Fire Logic, by Laurie Marks (Tor, 2004)

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Fifteen years after the fall of the House of Lilterwess, the land of Shaftal is dying, torn apart by a vicious guerilla war between the native Shaftali and the conquering. Without an earth-witch, without the power of the G’deon to rule and heal the land, there seems to be no hope. The former defenders of Shaftal are scattered or slaughtered, waging a desperate war in the hills and forests as their loved ones suffer the repercussions and reprisals. Along the border, the fiercely independent Ashawala’i have been all but exterminated, leaving a single survivor to seek vengeance, and perhaps a death of her own. For too long, the earth has been fed by the blood of the innocents and the guilty alike, but now, several farflung elements have begin to come together, inexorably drawn to one another by destiny and forces beyond their control.

For Emil, a scholar-turned-military leader, the passing of the seasons represents yet another year spent fighting, suffering, and giving his life to try and retake Shaftal. Meanwhile, the half-blooded metalsmith Karis continues to struggle with her growing addiction to the drug called smoke, an addiction guaranteed to kill her whether she surrenders to its oblivion, or tries to resist it. And for the last Ashawala’i, Zanja na’Tarwein, it seems as though her time on this world is at an end, as she’s captured, crippled, and tortured by the Sainnites that she’s fought for so long. But when Karis, driven by visions, rescues and heals Zanja, she links the courses of their lives. No matter how far they are from one another, it’s a sure bet they’ll come back together before long. These three, and more, are drawn up in a drama bound to heal Shaftal and return it to its rightful inhabitants, or destroy it once and for all.

Fire Logic is a fascinating beginning to a multi-book saga placing an emphasis on mysticism and emotion. The main characters revolve around one another, linked by ties of friendship, obligation, love, and dependence, forming emotional bonds that all but leap off the page. The unusually laissez-faire attitude the characters assign to gender and sexuality lend an alien air to the setting, placing it apart from more traditional fantasies. While the plot occasionally gets bogged down in the same mystic elements which make it interesting, especially in the detailed explorations of elemental magic and divinatory glyphs, it still manages to keep moving towards the conclusion, which feels more like a respite between acts than it does the end to a story. Of course, as the included preview of Earth Logic, the next book in the series, indicates, there’s still much left to be told in the saga of Karis, Zanja, Emil, and their loved ones. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how it comes together in the end.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2004

Medicine Road, by Charles de Lint (Subterranean Press, 2004)

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Turning from the urban jungle of the mythical North American city of Newford, to the beautiful desert of the American Southwest, Charles de Lint’s latest book mixes the shapeshifting animal spirits that so often feature in his work, with two of the redheaded Dillard sisters, most recently seen in de Lint and Charles Vess’ previous collaboration, Seven Wild Sisters.

This time, it’s the older twins, Bess and Laurel, a talented musical duo who’ve struck off on their own to see the world and play their music in bars, roadhouses, house concerts, and anywhere else willing to host their particular flavor of bluegrass. Touched years ago by a brief encounter with the supernatural, Bess would just as soon forget all about the unseen world of magic and spirits, while Laurel is still looking for well… something. What neither of them expects is that their path will bring them into contact with some very unusual people.

Jim Changing Dog and Alice Corn Hair have been linked for a hundred years by the mystical machinations of Corina, a coyote spirit determined to teach them a lesson. Jim, a red dog spirit, and Alice, a jackalope, were granted the ability to switch between their real forms and human forms, but if, after a hundred years they both hadn’t found love, they’d lose that gift forever. The hundred years is almost up, and while Alice has found her true love, Jim is still happy with one-night stands. With the deadline looming, Jim is out to find himself a true love so he can continue to enjoy his “five-finger” form, and Alice is willing to give him a hand. What neither of them realizes is that Ramona, a rattlesnake woman with an axe to grind against Corina for past interferences, plans to sabotage their efforts and throw the whole plan into chaos.

Will Jim and Laurel find happiness together, once the truth about Jim’s motives is revealed? Will Alice and her human husband live happily ever after, or will they be split when Alice is forced to revert to her natural form? Will Ramona learn a lesson? Will Corina stop meddling?

With two mortal musicians, a red dog, a coyote, a rattlesnake, a jackalope, and assorted minor players to keep track of, Medicine Road often comes close to confusion, the plot resembling a supernatural Southwestern soap opera. One complaint I’ve heard several times about de Lint’s recent work is that it seems like there is no regular humans left in his world. By now, just about everyone is either had an experience with the supernatural world, or has a touch of the supernatural within them. And I agree with that assessment, especially as it applies to this book. When the animal-spirits in human form meet up with two seemingly random people who just happen to have had experiences of their own, it can either be explained as coincidence, or the taint of the spirit world calling like to like. But is this a bad thing? I’m not sure. I absolutely love de Lint’s work, his words, and his world, but it is become somewhat formulaic after so many books and short stories.

