The Week in Review (Feb.26-Mar.2)

The second links post, and one that’s a bit more varied.

New York Post “NYPD in 1850” by Lyndsay Faye

This is a very good, short article by the author of Gods of Gotham (Headline), which I intend to read very soon. It has a really intriguing premise, so I’m looking forward to reading this historical take on the NYPD.

Staffer’s Musings: Interview with Elspeth Cooper

With Songs of the Earth finally available in the US, Justin sat down with Elspeth (uh, metaphorically) for a very interesting interview. For more on Songs of the Earth, check out my review of SotE and interview with Elspeth from last year.

io9: “Rejected Star Wars Toys: George Lucas is denying you an inflatable Emperor’s Throne!”

Some of these are great fun, and the uber-geek in my would really like to own a Death Star Basketball and Cloud City Desk Lamp. And the Darth Vader Magnetic Chip Clip with Sound? “I have you now!” – Brilliant!

Simon Spurrier: “London Super Comic-Con: Panel Parity”

Simon Spurrier, author of A Serpent Uncoiled and Marvel’s X-Club series, talks about London’s inaugural Super Comic-Con and how “this convention was also notable for a slight controversy [he] happened to create”. It’s a nice, long post in support of Paul Cornell’s thoughts on the gender-balance in comics. Written in Spurrier’s trademark zaniness, it’s a thoughtful, thought-provoking and intelligent read.

“At the moment it’s all too easy for the lip-curlers and sneermonkies of the world to dismiss Western Comics as the sole preserve of thirtysomething-plus men in teeshirts who never properly grew up because that’s the only face of comics they ever see. Which is terrible. And I say that as a thirtysomething man in a teeshirt who never properly grew up.”

Washington Post: “Book Review: The Annotated Sandman” by Mike Musgrove

A good, proper review of the ground-breaking graphic novel. Which I still haven’t read. I don’t think I could ever justify the cost of this annotated version, but I may pick up a paperback edition to read at some point. [If I remember correctly, the Strand have a load of copies.]

Barnes & Noble SciFi & Fantasy Blog: Jim Butcher & Benedict Jacka

A good discussion between the two authors and more.

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And, of course, there was also all the content on Civilian Reader – an interview with E.C. Myers and a review of his debut, Fair Coin; my review of Ari Marmell’s first YA novel The Thief’s Covenant; and yesterday’s guest post from A. Lee Martinez.

Capsule Review: “Ghost Story” by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

Reviewed by Emma Newrick

Harry Dresden finds himself in his most difficult situation yet, near-helpless to protect those he loves

The previous novel in Butcher’s cult Urban Fantasy series, Changes, saw Harry finally land himself in a situation that taxed even his well-practised ability to outwit, escape or incinerate the ever-growing forces of darkness that beset Chicago’s only wizard PI. Fans were left with a cliffhanger ending that suggested Butcher could be drawing the series to a rather final conclusion.

A turning point in the series, Ghost Story will please fans of the Dresden Files, who have come to love the characters and especially Harry, who is forced into self-reflection.

[BE WARNED: Major Spoilers for the previous book follow immediately after the break!]

Competition! “Changes” by Jim Butcher

So, here we have the first ever competition on Civilian Reader! And I think it’s a rather good one, too…

“Changes”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

Reviewed by Emma Newrick

The most explosive, compelling Dresden novel yet

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in.

But even a career of narrow escapes and supernatural shenanigans hasn’t prepared Harry for this. A vampire with a grudge has kidnapped his daughter. A daughter he never knew he had. Furthermore, this vampire plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice – designed to kill Harry, his ex-partner Susan and their child.

As allies are perilously thin on the ground, Harry must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line he wouldn’t cross, and he’s never given in to the full fury of his own untapped dark powers. But then, only his own life was at stake.

Magic – it can get a guy killed.

