Jason’s review of The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1) > Likes and Comments
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Terribly sorry, but I felt as though Ghost Story was a let down and then that Cold Days was the best of them yet. Besides that, ya, I was grumbling about The Codex Alera before, now this...
I believe that neither this one nor "Skin Game" have a publication date set yet...
Ellipses in that context usually implies doubt, so if that's true, here is the root of my complaint, from his web site: "His next novel will be the first in a new Steampunk series, The Cinder Spires, called The Aeronaut’s Windlass. After that will be book #15 of The Dresden Files, Skin Game."
I recently read on the Butcher Forum that Cinder Spires #1 has been placed on the backburner so that Skin Game can be completed first.
Its also been said that when Jim is working on another series he generaly writes faster, ad he gets awsy from the Dresdenverse for a breather and does indeed become reinvigorated to write both faster and better!
That would be cool. I don't like waiting what feels like forever for a book and then thinking, "Well...that was good, I guess." IIRC, I preferred Dresden Files #1 to #14, which isn't a great thing.
I kind of feel like he's gotten into a back-and-forth good-book/meh-book sort of thing. (Well, meh for JB, which is still better than most other modern authors.) Like, I thought Changes was one of his best, but thought Ghost Story was very meh - the ghost thing was really frustrating. Dead Beat was great (Sue and Butters, c'mon!), but thought Proven Guilty was just so-so. Wasn't a huge fan of Summer Knight, but ended up really loving Death Masks. So while I wish all of them could be Changes-level good, I guess I sort of take the approach that if there's one I'm not wild about, the next one is probably going to be pretty great.
It's not like he wasn't writing other things while writing Dresden. There were short stories he said took longer to write than books. And the Codex Alera series.
In the beginning as he was writing Dresden files and releasing it annually in the summer, he was also writing Codex Alera and also releasing it annually in December, as he finished off Codex Alera his Dresden books also stalled. He commented that he cannot write Dresden files as quickly as before because he gets bored/can't concentrate without an alternative book to distract him. I am hopeful as he starts Cinder Spires series he gets back to his usual routine and release Dresden files annually again.
I don't know if you have seen the updated release date for Skin Games, but that is scheduled to be released on May 27th. You will get it before this comes out, which is in August.
Yeah I saw that, but if I wanted to I *could* still choose to blame this book for there being an 18-month gap between Dresden 14 & 15. It was nice when there was a 12-months-or-less gap between books like clockwork.
But as Masha said and as I indicated in my original commentary, perhaps writing this will get him less bored with Dresden Files thus increasing quality and bringing him back to renewed productivity after this year.
Actually, that had more to do with the implosion of my personal life. That kind of thing happens to each of us if we are fortunate enough to live long enough. It's part of the deal.
That said, I published my first novel in April of 2000. It's currently 2014, with 15 novels in the Dresden Files, plus the anthology, most of a second anthology, six Alera books, and the Spidey novel completed in that time. That's an average of two novel length pieces of fiction per year, or about a quarter of a million words per annum.
I don't write as fast as anyone wants me to, including me. I just write as fast as I can.
Ohmygosh, I feel like I've been touched by fame.
Your last book was a definite improvement over the previous Dresden File so maybe The Aeronaut's Windlass did do what I thought it might. Hoping for a White Court book next!
I'm a little skeptical of the release date posted here, since Jim Butcher's website still has "Release date to be announced".
Jim is doing the best he can we choose quality over quantity!!
David wrote: "I'm a little skeptical of the release date posted here, since Jim Butcher's website still has "Release date to be announced"."
Amazon and goodreads release dates are frequently placeholders.
Hi Jim! The Dresden Files is my favorite series, and I loved Skin Game; keep 'em coming.
I love all of the books by Jim. Albeit, some are not as good ss others. .. like Ghost Story. Im hoping that 'crossing over' and coming back developes Dresden in some way... like Jim mentions,"skme paths are open that weren't before." Also, ive always wanted to see the Machiavellian side of harry come out. And id like to learn more about his mother. I feel with his grandfather as the blackstaff and his mother as a 'piecr of work' and Harry being Starborn that there is a lot of room for character storyline development .
Also, with Harry having soulfire-the force of creation-I've wondered why he hasnt used it to create or imbue his wand, staff, braclet, and jacket.
Also with the outsiders i really hope that they dont become a Vord type of enemy.