Don’t get me wrong. Medicine Road is beautiful and magical. It hits all of the strengths that make de Lint one of the best fantasy writers out there today. He’s one of the only writers I know of who can pull off telling a story from multiple character viewpoints, switch from first person to third person — and — alternate present tense and past tense, and make it sound right. The sheer versatility of his style is a miracle unto itself. Combine that with the “feel-good” atmosphere his books often put forth, where love and magic are often enough to win out over hopelessness, loneliness, and despair, and it’s the sort of read that leaves you with a warm glow by the end. While very few of his stories are “they lived happily ever after” (usually because he has a habit of using the same characters over and over, providing a strong sense of continuity through his milieu), they satisfy for the moment.

One thing that did catch me, hitting the narrative like a brick wall, was the brief mention of a faerie festival featuring the world of Brian Froud and Terri Windling. Froud, of course, is the artist best known for his gorgeous yet utterly alien faerie artwork, and the designs for the movies Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Terri Windling is an artist, author, and editor who has worked with de Lint and Vess in the past. While normally, I wouldn’t complain about seeing them get their proper attention, the way in which it’s done seems somewhat random, contributing rather little to the overall plot. However, this is the part where I point you, the reader, towards www.worldoffroud.com and www.endicott-studio.com to learn more about these worthies and their work.

Getting back to the book at hand, though, I have to admit one last gripe. At $35US for the regular edition, and $60US for the signed leatherbound edition, the price is a little steep. I don’t know if it’s available through any other source than the publishers, Subterranean Press. I think it’s worth it, to have a book written by Charles de Lint, featuring the gorgeous artwork of Charles Vess, but it’s a shame it’s not closer in price to that of regular hardcovers.

I can’t say that this is the best thing de Lint’s ever done, nor is it my favorite. However, it’s a strong, thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly magical story that takes advantage of native myths and lore to create something entirely new, yet quietly familiar. If we see any of these characters again, I won’t complain. Medicine Road’s definitely worth picking up if you’re a fan, and if you’re not a fan, might I suggest one of de Lint’s short story collections, such as Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, Tapping the Dream Tree, or Waifs and Strays, as a way to familiarize yourself with his work before leaping into the deep end. For those planning to pick up this book, I suggest acting quickly. It is supposed to be available at the end of April, and the cheaper versions of de Lint’s Subterranean releases tend to sell out.

Originally posted at SF Site, 2004

Dead Witch Walking, by Kim Harrison (HarperCollins, 2004)

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A witch, a pixy, and a vampire walk into a pub…. No, this isn’t the beginning of a joke. It’s the beginning of Kim Harrison’s amazing new book, Dead Witch Walking.

Rachel Morgan is a witch and runner working for Inderland Security, in an alternate world where forty years ago, a bioengineered disaster wiped out a great deal of the world’s population. In the process, it exposed the existence of the supernatural communities that had long lived alongside humanity. Now, in modern-day Cincinnati, Rachel works to take down unlicensed and black-art witches, rogue Weres, criminal leprechauns, overzealous vampires, and all the other inhuman nasties that get out of line. Problem is, she’s been having a run of bad luck with her cases, generally getting the short end of the stick; the cases not even an intern should have to put up with.

Fed up with how she’s being treated, she quits I.S. But no one quits I.S. and lives to tell about it, not without some pretty hefty bribes to pay off their contracts. Now Rachel’s marked for death, and has everything from invading fairy clans to homicidal Weres on her tail, as well as an assortment of truly nasty death curses. All she has going for her are her new partners, and fellow I.S. deserters: Ivy Tamwood, a non-practicing vampire and the best runner I.S. had, and Jenks, a pixy whose diminutive size, flight, and other magical talents make him the ideal scout or backup. Taking up residence in an old church, the three unlikely partners form an independent bounty hunting team, albeit one mostly dedicated to keeping Rachel alive.

Insistent upon finding a way to get I.S. off her back, Rachel embarks on the brilliant scheme of trying to expose the city’s most prominent man as a supernatural being, and more importantly as a druglord. Getting the goods on him would be a major coup for whatever federal agency scored the bust. Sadly, Rachel’s idea of planning leaves something to be desired, getting her into more trouble than she can rightly handle. It’s up to Ivy and Jenks, and a few unexpected allies, to watch her back, and help solve the most dangerous case of their careers.

