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White Night (The Dresden Files #9)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 · rating details · 34,835 ratings · 837 reviews

Someone is targeting the city’s magic practitioners, the members of the supernatural underclass who don’t possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Many have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But the murderer has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes–a message for Harry Dresden, referencing the book of Exodus and the killing of witches.

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Kindle Edition, 481 pages

Published (first published April 3rd 2007)

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Sep 29, 2008 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans who've read previous Dresden Files novels

Shelves: series-challenge, read-in-2008

The ninth Harry Dresden novel is the series riches and most densely plotted to date--and the first in the series I can't recommend to someone coming to the series cold.

Not that this is a bad thing. It's a great thing for readers of the Dresden Files. While Jim Butcher does deliver payoffs and resolutions in his previous eight books, here in "White Night" he steps that up a notch, bringing back old friends and enemies to Harry Dresden's world all while building on several key plotlines from the...more The ninth Harry Dresden novel is the series riches and most densely plotted to date--and the first in the series I can't recommend to someone coming to the series cold.

Not that this is a bad thing. It's a great thing for readers of the Dresden Files. While Jim Butcher does deliver payoffs and resolutions in his previous eight books, here in "White Night" he steps that up a notch, bringing back old friends and enemies to Harry Dresden's world all while building on several key plotlines from the last several novels as the war between the various supernatural factions begins to reach a boiling point and Harry Dresden is, once again, at the center of it all.

If you're coming into this cold, you'll be thorougly confused. If you've read the previous eight books, you're probably going to eat this up with a spoon, eagerly turning the pages, waiting for the next development to hit.

Murphy calls Harry in on a case that may or may not have supernatural undercurrents. Harry discovers a message that only he could find and begins to look into a series of similar deaths. Finding the same message, hidden in the same way, Harry suspects a serial killer is on the loose in the supernatural community. The problem: the number one suspect is his half-brother Thomas.

Harry is convinced Thomas isn't the killer, but the evidence is pretty damning. Harry begins to pull at the threads and uncovers someone or something targeting women of a Wiccan order. They've already asked for help from Harry's first love, Elaine, who is now a private eye in Los Angeles who investigates the supernatural.

All of this we find in the first hundred or so pages and that's just when it gets interesting. Butcher weaves together a complex, fascinating story with Harry firmly at the center, trying to find the pieces of the puzzle and prove the innocence of his half-brother. In the midst of al this, we learn about the politics of the current battle between the Red Court and the White Council and how Harry fits into a plan to possibly tip the balance. Along the way, we meet old enemies and have call backs to the first novel in the series.

About the only thing I found frustrating about this novel is that in the last book, Harry determined a secret group was plotting within the power ranks of the White Council. And while this development is brought up, we never get any movement toward discovering who or what is behind this and what their agenda is. I realize that Butcher may be setting up some things for future installments, but a revelation this big seems a bit difficult to only pay lip service to in the story.

But that's the only detraction I can find in this superb entry in the Dresden series. Butcher keeps getting better and better, continuing to keep the Dresden Files as one of the must reads on my bookshelf. (less)

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Dec 28, 2009 Grey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The ongoing story of Harry Dresden does not get better in the ninth book. The consistencies in the mechanics and the competence of characters get very iffy here.

But well, it's the world which revolves around Harry. (Is it a trend, like in that Rowling series, to have prima donna protagonists, around which all things move, be named "Harry"?)

Harry will explain how magic makes sense in the Law Of Conservation Of Energy even it violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Harry will touch the good sid...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Sasha Garza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

Harry Dresden is one of my favorite heroes. He makes mistakes and he is often confused. Through stubborn persistence he manages to reason his way out of trouble. He reminds me of Indiana Jones.

This is the 9th book in the series. I'm reading these stories too fast. I just can't stop listening to them. Each book blends seamlessly into the next. The characters develop and change. They battle the forces of darkness and learn more about each other's pasts. These experiences shape and change the char...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2011 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy, favorites

My friend Julie has the wonderful habit of previewing podcasts and reviewing books by summarizing them in telegraphic style, leading with the prepositions you'd hear if you walked in on her in mid-summary.

