Summer Knight

~by Jim Butcher

It has been almost a year between my reading Summer Knight, the fourth book in Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, and reading the previous book, Grave Peril. Some of this is my own fault and some of this is because the series is just so darned popular. I've been borrowing the books from the library and there was only one copy of Summer Knight in the system which happened to go missing for a few months and already had several people in line by the time I put myself on the waiting list. I was tempted to just go out and purchase a copy; I have been enjoying the series so far, and each book has shown improvements over the last. I particularly enjoyed Grave Peril and so was looking forward to reading Summer Knight anyway. It may have taken longer than I would have wished, but eventually I received the long awaited notification that the book was ready for me to pick up.

The only wizard in Chicago's phonebook, Harry Dresden, quite frequently finds himself down on his luck, but it hasn't been this bad for a while. He's being blamed, not entirely inaccurately, for starting a war with the Red Court vampires and the wizard's White Council has come to town to figure out what can be done about it and Harry. He's racked with guilt over his girlfriend's developing vampirism and is desperately, and unsuccessfully, trying to find a cure. And on top of all that, the Summer Knight of the faerie court has been murdered. The shift in the balance of power threatens both the Nevernever and the mortal world and he has been coerced into getting to the bottom of the whole mess. Things are not looking good for Harry at all.

I really like Harry and have, for the most part, since reading the first book in The Dresden Files, Storm Front. But I think I like him even better in Summer Knight; some of his personality quirks, while still there, were not nearly as annoying as they were in the previous books. His over-protectiveness and his constant feelings of guilt are not gone, but they are toned down, allowing his characterization to be more even overall. And he is still delightfully sarcastic and flippant, too. I was hoping to see the return of some of the characters from Grave Peril, particularly Thomas Raith and Michael Carpenter, but I guess I'll just have to wait for later books. However, some of the werewolves from Fool Moon and Toot from Storm Front make reappearances which made me happy.

I wasn't grabbed as much by Summer Knight as I remember being by Grave Peril, which isn't to say I didn't enjoy Summer Knight because I most certainly did. Summer Knight is probably the first book in The Dresden Files that significantly relies on events and characters from previous books. But even then, Butcher did an excellent job at introducing important information within the context of the story and all without info-dumping. A new reader could fairly easily start the series here without too much of a problem. However, I did have a few minor issues with the plot of Summer Knight, the biggest being that I wasn't entirely convinced tgat Dresden could be the only person to help in the situation. I was also frustrated by the faerie court structure which never seemed to be explained as thoroughly as I would have liked. Of course, maybe it is just something us mere mortals are unable to comprehend. Regardless, I enjoyed Summer Knight and I am still looking forward to reading the fifth book in The Dresden Files, Death Masks.

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Grave Peril

~by Jim Butcher

Grave Peril is the third book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I first began reading the series because they came so highly, and frequently, recommended. Even though they seem a little overrated so far (granted I find that most things are, and I've only read the first few books), I have enjoyed them immensely. But if the books continue to improve in quality like they have been, I might have to change my opinion. Though far from perfect, Grave Peril is definitely the best book in the series up to this point.

Life's been pretty good lately for Chicago's only wizard-for-hire, Harry Dresden: work is steady, he's got a great girlfriend, and no one has blatantly tried to kill him for at least a couple months. Granted, he's had to deal with a surprising number of ghosts recently, quite a few requiring backup from the resident Knight of the Cross, Michael Carpenter. And then there's the fact that the barrier between this world and the Nevernever seems to be disintegrating, which is a big problem--and not just because it makes it easier for Harry's godmother to track him down. Complicating matters even further, Bianca--the local head vampire--is getting a promotion and the city will be crawling with out-of-town vampires arriving for the celebration which he is required to attend as the representative for the White Council. Unfortunately for Harry, none of them are very fond of him at all, and Bianca arbors a particularly nasty grudge. Just how nasty will soon become apparent.

I was a little hesitant to read Grave Peril since Harry had irritated me so much in Fool Moon. Fortunately that was not the case in this book. While Harry still has the same personality quirks that had annoyed me so greatly (particularly blaming himself for everything), they are significantly toned down, making his characterization much more balanced--slightly more endearing, and much, much less frustrating. (It also helped that he didn't keep getting arrested every two pages.) I found a few things really stood out for me in Grave Peril. First was the introduction of Michael and of Thomas Raith--a vampire from the White Court. (Please, oh please let them be recurring characters!) I also particularly appreciated the further exploration of faith magic (in this case, Christian) and the continued examination of Butcher's version (actually versions) of vampires.

I enjoyed the first two books in the Dresden Files, but I really enjoyed the third. I think Butcher has begun to hit his stride with Grave Peril. The writing has improved and isn't nearly as awkward as it occasionally has been, and the pacing was spot on. However, having read the previous books, the third seemed at times repetitive, especially in the beginning chapters. Someone starting the series here of course wouldn't notice, but some of the descriptions and explanations sound awfully familiar. But, this does mean that the book can stand very well on its own in addition to being part of a series. Overall, Grave Peril has renewed my interest in the Dresden Files and I look forward to continued improvements and storytelling in Summer Knight.

