Review - Cold Days (Dresden Files, Book 14) by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 528 pages
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: November 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0451464408
Stand Alone or Series: 14th book in the Dresden Files series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the fourteenth book in the Dresden Files series and it was an excellent read.

Harry Dresden is back from the dead but was forced to become Mab’s Winter Knight as part of the deal. As he struggles to recover after his ordeal, Mab gives him a command...kill Maeve. Harry returns to Chicago in an effort to figure out why Mab wants Maeve dead, but while there he finds out that something very very wrong is going on with the island of Demonreach. Now as Harry tries to reunite with old acquaintances he is left with very little time to kill Maeve, figure out my Mab wants Maeve killed, and figure out how to save Demonreach.

This was a great read. Harry is back to his old self in this book, but with new and awesome powers of the Winter Knight at his beck and call. We meet a great new character in the sarcastic and uber powerful Cait Sith. We also reunite with a lot of old favorites; Molly, Murphy, and Thomas all play large parts in this story.

A lot of things happen in this story and a lot of truths are revealed that just absolutely blow your mind. There were two or three times where I was like “Woah, no way!” We learn the truth behind the purpose of the Faerie Queens and the truth behind all of the strange things that have happened throughout this entire series. This is a book that truly brings together everything that have happened previously in this series.

I really really enjoyed it. This was a long book, but a good one. There are just so many awesome things in here. As you might guess Faerie is present in a big way; but we also get to learn more about the Outsiders.

This series continues to be very well written and very engaging. I am impressed that Butcher has been able to keep up the quality storytelling and wonderful momentum throughout this series.

Highly recommended to fans of this series. Also highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy; this is the series that started it all. It’s hard to believe that this series is still going strong and is still incredibly well done after 14 books! Can’t wait to see what the next book holds!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Paranormal Reading Challenge

Review - Ghost Story (Dresden Files, Book 13) by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 496 Pages
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Release Date: July 26th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0451463791
Stand Alone or Series: 13th book in the Dresden series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the 13th book in the Dresden series. It is hard to believe that this series has been going on so long. I enjoyed this book, but it was more of a transition book and I thought it was one of the weaker books in this series. The ending was spectacular though and I am eager to see what book 14 brings. This is definitely not a book to start the series on, you will be totally lost unless you have read the previous books in this series.

At the end of the previous book Harry was shot and killed. This book starts with Harry as a ghost; he is given a choice...he can dwell in purgatory or go back and try to find his killer. When Harry is told that people he love will die if he doesn't find his killer it becomes a no-brainer for him. Harry returns to find both Chicago and his friends much changed...and not for the better. Can he save the city and solve the mystery before everything gets even worse?

This is a large and lengthy book...and it felt like it. Usually I breeze through these Dresden books and enjoy them immensley but this one was more of a chore for me to get through. It moves slower than previous books and there is a lot of reminiscing on Harry's part.

Okay let me take a step back for a second. There was a lot I really enjoyed in this book. We learn a ton about Harry's past and that was pretty cool. Harry has to figure out how to operate as a ghost and that was nifty as well. Both Murphy and Molly have become powers to be reckoned with, and while at times it was painful to read about what they've endured, it was awesome to watch their characters development into even more interesting people.

There were also things I didn't like about this book. The pacing was off. The majority of the book was kind of slow and then the ending was spectacular. Ghost's and their special powers run off of memories. So, as you might expect, Harry does a lot of reflecting on his past memories. While it was nice to learn more about Harry's past, these little flashbacks had a tendency to break up the story and make it loose its momentum. There were also large portions of the book where Harry would monologue about whether or not he approved of his past actions; I like seeing in Harry's head but these lengthy monologues happened too often and were too long.

There was also a lot absent in this book. The Vampire Courts and the White Council was conspicuously absent for the majority of the book. With all the weird supernatural stuff going down it was hard to believe that they would be absent from it all.

I did enjoy some of the plot twists at the end, there were unexpected and creative. I loved the ending and it made me excited to see what comes next.

Overall I am kind of on the fence about this book. I really enjoyed some parts of it, I thought other parts were lengthy and boring. I loved learning about Harry's background but got sick of the soul-searching monologues. It seemed like this book could have used some better editing and tightening up. All that aside it was nice to reunite with all these characters that I love so much. The ending was excellent and I do look forward to reading the next book in this series. Even though this book wasn't as spectacular as the books in this series normally are it was still a good book. I definitely recommend this whole series to fans of urban fantasy.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Review - Side Jobs (Dresden Files Short Story Collection) by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 432 pages
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0451463654
Stand Alone or Series: Short story collection from Dresden Files series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars


This was a great collection of stories all set in the Dresden Files world.  The majority of these stories have appeared in other anthologies, that's part of the reason I got this from the library...I had read half of the stories before.  Still there are some great ones I hadn't read.  The last novella "Aftermath" is a definite must read for everyone who wants to know more about what happened after the cliffhanger ending of Changes.

