Book Review: Grave Peril (Dresden #3)
Title: Grave Peril
Author: Jim Butcher
Pages: 378
Summary: In all his years of supernatural sleuthing, Harry Dresden has never faced anything like this: the spirit world's gone postal. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone-or something-is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself.
What I thought:
Hello again, Mr Dresden.
With book number three under my reading belt, I have come to three realisations about Mr Dresden. Please allow me to bore you briefly with these three realisations.
1. I like Harry Dresden. I love the Dresden!whump even more :) Oh boy, does Harry get put through the wringer. The poor guy never quite catches a break.
2. I don't like first person POV. This is not a new realisation for me per say, but I usually give first person POV books a chance. However, I don't know if this format works for the Dresden files. Or rather, perhaps the way Mr Butcher utilises the POV raises the hairs on the back of my neck. I understand that the POV is reminiscent of the old noir style detective novels, with Sam Spade growling through his perspective on events and the 'hot' dame client.
Here is my main dislike with the style/pov format. Dresden spends a bit of time talking about what he is wearing and how the shadows look for example. I appreciate the poetic licence and descriptions, it just seems odd to me that Harry even takes the time to think about how cool his coat looks as he gets out of the car.
The disconnect in narrative as a result of the style breaks the flow of the story for me. I step out of the narrative and think, 'Really, Harry? You're that aware of your looks and surroundings?' At times I think a third person POV would have better suited the narrative.
3. Starting this book (and any Dresden book) late at night, is a bad bad idea. There are no easy places to stop, to put the book down... and it doesn't make early nights possible.
I enjoyed Grave Peril. It felt less hectic/frantic compared to Fool Moon, but had enough ins and outs through the plot to keep everything running towards quite a climax. At times the twists felt a bit predictable (I saw the Susan thing coming) and I missed Murphy.
I also found it odd that Butcher chose to remind the reader (as if we had not read the previous books) about introductory details again - the consulting wizard thing for example. But Michael got no introduction - no lead up to who he was, how he met Harry. He was just there. It felt weird.
While I enjoyed the plot, it bordered on convulted and over complicated. I almost hope that the next book has less whump, just so that I can see more of the detective Dresden and less of the avenging wizard. Nonetheless, I am intrigued and look forward to more.