Rating: 4/5
Year: 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Read Again? Yeah.
Turns out Harry Dresden was only Mostly Dead after being taken down by a sniper in "Changes." He did a little time as a ghost in "Ghost Story." Now...he's baaaaaack!
Well, there's a hitch. He's not a freelance wizard anymore. He made a deal in "Changes" that bound him to Queen Mab, agreeing to become her Winter Knight, which makes him her enforcer, assassin, or whatever she wants.
The previous Knight was an evil, sadistic bastard. Now Harry wear the mantle. There's a constant struggle between keeping his own identity and allowing the cruel, hungry passions of Winter to take over.
Oh, and as in every previous book, he has to save the world from Armageddon. Again. This time he has a day to pull it off...and Mab wants him to kill her daughter Maeve, the Winter Lady.
Dresden has been speculating over several books about a sort of "Black Council," an evil counterpart to the White Council of wizards, shadowy hands manipulating events and people (and creatures) to trigger a new Armageddon focused on Chicago on Halloween. Turns out he's right, in a way: parasites. This angle is used to explain why nearly every previous book has a super-monster flocking to the Windy City to further their plans for Total World Domination (or at least the Utter Destruction of Everything): the baddies have been influenced by parasites. I don't like or dislike this angle just yet, since it's only now being introduced. If Butcher handles it well, it could be cooler than a "Black Council."
This book brings back Butters the Medical Examiner, Molly the former Apprentice, Murphy the ex-cop (and love interest?), Bob the talking skull, Thomas the White Vampire (and Harry's half-brother), and Mouse, Harry's humongous dog.
No one's particularly surprised Harry isn't actually dead, but now that he's the Winter Knight everyone's convinced he's a raging murderous bastard, or at least under the Winter Queen's sway.
The story moves well. No rambling. Good plot development, some revelations about the role of the Faerie Folk in keeping the evil Others at bay.
Showing posts with label Dresden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dresden. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dresden Files 13: Ghost Story (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5/5
Year: 2011
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
I haven't eagerly anticipated a new book this way since the early '90s, when Roger Zelazny was writing new "Amber" books. It's been about 15 months since I finished the 12th Dresden book (note: that'd be in May of 2010, then late September 2011 for "Ghost Story"--posting the reviews hasn't been on my radar for a few months, unfortunately).
Harry Dresden is dead.
He was taken out by a sniper at the end of "Changes." How the hell do you follow that?
Dresden finds himself in a ghostly shadow of Chicago. He's escorted to the police station, where the ghost of Karrin Murphy's father outlines a mission: Dresden has to figure out who killed him or three of his closest friends will be next.
At first, he can't use magic or interact with the real world, but he quickly learns that his friends have been busy in the 6 months since his death. Things have worsened in the city: just his presence and the threat he represented to the Bad Guys was enough to keep most of them in check. With the effective destruction of the Red Court vampires at the end of "Changes," other ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and gangs have moved in to take over. The White Council of wizards is swamped, so they can't spare a Warden for Chicago.
Murphy, Butters, Bob the Skull, and other friends of Harry's have strengthened the ParaNet, and that's doing some good.
There's one threat on the streets that has all of Dresden's friends terrified, though. His apprentice went insane when he died. She's gone off on her own to fight evil things alone.
There has to be a point where Dresden meets his friends; they've dealt with his death to varying degrees, but Murphy isn't convinced he's dead. The scene where she's faced with his ghost is powerful.
Harry figures out pretty quickly who the shooter was, but the more important question is why it happened.
Then there's the bigger issue of saving the world from an enemy he's already faced once before.
Very good story; I devoured it. I liked the "It's a Wonderful Life" aspect of it, seeing how the world changed for the worse without Dresden in it. The plot moves nicely, the main characters continue to develop, and now I have to wait several more months for the next book.
Mad Hatter has a different take (might be spoilers). Since I've only read this book once, I've yet to develop as deep a reaction to the story and characters as Hatter got.
Year: 2011
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
I haven't eagerly anticipated a new book this way since the early '90s, when Roger Zelazny was writing new "Amber" books. It's been about 15 months since I finished the 12th Dresden book (note: that'd be in May of 2010, then late September 2011 for "Ghost Story"--posting the reviews hasn't been on my radar for a few months, unfortunately).
Harry Dresden is dead.
He was taken out by a sniper at the end of "Changes." How the hell do you follow that?
Dresden finds himself in a ghostly shadow of Chicago. He's escorted to the police station, where the ghost of Karrin Murphy's father outlines a mission: Dresden has to figure out who killed him or three of his closest friends will be next.
At first, he can't use magic or interact with the real world, but he quickly learns that his friends have been busy in the 6 months since his death. Things have worsened in the city: just his presence and the threat he represented to the Bad Guys was enough to keep most of them in check. With the effective destruction of the Red Court vampires at the end of "Changes," other ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and gangs have moved in to take over. The White Council of wizards is swamped, so they can't spare a Warden for Chicago.
Murphy, Butters, Bob the Skull, and other friends of Harry's have strengthened the ParaNet, and that's doing some good.
There's one threat on the streets that has all of Dresden's friends terrified, though. His apprentice went insane when he died. She's gone off on her own to fight evil things alone.
There has to be a point where Dresden meets his friends; they've dealt with his death to varying degrees, but Murphy isn't convinced he's dead. The scene where she's faced with his ghost is powerful.