My favorites were Aftermath (which describes events after Changes), Heorot (where Norse mythology mixes with Dresden's world), Last Call, and Love Hurts.  Butcher does little intros to each story that give some interesting background that was fun to read.

All of the stories (except for A Restoration of Faith and Vignette) were very professional, well-written, and incredibly fun to read.  There isn't a lot more to say about this collection. 

Overall a great collection of stories; if you are a big fan you should read it.  You might want to check to make sure you don't own the stories in other anthologies first before you buy the book.  I am not going to talk about the timing of each story because that is listed in the book itself along with the details of each anthology the stories are pulled from.  Stories were pulled from the following anthologies: Blood Lite, Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, Many Bloody Returns, Mean Streets, Strange Brew, and the novella Backup is included too.

See below for a brief description of the stories included. 

- A Restoration of Faith: Definitely an amateur story, but Butcher says this himself.  It was interesting to read the first story Butcher ever wrote about Harry.

- Vignette: Not one of the strongest stories in the book.  A very short peice about Harry creating the ad for his investigation agency.

- Something Borrowed: Nice filler story about Georgia and Billy's wedding; these are the two werewolves Harry works with off and on in the series.

- It's My Birthday Too: I originally read this in Many Bloody Returns.  It's a fun addition to the Dresden Files series. I enjoyed a story in which Thomas played a main role. I especially enjoyed the role-playing; being a DnD player I thought it was hilarious.

- Heorot: Very strong story with some interesting supernatural aspects too it.  Ties in some Norse mythology with Harry's world.

- Day Off: Funny and cute story about what happens when Harry tries to take a day off of work.

- Backup: This is a small novella told from Thomas's point of view, Harry's brother, it takes place in the same time/place as the Dresden Files. It was an okay story.

- The Warrior: I originally read this story in Mean Streets.  This story was about Michael and Harry trying to keep Michael's family safe from someone who wants to steal the two Holy Swords that Harry has been keeping hidden. Overall the story was okay, but seemed a bit tired to me. It was interesting to hear a bit more about why Harry has the holy swords. I didn't think this was the best Dresden story I've read but it was kind of interesting.

- Last Call: I originally read this in the Strange Brew anthology.  This is an entertaining story about Murphy and Harry tracking down the source of some tainted beer that Mac accidentally served in his bar. Tons of action, very entertaining!

- Love Hurts: Bittersweet story where Dresden and Murphy track down rogue love spells and are caught up the spells themselves.  Nice addition and further fills out the story between Dresden and Murphy.

- Aftermath: Best story of the bunch and a must read for fans for the series.  Harry is presumed dead and is missing.  Murphy is trying to figure out what is going on when Will comes to her for help; Georgia's been kidnapped and she is very pregnant.  Now it is up to Murphy to step in to aid the paranormals in Dresden's place and what she finds is a plot bigger than she could have imagined.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Dark and Stormy Knights Edited by P.N. Elrod (4/5 stars)

All of these stories have something in common; they feature a "knight" someone who will go to heroic measures to protect innocents (or to make some money). 

The best of the bunch is Ilona Andrews "A Questionable Client"; this is a great story in and of itself and is a great sample of Andrew's writing style.  Kate Daniels fans will love it too because it fills an important event that happened between Kate and Saiman.  My second favorite was Caine's "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" loved the characters and the irony of the story.

There were some stories that were entertaining but not outstanding.  "Even Hand" by Jim Butcher give insight into John Marcone's character from the Dresden Files.  "Rookwood and Mrs. King" by Saintcrow introduces some new characters that I hope she expands on in a series.  "Shifting Star" by Vicki Pettersson gives you a story about Zoe's Tulpa, Skamar; unfortunately if you aren't reading Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac series I think you will be totally lost as to the meaning behind this story.

My least favorite of the bunch was Beknighted by Deidre Knight; there was a bit too much of a romance vibe going on here and the world wasn't described well...I thought it didn't really fit with the rest of the stories and the theme of this anthology.

Overall a decent anthology.  The Ilona Andrews story makes it worth reading.  The other stories provide good samplings of some of the best Urban Fantasy authors out there.  This is definitely urban fantasy and not PNR; which was awesome...it seems like so many anthologies tend towards paranormal romance (PNR).  I personally got it from the library but it might be worth buying if you are a huge fan on one of the series represented.  See below for a description and mini-review of each story.