The latest instalment following wisecracking wizard and Chicago P.I. Harry Dresden is Butcher’s darkest and best yet, as Harry’s fight to save the daughter he never knew existed forces him to cross lines not easily re-crossed, as he descends into a darkness that is sure to shape the remaining books in this bestselling series.

More Dresden Files to come!

Orbit Books has acquired three new Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. Commissioning Editor Bella Pagan bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Ritsuko Okumura at Penguin US.

The Dresden Files books have attracted a loyal army of fans and follow the trials and tribulations of Harry Dresden, the only Private Investigator wizard in the Chicago phonebook.

Calling all Jim Butcher fans! (Orbit)

Orbit UK has just opened one of the most generous competitions I’ve ever seen. To mark the re-release and re-packaging of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, the publisher has put together the following prize:

A complete set of new Dresden Files paperbacks (that’s 12 in total,  including Changes ahead of it’s March 2011 publication)

Advance copies of Ghost Story and Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files

One copy each of Kate Griffin’s The Midnight Mayor and The Madness of Angels

One copy each of Trent Jamieson’s Death Most Definite, Managing Death and The Business of Death

To be in with a chance of winning all of this, all you need to do is tell Orbit why you love Jim Butcher. To do so, head over to their website by clicking on the image below…

“Princep’s Fury” & “First Lord’s Fury”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

The final two instalments of Butcher’s magisterial Codex Alera

Tavi of Calderon has managed to forge an alliance with Alera’s oldest foes, the savage Canim, and he must escort them on their long sea-voyage home. This will strain their fragile accord – but the worst is yet to come.

The inhuman Vord have spent the last three years laying waste to the Canim homeland, making it a desolate place indeed. Then the Alerans become stranded there, cut off from their ships. The Canim alliance will be tested as they enter the killing fields together, depending on each other’s strengths if they are both to survive.

For a thousand years, Alera and her furies have withstood every enemy, and survived every foe. The thousand years are over.

Book five in the series, and I continue to find the Codex Alera absolutely gripping. The novel is tightly plotted, fast paced, and the characters within are fully realised.

Butcher has the rare skill of bringing his fantasy world vividly to life without resorting to turgid chunks of exposition or tired clichés. His characters are believable and engaging. For example, Tavi grows over the course of the series from a shepherd boy with no ‘furycraft’ into a powerful leader and heir to the country of Alera. The relationships between Tavi and Kitai, Isana and Araris and Bernard and Amara are also well drawn and believable. The Vord develop from a serious threat to a complex and deadly enemy, while the Canim become uneasy allies.

First Lord’s Fury

The aging First Lord of Alera has fallen in battle. Yet his people must continue to resist an invading inhuman army. Desperate Alerans even pledge fealty to the Vord Queen to survive, turning the incredible power of Aleran furies back on their own people. And despite all efforts, the Alerans are being ground into dust and pushed to the farthest reaches of their own realm.

However, Tavi has returned with vital insights from the Canim Blood Lands. He knows how to counter the Vord and, more importantly, believes human ingenuity can equal fury-born powers. Now events are rushing towards a last stand, where Tavi and the last Aleran legions must formulate a dangerous new strategy, together. For a civilisation is on the brink of extinction.

First Lord’s Fury picks up immediately after Princep’s Fury ends, and exhibits the same pacing and plotting strengths of its predecessors.

Over the course of the series, the reader develops ideas of what each faction or ‘enemy’ is, only for Butcher to turn this onto its head in the next volume as he adds layers of complexity, as well as further delving into their cultures and personalities. There’s no such thing as ‘a barbarian’, rather just the perceptions of those under assault by outsiders who are different to themselves. Even the Vord become more complex. For the author, no one is ever just ‘evil’ or ‘good’, rather the world is an endless sea of greys. Equally, with each book, the magic system in this world develops and becomes more complex.

If I have a criticism, it’s that the characters work out the connection between the humans and the Vord slightly too long after the reader does – it felt a little contrived that neither Tavi nor Isana picked up the fairly big hints that were dropped until well after they might have done. This is not, however, too big an issue.