It's a useful device that I'm going to borrow for "White Night," because this is a novel in which Jim Butcher gives us not only combat magic and life lessons, but also political intrigue, new insights into most of the characters in the Dresden Files series, and -- importantly -- a subtle, sati...more

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Mar 08, 2008 Seth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modernfantasy, sf-f-h

Basically more of the same from Butcher. If you like the series, this one is an enjoyable entry: nice set-piece action, almost no character development (on Harry, that is; his apprentice Molly is growing up quite a bit), and a complex interaction between several people's independent plots for our wizard-cum-P.I. to unravel.

This book focuses a lot of Thomas, Harry's vampire half-brother, as Harry and Thomas try to keep one another alive, use one another to further their own interests, and avoid a...more Basically more of the same from Butcher. If you like the series, this one is an enjoyable entry: nice set-piece action, almost no character development (on Harry, that is; his apprentice Molly is growing up quite a bit), and a complex interaction between several people's independent plots for our wizard-cum-P.I. to unravel.

This book focuses a lot of Thomas, Harry's vampire half-brother, as Harry and Thomas try to keep one another alive, use one another to further their own interests, and avoid actually talking to one another. The Harry/Thomas relationship has taken over the driver's seat of the series now that Harry and Sgt. Murphy are pretty much settled as a non-item, and the series is no worse for it.

In fact, the characters' sex lives are a recurring theme of the book. Harry's four-year dry spell, Molly's we-don't-talk-about-it wild teenage years, Warden Ramirez' "Spanish lover" bragging, and Harry's and Thomas' desire that Thomas not return to using sex to feed his vampiric hunger are all played off against one another. In the Dresden universe, magic is fueled by passion more than cold will, and the relationship between love (of several kinds), need, and passion is the undercurrent.

Molly's story continues to advance. This is a great way to replace the pages of navel-gazing the earlier books had regarding their moral dilemmas with instruction and challenge, which makes it not only palatable but interesting. All in all, White Night has about three pages of Harry just rambling to himself about his ethics, which is a big improvement.

Molly has to face a big question in this book: Is she willing to get involved in as messy a business as her father and Harry do? We're pretty certain of the answer (after all, her father is called by God Himself to fight evil), but she's going through the uncertainties and test-of-faith that should accompany the decision. It's also a good chance for Harry to re-examine his own involvement. His cooperation with the demon he buried in his basement, his anger over the vampires' destruction of his last healthy relationship, and his knee-jerk partiality when his brother is implicated in a string of murders all lead to some good questions and reflection. Murphy, Ramirez, and Holly all take him to task on how caught up he's getting and how he's starting to believe his own savior complex. How he handles it is the stuff of this (and hopefully the next few) books.

The actual plot addresses some great points that have been outstanding in the story: Who is the hypothetical Black Council that's working against the wizards and the vampired equally? How are the White Court vampires handling Laura Raith's covert usurpation of her father's will? How will Harry's conscription into the Wardens--a group widely feared by the less-powerful supernaturals--affect his reputation and business as Chicago's hero of the little guy? And just how tough is Mouse, his stolen magical Temple Dog, anyway?

The stuff of the plot is spelled out all over the place: someone is killing female magic practitioners, limiting off the pool of potential White Council members down the line (magic is often passed matrilinearly). The evidence increasingly points to Thomas as a "person of interest" and Murphy asks for Harry's help on the case--unofficially, since she's been demoted. Harry's first complication is the other evidence in the case: it looks like a tall, thin Warden is involved in the killings, and Harry himself is the only tall Warden in the Midwest. The more Murphy and he investigate, the more it appears that no one theory can explain all the killings, especially when Elaine, Harry's teenage love, comes back into his life with information about similar killings in three other cities, leading Harry, Elaine, and Murphy to unravel a complicated case of multiple murderers using and manipulating one another while deftly using Harry as their pawn.