Didn't Bob say that using soulfire sucks up a bit of his soul, and get cranky when Harry got super wiggy about the possibility of using up his soul?
I mean, he did spend months creating that model of Little Chicago, but that was expending his magical energy rather than his soul which he values more and is less certain about.
Yeah, but using soulfire costs pieces of his soul... but it regenerates. Bob's theory of the soul is different than what we think of as a soul. Right?.
Jason,
Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises to begin with.
I write the books as fast as I /can/ write them. Being able to spend times in worlds other than the Dresden Files world makes me enjoy my time with Dresden that much more, and has a serious impact on the quality of the work I produce.
That's not opinion, really. That's empirically demonstrated fact. After Changes, I rolled straight into Side Jobs, then Ghost Story, then Cold Days, and writing the books became a serious grind--to the point where I considered ending the series early rather than late.
Being able to jump to other book-worlds after Cold Days was what made Skin Game fun for me again, or fun-ish. I was in the middle of heavy life things while I was writing it, but even so it came easier and more naturally than the previous pair of books.
After Skin Game, I finished off The Aeronaut's Windlass, and am currently at work on what looks to be the most ambitious and challenging Dresden Files novel yet.
I don't know if I will ever be able to put out books at the same rate as when I got started. For one thing, three books had already been finished when I got started. For another, the books were only about 60 or 70 percent as long as the later books in the series. There's some fairly simple math involved: a book with 170k words takes longer to write than one with 110k words.
(Actually, it's worse than that. The longer a book gets, the more disproportionately difficult it is to rewrite and edit, which adds still more time to the project.)
Also, I'm getting older. I have a much greater store of knowledge to draw from than I did when I started, and it takes that much longer to draw on it and choose from my increasingly broad spectrum of options in how to maximize the effectiveness of a story.
Also, as my career has become more successful, the greater and greater time-burden of career-oriented tasks which are not actually writing has become. They're tedious and annoying and sometimes actually, physically painful, but they are necessary. And they eat up time that I could otherwise be using to write more book.
I'd be a moron not to write books as fast as I can. I don't get paid by the hour, I get paid by the book. If new books don't come out regularly, sales on old books fall off pretty badly. So be assured, I'm producing things as fast as I can. Also, be assured that I am aware that, for many readers, my absolute most blistering production pace would not be nearly fast enough. :)
Jim
PS--Bob isn't really a terribly reliable narrator either, outside of his area of expertise. Anything to do with souls, faith, that kind of thing, is sort of beyond what he can readily grasp, except by indirect observation.
Jim wrote: "Jason,
Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises..."
I'm just so happy you write at all. You're one of my favorite writers and I will read every single book you write. I enjoy every world you write about and I look forward to your latest book every year. Thank you for giving us readers something to look forward to.
Yes, regardless of my complaining, The Dresden Files is one of my T5 series of the century, with the only other one still alive being The Stormlight Archive. So I am grateful for Butcher turning out so many books that are on my favorites list(s).
Your statement about Skin Game being written when you had other worlds to dive into, vs Cold Days and Ghost Story being more of a slog, is really interesting. Of the three I certainly feel like Skin Game was the most fun to READ, and the other two do read more slowly than most of the other books in the series.
Keep writing in multiple worlds Jim, I'm happy to read whatever you want to publish for me in whatever order you want to publish it, at whatever pace.
@Jason: If you are not already acquainted with Toby Daye and Meg Corbyn I recommend you acquaint yourself. They share the same room in my heart with Dresden and Kaladin. Mercy Thompson, Rachael Morgan, and Kate Daniels share an adjacent, if noticeably less posh, room in the same wing.
James, I love Mercy, Rachel, Kate, Dresden, and Meg. Thanks for the tip on October/Toby Daye. :)
And holy cow, Jason, Jim Butcher commented on your review. A LOT. :D
:D :D :D :D :D
Jim wrote: "Jason,
Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises..."
I don't really understand why people complain. I mean, yeah, my favorite series of yours is the Dresden Files, too. Reading Storm Front, Fool Moon, and then Grave Peril in quick succession inspired me to try my hand at writing an urban fantasy series (it's not as good as yours, but I've actually written 3 books for it). So, I can sorta see why people want you to write faster, but at the same time, writing is more than simply sitting in front of your computer and putting words onto a page.
