White Night (The Dresden Files #9)

Huge fan of this series, but this was one of the weaker installments. It revolves around the White Court, a faction which just isn’t that interesting compared to what Dresden has come up against in the past. The whole lust vampires thing was intriguing a few books back but is starting to wear thin. To read over and over how the White Court uses cat’s paws and indirect means of attack also gets old real fast. They’re sneaky, we get it – move on. Elaine’s reappearance doesn’t help and the way Harry just reconnects with her and trusts her completely after what happened in Summer Knight is ridiculous – that whole book might as well have not happened.

That said, the last quarter of the book was great – lots of action and some good character development for Ramirez, Marcone, and Molly. Still enjoyed it, just not one of my favorites

Dresden being Dresden, we can count on quality action, wit, and heart through almost every book (really every one after the first couple, warmups). But this is one that just has a way of hitting a notch or two harder than that high standard, again and again.

Let’s see: some extra-powerful moments with Thomas, Molly, Murphy, Elaine (yes really), Lasciel (hooo boy), Marcone, Lara Raith, Ramirez and the next generation of wizards, and the Conspiracy Behind It All… This is also where you’ll find one of Harry’s coolest spells (involving a fireball and Lake Michigan), an already-awesome formal duel that goes even more wrong than you’d expect, and possibly Harry’s greatest line in the whole series: “Are you kidding? Everyone loves a wise***, as long as he’s not talking to them.”

If you want to try Harry out with just one book and truly don’t mind a few spoilers (there being eight previous books), this is the place to start.

Chicago has been hit with a rash of suicides. All women. All entry-level practitioners of magic. Karrin Murphy of the Chicago Special Investigations Unit asks wizard Harry Dresden to inspect the latest “suicide” scene. Utilizing his magical senses, Harry realizes the victim did not kill herself–her emotions were manipulated to do herself harm. And who has the power to bend human emotions to their will? The White Court of Vampires. And who is the White Court vampire residing in Chicago full-time? Unfortunately, it’s Harry’s half-brother, Thomas. So Harry has some real incentive to exonerate his brother; his adventures in doing so–along with rounding up and dueling some malicious White Court vampires in a showdown for the ages–make up the action-packed WHITE NIGHT, the 9th installment of Jim Butcher’s deliciously fun Dresden Files series.

Several characters return for this installment, including potential romantic interest Murphy. Molly Carpenter, Harry’s impulsive apprentice, plays a role, as does Thomas himself. Deadly Lara Raith, Thomas’s sister and the head of the White Court, returns–but the ultimate reintroduction comes in the form of mob kingpin Gentleman Johnny Marcone. When Johnny and his hired thugs come blasting into the White Court lair to save Harry and fellow wizard Carlos Ramirez from grotesque ghouls released from the Nevernever, it’s a bona fide page turner. And, as always, Harry is never far away from an off-the-cuff quip; he may be slicing and dicing relentless waves of ghouls, but he’s never going to take things seriously. Also, as always, the novel is furiously paced; Butcher’s novels move like a runaway freight train. Look for a surprise ending between the two brothers. In WHITE NIGHT Harry has never been better; this is one fun read that will have readers happily reaching for the next installment.
~D. Mikels, Esq.

Jim butcher has done it again! The Dresden series just keeps getting better and better. Set in a world not much unlike our own where a secret society of mage’s keeps the peace Dresden ( A PI) goes around solving crimes/ supernatural occurrences. I just cant quit reading these books!

The order of the books and a very brief synopsis of each so if you cant remember which one you last read. As I had to look it up when reading them I thought this might be helpful. Warning this has some spoilers but will try and be bland enough you can just figure out where you have read to.

sorry for only limited links amazon only allows 10

Storm Front – First book In which Dresden fights Warlock Victor Sells and saves mob boss Johnny Marcone

Fool Moon Second book in which Dresden fights FBI hexen wolves and Macfinn (werewolf)

Grave Peril Third book in which Dresden unwittingly sets off a war between the Red court and the white council

Summer Knight fourth book in which Dresden as emissary to the white court secures passage for the white council in the lands of winter

Death Masks Fifth book in which Dresden fights a duel in wriggly field(to a draw…) One of my favorite parts of this series is in this book when Ebeneezer lands a satellite on the red court in retaliation for cheating.

Blood Rites Sixth book in which Raith is overthrown by his daughter who uses him as a puppet.

Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7)

Seventh book in which Dresden uses a zombiefied T-Rex to save the day. (trust me youd remember)

Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)

Eighth book in which harry takes molly as his aprentice to save her from certain death at the hands of the Merlin.

White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)

Ninth book in which Dresden fights a duel in the white courts(vampires) caves to protect fledgling practitioners of the arts.

Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)

Tenth Book in which Dresden accidentally sets up the archive to be kidnapped but manages to free her with some subtle nudging from Queen MAB. (Also sends the elder gruff on a mission to go get a donut)

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11)

Eleventh Book in which dresden is forced by his convictions to help Warden Morgan, Anyway Morgan dies an Honorable death or some such thing.

Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files

Twelfth book in which Dreden kills the entire red court by turning their spell around on them. (oh also he has a kid) This book ends with him being shot.

Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files

Thirteenth book in which Dresden runs around in the form of a Ghost thinking hes dead.

Cold Days (Dresden Files)

Fourteenth book In Which molly gets the mantle of the winter lady.

Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files

fifteenth book in which Dresden Robs the Vault of Hades.

Its been two years since I read the previous Dresden Files novel – they taunt me a little from a bookcase, because Ive got the whole series but dont feel I enjoy them enough that I constantly want to read them. The release of a new entry however prompted me to pick up this, the ninth novel.

Theres been some suspicious deaths in Chicago, and Harry Dresden is brought in on the quiet to have a look for anything that might be up his street – and surprise surprise thats exactly what he finds.

Ultimately my struggle I think with this book was that it was about 100 pages longer than I wanted it to be. Id had enough by three quarters of the way through, and thats just about where the narrative really started to pick up some pace.

Part of my reluctance may be that Ive read a number of comments online that Butchers characters have a slightly unhealthy attitude towards women – and actually it is quite noticeable once you are aware of it. While there might be an argument that its the characters viewpoints, it seems to be a lot of the characters, particularly those were meant to like as readers, and it goes down without being addressed.

I think its likely to be a while again before I pick up the next novel, although I dont doubt that I will eventually.

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