Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8) by Jim Butcher Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)
Book Review: The Greatest Writing Style Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been reading Jim Butcher's Dresden series since it first came out when I was working at my hometown bookstore. I have never found another author that I have loved more. I can eaisily identify with all of his characters, all of which have their own unique personality that they stick to. He does his homework thoroughly when it comes to any historical or mythological creatures and it is SO appreciated. Not to mention the fact that he has the greatest sense of humor ever, I have never laughed out loud as much when reading any other series. And its all at the jokes within instead of at the book itself. Ugh, just love, love, love, to Jim Butcher and Harry Dresden, I can't wait for more!Book Review: GOOD & WITH EVEN GREATER CONCEPTS!!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Harry Dresden is a wise guy P.I. who is always digging into things that could get him killed. In this eighth installment, he has deal with the politics of the White Council (a group of wizards who are political at times), supernatural beings that want to kill him or control his soul, family members of a good friend and ghost like creatures which take on the personages of scary villains from horror films.
PROS OF BUTCHER'S WRITING STYLE
#1 Concepts are really interesting, focusing on the mythologies of our world but using a different and interesting spin. Still found in the old mythologies but not commonly known. Think Faeries, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, etc.
#2 Humor is fantastic, especially if you appreciate a smartass.;
#3 The main character, who tells the tale in first person, gets into a lot of jams which makes for a good story.;
#4 Pacing is great. It doesn't meander or waste a lot of time.;
#5: Characters are all likable and the villains tend to very evil or just evil because of what they are like vampires.;
#6: Different and interesting spin on the use of magics. Not the typical D&D RPG system or from the tired old model used mostly by fantasy authors.; and
#7: As it's an urban fantasy, expect several funny remarks in regards to pop culture (i.e. STAR WARS, etc).
CONS OF BUTCHER'S WRITING STYLE
#1 Love tales are like high school, so, that means they tend to be "awww shucks." Some people like this but not me.;
#2 I found the dialogue interplay between some characters a bit one sided. Murphy and Harry seem to be talking almost the same when they smartass each other. Murphy had a different tone in the previous works.;
#3 Dialogue seems to have too much irrelevant actions in the hopes of making the characters seem unique but it draws away from the dialogue interplay. I think it would serve to cut that out and there would be a better flow.; and
#4 If you want an epic feel or serious tone a la Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, this is not it. If you want something more serious in an urban fantasy, try Hamilton's GUILTY PLEASURES which is the first book in the Anita Blake vampire series.; and
#5: Butcher tends to recap facts a bit too much from the first novel. So, we always get a few paragraphs about his apartment, his talking skull/database named Bob, why machinery malfunctions near him and a general recapping of anyone showing up. While I get this is good for readers who didn't read in order, I feel it slows things down big time. I find myself skipping through such things.
Wouldn't it be better to just have a few pages in the foreward that explain where we last left off? Other authors do that.
For people new to this series, here is the order:
STORM FRONT (The Dresden Files, Book 1); FOOL MOON (The Dresden Files, Book 2); GRAVE PERIL (the Dresden Files, Book 3); SUMMER KNIGHT (The Dresden Files, Book 4); DEATH MASKS (The Dresden Files, Book 5); BLOOD RITES (The Dresden Files, Book 6); DEAD BEAT (The Dresden Files, Book 7); and PROVEN GUILTY (The Dresden Files, Book 8).
My overall favorite is book 4 because of the focus on the Faeries. Butcher did his research.
Enjoy!
Book Review: worth every penny
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this in hardback, fresh off the presses, without the benefit of any reviews - based purely on the quality of the prior books in the series. I was not disappointed - in fact, I plan on buying the next one in hardback also.
Butcher sets a good pace to his books, and Proven Guilty is no exception. I also like the fact that while there are developments on issues that are significant to those who have read all of the books, each book stands alone and the immediate conflicts are resolved. You have to have respect for an author who knows how to wrap up a story in a single book, and at the same time maintain the progression of the central character's life. In Proven Guilty, [plot spoiler!] we find out that Michael knows that Harry has picked up a denarius. However, Butcher also continues to dangle Harry's relationship with Murphy in front of us like a dirt farmer dangling a carrot in front of a mule; and I'd also like to find out just what Harry's brother has been up to. Finally, we know the Merlin and almost everyone is winter court at Faerie is going to be after Harry - plenty of conflict for another outing with Harry Dresden. I can't wait for the next one - if you haven't read this one, do yourself a favor and get it.
Book Review: One of the Best Authors Out There (The Dresden Series)
Summary: 5 Stars
Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files series continues to show that he is one of the best authors out there. Just finding an interesting plot, good characters that you can care about, and good writing is getting harder and harder to find. I recommend this entire series. However, be warned that this series is not "light" in that the main character can go through some pretty tough circumstances during each book.
While I love Jim's Dresen Files series I can't say the same for his other series (Alera). Just can't get into it.
Book Review: An improvement over the last Harry Dresden novel....
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed "Dead Beat" but it did have a couple of flaws: slow beginning and old characters brought into the story for no apparent reason. Proven Guilty, however, is a work of near perfection.
From the opening chapter on, this novel grabs you by the neck and drags you along for one amazing ride. Any novel that begins with an execution is definitely going to be action packed. Harry, now as a Warden, is forced to face responsibility in a whole new way, while being reminded of his own questionable past. This brings even more depth to an already complex and intriguing character.
Old characters are alluded to or mentioned in passing, but fortunately no one shows up in the story who isn't involved in the plot. This avoids the over-cluttered, confusing tone that other series in the comtemporary fantasy/horror genre seem to take on as they progress (examples: Glen Cook's Garret series and Laurall K Hamilton's Anita Blake series).
Lastly, Mr. Butcher has actually managed to make the series fresh and new with each novel he has written. The characters change and evolve, they do not turn into caricature of themselves. Yes, Harry is still a rebel and a smart aleck, but these traits are represented as great personality quirks, instead of the main representation of the character. Supporting characters in the previous novels are suddenly thrust center-stage in this novel, and become driving forces in Harry's life.
I realize that this review has been more about writing style than the actual storyline. That is on purpose. As you, fellow fantasy and sci-fi fans, well know, we are constantly bombarded with good story ideas that are poorly written. Most series dissolve into cliches and very predictable plotlines. So far the Dresden Files has not done so. Mr. Butcher has taken a fabulous scenario and turned it to a well developed fantasy-scape. I highly recommend this latest installment in the adventures of Harry Dresden, and I eagerly await the next one.