There is so much more that goes into the process of writing a novel than simply, well, writing a novel. There are steps that need to be taken. Rough drafting, beta reading, revising, more beta reading, more revising, followed by some serious word cutting and darling killing, and then having your story edited, proofread, and getting the book cover created. It's a long process, an arduous process, and it generally takes months just to finish the revisions - and that's only if you do nothing but write. And, contrary to popular belief, authors do have lives of their own to live. They don't just live inside of their imaginations.
This also isn't putting matters like burnout into consideration. Sometimes, you just have to write something else in order to come back to your other stories with fresh eyes and new inspiration.
And, of course, this does not include everything else that best selling authors probably have to do outside of writing, but that are still writing related; book tours, book signings, interviews, and so on. How much time do you spend on the road these days, traveling the country, meeting with fans and talking about your books? I bet it's a lot. Being a fan, I look up your website to see when you'll be in my city so I can finally have one of my books signed, and I see that you do quite a bit of traveling. That would take away time from your writing, but it's necessary if you want to meet with people and see what their opinions of your books are. It's also necessary because it allows you to connect with your readers.
There's probably a lot here that I'm not mentioning, and that's because I honestly have no clue what best-selling authors do. My point is, you do a lot more than just writing, and most of us understand that on some level. We're just such big fans that we tend to get impatient.
However, while some might be impatient, all of us will wait for your next book, regardless of which series it's for, checking your website for updates, while letting you do what you do best.
Jason wrote: "Yes, regardless of my complaining, The Dresden Files is one of my T5 series of the century, with the only other one still alive being The Stormlight Archive. So I am grateful for Butcher turning ou..."
P.S. Jason, I think the fact that Jim Butcher has actually commented on this review shows that he knows people are waiting for him to put out his next Dresden Files novel, but you can't rush writing.
Worth it I got advanced copy and the book was amazing I think spacing the books out improves Jim's writing the guy is a master yeah Dresden files are fantastic and we all want another but don't rush it. let him work at his own pace and just be happy with the new great books we get ie codex ( my favorite butcher books) and now windlass another great world
I started it. I'm guessing I'm gonna like it but find it far from amazing, based on what's happened so far. It is at least better than the rough, uneven Codex Alera.
He has stated his reasons for why there's been longer breaks between books, but I would disagree with your opinion that longer breaks = better writing. At least he hasn't seemed to give the idea that longer breaks necessarily = worse writing, the way that certain other authors have of late.
The codex books were amazing, the dresdens files are legendary. Can't wZit to dive into his next world.
The codex books were amazing, the dresdens files are legendary. Can't wZit to dive into his next world.
I gotta say...
I stayed away for a bit from Butcher's new foray, mostly due to reviews like this, and having freshly read it I find myself now annoyed.
I simply loved it. I also suspect that amateur reviews are things I should no longer spend my time on. I think one would have to be better read than simple fantasy to appreciate the breadth of this book. I myself hearkened back to Hornblower with Grimm, with his tactical genius and unyielding integrity. I found the translation of the slow historical accounts of tallship warfare into this world with it’s lightning fast three dimensional tactics nothing short of inspired.
All of the characters are interesting and Mr. Butcher has several female protagonists unique, individual and engaging. So many authors, including Butcher in the past, seem to put new paint on the same female character and he is breaking out of this, his writing showing new dimensions in this work. The warrior-born characters, with their simultaneous superiority and endured cultural prejudice also full of possibilities.
The fantasy world he is working here is provoking and he hints at a back story in the nature of this world that I'd really like to know more about. He has a new metaphysical bent to a fantasy genre in his ideas of the ether, that while not entirely unique perhaps, is definitely mined out in that Butcher style. He's like the Japan of the fantasy genre's, taking ideas from here and there, making them entirely his own.
Anybody that doesn't like Rowl, has never owned a cat, I loved Rowl.
Some brought up the comparison to the Dresden Files, which are to me, the finest example in the genre of Urban Fantasy. However, I would say that the first few Dresden Files really were not that good, part of that was Mr. Butcher gaining his legs as a writer, that's true, but it also take some time for readers to begin to care about characters. It took me three tries to read Game of Thrones, for example. (although, I should point out once I got half way through the first book of that series I finished it and the two next out at the time in less than two weeks). I really hope this series gets the time it deserves to go fully underway with its webs full of ether currents to propel it to it’s potential.
This series is just starting out, and I'll be buying the next one the day it becomes available.
