The Furies of Calderon (Book Club)

[dwndrgn]

Ok, by now those participating should have finished this book.

1) Does it compare to his earlier series?

2) How did you like his description and form of magic?

3) What about the betrayal at the beginning?

4) Anything you hated? Loved? Wanted to argue about?

 

[rune]

1) Does it compare to his earlier series?

I felt it was a complete move away from his other series. I actually prefer the other series, but this one still quite entertaining.

2) How did you like his description and form of magic?

I really liked the magic in this book. How the people could call different furies to them to help in their everyday lives. Im not sure Ive come across this idea before, perhaps someone else will have. So i found it quite a refreshing approach.


3) What about the betrayal at the beginning?

I think the betrayal came in very quickly, before you could really understand what was going on. I felt I was trying to catch up for a while after that. I also felt there were too many character trying for centre stage, so not one character was taking you through the story.

4) Anything you hated? Loved? Wanted to argue about?

I didnt like the fact there were so many strong character plotlines because they didnt get enough storytime to make any stand out as the main POV. However, I did like a few of the character in this book, though the young boy Tavi, didnt end up being my favourite. Because I liked the magic system of the furies, he seemed less interesting than the others.
I would be interested in following on with this series, though I get the impression it will be following Tavi. I would like to see him mature a bit more, he needs something a bit more about him I think

 

[rune]

Has no one else read this yet!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I couldn't get very far into it -- I disliked the magic pretty much for the same reason you liked it, rune. I have seen that approach before, and as usual it looked like the author hadn't worked it all the way out. Why would they use the magic for so many things they could do perfectly well without it, and then be unable to use it for really important things (except when it served the plot)? That was what kept going through my mind and throwing me out of the story.

Of course, that part may have improved further on in the book. The story might have had any number of fine qualities I didn't stick around to find out. But making magic too commonplace and functional ... well, it stops feeling magical (to me) at all. I just like a certain sense of the numinous in my fantasy.

 

[dwndrgn]

1) Does it compare to his earlier series?
This one has characters that are not only very different, but much like his Dresden characters. Clearly the young Tavi, being of the 'cowardly hero who does everything for everyone else' types is similar to Harry the wizard.

2) How did you like his description and form of magic?
I like the idea, but much like Kelpie, I think he didn't think it through too much. Some of the descriptions and uses were not thought out properly including a later scene where two watercrafters are imprisoned. Unless this people's makeup is much different than ours, their bodies would hold enough water to craft without external help - unless he somehow qualifies it (which I didn't notice him doing, but it could have been there somewhere). Also, the windcrafter's use of their furies seemed off, especially near the beginning. Can't recall just what set that off (I read the beginning months ago in a sneak preview and skipped it this time around), maybe I'll re-read that first chapter and figure it out.

3) What about the betrayal at the beginning?
Good plot twist, good character motivations but it was sussed out too quickly for my liking.

4) Anything you hated? Loved? Wanted to argue about?
I disliked the water witch's name, Odiana - made me think of something odious, which may be fitting but seemed out of place. Loved the Marat, but they need more fleshing out, which I'm sure we'll get in later volumes. Kelpie, I had difficulties with the crafting as well, but it seemed to flow better after that first chapter.

More later, must go to bed. I will not allow myself to play on my newly repaired (FINALLY!) computer all night since I've got to work tomorrow

 

[dwndrgn]

Ok, I'm back for more discussion. I'm going to focus on the magic concept he's used, just because this seems to be an issue (for good and bad) with this book.

I really like the idea of the furies becoming sort of a 'partner' with the characters, each getting a name and whatnot. However, it seemed to me that this idea just wasn't explored enough. Here are the questions that come to my mind:
1. Why, if the furies have a sort of personality of their own (one example being how Rill seemed happy and eager to return to Isana), weren't the personalities explored more? I would have loved to read about how the furies get along with each other, especially when one individual character has the 'ownership' of more than one; and the interactions between the furies of people who are close as in family and lovers. Do the furies enjoy being 'bonded' or hate it? Is it something they look forward to or dread?
2. I really would have liked to have seen any description at all that concerned the metalcrafters. There was no info at all on them other than they are good swordsmen.
3. I would also have liked to have been a 'witness' to how an individual character 'received' their fury/ies. This would have been an especially good way to introduce certain different furies and how they work.
4. I feel that there should have been an exploration of 'wild' furies and how a crafter would be able to control them to a certain extent even though those aren't bonded to them. Since personalities of the furies weren't explored, it is hard to say whether these wild furies are difficult to control or direct because they cherish their freedom or because they just don't like certain people. Certainly the latter is hinted at but there is no definite answer given.