Harry figures out pretty quickly who the shooter was, but the more important question is why it happened.
Then there's the bigger issue of saving the world from an enemy he's already faced once before.
Very good story; I devoured it. I liked the "It's a Wonderful Life" aspect of it, seeing how the world changed for the worse without Dresden in it. The plot moves nicely, the main characters continue to develop, and now I have to wait several more months for the next book.
Mad Hatter has a different take (might be spoilers). Since I've only read this book once, I've yet to develop as deep a reaction to the story and characters as Hatter got.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Dresden Files 12: Changes
Rating: 5
Year: 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
Another WHAT?! opening: Susan, Harry's long-lost almost-vampire girlfriend, calls to tell him that their daughter has been taken by Red Court vampires. He didn't know anything about the kidlet before the call, so he's understandably pissed off at her.
She and an associate come to town, the same guy she was teamed up with in "Death Masks." They're part of an organization dedicated to fighting the Red Court vampires.
The Red Court sends operatives of its own to blow up Dresden's office and sends an ambassador to the White Council to cut him off from any help, ostensibly to secure peace between the Wizards and vampires after a decade of war that has devastated both sides.
Lots of threads come together here: relationships revealed, awful decisions to be made, and the biggest battle yet in the ongoing war with the Red Court.
This is the "pivot" book; everything balances on it. And everything changes from here on.
And now I have to wait 'till April 2011 for the next book.
Year: 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
Another WHAT?! opening: Susan, Harry's long-lost almost-vampire girlfriend, calls to tell him that their daughter has been taken by Red Court vampires. He didn't know anything about the kidlet before the call, so he's understandably pissed off at her.
She and an associate come to town, the same guy she was teamed up with in "Death Masks." They're part of an organization dedicated to fighting the Red Court vampires.
The Red Court sends operatives of its own to blow up Dresden's office and sends an ambassador to the White Council to cut him off from any help, ostensibly to secure peace between the Wizards and vampires after a decade of war that has devastated both sides.
Lots of threads come together here: relationships revealed, awful decisions to be made, and the biggest battle yet in the ongoing war with the Red Court.
This is the "pivot" book; everything balances on it. And everything changes from here on.
And now I have to wait 'till April 2011 for the next book.
Dresden Files 11: Turn Coat
Rating: 5
Year: 2009
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
This one begins with a good "holy shit!!" moment as the Warden who's been after Dresden for years turns up badly wounded on Harry's doorstep, begging for help. Morgan is wanted for the murder of another Wizard.
It seems as though everyone's looking for Morgan, hoping to claim a reward: the White council, White-Court vampires, a bounty-hunter wizard with a private army of not-men, and worst of all, a Skinwalker--a fearsome shapeshifting demon.
There are some awesome little moments between Morgan, Molly the apprentice, and Mouse the dog--and no, I'm not going to describe them. If you're not reading the Dresden Files after all the hyping I'm doing, you're missing out!
Here's one more reason you should be reading: The traitor on the White Council is finally revealed!
Year: 2009
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
This one begins with a good "holy shit!!" moment as the Warden who's been after Dresden for years turns up badly wounded on Harry's doorstep, begging for help. Morgan is wanted for the murder of another Wizard.
It seems as though everyone's looking for Morgan, hoping to claim a reward: the White council, White-Court vampires, a bounty-hunter wizard with a private army of not-men, and worst of all, a Skinwalker--a fearsome shapeshifting demon.
There are some awesome little moments between Morgan, Molly the apprentice, and Mouse the dog--and no, I'm not going to describe them. If you're not reading the Dresden Files after all the hyping I'm doing, you're missing out!
Here's one more reason you should be reading: The traitor on the White Council is finally revealed!
Dresden Files 10: Small Favor
Rating: 5
Year: 2008
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
It never lets up on Harry Dresden, does it? This time around, someone is trying to kill him by sending Gruffs, billy-goat-like creatures. When he defeats one wave, the next ones are larger!
Mab, the Queen of Winter, wants him to find Gentleman Johnnie Marcone. She gives him a vision of Marcone being captured by the Denarians, the evil demons from "Death Masks." If they're back in town, dealing with the Gruffs and having Molly as an apprentice are just nuisances.
Butcher takes us further into the ever-expanding notion of a Black Council slowly consolidating power in the world. Dresden has long suspected the existence of such an organization; he knows there's a traitor on the White Council of Wizards, but Marcone's capture points to a traitor in the gangster's company as well.
Apparently, there's a traitor amongst the Denarians as well....
Year: 2008
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
It never lets up on Harry Dresden, does it? This time around, someone is trying to kill him by sending Gruffs, billy-goat-like creatures. When he defeats one wave, the next ones are larger!
Mab, the Queen of Winter, wants him to find Gentleman Johnnie Marcone. She gives him a vision of Marcone being captured by the Denarians, the evil demons from "Death Masks." If they're back in town, dealing with the Gruffs and having Molly as an apprentice are just nuisances.
Butcher takes us further into the ever-expanding notion of a Black Council slowly consolidating power in the world. Dresden has long suspected the existence of such an organization; he knows there's a traitor on the White Council of Wizards, but Marcone's capture points to a traitor in the gangster's company as well.
Apparently, there's a traitor amongst the Denarians as well....
Dresden Files 09: White Night
Rating: 5
Year: 2007
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Someone is killing witches in Chicagoland, leaving biblical verses as tags on or near the bodies, cheerful messages like "Suffer not a witch to live!"