And for nay-sayers wishing Mr Butcher would focus solely on the exploits of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, I would say this. As I previously mentioned, this book has shown a manifold gain in Mr Butcher's already prodigious writing talent. The freedom of a new world, I suspect, has lent him the freedom to do this. I highly suspect that allowing him to dabble and grow in whichever direction his heart leads him will grant rich returns in the Dresden Universe.
Well, it's always good to see someone enjoying something. I don't think either amateur or professional reviewers are infallible given that their opinion will not 100% match up with one's own.
And yes, if the result of this book is that the next File is amazing, then hooray.
Jim Butcher is truly one of my favorite authors. In this category he is holding his flame up with Robert Jordan, David Gemmell, and Patrick Rothfuss. Let's cut Jim a break. He has over thirteen books for the Dresden Files alone. Ghost story was truly a crappy book. I've been waiting for the allusion that dying and coming back has touched Dresden in a certain way to show up and mean something. However, my favorite books in the Dresden File's are easily Changes followed by Cold Days. I'm constantly waiting for Harry to break bad and go Darth Vader, even though that's so out of character for Harry. A possibly great book would be one where the Inner Dark Dresden or Primal Dresden comes out to play.
As to the Codex of Alera. This series was truly phenomenal. I am sad that there haven't been more epics tales from this world. I feel there is a theme of an overwhelming enemy like the Vord or the Outsiders(DF), that I don't like too much, an overwhelming enemy that quickly loses its appeal. A much better enemy than the Vord were the Lord and Lady Aquitaines. Or as in Cursor's Fury which was my favorite, The Carnim, who could have been what made men fear the night. I would have liked to see more of the Marat as well.
With The Aeronaut's Windlass- I am looking forward to this series growing and developing. The world was entertaining and has room to become something epic. Yet, compared to the other two series it falls short of Jim's magnificence as an author, not because it was badly written, I rather enjoyed it, but compared to two fully developed book series it is still learning to walk. If all I read of the Dresden Files was Storm Front or of the Codex of Alera, Calderon's Fury, my apatite would not have been quenched!
And lastly, Jim's been having some turbulent patches. Like all of us, we eat those curve balls on the side plate of our helmets and keep on playing for the champion ship!
Jim, thanks my friend, even though we've never met, I've read and reread your books and listened to all of your books on audio more than once. You have thoroughly captured my imagination and taken me to your worlds several times over. Thank you for the many hours of adventure.
(having one or two books that aren't on par is nothing to sneeze at, this man is an athlete, an Olympic author if there was such a thing)
Jody Robertson
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Adrain
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Jun 04, 2013 09:38PM
Terribly sorry, but I felt as though Ghost Story was a let down and then that Cold Days was the best of them yet. Besides that, ya, I was grumbling about The Codex Alera before, now this...
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I believe that neither this one nor "Skin Game" have a publication date set yet...
Ellipses in that context usually implies doubt, so if that's true, here is the root of my complaint, from his web site: "His next novel will be the first in a new Steampunk series, The Cinder Spires, called The Aeronaut’s Windlass. After that will be book #15 of The Dresden Files, Skin Game."
I recently read on the Butcher Forum that Cinder Spires #1 has been placed on the backburner so that Skin Game can be completed first.Its also been said that when Jim is working on another series he generaly writes faster, ad he gets awsy from the Dresdenverse for a breather and does indeed become reinvigorated to write both faster and better!
That would be cool. I don't like waiting what feels like forever for a book and then thinking, "Well...that was good, I guess." IIRC, I preferred Dresden Files #1 to #14, which isn't a great thing.
I kind of feel like he's gotten into a back-and-forth good-book/meh-book sort of thing. (Well, meh for JB, which is still better than most other modern authors.) Like, I thought Changes was one of his best, but thought Ghost Story was very meh - the ghost thing was really frustrating. Dead Beat was great (Sue and Butters, c'mon!), but thought Proven Guilty was just so-so. Wasn't a huge fan of Summer Knight, but ended up really loving Death Masks. So while I wish all of them could be Changes-level good, I guess I sort of take the approach that if there's one I'm not wild about, the next one is probably going to be pretty great.
It's not like he wasn't writing other things while writing Dresden. There were short stories he said took longer to write than books. And the Codex Alera series.
In the beginning as he was writing Dresden files and releasing it annually in the summer, he was also writing Codex Alera and also releasing it annually in December, as he finished off Codex Alera his Dresden books also stalled. He commented that he cannot write Dresden files as quickly as before because he gets bored/can't concentrate without an alternative book to distract him. I am hopeful as he starts Cinder Spires series he gets back to his usual routine and release Dresden files annually again.
