Codex Alera Binds Fate and Duty
Review of Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher, part 1 of the Codex Alera series
Among the ranks of modern high fantasy novels that have broken through the saturated market to the bookstore, there are some ambitious masterpieces that redeem their use of clichéd stereotypes by succeeding at an epic scope, using literary devices that inspire and awe their readers. Then, there are other fantasies that are less ambitious, attempting to give the reader an enjoyable excursion into a new take on the standard fantasy conventions. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher, published by Ace in 2004, first book of the Codex Alera series, is one of these.
The plot of Furies of Calderon follows one of fantasy’s most cherished traditions in the archetype of the reluctant hero. The protagonist is a fifteen-year-old boy named Tavi, who apparently possesses no special power or skill to set him apart as a savior, nor does he acquire a magical object or mysterious talisman This is a refreshing break with the c…
Among the ranks of modern high fantasy novels that have broken through the saturated market to the bookstore, there are some ambitious masterpieces that redeem their use of clichéd stereotypes by succeeding at an epic scope, using literary devices that inspire and awe their readers. Then, there are other fantasies that are less ambitious, attempting to give the reader an enjoyable excursion into a new take on the standard fantasy conventions. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher, published by Ace in 2004, first book of the Codex Alera series, is one of these.
The plot of Furies of Calderon follows one of fantasy’s most cherished traditions in the archetype of the reluctant hero. The protagonist is a fifteen-year-old boy named Tavi, who apparently possesses no special power or skill to set him apart as a savior, nor does he acquire a magical object or mysterious talisman This is a refreshing break with the c…