Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

Summer Knight - Bk 4 in The Dresden Files

Jim Butcher

ROC, 2002

p371

Reading Challenges
100+ Challenge
TBR Challenge

Series Challenge

About The Book

This is the fourth book in The Dresden Files series. Harry has been moping and feeling sorry for himself after what happened to Susan. When he ventures out it rains toads, which is never a good thing. His three o'clock appointment is one of the faerie queens who wants Harry to solve a murder. Can Harry solve it before midnight on Midsummer night?

My Thoughts

It was nice to dip back into this series. The writing and the characters were familiar. I like how the crime solving in this one wasn't so straight forward.  

I'm really a fan of Harry's support cast; namely Billy The Werewolf, Murphy, Mister and Bob. I think Bob gets some of the best lines! I hope we get to see more of Bob. 

This book focuses on firstly the White Council. Harry finds himself up in front of them again. They aren't his biggest fans. We also get to know more about the Faerie... and Toot Toot from Storm Front makes a reappearance. I did enjoy this one, although the action didn't move as fast as the previous books. I'm looking forward to book 5!

Grave Peril (Book 3 of the Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher

Grave Peril - Dresden Files Bk 3
Jim Butcher
Orbit, 2001
p426

Reading Challenges
100+ Challenge
Series Challenge
TBR Challenge

About The Book
Ghosts are being stirred up and tormented by The Nightmare. Harry, Chicago's only wizard for hire, is on the case. He has to solve it before it attacks any more mortals.

My Thoughts
I read on Good Reads that this is the beginning of the series getting really good. I don't know if I read too many Dresden Files books too close together, but this one didn't really do anything for me. It was good, and had the action I've come to expect after 2 books. Book 2 was just so great that I guess this one had a lot to live up to and it didn't quite make it for me at least. I think that it is a problem with me, not with the book.

We do get to find out more about Harry's background in this book and I like the way his character is being developed. Susan annoyed me in the first half of the book. Is she really just dating Harry to get a story? I found that a bit too much and began not to like her. I like how the author puts his own spin on vampires and werewolves to give the myths a new lease on life. This one focused on ghosts and vampires. With vampires being an ugly creature underneath the human exterior.

I am going to take a break from this series for a little while and will come back to it later.

Fool Moon (Book 2 of The Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher

Fool Moon - Bk 2 of The Dresden Files

Jim Butcher

Orbit, 2001

p 391

Reading Challenges
100+Challenge
Series Challenge
TBR Challenge

About The Book

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard for hire, is asked by the Special Investigations Unit to investigate murders that happen at the time of the full moon.

My Thoughts

WOW! Talk about action packed!! I really didn't want to put this book down to do boring things like work and sleep. One night I read this before going to bed and then couldn't sleep because my head was buzzing from a particularly tense action scene.

This book picks up where book one, Storm Front, left off but steps up the action tenfold. This one focuses on werewolves but the author puts his own spin on the usual myths. Who knew there were so many types?

There was a bit of repetition of some of the things that were covered quite comprehensively in the first book - such as wizards affecting electrical equipment, his relationships with Murphy of the Special Investigations Unit, but the story really picked up after that. 

Storm Front (Bk 1 of The Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher

Storm Front - Book 1 of The Dresden Files

Jim Butcher

Orbit, 2000

p322

Reading Challenge:

100+ Challenge

Series Challenge

About The Book

Harry Dresden is the best as what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity of capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a – well whatever.

There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get… interesting.

My Thoughts

I bought the first eight books in this series from a street fair a couple of years ago and have been meaning to get around to them ever since. I thought about taking them home with me to read over Christmas… for the past two years but never did. It looks like 2014 will be the year to read them! I was at the beach when I started reading this book and within no time I was up to page 48 and it was time to go. It didn't take long to finish it, just another day and a half!

I quite enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the series. There was quite a bit of time spent setting up the premise of the Dresden Files world. Some of it was repeated a bit, but once the story got going I was hooked. It is an Urban Fantasy tale, which has humour throughout, to keep it from getting too dark.

The book moved at quite a quick pace. I didn’t even mind that it was told in first person… and I really don’t like first person narration. I guess it is because Harry Dresden doesn’t spend a lot of time on self reflection and that is a refreshing change.

Right on to book 2… 

2014 Series Reading Challenge

Well it’s reading challenge signup season again. It’s been a couple of years since I joined a challenge and I thought I might give it a go again, because my life won’t be busy enough this year…

So I’m going to give the Series Challenge a go. It is hosted by Read Sleep Repeat. The details page is - http://www.readsleeprepeat.org/2014-series-challenge/

I have a couple of series that I would like to start, and finish… namely

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Wool Trilogy by Hugh Howey – I have read the first one Wool, but have Shift and Dust to go.