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Grave Peril
(The Dresden Files #3)
by
An alternative cover edition with a different page count exists here.
Harry Dresden - Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with t ...more
Harry Dresden - Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with t ...more
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Paperback, 378 pages
Published
September 1st 2001
by Roc
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Tait Szabo
Michael’s first appearance is in book three, although it is implied they had been working together before the events of that book.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, #3)

Hey Dresden Files,
Listen. I know my trusted friends set us up, and they have really good taste and usually know what I like, but it's just not going to work out between us. I like awesome, interesting female characters, and while I will give you that Murphy is awesome, the rest aren't cutting it for me. (Never mind that every time a female character DOES show up, no matter how dire the peril, Harry makes sure to describe the precise way whatever she's wearing cups her breasts. If she is, in fact ...more
Listen. I know my trusted friends set us up, and they have really good taste and usually know what I like, but it's just not going to work out between us. I like awesome, interesting female characters, and while I will give you that Murphy is awesome, the rest aren't cutting it for me. (Never mind that every time a female character DOES show up, no matter how dire the peril, Harry makes sure to describe the precise way whatever she's wearing cups her breasts. If she is, in fact ...more

ummm I don't know if I like being in Harry's head
...more

3.5/5 stars
This book showed the first signs of The Dresden Files getting better in quality.
Grave Peril is the third book in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and the story takes place a year after what happened at the end of Fool Moon. Harry Dresden—with Michael—are dealing with a new case in this installment: ghosts and vampires. I know I’ve mentioned this—and I’m repeating myself here—but I’m thankful for the fans of the series who have acknowledged and mentioned to me that the first th ...more
This book showed the first signs of The Dresden Files getting better in quality.
Grave Peril is the third book in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and the story takes place a year after what happened at the end of Fool Moon. Harry Dresden—with Michael—are dealing with a new case in this installment: ghosts and vampires. I know I’ve mentioned this—and I’m repeating myself here—but I’m thankful for the fans of the series who have acknowledged and mentioned to me that the first th ...more

Meh . . . I keep hearing about how awesome this series is, but someone needs to tell me when it gets good! Three books in and I am still not super impressed.
The first problem I have is that everything he makes up sounds so convenient and unbelievable. I know that fantasy/supernatural stories involve a lot of made up stuff, but usually the author makes it sound believable. With this book (and the previous ones) whenever the main character is in peril, the author would pull something out of thin a ...more
The first problem I have is that everything he makes up sounds so convenient and unbelievable. I know that fantasy/supernatural stories involve a lot of made up stuff, but usually the author makes it sound believable. With this book (and the previous ones) whenever the main character is in peril, the author would pull something out of thin a ...more

Dec 06, 2015
✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
● Jim Butcher How Could You Do This To Me Buddy Read (JBHCYDTTMBR™) with my slightly unhinged MacHalo Freaks wife/sister/aunt Shelly ●
Who are you and WHAT THE BLOODY FISH have you done with Formerly Awesome Happy Dresden (FAHD™)?!

Was this really written by the same author as books 1 and 2 in this series? It sure doesn't seem like it. I started thinking about DNFing it around the 20% mark, and it's nothing short of a miracle that I eventually made it to the last page. Skimming rocks.
You're lucky, ...more
Who are you and WHAT THE BLOODY FISH have you done with Formerly Awesome Happy Dresden (FAHD™)?!

Was this really written by the same author as books 1 and 2 in this series? It sure doesn't seem like it. I started thinking about DNFing it around the 20% mark, and it's nothing short of a miracle that I eventually made it to the last page. Skimming rocks.
You're lucky, ...more

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
BR with my peeps at: Buddies Books and Baubles
Specifically: Robin (Bridge Four) , Jenny , Lila , and Steven
3.5 stars
GRAVE PERIL was a kind of awkward installment.
A year has passed since the end of FOOL MOON, and in the interim, not only have Harry and Susan stayed together and are now in a committed relationship, but at some point Harry and our favorite officers of law enforcement have taken down a Bad Guy sorcerer who was using a demon, teenagers, drugs, or ...more
BR with my peeps at: Buddies Books and Baubles
Specifically: Robin (Bridge Four) , Jenny , Lila , and Steven
3.5 stars
GRAVE PERIL was a kind of awkward installment.
A year has passed since the end of FOOL MOON, and in the interim, not only have Harry and Susan stayed together and are now in a committed relationship, but at some point Harry and our favorite officers of law enforcement have taken down a Bad Guy sorcerer who was using a demon, teenagers, drugs, or ...more

3.5 stars. While not without faults, this series continues to improve
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
I have not been a huge fan of the first two books in this series, giving the first two books 2 stars, and 3 stars respectively. But this book continues largely due to the "bad guys" improving over each book.
Harry continues to be irredeemably sexist, and his cavalier mentality sucks out any sens ...more
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
I have not been a huge fan of the first two books in this series, giving the first two books 2 stars, and 3 stars respectively. But this book continues largely due to the "bad guys" improving over each book.
Harry continues to be irredeemably sexist, and his cavalier mentality sucks out any sens ...more

