Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

Turn Coat
Jim Butcher
Roc, 2009

Harry Dresden is back for his 11th adventure on the mean streets of Chicago. This time Harry’s part-time nemesis, the Warden Morgan, has been accused of murder and treason against the Council and it’s up to Harry to uncover the the true murderer. Familiar faces make appearances: Murphy the tough and feisty cop, Billy and his werewolf pack, Thomas, Toot Toot the fairy, and more all show up to get in on the action to aid, or in some cases, frustrate Harry as he races against the clock. Publisher’s Weekly brilliantly claims “Despite the sprawling plot, both fans and newcomers will get into the fast-paced action.” Which is something I can agree with but with a veritable who’s who of Harry’s past companions showing up I’m not quite sure who would really recommend Turn Coat as a starting point for any newcomer.

Mini-Review: The Warrior by Jim Butcher (from Mean Streets)

The Warrior

Jim Butcher

from Mean Streets

Roc, 2009

 

**Spoilers Ahead!  If you have yet to read Small Favor then stop now!  The Warrior spins directly out of that story. **  

That being said The Warrior is the best Dresden story I’ve read in ages.  I don’t know if it is the shorter format but it felt like Butcher had to really drill down into what makes Dresden such a fun character to read.  The melodrama and angst that had bothered me in some of the later Dresden novels is completely absent here and we get a perfectly realized snarky, sarcastic, down-on-his-luck Harry Dresden.  The story is taught and tense and plays out like a good episode of your favorite television show everything wrapped up in the 45 minutes to hour it takes you to read.  More spoilery stuff after the jump

Review: Princep’s Fury by Jim Butcher

Princep’s Fury

Jim Butcher

Ace, 2008.

Princep’s Fury marks the 5th entry into Jim Butcher’s less well known fantasy series The Codex Alera.  Fantasy fans who have been skipping this series really ought to give it a try, while it isn’t quite as clever as the Dresden Files, Butcher’s talent for tight, kinectic action and furious pacing make for an entertaining read.   While the characters aren’t always as vivid as everyone’s favorite Chicago based wizard they do manage to stand out from the pack of other fantasy heroes.  While not a good entry point to the series (start with The Furies of Calderon) it marks another impressive, and exciting entry into this typically underrated fantasy series.  Read on for more impressions…

Review: Backup by Jim Butcher

Backup

Jim Butcher

Subterranean Press, 2008

SPOILER NOTE:  If you aren’t up-to-date on Butcher’s Dresden Files (at least up to Death Masks) now would be a could time to stop reading this review.

The titular wizard from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files is mostly absent from Backup, a short novella available from Subterranean Press, which instead focuses Thomas Raith; Harry’s vampiric half-brother.  It is a standalone story that does little to advance any of the plots from the main series but manages to flesh out Thomas as a character and add an interesting new detail about the world of Harry Dresden.

Review: Small Favor (Dresden Files, Book 10) by Jim Butcher

Small Favor by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2008), is the latest volume in the long running Dresden Files about Chicago based, perennially unlucky, Wizard/Supernatural Investigator Harry Dresden.  As such I can’t really recommend this as a great jumping on point for new readers.  While the early novels (say maybe the first three: Storm Front, Full Moon, and Grave Peril) are likely easy enough jumping on points (duh!) as the series continues Butcher builds upon the Dresden world with admirable subtly.  Finally, in Book 10, I think we’re at a point where new readers are at a significant disadavantage.  Not to the point that they can’t enjoy the book, but enough so that they will certainly miss out on many of the details (in particular Harry’s deal with Mab, and his ‘partnership’ with Lasciel in the previous novels).  This isn’t to knock the book, there gets to a certain point in any series where you can’t really cater to the newbies any more, only to serve as fair warning for those who have yet read any Dresden at all.

Those that have been with Harry from that start are in for a treat.  This is, in many ways, the first time we’ve seen the ‘real’ Harry in a long time (Minor spoiler: there was a certain edge to Harry in the previous two novels that was the result of outside influence) and the whole book feels a bit lighter, despite the dire circumstances, as a result.  The back and forther banter between Harry and Thomas is quick-witted and enjoyable and, while a few quips fall a bit flat to my ears, in on the whole enjoyable.  As with many of the Dresden books featuring recurring character Michael (a sword wielding modern knight tasked with capturing the demons imprisoned in the silver coins given to Judas) a certain tension between the mostly faithless Harry and over abuntantly faithful Michael adds an interesting moral element to the story that has a surprise, and very interesting, twist in the end.

While the book lacks in reaninamted dinosaur skeletons it does feature an amusing incident between the eldest Billy Goat Gruff and Harry at the worst time ever.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of the series is how the seemingly always under-powered Harry has to out think his often ridiculously over-powered opponents.  This book had no shortage of that from a rather clever, and ultimatley hilarious, use of Mister (Dresden’s cat) to a certain incident involving a doughnut.  Harry still gets his ass-kicked, it would hardly be a Dresden novel if Harry came out unscathed, but it without the ‘woe-is-me’ Harry vs. the world mentality of previous entries.  Indeed, if this novel proves anything, its the number of friends and allies (and, unfortunatley, enemies) Harry has made over the course of 10 books.

All in all another solid outing for both Harry and Mr. Butcher.  Unfortunatley, if pattern holds true, Butcher will likely release another Codex Alera book before antoher Dresden book and, while I do enjoy Tavi and the world of Alera, am always left hungry for a new Dresden book when all is said and done.  Given the layered world-building, solid characterization (a main character that actually changes!?), and breakneck action I bestow upon Small Favor a solid A.

Chapter 1 Preview from Jim Butcher’s webpage.

Link: Early Small Favo(u)r Review from Graeme

Graeme’s Fantasy Review has an early review of the latest Dresden novel from Jim Butcher.  It hits stateside on the first…minus the “u”  (I guess Orbit thought us Americans couldn’t handle that spelling).  For those too lazy Graeme sums things up nicely:

‘Small Favour’ is really a book for the long term ‘Dresden fan’ but don’t let that put you off if you’re after a good slice of urban fantasy pulp noir (it’s pretty much persuaded me to find the rest of the series). I think it’s got pretty much everything you’re looking for.

Which means those of us in for the long haul might well enjoy it more. Anyway I’m jazzed to get a hold of the book and am happy I have Wednesday off (for other reasons, not a new Dresden book).