Harry quickly learns that someone wearing a grey cloak--the mark of a White Council Warden--has been seen with some of the victims. Harry's a Warden, he's in Chicago, and people are afraid he's the killer. He's got a less-than-shiny reputation.
And what the hell is up with Thomas, Harry's vampire half-brother? Why do some of the clues point to him as the killer?
Cowl--one of the Necromancers from "Dead Beat"--is back in town. Where does he fit in?
That's not all!
Harry's ex is in town.
Year: 2007
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Someone is killing witches in Chicagoland, leaving biblical verses as tags on or near the bodies, cheerful messages like "Suffer not a witch to live!"
Harry quickly learns that someone wearing a grey cloak--the mark of a White Council Warden--has been seen with some of the victims. Harry's a Warden, he's in Chicago, and people are afraid he's the killer. He's got a less-than-shiny reputation.
And what the hell is up with Thomas, Harry's vampire half-brother? Why do some of the clues point to him as the killer?
Cowl--one of the Necromancers from "Dead Beat"--is back in town. Where does he fit in?
That's not all!
Harry's ex is in town.
Dresden Files 08: Proven Guilty
Rating: 5
Year: 2006
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Harry attends the execution of a kid caught practicing black magic. Kid or not, any violation of the Laws of Magic can get you killed unless you have friends on the White Council like Dresden did: he was a sword's length from death after his own self-defense killing of his evil master.
This kid didn't have friends.
Harry's own protector, his replacement teacher & father figure Ebenezar McCoy, asks him to look into an increase in black magic activity around Chicago. Nearly 200 wizards--mostly the grey-cloaked Wardens--and some 45 thousand noncombatants--men, women and children--have been killed in the ongoing war against the vampires. Their massive onslaught was timed to take advantage of recent attempts by three Necromancers to raise a zombie army.
Harry quickly finds more trouble: the eldest daughter of his evil-fighting friend Michael Carpenter practically falls into Harry's lap when she calls him begging for help. Molly's boyfriend has been arrested for attacking an old man in a restroom.
Dresden rescues the girl, bails the boyfriend out, and in short order finds himself at "SplatterCon!!!" (a horror movie convention). The threads of black magic are still all over the restroom where the attack took place. The old man was beaten severely and gleefully--but not by the kid.
Then the lights go out and the screaming starts!
Butcher keeps delivering good, fast-paced storytelling. The book's title is the first that doesn't pun on the theme of the story ("Fool Moon" had werewolves, "Dead Beat" had zombies, etc.). "Proven Guilty" reminds us of the execution of the opening scene (which troubles Dresden throughout the story) and could easily be applied to another kid caught practicing black magic: Molly Carpenter.
Year: 2006
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Harry attends the execution of a kid caught practicing black magic. Kid or not, any violation of the Laws of Magic can get you killed unless you have friends on the White Council like Dresden did: he was a sword's length from death after his own self-defense killing of his evil master.
This kid didn't have friends.
Harry's own protector, his replacement teacher & father figure Ebenezar McCoy, asks him to look into an increase in black magic activity around Chicago. Nearly 200 wizards--mostly the grey-cloaked Wardens--and some 45 thousand noncombatants--men, women and children--have been killed in the ongoing war against the vampires. Their massive onslaught was timed to take advantage of recent attempts by three Necromancers to raise a zombie army.
Harry quickly finds more trouble: the eldest daughter of his evil-fighting friend Michael Carpenter practically falls into Harry's lap when she calls him begging for help. Molly's boyfriend has been arrested for attacking an old man in a restroom.
Dresden rescues the girl, bails the boyfriend out, and in short order finds himself at "SplatterCon!!!" (a horror movie convention). The threads of black magic are still all over the restroom where the attack took place. The old man was beaten severely and gleefully--but not by the kid.
Then the lights go out and the screaming starts!
Butcher keeps delivering good, fast-paced storytelling. The book's title is the first that doesn't pun on the theme of the story ("Fool Moon" had werewolves, "Dead Beat" had zombies, etc.). "Proven Guilty" reminds us of the execution of the opening scene (which troubles Dresden throughout the story) and could easily be applied to another kid caught practicing black magic: Molly Carpenter.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Dresden Files 07: Dead Beat (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2005
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
It's been about a year; that little pup Harry picked up in Blood Rites has become a big dog, with a little more growing ahead. Thomas the Vampire Slob is still living in Dresden's living room. Murphy leaves for a Hawaii vacation with Kincaid; Harry tells himself he's not jealous, but he's still having a bad day.
He gets a note from Mavra, bundled with some incriminating photos of the big kill-the-vampires fight. The pictures could easily ruin Murphy's career and put her in prison. The note calls for a meeting.
Mavra wants him to find something called The Word of Kemmler and gives him until Halloween midnight to bring it to her. Otherwise, she'll destroy Murph's life.
Harry soon learns that Kemmler was an evil necromancer, a magician who can raise the dead. The Word is his collection of notes, a how-to manual--and there are other people looking for it, with plans for Something Big come Halloween.
COOL: Dresden's zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Year: 2005
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
It's been about a year; that little pup Harry picked up in Blood Rites has become a big dog, with a little more growing ahead. Thomas the Vampire Slob is still living in Dresden's living room. Murphy leaves for a Hawaii vacation with Kincaid; Harry tells himself he's not jealous, but he's still having a bad day.