I have to admit: I was absolutely floored by this book. Fascinating concept, great setup, believable setting, gripping characters, and a fast-paced plot that doesn’t let up for a single page. Within the first few pages, I was hooked, to the point where it preempted all of the other books I’m already reading. Rachel’s a wonderful character, possessing a rich combination of strengths and flaws, and a delightfully wry tone. Her fierce independence, stubbornness and inability to plan are the perfect contrasts to Ivy’s mystery, sensuality, and anal-retentive planning, and Jenks’ mouthy loyalty. As a team, the three characters complement one another quite nicely, though not without their fair share of arguments and mistrust. The growing bonds of loyalty and friendship provide a good sense of continuity throughout the course of the story, and the uneasy tension (sexual, emotional, and physical) between Rachel and Ivy kept me turning the pages to see how it would develop.

There’s no doubt about it. I want more of this world and these characters, and happily, there’s just enough loose threads left at the end of the book to provide future material. Dead Witch Walking reads like Laurell K. Hamilton at her best, with a great deal less “spice”, and like Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files) with a female protagonist. It has been a long time since I’ve wanted to rave about a book so strongly, but believe me, my enthusiasm is well-placed. For those who like urban fantasy, for fans of Hamilton, Butcher, Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, and for those who like a good blend of magic and action, this is one book not to miss.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2004

Dragon Precinct, by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Pocket, 2004)

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Welcome to Cliff’s End. It’s the sort of city where sooner or later, everyone passes through and everything happens, and someone has to clean up the resulting mess. When legendary hero and adventurer Gan Brightblade is murdered in a seedy tavern, it’s up to Castle Guards Danthres Tresyllione and Torin ban Wyvald to investigate. With unlimited overtime authorized, they’ll leave no stone unturned and no merchant unquestioned as they get to the bottom of the mystery. All evidence points to magic, but who could kill one of the world’s greatest heroes, and why? And why isn’t the Brotherhood of Wizards cooperating?

Things rapidly get worse as the other members of Gan’s adventuring party fall victim to the killer as well, the body count rapidly rising. Pressure mounts from high above as the Lord and Lady of Cliff’s End take umbrage to their “close personal friends” dying, and Danthres and Torin have to fight through bureaucracy and recalcitrant heroes to get to the truth. Could it have anything to do with the rumors of a major-league evil wizard coming back to life?

Meanwhile, their fellow Guards pursue lesser cases, such as unlicensed spells, a serial rapist, some bad (and black market) glamour spells, rogue hobgoblins, con men, and gullible would-be champions of the oppressed. It’s just another day for our heroes in the city that never gives you a break.

Dragon Precinct is the first original novel from Keith R.A. DeCandido, better known for his media tie-in novels (Buffy, Andromeda, Spider-Man, Resident Evil, Star Trek…) and hopefully it won’t be his last, as he clearly has a good solid start here. To be honest, it’s nothing ground-breaking; Simon Green’s Hawk and Fisher series, and Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett’s Point of Dreams and Point of Hopes have done the fantasy world police procedural earlier and just as well, if not better. The setting has all of the traditional fantasy world aspects: humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, halflings, magic, swords, wizards, warriors, thieves, and so on and so forth. In that regard, there’s very little new here. (Note I say very little, not none. I’ll get back to that in a second.)

The murder mystery revolves mostly around misdirection, with all of our attention focused on one of several almost too-obvious suspects, almost bludgeoning the theory into unconsciousness as our heroes faithfully, and doggedly, dig through layers of lies and denials. Woven throughout this primary storyline are the secondary stories of the other Guards as they go about their own business, sometimes overlapping with Danthres and Torin, but mostly just missing them.

If I sound overly critical, it’s only because I know DeCandido can do better than this. In some ways, Dragon Precinct is relatively straight-forward, with multiple teams of Guards following separate cases over the course of several days. In fact, I’m strangely reminded of Hill Street Blues, more than anything else. In other ways, it manages to keep away from the obvious expectations by going with the least likely explanation, as witnessed by the way our heroes are forced to ask the same questions over and over and over until one of the various people in the know allows as how yes, maybe there’s a possibility that hasn’t been mentioned.

So what’s good about this? Well, DeCandido hints at aspects of the setting which really deserve to be further explored. For instance, Danthres, as a woman and a half-elf in a dangerous and authoritative position, has to deal with significant social pressure and bias. She has to be twice as tough and four times as determined as her partner, and her background contains some really dark moments. The revelation that in many parts of the world, half-elves are killed after birth leads to a host of questions, such as why and how they come to exist if their fate is such a dark one. The stranglehold on magic practiced by the Brotherhood of Magic suggests an interesting magical economy, and the brief exploration of “other” magics begs for further elaboration. Finally, and this is the best part, it actually looks at the attitude held by the authorities towards traditional adventuring parties, as well as the arrogance many of these parties practice (only we can save the world!) Dealing with the chaos and confusion left in the wake of these traveling heroic groups can be frustrating for the legal system.