Pure fluff. Pure fun. Nice entry into the series. Well worth the three or four hours it takes to read.(less)

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Jun 08, 2007 amireal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-butcher, g-fantasy-urban, reviewed

A lot of people have called this the best of the series. I think I know why. This is what I call a 'Pay Off' book. Butcher has spent 8 books weaving small details of a larger plot together. Never have I felt unsatisfied by the small bits of information Dresden puts together, but it's nice to have a small pittance of the questions that have come up finally answered.

That's not to say it's not awesome without it, but there's something infinitively satisfying about getting answers, even if they only...more

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May 28, 2013 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: witches-wizards-mages, audio-book, read-in-2011, detectives-private-investigators

I'm so glad I am revisiting this series. I stand by my original review.

2/28-3/2/11-
4.5 stars.

I keep trying to savor these books, but I can't seem to help myself. I LOVE the audio versions! James Marsters and Harry Dresdan are a perfect pairing. In this one, Harry takes care of one of the biggest things haunting his life. He helps save the day, with the help of Murphy and Thomas. Molly grows up a little (which is good because she was starting to get on my nerves). We see some more people from Ha...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

One of the best so far. The writing has improved a great deal from book 1 to here. I am totally enamored with this crazy, rebellious, do-good wizard!

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May 27, 2013 Evgeny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A lot of women with manor magical abilities committed apparent suicide. Murphy from Chicago police Special Investigation unit asked Dresden to look into this. What Dresden saw is that a serial killer is on the loose who carefully hided his tracks. It turned out what one of the evidence points to a Warden of The White Council of wizards, and another one to Harry's brother Thomas.

This time Dresden encountered something that might take military force just to have hope of survival. Oh, and a lot of...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Amery Xu added it · review of another edition

It's been awhile since I read the previous book in the series and I forgot just how awesome this series was. Once more we join Harry Dresden, the only wizard detective in Chicago, as he experiences yet another series of bad days. Once again Butcher has outdone himself! The book was extremely addicting and hard to put down. I found myself going deep into the night just to inch closer to the ending. In White Night, the ninth installment of the Dresden Files, we see Harry racing against time to fin...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Minh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, paranormal

I'm a big Jim Butcher fan. At first the appeal was simply because he'd gone and written a series about a wizard named Harry (tehehe), but I just get more and more impressed by his world building. He's written a 9 book long series that shows no sign of ending any time soon, but the characters have grown during this time and haven't fallen into any of the traps that a lot of female paranormal writers seem to fall into.

A. Harry is not surrounded by multitudes of women unable to decide which one he...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy, fantasy

Ninth Dresden Files book (click author link for the first eight) in which Harry begins investigating the deaths of a number of local small-time magical practitioners and, say it ain’t so!, ends up in the middle of a massive vampire power struggle with wide-ranging implications for the continuing war.

I’m almost tempted to re-skim Storm Front, the first book in the series, just for the purpose of enjoying how much Butcher’s talent has grown. His writing is smoother (if not, you know, particularly...more Ninth Dresden Files book (click author link for the first eight) in which Harry begins investigating the deaths of a number of local small-time magical practitioners and, say it ain’t so!, ends up in the middle of a massive vampire power struggle with wide-ranging implications for the continuing war.

I’m almost tempted to re-skim Storm Front, the first book in the series, just for the purpose of enjoying how much Butcher’s talent has grown. His writing is smoother (if not, you know, particularly beautiful), his dialogue downright sparkling in places, his plots much less contrived, his jokes funny-lame instead of stupid-lame. And he’s discovered subtlety in character work, which is worth a cheer all in and of itself.

All of which sounds a lot more disparaging than it’s intended. Seriously. This series started out as a mildly diverting bunch of adventures with average writing and the occasional irritating element. They’ve morphed into smooth, funny, creative stories which are indulging in the sort of very long-range plotting that really pushes my buttons. There’s a really excellent and diverse supporting cast, and Harry is developing in believable and impressive ways (the apprentice angle is awesome) as both a wizard and a person, and somewhere in the past three books I started being emotionally engaged by him on levels that the first few books didn’t permit (see above re: subtlety in character work).