I wanted to take a break from the grim and violence of the Booker International Prize and I thought a bit of Urban Fantasy will do me good.
Grave Peril was exactly what I needed. Pure action, fun, no need to think and no heaviness in my chest. Although people say this is better than the first two, I enjoyed the previous efforts more. The reason might be my not so positive mood in the past weeks. This social distancing business is getting too much too bear but we must soldier on so we can beat th ...more
Grave Peril was exactly what I needed. Pure action, fun, no need to think and no heaviness in my chest. Although people say this is better than the first two, I enjoyed the previous efforts more. The reason might be my not so positive mood in the past weeks. This social distancing business is getting too much too bear but we must soldier on so we can beat th ...more

Good ol' Harry Dresden is at it again, only this time the werewolves have been replaced with ghosts and vampires. Yep, ghosts... and vampires. Still not really sure why the vampires needed to be around, especially those siblings. Wow.
The book starts out well with Harry and a new character named Michael,who is this crazy broadsword wielding priest, tracking down a ghost in the newborn wing of a hospital. It was a little different than the previous books in that it really jumps right in, that guy ...more
The book starts out well with Harry and a new character named Michael,who is this crazy broadsword wielding priest, tracking down a ghost in the newborn wing of a hospital. It was a little different than the previous books in that it really jumps right in, that guy ...more

Ghostbusters meets Nightmare on Elm Street (with vampires).
This 2001 novel is the third installment in the Harry Dresden files, professional wizard and the only one in the yellow pages. Butcher stated that he felt, and many fans have seconded, that this is where the series really took off. And I can see that, this is fun urban fantasy and built to move … along to the next book.
Taking place some time after the events in Butcher’s 2001 novel Fool Moon, where Harry fought some werewolves and even a ...more
This 2001 novel is the third installment in the Harry Dresden files, professional wizard and the only one in the yellow pages. Butcher stated that he felt, and many fans have seconded, that this is where the series really took off. And I can see that, this is fun urban fantasy and built to move … along to the next book.
Taking place some time after the events in Butcher’s 2001 novel Fool Moon, where Harry fought some werewolves and even a ...more

The spirit world has gone postal over Chicago, and ghosts are causing havoc. Tormented, violent, and deadly ghosts that only Harry Dresden can stop. First thing he needs to do before stopping the madness would be to find the one causing it.
The first two novels were good, but this third one was even better. Dresden should be likable by now, and so should the other recurring main characters. Michael was a great addition to the team. I'm not sure if he's in it for the long run, but the Harry-Micha ...more
The first two novels were good, but this third one was even better. Dresden should be likable by now, and so should the other recurring main characters. Michael was a great addition to the team. I'm not sure if he's in it for the long run, but the Harry-Micha ...more

2.5ish stars.
An improvement over the last book, but still not quite making good on the promising potential that's supposed to be there.
I definitely like this better than Fool Moon. I feel like it flows more naturally... Or maybe the story itself is just more interesting? I mean, it isn't great and I tend to prefer series that are more serialized than procedural as this one is but that's just personal preference. The central plot here introduces just another freak of the week. I do appreciate the ...more
An improvement over the last book, but still not quite making good on the promising potential that's supposed to be there.
I definitely like this better than Fool Moon. I feel like it flows more naturally... Or maybe the story itself is just more interesting? I mean, it isn't great and I tend to prefer series that are more serialized than procedural as this one is but that's just personal preference. The central plot here introduces just another freak of the week. I do appreciate the ...more

Much better then the first two! I'm cheering for Harry Dresden again!
...more

2.5 stars
Is there a single un-sexy woman in this book other than the baby-mudering ghost at the very beginning? If there was, Jim Butcher must have accidentally missed it because the main character, Harry Dresden, seemed to remark on the breasts of basically every female/vampire/fae/whatever he came across in this book and it honestly annoyed me. Objectify women much?
Originally I read and quit this book back in 2014. Fast forward four years and for some reason I decided to give it another try, t ...more
Is there a single un-sexy woman in this book other than the baby-mudering ghost at the very beginning? If there was, Jim Butcher must have accidentally missed it because the main character, Harry Dresden, seemed to remark on the breasts of basically every female/vampire/fae/whatever he came across in this book and it honestly annoyed me. Objectify women much?
Originally I read and quit this book back in 2014. Fast forward four years and for some reason I decided to give it another try, t ...more

