Review - Summer Knight (Dresden Files 4) by Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher's Summer Knight [US] [UK] [Kindle] is the fourth book in Jim Butcher's much-loved Dresden Files. I realize I'm a bit behind, but I have good reasons for this...well, maybe...

I read the first 3 a couple years ago, all back to back and I really enjoyed them at the time...the only problem was the repetition. I was getting a bit tired of hearing the same reasoning behind everything Harry does. It made sense at first...then it made less sense the more volumes I kept reading with the same descriptions.

Maybe I'm too used to the opposite in Steven Erikson, but I had to take a bit of a break. One thing's for sure, you can wait as long as you need to pick up another volume of the Dresden Files.

Well, volume one, Storm Front, deals with magicians; volume two, Fool Moon, deals with warewolves; volume three - demons. So, what then does Summer Knight deal with? Faeries. (Obviously this isn't a perfect summary)

There are two main faeries, summer and winter, and they're not friends. The summer knight, an officer in the summer court of faeries, is found dead and Harry Dresden is called in to investigate.

Of course nothing is as it seems and through Harry's cynical sense of humor and constant battery (in which Harry is beat to a pulp on numerous occasions...as per usual), we have ourselves one fun story. The cards keep getting stacked against Harry, especially now that the Red Court is after him after the fiasco in Grave Peril (Book 3) and his own wizard's White Council has their own problems with him as well.

This was a hard book to put down, especially for the first and last hundred pages. The middle was a little slow, especially since Harry still has no clue what he's doing, but overall it's a quick read. As of this point, Summer Knight has been my favorite in the Dresden Files, but I don't think I'd be saying this if I'd have read it directly after Grave Peril.

Why Read The Dresden Files?

Harry Dresden is a hard character not to like. He gets knocked down and he always gets back up. He tries to do what's right no matter the situation and no matter who gets hurt...and he's just an all around fun guy to be around.

Add to that a well-planned and realized magic system and it's one great series...as long as you take it in stride.

4 out of 5 Stars

Review: Storm Front, by Jim Butcher

     Storm Front (2000), by Jim Butcher is the first book of the Dresden Files series, and is published by ROC. With the blockbuster sales of Jim Butcher's recent printing of Turn Coat (2009), I decided to start the series and see what all the fuss was about.

The Setup

     Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard and paranormal consultant extraordinaire. Surrounded by colorful characters Dresden is drawn into a murder investigation that will either see him dead, or see a dark wizard brought to justice. 

     Filled with demons and faeries, the urban fantasy world that Butcher creates is remarkably straightforward and convincing. The strong hand of fate pushes Dresden into the heart of a complex murder investigation involving vampires, mob bosses, call-girls, and even a talking skull. With a strong helping of both magic and desperation, Harry Dresden makes for a colorful character in a series that promises to be as entertaining as it is humorous.

My Take in Brief

     Storm Front boasts a colorful cast of magic, monsters, villains and detectives. What originality it lacks by borrowing from generally accepted stereotypes of vampires and other assorted urban fantasy characters, it more than makes up for in tempo and plot. This a hugely entertaining read, easily polished off in a day or a few evenings; it won't last longer than that because it really draws you in.
     If I were to try and find something to criticize about Butcher's work, and try hard I would have to, it would have to be the few deus ex elements that tend to drive the plot. I can accept my fair share of luck and chance encounters, but Dresden seems to have won the lottery in that respect.
     This is a light and breezy read that is sure to entertain, but lacks the depth and complexity of a finer bodied fantasy. Those experienced science fiction and fantasy readers among you who choose to read this will come out feeling like you do after reading a Harry Potter novel; you will be happy and entertained but know deep down that you have somehow betrayed the true masters you are accustomed to reading. This feeling will not however, prevent you from reading the rest of the series.

Highlights

• Dresden is hilarious and yet profound.
• A host of endearing characters.
• A great plot and a wonderful tempo.
• Simple, concise, and eloquent prose. 
• All the Urban Fantasy creatures you can imagine.
• Acts of desperation and convincing action sequences.

Lowlights

• Somewhat stereotypical characters.
• Dresden has a little too much luck.
• A certain lack of situational detail, or maybe Chicago really is just bleak.
• A general young adult feeling that might put some of you off.  

Your Take

     Like most popular series, Storm Front has its detractors and supporters. The sales numbers speak for themselves though, as the book that started the Dresden Files is wildly popular and will invariably suck you into reading the ten other installments. Did you get the same used feeling that I did after reading this? Not that its a bad thing, sometimes its good to be used...

Ratings and Links

Amazon: 4/5

B&N: 4.3/5

My Rating: 3.25/5

A more comprehensive review of Storm Front at Wertzone.

The semi-official Jim Butcher website. 

Piqued Your Interest?

     If you are looking for a fun and quick read from a trusted author in an ongoing series, then Storm Front is the place to start. If you know that you'll like it, then consider saving some money by buying the omnibus of the first three books, Wizard for Hire.