Adventures of a Bookonaut: Jim Butcher

Dec 17, 2012

Book Review–Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Cold Days is Jim Butcher’s latest Dresden Files novel of which there are fourteen.

I wouldn’t say I am a fan of the Dresden files but I have 3 titles from across the series and also own the TV series as well (not bad for its time, but a little dated now).

It’s hardboiled detective fiction plus wizardry. Gritty urban fantasy with a good dose of witty self deprecation and pop culture referencing.

Now Butcher has been heavily criticised for not having an awareness of his privilege as a white male author in regards to both sexism and racism. There’s a clanger of a passage on the first page of the hardcover:

She was probably too young to drink legally and she was one of the lovelier women I’d ever seen in person. High cheekbones, exotic almond shaped eyes…

Now yes this is Harry Dresden the character and not Jim Butcher the writer. It would have been nice though if Harry had gained some wisdom and perspective over the fourteen books. That being said the series has roots in the Hardboiled genre so unless you are Megan Abbott your going to be relying on a genre that has some hefty sexist baggage as part of its modus operandi.

Cold Days though, is a bit of a departure from that genre, the detective shtick. It’s more of an urban fantasy adventure novel where the stakes are very high. And that’s where it lost me to some degree – I prefer the smaller scale Dresden.

Cold Days felt long and at just over 500 pages it’s 100 pages longer than Fool Moon, the other Butcher novel I own. This was exacerbated by the fact that it’s written in the first person and there seemed to be more exposition or info dumping than normal. I can understand the need to fill-in newcomers to the series, but Cold Days had me skimming some of Harry’s longer passages.

So Cold Days was not as enjoyable as the earlier Dresden for me - but then I am not the same reader I was then either. I feel that Dresden is outgrowing the Genre that he started, in moving closer to a level of super heroism.

Fans of Dresden will likely have already bought Cold Days. For the newcomer you’ll enjoy this if you like you urban fantasy on a large apocalyptic scale. If your looking for the Phillip Marlowe of Urban Fantasy I’d suggest you check out the early Dresden books.

This book was provided by the publisher.

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Jul 10, 2011

Book Review–Side Jobs by Jim Butcher

side-jobs-stories-from-the-dresden-files

Side Jobs by Jim Butcher is a collection of previously published short fiction set in Butcher’s Dresden Files world.

If you haven't red any of the Dresden Files, it’s hard boiled detective fiction meets urban fantasy. Though rather tame compared to the wonderful Horn by Peter Ball.

Harry Dresden is the wise cracking private eye, who always seems to be on the wrong side of lucky. Of course being a wizard, modern conveniences seem to take a dislike to him – his car requires cajoling and don’t even think about trying to use a mobile phone around him.

Like all good Detective Fiction there’s damsels that need saving¹, and sidekicks that come in the form of a spirit imprisoned in a skull and no nonsense policewoman called Murphy.

Side Jobs brings together 10 previously published short stories and one new novella set after the events that occur in the book Changes . Each story is introduced by a short note from Jim Butcher, often commenting on which anthology it originally appeared in and some thoughts on the creative process for each work.

As such the book is probably a must collect for Dresden Fans, particularly if you came late to the scene and want to collect everything published about him.
If you don’t mind having some facts spoiled and missing out on the building tension between Murphy and Dresden, then the collection an excellent way to get a taste of Dresden's world and Butcher’s writing for the uninitiated.

My favourites
Heorot – which features a hat tip to Beowulf and some sexual humour verging on the adolescent. I will never look at fire extinguishers the same way again.

The Warrior – A look at the Christian faith, through the character of Michael a former Knight of the Cross and the struggle experienced by those who confuse their will with that of Almighty
Aftermath – this one is told from Murphy’s point of view and expands her and Dresden’s relationship. This one had a tinge of HP Lovecraft, without succumbing to pastiche.
Representative of the Dresden Files series I’d recommend it for hard-core fans and those who might want to test the waters before launching into a 13 book series.

1. Indeed I have seen some criticism of Butcher is regards to the underlying sexism in his storylines.

This book was a review copy provided by the publisher.

If you are interested in checking out the world of the Dresden Files, there’s: