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Furies of Calderon
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Plot Summary of Furies of Calderon
"

Ace, Oct 2004, 23.95, 448 pp.
ISBN: 0441011993

The realm of Alera has been at peace for centuries having pushed the barbarian hordes back behind the borders into lands that the realm does not claim. Yet for its entire serene surface, civil war appears imminent unless one of the high lords manages to become First Lord by ousting the aging and heirless Gaius Sextus from power. So far the First Lord refuses to name his replacement.

Amara is unprepared when her mentor Fidelias asks her help in overthrowing the First Lord. When she refuses to abet his quest, he tries to torture her into giving him the response he needs in order to make an assassination attempt. The student uses magic to learn what is going on and escape.

Next, First Lord sends Amara to Calderon Valley on the outskirts of the realm where she learns Fidelias meets with his mercenaries and the barbarians who killed the First Lord's son. They overrun the valley to persuade people that the empire is crumbling and new leadership is needed to save Alera.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Furies of Calderon
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - spying/espionage in enemy territorry
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - government investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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Elvenborn by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey
The Scepter's Return by Dan Chernenko


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