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dm_pat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
It's clearly early Butcher, which means it's rough and more than a little sexist. When it gets out of its own way with that bullshit, it's entertaining and a fun adventure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, and Violence
schluschli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexism, Vomit, and Kidnapping
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Infertility
olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
Moderate: Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, War, Violence, Trafficking, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I have so many issues with this book.
Where to start? I think the whole 600+ pages covers roughly two days (maybe up to four or five, but definitely not even a whole week). Yes, it's multiple POV, but I think part of the problem was that it was sooo long. It seemed like half the time it was the person trying to guess and analyze what another person would do, then next chapter we get the other POV and they are doing the same thing. Later in the book there were some better interactions with show don't tell, but it was pretty rough overall. I considered DNF many times through the book and I think by the time I got to the 50% marker, was when I began to hate read it. I'm talking about when you highlight and comment sarcastically about all the WTF moments and the convenient plot armor at just the right time.
There was no real consistency in the "magic system", like can all of the elemental furies (which I struggled to no read as furries the entire book) alter emotional states? Like, the firecrafters, sure I can see the hotheaded type emotions making sense, but like watercrafters feel all emotions, and then an earthcrafter can also stoke the flames of passion? It seemed like whatever was convenient at the time was what that person would be able to do with their fury.
While on the subject of passion - TW for gang rape. Gross. Why is rape such a common theme in fantasy? It is desensitizing and that whole small plot line was dumb in the first place.
The romantic pairings were also very problematic for me. So much cheating , and then Isana is like, maybe early 20s (referred to as a girl and young woman multiple times) and she is insta-infatuated with an older man who is in his 40s (but don't worry, he looks younger so it's fine when they make out multiple times through the book. Blech.). As for Aldrick and Odiana, they seem to oddly have the healthiest relationship? In like a super creepy way since they are both obsessed with killing.
Will not be continuing with the series even though I've heard this is the worst book and it gets so much better. No thank you.
Where to start? I think the whole 600+ pages covers roughly two days (maybe up to four or five, but definitely not even a whole week). Yes, it's multiple POV, but I think part of the problem was that it was sooo long. It seemed like half the time it was the person trying to guess and analyze what another person would do, then next chapter we get the other POV and they are doing the same thing. Later in the book there were some better interactions with show don't tell, but it was pretty rough overall. I considered DNF many times through the book and I think by the time I got to the 50% marker, was when I began to hate read it. I'm talking about when you highlight and comment sarcastically about all the WTF moments and the convenient plot armor at just the right time.
There was no real consistency in the "magic system", like can all of the elemental furies (which I struggled to no read as furries the entire book) alter emotional states? Like, the firecrafters, sure I can see the hotheaded type emotions making sense, but like watercrafters feel all emotions, and then an earthcrafter can also stoke the flames of passion? It seemed like whatever was convenient at the time was what that person would be able to do with their fury.
While on the subject of passion - TW for gang rape. Gross. Why is rape such a common theme in fantasy? It is desensitizing and that whole small plot line was dumb in the first place.
The romantic pairings were also very problematic for me. So much cheating , and then Isana is like, maybe early 20s (referred to as a girl and young woman multiple times) and she is insta-infatuated with an older man who is in his 40s (but don't worry, he looks younger so it's fine when they make out multiple times through the book. Blech.). As for Aldrick and Odiana, they seem to oddly have the healthiest relationship? In like a super creepy way since they are both obsessed with killing.
Will not be continuing with the series even though I've heard this is the worst book and it gets so much better. No thank you.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Torture, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Animal death, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Slavery, and War
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
**After much reflection, I think that the problematic treatment of fantasy-indigenous people in this series is inextricable from the story and, as much as I personally enjoyed these books as a teenager, I don’t recommend the series.
Furies of Calderon is sword and sorcery, political machinations and longstanding grudges, elemental familiars, interpersonal drama driving the fate of nation-states, and some really good action scenes, all kicking off one of my favorite series.