- A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews (5/5 stars)
We get to find out about that time Kate served as a bodyguard for Saiman.  Action-packed filled with sharp humor; it was nice to have that story filled out some.

- Even Hand by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)
A story from John Marcone's point of view.  It was interesting to gain some insight into Marcone.  The story was entertaining but over-all nothing mind-blowing.

- The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher (4/5 stars)
A story about a hunter who assassinates Beacons that lure evil creatures called Terraphages to earth to destroy humanity.  This was an entertaining story, I enjoyed the main character and there was a lot of action.  I am curious as to what else Butcher has written, but not curious enough to immediately pick up books by her to read.

- Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine (5/5 stars)
Story about a retired dragon trainer and the young trainee that is supposed to take her place.  I liked this story it was entertaining and ironic.  I love how the story wrapped up but wasn't all that surprised at the ending.  Overall a great story.  I have read some of Caine's Weather Warden series and like her okay as an author in general.

- Dark Lady by P. N. Elrod (3/5 stars)
This is another Jack Flemming story.  In general I am not a big fan of Elrod's Jack Flemming stories and this story was no exception.  I've read some short stories with Jack and the first book in the Flemming series.  This was another noir/gangster-type vampire story.  It was okay and was well-written.

- Beknighted by Deidre Knight (2/5 stars)
An artist has to pay a steep price to free a knight from his prison.  The world surrounding this story isn't very well defined and it is a bit confusing.  This is more like a romance than anything else and was my least favorite of the bunch.  There are parts of it that are a bit amusing and the idea is interesting...just not that well done.

- Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson (3/5 stars)
If you have read all the Signs of the Zodiac book (which I have) then this story will be an interesting read for you.  It features Skamar, Zoe's tulpa, and takes place sometime after the 4th book in the series.  We get to learn more about Skamar as an individual and about what she is doing while Johanna is recovering.  Kind of interesting.  I think anyone who has not read the series will be totally lost though.

- Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow (4/5 stars)
Story about a woman named Amelia who comes to investigator Rookwood with a plea that he kill her already dead husband.  Not much world-building but there was a lot of action and the characters were interesting.  It would be great to see some books about Rookwood and Amelia in the future.  Previously I have also read Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series and liked it.

- God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn (3.5/5 stars)
Story from the point of view of Cormac the Bounty hunter from Vaughn's Kitty Norville series.  Basically it just tells about Cormac going on a wolf hunt.  It was okay and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't add much to the characters for me and as a stand alone story it wasn't anything special.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Changes (The Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

This is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butchers.  I seriously think this was the best book in this series so far, and that is saying something given how much I love this series.

Harry gets a call from his old flame Susan, she has a surprise for Harry.  Harry has a child and his daughter has been stolen by the Red Court.  Harry will stop at nothing to save his child from the Red Court.  He will petition all his allies for whatever help he can get. With the Red Court and the White Council at an uneasy truce; Harry won't be able to depend on the other wizards for help.  Harry make have to make some deals to increase his power and call on help from unlikely sources.

I am afraid all I can do is gush about this book, it was amazing!  Harry increases in power and gets pulled through a non-stop course of events that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.  There is a reason this book is called "Changes".  Harry goes through a number of huge changes in becoming a father and in having to make some tough decisions about how he will bend his morals to get the power he needs to save his daughter.  Murphy goes through changes when she take up one of the Three Swords.  Heck even Mouse, the dog, goes through Changes. 

The pace of this book was phenomenal.  Harry is catapulted from one interesting and creative situation to another; all of them life-threatening.  Things happen to Harry in this book that make you want to cry, yet Butcher does an excellent job at not letting things get too heavy by throwing in some of the gallows humor he excels at.  The action scenes were exquisite, the character development perfect (even for side characters).  I feel like no side characters were forgotten, yet the book never seemed cluttered.  There is a lot going on in this book.  You have the White, Grey, and Black councils involved, the vampire courts involved, fairy involved, and the Three Holy Swords thrown in there.  Molly has become a steadfast character as Harry's apprentice.

Harry is beginning to really become a force to be reckoned with.  He is using his power in more intelligent ways and making better decisions; the way he resolves impossible situations is interesting and engaging. Butcher's writing is very readable and engaging and in general is just a joy to read.  I forget how top-notch Butcher's writing style is and then I read one of his books and am reminded again and again.

If there is one thing to complain about in this book it is the ending.  The book literally ends in the middle of a very important scene for Harry and I couldn't believe it.  I was looking for more story and was sad that the book was over.  Now, my next question is when is the next book coming out!!??

