Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13)

Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13)

Jim Butcher

Publisher: Orbit

**Warning – Massive spoilers from the previous books in the series below**

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard PI. Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. As if being murdered wasn't enough, Harry's shade can't rest in peace. He learns that three of his loved ones are in mortal danger and only by discovering his assailant’s identity can he save them, bring criminal elements to justice, and move on. It would just be easier if he could interact with the physical world, and had a (working) crystal ball, and had access to magic. And he’s far from the only silent presence roaming Chicago's alleys. Hell, he put some there himself. And now, they're looking for payback.

Regular readers will know that The Dresden Files is one of my favourite UF series ever, heck it’s one of the best series ever and from book four on has been consistently good with plot twists, a slow building but intriguing story arc and characters you really care about. Ghost Story is no exception, but it is a little different than any of the previous books. Harry Dresden is dead, but has been sent back to Chicago six months after his assassination to find out which of his many enemies finally did away with him. However, as a ghost Harry doesn’t have access to his powers, his favourite back up or his old friends and things have changed a lot in the last few months without him…

Not having a physical presence is a major hindrance for our main character and it’s a testament to Jim Butcher’s writing style and characterisation that despite the majority of the book consisting of Harry talking to various different people, I was never bored. It was fascinating to see such a physical character coping without a body and figuring out who had killed him. Added to mix was some of the bad things that have been happening in the meantime and the fallout from the last book which have had far reaching impact on the world. The final section of the book was full of ghostly action though with some fantastically imagined action that have me leaning forward, urging Harry and allies on every obstacle.

This is quite a big book but honestly when the writing is this good it doesn’t matter as you just find yourself swept along at the break-neck pace. And the ending, oh the ending. If you thought Harry being dead was an obstacle, wait until you find out why Harry was killed and what’s in store next. Highly recommended read – but really you have to invest in the whole series – which I strongly recommend!

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Mike Carey. 9 out of 10.

Audio Review: Fool Moon (Dresden Files #2)

Fool Moon (Dresden Files #2)

Written By Jim Butcher

Narrated by James Masters

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work—magical ormundane. But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise. A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses;and the first two don't count...

It’s been a while since I listened to an audible book as I haven’t been able to concentrate on listening to anything – I have a terrible habit of drifting off into my own thoughts and not actually listening to the story. So in order to try and get back into the habit, I decided to try the second Dresden Files book as I love the series and have read the book before so it wouldn’t be too difficult to focus on the story. Plus it’s read by James Masters who I have adored since his Buffy days!

James Masters manages to bring to life Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only wizard and his trials and tribulations. It’s helped by the first person narrative, but mostly I think James just manages to capture the voice of a world weary, trying his best wizard who has the weight of Chicago on his shoulders. Harry is an old fashion guy – always protective of women and trying his best to do right and protect as many people as possible including his police friend Lt Murphy, who is in a lot of political trouble for assisting Harry in the past. Added to which the supernatural world doesn’t take kindly to mortals learning too much about them.

That’s not to say that this is perfect. Actually, Fool Moon is one of the weaker stories in the series with an awful lot of info dumping near the beginning – included a long explanation of several different types of werewolves. This is interesting as it adds a lot of colour and texture to the traditional werewolf myth in Harry’s world, but seems a little unbelievable that Harry ends up coming across every type of wolf in the next twenty-four hours! Harry’s relationships with Murphy and Susan are not particularly deep, but nonetheless there is a spark with each of them that could lead to something meaningful.

There is plenty of action with Harry literally being thrown to the wolves on multiply occasions. The mix of magic and physical fighting is well balanced and if some of the motives behind the actions are a little weak then the pacing and amusingly wry observations by Harry more than make up for it. As with Storm Front, this is a Harry Dresden that is still finding his place in the world but all the basic ingredients for one of my favourite Urban Fantasy series are there. They just need a little more seasoning and more mixing.

Recommended for fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Patricia Briggs. 8 out of 10

Side Jobs Review (Dresden Files)

Side Jobs (Dresden Files Anthology)

- Jim Butcher

Publisher: Orbit

Here, together for the first time, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher-a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. This is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan as well as a perfect introduction for readers ready to meet Chicago's only professional wizard..

This is an anthology of some of Harry Dresden’s side adventures taking place in between the usual adventures. Harry is Chicago’s only Wizard in the phone book, using his magic to investigate and keep his city safe from the monsters in the shadows. For those who aren’t following his story – I really, really urge you to do so as this is one of the most consistently good and frequently excellent UF series out there. The first couple of books really set the scene, but after the end of the third book the major plot arcs are in place for one hell of a wild ride. Like one of my other favourite series, Kate Daniels this is a series that really matures and grows.

