First Lord's Fury

So I finished this series and I would like to talk about it as a whole for a bit, because I believe it totally deserves more attention than it has gotten. The thing about Jim Butcher is that I find he writes such approachable, human characters. In some circles he is treated like a literary criminal, who is lowly and offensive and just generally not okay whatsoever. At the same time... I love what he does. I love how during his works his characters become more than just paper thin things he moves for fun, because they are fun ans quirky, they have strong personalities, they have interesting connections and stories. Maybe they are not always the flattering specimens who will make you feel like you idealised fantasy self (which I see as a trend nowadays, especially with certain groups, where every character has to be the most idealised, positive example). I kind of love that. So Butcher, once again, wrote a series that felt welcoming and familiar, while still action-packed and fun. Because there is no shame in fun, you do not have to read books that are a struggle to get through, just for some sort of an intellectual bragging right. Unapproachable writing doesn't mean it's good writing. Here we had a story that is a perfect gateway drug for history lovers into fantasy, incorporating the idea of an ancient Roman society getting to a place with all kinds of nature spirits called furies, which they have learnt to work with and ultimately use to extend their own powers. After a few centuries of such life, they are being attacked by the vord, mind controlling, vicious bug monsters of a hivemind, lead by queens with crazy powers. The protagonist, Tavi is a boy who goes from a furiless nobody to become the first lord of their home, Alera and this is the end of his journey through becoming the leader of a country he needs to save as his first move to even have something or someone to lord over. So here is the elephant in the room; this is nothing like Mr. Butcher's Dresden Files. Tavi (or Gaius Octavian, because cool Roman names) is not at all like Harry. He has a completely different kind of strength, one he achieved through constant good decisions, always using his wits to achieve respect and to become an esteemed member of his society. He is not at all like the adorable bonehead with a tendency of powering through as his ass gets kicked in all kinds of ways again. Actually... Tavi kind of feels like the opposite of Harry. Hell, social interactions and human relationships come naturally to Tavi, which... we can't say about the chronic loner Mr. Dresden. It's also written in a completely different way. There is less humour, much less of the quirky crazy time of t-rexes running around and polka music and apprentices with coloured hair at horror conventions. Which is fine, because we are given more political intrigue. More subtle social workings, a completely different way of life, a whole different magic system. Aaaaand it's awesome. I would definitely recommend this to everyone who wants to read fantasy that has a bit of a different flavour, something extra. Of course most will still associate the name of Jim Butcher with the style of Dresden Files, but I find he is much more versatile than that, through this series and his new [b:The Aeronaut's Windlass 24876258 The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1) Jim Butcher https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425415066s/24876258.jpg 24239884].

I'm glad that people I trust recommended sticking with this one. I like how little things from the first book, the one I didn't like, kept turning up as significant points in the later books. And I like/dislike the Middle-Earth/Black Cauldron sort of magical dilemma that Tavi faces, because it brings a wonderful feeling of loss and meaning.

This is a great last book.

So many series start out great and then get lost by the end. This one...this one keeps the reader engaged to the last page...and is somehow not quite a perfectly happy or tragic ending. Keen readers will recognize parallels to other beloved worlds and characters - which makes the story more fun, in my mind...because then you can think about what is different about the stories and why.

Throughout the series, we get to know characters, some deeper than others, whose motivations completely drive their behavior. We get to glimpse a small part of a world where magic is manifest in everything, and its workings are not even well understood by the people living in it. This ambiguity leaves space for wonder and conjecture for the reader as well as the characters.


Recommended reading from middle grades on up to adult. Some violence. Some adult themes, no graphic content.