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Posted by Grete, on March 30th, 2010  Harry Dresden, the only Wizard in the phone book is in for the shock of his life. After a phone call from his ex-girlfriend Susan rocks his world, he realises Arianna Ortega has sworn revenge for the death of her husband and she is going to get it by killing his daughter.
The White Council, still reeling from betrayal and foolishly trying to garner peace with the Red Court vampires can’t help him and his list of allies is thin. Those who mean the most to him however are ready to stand and fight by his side and Harry must find a way to take on the Red King and the entire Red Court, or lose the daughter he’d never known about. With few options open to him, some of them down a very dark road, and growing more desperate, he must choose the best way he can to save his daughter and his friends.
Since Changes is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series, there are certain things you have come to expect. Fast paced action, Harry being witty, heroic in the face of all evil and being regularly beaten into a pulp. This book has all that and much, much more. The very first sentence of the first paragraph gives you a big UH-OH moment and really, it doesn’t stop til the OH MY GOD moment at the end of the book. It’s an emotional, engaging, gritty ride that doesn’t really let up apart from the laugh out loud sections that Butcher has such a talent for.
This book is a much more personal look into Harry’s life and what he believes in than previous novels. The sections that show just what he’s capable of and willing to do for those he loves reduced me to tears. I really can’t say more than that without spoiling it.
I absolutely love these books and while they have never become formulaic and samey for me, some are better than others and I honestly feel Changes is one of the best. The title says it all really, there are some big changes in store for Harry and if you like this series, it’s an absolute must read. Jim Butcher at his very best.
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Posted by Grete, on October 23rd, 2009  About Jim Butcher
Jim enjoys various diverse hobbies – martial arts, fencing, singing, riding, roleplaying and while that should make him seem like a fairly scary individual, all reports suggest he is a very nice man. He also does LRP (Live Roleplaying) which in my book makes him fairly awesome! He lives with his wife, son and dog and is without a doubt one of the best writers of urban fantasy and fantasy I’ve come across in a long time.
http://www.jim-butcher.com/
My Comments
I managed to start the Dresden Files right at the beginning with Storm Front and was blown away (no pun intended!) by Harry Dresden. As a character he is brilliant, sarcastic, enigmatic and often downright hilarious. You also see him develop a more sombre, angry side which adds more depth to the character and just helps you empathise with him all the more. The books themselves are a bit like riding a runaway horse. You can’t get off, you have to just hang on and keep going and eventually it will stop but you also know you just had the ride of your life. They are pure entertainment and just get better with each book. There was a short lived TV show which was a lot of fun and it was a crime when it was cancelled.
The fantasy side of his writing talent comes with the Codex Alera, a series based in a world where the ordinary is extraordinary and it’s down to a boy without the talents everyone else has, to use his wits and intelligence to get by. I wasn’t reading much fantasy at this stage but since it was a Jim Butcher book I thought I would give it a go and again, it was fantastic. Very different in theme and even writing style to the Dresden Books which I thought was good because we didn’t need another Harry Dresden but in a fantasy setting. All I can say is give the first one a go!
Bibliography
Dresden Files
Short Stories
Codex Alera
Posted by Grete, on April 17th, 2009 Harry Dresden is used to being in over his head where the supernatural community is concerned, even used to it turning up on his doorstep. When a severely wounded Morgan, Warden and Executioner for the White Council (and regular pain in Harry’s ass) turns up at his door asking for help, Harry is of the mind to refuse. Morgan is accused of murder and the penalty for the crime is death, along with anyone who helps him. In spite of overwhelming evidence Harry knows Morgan is innocent and there is something much larger happening. Can he let an innocent man (even if it is Morgan) die for a crime he didn’t commit and can he stop the plot that threatens to bring the entire White Council down? Most sane men would turn Morgan in but hey, this is Harry.
Wow. That’s the first word that sprang to mind when I finished Turn Coat and I even had to sit and reflect for a while. You get answers to some questions that have been running through several books, new questions needing answers and some truly emotional scenes. Harry as usual is in over his head and the highly entertaining part is how he gets out of it, with mind, skin and bone mostly intact. I feel that Harry has become just that bit more mature as well, while the usual supporting cast are there, by and large, he figures things out on his own.
Jim Butcher has such an entertaining writing style that lets you get up close and personal with his characters and this latest and 11th book in the Dresden Files certainly has that, in spades. Many a long running series can suffer with the reuse of plot, phrases and same old descriptions of characters but I can honestly say there is nothing like that here. The only downside I can think of is that it will be another year til the next one is released.
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Posted by Grete, on April 16th, 2009 Woohoo the new Dresden Files book is out and I’m reading it right now!
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Very young children eat their books, literally devouring their contents. This is one reason for the scarcity of first editions of Alice in Wonderland and other favorites of the nursery.
Rosenbach, A. S. W.
About BookThing! BookThing! is a website where Grete can indulge her passion for books. There are reviews covering a range of genres (paranormal romance, crime, fantasy, romantic comedy), bibliographies for selected authors, features and sometimes the odd free book giveaway!
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