals and become halfway part of their pack or herd or flock. It's an interesting concept, and Butcher gives it a hell of a twist in this book.

The writing was great, the characters are excellent on both sides, and the plot was wonderfully done. Definitely going to read on in this series. And try very hard to swallow my envy.