Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8) by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)
Book Review: Awesome book
Summary: 5 Stars
This guy has rapidly become one of my favorite authors. This book is fast paced, suspenseful, and really fun to read.Book Review: Loved this
Summary: 5 Stars
The book was in excellent condition! I have read this whole series and will watch for more. Enjoyed very much.Book Review: One of the best Harry books
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok I love Harry. There are several favorites I have - this is one. It is enjoyable pleasure to read.Book Review: Proven Guilty, The Dresden Files Book 8
Summary: 5 Stars
As always, a great read and makes me want to read the next one right now!Book Review: Harry Dresden, role model?
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are a fan of the Dresden Files TV series and are considering checking into the print series, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. "Proven Guilty" is eighth in the series, preceded by, in order:
Storm Front Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Fool Moon Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)
Grave Peril Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
Summer Knight Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4)
Death Masks Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)
Blood Rites Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6)
Dead Beat Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7)
Also, the reality in the books is a little different than the TV series, and you won't enjoy the books if you get hung up on the TV canon. My advice is kick back and enjoy the ride. Unlike many series authors, Jim Butcher has sustained the quality and appeal of the series throughout.
The Dresden Files are noir detective novels in the classic vein, with a loner, wiseass private eye narrator in this case based in Chicago. Harry Dresden has an edgy relationship with the police, and between his PI practice and police consulting, is barely able to make ends meet. The twist is that the detective is also a wizard capable of calling fire and, on a good day, repelling bullets.
The writer's challenge is to provide his detective with challenges that he can't solve with a wave of his wand. These tend to be ever-increasing supernatural foes, people problems, and vexing situations that combine the two.
"Proven Guilty" begins darkly, with Warden Harry witnessing the execution of an untrained teenager who misused his magic. The dark theme prevails through the book. "Proven Guilty" continues the story arc that was begun in "Dead Beat". Prior to this, the stories were more self-contained. Some of bad guys in "Dead Beat" got away (for any series, pretty much a guarantee they'll appear in a sequel), and Harry became aware of a sinister force moving against the wizards' White Council. In "Proven Guilty" the unseen hand of these evil forces that Harry calls the Black Council are once more in the background. In the foreground, though, are the ingredients we know and love about a Harry Dresden story: big, messy forces of magic with innocent bystanders in the way, tense relationships between Harry and those he loves best, and the Harry Dresden Code.
Molly Carpenter, the wise-beyond-her-years rebellious teenager who made a cameo appearance in "Death Masks" takes center stage here. Her rebellion is in full flower here and Harry once more runs afoul of her formidable mom, Charity.
If I could give this book 3.5 stars, I would. The appeal to me of the Dresden Files is the characters. I really enjoy Harry and his inner struggles to adhere to his black-and-white code in a very grey world. I also appreciate his evolving relationships with the people (I use the term loosely) in his world. I admire the way Jim Butcher keeps raising the stakes for Harry as his powers and knowledge develop. He also deftly puts barriers between Harry and his powers at times, or blocks his access to powerful allies to avoid the "Fantastic Four" problem.
Where the story loses my interest is in the complex political machinations within the supernatural. Whatever politics is in the mundane world is usually within the context of the detective genre: the mobster has ties in government and law enforcement, and Murphy has internal politics in the police department that we are all familiar with from TV. But I only have a limited appetite for intra-faerie politics and if I really have to internalize it to follow the story I get a little testy.
Perhaps Jim Butcher is getting distracted by his other series, "The Codex Alera". However, I remain a big Harry Dresden fan and am optimistic about sequels.