Grave Peril: The Dresden Files, Book 3

Sneaky Burrito

starting to see a nice arc to the series

"For me, this is where the Dresden Files novels really start to pick up. I think this -- of the four I've read so far -- had the best climax, and we also started to see some better character development over previous novels in the series. We get a few more supernatural elements introduced in this volume; while we've seen vampires before, we get a look at their internal politics here. We also see the introduction of faith or religious magic/power in the character of Michael, Harry's sidekick for most of this book. We encounter ghosts. And, we interact with Harry's godmother, the fae Lea, extensively. It bordered on information overload at times, and I don't necessarily feel that I got the best understanding of the faery realm, but have patience, because that will be remedied in book four. I do find myself wanting to see Lea come back because I am curious about her relationship with Harry's mother, so I'm fine with putting up with her idiosyncrasies for now. I'm not necessarily thrilled with the non-linearity of the storyline in this book. Early on, a lot of references are made to a past battle between a demon and Harry/his allies (including some cops and Michael). At first, I wondered if I'd mistakenly opened book four of the Dresden Files instead of book 3; there was definitely missing background information. On the plus side, you're able to get up to speed with Michael's story pretty quickly, and it may be that the author didn't feel he had enough material for an entire novel leading up to the demon battle. In which case he made exactly the right decision, to start this book with something exciting that introduces the new character (i.e., Michael) and gives some hints as to what will come. There's not a lot I can say about the setting or writing style that hasn't already been said. I think the first-person POV is particularly important here, because we're finally seeing more emotions from Harry, not just action, and we can really get inside his head. This improvement in characterization is a welcome change. Chicago is still Chicago, although a lot of this book takes place in rather otherworldly locations (the "Nevernever," which is actually not in this world, and vampire Bianca's home which is in Chicago but which has so many supernatural visitors it might as well be somewhere else). I like that not a lot of time is wasted on description of Bianca's place, with the exception of features that will figure prominently later on."

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June 29, 2014 Verified Purchase

Jessica

Another "good" installment, but still waiting to be WOWed.

"GRAVE PERIL was a kind of awkward installment. A year has passed since the end of FOOL MOON, and in the interim, not only have Harry and Susan stayed together and are now in a committed relationship, but at some point Harry and our favorite officers of law enforcement have taken down a Bad Guy sorcerer who was using a demon, teenagers, drugs, orgies, and did I mention, a DEMON, to wreck various havocs in Chicago, the latter continually brought up in vague references . . . And that vaguely referenced takedown is the source of this book's plot. But we weren't there for that takedown, so it feels like we're missing something; that the “vague references” are vague b/c we already have the 411, and more detailed explanations aren't necessary . . . -Even though I knew, I KNEW, that, no, I had not accidentally skipped an installment, I found myself constantly wanting to check and make sure (*whispers* again). Beyond that I had a (gaping) handful of other small issues, beginning with the fact that I don't like ghosts. That's part of why I'm not much for steampunk: the Victorian obsession with contacting the dead is often inseparable from the gadgetry. And the concept of malicious spirits that are strong enough to physically harm the living . . . is rather horrific. Mostly b/c I can't get past the "dead" part. I mean, what do you do when your attacker can't be killed or stopped. . . b/c ALREADY DEAD?! Like Harry himself says: "There should be some kind of rule against needing to kill anything more than once." If there's a Winchester handy, then well and good, but I don't have a Sam or a Dean in my back pocket (mores the pity). I'm not much for vampires either. Oh, there are versions that I like well enough, but in truth they're merely at the top of the "Dead Things" list. And these vampires . . . if someone told me the colloquialism "bat s*** crazy" had its origins in this series . . . I would believe them. Entirely. Then there's Michael . . . Michael is the illusive true Man of God. Were he a real man, I would not be surprised if he "walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Like Enoch. Which can be uncomfortable, but mostly it's dull. And hard to like. Every thing is very black and white to Michael, who is demonstrably disappointed in Harry for beating his Faerie Godmother at her own game (that would be manipulation of words and intent, aka tricking), when the alternative is to allow her to literally own him . . . By the end, he was easier to deal with, but I'm honestly not sure it that's b/c he got toned down, or b/c I really like his wife, which made me like him more by default. It's also starting to irritate me how little consistency there is to Harry's abilities. A pattern seems to be forming: x happens, leaving Harry practically powerless, then y happens, not only re-energizing him, but giving him a surplus of power as well. Furthermore, many of the times Harry’s been depleted, he somehow manages to "dig a little deeper" and accomplish the same kinds of things he'd be able to do were he not depleted. There's always some searing pain that accompanies these feats, presumably to account for the power surge in the midst of weakness, but as Harry seems to recover from his injuries at a remarkable rate, it really feels like smoke and mirrors. (<------HA!) I'm not saying Harry should never encounter obstacles that inhibit his ability to wizard. BUT. If it continues to happen in every, single book . . . *frowns* Lastly, Harry says, "Hell's bells," twenty-eight times. So I had a LOT of problems with this book. BUT . . . I still really enjoyed it. B/c no matter what plot point or character issues I had, I immensely enjoy Butcher's writing. When he's not being a gross boy (b/c GORE. Yes!)---do not ask, I refuse to relive it, but I will say this: if you've already read this book, the fork in the WTF? button should have special meaning---he's created an immensely engaging character in Harry, and between his amazing feats of wizardry and, yes, his adorkableness, I find myself able to stamp down the less-than-thrilling aspects of his story. Plus now there are also interesting plot developments and new characters to counter the mounting exasperation. Like Thomas. I friggin' LOVE Thomas. Speaking of Thomas, this is an example of the excellent writing that holds me in thrall: "The first sound to ring out was neither gunshot nor battle cry, but rich, silvery laughter. It drifted up, masculine, somehow merry and mocking, bubbling and scornful all at once. I squinted down through the lights, to see Thomas, posed like some bizarre post-chrysalis incarnation of Errol Flynn, one foot up on the stairs, hand braced, his other hand on the crystalline hilt of his sword. His head was thrown back, every lean line of muscle on him displayed with the casual disregard of skilled effort." Bob is also a consistent source of hilarity, AND there was a (view spoiler) So clearly it wasn't all, or even mostly, bad, and with SUMMER KNIGHT, the almost universally acknowledged game changer up next, there's no way I'm stopping now. I'll keep you posted. ["

