#38 Changes by Jim Butcher
There are spoilers in this review for previous books in the Dresden Files. For Changes, I spoil the first line, 
but so does the book jacket, so I feel I can get away with it. For the rest of the review, I’ll try to keep things pretty vague.
At the beginning of Changes, the twelfth novel of The Dresden Files, Harry picks up his phone to hear his ex-lover, Susan Rodriguez, on the other end. And what she has to tell him will change everything. They have a daughter, and she's been kidnapped by the Red Court. To save her, Harry must cross lines he’d swore he’d never cross, and make sacrifices he never thought he would have to make. For all of the magical peril he's faced, no challenge will be as great as saving the little girl he never knew he had. It's time for some changes.
I remember picking up Storm Front during my last year of college. At the time, I thought it was a flawed, but overall fun book, and eventually got around to reading the next two books in the series, which I felt pretty much the same way about. Then I picked up book four, Summer Knight, and saw that the first three books were just practice rounds. This was what the series had the potential to be. With Changes, I discovered that I was wrong. For all of the excitement of the previous novels, it's nothing compared to when Butcher throws all caution to the wind and decides to really shake things up. During this novel, changes occur; some which I'm sure will not sit well with every fan. For me, they worked.
Changes has an intense plot filled with plenty of action sequences and twist and turns. Even though you might see some of the twists coming (or, if you're like me, get spoiled. Thank you Jim Butcher's twitter), it's safe to say you probably won't see them all. Butcher's skillfully foreshadows these upcoming twists, mostly in the form of dialogue (the last page twist in particular is heavily foreshadowed). On top of the story involving Harry's daughter, we also get the resolution of one of the biggest dangling plot lines of the series, and some development of two other big ones. This made me happy, as I'm always upset with authors that just leave story lines dangling from book to book, and never take the time to develop them further or resolve them. I was also happy to see that despite being such an intense book, Butcher still makes room for Harry's trademark humor. I enjoy the fact that even as Harry's stories become more and more serious, that Butcher doesn't make the mistake of taking things too seriously.
Changes draws heavily upon the established arsenal of characters in The Dresden Files. Most of the big names either play a starring role or at least make a cameo (with the exception of Michael Carpenter). One of the characters I was happiest to see was Sanya, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in the series (I have a weakness for Knights of the Cross apparently). I also enjoyed seeing Molly given a more active role in the story. Despite the fact that she has no where near the amount of power that many of the other characters (especially Harry) have in the series, it's nice to see her take a more active role.
Like Summer Knight, Changes brings The Dresden Files to another level. It does end on a cliffhanger that will make you want to tear you hair out (or not, depending how you feel about cliffhangers. This one is a little different than you'd expect). It reads like the season finale of a television show, filled with an epic showdown, painful sacrifices, and plenty to make you eager for next season. I'm looking forward to Side Jobs, the collection of Dresden Files short stories coming out later in this year, and the future novels of the Dresden Files.
Rating: five out of five stars
Length: 441 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Challenges- This book is not part of any challenges
Similar Books: The Hollow’s Series by Kim Harrison, the Women of the Underworld Series by Kelley Armstrong
Other books I've read by this author: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight ( my review), Death Masks ( my review), Blood Rites ( my review), Dead Beat (my review), Proven Guilty (my review), White Night ( my review), Small Favor ( my review), and Turn Coat ( my review). I've also read the short story "Something borrowed" from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (my review), and "Day Off" from Blood Lite ( my review).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
but so does the book jacket, so I feel I can get away with it. For the rest of the review, I’ll try to keep things pretty vague.
At the beginning of Changes, the twelfth novel of The Dresden Files, Harry picks up his phone to hear his ex-lover, Susan Rodriguez, on the other end. And what she has to tell him will change everything. They have a daughter, and she's been kidnapped by the Red Court. To save her, Harry must cross lines he’d swore he’d never cross, and make sacrifices he never thought he would have to make. For all of the magical peril he's faced, no challenge will be as great as saving the little girl he never knew he had. It's time for some changes.
I remember picking up Storm Front during my last year of college. At the time, I thought it was a flawed, but overall fun book, and eventually got around to reading the next two books in the series, which I felt pretty much the same way about. Then I picked up book four, Summer Knight, and saw that the first three books were just practice rounds. This was what the series had the potential to be. With Changes, I discovered that I was wrong. For all of the excitement of the previous novels, it's nothing compared to when Butcher throws all caution to the wind and decides to really shake things up. During this novel, changes occur; some which I'm sure will not sit well with every fan. For me, they worked.
Changes has an intense plot filled with plenty of action sequences and twist and turns. Even though you might see some of the twists coming (or, if you're like me, get spoiled. Thank you Jim Butcher's twitter), it's safe to say you probably won't see them all. Butcher's skillfully foreshadows these upcoming twists, mostly in the form of dialogue (the last page twist in particular is heavily foreshadowed). On top of the story involving Harry's daughter, we also get the resolution of one of the biggest dangling plot lines of the series, and some development of two other big ones. This made me happy, as I'm always upset with authors that just leave story lines dangling from book to book, and never take the time to develop them further or resolve them. I was also happy to see that despite being such an intense book, Butcher still makes room for Harry's trademark humor. I enjoy the fact that even as Harry's stories become more and more serious, that Butcher doesn't make the mistake of taking things too seriously.
Changes draws heavily upon the established arsenal of characters in The Dresden Files. Most of the big names either play a starring role or at least make a cameo (with the exception of Michael Carpenter). One of the characters I was happiest to see was Sanya, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in the series (I have a weakness for Knights of the Cross apparently). I also enjoyed seeing Molly given a more active role in the story. Despite the fact that she has no where near the amount of power that many of the other characters (especially Harry) have in the series, it's nice to see her take a more active role.
Like Summer Knight, Changes brings The Dresden Files to another level. It does end on a cliffhanger that will make you want to tear you hair out (or not, depending how you feel about cliffhangers. This one is a little different than you'd expect). It reads like the season finale of a television show, filled with an epic showdown, painful sacrifices, and plenty to make you eager for next season. I'm looking forward to Side Jobs, the collection of Dresden Files short stories coming out later in this year, and the future novels of the Dresden Files.
Rating: five out of five stars
Length: 441 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Challenges- This book is not part of any challenges
Similar Books: The Hollow’s Series by Kim Harrison, the Women of the Underworld Series by Kelley Armstrong
Other books I've read by this author: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight ( my review), Death Masks ( my review), Blood Rites ( my review), Dead Beat (my review), Proven Guilty (my review), White Night ( my review), Small Favor ( my review), and Turn Coat ( my review). I've also read the short story "Something borrowed" from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (my review), and "Day Off" from Blood Lite ( my review).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads