Ridiculous/Happy Vol. 3: The Dresden Files!
Hello, today I will be pimping: The Dresden Files.
The Dresden Files are a series of 10 books written by Jim Butcher. The latest, Small Favors, just came out last Monday.
In a word, these books are awesome. I decided to give them a try after 2 of you - franzeska and malachic - recced them to me in the same week. They've only been around for 8 years, heck, they even have their own fandom since Sci-Fi turned them into a brief tv series, but I'd never heard of them before. They're really fun. The author, jimbutcher, seems really savvy and opinionated and you can learn a lot about the fundamentals of good writing from these books: good characters (well-illustrated with strong dialogue, and drawn in ways that endear them to the reader quickly), strong, tight pacing, confrontation scenes that pack a huge wallop before the final climax, with linear plot points and a consistently progressive level of world-building.
Which is to say, this is an epic noir fantasy series about a wizard named Harry (stop snickering!) who works as a private detective in gritty Chicago - and the fabulous cast of characters and creatures who haunt his terrain.
Which is also to say that you should all read this series with me, and then you should SLASH HARRY WITH GENTLEMAN JOHN MARCONE, who is a HOT MAFIA LORD who likes to RESCUE HOT WIZARDS NAMED HARRY. Because they spend the first 2 books chasing each other, flirting, soul-gazing, snarking, smugly calling each other by their first names, and exchanging HOT YAKUZA/SULKY MINION BANTER. And there appear to be only two fics with this pairing in the tiny tiny Dresden Files fandom, because for some reason the rest of the fandom is busy slashing him with an incorporeal horndog who lives in a skull. Oh, fandom.
<-- Harry Dresden.
<-- Gentleman John Marcone.
I really don't feel I need any further argument here but let me just emphasize, again, WITTY YAKUZA BANTER + MUTUAL SULKY LIFE-SAVING + FIRST-NAME-USING + HELLO JOHN MARCONE IS GEORGE CLOONEY, AND HE FOLLOWS HARRY AROUND SAVING HIS LIFE AND TEASING HIM, EVEN AFTER HARRY DOES THINGS LIKE PULL HIS PIGTAILS, I MEAN BLOW UP HIS NIGHTCLUBS TO GET HIS ATTENTION. BECAUSE THEY ARE GAY. LOL so obviously slashy, I really want more people to understand this and write hot wizard/yakuza smut. Hello.
"Why should I believe you?" I asked him.
He looked back at me. "You have seen the deepest reaches of my soul, Mr. Dresden. You know me in a way so profound and intimate that I cannot yet fathom its significance. Just as I know you."
______
"Dammit all. You're a miserable, stupid bastard, Marcone. Now do you believe he wanted to kill you all along?"
"Yes, do tell me that you told me so with your last breath, Mr. Dresden. I was already rather acutely aware of that," Marcone said, his voice dry. "But perhaps I'll yet have a chance to make amends."
"What are you doing?" I asked. I kept my eyes on the loup-garou.
"Reaching for the knife they didn't find," Marcone replied.
"You do know that it's right beneath you now, John?" I asked.
"Mr. Dresden," Marcone said crossly. "I've asked you not to call me that."
"Whatever," I said, but I had to admire the raw courage of the man to banter while dangling up there like a ripe peach.
______
Harris snorted. "Marcone told us. The snake called asking for police protection."
I almost smiled. "Did he get it?"
______
"You owe me your life, Mr. Dresden. Are you sure we can't talk business?"
"The way I see it, John, you owe me your life."
"Of course," Marcone said, with a note of disappointment in his voice. "I'd just hoped you hadn't realized it. Nonetheless, Harry -"
"Don't call me that," I said, and hung up on him.
Marcone and Harry, according to my excellent sources, continue to run around saving each other and bickering about it. I mean. I was shipping these guys midway through the first book and then it just got better. And there are ten books! I am beside myself with the possibilities.
And, I mean: noble hero wizards named Harry and their snarky well-dressed criminal rivals?
I'm not seeing any negatives here. :D
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eta:
mafiabanter!!!!!
come join ussssss.....