Ratings265
Average rating4.5
I don't know what to say, this was probably my favorite and least favorite of the series. As usual the writing is great, but it has really been stepped up a notch for this. I'll try my best to avoid any spoilers but I really thought the series was over for awhile (I read the book in 4.5 hours on the day it was released). This book is one of the fastest paced of all of them and has so many plot twists I just couldn't put it down. I just have one thing to say when this is finished, harry needs to get Murphy or someone cool for him soon because I don't know how much more the man can bear without something good in his life.
I chose to read a bunch of these one after the other as a part of a digital collection.
I'm not sure that was the best way to do it. It feels like eating a gallon of chocolate pudding in one sitting. I like the pudding, but a snack pack is a better serving size.
This, like all the books in the collection (7-12) had some high and low points. These books remind me of a fantasy adventure television show with each chapter edited to end on a cliffhanger/commercial break.
I don't have strong feelings of love for this series, but I'm not tired of it either. I like Harry, like the humor, like some of the supporting characters. They have enough stakes and tension to keep the pages turning. In this particular book, the scene with the “Eebs” was especially memorable. I also enjoyed the bit with Donar Vadderung and hope he comes back.
True to the title, there are a lot of “changes” in the book as Harry's life as we've come to know it is turned inside out and upside down. That's good as it means the future of the series may be less predictable (I hope).
On the downside, they throw a lot of plot at you, without rhyme or reason, and with twists that are often banal. How many other unknown family members is Harry going to pick up before we're done? If he finds out Karin is his sister, I'm outta here. The action sequences are frequently the most boring chapters of any given book. Ideally, I should be on the edge of my seat for these scenes.
There is far too much similarity between one plot and another from book to book. Every plot is a scheme within a scheme within a scheme, instigated by some supernatural power player. There's always a traitor of some kind or other. The Red Court's internal power struggles in Changes are almost exactly like the White Court's from White Night. It is never as noir as I had thought it would be/hoped for. Most of the characters are quite glamorous in one way or another. City problems are mentioned but most of the cast are too far above/outside of them.
Nearly every woman's hotness is described in detail. Harry's consistent horniness is tiresome. At this point I can just assume it's there, right? I don't need to be reminded.
I guess that brings up another point, because I'm reading them straight through like this, I'm aware of the abundance of exposition, which is skippable the way Butcher writes it. If I'd read them back when they first came out and had to wait for each new book, I'd have a different experience and would maybe appreciate the refresh.
I can never decide if I'm going to go on with the series when I get to the end of a book. Certainly, I won't binge them ever again as this intensifies the things that bug me about the series.
My initial, immediate after finishing thoughts-
I started Changes 31 hours ago. That included 9 hours of work and 8 hours of sleep. And it is with my whole heart that I say: that was one of the best books I've read in my life. I did not wish to be this person; I wished to be a disbeliever. I wanted to sit here and say, “Changes, meh”. Alas, Dresden mania has taken me. Allow me to officially welcome myself into the Loud Screaming Stage of Dresden Fandom: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO FUCKING GOOD IT DEFIES ALL SENSE IT WAS ESSENTIALLY PERFECT
I'm in shock! Changes puts the dresden files to a whole new level for me :O I think I have to change the rating from Turn Coat to a 4... Or this one is just a 10 in comparison xD definitely the best one in the series until now. It just had everything, from funny moments to heartbreaking scenes. Much more action. Loved it! And I hate u butcher for that cliffhanger! XD