He gets a note from Mavra, bundled with some incriminating photos of the big kill-the-vampires fight. The pictures could easily ruin Murphy's career and put her in prison. The note calls for a meeting.
Mavra wants him to find something called The Word of Kemmler and gives him until Halloween midnight to bring it to her. Otherwise, she'll destroy Murph's life.
Harry soon learns that Kemmler was an evil necromancer, a magician who can raise the dead. The Word is his collection of notes, a how-to manual--and there are other people looking for it, with plans for Something Big come Halloween.
COOL: Dresden's zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Dresden Files 06: Blood Rites (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2004
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Sam Spade never had it like this! We join Harry Dresden as he finishes a case, rescuing a litter of Temple Dog puppies from a troop of evil monkey demons that fling flaming poo bombs. He hands off the box-o-pups to a thankful monk...only to realize that one of the pups has adopted him.
His next case pops up quickly: he's hired to protect a film crew after a pair of unlikely deaths take two of the executive producer's staff.
It takes him a little longer to realize that the producer makes porn movies.
Meanwhile, Mavra the Black-Court vampire has brought a scourge of her minions to get Dresden. For once, Harry decides that he's just going to find them and wipe them all out.
His cop sidekick Murphy jumps at the chance to join the fight, since it'll get her away from the big Murphy family reunion (and questions of why she's not settling down and getting married).
Dresden hires Kincaid, a bodyguard/assassin/mercenary type to help. Kincaid agrees, but warns Harry that he has to pay in full and on time (whether he's got the money or not) or his ticket will get punched.
As usual, great pacing, humor, some bad puns, some emotional moments, and more growth for Dresden and Murphy as people. Watch for that pup and Thomas the White-Court Vampire in future books.
Year: 2004
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
Sam Spade never had it like this! We join Harry Dresden as he finishes a case, rescuing a litter of Temple Dog puppies from a troop of evil monkey demons that fling flaming poo bombs. He hands off the box-o-pups to a thankful monk...only to realize that one of the pups has adopted him.
His next case pops up quickly: he's hired to protect a film crew after a pair of unlikely deaths take two of the executive producer's staff.
It takes him a little longer to realize that the producer makes porn movies.
Meanwhile, Mavra the Black-Court vampire has brought a scourge of her minions to get Dresden. For once, Harry decides that he's just going to find them and wipe them all out.
His cop sidekick Murphy jumps at the chance to join the fight, since it'll get her away from the big Murphy family reunion (and questions of why she's not settling down and getting married).
Dresden hires Kincaid, a bodyguard/assassin/mercenary type to help. Kincaid agrees, but warns Harry that he has to pay in full and on time (whether he's got the money or not) or his ticket will get punched.
As usual, great pacing, humor, some bad puns, some emotional moments, and more growth for Dresden and Murphy as people. Watch for that pup and Thomas the White-Court Vampire in future books.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Dresden Files 05: Death Masks (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2003
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
Harry Dresden, wizard and detective, doing an appearance on a local talk TV show, finds himself face to face with Duke Ortega, one of the most notorious and highest-ranking Red Court vampires. Ortega's using the show setting for protection: since the Red Court and wizards are at war, there wouldn't be anything to keep Dresden from wasting him if Ortega just knocked on his apartment door.
Ortega wants to talk and make a deal.
He wishes Dresden to face him in single combat. If Harry refuses, he'll see his friends and allies and some former clients assassinated. Dresden agrees to kick Ortega's ass. If he wins, Chicago will become neutral territory as long as those friends, allies and clients stay there. If they leave, they're prey.
The other special guest is a priest who has come from the Vatican to hire Dresden to find a bit of stolen cloth, the Shroud (yes, that one)! It was stolen a few days earlier and tracked as far as Chicago, where someone's apparently hoping to buy it.
Another snag: "Gentleman" Johnnie Marcone seems to have put out a hit on Dresden!
As if that's not enough, there are some new demons in town: Denarians. Remember those 30 pieces of silver? They're real, and each one contains a Fallen angel. If you take up one of the coins, you're open to the influence of that demon--and you get super powers!
They're after the Shroud.
On Harry's side is Murphy the cop and the three Knights of the Cross: Michael (the sword-swinging carpenter), Shiro and Sanya.
Plenty of action, suspense, and fun. Dresden delivers one amazing, well-deserved beating to one of the bad guys. The third time through it seems a bit over-the-top; there's a lot of that in the series, but it's so much fun I don't even care!
Year: 2003
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
Harry Dresden, wizard and detective, doing an appearance on a local talk TV show, finds himself face to face with Duke Ortega, one of the most notorious and highest-ranking Red Court vampires. Ortega's using the show setting for protection: since the Red Court and wizards are at war, there wouldn't be anything to keep Dresden from wasting him if Ortega just knocked on his apartment door.
Ortega wants to talk and make a deal.
He wishes Dresden to face him in single combat. If Harry refuses, he'll see his friends and allies and some former clients assassinated. Dresden agrees to kick Ortega's ass. If he wins, Chicago will become neutral territory as long as those friends, allies and clients stay there. If they leave, they're prey.
The other special guest is a priest who has come from the Vatican to hire Dresden to find a bit of stolen cloth, the Shroud (yes, that one)! It was stolen a few days earlier and tracked as far as Chicago, where someone's apparently hoping to buy it.
Another snag: "Gentleman" Johnnie Marcone seems to have put out a hit on Dresden!