Buddy read April 20th on Buddies Books and Baubles with Jessica, Ashley, Lege, Steven, Sh3lly & oOSarahOo they is a little behind but still here, and Jenny as out official stalker this time.
Everyone says just wait they get better. Everyone says by the end of book 3 you will see….This is one of those times that EVERYONE was right.
Before this book I was really sorta thinking what’s all the hype. I mean I liked them well enough but I really preferred two other series that were similar Charming and ...more
Everyone says just wait they get better. Everyone says by the end of book 3 you will see….This is one of those times that EVERYONE was right.
Before this book I was really sorta thinking what’s all the hype. I mean I liked them well enough but I really preferred two other series that were similar Charming and ...more

Another satisfying entry in The Dresden Files. Harry Dresden is again saving the world from supernatural creatures so that we can all sleep soundly in our beds at night. He's joined by a knight of the church, an intrepid reporter and his familiar, Bob.
There are vampires, fairies and ghosts, oh my! Plus some other magical creatures thrown in for good measure.
(view spoiler) ...more
There are vampires, fairies and ghosts, oh my! Plus some other magical creatures thrown in for good measure.
(view spoiler) ...more

Grave Peril felt like a step towards something bigger. I’ve been burning through these books in Jim Butcher‘s The Dresden Files quite quickly – 3 this week – but I do feel like I have to right now.
If I stop or pause for a break with another book/series, I might never come back, and I don’t want to miss out on what people have been promising – the books get better after book 4, Summer Knight (or 6, Blood Rites – depends who you ask!).
This is not to say that these first three books were bad. Not a ...more
If I stop or pause for a break with another book/series, I might never come back, and I don’t want to miss out on what people have been promising – the books get better after book 4, Summer Knight (or 6, Blood Rites – depends who you ask!).
This is not to say that these first three books were bad. Not a ...more

Grave Peril
3 Stars
Many have stated that Grave Peril is the turning point in the series for the better. After considering the plot and the characters, I must confess that I found Fool Moon to be far more entertaining.
Don't get me wrong. Harry and his quirks are very endearing but a number of issues irritated me in this installment. First, Murphy barely makes an appearance and the absence of a strong willed, take no prisoners, female character detracts from the overall effect of the story.
Second ...more
3 Stars
Many have stated that Grave Peril is the turning point in the series for the better. After considering the plot and the characters, I must confess that I found Fool Moon to be far more entertaining.
Don't get me wrong. Harry and his quirks are very endearing but a number of issues irritated me in this installment. First, Murphy barely makes an appearance and the absence of a strong willed, take no prisoners, female character detracts from the overall effect of the story.
Second ...more

“We have now left Reason and Sanity Junction. Next stop, Looneyville.”

In Grave Peril, Jim Butcher provides a paladin-like sidekick for our wizard-for-hire protagonist, Harry Dresden, as well as the same kind of action you'd expect after reading the first two installments in the series. Which is frankly well done and engaging. There was good banter between Harry and this new sidekick, Micheal, who figured as sort of a moral compass to gauge Harry. There were also some interesting situations that ...more

In Grave Peril, Jim Butcher provides a paladin-like sidekick for our wizard-for-hire protagonist, Harry Dresden, as well as the same kind of action you'd expect after reading the first two installments in the series. Which is frankly well done and engaging. There was good banter between Harry and this new sidekick, Micheal, who figured as sort of a moral compass to gauge Harry. There were also some interesting situations that ...more

"Some words have a power that has nothing to do with supernatural forces. They resound in the heart and mind, they live long after the sounds of them have died away, they echo in the heart and the soul. They have power, and that power is very real.
I will make this review short and sweet. Grave Peril was the best book in The Dresden Files series so far. I know I am only 3 books in, but each one seems to up the stakes and be more exciting than the last. The first two books were light h ...more

I will probably have to find a print version, as I kept getting distracted from the story and am fairly certain I missed huge chunks of plot. My boyfriend found this gripping and has taken to listening to it on his own, but I personally found myself irritated by Harry. Honestly, he behaves too much like the stock hero of a romance novel, only with wizardly powers. Speaking of stock, am I the only person unimpressed by the story-line? It's a fairly middling urban fantasy plot: I actually preferre
...more

There seems to be a common idea amongst fans and new arrivals alike to this series, that this, the third book in the series, is where it starts to get good. I’ve read the series and started again while I’m waiting for the next volume- I think the first two are great too. This one just ramps up the action and its consequences. And this might be the one where Harry Dresden starts to slip-by his own standards- taking actions and committing deeds that in an ideal world he would not have chosen to do
...more

Author Imbroglio! Plus Five Ring of Imagination used to Write Novel! "(Shakes head) What are the rest of us authors to do?"
I assume that Jim Butcher is in possession of a magical ring of imagination +5. He probably wears a cloak of protection vs plot holes and has boots of leaping narrative chasms.
In all honesty, I'm impressed with his writing, however I'm going to ping this book a star for losing my engagement. It lacked the power to fully immerse me in the otherwise dazzling magical world of C ...more
I assume that Jim Butcher is in possession of a magical ring of imagination +5. He probably wears a cloak of protection vs plot holes and has boots of leaping narrative chasms.
In all honesty, I'm impressed with his writing, however I'm going to ping this book a star for losing my engagement. It lacked the power to fully immerse me in the otherwise dazzling magical world of C ...more