I do not give out many 5-star ratings, but for this book I couldn't do anything else. That is despite the fact that [a:Jim Butcher 10746 Jim Butcher https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] did something I honestly didn't think he would do to his legions of loyal readers, something that I absolutely detest. Something that I will not tell you about, because I loathe spoilers. If you know anything about me, though, it means a great deal to say that even though I would drop most authors who use that particular technique like not just hot, but rotten hot potatoes, I cannot even consider not getting the next Dresden Files book and devouring it the very first millisecond I am able to do so.My family can attest to the fact that I didn't just laugh out loud while reading Changes. (Anybody who doesn't laugh out loud at least once while reading the Dresden Files should be checked for rigor mortis.) This time I laughed so loud and so long at one point that Sam got up and came into the room where I was to make sure that I was okay and getting enough air. There was absolutely no way for me to explain what was so funny, of course, without spoilers.While there is a great deal of humor, there is also darkness. A lot of darkness. The blurb for the book makes that clear. Susan, the love of Harry's life, kidnapped years ago by a Red Court vampire and half-turned in a plot to get at Dresden, is back with big, bad news: she had a daughter by him, and the child has been kidnapped by someone. As usual, things go downhill from there.Many series start out with a bang, have maybe two or three strong volumes, then devolve into more and more and more contract fulfillment books that I occasionally think might be written by clever shell scripts. The Dresden Files is one of the few, beautiful exceptions, as volume twelve proves. I honestly thought that Butcher was winding things up to move on to other projects, due to some of the events in the book, but I will say that he surprised the bejesus out of me. This is definitely not a series-ending book! I anxiously await number thirteen. I might even do something I've never done before, and pre-order it. Yes, Jim, you've got me hooked, and how.
Contains spoilers
Wowo just wow!!!
I think this has to be the most hard hitting impactful Dresden Files book I have read thus far.
Harry finding out he has a daughter with his half vampire ex girlfriend and that his daughter is now being used as a human blood sacrifice to create a blood curse on Harry and his family.
2 moments that just stand out. When Harry meets his daughter for the first time is heartbreaking
And then when he must make a sacrifice to save his daughter commiting an act of murder he never thought he could be capable of is just wow!!
Harry trades everything for the child he never knew he had.
And the ending. Just seriously WTF!! I don't know whether to laugh, cry, be angry, scream.....
I mean seriously how does Jim Butcher get away with that kind of ending!! But the fact that this book has left me with emotional trauma at the hands of a paperback I suppose means Jim did a damn good job writing to illecit such a response from me but still Damn you Jim for doing this to me. I love it but at the same time I hate it!! Good job!
Yep, I enjoy reading, and now mostly listening, to the Dresden files. James Marsters (Spike!) is the perfect narrator for these. I just can't believe I've made it through 12 of them. Four stars for being good at what they are.
There is nothing better than being in Chichen Itza, when you are finishing this great story and a couple of days later the Chicago Cubs win the world series!
Executive Summary: If you've been enjoying yourself to this point in the series, you should really love this book as much as I do. It's definitely the best book of the series so far.
Audio book: James Marsters seems to approach each book like a 1 man show now. He has distinct voices for all the major parts, and even most of the minor ones. It seems like he enjoys reading them as much as I do, and that comes through.
Full Review
I had originally reviewed this book on Living Social's Virtual Bookshelf for Facebook when it first came out. That review got imported here, but it didn't really do it justice in my opinion, so I scrapped it and started over again.
I could go on rambling for paragraphs about how much I love this series, and how great this book, but I'll try to keep things concise.
While I was in the process of re-reading this book, I was really surprised to see there are negative reviews for it. Not only that, but the top review Good Read shows is a 2 star rating. I had to read it, and find out why.
The criticism is fair. But it could easily be applied to the previous ELEVEN books in the series. I get that this series won't be for everyone, but why have you read 12 books if you just don't think it's that good? Oh well people are entitled to their opinions.
I have a guilty pleasure for bad movies, especially martial arts movies. The quality of these books are much better than that in my view, but at it's core it's the equivalent of a popcorn flick.
They are a great interlude for some of the heavier stuff I stuff I've been reading, especially among the rise of all the grimdark fantasy lately. The books are fun.
This one is especially so. It starts and ends on some pretty big bombshells. And there are several huge revelations and developments inbetween.