As if that's not enough, there are some new demons in town: Denarians. Remember those 30 pieces of silver? They're real, and each one contains a Fallen angel. If you take up one of the coins, you're open to the influence of that demon--and you get super powers!
They're after the Shroud.
On Harry's side is Murphy the cop and the three Knights of the Cross: Michael (the sword-swinging carpenter), Shiro and Sanya.
Plenty of action, suspense, and fun. Dresden delivers one amazing, well-deserved beating to one of the bad guys. The third time through it seems a bit over-the-top; there's a lot of that in the series, but it's so much fun I don't even care!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Dresden 04: Summer Knight (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2002
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup!
WAR!
The Red Court of Vampires have declared war on the White Council wizards. In the few months since the end of "Grave Peril," the vampires have sent assassins after Dresden and other wizards. The White Council convenes a meeting in Chicago--technically, the war is his fault--to discuss the war and whether there even needs to be a Wizard named Harry Dresden.
They're aware, of course, that the Winter Queen of Faerie wants him to solve the murder of an old man. Chicago PD says it's suicide. Queen Mab says it's not. The man was murdered, and since he was the Summer Knight, the Summer Faeries are gearing up to war, convinced that their Knight was killed by Mab or one of her own.
Solve the murder, prevent an impending war, save his own ass from the wizard Council...all in a day's work for the Wizard P.I.
AWESOME: Harry battles a chlorofiend in the garden center of a Super Wal-Mart!
Cool stuff: Dresden goes to visit one of the Faerie chicks by going through Undertown, a sort of underground Chicago. Turns out it's real, to an extent. Dresden's Chicago is more of an alternate Chicago. Butcher lives in Kansas City!
Fun, fast-paced, great characters, all the good stuff I've said about the previous three books. If you haven't read them yet--what the hell are you WAITING for?!
Year: 2002
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup!
WAR!
The Red Court of Vampires have declared war on the White Council wizards. In the few months since the end of "Grave Peril," the vampires have sent assassins after Dresden and other wizards. The White Council convenes a meeting in Chicago--technically, the war is his fault--to discuss the war and whether there even needs to be a Wizard named Harry Dresden.
They're aware, of course, that the Winter Queen of Faerie wants him to solve the murder of an old man. Chicago PD says it's suicide. Queen Mab says it's not. The man was murdered, and since he was the Summer Knight, the Summer Faeries are gearing up to war, convinced that their Knight was killed by Mab or one of her own.
Solve the murder, prevent an impending war, save his own ass from the wizard Council...all in a day's work for the Wizard P.I.
AWESOME: Harry battles a chlorofiend in the garden center of a Super Wal-Mart!
Cool stuff: Dresden goes to visit one of the Faerie chicks by going through Undertown, a sort of underground Chicago. Turns out it's real, to an extent. Dresden's Chicago is more of an alternate Chicago. Butcher lives in Kansas City!
Fun, fast-paced, great characters, all the good stuff I've said about the previous three books. If you haven't read them yet--what the hell are you WAITING for?!
Dresden Files 03: Grave Peril (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2001
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
The ghosts of Chicago are freaking out! A demon is after Harry, looking for revenge!
And then there's a "must-attend" costume ball hosted by a vampire.
Harry teams up with Michael, a Knight of the Cross who always seems to show up where he's needed, as if guided by a holy power.
The pace is tight and solid right from the start. Dresden and Michael face a ghost in the maternity ward of a hospital, only to discover a torture spell woven into the ghost's "flesh." The same spell shows up a few more times: ghosts being tortured. But why?
Harry soon finds himself in over his head, trying to protect himself and his friends from a demon that can invade their minds. Who the hell has time for a costume party?
It's good to read a series where the characters grow as the story moves along, and where things don't simply go as expected. There are plenty of bendy spots, HOLY CRAP!! moments, and (as always) a wicked pop-cultural reference right when it's needed.
"Peril" introduces a minor annoyance that becomes a recurring one in later books: Dresden's battered Volkswagen Bug must be at least part TARDIS; it's got quite a bit of interior space. As Dresden and Michael are suiting up for their attack on the hospital ghost, they pull a long-ass (5-foot-long) sword and Dresden's wizard staff out of the back seat. By "Dead Beat," the car's carrying Dresden, a vampire, a coroner, a dog the size of a mastiff, Dresden's wizard staff, and a polka suit.
Polka suit, yes. Read the book!
Year: 2001
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yes
The ghosts of Chicago are freaking out! A demon is after Harry, looking for revenge!
And then there's a "must-attend" costume ball hosted by a vampire.
Harry teams up with Michael, a Knight of the Cross who always seems to show up where he's needed, as if guided by a holy power.
The pace is tight and solid right from the start. Dresden and Michael face a ghost in the maternity ward of a hospital, only to discover a torture spell woven into the ghost's "flesh." The same spell shows up a few more times: ghosts being tortured. But why?
Harry soon finds himself in over his head, trying to protect himself and his friends from a demon that can invade their minds. Who the hell has time for a costume party?
It's good to read a series where the characters grow as the story moves along, and where things don't simply go as expected. There are plenty of bendy spots, HOLY CRAP!! moments, and (as always) a wicked pop-cultural reference right when it's needed.
