Dresden Files Books newbie Discussion

[Highlander II]

It's not really a 'must' to read them in order. Jim's said several times that he's designed the series so each book can be a one-off. It's helpful to read them in order, b/c you can see the timeline unfold, but it's not required.

Essentially, it boils down to - 'how anal are you about reading a series in order?' XD

Me? I like to read them in order. I have comic books I haven't read yet b/c I'm missing a piece.

But I have read the Dresden books 'in reverse' before - which is just as fun. =)

 

[Allegra]

Thanks, guys. Okay if I'm hooked on the 1st one, promise I'll read in order.

 

[murphy]

Thanks, guys. Okay if I'm hooked on the 1st one, promise I'll read in order.

Just remember, the first book isn't his best. Each book gets better and better as the series progresses. I'd read at least the first three before you give up (if you do).

 

[The44]

Tsk, tsk, heresy! I say. If the first book had not been good, I would have not read the next books in the series. It was somewhat like the first 110 pages of the Fellowship of the Ring. Then you are suddenly being pursued by Black Riders and running through mushrooms and gettin caught in Old Man Willow, etc, etc.

The mysteries about Harry Dresden keep unfolding like an onion. It brings tears to your eyes, but the taste is very good.

 

[murphy]

Tsk, tsk, heresy! I say. If the first book had not been good, I would have not read the next books in the series. It was somewhat like the first 110 pages of the Fellowship of the Ring. Then you are suddenly being pursued by Black Riders and running through mushrooms and gettin caught in Old Man Willow, etc, etc.

The mysteries about Harry Dresden keep unfolding like an onion. It brings tears to your eyes, but the taste is very good.

I didn't say it wasn't good, I said it wasn't his best.

 

[Highlander II]

Even Jim complains about SF not being very good. I disagree. I loved SF - obviously, or I would've been really angry about dropping $45 on the audiobook! (even if it was James Marsters doing the reading).

FM is the weakest book, IMO. It's not 'bad', it's just my least fave of them all. GP and DM are my faves - still. And they're all good in some way or another. There's just something about the werewolf book that doesn't 'work' for me.

 

[Connavar]

Personally i thought SF was clearly better than Fool Moon.

If books 5-10 are better than Fool Moon, i mean alot better like Grave Peril than im very happy.

Storm Front was a very good first book. Maybe it has the magic of being my first Harry Dresden book but i rate only Grave Peril ahead of of the first 4 books.

 

[limubai2000]

Hi all,

I just started DM after chewing my way through the first 4 books in only 10 days. I finished the last half of GP in one night because I couldn't put it down!

So far I'm with many of you, GP is my favorite to this point. I like Storm Front much more than Fool Moon. And Storm Front is a great first book, Jim probably doesn't like it as much now because he's a much better writer.

 

[Highlander II]

That's the general consensus - that SF is better than FM and GP is the best of the first 4. DM is tied at first, for me, b/c I really like GP. Everything from 6 on is really good too. I haven't picked on up yet, read it, then felt the need to fling it across the room because it was bad. They're all good books. =)

 

[The44]

Please, guys, make a distinction between Storm Front and Small Favor. I had to really follow your context to make sure you were not downplaying Small Favor, which I hold to be a very good read.

As I said before, Storm Front was a good first novel in a series. I am somewhat inclined to agree about Fool Moon that it was somewhat weaker than the ones that followed.

BTW, I am planning a reread to pick up on the issues where Harry is special. Lea is his godmother with a lien on Harry that she trades to Mab. He is also on a lot of peoples bad list and not all of them are obvious or named. Did not Harry clear his debt with Mab by what he accomplished in Small Favor? That is my present belief.

 

[Connavar]

Someone i hope plays a role in the coming books is that islamic named guy that helped Harry in the vote in Wizard's council in Summer Knight.

What was his name again ? It has slipped my mind i think was it Rashid ?

