Furies of Calderon

Well, I needed a breather, and it was time I gave in to Amazon's Recommendations page and tried something by Jim Butcher. Furies of Calderon quickly drew me in; on the whole, it delivered. The history of the Roman Empire, while clearly underpinning this fantasy (sci-fi?) world, didn't seem to be handled as complexly as I hoped. Perhaps this is because the fantasy element -- the powers of the elemental furies -- is so complex. While I appreciate the interplay, I worry that the furies have too much power. Is this a series populated entirely by superheroes? Is there anything these guys can't do?

There are some nice touches in the cast of characters (large enough to provide interest and small enough to allow Butcher to flesh out individuals, even sometimes in expected ways) and in the plot strands. The gender questions are handled well, even if Butcher's women tend to read like women written by a man. I enjoyed seeing Fidelius' point of view, was intrigued by the Marat, and was pleased that fury-less protagonist Tavi didn't suddenly discover his fury at the climax-- though I suspect that's coming in the sequel, Academ's Fury. (I'll let you know soon!)