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April 26, 2015 Verified Purchase

Island River Scribe

Because He Did What Was Right

"In the first book of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, Harry makes an immortal enemy in Bianca, a well-known and influential madame in Chicago. Bianca is also a vampire of the Red Court, a sect that has no compunction against killing the humans on whom they feed. In the second novel, Bianca is conspicuous by her absence. Harry has little time to consider this, however, as he is busy subduing a demon under the control of Kravos, a sorcerer with a demented hate for Harry. With the considerable help of Knight Templar, Michael Carpenter, Harry dispatches the demon and Kravos is arrested. Now, in the third book, Bianca is back, with her plans for revenge against Harry in place (think Kravos). Having been elevated to a position of power on the Vampire Council, Bianca plans a masquerade ball as celebration for her Court, with invitations also being sent to the designated representatives of each supernatural group within the Nevernever. Thus, Harry, as representative for the White Council, is invited, along with a guest of his choosing, to the ball. Harry has no plans to attend that event. First of all, he really doesn’t want to walk into the lair of a vampire who has sworn to kill him, even if the “rules” of the Nevernever grant him safe passage. And secondly, he and Michael are up to their eyeballs in ghosts who have been slipping through a weakened wall in the Nevernever to wreck havoc, mayhem and death upon those who may, in some way, represent a contribution to their demise. When one of the ghosts escapes them, Harry and Michael are forced to pursue her into the Nevernever. With his Sight, he discovers that the ghost is under the influence of a torture spell – ice cold barbed wire embedded in her neck and wrapped in coils about her body until it embeds itself again in her ankle. The tortures attached to the wire are for the purpose of causing deep emotional grief, unbearable pain and insanity. Then, whoever or whatever is causing this spate of ghostly violence turns its attention to Harry. The entity, dubbed the Nightmare, first attacks one of Murphy’s former detectives in his sleep, wrapping the torture spell about him in his dreams. Then the entity attacks Harry while he is dreaming, but no barbed wire spell is included. Instead, within the dream, the entity guts Harry and consumes the organs, thereby removing the majority of Harry’s magic. The entity would have gotten it all save for Harry’s cat and the Bob skull managing to awaken him just before death would have been certain. Now, virtually incapacitated magically, Harry cannot save Murphy when she is attacked by the torture spell. Continuing the rampage, the entity kidnaps Michael’s pregnant wife, and Harry must, for all practical purposes, sell his soul to save her. At this point, it appears that attendance at Bianca’s ball is going to be necessary if he wishes to find the perpetrator, retrieve his powers and end the carnage. Just as in the previous books of the series, this one is non-stop mayhem, violence and angst. At least three supernatural entities want Harry destroyed, first mentally and physically tortured and then killed. Another creature wants him alive, but only so that she can possess him entirely in body, mind and soul. And through it all, Harry feels that he alone bears the responsibility for the safety of his friends. Even though these villains freely and purposefully choose their own actions, Harry still feels that he has forced them into their choices. Sometimes you just want to slap Harry silly. But Jim Butcher has the character of Michael help him to get back on track with one of the most succinct and memorable pronouncements I have ever read: “What goes round comes around. And sometimes you get what’s coming around. And sometimes you are what’s coming around.” This urban fantasy series falls into that category where most of the supernatural creatures have an innate predatory and vicious nature. There is no compunction not to kill what they eat or not to cheat whom they bargain with or to ever tell the truth. Suspension of disbelief is simply a requirement from the opening words as far as dealing with the mental and physical stamina and the skills that these magical creatures, both human and not, possess. But in this third entry, Butcher drives home the strength of Harry’s character, his innate goodness and the forthright moral compass of his soul in such a manner that no belief need be suspended to accept. DEFINITE SPOILERS FOLLOW: The one major character that I have not yet mentioned is Susan Rodriguez, pulp news journalist and Harry’s girlfriend. From the very beginning of the series, I have disliked this character. Whether Jim Butcher means for the reader to dislike her, I do not know, but she has always come across to me as selfish and egotistical, a user. I have never doubted that she cares for Harry as much as she is able, but she always seems to place her wants and her needs first with no real concern for what Harry might need. And finally, in this novel, her ego and her career goals do her in. Angry with Harry because he doesn’t want her to go to Bianca’s ball and because he won’t stop in the middle of a major spell to talk to her on the phone, she defies Harry’s warnings and slips into Bianca’s ball without an official invitation. Thus, she is also without official protection against attack. While there, she also bargains with a faerie to get part of Harry’s magic back without listening to Harry’s warnings about the “fine print” of the bargain. As a direct result of both acts of stupidity, she loses her memory of what Harry means to her and she loses her humanity. As Michael said: “What goes round comes around. And sometimes you get what’s coming around.” Using much of his little remaining magic, Harry helps Susan get the memories back and gets her away from Bianca’s lair alive. And, upon getting those memories back, how does Susan repay the man she swears that she loves? She leaves him in the hospital, poisoned almost unto death by vampire venom and mushroom toxin. She leaves him without a word and moves away from Chicago without a forwarding address. When Harry is well enough to track her down, she tells him that she loves him, kisses him to sexual distraction, gets ups and walks away, saying “Don’t call me; I’ll call you.” Bianca may not have been able to kill Harry’s body, but through Susan, she has killed his heart. Harry is now a disheveled and broken man. I have not researched the series far enough to know if Butcher brings Susan back, but I certainly hope not. With the vampires calling for war unless the White Council hands him over for execution, Harry deserves better than Susan. He deserves someone at his back, not at his throat, literally or figuratively. ["