If you have been reading this series, get this book and read it.  If you haven't started this series, get the previous eleven books and then read this one.  Or read a summary of the plot online and then get this book and read it.  Just make sure you read this book!!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- Thiller and Suspense Challenge

 

First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 6) by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)

This is the final book in Butcher's Codex Alera series.  There is a lot that happens in this book from a detail point of view; overall it is an excellent conclusion to the series.

Tavi, now First Lord Octavian Gaius, is steering the ships full of both the First Aleran and the Canim to land.  From there they are hoping to march across Alera and meet up with the Aleran Legions making their final stand at Riva.  Of course things don't go quite as planned and Riva falls, forcing the final battle between the vord and the allied Alerans, Marat, Icemen and Canim back to where it all started...Calderon Valley.

This book is about war.  If you thought book 5 was about war, well you were right, but this book is even more about war.  So, in general, I am more of an epic quest lover than an epic battle lover...the topic of this book wasn't my favorite.  That aside it was very well written.  Butcher continues to do an excellent job balancing epic battle scenes with personal scenes; these personal scenes lend more depth to the characters we have already grown to love over the last five books.  The action scenes are very well done, as always.  The conclusion of the book is also well done and wraps up most of the loose ends.

Additionally it is nice that Butcher is able to do an epic fantasy with epic battles that still lends time to relationships.  Kitai demands a proper courting from Tavi and this theme weaves in and out of the story, at times providing with a lot of humor.  The dialogue is snappy (if not realistic at times) and added enough humor that you will find yourself chuckling despite the thousands of people dying.

There were a few things I didn't like though.  The book is awfully drawn out.  At first all the engineering details behind Tavi's schemes are fascinating, but as the book goes on it gets to be too much.  The scenes get drawn out by the massive detail that is put into explaining both war strategy and engineering; if you really dig this stuff you will love it.  I loved it for a while and then just wanted to get the story moving.

This book also has the same flaws I have complained about in previous books.  Tavi, it seems, can do know wrong.  Every hair-brained scheme he comes up with is a wonderful success; which is heroic but unbelievable given the craziness of most of his schemes.  A number of times characters are left for dead, but then miraculously make it.  Basically the book ends in an unrealistically cheery way, at least for the main and side characters.  Common soldiers and civilians are sacrificed by the tens of thousands; which got to be a bit depressing but was probably the most realistic part of the book.

I thought it was fascinating how drastically Tavi has changed in this book.  I know he changed some in book five, but in this book he is 100% First Lord with very few of the uncertainties that used to plague him.  Kitai is also seemingly immortal, as she escapes most danger and succeeds at all missions; again a bit unrealistic.

Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good wrap-up to the series.  There is one major loose-end that makes me wonder if Butcher is planning another series set in Alera, but a century or so into the future.  The only things that bothered me about the novel were the drawn-out strategy scenes and some unbelievable successes.   Still, I am always impressed with how enjoyable it is to read Butcher's writing, it is just so readable and engaging.

This book went towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Princep's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)

This is the fifth book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. The series is 6 books in length, the last book is "First Lord's Fury". It was not as good as the previous book, but still a very good read.

Tavi is heading off to the Canim's homeland with the First Aleran. There he hopes to return the Canim to their homeland without incident, unfortunately a big sea storm devastates the fleets of ships and plans change. What Tavi and the Canim find upon reaching the shore is horrible and unexpected. Back in Alera the First Lord (Gauis) is dealing with a crisis of his own. As Gauis's health continues to deteriorate he is left dealing with an attack from the Vord. The Vord are an insect-like race that was fought in the first few books in this series. The First Lord calls on Amara and Bernard to, once again, take on a dangerous mission to figure out how the Vord have learned Fury-craft. The last storyline deals with Isana, now the First Lady. Gauis sends Isana to the north in an effort to make peace with the Ice-men there; in hopes that the Aleran forces in the North can leave the fighting on the northern Shieldwall and lend their assistance to fighting the Vord in the south.

As you can tell from above there is a lot of fighting in this book. There is less character development than in previous books, but still a lot of great action scenes. This book was more about Butcher moving the characters around to where they need to be for the final book than anything else. It is very much a transition novel.

That is not to say that a lot of things don't happen, a lot of things do happen. The characters' situation is worse than ever before and there are no great victories in this book. Our heroes continue to pull off feats of imaginable strength and daring; the enemies continue to horrify us. The Vord are definitely a horrible enemy,

Like in the last book, Tavi pulls off one crazy scheme after another and makes it through unscathed...this is a bit unrealistic and irritating. The other down point of this book is that Butcher uses too many words to describe everything. There was just a lot of description that we didn't need to know and at times this slowed down the relentless pace of the story a bit too much.

