- ISBN13: 9780451463173
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
The new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series.
Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden’s lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.
Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan… More >>
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Book lives up to title. Read it expecting that almost anything, no matter how much of a constant it’s been over the past eleven books, might be altered, revised, or destroyed. Any given plotline you’ve been waiting for Butcher to move forward or develop, there’s good odds you’ll find out more here, and more than one multiple-book plot thread finds its end.
Butcher is at the top of his game here, and it may be the best overall book in the series to date; from the very first line — “I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, ‘They’ve taken our daughter[,]‘” — the book moves at a page-tearing clip, and I read it pacing back and forth in my living room, so wholly and obviously absorbed that my girlfriend gave me the night off from household chores (“Sorry I haven’t done the dishes, dear. I can’t. Book.” “I know. It’s okay.”)
Butcher’s spent the past eleven books developing Harry’s character, establishing his hunger for family, his devotion to saving innocents, especially children, and his willingness to burn the world in order to do the right thing, regardless of cost; he’s also balanced Harry on the knife’s edge of several different horrible temptations, and shown that Harry’s passion has the potential to lead him very badly astray. This book drops Harry onto that knife edge and then hits him with a truck, and much of the tension in the book comes from watching Harry discover just how many moral and emotional lines he is, after all, willing to cross, and how many irrevocable steps he’s willing to take, in order to save his daughter.
It isn’t unrelentingly dark; the trademark humor of this series is on display, and fans will find plenty to chuckle over in between the explosions (my favorite, among many, might be Harry’s pointed refusal to wear a hat, a subtle comment on the inaccuracy of the series’ cover art). Despite that, though, this is definitely the psychologically darkest book in the series so far, and I expect it marks a trend we’ll see continue in later books (Butcher plans to write approximately 12 more books in the Dresden series).
Like many a season finale, this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger — while the plot of this story’s resolved, there’s a ‘Whoa! what just happened?” moment on the last page or so. The good news is that the upcoming Dresden Files short story anthology, _Side Jobs_, due out in October/November of this year, will include a novella (titled “Aftermath”) set forty five minutes after the conclusion of this one. So hopefully we won’t have to wait a full year for some resolution on that front.
I don’t recommend starting the series here; start with the first Dresden Files book, _Storm Front_, and work your way forward. If you’d like a preview of this volume, though, the first four chapters are available for free on the author’s website.
Rating: 5 / 5
Just when you thought Harry Dresden had every problem a wizard could have, a new one appears.
And his problems pile up like so many skulls in the twelfth book of the Dresden Files series, which is appropriately titled “Changes.” Jim Butcher’s quirky sense of humor is still in place (“Ick! My lips touched dog lips!”), but this is definitely a darker twist in the series — and Butcher seems intent on diving down into a place that’s far darker, bloodier and scarier than most urban fantasy authors can even dream of.
Harry is understandably shocked when his ex-girlfriend Susan tells him that their daughter has been abducted by Duchess Arianna Ortega, a vampire of the Red Court who has a personal grudge against him. After all, he didn’t even know he HAD a daughter. To make matters even worse, the supernatural world is on the verge of imploding because of the Red Court’s war with the White Council, which means that Harry can’t depend on his own kind for any actual help.
And what’s more, Harry’s being bombarded by assassins, giant Mayan demons, and hordes of Red Court vampires out to destroy/vampirize him. He has to gather as many allies as possible before Arianna puts her lethal plan into effect, and he might have to sacrifice his morals to do so. But even then, an all-out assault on the Red Court in their own territory will tax Harry and his little fellowship to the limits — and will tear away even more of what he loves.
“Changes” is a painfully appropriate name for this book. Just about everything you know in the Dresden Files series changes here — the enemies, the allies, the politics, the devastating losses and even the war against the Red Court. Even the series itself is changing from an urban fantasy series into an EPIC fantasy series — and it feels like a turning point after which everything (and I do mean everything) will be different.