"Peril" introduces a minor annoyance that becomes a recurring one in later books: Dresden's battered Volkswagen Bug must be at least part TARDIS; it's got quite a bit of interior space. As Dresden and Michael are suiting up for their attack on the hospital ghost, they pull a long-ass (5-foot-long) sword and Dresden's wizard staff out of the back seat. By "Dead Beat," the car's carrying Dresden, a vampire, a coroner, a dog the size of a mastiff, Dresden's wizard staff, and a polka suit.
Polka suit, yes. Read the book!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Dresden Files 02: Fool Moon (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5/5
Year: 2000
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup
A rash of grisly murders took place during the previous full moon. Now Harry Dresden, Wizard P.I., is trying to prevent more. Yup--this book's about werewolves!
Butcher gives us three kinds of werewolf:
The "classic" werewolf--human uses magic to change self into a wolf.
hexenwolf--human uses someone else's magic in a talisman (a belt, in this case) to transform into a wolf. Any weapon that'll kill a person can kill either of these.
loup-garou--human is cursed to become a wolf on the full moon. Only inherited silver can kill him.
Chicago is overrun with wolves: one loup-garou, his mate, a gang of nerdy college kids led by one Billy, a biker gang called the Street Wolves.
On the Law & Order side, there are four FBI agents who keep showing up and taking over Chicago PD's investigation.
On the Criminal Underworld side, there's crime boss "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, who wants to hire Dresden.
Then there's Dresden's sometimes-girlfriend Susan, a reporter always looking for the next big story.
Butcher's second offering is as good as the first. The plot is fun and engaging and the chemistry between the smart-assed Dresden and the other characters just feels right. I really like how Butcher gives us several different kinds of werewolf at once--a werewolf biker gang? Werewolf nerds? Awesome.
Year: 2000
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup
A rash of grisly murders took place during the previous full moon. Now Harry Dresden, Wizard P.I., is trying to prevent more. Yup--this book's about werewolves!
Butcher gives us three kinds of werewolf:
The "classic" werewolf--human uses magic to change self into a wolf.
hexenwolf--human uses someone else's magic in a talisman (a belt, in this case) to transform into a wolf. Any weapon that'll kill a person can kill either of these.
loup-garou--human is cursed to become a wolf on the full moon. Only inherited silver can kill him.
Chicago is overrun with wolves: one loup-garou, his mate, a gang of nerdy college kids led by one Billy, a biker gang called the Street Wolves.
On the Law & Order side, there are four FBI agents who keep showing up and taking over Chicago PD's investigation.
On the Criminal Underworld side, there's crime boss "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, who wants to hire Dresden.
Then there's Dresden's sometimes-girlfriend Susan, a reporter always looking for the next big story.
Butcher's second offering is as good as the first. The plot is fun and engaging and the chemistry between the smart-assed Dresden and the other characters just feels right. I really like how Butcher gives us several different kinds of werewolf at once--a werewolf biker gang? Werewolf nerds? Awesome.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Dresden Files 01: Storm Front (Butcher, Jim)
Rating: 5
Year: 2000
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
This'll be my third time through the Dresden series, and it's a pleasure--more so because of the rash of crappy "Star Trek" I recently ingested. You'll find most of them listed in the "2/5" category. Just make a note of the title...and don't read 'em. I'm like the bookish Jesus--I suffer so you won't need to!
Chicago's Harry Dresden is a modern-day take on Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade: a hard-boiled wise-ass detective who's just good enough at his job to get by. Only...Dresden is a wizard for hire. Lost your car keys? Need a ghost removed from your attic? Dresden's your guy!
He gets hired to find a wayward husband. Guy's been gone three days.
He also gets a call from Lt. Murphy with the Chicago Police. She brings him in on a double-murder: a couple in the midst of bumping uglies were targeted by evil, hateful magic, their hearts exploded.
The man was an employee of "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, Chicago's resident crime boss. The girl was a high-high-high-high-endhooker prostitute whore escort employed by Bianca. A vampire.
Marcone wants Dresden to sit this one out. He wants to get the killer himself.
The Dresden books are fun as hell. Butcher's treatment of magic is logical, realistic, practical-seeming. Dresden is powerful, but limited in how he can use his power. He's very young for a wizard, barely past being an apprentice. On top of that, he's on parole with the White Council for killing his mentor in a to-the-death duel: one wrong move, one violation of the Laws of Magic, and he is dead. Dresden comes across as a stand-up guy who wants to do what's right, but fumbles pretty badly when it comes to dealing with people.
All he's got do do is find the killer, find the missing husband, keep a vampire from killing him, keep the cops from busting him, and keep from being the killer's next victim!
Characterization is excellent, the plot romps along, and it's well-paced. There's wicked humor, plenty of little pop-culture references for sci-fi and fantasy buffs.
I'd recommend reading the books before trying to watch the Sci-Fi channel's TV adaptation from a few years ago. The show is different enough in some important ways as to be entirely unrelated to Butcher's books.
Year: 2000
Genre: Fantasy
Read again? Yup.
This'll be my third time through the Dresden series, and it's a pleasure--more so because of the rash of crappy "Star Trek" I recently ingested. You'll find most of them listed in the "2/5" category. Just make a note of the title...and don't read 'em. I'm like the bookish Jesus--I suffer so you won't need to!
Chicago's Harry Dresden is a modern-day take on Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade: a hard-boiled wise-ass detective who's just good enough at his job to get by. Only...Dresden is a wizard for hire. Lost your car keys? Need a ghost removed from your attic? Dresden's your guy!