It is difficult to visualise each book as a standalone, as there is such good continuity and flow from one volume to the next, making the Codex Alera effectively one of the best, longest novels you will probably read. First Lord’s Fury provides a satisfying, exciting ending to this great series.

Utterly engrossing, this series is an exceptional feat of fantasy writing. It has some of the feel one might get from reading The Lord Of The Rings, so great is the scope and imagination that Butcher has poured into the novels.

Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Emma Newrick

Jim Butcher: “Turn Coat” & Other News (Orbit)

Two upcoming Harry Dresden books, and the continuation of the Codex Alera from fan-favourite, Jim Butcher.

On March 18th, Orbit will release the paperback edition of Turn Coat, the 11th novel in the Dresden Files series. Emma reviewed the hardback for us earlier in the year (review re-published below), but we thought we’d use the opportunity of the paperback release to bring you a quick update on Butcher’s releases for the near future. The 12th book in the series, Changes will be released in April 2010 (artwork, left). Here’s the blurb:

I answered the phone, no big deal, until I heard the message: “They've taken our daughter.”

Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has never faced anything like this. Arianna Ortega, Red Court vampire, blames Harry for her husband’s death - and she’s out for revenge. So her discovery that Susan Rodriguez had borne Harry a daughter was an unexpected gift. Arianna’s next step was to kidnap the girl and she plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice designed to kill Harry, Susan and their daughter.

With the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court in a state of detente, Harry finds himself alone except for a handful of allies - resources utterly inadequate to challenging the Red King and his entire vampire Court. With the life of his child at stake, Susan’s humanity hanging in precarious balance and with his own death looming, Dresden must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line Harry wouldn’t cross, and though dark powers have tempted him time and again, he never gave in.

But then, only his own life was at stake.

In other news, Butcher continues to write his Codex Alera series, which has been well received in both the US and UK. CR reviews of books #1 and #2 can be found here, and here for #3 and #4. The fifth in the series, Princep’s Fury, was released in the UK in December 2009 (review pending), and the sixth book, First Lord’s Fury, will be released in May 2010. Here’s the artwork for them both:

So, a busy year indeed for Mr. Butcher.

All that is left to do is leave you with the review we posted for Turn Coat back in May 2009, tweaked (i.e. new artwork) for the paperback release.

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“Turn Coat”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

Wise-cracking wizard detective + seriously scary monsters = rollicking good read

Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has done his best to keep his nose clean where the White Council of Wizards is concerned. Even so, his past misdeeds have cast a constant shadow of suspicion over him in the eyes of the Wardens, those wizards responsible for enforcing the Laws of Magic. Now Dresden finds himself faced with a nightmarish dilemma: Morgan, formerly his chief persecutor among the Wardens, has been wrongly accused of treason against the White Council - and has come to Harry for help. Dresden faces a daunting task: clear Morgan's name while simultaneously hiding him from the Wardens and the supernatural bounty hunters sent to find him, discovering the identity of the true turncoat and, of course, avoiding accusations of treachery of his own. A single mistake may mean that heads - quite literally - will roll. And one of them could be his own…

The latest instalment in the popular Dresden Files is another excellent page-turner from Jim Butcher. Harry is an intensely appealing character: streetwise, powerful, but ultimately flawed. Unlike many other fantasy writers, Butcher takes pains to emphasize magic’s limitations. His characters are not all-powerful, and magic is not a series of bangs and flashes capable of solving any problem. In fact, Harry tends to find that magic gets him into difficult situations far more than it gets him out of them.

Even Butcher’s monsters are human: Thomas, Harry’s vampire half-brother, is a fascinatingly complex take on the usual tortured stereotype, while even Morgan, who until now has seemed more like a machine than a human, turns out to have a heart after all. Throw in some clever detecting, Harry’s trigger-happy apprentice Molly, some seriously scary adversaries, good guys that are just as scary as the bad guys, and a finale that sidesteps the happy ending for one that is both moving and real, and you have another winner in an already strong series.