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Fool Moon

~Jim Butcher

After having Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series recommended to me by several different sources, I picked up the first book, Storm Front, to give it a try. While it didn't blow me away, I did enjoy the quick, light read and was intrigued enough to go on to read the second book. Fool Moon continues the pleasant mix of detective fiction and urban fantasy. And although the dry humor is still present, Fool Moon is a touch more graphic and violent than the first book.

Once again, Harry Dresden--Wizard for Hire--finds himself without many cases and therefore without much cash; a troublesome state of affairs, especially when trying to make rent. Despite, or maybe because of, having helped the Chicago police Special Investigations unit solve a particularly nasty case last spring, he hasn't been brought in to consult on any more. Other people haven't been clamoring for his unique talents as the city's only professional wizard, either. Finally, a case comes along that the police can't handle alone. Dozens of people are being found mauled to death all over Chicago and the surrounding areas, always around the time of the full moon. The FBI is in charge, but that doesn't stop Murphy, the lieutenant and head of Special Investigations, from asking Harry to do some investigating on the sly for her. Even though he doesn't know much, he does know that they've got a serious problem on their hands--werewolves.

Despite reading several reviewers opinions that Fool Moon is the weakest book in the series, I thought it did quite well for itself. The plot and pacing were more cohesive and consistent than in Storm Front, although Harry does have an annoying habit of getting arrested on a fairly regular basis. And speaking of annoying--as much as I like Harry, there are some personality traits I hope he grows out of sooner rather than later; I can deal with his over-protectiveness (and can even understand it to some extent--magic isn't always pretty) but he somehow manages to spin every single bad thing that happens as his fault (even when it obviously isn't), which can wear thin pretty quick.

Fool Moon is written in such a way that having read the first book is not absolutely necessary. References are made to the events in Storm Front, which adds a nice bit of depth, but they are not critical to understanding and enjoying Fool Moon. Some scenes, particularly those dealing with Harry's past and family history, were obviously included in anticipation of the rest of the series, but felt a bit out of place in this novel. One of the things I particularity enjoyed about Fool Moon are the different types of werewolves encountered and explained throughout the book (including a brief mention of the Beast of Gévaudan, which I was very excited about), although it was barely credible that Harry would end up meeting all of them (Chicago is apparently a pretty crazy place). But, it was very interesting to see how the various groups interacted with one another. I can safely say that I am enjoying the Dresden Files, and while I'm not in a tremendous rush, I will be picking up the third book, Grave Peril, from the library.

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Storm Front

~by Jim Butcher
2001 Compton Crook Award Nominee

I'm not sure why, but recently I've seen Jim Butcher mentioned quite frequently and have had his books recommended to me on a fairly regular basis--in particular, The Dresden Files, which is the series he is probably best known for. So, I was bound to pick up a copy of the first book, Storm Front, eventually. Luckily, it was readily available at my local library branch as a mass market paperback, and it immediately became my "bus book."

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden (conjure at your own risk) is a private investigator living in and working out of Chicago. He also happens to be wizard of some skill. Currently however, he is down on his luck, behind on his rent, and just a little bit worried about making ends meet. But then, almost simultaneously, a missing person case falls into his lap and he is called in by the police to consult on an investigation of a gruesome double murder. Unfortunately for Harry, as one of the only powerful magic users in the area, he quickly becomes suspect. Already on the outs with the White Council (the governing body of wizards, etc), he must work fast to track down the real culprit in order to prove his innocence. Oh, yeah--and did I mention that not only a few people want him dead?

I really liked Harry, dubious past and all, as the protagonist (although he was slightly exasperating at times) and he is supported by a good handful of decent secondary characters who I look forward to seeing again in subsequent books. Storm Front is an odd mix of fantasy and hard boiled detective fiction, but Butcher pulls it off surprisingly well. I particularly enjoyed the magic system which is based more on intent, concentration, and the focusing and directing of energies more than anything else. It also has a habit of making more modern technology go haywire, which I find to be immensely appropriate. There were a couple of very minor inconsistencies in the book in addition to it being a bit repetitive, but this wasn't enough to really detract from the story overall. Harry's (well, technically Butcher's) style contains quite a bit of dry humor which I found to be greatly amusing, but others might not appreciate it nearly as much. Occasionally the whole thing is utterly ridiculous, but in a good way. The working title of the book was Semiautomagic, which gives a pretty good idea of what it is all about. The book is a lot of fun.

Storm Front was a great introduction to The Dresden Files and works fairly well on its own, too. Enough detail is given to understand the world and what is going on without relying on info-dumps or explaining everything in depth, making it a lighter, less complicated read than expected. But, there is certainly plenty of material to be expanded upon in further volumes. I was never desperate to find out what was going to happen next in the story, but I always looked forward to reading it. Storm Front was a blast and I really enjoyed the book. The Dresden Files isn't a series that I personally need to own (yet), but I will definitely be picking up the next volume, Fool Moon, at the library.

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