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Aug 3, 2011 Posted by Lisa on Aug 3, 2011 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Blurb

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard PI. Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. But he’s forgotten his own golden rule: magic – it can get a guy killed. Which didn’t help when he clashed with unknown assailants with his murder in mind. And though Harry’s continued existence is now in some doubt, this doesn’t mean he can rest in peace. Trapped in a realm that’s not quite here, yet not quite anywhere else, Harry learns that three of his loved ones are in danger. Only by discovering his assailant’s identity can he save his friends, bring criminal elements to justice, and move on himself. It would just be easier if he knew who was at risk. And had a (working) crystal ball. And access to magic. Instead, he is unable to interact with the physical world – invisible to all but a select magical few. He’s also not the only silent presence roaming Chicago’s alleys. Hell, he put some there himself. Now, they’re looking for payback.

If you haven’t read Changes, then be aware that this review may contain spoilers as it’s a bit hard to review this book without acknowledging what happened in the last one!

Jim Butcher claims that the end of Changes is not a cliffhanger – he killed off Harry, didn’t explain who killed him and left us hanging until now to find out what’s going on.. if that’s not a cliffhanger, then nothing is! Either way, when I finished reading Changes, I howled out loud at the typical way Jim left us wanting more and so have been waiting impatiently for this latest installment. . . and boy, I wasn’t disappointed!

From the first page, it’s like meeting up with an old friend – one where it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you last spoke, you simply pick up where you left off and carry on. That’s how it is with Harry Dresden. From the opening lines, you’re back in Chicago and - for a few minutes – you forget Harry’s dead… that is until he reminds you . . which he does, loudly and often.

Jim’s writing style is as superb as always, in fact I’d say even more so on this book. The story – which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t read it – is sharp, with the sarky quick-witted comments Dresden fans know and love and the other characters from previous books make an appearance too, as well as some new ones.

I read Ghost Story over a weekend, breaking only to feed the kids and sleep, and found it hard to drag myself away from it even then. The story keeps you guessing and, I don’t know about anyone else who has read it, I wasn’t expecting some of the final results at all. There are some very real laugh out loud moments as well as some where you’re more vocal with “Holy Crap!” I suggest you don’t read this in public unless you don’t care about the odd looks you may become the recipient of!

Overall, a fantastic addition to the Dresden series and, as per usual, it has left me waiting in impatient anticipation for the next one in the series. If you haven’t given the Dresden Files a try yet, do so you won’t be disappointed.

Book Details:-

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Orbit (28 July 2011)
ISBN-10: 1841497614
ISBN-13: 978-1841497617
Product Dimensions: 22 x 14.6 x 4.4 cm

May 30, 2010 Posted by Lisa on May 30, 2010 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments

Mean Streets Anthology by Jim Butcher, Simon R Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E Sniegoski

Blurb

They walk the streets no one else can walk, take the jobs no one else will take, and if you’ve got a problem – and the cash – they can solve it.

Of course, if your case involves rabid werewolves, cursed objects, the living dead, malevolent beings from another dimension, or other “unusual” circumstances, it may cost you a bit extra!

Mean Streets is a compilation of four all-new novellas by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski. While I”ve read Jim Butcher and two of Kat”s books I hadn”t read anything by Simon and Thomas, so their stories were a foray into new territory for me.

Jim Butcher’s novella is called The Warrior and brings us back into the world of Harry Dresden – an excellent choice to kick off this book. The main plot is Harry trying to protect his friend Michael and his family from danger and ends up becoming a target himself. What I liked most about this novella is the ending.

Without giving too much away, the ending is not what you’re expecting throughout the whole tale and, as usual, Jim Butcher shows just why he’s such a fabulous author, weaving the story with skill and humour.

Next up is Simon R. Green’s offering – The Difference A Day Makes – taking us into his Nightside series with John Taylor, where John is hired to find the lost memories of a desperate woman. I’m in two minds on this one. While it’s written extremely well, I didn’t particularly enjoy the story. The whole tale just didn’t gel for me and I couldn’t enjoy the characters. I think it may be necessary to have “met” the characters before to really get a grip on the dynamics of both the characters and the Nightside. I was left with the feeling that the story was rushed and wasn’t very well thought out.

The third novella is by Kat Richardson and brings her Greywalker, Harper Blaine, to Mexico during the Day of the Dead, where she becomes enmeshed in a tangle of dark family secrets and revenge from beyond the grave. I’ve yet to read the two Greywalker novels (although I do own them) but I found the story easy to follow without having any prior knowledge of the main character. Overall the story was interesting, drawing on some of the beliefs of Mexico to give a very real feel to the whole situation. This story, for me, ranked as one of the two strongest stories in the compilation – the other being Jim Butcher’s.

The fourth and final offering is from Thomas E. Sniegoski – another author I”ve never read. In this tale, Remy Chandler - a fall-angel-turned-detective – investigates the death of Noah (yes, THE Noah). At first I wasn’t too sure I was enjoying this one, but I think it grew on me. Remy is an interesting character and I do believe I will be picking up some of the novels in this series. The tale Thomas shares with us relates to the flood and what happened to the animals that didn”t make it on the ark – I found this interesting on many levels and the story was woven well.

Overall, the book isn”t bad, and for any fans of the authors contained well worth picking up for the additional stories to the respective series.

Book Details