Book Review: Changes (Dresden Files Book 12) by Jim Butcher
First off, a non-spoilery insta-reaction: ARGGHGHGHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I love this book!!! *EEEEEEEEEEEEEE* Best One So Far!
And then on to the nitty gritty details: *spoilers ahoy!*
I have mentioned in previous reviews that I so glad that I tried this series and stuck with it through the initially bumpy beginning. I am not a fan of First Person POV (even though it works really well with Detective/noir style novels) and I struggled with the language. However, as saphirablue has also discovered, Jim Butcher really hits his stride after a while and the books get better and better.
Changes, Book 12 - my favourite so far and there have been so great stories in the last few books. This one, however, has SO much goodness. The culmination of 11 books worth of characters, story arc set ups and drama. And it blew my mind! I am terrified to think that this book only resolved the Red Court war, and didn't even come close to the Black Council thing. I love stories when the hero gets the rug ripped out from under him and needs to call in friends, favours and fortune to save the day. I should have realised that Harry's office blowing up was a sign of things to come, both because we've seen so little of his office and his private detective business *big sign* and because you start with the small hurts first, before you get to the really juicy ones.
I figured things were really going to get rough when the Beetle bit it, and I was right and horribly mistaken in the same breath. Everything. Every comforting, normal aspect of his existence - gone. No matter how the story was going to end, Harry was not going back to his old life. And then he went to Mab! *flailing arms*
This book felt like (and is) a masterpiece. Butcher flexing and winning with those writerly muscles, giving the reader the pay off for loving Harry through thick and thin and going down the rabbit hole with him. Susan coming back, ultimately resolving the crisis her transformation caused. Ebenezer is Harry's grandfather. Harry is a Dad. Mouse can talk! Winter Knight!!! *more flailing* The swords, Erlking, Sanya, Thomas, Lea, Butters in kevlar! everything!.
And Murphy. Karrin awesome Murphy - I so want her to take up the sword even though I know its not 'right' and she won't but... I want it! I want more bad ass Murphy with powers!! And and... the ending???? ARGHGHGHGHGH!!! I hate Butcher so much, even as I scream my love!! And here's the brilliance. Right here. Harry goes through the wringer - through HELL and gets this close *holds up fingers with a smidge of space* to FINALLY getting it on with Murphy and .... THAT"s how you end it??? SHOT!!????!! ARGHGHGHG!! The Brilliance is that normally when a character is this low, this beaten up I want to take them away from the author and stick them in cottonwool and save them in my pocket. *Bad writer/show runners!* But not this time! No, no!. I love Harry and I want happiness and love and flowers and heartshapedhappiness but Butcher is so awesome that I LOVE THIS BOOK! Who needs cottonwool? Not Harry!!!
*takes a deep breath*
I am so gad that this is book 12 and not book 15 *is terrified by the prospect of 15 and what lies ahead of me and catching up with everyone else and having to wait. I hate waiting* I am so glad I can click BUY on Amazon and get 13. SO GLAD.
But I am terrified. Like Hall of Goblins, Looming Erlking terrified. What is ahead of stripped bare, probably mostly dead Harry? Without his house and coat and staff and Molly and Mister and car and office and being... Harry.
*EEEEEEEEEE* bites nails* I wanna know. Now!! I don't want to be at work needing to work. I WANT TO READ!!!!!
And for that, Jim Butcher. I. Love. You.
also, I love him for: Star Wars references, Princess Bride quotes, LOTR allocations *sniff, poor Harry-Sam. He is NOT gollum*, and for being an awesome, awesome writer-nerd-extraordinaire.
And then on to the nitty gritty details: *spoilers ahoy!*
I have mentioned in previous reviews that I so glad that I tried this series and stuck with it through the initially bumpy beginning. I am not a fan of First Person POV (even though it works really well with Detective/noir style novels) and I struggled with the language. However, as saphirablue has also discovered, Jim Butcher really hits his stride after a while and the books get better and better.
Changes, Book 12 - my favourite so far and there have been so great stories in the last few books. This one, however, has SO much goodness. The culmination of 11 books worth of characters, story arc set ups and drama. And it blew my mind! I am terrified to think that this book only resolved the Red Court war, and didn't even come close to the Black Council thing. I love stories when the hero gets the rug ripped out from under him and needs to call in friends, favours and fortune to save the day. I should have realised that Harry's office blowing up was a sign of things to come, both because we've seen so little of his office and his private detective business *big sign* and because you start with the small hurts first, before you get to the really juicy ones.
I figured things were really going to get rough when the Beetle bit it, and I was right and horribly mistaken in the same breath. Everything. Every comforting, normal aspect of his existence - gone. No matter how the story was going to end, Harry was not going back to his old life. And then he went to Mab! *flailing arms*
This book felt like (and is) a masterpiece. Butcher flexing and winning with those writerly muscles, giving the reader the pay off for loving Harry through thick and thin and going down the rabbit hole with him. Susan coming back, ultimately resolving the crisis her transformation caused. Ebenezer is Harry's grandfather. Harry is a Dad. Mouse can talk! Winter Knight!!! *more flailing* The swords, Erlking, Sanya, Thomas, Lea, Butters in kevlar! everything!.
And Murphy. Karrin awesome Murphy - I so want her to take up the sword even though I know its not 'right' and she won't but... I want it! I want more bad ass Murphy with powers!! And and... the ending???? ARGHGHGHGHGH!!! I hate Butcher so much, even as I scream my love!! And here's the brilliance. Right here. Harry goes through the wringer - through HELL and gets this close *holds up fingers with a smidge of space* to FINALLY getting it on with Murphy and .... THAT"s how you end it??? SHOT!!????!! ARGHGHGHG!! The Brilliance is that normally when a character is this low, this beaten up I want to take them away from the author and stick them in cottonwool and save them in my pocket. *Bad writer/show runners!* But not this time! No, no!. I love Harry and I want happiness and love and flowers and heartshapedhappiness but Butcher is so awesome that I LOVE THIS BOOK! Who needs cottonwool? Not Harry!!!
*takes a deep breath*
I am so gad that this is book 12 and not book 15 *is terrified by the prospect of 15 and what lies ahead of me and catching up with everyone else and having to wait. I hate waiting* I am so glad I can click BUY on Amazon and get 13. SO GLAD.
But I am terrified. Like Hall of Goblins, Looming Erlking terrified. What is ahead of stripped bare, probably mostly dead Harry? Without his house and coat and staff and Molly and Mister and car and office and being... Harry.
*EEEEEEEEEE* bites nails* I wanna know. Now!! I don't want to be at work needing to work. I WANT TO READ!!!!!
And for that, Jim Butcher. I. Love. You.
also, I love him for: Star Wars references, Princess Bride quotes, LOTR allocations *sniff, poor Harry-Sam. He is NOT gollum*, and for being an awesome, awesome writer-nerd-extraordinaire.