Butcher reworks traditional folklore and fairy-tale creatures, such as Titania and Queen Mab, and stock characters like vampires and werewolves, and makes them all his own. The dialogue is earthy and witty, the action fast-paced and the writing atmospheric and gripping.

This fantasy is not for the faint-hearted, but if you like genuine crime thrillers with supernatural chills, wisecracking wizards and a real sense of darkness, Turn Coat comes highly recommended.

Also try: Holly Black’s Valiant, Tithe and Ironside; Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come; Jennifer Rardin; Supernatural

Series Chronology: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night, Small Favour, Turn Coat

Reviewed by Emma

Turn Coat can be ordered here (UK); and to pre-order Changes, click here (UK)

“Cursor’s Fury” & “Captain’s Fury”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

A new command for Tavi; and a growing threat comes to Alera

Alera is a perilous world, where the forces of nature can take physical form. But even magic can’t halt the corruption spreading across the land.

Cursor’s Fury follows Tavi as he joins the First Lord of Alera’s elite spies. The Crown is facing rebellion by the ruthless High Lord of Kalare, which could destroy Alera’s delicate power-balance.

Tavi is ordered to a lonely post with an inexperienced legion, far removed from the fighting, when Kalare does the unthinkable by uniting with the savage Canim, Alera’s oldest enemies. When an brutal act of treason decimates the army’s command structure, Tavi finds himself leading the legion against the Canim horde, outmaneuvering them at any costs.

Captain’s Fury, the fourth book in the series, jumps forward in time, and catches up with Tavi after he has been leading the Legion for about two years. He has discovered that the Canim invaders are harbingers of a much greater threat; they are not merely belligerent invaders, but are in fact fleeing a savage race that has forced them from their homeland. In the face of this knowledge, Tavi proposes a radical solution: Alera must join forces with the Canim in an alliance against the greater threat. Unfortunately, the Senate’s new military commander, Arnos, is single-mindedly determined to eradicate the Canim and any Aleran slaves allied with them.

The task of reconciling the various factions – Aleran and Canim, slavemaster and slave, Citizen and Proletarian – is left to Tavi. If there is to be any hope for Alera and its citizens, he must lead his Legion in defiance of the Law, forging his own path.

Butcher’s lesser-known series (after the Dresden Files) continues in very fine style, easily maintaining the pace and power of the first two books. In Tavi, he has created a character as appealing as Harry Dresden, with a gift for wisecracks and the complexity that comes from having a flaw: in Tavi’s case, his lack of furies (the ability to manipulate the elements by means of an attendant spirit), as well as a shadowy past. Tavi has matured significantly since the first two volumes – he may not have what passes for magic in Alera, but he is quick, clever and has developed qualities that make him just as dangerous as any furycrafter, as well as a gifted leader for his newly acquired legion.

The author handles a complex plot and a large cast of well-rounded characters with confidence and aplomb. His characters mature over time: especially Tavi (as mentioned above), but also his relationships with Kitai (Tavi’s partner) and Isana (Tavi’s aunt), and the relationship between the Cursor Amara and Tavi’s uncle, Bernard. The plot is full of twists, as Tavi finally discovers who he really is, and I especially liked the development of the character of the mysterious slave Fade, and that of the traitor Fidelias, both of whom are not what they seem.

Given the complexity and scope of the novels, and the Codex as a whole, it is difficult to go into much more depth without spoiling many of the twists and turns Butcher has woven into the story. The plot is fast-paced, filled with realistic action and witty dialogue, and it never felt like the pace flagged.

Overall, these two books are an excellent continuation of the Codex Alera, and I can’t wait for the next installment, Princep’s Fury.

