Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera)
Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera)
Narrated by Kate Reading
Published by Penguin Audiobooks
At A Glance: In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies – elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal – 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos – when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies – Tavi’s simple courage will turn the tides of war.
What the Goose? It’s very interesting to go back and listen to an audiobook version of a novel you’ve already read. I had read Furies of Calderon a few years ago, when I first discovered Jim Butcher and the Dresden files and was curious about his fantasy series. I wasn’t disappointed then, and I’m not now with this go ’round.
If you’ve listened (do people still say ‘read’ for an audiobook?) to the audiobook versions of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, then you’re familiar with Kate Reading and her work, along with Michael Kramer, in that audio-omnibus. She has also narrated such novels as Stephanie Meyer’s The Host and Wendy Orr’s Nim’s Island. Actually, the list of books where you can listen to her voice is vast, and with very, very good reason. Kate is very good at her job, lending tension where needed, changing the timber and accent of her voice so that you can easily identify characters by how she reads them, and keeping the pacing of the book consistent.
And, as for the book itself, anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel won’t be disappointed with this. I love the idea of the elemental furies, and the story-crafting abilities of the author are definitely shining strongly with this novel, as always. And the great thing, in my opinion, is that it’s very different from Dresden. The voice is different, at least to me, as are many of the situations. Yes, there are some similarities, but they are told and done in such a different way that at first, I didn’t notice them.
A great book, and a great audiobook. Pick it up.
Suck-O-Meter: The book itself Doesn’t Come Close to Sucking, and the audiobook Really, Really Didn’t Suck.
I really enjoyed this book, too. I read it, and now I am reading my first Dresden book. You’re right – the tone isn’t the same. The overlap is mostly in the form of “really smart, clever writing”.