Furies of Calderon

The hero's journey is admittedly a difficult story to breathe new life into, but under the uncertain pen of Jim Butcher, it has somehow putrefied further. The characters are uninspired, the world grows dull on account of - or despite - the ubiquitous use of magic, and the tone flies recklessly between mature and childlike. The author can't decide whether battle scenes are horrifyingly stomach turning, or the perfect time for tired jokes and cliche. Modern fantasy can tell old stories. In fact, it has to. But it needs to be written well, or it isn't worth the paper on which it's printed. No new ground broken, nor even a seed taking root in last year's furrows.

In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own... For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies—elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles wit

pretty good intro to the world. MC gets a bit of good fortune plot armor but less than many other series. fairly well written. I read the rest of the series and it's pretty good would read again when bored.