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Title: White Night (The Dresden Files | Book 9) |
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Review of White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
- The inspiration for the Sci Fi channel television series
In Chicago, someone has been killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry Dresden's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...
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Comments for White Night (The Dresden Files | Book 9)
- Posted on 2008-07-09
Great book -- good message
Looking for something I knew I would enjoy, I went for White Knight, the -- ninth? tenth? I've lost count -- book in the Harry Dresden series. I liked seeing the different strains of White Court vamps, especially when we got to see all of their powers in full bloom, so to speak, when Harry and Ramirez had to confront them all at the gathering. I liked how capable Lara Raith is at manipulation, though of course I appreciate that Harry is always able to find a way through her tangled web. I thought their final escape from the cave was great -- though I didn't think a whole lot of the super-ghouls that were the ultimate bad guy; smacked of Buffy and the Neander-Vamps. Especially the whole big-showdown-in-a-cave, with a gate to the underworld that they all come through -- you get the picture. And this book didn't have nearly enough Bob in it.
I did, however, love the resolution of the Lasciel/Denarian subplot that's been running through the last five books. I liked the way it worked, and I loved the message it gave: that everyone has a choice, and the simple fact of that choice makes us better people -- when we recognize and acknowledge the choice, that is. I feel like it makes me a better person when I realize that I'm living my life, I'm not trapped in it.
Anyway, I liked Thomas's part in this, and I loved Mouse, of course -- I dig his super-bark -- and Elaine was fine, though not a terribly interesting character. I liked her resolution, too, how she's going to become a champion of all the lesser magic-users who aren't good enough for the White Council; you just know that's going to come back and slap them right in their elitist faces. Workers unite! Viva la Revolucion! I also liked the insight into Gentleman Johnny Marcone and his relationship with Dresden -- though I'm not really sure I buy the gangster-with-a-heart; can you really be ruthless and run all of Chicago's rackets without hurting innocents? Then again, we are talking about a book about wizards here, so maybe I shouldn't complain about suspending my disbelief.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-07-09
An amazing novel
White Night is the ninth book in the Dresden Files. In the last novel, Proven Guilty, Harry takes Molly Carpenter as an apprentice to prevent the White Council from executing her for practicing black magic. Proven Guilty begins with fairies being sent to centers of fear. Molly had used fear to cause her friends to quit using drugs, and in doing so practiced black magic and became a beacon for the "fear" fairies. Once she was captured, with Michael gone, Charity and Harry led an expedition to the capital of Winter to get her back.
White Night continues the theme lines from previous novels (the war with the Red Court, peace with the White Court, Elaine, Lasciel), but centers around a power play within the White Court. The three powerful families within the White Court are making a play for power by culling the human race of wizards. Jim Butcher also makes strides in the development of Lasciel, Cowl and the White Court.
This is the best book in the series so far; I could hardly put it down. The developments with Lasciel are very fascinating and the climax of this novel was very exciting. If I didn't know that Harry was going to live, it would have even been more exciting. I just thought of interesting plot line for future novels, Butcher could have Harry die, and then continue the series with Molly and/or Elaine to avenge him. Heck, he could even start a side series with what Elaine is encountering in LA with her as the main character. I highly recommend White Night to anyone who has read the first eight novels.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2008-06-23
Dresden Isn't the Only Wizard
I've never, in my life, ever said this about anyone, ever.
I am a FAN of Jim Butcher.
He has consistently written top notch novels, one right after the other. He's managed to build multiple, detail-rich over-arcing storylines, significant character change and growth, emotionally-laden highs and lows and the evolution of a world so complete that I have to remind myself to eat, sleep and go to work whenever I get started on a new Dresden Files novel. They are, intentionally speaking, mesmerising, pure magic every time.
As I said, Dresden isn't the ONLY Wizard when it comes to these books.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-06-21
Classical Dresden, Classical Jim Butcher (Awesome)
If you are into modern day swords and scorcery or if you just want a little escapeism. This is the way to go. Butcher starts off with a bang and never lets up. The only thing is you will need to have read the rest of the series to understand some of what is going on. Other than that it rocks.White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-06-15
takes my breath away
You know a book is good when you've picked it apart, word by word, you know it inside and out, and it still takes your breath away when you re-read it.
This is the ninth Dresden Files book, and yes, it's White Night, not White Knight or White Nights. Easy way to remember: every single one of the Dresden Files titles is two words, with the same number of letters in each word--which is why Death Masks isn't Holy Sheet.
Anyway. The have-nots of Chicago's magical community--those people with just a bit of power--have been going missing. Several have turned up dead, mostly in apparent suicides. And somebody's left a message with the bodies: Exodus 22:18. Harry Dresden isn't religious, but that's a verse he knows by heart: "suffer not a witch to live."
And what makes things worse, for Harry at least, is that a lot of the missing women were last seen with either a very handsome man with dark hair or a very tall man in a gray cloak. Wardens of the White Council wear gray cloaks, which makes Harry himself a suspect, and the other man sounds very much like his brother Thomas, who's been secretive about his new job.
The plot is convoluted, but it makes sense once you get all the pieces, and what's really cool is that it's convoluted because that's the way the people involved do things. It's that level of detail that prompts the five stars. Everything in the book has a reason for being there, usually several reasons.
Harry's still training his new apprentice Molly, and that's got a bunch of layers as well--her strengths fit everything we know about her from previous books, and the effects on Harry show, too. It's not just "let's give Harry a teenage girl for a sidekick." It has so much consistency you'd believe they were real people.
Several characters from earlier books show up, ones we haven't seen for a while, and that's fun, and completely plot-driven. No Mouseketeer role calls here.
As you can probably guess from the fact that his brother is a suspect, the emotional intensity is up there. There's also a lot of emotion involved with Harry dealing with anger issues and with Lash, the shadow of a fallen angel who's living in his head. I needed tissues.
There were also plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and dozens of quotable lines, like "...age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good."
And some very cool special effects, which the TV show will never get a chance to use because it's been canceled, darnitall. Ah, well, they probably work better in my head anyway. Stupid SciFi Channel.
One caveat: this is a planned series: 20 books and then a big old apocalyptic trilogy, because who doesn't love apocalyptic trilogies? Which means that even though the books are complete in themselves, there is something going on that's leading to that apocalyptic trilogy. In other words: read the series in order. You'll get more out of it that way.
Score: 5