Just to get this out of the way, yes, I have read all of these books before. Late last year I found out the release date of the 16th Dresden Files novel by Jim Butcher (and possibly the 17th too!) will be ... sometime this year. I know I could just look it up again, but I'm pretty sure that date is for the hardcover and I try my best not to buy those since they are harder to carry around and don't fit well into my shoeboxes. I'm probably looking at another year until I can get the new book in my preferred paperback. So, to pass the time and to remind myself of everything that's happened so far, I decided to re-read the entire series again. To be honest, I wasn't sure how long it would take to finish 15 books (it took me all of last year to read 20), but it might actually take me less time than I expected. Obviously, spoilers, but you've got 15 books to read if you start so I'm sure you'll forget everything here by the time you actually get to it in the books.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
"Magic came from life itself, from the interaction of nature and the elements, from the energy of all living beings, and especially of people. A man's magic demonstrates what sort of person he is, what is held most deeply inside of him. There is no truer gauge of a man's character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power."
Harry Dresden is Chicago's only magical private investigator (you can find him in the phone book under "W" for "Wizard"). As a consultant for the police department's Special Investigations Unit, he's called in to assist on supernatural situations the police aren't prepared to handle. A double murder involving an associate of the city's most notorious crime boss and an escort of the city's most famous brothel wouldn't be something he would normally handle. But when both of them are found dead with their hearts ripped from their chests, Dresden knows he's the only one who can catch the killer.
The first book of the Dresden Files series. The books themselves are easily digestible and aren't too long. For a second reading, I can see now how the story is set-up: As a wizard in an urban fantasy series, the obvious first opponent should be another wizard, or in this case a warlock as he's utilizing black magic and violating the Laws of Magic. This provides a foil for the Dresden so the reader can see why Dresden is the good guy and the other guy is the bad guy while still learning about the magic system that will be running in this series. With an easy to understand first opponent, Butcher uses the rest of the book to establish other characters that will be appearing throughout the series such as Karrin Murphy, in charge of Chicago PD's Special Investigations Unit; Gentleman Johnny Marcone, Chicago's crime boss; Bianca, the city's premier madam and a Red Court Vampire (yes, there will be different types of vampires in the series). The story is not just a detective story to find a killer, but also sets-up who Dresden is for the beginning of this series.
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
"In the center of the pool was a paw print, in the dust, a paw print almost as big as my spread hand. Canine. Dots at the tips of the paw spoke of heavy nails, almost claws.
I looked up through the windows at the rounded silver shape of the almost-full moon.
'Oh, hell,' I breathed. 'Oh, hell.'"
"It was a perfect hunter, a perfect killer, fast and strong, relentless and deadly. It was no wonder that I had lost to such a magnificently dangerous being. I hated to go, but at least I hadn't gotten beaten by some scabby troll or whining, angst-ridden vampire."
Harry Dresden is called off the books to investigate what at first looks like an animal attack, the body brutally torn and ripped apart). After tacking down a lead, he discovers the culprit is likely to be a werewolf. Except, as he learns, there's more than one kind of werewolf and all types are in town just in time for another full moon. If Dresden can't solve the case soon, more mutilated bodies are sure to be found.
An okay storyline, not one of my favorites, but an okay one. The main attraction I had to this story was the several different types of werewolves that the story dealt with and even one that I hadn't considered before. It introduces The Alphas, a group of kids who can transform into wolves as their one spell. From a writer's point of view (stupid over-analysis), it's a great second book. I've been listening to a lot of interviews with writers again and the publishing process always seems to go: write book one, look for a publisher, write book two while book one is being shopped around while not sure if book one will get picked up. In the face of uncertainty, it's best to have a somewhat complete story to sell in case no one wants it after that. This book, as well as the first, wrap up really well in case no publisher was smart enough to pick these up and continue with them.
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
"Michael half-smiled. 'The Lord will never give you a burden bigger than your shoulders can bear, Harry. All we can do is face what comes and have faith.'
I gave him a sour glance. 'I need to get myself some bigger shoulders, then. Someone in accounting must have made a mistake.'"
"Besides that, in the circles of the supernatural community, an Old World code of conduct still ruled. When you have a problem, you settle it face to face, within the circle. You don't bring in the cops and the other mortals as weapons. They're the nuclear missiles of the supernatural world. If you show people a supernatural brawl going on, it's going to scare the snot out of them and the next thing you know, they're burning everything and everyone in sight."