The ending pissed me off so much when I read it the first time. HOW COULD HE LEAVE THINGS THERE? WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK COMING OUT!? DAMN YOU JIM BUTCHER!! KAAAAAAAHN!!!
Sorry, where was I? This book lives up to it's name more than any other in and the series and probably most of the books I've read in general.
Things change for Harry, who like me is a creature of habit, and prefers everything just so. Things have been building to this point for quite some time, and the last several chapters are more action packed than most of the previous books combined.
I really love this book.
There that was mostly concise, wasn't it? At least for me..
How do you say anything about this book without ruining for anyone who hasn't read it? Jim Butcher at his absolute best here (and Jim Butcher working at mediocre levels is better than most people can do)–the biggest, most violent, most explosive, most intense, most emotionally-charged...and that's before the utterly maddening ending! The kind of ending that'd make a bishop curse a streak so blue that sailors would blush.
Which isn't to say that the normal dose of Dresden humor and fun isn't around–it's just got some dynamite company.
It's rare that any installment in a series of books/comics/tv shows to get something that's actually a game changer, that actually delivers on the promise “and nothing will be the same”–but Changes does. The title is the very definition of apt.
That said, this novel would be pretty much useless to a newbie–but for the fan of Chicago's resident wizard? You can't hope for better.
Butcher really puts Harry through the wringer in this book. Major personal losses for Harry and a life-changing decision. Except the end leaves you wondering if there will even BE a life beyond this story.
Fans of The Dresden Files have a new adventure in their hands. April 6th was the release for book 12 of the series chronicling the supernatural exploits of wizard and private detective, Harry Dresden. Dresden is the worlds only publicly practicing Wizard. Don't believe it? It says it right there on his business card. But while earlier books were more centered on cases brought to him as a private investigator, Changes is entirely focused on Harry's personal life.
The Dresden Files has been one wild adventure after another. Vampires, trolls, werewolves, wizards, fairies, and all manner of mystical beings congregate around modern day Chicago. And where supernatural forces frolic, supernatural bedlam often ensues. And over the years Dresden has made powerful friends and even more powerful enemies.
This time around Harry's personal life catches up with him. And in the course of the tale, author Jim Butcher does an amazing job of pulling in characters from novels past and linking them all into a potent and action packed crusade that will change the future of the Dresden character forever. Every previous book literally brought Dresden to the events detailed in this book and the consequences of this edition threaten to have far-reaching ramifications.
It's hard to review the story without giving away twists or turns critical along the way. It's impossible to mention the peripheral characters that come into play without giving away information that is key to the resolution of the story. I consider this a mark of the true craftsmanship that Jim Butcher employs when telling his tales. The characters are compelling and long lasting as they are developed further from one book to the next. Later books directly reference the outcome of events that were important in earlier books and surprisingly consequential in continuing storylines.
Without giving anything away, its safe to say that book 12 is an amazing work of fiction that was nearly impossible to put down. The mythology of Dresden's world is compelling. The writing throughout the series is consistent and has all led up to what happens in this book.
Changes proved to be a great addition to the series and, much more than past release, really leaves the reader anxious for book 13. And there is good news on that front as Side Job, book 13, is scheduled for release in November of 2010. Its unusual for Butcher to release two Dresden books in the same year. But with the recent conclusion of his Codex Alera series it seems he has dedicated his creativity fully on Harry Dresden. As an aside, those not familiar with the Codex Alera works, the 6 novels comprise a mind-blowing work of fiction in their own right.
The Dresden Files is a series of stories told from the first person perspective of Harry Dresden himself. Due to the craftsmanship of Butcher's work, it's crucial to read the books chronologically in order to truly appreciate the development of the character and his history. Each book builds on the characters and events that came before it. And the history of the series makes for an interesting and exciting journey. I have never regretted starting Storm Front, book one, less than two years ago and I anxiously anticipate the release of Side Jobs, book 13 in November.