 

[Highlander II]

The way I've been distinguishing the books is SF = Storm Front and SmFv = Small Favor, just b/c Storm Front was SF loooong before Small Favor released, so I added a couple letters to distinguish. =)



As for the Islamic guy from SK - I don't recall his name off the top of my head, but if he was given a name, it's unlikely that he won't be seen again. Jim tend to not have 'small characters'. If Harry remembers or makes note of them, they have a purpose.

 

[soulsinging]

I must be the only one that really liked Fool Moon. Storm Front was entertaining but underwhelming. But the combo of Fool Moon and Grave Peril were what hooked me. After that, the series became less appealing to me. Summer Knight was way over the top to me. Death Masks was pretty good, but Blood Rites didn't hold me the way they had before. I think I'm going to need a long break from this series.

 

[Connavar]

I must be the only one that really liked Fool Moon. Storm Front was entertaining but underwhelming. But the combo of Fool Moon and Grave Peril were what hooked me. After that, the series became less appealing to me. Summer Knight was way over the top to me. Death Masks was pretty good, but Blood Rites didn't hold me the way they had before. I think I'm going to need a long break from this series.

What was over top with Summer Knight ?

Sure it wasnt as good GP but i liked the hole world being at stake and not just a supernatural case involving vamps or werewolfs.

I liked the huge fae battle at the end. I like Wizard meeting.

 

[Ice fyre]

I'm with everyone on Fool Moon being the weakest so far, I thought that Storm Front was rather good myself. Got me hooked good and proper Guvnor!

I thought that Summer Knight wasnt over the top at all a good supernatural detective story in which Jiim keeps catching us with in most of his books.

What keeps me reading him is his ability to write good and bad guys so well, his charicters are all fantastic you feel for them, you want em to win, he is also very subtle and can write very powerful scenes without descending into mush or mellodrama. Heck he writes so well as the later books show.

 

[Highlander II]

Oh - don't stop at BR... move on to Dead Beat. It's good.

Blood Rites has a lot of 'character backstory' building, which, if that's not your thing, isn't going to be a fave. I *love* backstory, so BR works for me. Plus there's fun White Court vampire stuff in there. *g*

 

[soulsinging]

What was over top with Summer Knight ?

Sure it wasnt as good GP but i liked the hole world being at stake and not just a supernatural case involving vamps or werewolfs.

I liked the huge fae battle at the end. I like Wizard meeting.

That's what I didn't care for... if I want the universe in the balance, I'll read epic fantasy. I like detective stories to be about the little battles I suppose. I also felt like the last few books have had an unfortunate tendency to be overplotted. There are 2-3 different plots that never come together and just end up being resolved sequentially at the end. Like Death Masks, where he runs from a war-ending duel to the airport to save the universe, complete with helicopter rescue... it just felt like reading an Arnold Schwartzenegger action blockbuster. 4-5 seemed to both have that problem. 2-3 felt more lean and focused. Just a matter of taste really.

 

[Highlander II]

Except that whole 'universe in the balance' bit from SK is what sets off pieces of the plots for the subsequent books.

As much as Jim tries to make the books 'individual-you-don't-have-to-know-what-went-before' in their own rite, it's still a series and they're still all tied together.

 

[The44]

If you want small battles, do not stay here. hehe

It is evident with Harry's ties to both of the fae courts, that there is a lot more at stake than Harry solving some crime that has wizardry, vampiry, werewolfery, or Denarii involved.

JB has been speaking of a major plot going on in the background that seems to center around/against our hero and seems aimed at wiping him out. It involves people on the BC, people stationed in some part of the NeverNever, and others that are foot soldiers in the war that seems to be centered around Chicago, not because Chi town is special, but because Harry Dresden is there.

 

[Connavar]

I thought the most surprising,refereshing part of Summer Knight was that this time it wasnt a "simple" case of black magic wizard(book 1), Werewolfs(book2), Vampires ,nightmare being(book 3).

The world was in trouble cause of the Fae war.

As long as JB builds on the stories and can mix different type of stories im happy.

Sure at times the action is too frantic,there are not a calm moment. Thats why i thought Fool Moon was weaker. The other 3 of the first 4 books didnt have that trouble.