So what’s the verdict? Dragon Precinct is a strong fantasy story with a few telling flaws, but a solid base to work from. I really hope DeCandido will continue to explore the setting and the characters, and develop Cliff’s End more. Right now, this is Hawk and Fisher-lite, but it has the potential to be just as good, maybe even better, than that series. And that’s saying something in my opinion. Go ahead and check this one out.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2004

Heat Stroke, by Rachel Caine (Roc, 2004)

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Ill-fated Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is back, in an adventure that takes her beyond death, to battle an unnatural disaster which could destroy the world, in Heat Stroke, the sequel to Rachel Caine’s debut novel, Ill Wind.

When we last left our heroine, she’d been chased across the United States by the Weather Wardens, the very people she’d been working for. Accused of murder, tainted by the dreaded Demon Mark, and in search of the only friend she had left, Rachel survived everything thrown at her… until she was forced to sacrifice herself to save the world. But that wasn’t the end of her story. Her new found traveling companion and lover, David, one of the much-coveted and rare free Djinn, brought her back from the dead as a Djinn. In a very short time, Joanne Baldwin went from phenomenally powerful Weather Warden, capable of manipulating the natural forces of air and water to create or control storms, to Djinn, capable of manipulating the very fabric of reality. Mind you, it hasn’t affected her fashion sense, or need for speed on the highway. But now she has to master her newfound powers and get the hang of being a Djinn before she’s claimed and enslaved by someone with the ability and know-how. But it’s not going to be easy, not with some nasty enemies on the horizon, and a distinct lack of allies amongst the Djinn themselves. And there’s a storm brewing in the aetheric plane, one which could rip the world apart if left to its own devices. Only Joanne and David can deal with the problem, and in the doing so, make it worse.

Much worse.

Now, as the world shudders towards a meteorological apocalypse, Joanne has fallen into the hands of a ruthless Warden and a disgruntled teenager, either of whom will use her for their own selfish, twisted ambitions. David’s missing and probably dying, Joanne’s other allies are incapacitated or busy, and she’s on her own, once again. Oh, and despite mastering the art of manifesting whatever clothes she likes, she can’t get her hair just right. Priorities must be observed.

Heat Stroke combines the fashion savvy and dry, cutting humor of the best “chick lit” heroines with the high-octane thrill of a disaster movie, producing a modern fantasy with an edge. One thing’s for certain: the twists and surprises not only keep the story moving at a breakneck pace, they ensure a thoroughly delightful unpredictability. My only complaint is that Caine leaves us hanging at the end with several plotlines left to be resolved, and it’ll be some time before book three, Chill Factor, is released. I think Caine’s blending of magical creatures, secret societies, and stormy weather is a welcome addition to the field, filling a niche I didn’t even realize existed, and I look forward to further explorations of the setting.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2004

Chill Factor, by Rachel Caine (Roc, 2005)

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Joanne Baldwin, ex-Weather Warden and ex-Djinn, just can’t seem to catch a break, or her breath. In less than a month, she has died and been reborn twice, saved the world, and seen her entire life thrown into absolute chaos. She has found love and lost it, been betrayed by those closest to her, and been forced to betray in turn. And just when things should be settling down, it turns out she’s in the eye of a very nasty world-threatening storm.

After the events described in Heat Stroke, there were a few loose ends. Not only are there a number of demon-infected Djinn loose in the world, but the most powerful Djinn extant, an amoral being of inconceivable power is in the hands of a bitter teenager. All the power in the world, commanded by a young man of questionable ethics and a bad upbringing. There’s only one person who can sneak under the Djinn’s magical radar, infiltrate Las Vegas, and confront Djinn and master. Unfortunately, Joanne’s going to have to do it without her Djinn-turned-lover, who remains behind in the hands of her enemies. Luckily, there are people in Las Vegas willing to help her, but what game are they really playing?

As the stakes grow ever higher, and new players join the table, Joanne finds herself trapped in a game without rules, playing for the fate of the entire world. Everything she thought she knew about the Weather Wardens will be called into question, especially when she’s introduced to a rival society known as the Ma’at, who are themselves connected to someone very close to Joanne. If Joanne wants to save the world from nature gone wild, defeat an old enemy, rescue her friends and lover, and keep alive, she’ll have to draw upon resources she never even realized she had.

Chill Factor, the third in the Weather Wardens series, successfully builds upon the storylines begun in Ill Wind and continued in Heat Stroke, bringing them all to a furious climax. Caine just keeps getting better and better, as she puts her characters through a steady wringer, never quite letting up as she introduces new layers and levels of complexity to a fascinating setting. While the idea of secret societies policing the magical beings of the world is nothing new, the whole concept of the Weather Wardens is one of those ideas that’s just begging for yet more exploration. It’s clear that Caine’s still scraping the tip of the iceberg, even now, three books into the series. Like a good hurricane, she builds slowly off-shore, and once ready, tears inland to wreak literary havoc in an unpredictable manner. (Okay, I’m still recovering from hurricane season, sorry.) Chill Factor, like the rest in the series, is a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy field, and I continue to look forward to Rachel Caine’s further offerings.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005

Blood Rites, by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2004)

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“The building was on fire and it wasn’t my fault.”