Harry’s chauvinism is still irritating (nope, sorry, not cute, not funny, and, most damning of all, not illuminating of character in a meaningful way). I was also a bit disappointed by the ending to this book, which returned to the old pattern of lining up the good guys and the bad guys and having them whack at each other with swords and magic and rifles until things go badly for both and the good guys pull a rabbit out of their hats. Ho-hum. This sort of thing can only really be saved for me by the delightful creativity Butcher has demonstrated himself more than capable of (resurrected dinosaur! Plant monster in a garden store!) that simply wasn’t present here. Otherwise, it reads like a description of a tabletop RPG. Which, uh, it well might be.

Anyway. Strong series that I’m glad I stuck with, because the good stuff took a while to hit me. And I have a feeling there’s a lot more of it coming.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Lisa King rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: absolutely-loved-it

Harry Dresden has come a long way and he now has an apprentice, granted an apprentice that has similar origins as himself. Molly Carpenter started out a warlock who used her power to influence the minds of her best friend and boyfriend. Not good. In this installment, Harry Dresden is called in by Murphy to consult a suspicious 'suicide'. It turns out that someone is murdering women with magical talent but not Council grade. It's up to Harry to solve the mystery but that's not all! Summer and Win...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Gregg Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The previous entry in the Dresden series represented something of a pinnacle for the series, so perhaps it was a bit inevitable that this one would have something of an uphill battle. White Night manages to weather these expectations surprisingly well. The White Court vampire dealings do feel like a bit of a sidestep after the setup at the end of the previous book, but the situation builds to one of the more exciting, climactic, and well-executed finales that I've read in a Dresden book so far....more

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Jan 27, 2013 Spinster rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires

In White Night we're having a classic serial killer mystery. Shockingly Harry gets involved and uses his badass magic and superior persona to solve the mystery and save the day. I'm not even being sarcastic, I adore Harry that much.

I was thrilled that Marcone was brought into the story again, after a long pause. Marcone is an interesting character and a little more of his character was revealed in the book. He seems to be going a little too soft, but I guess even mobsters have to have a softer s...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Books-treasureortrash rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, reviewed

Book Review: 3 treasure boxes

A serial killer whose sole focus is magical practitioners is creating fear and chaos in Chicago, but Harry with the help of his old flame Elaine will stop this maniac. Evidence points to Harry’s gorgeous and dangerous brother, Thomas, a vampire of the white court.

White Night is the ninth book in The Dresden Files. Jim Butcher has currently written 14 books in this series. He has also written 6 books in the Codex Alera Series, which is closer to high fantasy than the...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

White Night
OR
Harry Dresden and the Suburban House Wives

I am so enjoying the crap out of this series. Have I mentioned that? I totally am. Good action, fantastic characters, and a delightful sense of humor make these books so worth reading.

We've had a shift in books recently with how the plot is structured. Instead of 90% of the book being about solving the big mystery with 10% wrap up, now we have about 70% solving the mystery, 20% DEALING WITH THE SOLVING IN AN EPIC FASHION, 10% wrap up. The e...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Susanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sff

This was an emergency airport buy last month - my holiday read hadn't arrived in time and I was desperate. I started reading with a certain amount of trepidation, because a) I love the Codex Alera, and I was worried I might hate this; b) first person narrator, brrrrr; c) this is the 9th Dresden book, apparently, so I was jumping into the middle of a series; d) in terms of preference, I fall firmly into the sword-and-sorcery bracket of fantasy. So, I wasn't sure about this, like, at all.

However....more

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Aug 31, 2011 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Magical practitioners are dying. Not Wizards, not members of the White Council, but lesser talents are dying not just in Chicago but across the US – their deaths a series of tragic suicides. Harry's looking to find out who and why – and whether his brother is involved or not.

Caught up by White Court machinations he also finds himself further enmeshed in the vampire politics behind the war. To complicate matters, he also has to balance teaching his new apprentice, the machinations of Lasciel, the...more Magical practitioners are dying. Not Wizards, not members of the White Council, but lesser talents are dying not just in Chicago but across the US – their deaths a series of tragic suicides. Harry's looking to find out who and why – and whether his brother is involved or not.

