Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
Book Review: It just keeps getting better
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to know how I feel about this series as a whole, check out my other reviews. This installment, however, Butcher seems to have hit his stride.New characters are introduced with a sense of backstory that actually made me wonder if I'd missed some books somewhere. Not that more story was needed to explain anything, I just wanted to know more about the history between these people. I was amazed at how real these people felt (especially the Knight of the Sword, Michael, who could arguably carry a series of his own). Even the main thrust of the plot seems to be intertwined with a previous case of Dresden's which we only see in flashback. This should be disconcerting, and I did occasionally find myself wishing I'd read that book as well. However, the story flows so well that you almost find yourself thinking that you did read that book.
More importantly, the third book in this series starts to delve into the emotional life of Harry Dresden in a way we'd only glimpsed before. Personally, I'm a sap, so I'm all for dealing with emotional issues. Also, it really helps you to know a character and their motivations better if you have more insight into their source.
Also, the further bits of background (more about the vampire Courts, the White Council, etc) really enhance the tapestry that is The Dresden Files. If this series does not become a cult hit, and soon, I'll be very surprised.
Book Review: The Dresden Files are keepers.
Summary: 3 Stars
This third tale in a new occult mystery series has Harry Dresden, our intrepid wizard, running hard in place. He's so busy putting down some very angry and disturbed ghosts, he hasn't got time to figure out why they're appearing in so many numbers and so annoyed. Eventually he figures it out and puts (some of) them to rest, but not before confronting a local vampire and her minions. Along the way he battles giant scorpions (well, mostly he tries to avoid getting impaled and convincing them to kill each other and the bad guy who conjured them), teams up with another vampire on a rescue mission, and (sort of) loses his girlfriend, which is disheartening as he'd just discovered how much he loves her.Harry is a typical wizard in that he's eccentric, lives a highly erratic lifestyle, and has strange cronies (a very big black cat and a spirit inhabiting a skull). Technological things don't work well around him: guns misfire, computers crash and lightbulbs explode, forcing him to live with candles and wood stoves in a big city.
Like many mystery series these days, the series has an ongoing storyline about Harry and his friends, and I'm hoping to see more of his history and his vindictive fairy godmother in future volumes. All the stories are fast-paced and well written. In a growing field of 'urban fantasy,' The Dresden Files are a welcome addition. I look forward to the next one.
Book Review: ah, I love smartass unrecognized heroes!
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazon first insisted that I'd like the Harry Dresden books because I bought a Laurel Hamilton book. I really didn't like Hamilton's novel (sorry, fans, it just didn't grab me), and perhaps that's why I find Hamilton and Butcher's series less similar than others do. Instead, I think of the Dresden Files as closer to Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. (And, obviously, if you like Butcher's series, I think you'll also like Brust's.)
This is the best book in the Dresden Files, so far. I liked #1 and #2, obviously, enough to buy the third one in the series, but I thought the first two were "merely" good. Maybe it was just that I was in the right mood, but in this book the author really brought Harry's character to the forefront; he is dealing with himself as someone who feels compelled to do the right thing no matter what it costs him -- which is usually "everything" -- but is cynical enough to be a smartass about it.
As you've probably already figured out, the basic premise here is that someone is stirring up the ghosts all over Chicago, and Harry (and his friends) have to figure out why before all hell breaks loose (rather literally, come to think of it). There are several rather effective twists and turns in the plot, and one reason I particularly liked this book is that nearly every one of them surprised me.
Book Review: Great series. But book 3..not so much
Summary: 3 Stars
This may get spoilerish:
I have so far really enjoyed the series with books 1 and 2. But half way through 3 I felt as if this should have been number 4. Everything that is going on is connected to a story that happens between book 2 and 3. A story that sounds like it should have gotten its own entire book. Another issue is that I am not sure that it is tied to the ending of book 2 where Dresden mentions that the events of 1 and 2 where the work of another force. Am I supposed to think that any of the numerous 'bad guys' ws this force trying to get him? It is not clear.
Some parts of the story jump or felt rushed to get to a plot point which leaves you a little confused until the exposition kicks in.
But do not get me wrong, the story was still good and feels like the kick off to some major events in the following books, but it suffered from pacing problems and information overload. Perhaps if this had been the 4th book and used the 3rd to flush out the events leading to this book and maybe put in the introduction of Dresden's god mother in that theoretical book, this one would have been more satisfying.
I hold out hope that book 4 doesn't have these issues when I begin reading it next week.
Book Review: Fun ride
Summary: 4 Stars
This book in the series is my favorite so far. The action starts at page 1 and doesn't let up until the end. Two complaints. The character Michael is dropped into the storyline with no explanation of how he and Harry met. Great character, but a bit disconcerting, being they obviously have worked together before. Second, the plot was pretty complicated. I like it when I can guess how things might turn out, and I just couldn't. Oh well, it was still a great read.
To address other reviews...
I don't feel Butcher bogs us down in the details. The billowing duster, I just find it funny. To me, there is a part of Harry that wants to be the suave hero (with the billowing duster), yet he just can't quite pull it off. He's scruffy, he's cranky, a lot of people don't like him. Woe is Harry.
I also don't mind that Butcher repeats some details about Harry and other characters that we already know. It has been months since I read the first two books in the series and I liked the reminders. Then again, maybe it would be better to summarize the previous books in a Prologue.
Though it's fine that Harry can't help himself from helping a lady in trouble, the damsel in distress remarks ARE getting a bit old.