Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Dresden Readthrough: Summer Knight

We continue our readthrough of Jim Butcher's uber-popular urban fantasy series The Dresden Files today with book four, Summer Knight. The continuing plan is to do a book a month on the first Tuesday of each month, and with 15 books on the publication schedule between now and when our readthrough is over, and perhaps our timing being good enough for the 16th, our reading list should be pretty full for the foreseeable future.

As for Summer Knight, though, I continue to be absolutely shocked at how much more I'm enjoying this series from book to book.

Summer Knight takes place a year after Grave Peril, and Harry's not in a good place. He's still trying to sort out the negative repercussions of the end of the previous book, and now even the Wizard Council is more than a little upset. Harry's got a massive, massive target on his back both professionally and personally, and it's not really clear how he'll work it out.

What I Liked: The unpredictability, because so many of the situations Dresden ends up have no obvious exit. It's continually impressive that the situations work out the way they do, good or bad. Plus, there continues to be real danger. People have struggles, Harry seems very mortal still, and so on. I also liked that we got a lot of background regarding the warring factions, as well as some good internal politics. I love me some internal politics.

What I Didn't Like: For as much as I can praise the series for making Harry fallible and experiencing consequences for his actions, it's becoming kind of standard that he finds some bizarre, unique way to weasel out of every situation. For the sake of my sanity at this point, I hope that improves.

Overall, another quality volume in what's fast-becoming a favorite series for me. I hate that I've decided one a month is enough for me, because I really would just mainline all of these at this point.

1 comment:

  1. I've read the series and I'm waiting patiently for the next one to come out - I read them in pairs with the occasional three in a row thrown in for good measure. Spreading them out one a month is good. Just about long enough to forget the really irritating bits and look forward to the next one.

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