Caught up by White Court machinations he also finds himself further enmeshed in the vampire politics behind the war. To complicate matters, he also has to balance teaching his new apprentice, the machinations of Lasciel, the Fallen Angel that has taken up residence in his mind and the ever-worrying presence of the mob boss, Marcone who always plays his own very dangerous game. Oh, and his ex shows up. Never simple, is it?

Worse the Dark Council continues its plots behind the scenes, confusing who can be trusted – and summoning daemons that make even normal daemons seem tame and mundane.

The plot synopsis may seem a little short this time, but there weren't a great deal of sideplots or complications in particular. It was still an involved, complicated plot with plenty to keep me interested and it kept me guessing and wondering for much of the book. The plot is not simplistic – it is simply lacking in side-tracks and more focused than other books. Which was probably good, after all, not everything needs to have 10 red herrings and 11 antagonists (though, ironically, the antagonists in this book are renowned for their convoluted plotting and scheming). It still has the same excellent mystery feel as his other books, with the same guessing, the same investigation and that same wonderful balance between “complicated” and “convoluted” that I so love in the Harry Dresden Series.

I loved the White Court world building and the greater development of the 3 White Court houses, the world is continually revealed with new things being added without any of it being contradictory. It's a big world and it's well made and well done.

This story ended in an awesome amount of epicness. Butcher does do grand fight scenes and dramatic finales extremely well. It wasn't on the same standard as Dead Beat's ending but, then, very little is.

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Jan 26, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Another fabulous edition to the Dresden Files. This one seemed to be very fast paced but still exciting as a whole. I'm not going to bother recapping the rest of the series as there are simply too many books for that. There's only one important thing really; Harry Dresden is a wizard.

As a Warden for the White Council of wizards and longtime PI in Chicago, Harry makes it his business to protect people. This time, someone is hitting close to home. A rash of suicides isn't all it appears to be. Som...more Another fabulous edition to the Dresden Files. This one seemed to be very fast paced but still exciting as a whole. I'm not going to bother recapping the rest of the series as there are simply too many books for that. There's only one important thing really; Harry Dresden is a wizard.

As a Warden for the White Council of wizards and longtime PI in Chicago, Harry makes it his business to protect people. This time, someone is hitting close to home. A rash of suicides isn't all it appears to be. Someone is out killing the weaker magical community in Chicago, and its especially targeting women. When Harry is called in to look at one of these suicides he discovers a message, meant for him. Someone is trying to draw him in and its working, he can't leave innocents to die. The worse thing about these suicides is that they appear genuine; he won't be able to get any help from local law enforcement.

As he explores the case further, he discovers that his brother Thomas is involved. Not only him, but others of the White Vampire Court which makes things a little more difficult. Between dealing with his brother and his hard-headed apprentice, Harry's having a hard time looking out for everyone. Like in most of the books in this series, someone is trying to kill him and has a personal vendetta that is making him watch his back. He just can't figure out who it would be. One thing is for certain though, he has to find the killer of the women before its too late and expose them for who they are before more women die.

Harry was simply awesome in this book. He was tougher, had a wide range of emotions that were more believable, and wasn't as goody-goody as he can get sometimes. Not to mention, I barely remember him saying "Hell's bells" at all. Lasciel, his ever present companion was a good addition as well. Butcher gives her a little bit better of a role in this book and her interactions with Harry are interesting to read. Murphy, Thomas, and the rest of the gang are as good as ever too. Thomas got a great part in this book and it really expanded his character a lot further. Not to give too much away but I especially loved the scene with him at the end of the book, it was hilarious yet touching.

Butcher's writing is descriptive. It is written in the first person with Harry as its narrator. This offers a unique perspective because we get to "experience" being a wizard without it being strange or hard to handle. Since Harry is experienced in magic, we the reader are as well through him. Its written very naturally. The plot in this book was great. There was a lot of action, some mystery and intrigue, and the pacing was perfect. I truly enjoyed reading this one.

