Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher starting June 1, 2023.

I know we have a while before we get to this one, but I am excited to give this series a go again; I think RL took me away from it the first time.

I’m going to toss my hat in on this one. It’s so far away, I’ll be able to fit this in!

Spot!

So tempted.

Shaitarn wrote: "So tempted."

What's stopping you?

Spot

I recently reread this series. I enjoy the audio. I like the traditional coming of age fantasy of it all.

Yes yes

I will be starting this tomorrow. I'm excited to get started! :)

I am currently reading Chapter 23.

The connection (view spoiler)[between Amara & Bernard (hide spoiler)] was instantaneous! I usually dislike that, but this feels different.
I’m just not sure (view spoiler)[about their ages. What is the gap? My guess would be 15-20 years with Amara in her early 20s and Bernard in his late 30s, early 40s (hide spoiler)].

I think I'm going to have to join y'all, even though I've signed up for a million and a half BRs in June and am still not done with May... I just got notification that my library hold came in, will go pick up tomorrow!

Nirkatze wrote: "I think I'm going to have to join y'all, even though I've signed up for a million and a half BRs in June and am still not done with May... I just got notification that my library hold came in, will..."

We will be happy to have you when you are ready! :)

-----

I am currently reading Chapter 35.

I had forgotten about Tavi (view spoiler)[ and Kitai! I remembered that he helped save her life, but not what transpired between them in the process (hide spoiler)].
For the life of me, I can not remember what happened next - not any of it. Maybe it will come back to me as I read on.

Whatever it is, it is bound to be hella interesting!

I decided to join for a reread as well… this first book isn’t my favorite, but the plot development of the entire series is one of my favorites… gives me serious Stormlight Archives vibes…

Read the first 20% this morning, and also getting vague Legend of the First Empire vibes, too, this time around…

I just completed Chapter 38. I am taking a break.
I mentioned in my original review that this is a quick read; the pacing is faster than one would expect.

Thoughts up to this point - some spoilers within:

(view spoiler)[I'm shocked at the classism and sexism by the soldiers, only because it does not seem unusual to have a female Cursor or strong Fury Crafters as a whole.
So, why do the soldiers look down their noses at the Steadholders, especially since time in the service is required? You would assume they know better.

And if Amara is a Curser for the Crown, wouldn't she obviously have some skill - ah, but I remember not everyone knows all of what Cursers are capable - I forgot that part.

Making Amara a Countess was a brilliant move on Gaius's part!

Questions:

What's going to come of Kati's bond with Tavi?
Will Tavi get to the garrison in time to do any good? Will anyone listen to him?
What are they going to do with Odiana?
Is Fade more skilled than he lets on?
I remember that Kord will die, but what will happen with Aric? (hide spoiler)]

That was fun! I am excited to read the next one.
I do hope the traitors get the due!

I zoomed through my re-readthrough, as well... like you said, it's a very easy read...

In fact, i don't think I gave it a fair shake, the first time around... it's really good, even while hitting on a bunch of common tropes / story points...

(view spoiler)[the early section is very Star Wars, with the sheep herder being raised by aunt/uncle...

The magic system hits very similar to alot of Brandon Sanderson magic... in fact, I think later on it hits some big reveals before they happened in later Sanderson books...

Like a Game of Thrones book, there's alot of characters with alot of machinations, all at cross purposes, and they come together explosively...

Tavi coming back with sheep at the end is very cinematic / poetic...

It's a shame Butcher isn't a faster writer, with time to do Dresden AND other things, really... it's one or the other, for long stretches of time... (hide spoiler)]

Re: Butcher vs. Sanderson: Although they are contemporaries, could Butcher have been an influence?

Re Tavi: I agree!

Re Butcher: Again, I agree!

LOL... just noticed I rated this 5 stars the first time... I've just been shit-talking it in my head, compared to later entries :D

Nyssa wrote: "Re: Butcher vs. Sanderson: Although they are contemporaries, could Butcher have been an influence?

Re Tavi: I agree!

Re Butcher: Again, I agree!"

