White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
by Jim Butcher
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim ButcherEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-04-03
ISBN: 0451461401
Number of pages: 407
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Book Reviews of White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
Book Review: Fight or Flight
Summary: 5 Stars
White Night, being the 9th book in The Dresden Files, is the first Jim Butcher book I ever bought new when it came out. I was introduced to the series via the short lived Sci-fi channel adaptation, and White Night was the first book to come out after being introduced to the world. I quickly bought and read all the other novels after enjoying the show so much, so that by the time White Night was released in April of 2007, my anticipation was at a real peak. To my surprise, White Night, exceeded all anticipation and expectations.
The basic plot revolves around Harry trying to uncover the mystery behind several super-natural murders. All the victims are women who seem to have been minor practitioners of the Art, but not powerful enough to be considered for the Council or really defend themselves against mystical predators. It also seems that someone out there wants Harry to know about these murders, as several of them have a message only a Wizard could see. The message: Exodus 22:18: "Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live."
While the identity of the murderer(s) is unknown, clues left behind indicate in most cases the women were last seen with man in a Grey Cloak (a Warden's cloak maybe?) or a Too Pretty dark-haired man (sound like anyone Harry knows?). Thus, Harry is immediately confronted with two very unsettling possibilities: the villain could be a fellow Warden, or worse yet, his own brother.
Some of the better supporting characters make a return for White Night, including mob boss "Gentleman" John Marcone and Harry's ex Elaine Mallory. Thomas, Ramirez, Murphy, Mouse, Molly and Lasciel also return with feature supporting roles. Thomas' story in this book is as good as he has been since Blood Rites, and Mouse continues to be a scene stealer. Lasciel's (or Lash's?) character has truly grown into one of my favorites in the series, and her role in White Night is really one that elevates the book and the series as a whole. Murphy is still in a transitional phase after the fallout from Proven Guilty, but is actually becoming more interesting the less we deal with her as part of the CPD. Molly is definitely better in this book, and the interaction between her and Harry is really well done. The Master and Apprentice relationship they have is a real boon to the series. Other quality characters from Blood Rites, Dead Beat and Proven Guilty return, but to say who is giving away too much, suffice to say they make welcome returns.
Marcone has been largely absent (aside from a brief Cameo in Dead Beat) since Harry teamed up with him to fight the Denarians in Death Masks. Elaine made her debut, physically, in Summer Knight and has not been seen since. Both are strong supporters who bring a lot to the saga whenever they are around, and Marcone, especially, is one of the best foils for Harry in the series. While he is a villain, he is also the "enemy we know" as Harry puts it, and falls into more of a Grey area than other "bad guys" in the saga. We learn that Marcone has not been idle since we saw him last, and, as we saw in Dead Beat, has been making inroads in establishing a power-base in the Mystical community. Elaine returns more clearly on the side of good than the last time she was in Chicago, and Harry discovers that she has been operating out in Los Angeles since Summer Knight. While Elaine had been lost and making bad choices the last time we saw her, it is clear in White Night that she has modeled herself largely after Harry and has finally chosen to use her talents as he does: to help people.
One of the better aspects of The Dresden Files is Harry's growth as a Wizard. I cannot specify how many Fantasy series I have read where I wanted the main character to accumulate knowledge and power over the course of the series, but they largely remained static. It was also a pet-peeve of mine in the Harry Potter series the way that Potter was surrounded constantly by Magic, and always being threatened by one bogey man or another, that Potter never seemed to really grow that much as a Wizard. He would pick-up spells here and there, but it was really Hermione who actually threw herself into Magic and endeavored to learn more. Wizard's are supposed to be Magi, The Wise, and ideally they should never stop learning, nor wish to stop. I know it was part of the allure of the books that he was a normal kid at Wizarding school, but after your parents are murdered and you are nearly killed several times, wouldn't you want to learn as much as you can about Magic? In the end, it was very Deus ex Machina when he finally did have a show down with Voldemort, and it had to be, we already knew Potter could not even get a single spell past Snape, so what chance would he have in a straight fight with Voldemort?
Harry Dresden, on the other hand, does learn more and accumulate more power with each passing year (or book). He was brewing potions and crafting kinetic energy rings in Storm Front and Fool Moon, he is beefing up the protection spells on his Duster and his home in Grave Peril, picking up a magic coin (and sword) in Death Masks, utilizing a power recharge belt he had created in Blood Rites, throwing around Necromantic Magics without violating Council Law in Dead Beat, or creating a miniature model of Chicago in Proven Guilty. White Night is no different, as Harry has had to train his apprentice, Molly Carpenter, for the better part of the past year, and teaching helps him learn things from a different perspective. Also, there is a War on, and it just makes good sense for Harry to be doing everything he can to be prepared for the next battle. It is this drive and constant improvement in his Magic and Knowledge, that makes the reader believe when it all hits the fan, that Harry will be both capable and powerful enough to stand against the Major Threats he has to face, not rely on some Wand gimmickry.
Overall, White Night is really excellent, and though I still have to re-read Turn Coat and read Changes, I do not know that either of them can be better, though perhaps as good. In particular, I think that the final fight in White Night is the best in the series. Throw in Harry's inner struggle with Lasciel and his need to defend his brother, and you really has as much emotional impact as in any other book in the series as well. Also, something that seems to separate it from Proven Guilty for me, and put it more on the same footing as Dead Beat, is that the action starts right away and the pace is frenetic and thrilling the whole time. The book accomplishes all you want from a Dresden Files book: the action is superb, the moral and ethical dilemmas are deep, and the book grows the Mystery and Lore of the series appreciably. So that by the end, you feel as if you know a little more about the Larger Game and are still left wanting to know more, but still feel as if this part of the saga is fitfully complete.
404 HC Pages. 5 out of 5 stars
Summary of White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
A sensational addition to the Dresden Files adventures-from a USA Today bestselling author.Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...
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