Furies of Calderon by Jim ButcherMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A good friend and great human being has been trying to get me to read this book since at least 2008, maybe a little earlier. I spent a year and a half reading one Dresden Files book a month between then and now, so I've become pretty well-versed in Butcher's style. So with all this in mind, and considering it's an author I like doing fantasy, now is as good a time as any to dive in, right?
The story is about a broader war between "furies," the magic users and such of this universe, and some loyalist factions. There is slavery, brutality, and all sorts of craziness going on along the way, and it's very traditional in a sense even with Butcher's take.
So why didn't I love it? I've been trying to place it since I finished the book. It was a good read, but I slogged a bit through it. I've never been one for dark fantasy, and this is is definitely on the dark scale (although I'm not sure I'd place it in the grimdark area). The characters are solid, I liked Tavi in particular but pretty much all the heroes are worthwhile (which is a standard for Butcher, I'm finding), and the worldbuilding is great, too.
I just didn't connect. I can't place it, I'm not sure if it was me or just how everything worked out or what, but it ended up being something I kind of endured rather than enjoyed.
I'll keep going with the series. Also in true Butcher form, the final act was really great and maybe I just needed to get over that hump first, but I would never dissuade anyone from reading it. It might just not be the type of fantasy I love?
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Aww. I appreciate the shout out. :)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, FOC is not the best of the 6, and the worldbuilding (to me) can be a little sluggish here. Definitely stick through until 3.