He gets hired to find a wayward husband. Guy's been gone three days.
He also gets a call from Lt. Murphy with the Chicago Police. She brings him in on a double-murder: a couple in the midst of bumping uglies were targeted by evil, hateful magic, their hearts exploded.
The man was an employee of "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, Chicago's resident crime boss. The girl was a high-high-high-high-end
Marcone wants Dresden to sit this one out. He wants to get the killer himself.
The Dresden books are fun as hell. Butcher's treatment of magic is logical, realistic, practical-seeming. Dresden is powerful, but limited in how he can use his power. He's very young for a wizard, barely past being an apprentice. On top of that, he's on parole with the White Council for killing his mentor in a to-the-death duel: one wrong move, one violation of the Laws of Magic, and he is dead. Dresden comes across as a stand-up guy who wants to do what's right, but fumbles pretty badly when it comes to dealing with people.
All he's got do do is find the killer, find the missing husband, keep a vampire from killing him, keep the cops from busting him, and keep from being the killer's next victim!
Characterization is excellent, the plot romps along, and it's well-paced. There's wicked humor, plenty of little pop-culture references for sci-fi and fantasy buffs.
I'd recommend reading the books before trying to watch the Sci-Fi channel's TV adaptation from a few years ago. The show is different enough in some important ways as to be entirely unrelated to Butcher's books.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Quickie: The Dresden Files (Series; Butcher, Jim)
Rating (series): 5/5
Year:
1. Storm Front (2000)
2. Fool Moon (2000)
3. Grave Peril (2001)
4. Summer Knight (2002)
5. Death Masks (2003)
6. Blood Rites (2004)
7. Dead Beat (2005)
8. Proven Guilty (2006)
9. White Night (2007)
10. Small Favor (2008)
Genre: Fantasy/Detective
Read again? Absolutely!
To fill in space between the weekly-or-so posts where I review a single book, I'm going to try doing a "quickie" review of a book or series. No idea if it'll be a daily thing, since I'm about as erratic as any other blogger, but *shrug*.
So we begin with Jim Butcher's freaking cool detective wizard, Harry Dresden of "The Dresden Files." If you've seen the very short-run series that the Sci-Fi network squeezed out a few years back...please don't judge these books by the bad coverage. TV and Hollywood types--and especially the Sci-Fi folks--can't seem to stick to a book very well. They changed an awful lot, and it didn't work as well as they hoped.
They should have left damn good enough alone.
Harry Dresden lives in Chicago. He's the only wizard in the phone book, and the only wizard who's trying to make a living as an actual wizard. Much of his work is detective-type stuff, and he fits well into the hard-boiled mold made by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. I can't really see Humphrey Bogart as Dresden, though Dresden is as much of a wise-ass as Bogey ever was. He makes his pennies finding people's keys or lost dogs, and he makes his dollars doing freelance consulting for the Chicago Police Department's Special Crimes unit, where all the weird, unexplained crimes get sent. "Weird" and "unexplained" ends up meaning "supernatural."
Each book features a different supernatural or mythical critter, and you can get an idea of which ones they are by the pun in the book title. Butcher throws in plenty of little pop-culture things (which could really date the series in 10 years, but that's okay), movie quotes, and truly funny moments--for example, while he's about to be clubbed to death in a Wal-Mart garden center by a demon that's taken form by collecting plants and earth, Dresden's busy trying to come up with a name for the damn thing, just because it's good to know what killed you. He names it a "Chlorofiend." His buddy the lady cop kills it with a chainsaw.
Even better, each book builds on the ones before, so there's plenty of room for character development and relationships. And there are lots of interesting regulars: Karrin Murphy, the lady cop; "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, the local Mob boss; Bob, the talking skull and magical database; Mister, Dresden's enormous gray cat; Mouse, his even bigger dog; Michael, an honest-to-god Knight; Billy the Werewolf; Thomas the vampire; and Susan, his girlfriend who happens to be a reporter.
1. Storm Front (2000): Grisly murders happen during powerful thunderstorms--and there's no physical evidence. Dresden quickly finds himself the target of police scrutiny as people he's spoken to end up dead. Then the killer goes after him--and so does an enforcer of the White Council of mages, who is convinced that Dresden is the killer!
2. Fool Moon (2000): Werewolves! Something is tearing people apart. But is it a) the werewolf whose family was cursed centuries ago by the Church; b) the college werewolf kids who happen to be forming their own pack; or c) something else? Or--as Chicago PD thinks--is it Dresden?
3. Grave Peril (2001): Ghosts! Something is torturing the ghosts in Chicago; something wants revenge on Dresden. Dresden gets invited to a vampire party--and shows up dressed as a cheesy Dracula.
4. Summer Knight (2002): Faeries! Bad things are happening in Faerie land; war is approaching, and it will affect the Faeries and our own world. Can Dresden find the killer of the Summer Knight before the White Council decides to kill him?
5. Death Masks (2003): Demons! Remember the "thirty pieces of silver" story about Jesus? Well, there are thirty silver coins, each one with one of the Fallen Angels in it. One who takes up a coin becomes a murderin' badass. This book has one of the most awesome "interrogation" scenes between Dresden and a guy named Cassius. You'll know it when you read it.
6. Blood Rites (2004): Vampires! Would you believe incubus porn? Not the band, the creatures that feed on sexual energy. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.