Harry Dresden, the only openly-practicing wizard and private investigator in Chicago, is on the job once again. But for him, even the most routine of jobs are fraught with danger and the extraordinarily unusual.

“An errand is getting a tank of gas or picking up a carton of milk or something. It is not getting chased by flying purple pyromaniac gorillas hurling incendiary poo.”

Over the past few years, he’s tangled with everything from vampires to werewolves to demons, and helped to save Chicago, and sometimes the entire world, from destruction. He’s been used as a pawn by forces far greater than he can imagine, stared into the abyss, and laughed at death. He’s made some strange allies, and strange enemies along the way. But old enemies lurk in the shadows, and some history is about to come back and bite him in a very sensitive spot.

“The Lone Ranger impersonation. You get pounded to scrap every time you turn around and you barely get by on the gumshoe work. You live in that dank little cave of a basement. Alone. You’ve got no woman, no friends, and you drive this piece of crap. Your life is kind of pathetic.”

One of Harry’s erstwhile acquaintances, Thomas Raith, a vampire of the White Court, sums it up perfectly. Not just a workaholic, Harry’s a “white hat” personality, driven to do the right thing for all the noblest and most foolhardy of reasons. Unfortunately, it has wreaked havoc on his social and love lives. All he really has left is the job. So when Thomas offers him an actual paying gig on behalf of a notorious adult film director, Harry takes it. The job seems fairly simple: who’s calling down deadly curses upon women associated with the director’s new movie? But things are never simple in Harry’s world. The White Court vampires feed off of the energy produced by lust and sex, so clearly, there’s a connection between Thomas and the movie. So what role does the rest of his nasty, manipulative, all-too-seductive family play in the murderous events surrounding the movie? And what secret is the King of the White Court willing to kill to protect? And how does it all relate to Harry?

That’s not all. Some old enemies from the vampiric Black Court, the truly deadly “real” vampires of myth and legend, are in town to see Harry dead. No, scratch that, to see him very dead. When Harry gets wind of their presence, he decides it’s time to go on the offensive for a change. To that end, he gathers some allies, including his old mentor, a high-priced hit man, and Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, Director of Special Investigations for Chicago Police. But once he has got his forces together, the sparks immediately begin to fly, as old history rears its ugly head.

Not one, but two major showdowns with the heavy hitters of the vampire Courts will drive Harry to the breaking point, test the loyalty of his friends and allies, and unlock some valuable secrets to his past… secrets which could change everything about how he looks at himself, and how he approaches the world. A major milestone in the ongoing saga of The Dresden Files, Blood Rites is the culmination of years of setup, creating as many new questions as it answers, and marking a transition in the personal journey of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.

What’s not to love about this series? Harry’s self-destructive blend of nobility, stubbornness, and masochism makes him a vulnerable, yet compelling narrator. He’s a throwback to the noir detectives of old, willing to take any punishment to see the job done, because he can, because he has to, and because he won’t risk seeing anyone else hurt. Karrin Murphy continues to provide that cold splash of common sense and reality, though her own brand of overcompensating (being a small female in a macho man kind of job) renders her just as blind as Harry to certain truths. Their chemistry, two parts friendly antagonism to one part unspoken loyalty, makes them a joy to watch in action. Jim Butcher further populates the series with a host of memorable secondary characters: Thomas, the sex vampire with an unexpected fondness for his girlfriend/food; Ebenezar, whose good-old-boy country attitude hides a ruthless side; Bob the Skull, Harry’s lab assistant/familiar, a spirit of intellect with a taste for romance novels and strip clubs; and Kincaid, the cold-blooded killer whose only loyalty is to money.

What I like about Butcher is that he manages to keep several plots going at once, and there’s always something on the back burner as well. The ongoing mystery regarding Harry’s parentage and history has slowly been spun out over six books, dropping hints and clues along the way. The revelations here only shed light on some of the big picture; there’s still much left to be seen, as later twists show. And there’s a feeling of continuity and growth, the clear sense that while each book is capable of standing on its own, they all tie into something much larger, that Butcher knows exactly what he’s doing, and doesn’t forget anything for long. Enemies left alive are bound to come back. Allies who fade off screen for a while return when last expected. Even tiny subplots have long-term repercussions.

As always, there’s that sense of urgency to the story: once the action starts, Harry gets very little downtime, his energy, resources, and creativeness stretched as far as they’ll go, in scenes so vivid they practically leap off the page. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. I know I’ll regret finishing Blood Rites so quickly as I wait for the next in the series, but I was sucked in.