Ok, on to other the Marat. I like their name because it reminds me of the famous painting of his death. I like that they aren't small, brown savages as can be the normal depiction of the 'invading horde'. However, in avoiding the cliche, the author seemed to create something not terribly likely. In that, these people live mostly outside and dress in skimpy clothes, one would think that these 'sun worshippers' (the One supposedly resides in the sun) would be burnt to a crisp considering their pale coloring. I don't consider this one a deal breaker but it did annoy me a bit.

I also thought that a better description of the gargant (is that the right spelling?) could have been given, the reason for this is that at different times I had to keep recreating my mental image as they did something different.

Now, you are probably thinking 'seems like she didn't like this book', but you'd be wrong! I really enjoyed the story and moved through it rather quickly. I think that the thing is that Butcher seems to have a way with storytelling such that the story overcomes it's own obstacles. That doesn't mean I don't hope that some of the deficiencies I've noted here get corrected in the subsequent books.

So, rune, what specifically was it about the magic that you liked other than it seemed unusual to you?

 

[rune]

I liked the magic of the furies and how they were used. It's not something Ive read about before so, for me, it was new and unusual
I agree with your thoughts on wanting to know more about these furies. What makes them tick, how did they come to be. In some ways they are just used as a tool, slaves in affect. Id like to see the furies rise up and perhaps take a route that makes them less easy to use by people

I think that's what makes this magic interesting. It's really the furies that do the magic, they are the power behind. The characters in the story use the furies abilities to their own needs. Without the furies the character's and storyline wouldnt be so interesting

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

You know, the longer I'm here, the more I wonder if there is not something in the makeup of the community here that just somehow makes it impossible to maintain an active book club -- though no one could dispute, dwndrgn, that you do a fine job of setting things up and moderating.

Even after all the changes, people still nominate and vote (when they bother to vote at all) for pretty much the same books and authors they would have suggested before the 12 month rule was instituted -- so it certainly can't be the new format that is responsible for the deafening silence.

Yet just as before, no one except you, rune, and sometimes myself, seems willing to open up a book they might not ordinarily look at for the sake of joining in. Often the person who proposes a book doesn't even care enough to vote for that book afterward. And most of the people who do vote for a winning book are conspicuously absent when it comes time for the discussion.

I wonder if there is any way to get people more involved, or if it's simply a losing battle.

 

[dwndrgn]

It may be that we should change things up a bit. Perhaps we could solicit those who would like to join, do all the same things, but then each month I would PM everyone with the book title and discussion questions. Of course that seems like a lot of hand-holding and if it comes to that we may just need to discontinue the club altogether. What I find interesting is rune's series discussions seem to get a lot more participation. Maybe we could change up and just post a new, random book every month and invite discussion on it.

I haven't even participated here as much as I'd like to because I can't get my hands on quite a few of the books. I've got some other ideas, maybe I'll throw them around for discussion.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It's certainly true that participation could hardly go down from what it is now if you chose the book for us. So that might be a good idea.

Or we could do the voting according to one of those systems where you determine the most popular choice rather than the one that gets the most first place votes. Although I'm not sure how that could be done, unless there is some way to work the v-bulletin software so that a poll allows more than one vote per person. Or unless there were separate polls for people to place their second and third place votes -- which seems like a lot of work for you.

In the end, if people here want a book club, they need to participate. If they don't, it would be useful to know, because I'm sure there are plenty of other things you could do with your time that would not be nearly so thankless.

 

[rune]

It would be a shame if people didnt want to keep the book club up, Ive also noticed that the discussions for the series' are also waning a bit. Perhaps readers dont like the idea of having to read a book for a specific project and prefer to just dip into discussions as they arise.

Personally I like to do both, gets me motivated to try different things that I may put off otherwise.

 

[dwndrgn]

Well, I know that action here at the forum has dropped off a bit in the last few months, I'm sure that a great deal of that is due to the holidays. We also have a lot of new members who may not have discovered the book club yet. I'm not ready yet to abandon, but I am thinking alternatives. And I'm with you rune, learning about and discovering new works and authors is a great way to expand your 'to read' list.

 

[rune]

Perhaps a constant link in the books and literature forum would help people find the book club

 

[rune]

Any ideas when the January fantasy discussion will start

 

[GOLLUM]

Perhaps a constant link in the books and literature forum would help people find the book club

Yes I must admit I found it a little hidden away from the flurry of activity one sees in the General Books thread.