White Night - Book 7 of The Dresden Files

[Inkthinker]

-EDIT-

Sorry, Book 9 of the Dresden Files

-/EDIT-

Just hit the shelves earlier this week. I'm about halfway through, and so far it's pretty great. It makes me sad all over again that the TV series is so far from the books... I understand that it's rare to get a good adaptation from novel to screen, but reading this latest Dresden just shows how weak the TV series is in comparison. I still can't fathom why they completely changed several important characters (Bob for a start, Murphy for another). Never mind why they aged him ten years and took away his hairline. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the show enough to keep watching it, but they might as well be two completely different entities entirely.

In the latest volume, Harry's chasing a murderer who's killing low-level practitioners of magic, and framing him and his half-brother Thomas for the crimes (and given that Harry's past sins mean that he's never more than a breath away from being taken out by the "good guys" as much as the bad, that's a particularly bad thing). The ongoing subplot concerning the war between the vampire courts and wizards continues, and Harry as a character is really developing nicely... Butcher isn't afraid to allow his characters to grow and change according to the events that occur, and that makes for rich content.

I'm a little pissed to realise that the "As Seen on Sci-Fi" blurb on cover isn't just a sticker, but rather printed over the artwork... if all you've seen of Harry Dresden so far is the TV series, you're not getting even a glimpse of the gold.

[Expletive Deleted]

I liked it, although I'm a bit worried about the series disappearing up its own mythology. The serial killer plot was basically resolved about halfway through, and from there it was all wizard and vampire metaplot. It's good metaplot, don't get me wrong. I'm just kind of wary. Aside from that, though, there's some great action and some fun banter. And the final reveal regarding Thomas is just ten different kinds of awesome.

Oh, and Carlos is my new favorite supporting cast member.

[Inkthinker]

Finished it in one marathon session last night.

Yeah, Carlos is definitely a new favorite. And I liked how the murder plot segued into the larger meta-plot... my only concern with meta-plot is that it makes it more difficult for people to break in, but with seven books on the shelf, each one distinctly marked as "book x of y", I should hope people would think to start with book one.

Which I think I'm gonna go hunt down, 'cause it's the only one of the set I don't have... I started reading the series from a loaner copy, and got hooked.

[Magneto_X]

They really need to do a big budget movie franchise and/or comic series of Dresden Files justice.

The tv show, while decent, is crappy compared to the real thing.

[MatthewDiCarlo]

I read it cover to cover over the weekend.

I'm actually digging the "mythology" aspects, because hey, we're all comic readers here, right? We can handle complicated continuity and a big meta story linking a lot of other stories. That's our bread and butter, no?

Though yes, the first 6 books are VERY good stories that are enjoyable on their own without a problem. And it's always so impressive ho whe does that (the year gaps between books help).

But the book was great. Butcher writes such an incredible, exciting third act. It's not even funny. And the character development from book to book is so good.

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

I read it in five hours.



It was gerat, just like Butcher's other Dresden books. Carlos was awesome as a new and bigger supporting character, and Lashiel's part was great as well.


Also, go here if you want to know more from the author himself about the books AND the TV show (explains why the changes had to be made).


Jim-Butcher. Com Community



P.S. The author himself is a member and glady answers questions.

[Ottmeister X]

Isn't it actually book 9? The first six are the Dresden Files series, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, and then White Night.

I haven't tried them yet, but the wife has been enjoying them.

[Expletive Deleted]

I'm actually digging the "mythology" aspects, because hey, we're all comic readers here, right? We can handle complicated continuity and a big meta story linking a lot of other stories. That's our bread and butter, no?

At the end of the day, though, they're still going out in costumes and fighting supervillains (well, most of the time).

Don't get me wrong, I like this particular mythology. The Arthurian angle, especially. It just bugs me because I prefer supernatural P.I. stories. Action, politics, and everything else are great, but the main reason I enjoy these books is the mystery. As these types of extended series wear on, they have a tendency to drift away from that and dwell on the ins and outs of their own backstories and worldbuilding. Anita Blake, the Nightside, Garrett (to an extent) . . . I'd hate to see the Dresden Files go too far down that path.