The Dresden Files is a series I would, could, have, and will continue to recommend for as long as my breath holds out. It takes the best elements of urban fantasy, mixes it with some good old-fashioned noir mystery, tosses in a dash of romance and a lot of high-octane action, shakes, stirs, and serves. Blood Rites may be the best book in the series yet, and that’s saying something. Dresden fans won’t want to miss this, and new readers are encouraged to start with Storm Front, right now, especially since the SciFi Channel has greenlit a television-movie based on the series, which could hopefully lead into a full series. My only complaint is … what do I read now?

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005

Dead Beat, by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2005)

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“On the whole, we’re a pretty murderous race.

According to Genesis, it took as few as four people to make the planet too crowded to stand, and the first murder was a fratricide. Genesis says that in a fit of jealous rage, the very first parent born to mortal parents, Cain, snapped and popped the first metaphorical cap in another human being. The attack was a bloody, brutal, violent, reprehensible killing. Cain’s brother Abel probably never saw it coming.

As I opened the door to my apartment, I was filled with a sense of empathic sympathy and intuitive understanding.

For freaking Cain.”
Jim Butcher — Dead Beat

It has been nearly a year since the last time Harry Dresden’s life was turned inside-out and upside-down by the various supernatural factions that vie for control of the hidden world that exists alongside a more mundane existence. Nearly a year in which he has had time to catch up on sleep, pay the bills, and, oh yes, get used to having his half-brother, the vampire Thomas Rathe, live with him. That’s on top of getting used to finding out he even had a half-brother, much less any living family at all. Harry, the quintessential loner, is finding out just how weird it is to have family and a roommate. On top of that, the Chinese temple dog that followed him home from work last year, Mouse, is now the size of a small pony. As a result, the basement apartment Harry calls home is getting crowded.

Enter Karrin Murphy, Harry’s friend, occasional employer, and just-possibly his romantic interest, if he’d only admit it. And then exit said Karrin Murphy, on her first vacation in years. And then enter the ancient, evil vampire called Mavra, who has every intention of blackmailing Harry into helping her find something called the Word of Kemmler. It seems she has some rather incriminating photos regarding Murphy and her participation in a vampire hunt a while back, the sort of photos you just can’t explain to the public. If Harry refuses, Karrin Murphy will be finished as director of Chicago PD’s Special Investigations, and the good guys will be without a valuable ally.

This being Harry Dresden’s life, he’s immediately plunged into a vicious multi-element struggle that makes the Maltese Falcon affair look like a Bobbsey Twins adventure. The crazies start popping out of the woodwork, everyone looking for either the Word of Kemmlar, or an ancient book about the mythical Erlking, and they either want Harry to find said books, hand them over promptly, or please die now. In some cases, all three. The really bad news? Six of the new nasties in town are necromancers. Before you know it, Harry’s up to his wizard’s staff in zombies, with no end in sight.

And that’s just the beginning. With most of his usual allies either out of town or indisposed, Harry’s got remarkably few resources to draw upon. The most unlikely of these is a polka-loving medical examiner named Butters, dragged into the whole mess simply because he was examining the wrong corpse at the wrong time.

But wait, there’s more. As if someone’s trying to really ruin Harry’s day, word comes that the cold war between the White Council of the wizards, and the Red Court of the vampires, a war for which he was in part responsible for provoking, has just turned hot. Very, very hot. As the effects of the war spill over into Chicago, allies and enemies alike turn up, ready to do battle. And then the true plan of the necromancers, all former disciples of the infamous Kemmlar himself, is revealed. Once again, only Harry has the unique combination of brains, bravado, resourcefulness, and foolhardiness required to stop it. If he fails, the world itself is in for a very bad day. And did we mention that something’s up with Bob, Harry’s talking skull/research assistant/information tool? And of course, there’s a demon trying to corrupt and/or seduce Harry, but what else is new?

Dead Beat is very much a kitchen sink book; Butcher manages to cram in werewolves, wizards, vampires, fairies, demons and zombies, without making it feel crowded. It’s the natural, logical progression of events, built up over the course of the previous six books. Things have been building in the fore- and backgrounds all along, and they continue to do so here, to devastating effect. Butcher may drop characters out of the spotlight, but he never forgets that they’re there, or that they lead lives of their own off screen, as best represented by the maturation and evolution of the Alphas, Harry’s pack of werewolf friends.

I can honestly say that there were times in this book when I was cursing Jim Butcher for the hell he puts his characters through, and the way he’s capable of yanking the rug out from underneath us. No sooner do I start rooting for something, than he switches gears and makes me rue my first impressions. No sooner do I think I know where he’s going, than he upsets expectations. He knows just how to keep his readers on their toes, looking both for missed clues and new revelations.