For most of the book, Butcher whips up his usual mixture of action (a giant centipede out of “Inuyasha,” a pitched battle in a fae court), convoluted supernatural politics, funny clothing, and pop culture references (“You know, I believe it IS possible to reference something other than “Star Wars,” boss.” “That is why you fail”).
But a bleak, dark undercurrent runs through the entire book, and it gets darker every time another little piece of Harry’s life is chipped away. Butcher spends the whole book creating a slow-burning build-up to a really nasty confrontation with the Reds, and it all culminates in a truly explosive climax that’s soaked in blood, magic, and the deepest passions of the human heart. Here’s the only disappointing aspect of it — the “to be continued!” cliffhanger.
Butcher also brings in countless characters from previous books (Thomas, Sanya, Uriel, Butters, Toot, the ever-elusive Lea, Luccio), and introduces a few new ones (Vadderung, who resembles a certain ancient father-god). But the center of this story is undeniably Harry, who is so determined to save his daughter that he is willing to do literally anything — he’s even willing to do things you would never have thought him capable of.
“Changes” is full of changes — it’s the ending of an era in the Dresden Files, and it leaves you desperate to know what will happen next. Utterly brilliant, and truly heartbreaking.
Rating: 5 / 5
No spoilers in this review, but Wow! Just wow!
On the first page of this book we learn exactly what Harry Dresden’s mission and prime focus is going be. Throughout Changes the characters we know and love appear, but the conversations they could/should and probably will have with Harry one day often don’t eventuate, because there simply isn’t time. Harry has his mission and one sole focus and his friends are either with him or not. There is no time for deep discussions or reflections.
The changes, questions and possibilities accumulate in this book, not just for Harry but for all the characters. I can’t wait to see which avenues Jim Butcher will explore now that so many more have opened up. But fans may also be surprised at some of the Dresden familiarities that come to an end.
The final 20 – 25% of this book especially impressed me. It was building up to a huge climax and it certainly didn’t disappoint, but we are provided with many surprise twists rather than just one big fight at the end.
There is one particularly enormous WHOA! moment that I guarantee nobody will be expecting.
A wonderful book, a crucial pivot point in the Dresdenverse and after I’ve taken stock and recharged the kindle I’m off to read it again to see what I missed.
Is it April 2011 yet?
Rating: 5 / 5
“Wake up son o’ mine
momma got somethin’ to tell you
Changes come
life will have its way
with your pride, son
take it like a man…”
Changes do indeed come, most often when you are not ready, and generally when we least expect. They are not always the changes that we would envision, nor are they ones that we have planned, but still they come. It is, therefore, no surprise when Changes come for Harry Dresden. While his life has never been what one could call “static”, been far too hectic for that, it has at least maintained a basic structure amidst the chaos. He has always had his office, his apartment, his car, his cat and along the way has picked up many other friends and family, but change is inevitable, even for a Wizard.
Thus it is, twelve books into The Dresden Files, that Changes find Harry, and his life shall never be the same. Just as in Turn Coat, the action begins on the first page of Jim Butcher’s latest Harry Dresden adventure and hardly lets up until the very last word. This time it is Susan Rodriguez, Harry’s old flame, that drops the bombshell on Harry: the Red Court has kidnapped THEIR daughter.
“…Hang on son o’ mine
a storm is blowin’ up your horizon
Changes come
keep your dignity
take the high road
take it like a man…”
To anyone who has read the previous Eleven Dresden novels, this bombshell is as big a shock to us as it is to Harry. It has been seven books since we last saw Susan, and she is half-vampire, so the thought of a child from their last encounter seemed very unlikely. After eleven books, we know Harry Dresden, know his capabilities, know his allies, his enemies and we know what Harry will do to protect one from another. We saw a glimpse of what he was willing to do in Grave Peril to save his love, we witnessed how far he was willing to go in Blood Rites to preserve his family, and we all saw how much he is willing to risk himself for a young woman in trouble in both Proven Guilty and White Night. What we do not yet know, is how far Harry is willing to go for his own daughter, who represents all of the things he holds most dear and fights hardest to protect?