Maybe... that's the risk in any field, being overly influenced by something (and maybe not realizing it) to the point of plagiarism... but then again, that was kinda Butcher's point with this series... he wrote it on a dare, with the idea that any silly story idea can be good, if written well... the dare here was Pokemon + Lost Roman Legion...

On re-read, I see there are multiple pokemon analogs, altho I now associate the Furies more with spren from Stormlight Archives, and the bonded birds with the bird bonds in Sixth of Dusk, another Sanderson book in the Cosmere...

Butcher seems to love writing on a dare -- that's how Storm Front came along.

I'm not familiar enough with Pokemon to recognize any of its ideas.

Nyssa wrote: "Butcher seems to love writing on a dare -- that's how Storm Front came along.

I'm not familiar enough with Pokemon to recognize any of its ideas."

Pokemon is mostly just about humans collecting and casting creatures in combat... like the Fury bond, or the Marat bonds in general... Ash Ketchum & Pikachu, etc...

Nyssa wrote: "Butcher seems to love writing on a dare -- that's how Storm Front came along.

I'm not familiar enough with Pokemon to recognize any of its ideas."

Also, it definitely shows how his tuned changed over a decade... from "formulaic stories suck and I'll prove it"... to "anything can be good, if written well"...

I'm well-versed in how Storm Front came to be, in Butcher's writing class...

I will start this tomorrow... I am actually looking forward to it:)

Timelord Iain wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "Re: Butcher vs. Sanderson: Although they are contemporaries, could Butcher have been an influence?

[snip]

Maybe... that's the risk in any field, being overly influenced by something (and maybe not realizing it) to the point of plagiarism... but then again, that was kinda Butcher's point with this series... he wrote it on a dare, with the idea that any silly story idea can be good, if written well... the dare here was Pokemon + Lost Roman Legion..."


Speaking of influences!
Amazon just sent out their First Read list for June. One of the books is Doomsday Match; it is the first book in a series called Dresden Codex, so I'm wondering... lol

Nyssa wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "Re: Butcher vs. Sanderson: Although they are contemporaries, could Butcher have been an influence?

[snip]

Maybe... that's the risk in any field, being overly ..."

I can't remember the origin of the name Dresden, but I think it was an infomercial Butcher heard in the 90s while writing or watching TV... so I doubt this new author saw the same infomercial :D

Timelord Iain wrote: "I can't remember the origin of the name Dresden, but I think it was an infomercial Butcher heard in the 90s while writing or watching TV... so I doubt this new author saw the same infomercial :D"

LOL!

I didn't choose it; it sounds too corny, even though I can get it for free.

Choko wrote: "I will start this tomorrow... I am actually looking forward to it:)"

What are your thoughts so far?

So, I am only 4 chapters in, and I am already hooked! (view spoiler)[ The first three chapters, where we are introduced to Amara and her fury Cirrus, were very intense. That was a big betrayal and I was very happy to see her get away... The forth chapter we have a 15 year old, I think, Tavi, who hasn't gotten his fury yet. I guess in this world the furies are something like elemental beings, which bond with a person and that gives that person some control over those elemental powers.... And we just learned that Tavi's uncle has bonded with two of them, which must mean he is quite powerful. But they are sheepherders:))) Just like Rand from WoT:))) (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 5... (view spoiler)[ Isana is someone I know I will be rooting for! She is so strong, but you can tell she has some bitterness and pain in her, and barely controlled emotions...

We already have some well defined petty antagonists in Kord and his sons, and of course the girl who pretends she has been raped and is obviously playing all the boys... (hide spoiler)]

No, I am wrong... I think the wronged girl is not one and the same as the player girl... My bad...

Ch. 6... (view spoiler)[ Are the Marat another tribe or a whole other species? Those birds sure decimated the flock. If this is Tavi's people's source of food and income, this is a humongous blow. I would have been much more concerned about saving the ones left than the guys were.. (hide spoiler)]

Up to Ch. 12... (view spoiler)[ I already hate Kord and his sons! They actually tried to kill Bernard, Isana and her folks! That was bold! I am glad Isana was able to get away from them and save Bernard, but darn it, those types of villains, when you leave them alive, they always come back to haunt you!!!

