Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)
by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)
Book Review: Terrific series all the way
Summary: 5 Stars
_Proven Guilty_ itself isn't, in my opinion, a 5-star book. I save a 5-star rating for the best of the best. In the case of this review, I've given the series itself a 5-star rating for what the Navy used to call Sustained Superior Performance. All eight Dresden Files books have been solid 4-star books -- 4 stars being the best I usually give.
For a series to earn 5 stars from me is pretty unprecedented. The characters in a series are prone to fall one of two ways, in my experience. Either they solidify into dullness; or they morph into caricature. The authors of series books are at high risk for boredom. After a while, many of them stop caring about the stories, and just start slapping them together willy-nilly. Or, in an attempt to keep things fresh, they change the characters too much, too quickly, and in ways we readers find unbelievable.
Jim Butcher has avoided these traps with the Dresden Files. In book #8, the writing is as good as it ever was -- oh, I grant you, they aren't high literature -- but they are excellent stories, told very well. And Butcher is still clearly *writing* these stories, not just phoning them in. The characters have remained fresh and interesting. They change -- but always in ways that seem believable and are supported within the text. Each book has left me eager to read the next one. Not just out of nostalgia for beloved characters, as is the case with so many other series I've read -- but, actively *eager* to see what will happen next.
Terrific books -- just terrific. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Book Review: The Plot Thickens
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Dresden - now a Warden of the White Council, in charge of the Chicago-Land area - is troubled. He doesn't like the callous way that young wizards who unknowingly break the Council's law are dispatched without giving them a chance to change their ways. But it seems there is nothing he can do about it. He receives a message from the mysterious Gatekeeper, warning him there is Black magic afoot and to be on the lookout for it. As he prepares to find where the Black magic may be, his phone rings - it is Molly, the daughter of his friend Michael, Knight of the Cross. She says she is in jail and needs him to bail her out. Which isn't quite true - it turns out it is her boyfriend Nelson who is in jail; there was an incident at Splattercon!!! (a horror convention) in which an old man was beaten up in a bathroom - Nelson was the only other person in the room. Although he says he did not do the deed, there was no one else there, so the police ran him in. Harry agrees to investigate. Things turn ugly fast when horror movie monsters begin to show up at the convention and maim and kill people. To make matters worse, Harry notices severe psychic trauma on many of the victims.
A solid entry in the Harry Dresden series with an unexpected twist, this story keep me reading well past the time I should have turned off the lights. These stories just keep getting better (although Harry might not agree!) and I am enjoying the series immensely. I hope it continues for a good long while! A strong recommend for anyone who enjoys a good paranormal mystery.
Book Review: In The Magic World Of Humans Misusing Magic Is A Life Ending Choice
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't want to give away to much about this book but it has Harry on different sides with the White Council(Group of Powerful Magicians who control how humans do magic in the world.) The basic is that in this book because of the war between the white council and the vampire's red council Harry is made a Warden(Basically a Sheriff of the magic world.) and has to uphold the laws of the council including punishing humans who use magic for malicious intent or dark personal gain. After Harry sees the council kill a young man for misusing his magic Harry considers his position as warden and his views on the white council. Later it gets even more hard on Harry as one of his friends daughter who can use magic breaks the rule about using dark magic and is sentenced to death. Now Harry has to try and save his friends daughter from the sentence and still continue his duties as a warden for the council. Like the rest of
this series I thought this book was incredible and the storyline and how Harry always finds some way either through deception,trickery,magic,or just his stubborn morale code to win the day.
If you are interested in this series you don't really have start from the first book you can just start reading this one but of course starting from the first book will give you more information and details on the characters and whats going on with the series itself. So I say to people if you liked the Harry Potter books but want something a little more darker and serious this series is for you...
Book Review: Seems a little worn - still entertaining enough
Summary: 3 Stars
Maybe it's just me - but things are getting a little stale at times. In this volume, Dresden tries to unravel what is behind mysterious monsters that are preying on the people of Chicago. The monsters appear as different, popular horror movie monsters, and show up in crowded places to wreak havoc. The investigation includes more interaction with faeries, which for me are the least interesting characters in the series. Their "all-powerful" nature is repeatedly contradicted by the ease with which Dresden, and others, seem to be able to confront them. Dresden uses his usual tools of his trade, and his usual magical commands, to extricate himself from danger. Some of the battles are too much to swallow. The last second and last breath efforts of Dresden and others are unconvincing, and unbelievable, even for a series that thrives on suspension of disbelief. There are some memorable moments, for sure. The sequence that occurs in the lair of the Winter fairie is excellent, with vivid description of the scenery. The anguish and suffering that is described there is enough to make most readers wince. The memorable moments were way too few for me. The humor and wit are hard to find, just as in the earlier volume involving faeries. To sum it up, it all seemed familiar and tired. Dresden could stand a slight character make-over, with some new tricks and abilities to liven up things. Or something. Overall, it was okay, and entertaining enough. I know this series can be better.Book Review: Outstanding novel, the series picks back up. Great read!!
Summary: 5 Stars
In this book, Harry is forced to watch the execution of a young teen who, like Harry himself, fell afoul of black magic. Harry is heartbroken to see this. And so when he discovers that someone else (nameless to prevent spoilage) is about to fall for the same trap, he heroically jumps in, all of this while all Hell is breaking loose, of course.
If you're new to the Dresden File series, Harry Dresden is the only wizard in the Chicago Yellow Pages, a supernatural gumshoe who lives in his rundown Chicago apartment. His tongue-in-cheek neo-noir narration is just lots of fun to read. While the series is driven more by a blazing and far-sweeping plot than by characters, the characters, too, are multifaceted individuals (for the most part) who learn (or not) from real mistakes. And seriously, who doesn't love a polka-playing Medical Examiner? A sex-feeder who has sworn off sex.... A fairy godmother who wants to turn you into a pet dog and love and take care of you forever. The list goes on...
Great fun. Outstanding writing. Paced for thrills with no slow spots. Darkly urban, contemporary setting. Magical, colorful characters. What's not to like?
The series is best enjoyed by starting with the first novel, Storm Front.
Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)