Nothing is resolved in this book, but all the players are moved into position for a powerful and awesome conclusion in the next book. I would recommend buying the last book with this one so that you don't have to wait to read it. Also you do need to read the previous books in this series to follow what is going on in this book.

All in all it is a great story, with a complicated plot, great action scenes, and wonderful characters. It is just not as great of a story as the last book. I have high hopes for the concluding novel though and am excited to read the next book.

This book goes toward both my 100+ Books Reading Challenge and my Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge.

Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4) by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

This is the fourth book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. There are six total books in the series with the 6th book "First Lord's Fury" being released in Dec. 2009. This was a great book and really pulled the series to a good point.

Tavi is still acting as Captain of the First Aleran and has spent the last two years holding the line of war against the Canim. Tavi is recommending seeking alliance with the Canim because he believes the Canim were fleeing a larger enemy, the Vord. Unfortunately the Senate decides to take an interest in the conflict and sends out incompetent and conniving, Senator Arnos to command over Tavi. From there things get worse and worse and many lives are lost. Tavi, Isana, and the First Lord himself are forced to take actions that they never could have foreseen in an effort to save Alera from destruction.

This was an excellent next book in this series. The storyline switches between multiple viewpoints, but does so in such a way that it is never confusing. The number of characters is vast, but kept manageable. A glossary labeling who was related to whom would have been a nice addition; still with wikipedia you can review that online if you are confused. Much of the story deals with great battles, but there is some adventuring that balances that out. Readers who are fans of one or the other types of fantasy, should find a little of both in here.

Tavi, Kitai, and many of the other characters really step it up in this book, taking risky actions that make them forces to be reckoned with. The book is hard to put down and has you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Butcher has an excellent writing style that easily conveys the surroundings of the scenes without pushing aside the great action scenes, it is very easy to read. The characters are very engaging and you are desperately pulling for them through the whole book. There is also some light touches of humor throughout that lighten the story so that it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Things get worse in this book than an any other book in this series, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. This is a wonderful book and I am going to start reading book 5 immediately. You definitely need to read the previous books in the series to understand what is going on in this book.

If I have any complaints it is that Tavi comes up with one successful hair-brained scheme after another. It seems a little far-fetched...you would think with all the risk-taking Tavi does one of his schemes would be a complete failure. He does have some partial failures, but everything works out in the end.

Overall a great book and a great series. I found the first couple books in the series to be a bit slow and the characters not as engaging as I had hoped, but this book made the whole series worthwhile.



This book will be the first one to go towards my 100+ Book Reading Challenge.

Backup by Jim Butcher (3/5 stars)

This is a small novella told from Thomas's point of view, Harry's brother, it takes place in the same time/place as the Dresden Files. It was an okay story. The story was well written but nothing spectacular. The illustrations throughout were okay, but again not masterpieces.

Thomas is contacted by his sister. Apparently Harry has been set up by some evil witches and Thomas, as a soldier in the thousand years old Oblivion Wars, needs to save Harry and get rid of the threat that the witches pose.

Thomas's character came across as a bit dry for me. The story was interesting as was the back story dealing with the Oblivion Wars. The action scenes were well done.

This is a very short novella though; it took me 20 minutes to read. Although the story is okay, it wasn't anything breath-taking. If you are a huge Dresden fan, you probably want to read this. I wouldn't waste my money on it though. I got it from the library and I am happy that I did.

I am eagerly awaiting the next Dresden Files book though...."Changes" will be out in April, 2010. So I have quite the wait!

Strange Brew edited by P. N. Elrod (4/5 stars)

Overall this is a decent set of stories. The highlights for me were Karen Chance's super action packed "Vegas Odds" and Jenna Maclaine's beautifully written, action packed, and intricate "Dark Sins". I found Cin from "Dark Sins" to be a very interesting heroine and I would definitely like to read more about her. I also really liked meeting Jane Yellowrock in Faith Hunter's "Signatures of the Dead." Jane is a character I would also like to read more about.

My least favorites were Elrod's story (not surprising because I have read a couple of the books with Jack and don't enjoy her writing style all that much) and Harris's "Bacon". See a summary of each below. I liked the book in general and really liked that is gave me a look at some of the new authors and characters coming out in series.

Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs
A witch named Moira and a werewolf named Tom go to save Tom's brother from an evil coven. Pretty good, I enjoyed it. 4/5

Last Call by Jim Butcher
Entertaining story about Murphy and Harry tracking down the source of some tainted beer that Mac accidentally served in his bar. Tons of action, very entertaining! 4/5

Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine
About witch named Holly who resurrects an old witch, Andy, to help the police find a witch killer. Unfortunately Holly and the resurrected witch have a history. Fast-paced and engaging story although I didn't like the main character all that much. 4/5

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance
Lia is a War Mage stuck in the middle of a war between good and evil. When her house comes under attack she is left to figure out who the attackers are and hunt down their master. I really liked this story; it was packed with action and set in an interesting world that I want to learn more about. 5/5

Hecate's Golden Eye by P. N. Elrod
Jack and Charles are hired to recover a stolen piece of jewelry. The crime turns out to be more than it first seems. This was a fast paced story featuring Elrod's well known Jack Flemming. Overall a decent story. 3/5

Bacon by Charlaine Harris
This story is about a vampire, Dahlia, who hires a witch to help avenge her werewolf husband that has been murdered. Overall I thought this story was boring and the plot a bit hard to folllow at points. I didn't really like any of the characters much either. 2/5

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter
About a witch named Molly who works with a Skinwalker named Jane Yellowrock to bring down some rogue vampires. I really didn't find Molly to be all that fascinating of a character. I did really like Jane Yellowrock though. The story moved quickly, was very engaging, and had lots of good action scenes. I am eager to read more stories involving Jane Yellowrock. I know that Hunter's book "Skinwalker" featuring Jane came out earlier this summer and this short story really makes me want to check it out. 4/5

Ginger: A Nocturne City Story by Caitlin Kittredge
A witch named "Sunny" gets kidnapped as part of a larger plot onvolving a witch coven. This was an okay story, although I didn't think it was great and didn't like any of the characters much. 3/5

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine
I really liked this story. Cin Craven is a vampire who attained her witch powers. Her and her S.O. Michael are attacked and captured; and need to escape to save their lives and the lives of their friends. This story was set in the Victorian era. I really liked both Cin and Michael as characters. Just the glimpse this story give hints at a very interesting and intricate world with a lush history. Lots of action and a tad of romance. The entrance of the goddess Morrgan made things very interesting. One of my favorite stories of the bunch. 5/5

Mean Streets by Jim Butcher, Simon Green, Kat Richardson, and Thomas Sniegoski (4/5 stars)

This included four novellas by wonderful authors. I was very excited to read both Butcher's and Green's stories since I love those series. I also was interested in reading Richardson's and Sniegoski's series since I really want to read those series. Overall I found the stories I expected to like were nothing special; the best of the bunch was Sniegoski's "Noah's Orphans." I think I was a bit disappointed with this book because I expected it to be really awesome.

The Warrior by Jim Butcher
This story was about Michael and Harry trying to keep Michael's family safe from someone who wants to steal the two Holy Swords that Harry has been keeping hidden. Overall the story was okay, but seemed a bit tired to me. It was interesting to hear a bit more about why Harry has the holy swords. As a huge Dresden fan, I didn't think this was the best Dresden story I've read but it was kind of interesting. (4/5 stars)

The Difference a Day Makes by Simon Green
This novella was set in the Nightside. John Taylor and Dead Boy were the main characters and are approached by a woman who wants Taylor to find a days worth of memories that she's lost. I realize that not everyone reads the Nightside series so a lot of the back story stuff was necessary. Still, a lot of the general description of the Nightside was taken word for word from other books. John Taylor spent a lot of the story ranting about how dangerous the Nightside is. I also didn't think that the characters were very engaging. Even Dead Boy was kind of disengaged for most of the story. An okay Nightside story but nothing awesome here. (3/5 stars)

The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog by Kat Richardson
I have been interested in starting to read Richardson's Greywalker series. I was hoping this novella would give me some insight on how I would like her as a writer. This was another okay story but was nothing spectacular. Harper gets a black dog statue from an old woman's will; the old woman wants her to put the statue on a grave in Mexico and Harper doesn't know why. Of course there is more involved than Harper originally thinks. I thought Harper's ability to see into the Grey was kind of interesting, but not all that creative (reminded me of many other character abilities). The plot of the mystery got a bit confusing with a whole bunch of names involved where the reader never meets the people. Definitely not an action heavy series. Again an okay story, but didn't sell me on the Greywalker series as something I will love (3/5 stars)

Noah's Orphans by Thomas E. Sniegoski
I have also been interested in reading Sniegoski's first Remy Chandler book "A Kiss Before the Apocalypse". This story was a Remy Chandler story and gave me a great feeling for Sniegoski's writing style. In this story Remy is approached by a dark angel who tells him Noah (yes, the arc guy) has been murdered. There is more to the story though Noah was trying to save the race that existed before humans, the race that God sent flooding to wipe out. It looked like God may have not succeeded though. Remy has to embrace his angelic nature against his will to solve Noah's mystery and possibly save humanity.
This was a great story. I couldn't believe how complex and interesting all of the characters were. The plot line was mysterious, interesting, and intricate. Remy was a character that I wanted to know more about. In my opinion this was the best story in the book and saved this anthology from being mearly blah. Great story, may offend the zealously religious though. (4/5 stars)

Turn Coat (Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

Wow I can't believe this is already the 11th book in the Dresden Files series. It's amazing how great these books are and this one doesn't disappoint.