Any sort of improvements over book 1 and 2 are wiped out by the gimmickiness of the plot. Harry is dying or on the verge of dying then gets saved by deus ex machina. It's to a comical level how often this is abused all throughout. I'll try book 4 and hope that Butcher finally strikes the perfect balance to take this series out of the average 3 star rating it has been so far.
...more

I rarely feel the urge to read books in the “urban fantasy” subgenre. An awful lot of them seem to be “paranormal romances” which are anathema to me. I think I have only read a few urban fantasies, American Gods, China Miéville’s Kraken, and Clive Barker’s classic Weaveworld spring to mind. The Dresden Files series has quite a reputation though, it has a rabid fan base and it is often recommended in SF/F online forums. However, even fans of the series tend to agree that the first couple of bo
...more

“Holy shit”, I breathed. “Hellhounds.”
“Harry”, Michael said sternly. “You know I hate it when you swear.”
“You're right. Sorry. Holy shit”, I breathed, “heckhounds.”
I actually really liked this one! Harry is still sexist and chauvinist, and still describes women by the shape of their boobs (COME ON ALREADY, it’s getting old...) but holly heck! We have an evil fairy godmother with hell hounds, an egotistic dragon, evil vampire brothers, a girl with prophetic dreams that no one believes to, cr ...more
“Harry”, Michael said sternly. “You know I hate it when you swear.”
“You're right. Sorry. Holy shit”, I breathed, “heckhounds.”
I actually really liked this one! Harry is still sexist and chauvinist, and still describes women by the shape of their boobs (COME ON ALREADY, it’s getting old...) but holly heck! We have an evil fairy godmother with hell hounds, an egotistic dragon, evil vampire brothers, a girl with prophetic dreams that no one believes to, cr ...more

Honestly, i feel like these books keep on getting better and better. It was a fast easy read, that was engaging, funny, and typical Harry Dresden. I really like the direction the series is going. I feel like with every new installment, his writing its becoming more mature and prolific. For me everything is starting to feel a bit more complete and i'm finding it easier to start relating to Harry and the world all around him. I was happy to finally have more contact with the nevernever and more of
...more

WOW, what a great book !!!
Fool Moon was much better than Storm Front, and Grave Peril is even better than Fool Moon.The series is definitely getting better and evolves to something bigger and very engaging,no doubt that Jim Butcher is a great author. That's an action packed book with lots of humor,magic and great characters. I really liked Harry's Godmother and Michael as a new characters, Harry and Bob are great (as usual).
Highly recommended !!!
...more
Fool Moon was much better than Storm Front, and Grave Peril is even better than Fool Moon.The series is definitely getting better and evolves to something bigger and very engaging,no doubt that Jim Butcher is a great author. That's an action packed book with lots of humor,magic and great characters. I really liked Harry's Godmother and Michael as a new characters, Harry and Bob are great (as usual).
Highly recommended !!!
...more

Jul 27, 2010
Jordan Price
added it
I loved aspects of this story and hated others. I adored the magic, the description of how power worked, how Harry created his spells. I also loved how he got put through the wringer and had to really be willing to sacrifice himself for the survival of the people he loved.
I hated the female characters. I hated that their breasts were described at every available opportunity, particularly the villains. During a climactic fight scene, a female villain was "distracted" by a vampire sliding his hand ...more
I hated the female characters. I hated that their breasts were described at every available opportunity, particularly the villains. During a climactic fight scene, a female villain was "distracted" by a vampire sliding his hand ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Grave Peril (Dresden #3) [December 17, 2021] | 65 | 35 | Jan 12, 2022 09:18AM | |
Shut Up & Read: Grave Peril, by Jim Butcher | 21 | 12 | Jan 07, 2021 10:17AM | |
Play Book Tag: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher-3.5 Stars | 1 | 4 | Jan 02, 2021 01:30AM | |
Play Book Tag: Grave Peril - Jim Butcher (4 stars) | 2 | 6 | Jun 07, 2020 07:36AM | |
The Dresden Files...: Book 3: GRAVE PERIL (Spoilers Allowed) | 55 | 171 | Mar 27, 2020 06:32PM |
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Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resi
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“We have now left Reason and Sanity Junction. Next stop, Looneyville.”
—
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“Holy shit," I breathed. "Hellhounds."
"Harry," Michael said sternly. "You know I hate it when you swear."
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”
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"Harry," Michael said sternly. "You know I hate it when you swear."
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”