Summer Knight

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Return to form for Butcher - Rated
If you're reading the Dresden books, then skip Grave Peril and go straight to this - you'll get a recap of the important events in that book anyway, so you'll be saving yourselves a lot of pain. Otherwise, this is a return to Butcher's popcorn fiction style and if you put aside the character problems, it's an enjoyable enough read with a lot of thought having gone into the world building.

Dresden at his best - Rated
Of all of Butcher's Harry Dresden novels I have read to date Summer Knight is by far the most enjoyable. Reducing the horror quotient of the previous book in the series, Grave Peril, and upping the insights into the workings of the worlds of magic and the 'faeries', the universe that Harry Dresden inhabits is becoming increasingly more rounded and interesting. Even the character himself is becoming more agreeable company. By the end of Grave Peril his world weary cynicism had been replaced by depression and sadness, and we find him is a similar state at the beginning of this story. During the course of Summer Knight however, he undergoes something of a change and by the end is back to his former, sarcastic, non-conformist wisecracking best.

I just hope that Jim Butcher maintains this standard with the next book. Having become a little disenchanted with the series post Grave Peril after Summer Knight I will once again be keen to find out.

Oh, and as always, word to the wise; if you're new to Harry Dresden buy Storm Front first and work through the series in order. The central stories of each book might work in isolation, but understanding what has gone before is important to the enjoyment of the books.

BETTER and BETTER! - Rated
a word of encouragement for those of you who have read all previous Dresden files and found books two and three somewhat disappointing-Persist!..because Summer Knight is superb and the most recent one, Death Masks even better!

BIG mistake buying TWO Harry Dresden books at once! - Rated
That's what I did, and I didn't sleep until I finished Fool Moon(Book 2) which was at 4am.
I came home from school and zipped through Summer Knight till dawn.

Be warned.
Summer Knight is fantastic.

Since the earlier reviewer talked about the plot, I should tell you that Summer Knight has literally laugh-out-loud bits(Harry's awful latin for example)which really add punch and color to the narrative.
VERY cool to actually meet the White Council in this book. Fans of the previous Dresden books will remember mentions of them but this is the first book where you really find out what they're like in person. And you're always finding out more about Harry's past.

Harry really thinks on his feet. His presence of mind in Oh-No-What-Now situations makes you cheer.
I only wish there'd been a bit more of Mab.

Anyway, these are great books for Laurell K. Hamilton fans who
a)are waiting for the next Anita Blake book and
b) miss the zip and vinegar of the early Anita books( ie before all the complications)
In fact, I read about Jim Butcher on an Anita Blake fansite at first.

Read ALL the Dresden Files!!!!!!

Jim does it again! Another fabulous Dresden File book. - Rated
I loved this book. I love the series. Harry Dresden is such a wonderful character, with a wry, slightly skewed outlook on life and the ability to look at his own usually critical situation and quietly laugh, even if the laughter might be touched by desperation. The device of seeming to talk to the reader works well for this aspect of Harry's personality. Butcher's short, choppy style suits Harry well, and highlights the best and worst in his characters. I always enjoy the very visual descriptions - I think Butcher creates a series of moving images of Harry in my mind, especially when he dons his long duster coat and strides into battle!

The Summer Knight of the title has been killed, and Harry's faerie godmother has given over Harry's debt (from Grave Peril) to the Winter Queen, who has been accused of killing the Knight. Winter has much to gain by the death of someone who holds a portion of Summer's power, the power which has not travelled to the next vessel once the Knight died, but is no missing, lost. The balance of power between Summer and Winter has shifted, and they are no longer equals. A battle of potentially apocalyptic proportions is about to begin. You'd think things couldn't get much worse for Harry, but you should know better!

I find with each book in the Dresden Files that Harry continues to grow and develop. His girlfriend left some months earlier after being infected by the Red Court, and Harry is obsessed with finding a cure for her. His friends the werewolf pack are worried about him, as is Murphy. Murphy herself retains some damage from the battle with the Red Court - another whip of guilt for Harry to flog himself with. By the end of the book while much is still unresolved, in just a few days Harry's actually at a healthier place, and I'm glad for him.

Harry always seems to perform well under stress, and here we meet more of the White Council. While Harry doesn't consider himself at the top of his profession, it is interesting to see how he is perceived by other wizards and supernatural creatures. I'm glad he's not 'super wizard', but it's kinda sweet to know he's more feared / respected by others than Harry perceives himself. Butcher does not 'talk down' to his readers, but allows them to draw their own conclusions that even Harry seems unaware of.

I highly recommend the book, and the series, to anyone who enjoys good writing, mystery, and the supernatural.