If you like high-ish fantasy stories with political machinations and elemental familiars, then this is the series for you. The action is described vividly, gruesome scenes are given an appropriate mix of description and implication, and it's the first book of a series that lives up to its start and then goes on to be even better. If you wanted to like [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg]'s writing, but The Dresden Files just aren't for you, try this series.
Several years after I first read it, I heard that the premise resulted from combing two disparate inspirations, Pokemon and the Lost Roman Legion. Whether or not that's true, this is a series with elemental-based creatures bonded to humans, all of whom have names of Roman derivation, who came to this place through a portal some thousand years ago... so I'm inclined to believe the internet rumor on this one.
Regardless of the inspiration behind the premise, I feel at home in this series. I love witty banter, interpersonal and national politics, and while I don't read books just for their fight scenes, I do appreciate when they're descriptive and evocative enough that I can follow the action and get a sense of the physical space the characters inhabit in the heat of battle. This sense of space starts when the book is calm and continues as things heat up, so it makes everything feel like it happened in a real place that you could visit and walk around in.
This book, in particular, needs content warnings for discussions of human trafficking, sexual assault, murder, cannibalism, and body horror of various kinds. But, to borrow language from our ratings on the podcast, these are often moderate to severe, but generally handled with care (or at least enough care). Often the depictions within the text involve someone slowly understanding the horrific implications of another character's actions (current or intended), with many of the more horrifying details either relayed flatly or heavily implied instead of described in detail. There's a lot of aftercare, and whenever it's missing, that absence itself serves a narrative purpose.
*I do feel it’s important to mention that this series canonically doesn’t take place on Earth, but there are several types of quasi-indigenous peoples in this series that are clearly inspired by real peoples. I’m not in a position to speak to whether these portrayals are insensitive or triggering, but the series does a lot of specific work to fight against the idea that they are lesser in any way. It also sets up the idea in the first place that they could be lesser, so I don’t know how much leeway the author should get for solving a situation he also created.
Furies of Calderon is sword and sorcery, political machinations and longstanding grudges, elemental familiars, interpersonal drama driving the fate of nation-states, and some really good action scenes, all kicking off one of my favorite series.
If you like high-ish fantasy stories with political machinations and elemental familiars, then this is the series for you. The action is described vividly, gruesome scenes are given an appropriate mix of description and implication, and it's the first book of a series that lives up to its start and then goes on to be even better. If you wanted to like [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg]'s writing, but The Dresden Files just aren't for you, try this series.
Several years after I first read it, I heard that the premise resulted from combing two disparate inspirations, Pokemon and the Lost Roman Legion. Whether or not that's true, this is a series with elemental-based creatures bonded to humans, all of whom have names of Roman derivation, who came to this place through a portal some thousand years ago... so I'm inclined to believe the internet rumor on this one.
Regardless of the inspiration behind the premise, I feel at home in this series. I love witty banter, interpersonal and national politics, and while I don't read books just for their fight scenes, I do appreciate when they're descriptive and evocative enough that I can follow the action and get a sense of the physical space the characters inhabit in the heat of battle. This sense of space starts when the book is calm and continues as things heat up, so it makes everything feel like it happened in a real place that you could visit and walk around in.
This book, in particular, needs content warnings for discussions of human trafficking, sexual assault, murder, cannibalism, and body horror of various kinds. But, to borrow language from our ratings on the podcast, these are often moderate to severe, but generally handled with care (or at least enough care). Often the depictions within the text involve someone slowly understanding the horrific implications of another character's actions (current or intended), with many of the more horrifying details either relayed flatly or heavily implied instead of described in detail. There's a lot of aftercare, and whenever it's missing, that absence itself serves a narrative purpose.
*I do feel it’s important to mention that this series canonically doesn’t take place on Earth, but there are several types of quasi-indigenous peoples in this series that are clearly inspired by real peoples. I’m not in a position to speak to whether these portrayals are insensitive or triggering, but the series does a lot of specific work to fight against the idea that they are lesser in any way. It also sets up the idea in the first place that they could be lesser, so I don’t know how much leeway the author should get for solving a situation he also created.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
CW for sexism, discussion of sexual assault, slavery, violence, death.
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