Dresden Files Anonymous

[Wayne Batson]

I'm not prone to many addictions, but I think I've found a new one: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. There are probably a hundred threads on this series already, but here's my .02:

Brilliant! The detective-noir/urban fantasy combo absolutely reeks of cool. In much the same way that The Matrix movie was utterly cool, Dresden Files give us just the right mix of Nightstalker meets X-Files meets Hard Boiled Detective. Love it.

I'm through books 1 & 2 so far and have just begun 3, but one thing I'm noticing is the ridiculous creativity of Mr. Butcher. The Nevernever is spellbinding. Bob is hilarious. And I really hope Harry and the reporter tie the knot someday.

[Possible SPOILER ALERT]

One question: In book 3 we're introduced to Michael the righteous Knight, but he's spoken of as if he were in the 2nd book. Maybe I read the 2nd book TOO fast. But where was Michael? He wasn't the guy from the council trying to kill Harry, was he?

[PeteMC]

I don't think he was in the second book, he's more supposed to be a character from Harry's past before the series started I think.

[thirstyVan]

I'm not prone to many addictions, but I think I've found a new one: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. There are probably a hundred threads on this series already, but here's my .02:

Brilliant! The detective-noir/urban fantasy combo absolutely reeks of cool. In much the same way that The Matrix movie was utterly cool, Dresden Files give us just the right mix of Nightstalker meets X-Files meets Hard Boiled Detective. Love it.

I'm through books 1 & 2 so far and have just begun 3, but one thing I'm noticing is the ridiculous creativity of Mr. Butcher. The Nevernever is spellbinding. Bob is hilarious. And I really hope Harry and the reporter tie the knot someday.

[Possible SPOILER ALERT]

One question: In book 3 we're introduced to Michael the righteous Knight, but he's spoken of as if he were in the 2nd book. Maybe I read the 2nd book TOO fast. But where was Michael? He wasn't the guy from the council trying to kill Harry, was he?

The third book starts in the middle and then flashes back. Michael's first appearance is in the third.

If you want some advice, take it a little slow, maybe. I agree that they're pretty great books, and I love the concept and style, but they're pretty formulaic. You may want to take a break every book or two, or by the time you start getting to the newer ones you may be getting bored.

I still haven't read Changes because I burned myself out rereading the series around book 9.

[KatG]

Dresden is less of a revelation for me because I read very many noir PI fantasy stories in the 1980's before him. (Nightstalker stuff was everywhere.) But I do like Harry, Butler definitely captures the style, and I love Bob.

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

Bob just rules all I admit I haven't read the last book or two.

Will say I was disappointed in the Television series (Murphy willowy redhead(brunette?) I love the way she's described in the book, short, a bit stocky, blonde, but an butt kicker!

Not to mention the way Harry was portrayed....to me it wasn't Harry, but that's personal taste I guess.

[Ornery Wyvern]

For me book 3 is where the series really comes into its own, and they almost all get better from there.

[End Of Disc One]

Spoilers, Sonja.

I also have only read the first three but absolutely can't wait to start the fourth. Grave Peril was awesome.

[Wayne Batson]

There was a TV series?

Bob just rules all I admit I haven't read the last book or two (Last book I read they were starting to get into the vampire war part of it, and getting away from the PI)

Will say I was disappointed in the Television series (Murphy willowy redhead(brunette?) I love the way she's described in the book, short, a bit stocky, blonde, but an butt kicker!

Not to mention the way Harry was portrayed....to me it wasn't Harry, but that's personal taste I guess.

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

There was a TV series?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dre...les_(TV_series)


Lasted 1 season, 12 Episodes, trust me, IMO you aren't missing much. As I said, they couldn't even get MURPHY right.

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

Spoilers, Sonja.

I also have only read the first three but absolutely can't wait to start the fourth. Grave Peril was awesome.

Fixed and edited,


Sorry bout that ( I keep forgetting that spoiler tag!)

[mjolnir]

From Grave Peril on? Oh, you have so much addictive, crunchy, cool cool popcorny joy ahead of you. It only gets better. So far as I'm concerned it's all uphill from here, until around book 7 [which rocks the house and which I've heard in interviews is apparently Butcher's favourite] or 8 at which point it levels off onto a sort of plateau of reliable awesomeness.

[End Of Disc One]

Because I'm a nerd, I took a thread on Jim Butcher's forum where people rated the books from 1-5, and counted them all up. This was before Changes. With 29 ratings the averages were:

Dead Beat 4.72
Turn Coat 4.03
Small Favor 3.98
White Night 3.84
Death Masks 3.78
Proven Guilty 3.62
Blood Rites 3.52
Summer Knight 3.50
Grave Peril 2.95
Storm Front 2.76
Fool Moon 2.09

And Changes seems to be the most popular one now, that or Dead Beat. So yeah it looks like there's a lot of awesomeness ahead.

[tmilktoast]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dre...les_(TV_series)


Lasted 1 season, 12 Episodes, trust me, IMO you aren't missing much. As I said, they couldn't even get MURPHY right.

I liked it... but it was my introduction to the Dresden Files. Had I read any of the books first, I imagine my feelings would be at least a little different.

It's on Netflix, but since you've (that is, the OP and others who haven't seen it) got the books there's not much point in watching it.

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

I liked it... but it was my introduction to the Dresden Files. Had I read any of the books first, I imagine my feelings would be at least a little different.

It's on Netflix, but since you've (that is, the OP and others who haven't seen it) got the books there's not much point in watching it.

If that's what got you reading the books, then I can understand that But I had read a number of the books, and got all excited when I heard about it...then watched it, and I was underwhelmed.

Stick to the books

[Macros]

Just started these books myself. I am halfway through Grave Peril and like some of the backstory we're getting on Harry. Btw, don't skim through Side Jobs to find out which short-story takes place between which books. I was doing that and ran into a massive spoiler for Changes.