Changes answers that question, with resounding potency and astonishing results. While Turn Coat seemed like a major shake-up in the status quo of the Dresden Files, it was a mere prelude of what comes in Changes. For while Turn Coat fundamentally alters characters and relationships, even the White Council, by the end you still feel as if you will be prepared for what is next. I, honestly, cannot make such a claim after Changes. The anticipation to see what happens next has never been more acute and that year between books has never felt longer.
“…Listen up son o’ mine
momma got something to tell you
All about growin’ pains
life will pound away
where the light don’t shine, son
take it like a man…”
The cast of characters in the Dresden Files grows with each passing book. Some of them are every bit as interesting as Harry, and all of them add significant meat to the series. Butcher pulls out all the stops in Changes, as nearly every character Harry has met along the way shows up in one shape or form. It is almost like a walk on the Nightside at times, so many familiar faces appear and every chapter is so full of action, imaginative creatures and confrontations, though with more depth than your average John Taylor adventure. Many Major Players show their faces for the first time, after being mentioned many times in previous books, among them Duchess Ortega, the Red King, and the CEO of Monoc Securities, Donar Vadderung. Each lives up to expectations, or in the case of Vadderung, exceeds them.
However, it is the faces we know and love that really steal the show. While Thomas and Molly are solid, and at times great, it is Murphy, Mouse, Lea and Sanya that shine brighest. I suppose it should not be a surprise by now, as Mouse has scene stealing performances in every book since Harry found him, but this time out is his best yet. If there has ever been a cooler dog written than Mouse, I have yet to read them. Murphy’s character has been improving, for me, the farther “down the rabbit hole” she is willing to go, as I find her much more interesting as part of the super-natural world than as the Scully. The Leanansidhe returns with a fine role, and her ties to Harry’s mother are a very important part of the novel, as well as being a very interesting revelation in its own right. I have always loved the Knights of the Cross, but until this book did not truly appreciate how fun Sanya is to read about. This is the first book where he is the feature Knight, and he holds the mantle with class, dignity and hilarity.
“…Suck it up son o’ mine
thunder blowin’ up your horizon
Changes come (changes come)
keep your dignity (keep your dignity)
take the high road (take the high road)
take it like a man (take it like a man)…”
Harry Dresden has always been a “Man of Power”, and the books have been an interesting study of one man accumulating Power, while trying to maintain the integrity of his ideals. He takes on beings of greater power in every adventure, but is always able to live up to the responsibilities that come with his own power. The fight is never easy, even his inner-self craves more Power, if only for self-preservation, but he has always been able to weather the storm with his quick thinking and smart mouth. However, of late, Harry has been in even more over his head than usual, and you just know that it will eventually catch up with him. For while it is his anger at injustice, his passion for fighting the evil, that pulls him through again and again; passion is a fire that can burn both ways. His passion for doing the right thing allows his enemies, such as Bianca and Nicodemus, to manipulate him because they know he is willing to die “doing the right thing”.
Many are those who wish to destroy him, but nearly equal are those who wish to recruit him. As he so coldly enumerates to Mavra in Dead Beat, he has plenty of offers for greater power, and he is not afraid to take them if necessary. It is only love which keeps him on the righteous path. Love which preserves him against the White Court, love that vanquishes Lasciel and frees Lash, love that wins the hearts and loyalty of his many friends. It is only love which allows Harry to fight the darkness rising inside him, as he wields that lance in righteous anger and not in malice. His enemies know this as well, and some are so powerful that they do not fear using his love against him; Beings who do not fear to wield his own flesh and blood, his family, against him.
“…momma said like the rain
(this too shall pass)
like a kidney stone
(this too shall pass)
it’s just a broken heart, son
this pain will pass away.” **
Family has always been an integral part of The Dresden Files. In Storm Front, Harry, once an orphan, is already picking up charges, with his cat, Mister, and Toot-toot, the first of his Little Folk army. In Fool Moon, Harry is almost like a parent to the Alphas, shepherding them into the world of the weird. In Grave Peril, Harry is a man who is fighting tooth and nail for his mate, starting a war to rescue Susan, his love. In Summer Knight, Harry is more like the older brother to the Alphas and begins in earnest his fatherly watch over the little Fae as the Za Lord.