Someone is stirring up the ghosts around Chicago, making them stronger and more aggressive than usual. They've got Harry Dresden and is friend, Michael Carpenter, running around Chicago to put them all back to rest, and trying to solve who is disturbing them. But it's never just one thing with Dresden. At the same time, he's called to act as representative of the White Council, the governing body of the wizard community, to observe the ascension of Bianca within the ranks of the Red Court vampires. Having been threatened by Bianca before (see "Storm Front"), Dresden knows it's a trap but one that can't be avoided.
I was really planning on skipping this book as I dislike ghost stories. That's just a personal preference, it's just the idea of fighting ghosts that I don't like (in my head, it seems really stupid). However, I re-read a recap of this book and remembered that's it's very pivotal in the overarching storyline going forward in the Dresden files. Yes, this is the one that pushes into an over-arcing storyline for the next several books with the White Council of Wizards and Vampires going to war. Plus, this one introduces Michael Carpenter, a knight of the Cross and wielder of one of three Holy swords. If there's one thing I love about the Dresden files stories, is just how likable Butcher makes the side characters that they could probably have their own interesting series too. This book also introduces more of the supernatural community, mainly the Vampire Courts but also a couple other supernatural figures.
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
"She smiled, slower, more sensual, and every bit as alien. 'I have many names,' she murmured. 'But you may call me Mab. Queen of Air and Darkness. Monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe.'"
"'Dresden. Am I interrupting anything?
'Well I was going to settle down with a porn video and a bottle of baby oil, but I really don't have enough for two.'"
"'The Sidhe crowd thinks you're an interesting mortal pet of Mab's. The vampire wannabe crowd thinks you're some kind of psychotic vigilante with a penchant for vengeance and mayhem. Sort of a one-man Spanish Inquisition. Most of the magical crowd thinks you're a distant, dangerous, but smart and honorable. Crooks think you're a hit man for the outfit, or maybe one of the families back East. Straights think you're a fraud trying to bilk people out of their hard-won cash, except Larry Fowler, who probably wants you on the show again.'"
With the White Council and the Red Court vampires officially at war, the wizards need any advantage they can get against the cunning and savage enemy. Harry Dresden himself has already had at least one assassination attempt taken on him. To make matters worse, as his actions were what drew the White Council into the war in the first place, many of his own people suspect he may be working with the vampires. To ease their suspicions and secure safe travel routes through the Nevernever, Dresden must accept a task from Mab, Queen of the Winter Fae: To find the killer of the Summer Knight, the Summer Fae's mortal champion and prevent a full-scale war between Summer and Winter Fae which could start either a new ice age or rampant natural growth in the mortal world.
This book introduces more of the Fae (so far, the only other one introduced was Dresden's fairy godmother) as well as their power structure, separating them between Summer and Winter Fae. The Fae are the first enemies that aren't human (all the other ones were sort of human) and thus have different values, rules to obey, and abilities than a lot of the other characters. The Fae, for instance, can't out-right lie, which means they're adept at dodging questions, making life difficult for someone trying to investigate them.
Death Masks by Jim Butcher
"'Kincaid?' the girl asked, her voice whimsical, 'Can you be trusted?'
'You're paid up through April,' the man replied, his eyes still scanning the street. 'After that I might get a better offer.'
'There,' the girl said to me. 'Kincaid can be trusted until April. He's an ethical man, in his way.'"
"He wasn't five feet away. The blond thief aimed for the center of mass and didn't miss him once. The man folded his arms as bullets hit him, tearing new wounds that bled freely. He rolled his eyes after the fourth shot, and made a rolling 'move this along' gesture with his left hand until Valmont's gun clicked empty, the slide open."
"I ground my teeth. 'I'm not different in any way that matters. I'm not any better than anyone else. We all put our pants on one leg at a time.'
'Granted,' Nicodemus said. 'But a century from now, your mortal associates will be rotting in the earth, whereas, barring amputation or radical shifts in fashion, you will still be putting your pants on one leg at a time.'"
Harry Dresden is hired by a Vatican priest to find the stolen Shroud of Turin, an easy job for a wizard when the thieves are just ordinary people. Except he's not the only one after the shroud. Dresden, Michael Carpenter and the other two holy sword wielding knights of the Cross are going to go up against The Denerians, a group possessing silver coins that grant their bearers extraordinary power thanks to the Fallen Angels trapped inside. If the Denerians recover the shroud, they'll use it's power to create a plague the world has never experienced before. To make matters worse, a nobleman of the Red Court appears in Chicago to challenge Dresden to a dual in order to bring the war to a quick end. And, just to make life even more confusing for Dresden, his half-vampire ex-girlfriend is back in town.