[Michael P]

Isn't it actually book 9?

Yes, it is.

[Inkthinker]

Yeah, I messed up the numbering. :D

I get that there were SOME changes that were necessary, like the changing of Karen Murphy's name for legal reasons (though I don't know why they changed her from a short and fiery blonde to a tall and somewhat-less-fiery latina), but there were other changes that just seem unnecessary. Bob, for instance, is COMPLETELY changed... not only is he corporeal rather than immaterial, but his personality has taken a complete 180, from dirty old man to prim fussbudget. I get the set change for Harry's office/home, I guess, but the overall tone of the show is just... not the books. They might as well be two completely separate entities, and apparently for all intents and purposes they are, but it's a damn shame considering that the books are so cinematically paced and entertaining to being with.

[MatthewDiCarlo]

At the end of the day, though, they're still going out in costumes and fighting supervillains (well, most of the time).

Don't get me wrong, I like this particular mythology. The Arthurian angle, especially. It just bugs me because I prefer supernatural P.I. stories. Action, politics, and everything else are great, but the main reason I enjoy these books is the mystery. As these types of extended series wear on, they have a tendency to drift away from that and dwell on the ins and outs of their own backstories and worldbuilding. Anita Blake, the Nightside, Garrett (to an extent) . . . I'd hate to see the Dresden Files go too far down that path.

I could see that. I think the difference might be that this is really building towards something. It may not have seemed it at first, but it's all part of a larger story. I think Butcher said he had somewhere around 19 books in mind (I could be off on that, shoddy memory). I wouldn't be surprised if we get a book soon with no detective elements in it at all, but I doubt we'll have more than one or two like that. I think it's too limiting to stuff it into one genre or another, myself.

The key element anyway, is that he's got a whole bunch of Philip Marlowe in him, right? And that won't go away no matter the setting.

[Inkthinker]

Hamilton didn't get caught up in the mythology of Anita Blake, she got caught up in her sex fantasies. I mean, I'm a guy and I thought there was too much sex in her books. The stories stopped being about the mysteries and the plotting and the danger, and just became breaks between werecritter orgies. I gave up somewhere around Cerulean Sins, but my girlfriend is still reading 'em and says they've only gotten more so.

I never found Garrett to be too caught up in the internal mythology, but I do like to pretend that Angry Lead Skies never happened. I mean really... what the hell was that crap?

[hovercarracer]

Wow - I never realised there was a Dresden fan club out here! (although this is a rather big forum )
I finished White Night about a week ago, after waiting about 2 months (too long!) to grab it from the library. I love how the plots are complex, but you can still pick up any book in the series, read it and enjoy it without having read previous installments, though you would miss the significance of certain events alluded to in those novels.
I've never watched the TV series (I hear the second season's been canceled?), but I did wonder why Murphy's character appeared so different in the posters... And the whole Bob as Human thing is just... strange (though there's quite a substantial fan-following for him out there)

Anyways, I made a couple of wallpapers since I love Butcher books so much, and thought I'd share:



(Did I mention how much I love the cover art? Chris McGrath and Dan Dos Santos r0cK!)

[Rabid Trekkie]

I've never read the Dresden books, but I keep hearing good things about them and I'm starting to get interested. My only question is how close are they to the Nightside Novels by Simon R. Green? I mean I don't want to start reading clones of another series I'm into. So is it different enough to be its own series?

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

I've never read the Dresden books, but I keep hearing good things about them and I'm starting to get interested. My only question is how close are they to the Nightside Novels by Simon R. Green? I mean I don't want to start reading clones of another series I'm into. So is it different enough to be its own series?

They are different, trust me. Both are excellent, but each is uinque to it'self.





It would be cool if John and Harry met, however.