I'll be continuing on with the next in the series although I'm starting to run out. Its just hard to stop reading these at a voracious pace because they do get better and better each time. On to the next!

White Night
Copyright 2007
404 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2010 (less)

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Oct 04, 2010 Jeff Guin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm finding that I read each installment in this series a bit quicker than the last, which may be that they are getting better or that I'm saving time by skimming over the backstory that gets repeated each time. I'm hooked at any rate. In White Knight, Dresden again finds himself in a position of not being able to totally trust anyone (even himself) as family, former lovers, white council members and inner demons create murky circumstances surrounding the serial murders of several minor-league w...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mystery

In the sequel to Proven Guilty, Harry Dresden continues to walk the tightrope between authority and personal responsibility. His latest project (the rebellious teenager from Proven Guilty) has a few drawbacks, but it is nothing compared to his fears for his brother, Thomas, and the sudden appearance of a former lover. In fact, the appearance of the former lover leads to further tension in the authority versus responsibility aspect. Does Harry follow the protocols demanded by the council or follo...more In the sequel to Proven Guilty, Harry Dresden continues to walk the tightrope between authority and personal responsibility. His latest project (the rebellious teenager from Proven Guilty) has a few drawbacks, but it is nothing compared to his fears for his brother, Thomas, and the sudden appearance of a former lover. In fact, the appearance of the former lover leads to further tension in the authority versus responsibility aspect. Does Harry follow the protocols demanded by the council or follow his intuition about individuals for whom he cares? If you know the series, Harry is consistent. If you don’t, it’s a question that’s worth asking. What are you willing to risk on behalf of people you know and care about? Are you willing to put your health and safety on the line? Are you willing to risk death? Are you willing to challenge those more powerful and experienced that you are?

What’s even more interesting in White Night is that Harry now needs the assistance of those he’s trusted in this book and previous books. Although there is a point at which Harry taps into the extra-dimensionality of the faerie world, the bulk of this novel involves the dark shadows of the supernatural coming to the modern world. The use of modern weapons against unearthly creatures that just keep attacking and attacking is reminiscent of some of the best scenes in the movie, Van Helsing. And the mysteries to be solved in this novel are solid enough to be worth the read, even if those supernatural wave attacks weren’t crying to be put in a first-person-shooter video game.

To be honest, I didn’t think the bulk of White Night was as powerful in its message as Proven Guilty was. In spite of the fact that it smacks of verisimilitude, I don’t like the new role played by Murphy in this installment. At first, I didn’t care for the new role played by Thomas, but it really fits incredibly into the overall scheme of the series. I’m not sure you could have played it this way when Sci-Fi network was serializing the novels, but it works in my imagination and makes sense. In terms of philosophy and character, I liked Proven Guilty more, but in terms of strange events and riveting action, I liked White Night more. Both are highly recommended.
(less)

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Jun 24, 2009 Wendi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It took three tries to get through this book, which is completely off base for me and my love of Harry Dresden, I mean! Jim Butcher's character and series about the wizard PI Harry Dresden.

My husband and I took a 12 hour car ride to and then another 12 hour car ride from Virginia and we spent the entire 24 hours listening to the cd of the book. Well, maybe not the full 24 hours, but you get what I'm saying.

As much as I love Harry, hearing James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and A...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Sebastien rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, thriller

So far, probably the least interesting of the Dresden Files books. It wasn't bad per se, it just really fitted the two-stars description (it was ok).

It felt, in a lot of ways, like a repetition of Blood Rites with a tad of Summer Knight thrown in. The white court vampires were once again the monsters of the week and the introduction of the Skavis and Malvora houses wasn't a change big enough to be interesting.

The overall story didn't seem to progress much either. Harry and Murphy seem to be stu...more

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May 01, 2010 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-library-available, angels-demons, zz-challenge-bcc-fantasy-2010, dogs, ebook-owned, ebook-read, fantasy, magic-users, mystery, paranormal, read-in-2010, urban, vampire, zombies-ghouls

Typical nonstop action. Lots of good Mouse scenes. Harry has really grown up, between the pressures of the war and the constant action in Chicago, plus the demon in his head. He doesn't hesitate the way he used to, and doesn't cry afterward. But he's still trying to do the right thing. Anyway, lots of interesting politics and laying out of story for the future, as usual. And wrapping up some things from the past that I'd forgotten about. Butcher is a master weaver.

