Search - Changes (Dresden Files, Bk 12)

This is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butchers. I seriously think this was the best book in this series so far, and that is saying something given how much I love this series.

Harry gets a call from his old flame Susan, she has a surprise for Harry. Harry has a child and his daughter has been stolen by the Red Court. Harry will stop at nothing to save his child from the Red Court. He will petition all his allies for whatever help he can get. With the Red Court and the White Council at an uneasy truce; Harry won't be able to depend on the other wizards for help. Harry make have to make some deals to increase his power and call on help from unlikely sources.

I am afraid all I can do is gush about this book, it was amazing! Harry increases in power and gets pulled through a non-stop course of events that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. There is a reason this book is called "Changes". Harry goes through a number of huge changes in becoming a father and in having to make some tough decisions about how he will bend his morals to get the power he needs to save his daughter. Murphy goes through changes when she take up one of the Three Swords. Heck even Mouse, the dog, goes through Changes.

The pace of this book was phenomenal. Harry is catapulted from one interesting and creative situation to another; all of them life-threatening. Things happen to Harry in this book that make you want to cry, yet Butcher does an excellent job at not letting things get too heavy by throwing in some of the gallows humor he excels at. The action scenes were exquisite, the character development perfect (even for side characters). I feel like no side characters were forgotten, yet the book never seemed cluttered. There is a lot going on in this book. You have the White, Grey, and Black councils involved, the vampire courts involved, fairy involved, and the Three Holy Swords thrown in there. Molly has become a steadfast character as Harry's apprentice.

Harry is beginning to really become a force to be reckoned with. He is using his power in more intelligent ways and making better decisions; the way he resolves impossible situations is interesting and engaging. Butcher's writing is very readable and engaging and in general is just a joy to read. I forget how top-notch Butcher's writing style is and then I read one of his books and am reminded again and again.

If there is one thing to complain about in this book it is the ending. The book literally ends in the middle of a very important scene for Harry and I couldn't believe it. I was looking for more story and was sad that the book was over. Now, my next question is when is the next book coming out!!??

If you have been reading this series, get this book and read it. If you haven't started this series, get the previous eleven books and then read this one. Or read a summary of the plot online and then get this book and read it. Just make sure you read this book!!

Changes is the aptly named 12th installment of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is Chicago's only Wizard for Hire, in a universe that's just one weird step to the left of our own. By the end of the book, Harry’s world, his life and his future are all changed in such profound ways that the reader is left wondering what fresh hell Harry's new universe will offer.

In the first sentence of the book, we learn that Susan, the woman Harry Dresden loved and lost in Death Masks, secretly gave birth to his daughter, Maggie. Maggie's existence was hidden from Harry and his enemies in order to insure her safety in the ongoing battles of the mortal and supernatural worlds. But now that Maggie has been kidnapped by the powerful and deadly Red Court vampires, Susan needs Harry's help to get her back. His only recourse is to gather his friends and allies from the mortal and supernatural worlds, and negotiate with powerful enemies for the tools he'll need to rescue his daughter. And Harry finds out just how far he'll go to protect a child he's never met.

A wizard with a well developed moral compass, but no particular regard for rules, Harry finds himself willing to bargain everything, including his life, to rescue his daughter. But can he succeed without tapping dark powers gained in other such bargains? Powers that could taint his soul and turn him into the kind of monster he fights were he to use them. And with every new revelation, he comes the slowly emerging truth that failure would not just cost the lives of his friends and daughter, but would imperil the entirety of the mortal world.

(originally reviewed for ijustfinished.com, by this reviewer)

As an author, if you can't love your characters, your story, why should I? I think Jim Butcher is tired of Harry Dresden, so instead of taking a long vacation, he just annihilated him, his home and his friends. I'm sorry I read this book, I was so disappointed in the direction it took, especially with his daughter, and after reading all of the other Harry Dresden books and being a fan who owns every book this was a grave disappointment.
The other series seems to have come to an end, as this one possibly does. I hope Butcher goes to Tahiti or someplace to just relax and enjoy what money can buy before writing again.

Wow! What a book! In this book, whatever can go wrong does. Definitely make sure you read the other books leading up to this one, as there is a lot of background info that will put the events of this book into context. There were times that I had to take breaks from this book (as much as I didn't want to) because things go non-stop in this book. There will be a lot of things thrown at you at this book, but it is still reasonable to follow.

I've really been enjoying the Dresden Files series and highly recommending it for anyone that wants a modern fantasy that increases in intesity with each book.

This is Book 12 of The Dresden Files.

The title of this book pretty much sums things up. In this installment of The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher pulls out all of the stops and turns this series completely on its head.

I cannot say much about the book without giving away the plot, but the basics are this: the war with the Red Court is coming to a climax, and Harry Dresden (of course) finds himself right in the middle of it, willing to sacrifice everything. Again. Only this time he really does...

Each book in this series has become more and more action packed, more intense, more extreme. After reading this book, I'm not sure if Butcher can keep up this pace much longer. If things continue in the next book as they did in this one, then his next offering will simply be 200 pages of non-stop explosions and world-melting magic. You can only push the envelope so far before everything careens out of control. I think that he pretty much walked right up to that line with this one. And then he took three steps and a cartwheel beyond it.

There is also an incredible cliffhanger ending that will fuel the conspiracy theorists and speculation junkies without limit until the next book is finally released. I am really not a fan of cliffhanger endings, but you have to give Butcher credit. I have no idea where he is going with this series, but it is certainly going to make things interesting for quite some time to come.

What Can I Say!?

This is the best book in the series to date! No doubts...and of course, I am now waiting (forever it seems) for Book 13!

Harry really gets knocked for a loop this time! Several amazing discoveries occur in this installment which are sure to have riveting results in future books.

I love these books and have a difficult time waiting for the next book to come out! I guess that is just what Mr. Butcher is going for!! He has me hooked and keeps reeling me in...

Enjoy!!!!