Death Masks, shows Harry the contrast in real family, The Carpenters, and the twisted family of self-interest, The Denarians, and sees him risk becoming the latter to save the former. Blood Rites is all about family, as Harry finds a brother and a dog, growing his family more and figuring out what it means to him, personally. Dead Beat, sees Harry finally knowing what is to have family, as well as feel the pain at the prospect of losing them. Proven Guilty, is mostly about reconciliation and who your family really is, as Harry finds when his friends back him without thinking, following him into the very heart of Winter.
While foiling the White Night, Harry learns what it is to be a mentor and father figure via his apprentice, Molly, and the kids at Camp Kaboom. While performing Mab’s Small Favor, Harry displays the lengths to which he will go to save a child and friend, Ivy. While unmasking the Turn Coat, Harry discovers what kind of Power he is willing to utilize to save his brother, Thomas, his only blood. But it is while dealing with Changes, that we all see how far Harry’s family extends, and how much he is truly willing to give for its preservation.
For Harry is to learn what All Fathers know: when it is your own child in peril, the line begins to blur.
“Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you aren’t ready for the Big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really, but it does…the Big moments are going to come, you can’t help that, it’s what you do afterwards that count, that’s when you find out who you are.”***
438 HC pages 5 out of 5 stars
*Title taken from “Changes” by David Bowie
**Song quotations from “Momma Sed” by Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer
***Quoted from Whistler’s speech in “Becoming”, Buffy Season 2 Episode 21, written by Joss Whedon
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m going to start this review a little unconventionally but bear with me. I must say I was actually angry when I saw that Jim Butcher was taking time out to write the Codex Alera (Codex Alera, Book 1) series. Not intrigued at the possibility of getting to read a new milieu created by a wonderful author, but genuinely mad that he would divert his amazing creative energies and time away from the Harry Dresden books. I eventually caved in and read that series, and I was impressed by the way Butcher had a very clear idea of the arc of the story right from the start. Amidst the amazing action scenes, political intrigue, and even romance, he never loses sight of the need to drive the story and his characters forward.
The same can be emphatically said for Changes. It’s remarkable that after all Harry has been through in the series so far, Jim Butcher manages to to reach a new high in terms of the stakes for Harry in this book. What he risks, what drives him to do it, and the jaw-dropping outcome are all “turned up to 11″ in this volume. Although much is bleak and tense, Harry’s trademark dark humor is never far from the surface. And, as always seems to happen in every volume, he gets the snot kicked out of him in new and creative ways. It just wouldn’t be a Dresden Files book if Harry didn’t have a metaphorical piano dropped on his head a time or two!
Many reviewers have complained about the shocking cliffhanger at the end of this story. I disagree with them. I found it worked wonderfully well simply because it came as such a surprise. We’ve had 11 volumes in which a chapter of Harry’s life draws to a satisfactory conclusion; I respect and admire how Butcher keeps the reader a little off balance this time. Many authors learn to play it safe and simply deliver “more of the same” but Butcher, like Harry, isn’t content with the status quo. He has to keep striving for more.
I hate spoilers in reviews, so pardon me if this part of the review is frustratingly vague, but I simply have to mention it. By the end of the story we know that Harry’s career path is going to change dramatically. I’m anticipating that plot arc much more than the resolution of the cliffhanger. My hat is off to Jim Butcher. Many lesser authors wouldn’t dare tamper with a successful formula, but this book leaves me eagerly awaiting the next exciting chapter of the Harry Dresden saga.
But no more side projects, Mr. Butcher! I grudgingly forgave you for the Codex Alera but I’m a Dresden Files junkie that needs his next fix. Hurry up, man!
Rating: 5 / 5