Jim Butcher

[kattsune]

Jim Butcher writes two different series: the Dresden Files and the Codex Alera. The Dresden Files are an urban fantasy series, and the Codex Alera is a more traditional high fantasy adventure book with a strong Roman influence. For the record, I like them both

Comments

[taesian]

I've enjoyed the books but I honestly believe that the Codex Alera series is superior to the Dresden series. Even though Dresden is what originally got me into Butcher in the first place.

Part of it is due to the fact that the Codex Alera series has a much larger cast of characters and character development where as the Dresden series is a much more limited core group even though there are a few nicely developed 'guest stars'

I was -not- a fan of the TV show at all. Mainly due to the fact it lost a huge part of the integrity of the books and what attracted me to them. Bob the Skull was one of the big ones... his lack of driving the blue beetle or issues with technology. The actor for Dresden was alright but the rest of it was way to B-rated. It was similiar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Hercules in it's campiness which could have been pulled off well. But overall the direction and the acting were terrible.

The first episode alone with the Skin Walker and Crow people, etc was ridiculously bad...

Had I seen the show prior to reading the novels I might have watched it as a sort of sick b-rated pleasure... like watching Beast Master on a lazy sunday with nothing else to due.

But it definitely did -not- live up to the quality of character development and interaction that the books derive.

[taesian]

Yes I realize after reading this reply that I totally butcher the English language in a few places... sorry

[kattsune]

I make up random words. It's okay. :P

[kattsune]

I agree completely, and I think I could go on for hours about what I didn't like about the TV series versus the books. Perhaps the best way to deal with it is to make a drinking game out of it. When it vastly differs from the books for no good reason, drink. If you think there's a reason, debate with friends/other fans of the show. Winner drinks. Loser drinks. Repeat!

I like the Codex Alera series better because of the development of the main character, but it seems like the secondary characters don't get much growth-love. Three-dimensional, but they're the same three dimensions they were when they were first introduced.

Harry always seems about the same but with a better bag of tricks each book, though I enjoy the interactions between the characters so much, I don't really care. I wonder if it's more forgivable because he's an adult. Adults don't change too much from year to year.