Reviewed by Emma

Series Chronology: Furies of Calderon, Academ’s Fury, Cursor’s Fury, Captain’s Fury, Princep’s Fury (UK release: December 3rd 2009), First Lord’s Fury (UK release: May 6th 2010)

For Fans of: The Dresden Files, Garth Nix

www.jimbutcher.com

“Furies of Calderon” & “Academ’s Fury”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

The first two exciting installments of Jim Butcher’s other series, The Codex Alera

For a thousand years, the peoples of Alera have been united by their unique bond with the furies: elementals of earth, air, fire, water and metal. At fifteen, Tavi has no furycrafting. As the Alerans’ most savage enemy, the Marat, return to the Calderon Valley, Tavi’s weakness seems more problematic than ever. Amara is a spy seeking intelligence on traitors to the Crown, but when the Valley erupts into chaos, she will find Tavi’s talents invaluable. Together, can they turn the tides of war?

The sequel, Academ’s Fury, catches up with Tavi. He is trying to maintain the illusion of being an ordinary Academy student, while secretly training to be one of the First Lord’s spies. Yet he still has no power to manipulate the elements. Civil war is brewing, and Tavi must play a dangerous game as he is caught in the middle of the various factions.

I have to admit that my heart sank a little when I read the first few pages of Furies of Calderon. Words like “gargant” and “patriserus” sounded ominously like a stereotypical fantasy written by a spotty teenager in his bedroom – I was almost expecting words filled with apostrophes to appear at any moment. I loved the Dresden Files, Jim Butcher’s better-known and more popular series, and was prepared to be bitterly disappointed by his more ‘traditional’ fantasy series. Happily, I was proved very wrong.

While Furies of Calderon takes a few pages to set things up and get going, it quickly becomes gripping. The book races along, the author’s prose bringing the world vividly to life and introducing a wide cast of believable and complex characters. There is bearlike Bernard, Tavi’s uncle; powerful Isana, idealistic spy Amara; the complicated Fidelias; and Tavi himself, who has no idea of the important role he will play as the story unfolds. Without an heir, Gaius, the First Lord of Alera, struggles to hold the land together against those who would seek to usurp him or conquer his land. When the Marat tribe appears and Tavi finds himself in the middle of the conflict, he believes his lack of furycrafting (the ability to manipulate the elements) may be his undoing. Yet the qualities Tavi has despite, or perhaps because of, his lack of power mean that he is uniquely placed to change the course of events.

Dropping in and out of different characters’ viewpoints as well as seeing the action through Tavi’s eyes works well, and once the story has begun to unfold, Butcher doesn’t let his readers go. I found myself picking up the next in the series as soon as I’d finished the first.

Academ’s Fury follows Tavi and the mysterious slave Fade to the Academy, where Tavi is completing his education. Lauded for his actions in helping to save the land from a Marat horde, Tavi has earned the patronage of the First Lord himself. Yet his lack of powers marks him out, and when Tavi discovers treachery that threatens the First Lord’s rule, it seems that the forces massed against him are too great. This second book follows the characters from the first, developing them and introducing new ones. Butcher deftly charts Tavi’s progress as he matures, and explores the relationships between the other characters.

The themes of acceptance, family, duty, responsibility and loyalty are deepened, and the author shows the effect on the characters with a sensitive touch; in particular the relationships between Amara and Bernard, Isana and Tavi, and Tavi and Kitai. In addition, characters who in the first book had appeared to be straightforward turn out to be more ambiguous. In Butcher’s novels, no one is a classic villain. People are motivated by complex reasons that are never easily divided into ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but occupy that ever-difficult grey region in between. The plot is much darker and promises to become more so as Tavi grows up. Again, it was impossible to put this novel down.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes gripping fantasy, I can’t wait to get hold of the next one.