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Jun 07, 2013 Benjamin Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, fantasy-urban

Hells' Bells! This is another corker of a book in the excellent Dresden series. The story arcs are getting bigger and broader and this one brings in a lot of characters and plot lines from previous books in the series so I don't recommend this be the first Harry Dresdon novel you read.

I did not start out as a total fanatic of this series; it seemed to need some time to gain traction. Sort of like a TV series that may need a few episodes to figure out exactly what kind of a show it's going to be....more Hells' Bells! This is another corker of a book in the excellent Dresden series. The story arcs are getting bigger and broader and this one brings in a lot of characters and plot lines from previous books in the series so I don't recommend this be the first Harry Dresdon novel you read.

I did not start out as a total fanatic of this series; it seemed to need some time to gain traction. Sort of like a TV series that may need a few episodes to figure out exactly what kind of a show it's going to be. But I can honestly say I have enjoyed each entry more than the previous one. Along about book #4 I did transform into a Dresdon fan boy and nothing since has changed that. Now that I've completed book #9, I look back and see what an incredibly complex world that Jim Butcher has built and how well it all syncs. The characters have grown in their complexity as well as in their power. Harry and his compatriots go up against some powerful foes in this one and demonstrate their own power in return. Magical power combined with intelligent tactics in battle are great fun to read and Mr. Butcher does that better than most writers of urban fantasy. In fact, this book has one of the longest magical battle scenes I have ever read, nearly 1/4th of the entire book. It's an awesome battle as you might imagine but is far more than just a battle. It actually advances the plot of the overall series story arcs to a great extent. Absolutely amazing craftsmanship.

I'm also impressed with how Mr. Butcher handles information dumps. In case any of you readers are not powerful wizards and knowledgeable of arcane forces and creatures, etc, you will need lots of background information. And yet, I've never felt the infamous "information dump" that seems common in many novels. Often we are learning of these things right along with Harry...learning what we need to know just when we need to know it. And looking back, once again, I feel I know an incredible amount of what's happening and how it all works in this magical world. Again, amazing craftsmanship.

Highly recommended...but don't plan to start reading the series with this one.(less)

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Jan 22, 2010 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, fantasy-urban

White Night is an acceptable installment of the Dresden Files. Some plot threads are tied up, some are advanced and a few new ones are introduced. The humor is always intact. It would be true to say that certain plot threads and their endings are quite obvious, but others are less so. Sadly, I still found Molly to be simply annoying.

I think, however, my reaction to this book is based on something that I’ve slowly picked up on over the course of the series.
Harry is surrounded by beautiful women...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Dresden Files is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. I'm sometimes bothered by the way Harry thinks of women, but that's generally alleviated by Karrin Murphy being an all-around amazing character. Mostly, I love this series because it's just plain fun. The cast is large and involved, the climatic battles are always huge, and there's lots of humor lightening the cases.

In WHITE NIGHT, someone is murdering low-powered witches. Harry is on the case, unofficially, but the locals don't trust...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, paranormal-fantasy, library-borrows, ebook

Dresden was being an ass again in this one. I really don't understand why he has so many awesome friends when he treats them so terribly all the time. Yes, I get that he's a self-sacrificing ass, but that doesn't make him any more likable when he's acting that way. Another instance where the only reason I continue to like this series is that I like all the other characters.

Taking a moment to rant about some of his behavior in this book: I really like Molly and I get totally annoyed on her behal...more Dresden was being an ass again in this one. I really don't understand why he has so many awesome friends when he treats them so terribly all the time. Yes, I get that he's a self-sacrificing ass, but that doesn't make him any more likable when he's acting that way. Another instance where the only reason I continue to like this series is that I like all the other characters.

