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Mar 17, 2011ejwise72 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Knowing how much I have enjoyed his Harry Dresden crime-noir fantasy series, I picked up this first book in his newest and more traditional fantasy series. However, where the Dresden books succeed – with a strong first-person narrative, clever plot-twists, and strong supporting cast – is precisely where Furies of Calderon falters. The set-up is a good one: An unclear threat to the reign of First Lord Gaius pulls together a disparate cast of characters, many of whom are not quite what they initially seem. However, after a strong first half, the narrative turns into a pale imitation of the Battle of Helm’s Deep from The Two Towers. Now, I do understand that breaking from Tolkien’s unparalleled precedence is hard to do in the fantasy genre. But I did expect better from Butcher. (Perhaps his seeming strength really is derivative, as the Dresden books borrow heavily from older pulp crime fiction writers.) In any event, if I do bother to pick up the next book in this series, I certainly hope it is an improvement.