Reviewed by Emma

Series Chronology: Furies of Calderon, Academ’s Fury, Cursor’s Fury, Captain’s Fury, Princep’s Fury, First Lord’s Fury (Nov.2009)

For Fans Of: Scott Lynch, Terry Pratchett, Alan Campbell

www.jim-butcher.com

NEWS: Summer Reviews, Autumn/Winter Projects, & Twitter

From September to December, I am going to attempt some rather large review projects, where I review an entire series (or part of a series). So, I thought it would be a good idea to just let you know which ones these will be:

Brian Ruckley’s Godless World series:

• Winterbirth, Bloodheir, and Fall of Thanes
  

Brad Thor’s Scott Harvath series:

• Lions of Lucerne, Path of the Assassin, State of the Union, Blowback, Takedown, The First Commandment, The Last Patriot, The Apostle
  

The Vampire Masquerade: Clan Novel Saga series:

• The Fall of Atlanta, The Eye of Gehenna, Bloody September, End Games

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s Pendergast-Diogenes Trilogy:

• Brimstone, Book of the Dead, Dance of Death
  

Other authors that will receive more than one review of recent releases include Tim Green, Jim Butcher, and (in the very near future) James Rollins.

Normal reviews of new-release books (both fiction and non-fiction) will continue as well (some from Emma, some from me), but posting might be a little less frequent.

Also, there is now a Civilian-Reader Twitter account! We shall use it to post short updates, news, and also announce new books received from publishers as they come in. (The feed’s the final gadget on the left-hand sidebar, but it’s easier to follow with a normal Twitter account.)

NEWS: Some Upcoming Releases & Reviews

Troy Denning, Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Abyss

Aaron Allston, Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Backlash

The series is shaping up really well, so far. Review of book two, Omen, will be up on the site soon. (Abyss is released in August/September 2009; Backlash is release in February 2010)

Mike Lawson, House Secrets

This is the US edition. It’s also possible that the UK edition will be called Dead Man’s List. Not sure what it’s about yet, but for anyone who loves authors like David Baldacci and Kyle Mills should definitely read Mike Lawson’s Joe DeMarco novels (Inside Ring, Second Perimeter, Dead on Arrival).

Jim Butcher, Cursor’s Fury & Captain’s Fury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third and fourth book in Jim Butcher’s other series. As good as the Dresden Files, but very different, the Codex Alera novels should appeal to all fantasy fans. Books 1 & 2 will be reviewed on the site very soon. (Book 3 is released July 2nd 2009, and book 4 on August 6th 2009)

James Twining, The Geneva Deception

James Twining finally returns to the scene after what feels like way too long. Tom Kirk, international art thief (reformed) is back in action, mixing with the mafia and secret societies. Throw in some genuine art treasures, and you know the reader’s in for an exciting read. (Released: October 15th 2009)

“Turn Coat”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

Wise-cracking wizard detective + seriously scary monsters = rollicking good read

Harry Dresden, Chicago-based professional wizard, has done his best to keep his head down and out of trouble where the White Council of Wizards is concerned. The problem is, trouble keeps following him around. Now Harry finds himself faced with a typically nightmarish dilemma: Donald Morgan, formerly his chief persecutor among the Council’s Wardens, has been falsely accused of treason – and he has now come to Harry for help. With Morgan caught literally red-handed, Harry certainly has his work cut out to clear Morgan’s name (while also hiding him from other Wardens and the supernatural bounty hunters sent to find him), discover the identity of the true turncoat, and avoid suspicion himself. A single mistake could leave lives at stake. And one of them could be Harry’s…

The latest installment in the popular Dresden Files is another excellent page-turner from Jim Butcher. Harry is an intensely appealing character: streetwise, powerful, but ultimately flawed. Unlike many other fantasy writers, Butcher takes pains to emphasize magic’s limitations. His characters are not all-powerful, and magic is not a series of bangs and flashes capable of solving any problem. In fact, Harry tends to find that magic gets him into difficult situations far more than it gets him out of them.

Even Butcher’s monsters are human: Thomas, Harry’s vampire half-brother, is a fascinatingly complex take on the usual tortured stereotype, while even Morgan, who until now has seemed more like a machine than a human, turns out to have a heart after all. Throw in some clever detecting, Harry’s trigger-happy apprentice Molly, some seriously scary adversaries, good guys that are just as scary as the bad guys, and a finale that sidesteps the happy ending for one that is both moving and real, and you have another winner in an already strong series.