One of my favorite books in the series. The Denerians are a formidable foe for Dresden to deal with, not only in this book but moving forward as well. Just like with Supernatural (or was this written first?), a lot of supernatural stories seem to eventually find their way to Christianity with angels, fallen angels, and even God. Plus this book introduces Kincaid, a kind of supernatural hitman that will appear later in the series as well.
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
"I checked my problem inventory:
Multiple injuries, including a vicious headache from where Inari had socked me.
On one side of lurked a mysterious wielder of a sloppy but lethal curse.
On the other side, a homicidal vampire and her new crew of killers.
And, lest I forget, somewhere behind me was a cold, distant mercenary who was going to kill me if I didn't come up with the cash.
What a mess. And it wasn't yet midmorning."
In need of quick cash and as a favor to a friend, Harry Dresden takes a job from Thomas, a White Court vampire, to protect a friend from an entropy curse that is not only ruining his film productions but also killing the women around him. As if one job wasn't enough, Dresden goes off the books to hunt down a nest of Black Court vampires after they botch an assassination attempt on his life.
There comes a point in every hero's story where they stop playing defense and go on the offensive, showing off just how badass the heroes really are. As he is on the defensive the entire time on set of a porn movie either trying to figure out who is causing the entropy curse or trying to divert its energy, it is a cool juxtaposition to see Dresden gather some allies and strike at the Black Court vampires in their own nest in the basement of a run-down building surrounded by mind-ravished thugs and dogs.
Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
"I pulled open my coat and showed Butters my shoulder holster and gun. Then I reached behind me and drew out my staff from the back of the SUV. 'If they show up, I'm going to ruin their whole day.'
He chewed on his lip. 'You can do that, right?'
I took a look around and said, 'Butters, trust me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's ruining people's days.'"
"The Wardens had been one of my biggest fears practically since I had learned about their existence. There was something deeply satisfying about seeing the object of that fear take a hostile interest in Grevane and company. Like when Darth Vader turns against the emperor and throws him down the shaft. There's nothing quite so cool as seeing someone who scares the hell out of you go at an enemy."
"'That it will be your job to protect mortals in this area. To be vigilant against supernatural threats in your region, and represent the Council in matters of diplomacy. To aid and assist other wizards who come to you for aid and protection, and, when required, to strike out at the enemies of the Council, such as the Red Court and their allies.'
I frowned. 'Uh, I pretty much do that anyway.'"
Harry Dresden is blackmailed by Marva, oldest of the Black Court vampires and sole survivor of Dresden's raid pulled off in the last book, to find the Word of Kemmler. Of course, at the same time, six necromancers, some of them former students of Kemmler, appear in town hunting for their master's old work, a spell to grant the user incredible power.
Of the seven books I've re-read so far, I think this is my favorite for one, simple reason: Zombie T-rex! Plus it introduces the Wardens as allies of Dresden rather than just people on the sidelines or harassing him because they suspect him of using black magic. Also, this is the book where the stories start to feel longer. I'm not going to look, but I'm pretty sure that this one is several pages longer than all the others, and the ones after it are only getting longer. As far as side characters, it introduces Waldo Butters, a coroner who will help Harry out in later books with injuries as well as play a major role toward where I am in the books now.
and a bonus! (I didn't think I'd finish)
Deadly Class by Rick Remender and Wes Craig
"1st Period: Assassin Psychology. 2nd Period: Beheading. 3rd Period: Poison. Lunch"
Marcus is a kid on the street, alone and homeless after a fire destroys the boy's home he found himself when his parents were killed. He's picked up and asked to join King's Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts, a high school that trains kids to be the next batch of killers for their respective families, syndicates, crime lords, etc. He's taught how to kill in many different ways and forms. He meets new classmates, all with different backgrounds and reasons for attending.
So obviously I couldn't just binge read the entirety of the Dresden Files straight through. I picked up this volume back when Barnes and Nobles was still open, before the quarantine closed everything. Syfy picked up the rights and did a full season before cancelling it, which sucks because I liked the show. To be fair, though the premise is interesting (high school of killers), I don't think I would've picked this up without having watched the show first. I think I'm just too used to my comics drawn in the basic full color like I've been getting since I first picked up a Marvel comic. If you've watched the show, the book is slightly different but so far pretty similar and I feel like it's moving at a faster pace (this volume already got to Vegas and murdering Billy's dad). Eventually I'll pick up the rest of the series though, admittedly, comics are harder to read at work since I don't want to put them on the breakroom table (I've never seen that thing cleaned, and I'm not going to do it).
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