I see Amara and Tavi met and are surviving through the fury storm... Was Guias the one that actually started the storm? I wonder if it wasn't the Kords somehow... (hide spoiler)]

Up to Ch. 25... (view spoiler)[ The whole sequence of Fidelias and his buddies getting into the steadhold, figuring out who Tavi and his people are and how much they know about the Morat, Tavi and Amara running, falling into Kord's hands, and then the battle during the storm, was pretty awesome! I hate Kord even more than ever, now that Isana and the other watercrafter have been enslaved and seeing how beaten down the rest of the slaves are... He needs to die! Painfully and slowly, tortured by his female slaves!!!

There is a budding romance between Amara and uncle Bernard:) I am in for it.

Did the Morat really kill all the people of Bernardhold? That is just very, very wrong if true!!! The only person I will not be feeling sorry for is that girl that is too vapid to live!!!

I am glad the developmentally disabled slave is with Tavi, even in the Morat's clutches...

Honestly, at this point I am most worried about Isana. On a footnote there, every time someone calls her "a beren bitch", I am thinking - Butcher is trying to tell us something, most probably that she is not beren at all... (hide spoiler)]

Nyssa, I don't know what the age gap is exactly, but in their case it doesn't bother me. They are both adults and life can be very short in their world... Hell, it can be short in our world too...

I'm loving your comments, Choko; you're such a smart, thoughtful reader!

Choko wrote: "Nyssa, I don't know what the age gap is exactly, but in their case it doesn't bother me. They are both adults and life can be very short in their world... Hell, it can be short in our world too..."

I was more curious than bothered. I do like them together.
I am also enjoying reading your thoughts as you progress through the story.

Thank you guys! I am really enjoying it! I am not familiar with Pokemon either, so I can't see the connections, but as you guys said, I can totally see the connections with the Spren... If this series came first, I can see how there could have been some influence on Brandon Sanderson. But then it means we owe all those awesome Fantasy books on that anime:))) And I still can't make myself want to watch it...

You guys are too good to me!

I am, I believe, in Ch 31, and our guys just can't catch a break! The two main villains so far are written to be so horrible, it's impossible not to root for something horrible to happen to them...

I finished this today and I loved it! I was so tempted to jump into the next one right away, but I had to stop myself, since I have a ton of Books I have not gotten to yet...

I still want to know, are the Morat a different species or just a different race? And how come they can't bond with Furies? And what was (view spoiler)[ the change of Kati's eyes to match Tavi's and the little hints her dad gave him at the end, that this is how he and her mother started?

The tree with the mushrooms and those creatures was pretty intense as well. A bit implausible that the trybes would let Tavi speak and compete though, but good for the story.

The battle at the end was great! Isana has been my favorite character so far and she established her spot as such while being enslaved with the other "water witch"... Kord - I really hope he doesn't show up again, somehow healed and even nastier than ever. We didn't see him die, we just heard him screaming, and that is not enough to let me believe he is gone...

The idea of those collars, exactly like the ones in the Sword of Truth series, always make me so angry!!! Any type of control like that, or any compulsion that goes against your will, is an abomination and I can't stand it! But I guess nobody can, because it is a staple for Fantasy authors... As well as shape shifting into different people... Brings out the worst paranoia in me...

The ending was pretty awesome and most everyone got what they deserved. I worry about the kid going to the academy with such a huge handicap, but I guess he will have to manage on his wits... And yes, him bringing the small flock of sheep home was perfect!!! (hide spoiler)]

I am really looking forward to the next book!!!

I'll hopefully be joining y'all Monday! Really looking forward to the reread... I think this'll be my fifth or sixth reread...

@Choko, re: Marat--(view spoiler)[and Alerans are different races entirely. The Alerans are actually not native to the planet--they *are* the lost Roman Legion, from our planet. Marat are, I believe, the native inhabitants of the planet. Marat cannot bond Furies but Alerans can--also species thing.