Butcher reworks traditional folklore and fairy-tale creatures, such as Titania and Queen Mab, and stock characters like vampires and werewolves, and makes them all his own. The dialogue is earthy and witty, the action fast-paced and the writing atmospheric and gripping.

This fantasy is not for the faint-hearted, but if you like genuine crime thrillers with supernatural chills, wisecracking wizards and a real sense of darkness, Turn Coat comes highly recommended.

Also try: Holly Black’s Valiant, Tithe and Ironside; Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come; Jennifer Rardin; Supernatural

Series Chronology: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night, Small Favour, Turn Coat

Reviewed by Emma

“Small Favour”, by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

An old deal comes back to bite (and kick) Harry Dresden.

Things are going rather well for Chicago-based professional wizard Harry Dresden. No one’s tried to kill him in a while. Life has more or less calmed down, and the only thing he has to contend with is his apprentice, Molly, as she becomes more and more confident in her magic.

After a cheerful intro, with Harry teaching Molly how to create magical shields (to deflect snowballs from Molly’s brothers and sisters), they are attacked by bull-like “whatsits”. Turns out, the peace and quiet was to be short-lived, and now Harry’s back in the dangerous world of magic. The problem is, he made a deal with Mab, the faerie monarch of the Winter Court and the Queen of Air and Darkness. Faeries are tricky blighters, and under the bargain, he owed her three favours. One was paid back in Summer Knight, while two remain. It’s time for him to pay off another… What follows is his attempt to live up to his end of the bargain while also keeping himself and those dear to him alive, not least from a series of increasingly deadly Billy Goats Gruff (which Harry finds to be no laughing matter). The “small favour” of the title is anything but, as Harry finds himself dealing with one of Chicago’s most nefarious mobsters, “Gentleman” Johnny Marcone, some coins linked with demon-possession, and Mab’s sister, Titania, having a different perspective on said demon-possession.

Having read the first four Dresden Files novels, I was intrigued to see how the characters had developed, and to see how Jim Butcher had developed as a writer. His imagination is still an amazing thing, and his use of various supernatural creatures and themes remains inspired and unusual. The first two novels (Storm Front and Fool Moon) were set to original and exciting premises, filled with supernatural adventure, peril and tension, and populated by strange and beguiling creatures. But the novels were let down by Butcher’s strange writing style, which at times was a little too slow, making them a frustrating read. Oddly, however, I was never much troubled by the author’s tendency not to finish each novel with everything tied up neatly in a bow: By creating many subplots, which span a number of novels, Butcher has been able to tie the series together much more easily, creating a decent sense of continuity throughout.

As the writing has improved over each subsequent installment, the novels have become more and more enjoyable, and with Small Favour (the 10th in the series), Butcher has really hit his stride – maintaining the sarcastic quips and outlook of Harry Dresden, and still keeping his character intact, only with writing and plotting that is much tighter, more fluid and assured, better paced and certainly more engaging and entertaining. This is not an unusual progression for an author – Terry Pratchett went through the same thing, all those years ago (and look how beloved and talented he is now!). The result is a novel with a protagonist that is both loveable and believable, truly heroic, and a story that hooks the reader very early on.

Bob the Skull remains one of the best characters in any fantasy series, but Butcher is able to populate his world (and Chicago) with a large cast of well-rounded, realistic supporting players to Dresden’s (mis)adventures, many of whom have appeared in previous Dresden Files novels (adding to the sense of continuity).

This is a superb addition to the series, with Jim Butcher easily joining the ranks of the better science-fiction authors writing today. The action is intense and frequent, the humour often and well-crafted. This is a great novel, with all the elements pulling together brilliantly. A great, fun read. Highly recommended.

Series Chronology: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night, Small Favour, Turn Coat (available April 2009)

For fans of: Mike Carey, David Devereux, Kelley Armstrong, Buffy & Angel