7. Dead Beat (2005): Zombies! A head-to-head competition between three black magic practitioners, with the world as the prize. The Big Battle features Dresden riding a zombie T. Rex to fight the bad guys.
8. Proven Guilty (2006): Movie monsters! Harry goes to SplatterCon, where the movie geeks are unreal...and the movie monsters are all too real!
9. White Night (2007): Witches! Someone's been killing witches. And the vampires are back!
10. Small Favor (2008): Billy goats Gruff! First, they're small...Harry defeats them. And each time, their bigger siblings come calling to set him straight. Can Harry survive the biggest Gruff of all?
A quickie review can't do the series justice. But it's going to be several months before I get to it, considering that I'm still one book into the huge Valdemar series. There's a new Dresden coming in April 2009, too.
Year:
1. Storm Front (2000)
2. Fool Moon (2000)
3. Grave Peril (2001)
4. Summer Knight (2002)
5. Death Masks (2003)
6. Blood Rites (2004)
7. Dead Beat (2005)
8. Proven Guilty (2006)
9. White Night (2007)
10. Small Favor (2008)
Genre: Fantasy/Detective
Read again? Absolutely!
To fill in space between the weekly-or-so posts where I review a single book, I'm going to try doing a "quickie" review of a book or series. No idea if it'll be a daily thing, since I'm about as erratic as any other blogger, but *shrug*.
So we begin with Jim Butcher's freaking cool detective wizard, Harry Dresden of "The Dresden Files." If you've seen the very short-run series that the Sci-Fi network squeezed out a few years back...please don't judge these books by the bad coverage. TV and Hollywood types--and especially the Sci-Fi folks--can't seem to stick to a book very well. They changed an awful lot, and it didn't work as well as they hoped.
They should have left damn good enough alone.
Harry Dresden lives in Chicago. He's the only wizard in the phone book, and the only wizard who's trying to make a living as an actual wizard. Much of his work is detective-type stuff, and he fits well into the hard-boiled mold made by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. I can't really see Humphrey Bogart as Dresden, though Dresden is as much of a wise-ass as Bogey ever was. He makes his pennies finding people's keys or lost dogs, and he makes his dollars doing freelance consulting for the Chicago Police Department's Special Crimes unit, where all the weird, unexplained crimes get sent. "Weird" and "unexplained" ends up meaning "supernatural."
Each book features a different supernatural or mythical critter, and you can get an idea of which ones they are by the pun in the book title. Butcher throws in plenty of little pop-culture things (which could really date the series in 10 years, but that's okay), movie quotes, and truly funny moments--for example, while he's about to be clubbed to death in a Wal-Mart garden center by a demon that's taken form by collecting plants and earth, Dresden's busy trying to come up with a name for the damn thing, just because it's good to know what killed you. He names it a "Chlorofiend." His buddy the lady cop kills it with a chainsaw.
Even better, each book builds on the ones before, so there's plenty of room for character development and relationships. And there are lots of interesting regulars: Karrin Murphy, the lady cop; "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, the local Mob boss; Bob, the talking skull and magical database; Mister, Dresden's enormous gray cat; Mouse, his even bigger dog; Michael, an honest-to-god Knight; Billy the Werewolf; Thomas the vampire; and Susan, his girlfriend who happens to be a reporter.
1. Storm Front (2000): Grisly murders happen during powerful thunderstorms--and there's no physical evidence. Dresden quickly finds himself the target of police scrutiny as people he's spoken to end up dead. Then the killer goes after him--and so does an enforcer of the White Council of mages, who is convinced that Dresden is the killer!
2. Fool Moon (2000): Werewolves! Something is tearing people apart. But is it a) the werewolf whose family was cursed centuries ago by the Church; b) the college werewolf kids who happen to be forming their own pack; or c) something else? Or--as Chicago PD thinks--is it Dresden?
3. Grave Peril (2001): Ghosts! Something is torturing the ghosts in Chicago; something wants revenge on Dresden. Dresden gets invited to a vampire party--and shows up dressed as a cheesy Dracula.
4. Summer Knight (2002): Faeries! Bad things are happening in Faerie land; war is approaching, and it will affect the Faeries and our own world. Can Dresden find the killer of the Summer Knight before the White Council decides to kill him?
5. Death Masks (2003): Demons! Remember the "thirty pieces of silver" story about Jesus? Well, there are thirty silver coins, each one with one of the Fallen Angels in it. One who takes up a coin becomes a murderin' badass. This book has one of the most awesome "interrogation" scenes between Dresden and a guy named Cassius. You'll know it when you read it.
6. Blood Rites (2004): Vampires! Would you believe incubus porn? Not the band, the creatures that feed on sexual energy. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.
7. Dead Beat (2005): Zombies! A head-to-head competition between three black magic practitioners, with the world as the prize. The Big Battle features Dresden riding a zombie T. Rex to fight the bad guys.
8. Proven Guilty (2006): Movie monsters! Harry goes to SplatterCon, where the movie geeks are unreal...and the movie monsters are all too real!
9. White Night (2007): Witches! Someone's been killing witches. And the vampires are back!
10. Small Favor (2008): Billy goats Gruff! First, they're small...Harry defeats them. And each time, their bigger siblings come calling to set him straight. Can Harry survive the biggest Gruff of all?
A quickie review can't do the series justice. But it's going to be several months before I get to it, considering that I'm still one book into the huge Valdemar series. There's a new Dresden coming in April 2009, too.
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