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September 18, 2014 Verified Purchase

WryGuy2

Better than the first two books in the series!

""Grave Peril" is the third book of an on-going series of urban fantasy novels by author Jim Butcher, and revolves around wizard Harry Dresden (his name Harry was in honor of the original "Harry", Harry Houdini, not Harry Potter). Harry is basically a private eye who consults with police in magical matters while also taking cases from the public who seek wizardly help. In this book, Harry has to deal with violent ghosts, bloodthirsty vampires (and yes, in this universe, there are other kinds), and his own godmother(!), among others. As I noted in my reviews of the earlier two books in the series "Storm Front" and "Fool Moon", Harry is complicated persona, with a dark past but a clear sense of honor, not to mention a wicked sense of humor and more than a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. He's intriguing, sypathetic, and likeable, as well as a bit of a hothead. Similar to the earlier books, this book is full of interesting plot twists and developments, and as the book goes on, Harry gets deeper and deeper into trouble. But unlike the earlier books, I'm happy to report this book is very well plotted and the villian is not easily spottable, as I belive they are in the other books, and this adds both to the tension and fun of the book. (It's probably a sign of the author maturing within his series, in my opinion.) The book is very entertaining to read if only to see how Harry finally gets out of the mess he's in, as despite Harry's best efforts, he keeps getting into more serious, life threatening trouble. While the author didn't neglect the recurring characters from his earlier books, he adds some new and interesting ones in this book, particularly a carpenter and modern day knight, named Michael. Harry continues to regularly get beat up badly and the action remains a bit over the top and frenetic, but either the author toned it down a little or I'm just getting used to it, as it didn't mildly annoy me as it did in his earlier books. I'm coming late to this series, so I'm basically reading the books back to back to back, and the author's changes and maturity may be a little easier for me to discern than for others who read the books in the series as they were published. I'm encouraged by the growth in the author's work, and am eagerly devouring the rest of his books! Highly recommended. ["

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May 2, 2011 Verified Purchase