Taking a moment to rant about some of his behavior in this book: I really like Molly and I get totally annoyed on her behalf with Dresden's self-righteousness. He doesn't even make sense in his explanations! He says that he has to be tough on Molly because she's already done something that was terrible for the right reasons...except that he says the reason it was terrible was because she did it for the right reasons and thus can't possibly understand the difference between right and wrong in magic. Which is completely BS. When she used black magic she (a) had no idea it was black magic and was against the rules, (b) had no idea what the side-effects of what she did would be for the people she used her magic on, and (c) she thought she was helping people just like her friend Harry does. There is a difference between psychopathy and youthful oversight! There is a difference between doing something you think is helpful without knowing it's wrong, and knowing something is wrong and doing it anyway because you think you know better than the rules. It's really disingenuous of Harry to say in this book that Molly is incapable of making good judgements when he knows damn well that that wasn't the issue for her. And beyond that, it's really hypocritical of him to say something like that of her when he himself is terrible about letting power fly without really know what's going to happen when he does. He's the king of collateral damage! Luckily Murphy calls him on it, or I would have thrown the book against the wall.

Beyond that, though, the plot for this one was a little contrived and the ending doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Butcher tries to re-monsterify the White Court vampires and remind us that they are still vampires after all...except that it doesn't really fit into the mythology he's already developed. I always got the impression that the White Court were dangerous, sure, but not exactly evil the way the Red and Black Court are. There's something a little different about being a genetically predisposed predator and being an evil demon who turns people into evil demons against their will.

Overall, not a great entry in the series.

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Oct 12, 2011 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, magic, sequel, urban-fantasy, vampires

White Night ranks with Summer Knight as the best book in the series, it is also the first one that wouldn’t make sense if you haven’t read the preceding books. Butcher manages to re-find the balance between adventure-fantasy and mystery he had in Dead Beat but lost in Proven Guilty. It has taken 9 books but Butcher finally assumes you know all the characters and forgoes introductions. I imagine people who read this a year after Proven Guilty had to check Wikipedia every now and then to remember...more White Night ranks with Summer Knight as the best book in the series, it is also the first one that wouldn’t make sense if you haven’t read the preceding books. Butcher manages to re-find the balance between adventure-fantasy and mystery he had in Dead Beat but lost in Proven Guilty. It has taken 9 books but Butcher finally assumes you know all the characters and forgoes introductions. I imagine people who read this a year after Proven Guilty had to check Wikipedia every now and then to remember some minor characters but it is great for the rest of us who can read the series without interruption and doesn’t break the flow like the constant introductions did in previous books. Like Summer Knight, White Night makes generous use of flashbacks to show important events in the characters lives that happened in the previous year. This worked really well, I liked how it fleshed out Ramirez and Luccio a bit more. I’m starting to wish there were more than 4 books left before I’m caught up. Some people complain it shouldn’t take 3-4 books to get into a series and they’re right. All I know is I’m glad I stuck with it and kept reading.

White Night focuses primarily on the White Court Vampires. Someone is killing humans with mid-level magical ability and Warden Harry Dresden has to put a stop to it. During his investigation he runs into his exgirlfriend, and first true love, Elaine and they team up to put a stop to the murders. Their investigation leads them some White Court Vampires trying to undermine the wizards-vampire peace process by killing humans with magical ability. These killings could spell the end for the White Council if the Red and White Courts fully ally together.

Molly, Harry’s new apprentice, is great in this book. I thought Butcher made her character believable even if she acted more like a 14-16 year old than an adult. Like all of the other books White Night ends with a huge battle where Harry is outclassed and he has to think fast to save himself and his allies. There was no big twists but the whole story was solid and really enjoyable.
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About Jim Butcher

A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog.

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“Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice."

Constructive anger," the demon said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Also known as passion," I said quietly. "Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful.” — 324 people liked it

“There is a primal reassurance in being touched, in knowing that someone else, someone close to you, wants to be touching you. There is a bone-deep security that goes with the brush of a human hand, a silent, reflex-level affirmation that someone is near, that someone cares.” — 307 people liked it

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White Night (The Dresden Files #9)

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