Harry Dresden is one of the best-realized, most complex protagonists around. The more time we spend in his head, the more we really get to understand what motivates him, and it’s not always pretty. Of course, this means that when things go wrong, as they so often do, we’re right there for a front-seat row. Luckily, it looks as though Dead Beat may be a turning point for Harry with regards to that buried pain and self-hatred that’s so often been the cause of his self-destructive behavior in the past. But only time will tell.

What’s absolutely certain is that Dead Beat is the wildest, strangest, best Dresden adventure to date, an intense adventure that promotes Harry into the front rank of urban fantasy heroes once and for all. The events of this book change the status quo in a fascinating way, setting up the series for some very interesting stories yet to come. After Dead Beat, it’ll be fun to see what Jim has planned next, and how he plans to top this. If you like urban fantasy — if you like Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Rachel Caine, Charles de Lint, Laurell K. Hamilton, Emma Bull, Laura Anne Gilman, or Simon Green — then you need to be reading The Dresden Files. Butcher’s blending of modern fantasy with classic noir sensibilities ensures that there’s never a dull moment in what has fast become one of my favorite series.

Originally posted at SF Site, 2005

Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2006)

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Harry Dresden, P.I. and the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone directory, is in one of the worst binds of his life. And for a guy who routinely fends off attacks by vampires, werewolves, demons, faeries, zombies, ghosts, and warlocks, that’s saying something. He has become the one thing he has always hated and distrusted more than anything else: a Warden for the White Council, the governing body that makes sure all wizards mind their manners and cast within the lines. It used to be, he was oppressed and feared by the White Council, living under a death threat should he ever misuse his powers. Now, against Harry’s own better judgment, he’s responsible for enforcing the rules he once stood accused of breaking. Not only is he suffering a moral conflict, but there are those of the Council who still distrust him, waiting for him to screw up just one more time. And it looks like the opportunity may have come at last.

As the war between the White Council and the vampiric Red Court rages on with ever-higher casualties (a war inadvertently sparked by Harry’s own actions some years back), Harry is tasked to find out what the Summer and Winter Courts of the Fae have up their sleeves. He’s got some history with the two Courts, which makes him ideal for the task. Find out why the Fae haven’t acted in response to earlier slights. Find out why the Red Court has gotten away with blatant acts against the Fae. Discover what it will take to bring the Sidhe to bear against the vampires, and not the mages. Oh, and by the way, all evidence supports the existence of a traitor within the White Council, someone placed extremely high. Possibly even at the very top. And as if THAT wasn’t enough for poor Harry, he’s also instructed to track down rumors of black magic being performed in Chicago. A warlock is on the loose, and Harry has to find them.

That’s just the tip of an ugly iceberg, especially when Molly Carpenter, the daughter of Harry’s good friend Michael Carpenter (one of the Knights of the Sword, a holy warrior for the Lord) shows up on Harry’s doorstep, up to her pierced eyebrows in trouble. Serious trouble. Black magic trouble. Something nasty is stalking her and her friends.

And it may be her fault.

Hey, when things get complicated in Harry Dresden’s life, they get downright messy. Before it’s over, Harry will defeat a creature of pure nightmare, storm the depths of Faerie, defy the White Council, resist the temptations of a fallen angel, and push himself to the limits over and over. All in a day’s work.

Where do I begin? Proven Guilty is everything I’ve come to expect and love about the Harry Dresden books, with the intensity turned up to full volume and then some. Butcher is superb at blending action and adventure with hard-hitting, no-holds-barred urban fantasy, all with a noir sensibility.

Harry’s the quintessential flawed hero with a rough past, a heart of gold, and a head of steel, capable of taking beating after beating and still coming back to finish the job. He’ll do what’s right even if it kills him, all so other people can go home to their families at night. But in this book, we see him grow even more, as he continues his own personal journey towards a greater responsibility. As he embraces his new obligations and duties, we can see how he has steadily evolved as a character from the first book in the series, enjoying a satisfying level of growth. This especially comes into play as he sees where he stands in relation to characters like Molly (who’s grown up since she was first introduced a few books back), Thomas (Harry’s half-brother and semi-reformed vampire), Ebenezar (Harry’s old mentor), and Karrin Murphy (Head of Chicago P.D.’s Special Investigations unit, and one of Harry’s best friends). You might want to beat Harry for being a pig-headed, stubborn, noble idiot, but you’d never turn him away if he was on your side.

