Sign in with FacebookReed's Reviews > Small Favor
Small Favor (The Dresden Files, #10)
by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)
by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)
As I began reading the 10th Harry Dresden novel, I started ticking off little mental bullet points:
Sarcastic dialogue.
Harry in more trouble than any 3 urban fantasy characters.
The frenzied "first climax" that always happens in the middle of a Dresden novel.
Repetitive info-dumping (description of Harry's beat up Volkswagen, Mouse the huge-ass dog, his big-ass cat, his pretty-boy vampire brother, his burned hand, his terrible youth, the tavern for supernaturals . . . you get the point)
I began to wonder if I've grown weary of Butcher's series at this point. With all the, dare I say it, recycling of characters and plot points, Small Favor feels like "been there, done that. We have Marcone messing with things, The Winter and Summer Courts causing Harry trouble, Michael the Knight and Thomas the Vamp. It feels like Butcher is coasting a little bit.
Don't get me wrong, Small Favor is still enjoyable. If you like the Dresden series, it should satisfy that Harry Dresden itch. But I wish Butcher would mix it up a little bit more. He's beginning to do so, with Harry's Warden duties, his apprenticing of Molly, and so forth. I just wish he'd jump further away from his safe plot lines and venture into new territory.
I'll still read the next Dresden novel. I love Harry, I like the dialog, and the writing is just plain fun. And I must admit, the last third of the book really picked up the action, and felt a bit more than going through the motions. I just hope the next novel wanders farther from the norm.
Sarcastic dialogue.
Harry in more trouble than any 3 urban fantasy characters.
The frenzied "first climax" that always happens in the middle of a Dresden novel.
Repetitive info-dumping (description of Harry's beat up Volkswagen, Mouse the huge-ass dog, his big-ass cat, his pretty-boy vampire brother, his burned hand, his terrible youth, the tavern for supernaturals . . . you get the point)
I began to wonder if I've grown weary of Butcher's series at this point. With all the, dare I say it, recycling of characters and plot points, Small Favor feels like "been there, done that. We have Marcone messing with things, The Winter and Summer Courts causing Harry trouble, Michael the Knight and Thomas the Vamp. It feels like Butcher is coasting a little bit.
Don't get me wrong, Small Favor is still enjoyable. If you like the Dresden series, it should satisfy that Harry Dresden itch. But I wish Butcher would mix it up a little bit more. He's beginning to do so, with Harry's Warden duties, his apprenticing of Molly, and so forth. I just wish he'd jump further away from his safe plot lines and venture into new territory.
I'll still read the next Dresden novel. I love Harry, I like the dialog, and the writing is just plain fun. And I must admit, the last third of the book really picked up the action, and felt a bit more than going through the motions. I just hope the next novel wanders farther from the norm.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Small Favor.
sign in »
Comments (showing 1-8 of 8) (8 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Christie
(new)
-
rated it 3 stars
Jul 07, 2008 11:48am
Good review, I agree completly.
reply
|
flag
*
This did seem like alot of "coasting" but that just makes me excited for what's at the end of the coast...
I could do without any more descriptions of the same places and people that he already described nine times.
I think that it is done for the readers that haven't read the beginning of the series. I mean I agree, but I actual think that Mr. Butcher is one of the best fantasy writers around. If you don't think so, please try to read outside of your norm for just a couple of books and you will see what I mean. Not trying to be pushy, but talent is far and few in-between that a lot of people realize.
You described exactly how I feel about this book. I love Harry (but Mouse is my favorite), but I'm looking forward to reading his next books in the series, in hopes for a huge and unexpected twist.
I don't see over repetition. Marcone and The Fae Courts are still relevant because Harry has yet tiyou defeat them. I prefer this over a series where at the end of the novel the "evil" force is completely defeated and each book is a completely more ridiculous foe.
The repetition is for new readers. I actually like the fact that the villains are recurring. He's foiling their plans but never quite defesating them. It shows his limitations as he's good enough to beat them, but these entities are much more powerful then he is, so the best he can hope for is to screw up their plans. Although he came close this time...
