Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)
by Jim Butcher
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim ButcherEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-01
ISBN: 0451461894
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Book Reviews of Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)
Book Review: Searching For Marcone
Summary: 5 Stars
Small Favor (2008) is the tenth fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following White Night. In the previous volume, Mouse enjoyed a new chewtoy and Harry Dresden got out of a White Court party in a highly spectacular fashion, leaving behind the remains of his enemies. Lara Raith -- now the Queen of the White Court -- made him a promise and Harry restrained his anger.
Molly Carpenter learned a little caution and gained a little toughness. Elaine left for California and Ramirez survived his knife wounds. Marcone admitted the truth about Helen's daughter and Harry talked to Thomas about the benefits of his new job.
In this novel, winter comes early to Chicago. Harry is giving Molly a lesson in shielding while the other Carpenter kids are trying to distract her with snowballs. Finally Molly gets her shield up and stops two snowballs, but the others get through. Molly is very good at more subtle magic, but she will never become a combat wizard. Yet Harry wants her to learn the fundamentals.
Molly and the other kids have a whispered discussion and then they pelt Harry with snowballs. Of course, Harry raises his shield well before the snowballs can strike. Then Charity Carpenter drops snow down his neck.
While Harry is trying to shake out the snow, the monsters attack. First the lights go out throughout the block. Then three short creatures with furry coats and horns charge across the backyard. As Harry draws his blasting rod, a fourth monster jumps at him from the treehouse.
The older Carpenter kids grab their younger siblings and run toward the safe room. Harry blasts the monsters, but they soon pop up again to renew the attack. Charity Carpenter finally takes out one monster and drives away the others with a nail gun and a steel hammer.
Since cold iron has drastic effects on the monsters, Harry figures that they are fae. After returning home, he looks through his reference books and finds that the monsters are gruffs, like in the fairy tale about the billy goats and the troll. They are minions of the Summer Count.
Michael Carpenter is a Knight of the Cross. He had been out getting pizza when the attack occurred. He thanks Harry for saving the children, but Harry points out that Charity had actually saved the day. Michael asks Charity how she had known that the monsters were fae, but she states that she hadn't known. Michael tends to believe that it was divine intervention.
In this story, Karrin Murphy summons Harry to consult on a strange incident in an abandoned apartment building. Harry hasn't had a consultation with the Chicago PD for some time due to the disfavor of higher authorities. But Special Investigations has been saving money from the coffee fund to hire him whenever necessary. Now it is necessary, but Harry talks them down to an hourly rate.
The building had the whole front sheered off and dropped to the ground. Harry walks around the property and discovers distorted pentacles on five sides. Someone has created a huge pentagram through the building with hellfire, but Harry doesn't know why.
Harry summons the pixie Toot-toot to gather information on the episode. Toot-toot flies off to contact his friends, but immediate returns and tells Harry to run. Harry is confused for a moment, but then he hears footsteps coming toward him and takes off toward a nearby police station.
On the way, Harry becomes lost in the snow and finds himself in an alley with Mab, the Winter Queen. Mab tries once again to recruit Harry as the Winter Knight, but he still refuses. Then she shows him what happened in the wrecked apartment building.
In a miniature diorama, Harry sees gentleman Johnnie Marcone arrive at the building and go inside toward a panic room. Then there is a break in the coverage, but it resumes with Marcone stumbling out of the building. Then several forms surround him and whisk him away in a plain van.
Mab then calls a second favor from Harry. She declares that he is her Emissary to find Marcone. Then she leaves and the gruffs appear.
These gruffs are larger than the first set. Harry runs out of the alley, but they remain close behind. So he hides in an unoccupied business tower. The three gruffs quickly surround the building, but Harry takes out one of them and manages to escape again.
Harry gets the location of a safe house from Helen at Executive Priority Health, one of Marcone's business enterprises. When he and his brother Thomas check out the location, they find Gard and Hendricks, but not Marcone. Then they are attacked by Tessa and other agents of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius.
Harry and Thomas get away from the Denarians, taking Hendricks and the grievously wounded Gard with them. After some argument, Hendricks and Gard decide to help Harry find Marcone.
This tale has agents of both the Summer and Winter Courts attacking Harry and his friends. Then there are the Denarians out to get him. What is going on?
Harry convinces the White Council to intervene in the conflict. Captain Luccio eventually appears with some young Wardens. Harry starts to view Anastasia Luccio as a potential date.
The story involves or mentions just about every surviving character from the previous books. Maybe the author has decided to end the series. Let us hope otherwise.
Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical attacks, cunning ploys, and a touch of romance.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Summary of Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)
The new novel in the New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series.No one's tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow.
An old bargain has placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, the Queen of Air and Darkness-and she's calling in her marker. It's a small favor he can't refuse...one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and one that will strain his skills- and loyalties-to their very limits.
It figures. Everything was going too well to last...
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