As this is an anthology, there are some great tasters of the kind of trouble Harry frequently finds himself in, and I think most of these can be read without having read the rest of series. However, you do get so much more from the stories if you are following the series – from seeing Billy and Georgina’s wedding, getting to know Mac better and seeing what Thomas gets up to when he isn’t helping Harry out. I have read most of these stories before in other anthologies (I like reading anthologies when I can’t focus for a long time!) so this was like falling back into a comfy sofa with a mug of cocoa – warm, soft and cosy. There were a couple that I haven’t read before and I think they stick in mind more as they were brand new to me. The first story – A Restoration of Faith recounted the first meeting between Dresden and his police contact Karrin Murphy. While it isn’t as sophisticated as some of the later stories, it seems to fit perfectly who Harry was at the start of the series and the core elements of Dresden and Murphy are still recognisable. Comparing this against Love Hurts, one of the latter stories where their relationship has deepened changed makes you really feel for them both. In many ways Dresden’s worse enemy is himself and his conscience.

There is a brand new story set just hours after the end of Changes, Aftermath which focuses on Murphy. This is the story that I really bought the book for and I loved seeing Chicago through Murphy’s eyes – and meeting ‘Will’ again. It really is a big teaser for the latest book Ghost Story – but I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t read Changes so I have to keep shum. But it is great! As I said at the beginning if you want an Urban Fantasy series with plenty of investigation and action, light on the romance side (but still there occasionally!) then this is the series for you.

Recommended for fans of James R Tuck and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Storm Front

Storm Front (Dresden Files 1)

Written by Jim Butcher

Read by James Masters

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. I work out of an office in midtown Chicago. As far as I know, I'm the only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. You can find me in the yellow pages, under Wizards. Believe it or not, I'm the only one there.
With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of some importance, Harry needs work, and soon. A call from a distraught wife, and another from Lt Murphy of the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit makes Harry believe things are looking up, but they are about to get worse, much worse. Someone is harnessing immense supernatural forces to commit a series of grisly murders. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Tracking that someone takes Harry into the dangerous underbelly of Chicago, from mobsters to vampires, while he himself is under suspicion of the crimes. One thing is certain, if he can't stop whoever is on this killing spree, Harry will be the next victim.

In the interest of full disclosure I have read all the Dresden files books previously and think these books are one of the strongest Urban Fantasy series available. However, I have always thought Storm Front wasn’t one of the strongest books in the series – just a good starting point. So when I decided to trial Audible Storm Front is the first book I wanted to listen to, mostly because it is read by James Masters who I have loved ever since he rocked into Sunnydale early in season two of Buffy.

Harry Dresden is an openly practising wizard in Chicago (you can find him in the book) who occasionally consults of the police for those cases of a ‘different’ nature. When he is called to a murder scene, he discovers a couple who have been murdered by a black wizard and has now set their sight on Harry. Harry is a lonely figure with few friends in this book and a lack of social life and the sword of Damocles handing over his head. As a result it is a little difficult to warm to him, but as the story is told in first person we can see the heart behind the quick quips.

Personally I think this particular story works much better in audio than it does in written word, James Masters captures Dresden’s world weariness and cynical perfectly – and this does give more depth to the story. A large proportion of the story is Dresden running around being beaten up or going up against various supernatural threats. Butcher’s take on vampires is scary and different with Madam Bianca coming across as a frightening vamp – in more than one way! The action is swift and exciting, while the magic system is interesting – with plenty more left to explore.

Overall this is a decent start to a great series – brilliantly read by a great narrator. The story is probably only a worth a 7 but I had to add an extra point for the narration!

Recommended for fans of Kevin Hearne and Kate Griffin. 8 out of 10.

Changes Review

Changes (The Dresden Files 12)

-       Jim Butcher

Publisher: Orbit

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out the 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. But even a career of narrow escapes and supernatural shenanigans hasn't prepared Harry for this. A vampire with a grudge has kidnapped his daughter. A daughter he never knew he had. Furthermore, this vampire plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice - designed to kill Harry, his ex-partner Susan and their child. As allies are perilously thin on the ground, Harry must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line he wouldn't cross, and he's never given in to the full fury of his own untapped dark powers. But then, only his own life was at stake. Magic - it can get a guy killed.

First I have to confess that I am a HUGE Dresden files fan. These books just seem to get better and better as Harry’s character evolves and learns while his skills increase as does his enemies. This is the twelfth book in the series and if you haven’t yet discovered this series, start with Storm Front and you’ll have a fantastic journey ahead of you. Trust me. J

As such, Changes probably isn’t a book you can leap into without having read the previous books. Pretty much every friend and foe Harry has ever encountered over the last ten years either cameos or is mentioned at some point – which gives you a great feeling of the depth and range of Harry’s adventures thus far as well as how desperate he is now.

Usually Harry’s travels are limited to Chicago and parts of the Never-Never, but this time Harry travels to Mexico which adds to the scope of the story. While the adventure is bigger and bolder than before, this is also one of the most intensely personal stories with Harry struggling to contain his feelings from the beginning. He makes some tough decisions here that will impact his future and will break your heart. I can’t count the number of times I was on the edge of my seat while reading this – my heart was in my throat on numerous occasions and it was one of those occasions where I literally could not read fast enough.

The title says it all, this is where everything changes for Harry – and I really have no idea where it will go from here – but I am desperate to find out! If you like a white knight in a leather duster who has to make decisions of such morale greyness, then Harry Dresden is the wizard for you.

Recommended for fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Mike Carey. 10 out of 10.