When Morgan turns up almost dead on Harry's doorstep, Harry doesn't know what to think. I mean of all the people to come to for help, why would Morgan chose him? Morgan has been accused of murdering a member of the White Council and Harry knows Morgan didn't do it. Morgan has been able to lead the White Council on a wild goose chase but that will only last for another 48 hours. So Harry has 48 hours to find out who did frame Morgan; after all if Morgan can be wrongly accused how long will it take someone to accuse Harry of murder given his shady past with the Council? Things get more difficult when Harry is attacked by an ancient and evil shapeshifter. All you can do is hold your breath and go along for the ride as questions spin through your head: Will Harry clear Morgan? Will the Black Council finally be recognized as an entity and the Wizards Council torn apart?

This book was excellent and is on par with all the other books of the Dresden series. Action is non-stop, Harry has the stuffing kicked out of him (like usual), and things come to a head with mysterious unacknowledged Black Council. The characters are awesome, the fight scenes fantastic, and the plot complex and interesting. The overall aspects of this story are nicely wrapped up but the mystery around the overall story arc involving the Black Council are still developing at the end of the book. The biting sense of humor that these books are famous for is still there and help to make the books amusing and break up the tension a bit.

Thomas and Molly are in this book quite a bit as are the rest of the White Vampires. You learn quite a bit more about Thomas's family. Michael is conspicuously absent as are the Fallen.

This is a great book and I am disappointed I am finished with it; I am already looking forward to the next book. The next book is supposed to be entitled "Changes" and is scheduled to release April 2010. So far I know Orbit has purchased Dresden books 12 and 13; whether there will be more books after that point I don't know.

Small Favor by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

Small Favor is the 10th book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. This series continues to amaze me with it's high quality and creativity.

When Harry is attacked by none other than the Three Billy Goats Gruff; he wonders what he has done to deserve the attention. Especially since he thought he was on good terms with the Queen of Summer. Shortly after he is contacted by the Queen of Air and Darkness, Mab, and Mab calls in one of the favors he owes her. She wants Harry to find out who kidnapped Chicago mob boss Johnny Marcone and rescue Marcone.

As Harry begins his quest to find Marcone he finds out that things in Chicago are much more serious than he initially thought. The Denarians (Fallen Angels) are somehow involved in this whole mess too. With the Summer Fae bent on killing him, Queen Mab breathing down his neck, and the Denarians seeking to "talk" to him how will Harry make it out alive?

I was very impressed with this book. I continue to be impressed that 10 books into the series Butcher is still working to write a really good book and not riding on the success of his previous works (as many authors do).

It was great to see more of Thomas and Michael in this book. Of course the Denarians are a wonderfully frightful group of demons and let Butcher add in some very creative fight scenes. This book was non-stop action; I felt tired for Harry just reading all he was trying to get done. The book was also packed with Harry's sarcastic wit and some particularly funny scenes. I felt like Harry spent more time passed out in this book than in previous ones; but despite that he was still just as busy as ever.

The addition of Harry's new power at the end hints at more interesting things to come. Also it looks like the issue of a Black Wizard Council will be visited in more detail soon. I really like that these books have independent stories, yet everything seems like it is going to tie in well with an overall story arc that deals with the Black Council and the Denarians.

I am already excited to read the next one. The worst thing about this book is that I am sad that I am done reading it :-)

Many Bloody Returns, various authors (4/5 stars)

Usually books with a number of short stories in them have some big names with great stories and some unknown authors with either surprisingly good or surprisingly bad stories. This was not the case with this book. All of the stories were really good and there was a larger variety of writing styles than I expected given the genre. All of the stories have to deal with vampires and birthdays.

The main reason I read books like this is to get a sampling of some authors I haven’t read and get a glimpse into the series that they are writing. This book was a good read and I found a couple new (to me at least) authors to check out from it. Because of this book I will read more of PN Elrod’s work, check out the Morganville vampire series, see what else Hallaway and Kelner have written, and possibly check out some of Jeanne Stein’s work too. Below is a quick comment/synopsis of each story.

Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris
This story is an addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series and addresses the celebration of Dracula Night by the vampire community. It’s a fun read; although there’s not a ton of content here.