The change in Kitai's eyes reflect that she has "bonded" Tavi--the same way she wished to be bonded to a horse. She gets some benefits from the bond, but they don't come out until later. I'm pretty sure Kitai's mother was bonded to a horse, and Doroga's references to how he and her mother started is more how Kitai & Tavi are acting towards one another. (hide spoiler)]

@Nirkatze: (view spoiler)[ there’s actually evidence the Marat & Vord are space travelers not natives, as well… in their myths about flying across the sky to escape the Vord threat… they’ve lost alot… (hide spoiler)]

So, are interspecies relations and procreation possible between these two?

And the Alerans being The Lost Legion is a very interesting concept. This explains the heavy Roman Empire vibes and naming, but do we ever get a confirmation about that, or is it just speculation?

All this is very cool!:))

Choko wrote: "I finished this today and I loved it! I was so tempted to jump into the next one right away, but I had to stop myself, since I have a ton of Books I have not gotten to yet..."

I also wanted to jump into book #2 but didn't want to get ahead of the buddy read.


Choko wrote: "So, are interspecies relations and procreation possible between these two?

And the Alerans being The Lost Legion is a very interesting concept. This explains the heavy Roman Empire vibes and naming, but do we ever get a confirmation about that, or is it just speculation?"

I have these questions as well. It sounds like it is going to be fun learning the answers!

:)))

@Iain--(view spoiler)[I was thinking that, about the Vord & Marat, not to mention Canis... but I couldn't remember... maybe the Furies are the only native species? Totally forgot about the space story. (hide spoiler)]

@Choko-re: interspecies relations. RAFO.

re: Lost Roman Legion--(view spoiler)[yes, there is a confirmation at some point, but I don't remember which book. A conversation about history crops up somewhere...

It's not just the inspiration, like Iain mentioned back in message 20... Butcher did make it in-book cannon. (hide spoiler)]

I think there's some subtle references to the legion arriving "here" in this first book, as well... but I'm sure Academ will have some classes on world history :D

I'll have to keep an ear out for that--hoping to start today. ^_^

Really late to the party but finally started! I'm in Chapter 16 and I'm remembering all the things that felt off about this first book--(view spoiler)[The cold opening scene before Chapter 1 doesn't work for me. It's too suspenseful for something that is purely innocent, and seems like something you'd find in a middle-grade novel (like the climax scenes clipped to the front of the Sisters Grimm books). On top of that, the whole issue with the girl and the hollybells is dropped so quickly, and never. comes. up. again. What the hell is the law regarding picking hollybells?? It kind of feels like Butcher was feeling around for some reason to get Tavi in trouble... and it just doesn't work for me.

Add on to that, there's several moments where the characters just don't feel true... like it took a while for Butcher to get a handle on them or something... in this first book the character of Fidelias especially feels off to me and I can't put a finger on why, and the whole thing with Bernard being so harsh on Tavi also doesn't feel true to character, even though I know it is supposed to set up suspense about him losing his memory, it is still such a 180 from earlier it doesn't seem like him at all. Thank goodness the plot as a whole covers for these stumbles, and the latter books lack the roughness of this first one! Still, every reread these bits glare out to me. (hide spoiler)]

Read all your spoiler notes up to chapter (again) Choko, and am really enjoying seeing someone discover this series for the first time! I love Isana, and her story is a great one here. Kord is an ass!!!! hat!!!! a really stinky one!!

re: Chapter 12--(view spoiler)[Really nice note about Gaius maybe causing the storm--I think there is a connection... the storms in the Vale are really intense, but since Gaius called that wind to speed Amara, it would've messed with the weather systems... (hide spoiler)]

See, I didn't think much on those points you mentioned for the beginning... I think I cut authors a whole lot of slack when the story is interesting enough to grab all my attention... I did notice that at times it does read like a middle grade story, but I kind of assumed that was the point... So I accepted it as doing its job for the targeted audience. I only have issues like that when the author has loftier intentions and doesn't achieve them...

Choko wrote: "See, I didn't think much on those points you mentioned for the beginning... I think I cut authors a whole lot of slack when the story is interesting enough to grab all my attention... I did notice ..."

LOL I totally agree--I don't think they bothered me on my first readthrough either--but once I read all the rest of the series, coming back to the start again, which is sub-par in comparison--it stands out.