The story definitely moves with a roller coaster’s breakneck intensity, constantly on the move, throwing the reader through all sorts of loops, switchbacks, and surprise turns along the way, so it never gets dull. And as usual for a Dresden story, the multiple plot lines all feed back into the overarching threads, but not always as expected. Proven Guilty plays off of the ongoing story lines from previous books, but holds up on its own merits, even as it leaves plenty to be answered in the future. It’s a satisfying read, but sure to leave readers demanding more, and the sooner the better. There are many reasons why new books in the Dresden Files shoot immediately to the top of my reading list, but the simplest one is this: they’re some of the best urban fantasy to be found on the bookshelves today. Jim Butcher always delivers an excellent story, and he keeps getting better. The next book can’t arrive quickly enough, in my opinion. Fans of the Dresden Files won’t be disappointed. Newcomers to the series are strongly urged to start with Storm Front, the first in the series, just so they get a proper grounding, however. Trust me, they won’t regret it.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2006

White Night, by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2007)

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As any Spider-Man fan can tell you, with great power comes great responsibility. As Harry Dresden, wizard, private investigator, and Warden of the White Council, can tell you, with great responsibility comes even greater headaches. And in Harry’s case, the headaches tend to be magically explosive, often fatal, and always messy.

The White Council is several years into a deadly war against the Vampire Courts, a war which has already claimed many of the White Council’s best and brightest, leaving them dangerously spread out. Harry’s got his hands full with his new apprentice, who just happens to be the daughter of one of his best friends, and he’s still teaching her the finer points of subtlety, control, and good behavior. And just when he thinks he can’t quite juggle any more problems, a major one hits Chicago, in the form of a serial killer preying upon the city’s low-level and less powerful magical practitioners. Unfortunately, the very people he wants to help are the ones least likely to actually trust him now that he’s accepted the cloak of a Warden. Worse still, all evidence points towards Harry’s half-brother Thomas, a vampire who’s been acting awfully suspicious of late.

As the investigation drags on, several old faces — both friend and foe — return to bedevil and befuddle poor Harry, and as he gets caught right in the middle of a daring power play in the White Court of the vampires, he’ll need every resource, ally, and trick he can muster. In this case, there are no easy answers, or solutions.

White Night is, as expected, an adrenaline-fueled adventure that mixes action, mystery, and magic into a seamless, nonstop story. Every time we think we have it all figured out, Harry uncovers a new clue that puts an entirely different spin on things. When old characters show up out of the blue, and newer characters get involved, it’s never for exactly the reasons one might immediately suspect, and that’s part of what makes it such a fun read. In this world, everyone — good and bad — is complex and full of surprises. And believe me, there were things even I didn’t see coming in this book.

As always, Jim Butcher quite ably builds upon the seeds planted in the previous books in the series. Time passes in the world of The Dresden Files, enough that we can actually see how these things progress. And nowhere is this more evident than in the case of Harry Dresden himself, who’s matured over the course of eight books, growing from a rebellious wizard clearly on the outs with the Powers That Be, to a capable, confident, effective leader. The Harry we first met was a man living under a suspended death sentence from the White Council; the Harry that battles his way through the events of this book is one of the White Council’s best agents, responsible for the safety and training of new Wardens and likewise responsible for an apprentice of his very own. To see this tangible growth is one of the best payouts long-term readers can ask for.

Harry’s not the only one capable of change and growth, however. Thomas, Murphy, Molly, they all have their slow-burning character arcs, which see some satisfactory progress here, as do some of the other major secondary characters to occupy this world. One of the most satisfying — and somewhat surprising — appearances had to be that of Harry’s perennial foil, “Gentleman” John Marcone, Chicago’s preeminent crime lord. All I’ll say is that he takes a step towards becoming a truly major player in this story.

I tried to explain the appeal of this series a little while ago, and what I came up with was that while Butcher offers a complex story with all sorts of different elements, he manages to keep the tone accessible and the language simple. The Dresden Files aren’t dumbed-down by any means, but Harry Dresden’s viewpoint is, quite simply, that of the common man, and it’s as easy to relate to him as readers once did to Ross MacDonald’s Lew Archer, for example. Butcher makes it easy to get involved in what’s going on, and even when things get messy and magical, they’re still grounded in a real setting (most of the time). See, there are good reasons why The Dresden Files are some of the best urban fantasy on the market. And in a field that seems to be flooded with strong female characters (and that’s not even counting the overlap with the paranormal romance subgenre), it’s nice to see an old-fashioned white knight like Harry Dresden still in play.

In all honesty, White Night isn’t an ideal jumping-on point. As the eighth book in the series, it plays off the story elements, plotlines, and character bits set up in the preceding seven, and a newcomer probably wouldn’t appreciate some of the nuances.

My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that some plot threads are taking forever to be resolved, and I’m getting antsy to find out the truth behind the “Black Council,” and just what Harry plans to do with the sword in his umbrella stand, to name a few of said threads. But I have faith in Butcher, and I know he’s playing a long-term game here, and that the wait will be worth it. Newcomers are well-advised to start with Storm Front and work their way forward. Those who are already fans, on the other hand, are unlikely to be disappointed in another excellent installment of The Dresden Files. As far as I’m concerned, this is another home run for Jim Butcher, and I heartily recommend it.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2006