The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden
The only other book I’ve read by Christopher Golden is “The Boys are Back in Town”; which I liked pretty well. This story follows a girl as she learns about her unique heritage. I enjoyed it and it was well written and mysterious.

I Was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider
This was probably my least favorite story of the anthology. The story was predictable, boring, and seemed quickly and lazily written.

Twilight by Kelley Armstrong
I liked Twilight okay. It was a little boring and moved slowly but it was well-written and dealt with the topic of vampires dying of boredom.

It's My Birthday, Too by Jim Butcher
Fun addition to the Dresden Files series. I enjoyed a story in which Thomas played a main role. I especially enjoyed the role-playing; being a DnD player I thought it was hilarious.

Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrod
This was my first time reading anything by PN Elrod and I liked it. The main character, Jack Fleming, is a bit campy. Some of it reminded me of Harry Dresden a bit. I enjoyed it and will read more of Elrod’s writing.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine
This was a story that took place in the world of Rachel Caine’s young adult vampire series “The Morganville Vampires”. This was my favorite story in the book and now I am interested in reading this series. I’ve read some of Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series and that is also a good series.

The Witch and the Wicked by Jeanne C. Stein
This story creeped me out. I believe Stein is the writer of the Signs of the Zodiac series. The writing style wasn’t my favorite since it was kind of plain and straight-forward; not as much flare to it as I had hoped. The premise is pretty darn creative and creepy though.

Blood Wrapped by Tanya Huff
This was a nice addition to Henry Fitzroy’s world; it was a fun read. It really brought home the fact that I haven’t read the last few books in this series yet. I was like, what do you mean Vicki is a vampire?

The Wish by Carolyn Haines
I’ve never read anything by Carolyn Haines but I did like this story. The story is very sad and yet it is beautifully written and really grabs a hold of you. It is a very beautiful and well-written story, if not as fun as the rest of the book.

Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two by Tate Hallaway
I’ve never read anything by Tate Hallaway before; this was a fun story. I was intrigued by the witch having a demon trapped in her and by the elemental evil forces at work. I could really sympathize with the characters and the cold weather, being from MN myself.

Vampire Hours by Elaine Viets
I really enjoyed this story. I liked that the main character was an older woman dealing with day-to-day issues a lot of women deal with (okay maybe not as extreme as these issues). I liked how the woman cleverly got back at everyone; it was funny and a quick read.

How Stella got her Grave Back by Toni L.P. Kelner
I’ve never read anything by Toni Kelner, I really liked this story. I liked the idea of vampire dams and I liked the mystery solving that went on in this story. The characters were fun and likable. I really want to know the history between them now.

Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)

This is the third book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. This series is quite different from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series but it is just as good. I started reading these books a bit reluctantly since the epic fantasy genre is very different from the paranormal alternate reality genre of the Dresden Files. This series proves that Jim Butcher is just all around a great writer.

The only problem I have with these books is that in the previous books I didn't personally find any of the main characters extremely likable or engaging. They are all okay and fun to read about but none of them really "spoke" to me.

This book changed some of that. Tavi is sent off to join a newly formed legion where he is supposed to be spying for High Lord Gaius. A tragedy kills off all of the leaders of the legion and Tavi is suddenly the ranking officer of the legion. This proves interesting considering Tavi's lack of military background. Amara is sent to do a daring rescue of some captured nobles and is forced to rely on the morally questionable Lady Aquitaine for assistance.

I like Tavi a lot more in this book. I also really like Kitai's part in the book. Kitai is probably one of my favorite characters; I love her wit and daring.

This book was a fun read. It is very fast paced with a lot of action. Tavi takes some great steps toward growing up and becoming a true legendary hero. The book kept me interested and kept me up late at night. Still when all is said and done though I feel like something is lacking in this series in general.

I am not sure what that thing is. I don't know if it's my lack of being able to relate to the characters or if it's just that I keep hearing Harry Dresden in the back of my head while I read these.

Anyway, it's a good book and if you've been reading the series, you have got to read this book. If you haven't been reading the series I would highly recommend it. It is well-written and entertaining. For some reason though I just don't get extremely jumping-for-joy excited about these books and this book is no exception.

Here is a link to the book on amazon:

White Night - The Dresden Files Book 9 by Jim Butcher (5/5 stars)

Another book that I finished a few months ago. My memory wasn't the best on this book so I didn't have a ton to say about it.

As a big fan of some other long series (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter come to mind) I've noticed that series that go on past 6 or so books seem to have a tendency to fizzle out and end up poorly written or uninteresting. Not so with this series! This series continues to be refreshing and fun. I just can't wait for the next book in the series!