Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)
Book Review: Small Favor but Big Payoff for Reader
Summary: 5 Stars
This latest Jim Butcher book depicting the ever unpredictable and exciting life of Wizard Harry Dresdan is a page turner from the start. Harry owes a favor to Mab, but that is just the start of an action packed story that entails much more than this small favor. Favorite characters are back, Micheal and his family, Thomas (good old reliable Thomas), Murphy, Kincaid, the Archive, Luccio, Mouser and the other member of the Knights of the Cross besides Michael, Sanya. The Denarians are also back in full force, but I miss Liscel. The laugh out loud humor is still plentiful. There are a few things solved in this story and yet more to be solved in the future. The plot twists and turns and there are wounded and dead before the day is done. A cliff-hanger at the end concerning the Knights of the Cross has guaranteed this reader will definitely get the next book in the series.
I have to say I did NOT find this book "churchy" as a few have in their reviews. I think Mr. Butcher is brave in bringing the Knights of the Cross, most notably Micheal, into the series. I have found lately there are not many writers of this genre who feel comfortable bringing religion and/or faith into their stories unless it is a minor element. I find it fascinating that one of the Knights of the Cross is agnostic. Evidently believing in Him is not required (according to Him) to be worthy of wielding the special sword and fight for the what is right.
The series is ultimately about good and evil and these are definitely two groups that epitomize that, hence their existence in the story. But they are just part of the crowd in Harry's world. Ms. Butcher writes characters all the way from the meanest, deadliest and cruelest to the Knights of the Cross and all those in between. They come in and out of the stories, some more than others. There are plenty more characters on both of the warring sides. The vastly different characters are one of the things I love about the Dresden Files, other than the stories they populate.
Book Review: They just keep getting BETTER!!
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading a few of the other reviews, I had to add my own in response. Churchy? Preachy? Whoa......are you reading the same series I have been? Dresden Files, Jim Butcher right?? The one about the wizard with a conscience who is always trying to do the 'right thing'? To defend the innocent, and those who cannot defend themselves?? Good versus evil??
The Carpenters have been there for a loooooong time (they are Christians, always HAVE been Christians, and the head of the household is a Knight of the CROSS for crying out loud!), and I didn't find anything in their further character development that made any of them more 'religious' than they always were...in fact if anything, LESS so! It's been established, and the author has gone on from there. Harry is, as he has been, trying to fit it all together and decide what if anything God has to do with him.
As to the comments about some of the characters being shallow in comparison to previous books, I disagree! (*Possible Spoiler alert)For example Murphy's feelings for Kincaid were obviously deeper than even SHE realized, and I think the struggle with that (AND her feelings for Harry) were very well portrayed. I could go on.....(*END Spoiler alert)
Harry Dresden (the main character) is the wittiest, most charming, good looking (despite what he says) character I've ever come across. His character is good...he's a GOOD GUY, whose talent for magic (he IS a wizard after all) is in constant development, as is his unfortunate ability to find himself in mess after mess. If you like a GOOD read with lots of action, plot (and plots within plots!) and a few really good belly laughs, read the entire series! You won't be disappointed, and you'll be left as I am, having to wait yet another loooooong year before reading the next in the series.
RUN to your nearest bookseller (or order from Amazon of course!) and buy the series. You'll read it again and again!
Book Review: Excellent private investigative urban fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally a respite for Chicago's only openly practicing professional wizard Harry Dresden as no one has tried to kill in quite a while. However, Harry's serenity abruptly ends when the Queen of the Winter Court of the Sidhe and Queen of Air and Darkness Mab arrives to call in his IOU. Harry prayed this day would never come when he asked her for a favor years ago, but he now owes the ever dangerous Mab two favors.
Harry is relieved when all Mab asks of him is to rescue crime boss John Marcone, who was recently kidnapped. He figures how hard this can be as dealing with a mundane mob killers seems easier than some of the supernatural soul stealers he normally contends with. Still he is confused why Mab wants this done and bewildering him further she does not know why. Harry investigates to understand better the scenario as he finds it difficult to fathom how John was abducted from a highly guarded safehouse. He asks his friend Michael Carpenter, father of his apprentice Molly, to help him, but the "Knight of the Sword" hesitates as he distrusts Harry since the wizard was exposed to a curse. However, Harry soon realizes that by abetting Mab, he has brought onto him and his friends, the most powerful adversary of the Queen of the Winter Court, the Queen of Summer.
Dresden is at his best in this private investigative urban fantasy as his R&R ends with paying his debt. Fans will appreciate the hero as the favor seems simple enough, but soon spirals into soul threatening danger that would have hard core sleuths like Marlowe peeing in their pants. Dresden's inquiries are cleverly done to set the stage for the usual lethal fantasy spin. Readers will relish Jim Butcher's latest tour of Chicago's underground as the sunny skies abruptly twist into deadly tornadoes.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Harry Dresden - The most entertaining series, ever...
Summary: 5 Stars
Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there is an invisible demon about to eat your face...
The Dresden series is by far one of the most amusing and enjoyable fantasy series that I've read. If you've not read any of the 'Dresden Files' then please do yourself a favour and start at #1 (Storm Front). It is more than worth it to start at the beginning. I discovered the series, after being a fan of the Sky One television programme.
Having read all the books, at least twice, they have become an integral part of my recreational reading. Furthermore, having convinced a number of my family and friends to try out Dresden, their enjoyment has meant that the 'files, have become an integral part of our regular conversations and day to day terminology.
Small Favor, is not my favourite in the series, although it is by far from the least enjoyable (that title goes to Summer Knight, an excellent book but the weakest, in my opinion, in the series), and it is more of a pre-cursor book (think Star Wars IV: A New Hope - the first Star Wars film, for those who aren't sure). It sets up a number of story lines, for what I truly hope will be another good few books.
Don't get me wrong, this book is brilliant, witty, engaging, funny - the adjectives just keep coming. The development of the characters and the continuance of what makes the series great is still there. Although, I sincerely miss 'Lash', I won't explain more for those who've not read all the books in the series.
In short, if you've already read some of the Dresden Files, you WON'T need me to convince you to buy and read this latest episode. And, if you've not read any, then start at Storm Front...
Book Review: The 10th of the Dresden Files and still going strong
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite Dresden Files books to date with the exception of Dead Beat and Proven Guilty. However there was less of a presence of Thomas and Murphy in this book.
Ms. Gard, Cujo Hendricks, and Jared Kincaid act like they are at a funeral and bring down the mood of the entire book. And Harry seemed to treat Thomas more like a personal driver than a brother. But there was still a lot of good dialogue and action as usual. And the bit with Bob reading a romance novel was priceless.
(SPOILER ALERT)
I also felt like the bad guys who were supposed to be these big bad demons were sort of push-overs in a fight. They take out like a dozen of them without any trouble. And most of the fighting/killing of bad guys happened off screen. Kincaid kills a bunch of them in a bathroom somewhere and the knights and Luccio kill a bunch while Harry is knocked out. I would have liked to see Harry take a few more of them out. Even the gruff that was killed was done by Charity after Harry wounded it. It's like ever since Harry lost Lash he has just lost his edge. I know he would have taken out that spiny demon at the aquarium if she were still in the picture. It was kind of like he was an extra in his own action movie, the hero is supposed to mow down the villains not his cute 5 foot tall sidekick. He was sort of stumbling through things and letting his friends do all the heavy lifting so he can have a clean conscience. And if Harry hadn't broken cover in the aquarium like a idiot they never would have captured Ivy.
Beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere - To accept a favor is to sell freedom. (Publilius Syrus)