The Furies of Calderon (FIRST BOOK REVIEW EVER!)

Book: The Furies of Calderon (Book One of the Codex Alera)

Publisher: Ace Books

Release Date: October, 2004

Welcome to the first book review on Colored Media. Ever. I have no idea if Green will ever start doing these, but I figure I love to read so there is no reason for me not to review books on here. Technically, they are media products, so why the fuck not. Jim Butcher is one of my favorite authors in the world; Scratch that, he is my favorite. So far I'm loving this series, I'm very excited for his steam-punk series, and he penned my favorite series of all time in The Dresden Files. I'll probably get to those eventually, but for now I'm focusing on his Codex Alera. I decided to read this (not just because it is Jim Butcher) because it's backstory sounded too great to pass up. Supposedly someone told Jim he could not write on a lame premise. Jim asked for two and said he would. The two lame ideas were Pokemon and the Lost Roman Empire. It turned into a six book series.

The book premise does stray a little bit away from Pokemon but that is good because we don't want to see Mr. Butcher get sued. The way that his world is portrayed is that each person gets a little bit on an ability to "craft". This is the ability to control the elements because of being able to tap into the energies of their "fury" which is a sort of monster that begins working with that person when they come age. In Alera pretty much everyone has access to some sort of crafting that is related to the elements; wood, water, air, fire, earth, and metal comprise the crafting types, at least for now. Also, the Roman Empire is seen clearly in their structures and how the climate seems to be. 

And this is where this story starts. Enter Tavi a young boy who is fifteen (basically a man it seems by societal standards) and has absolutely no ability to fury craft. This is unheard of and he is ridiculed and abused by many people who consider him to be a freak because he doesn't have access to magical powers. Seems, much different from our world doesn't it? But still, Tavi is determined to make something of himself. This leaves him in a position and mind set that he interferes into something that was really not something he should have. He saves a Cursor, a messenger of the First Lord, of Alera. This throws himself and his family into a political play for power by a rouge lord looking to seize power. The story sees Tavi get captured by a bunch of Savages, called the Marat, and puts him in plenty of positions that make Tavi push himself to the brink even though he has no access to furycrafting as all other Alerans do. In the end, Tavi comes out being an integral part of stopping the rouge lord's attempt to seize power and gains a full scholarship to go to the Academy, where he may learn why he can not furycraft and can possibly make something of himself regardless of his lack in abilities.

That's really the plot in a spoiler free format. Fairly condensed. All in all though, a really great book that makes me want to continue reading the other five. It is a super awesome book that creates magic in a new way that I really had never envisioned before. This is something that sticks out as the sign of a good author for Butcher here.  He is writing in a different point of view with a different voice, and in a completely different world. It isn't just the fact that it's creative is good, he keeps really all influence from his other series out and doesn't lean on it at all. This is something that I really like to see from authors, and what makes Butcher one of the best. I can already begin to see a larger story being weaved in between the lines much like other fantasy novels.

Well that's all for now. Next book to be reviewed? Probably Academ's Fury (Book Two of the Codex Alera). Don't know when I'll be finished with the book so some album and movie reviews in between. Something like Prolonging the Magic by Cake. Yeah, maybe that. 

7 furyless children out of 10

(oops, there's only one of those...)

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