I don't know if you have seen the updated release date for Skin Games, but that is scheduled to be released on May 27th. You will get it before this comes out, which is in August.
Yeah I saw that, but if I wanted to I *could* still choose to blame this book for there being an 18-month gap between Dresden 14 & 15. It was nice when there was a 12-months-or-less gap between books like clockwork.But as Masha said and as I indicated in my original commentary, perhaps writing this will get him less bored with Dresden Files thus increasing quality and bringing him back to renewed productivity after this year.
Actually, that had more to do with the implosion of my personal life. That kind of thing happens to each of us if we are fortunate enough to live long enough. It's part of the deal.That said, I published my first novel in April of 2000. It's currently 2014, with 15 novels in the Dresden Files, plus the anthology, most of a second anthology, six Alera books, and the Spidey novel completed in that time. That's an average of two novel length pieces of fiction per year, or about a quarter of a million words per annum.
I don't write as fast as anyone wants me to, including me. I just write as fast as I can.
Ohmygosh, I feel like I've been touched by fame.Your last book was a definite improvement over the previous Dresden File so maybe The Aeronaut's Windlass did do what I thought it might. Hoping for a White Court book next!
I'm a little skeptical of the release date posted here, since Jim Butcher's website still has "Release date to be announced".
Jim is doing the best he can we choose quality over quantity!!
David wrote: "I'm a little skeptical of the release date posted here, since Jim Butcher's website still has "Release date to be announced"."Amazon and goodreads release dates are frequently placeholders.
Hi Jim! The Dresden Files is my favorite series, and I loved Skin Game; keep 'em coming.
I love all of the books by Jim. Albeit, some are not as good ss others. .. like Ghost Story. Im hoping that 'crossing over' and coming back developes Dresden in some way... like Jim mentions,"skme paths are open that weren't before." Also, ive always wanted to see the Machiavellian side of harry come out. And id like to learn more about his mother. I feel with his grandfather as the blackstaff and his mother as a 'piecr of work' and Harry being Starborn that there is a lot of room for character storyline development .
Also, with Harry having soulfire-the force of creation-I've wondered why he hasnt used it to create or imbue his wand, staff, braclet, and jacket.
Also with the outsiders i really hope that they dont become a Vord type of enemy.
Didn't Bob say that using soulfire sucks up a bit of his soul, and get cranky when Harry got super wiggy about the possibility of using up his soul? I mean, he did spend months creating that model of Little Chicago, but that was expending his magical energy rather than his soul which he values more and is less certain about.
Yeah, but using soulfire costs pieces of his soul... but it regenerates. Bob's theory of the soul is different than what we think of as a soul. Right?.
Jason,Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises to begin with.
I write the books as fast as I /can/ write them. Being able to spend times in worlds other than the Dresden Files world makes me enjoy my time with Dresden that much more, and has a serious impact on the quality of the work I produce.
That's not opinion, really. That's empirically demonstrated fact. After Changes, I rolled straight into Side Jobs, then Ghost Story, then Cold Days, and writing the books became a serious grind--to the point where I considered ending the series early rather than late.
Being able to jump to other book-worlds after Cold Days was what made Skin Game fun for me again, or fun-ish. I was in the middle of heavy life things while I was writing it, but even so it came easier and more naturally than the previous pair of books.
After Skin Game, I finished off The Aeronaut's Windlass, and am currently at work on what looks to be the most ambitious and challenging Dresden Files novel yet.
I don't know if I will ever be able to put out books at the same rate as when I got started. For one thing, three books had already been finished when I got started. For another, the books were only about 60 or 70 percent as long as the later books in the series. There's some fairly simple math involved: a book with 170k words takes longer to write than one with 110k words.
(Actually, it's worse than that. The longer a book gets, the more disproportionately difficult it is to rewrite and edit, which adds still more time to the project.)
Also, I'm getting older. I have a much greater store of knowledge to draw from than I did when I started, and it takes that much longer to draw on it and choose from my increasingly broad spectrum of options in how to maximize the effectiveness of a story.
Also, as my career has become more successful, the greater and greater time-burden of career-oriented tasks which are not actually writing has become. They're tedious and annoying and sometimes actually, physically painful, but they are necessary. And they eat up time that I could otherwise be using to write more book.
I'd be a moron not to write books as fast as I can. I don't get paid by the hour, I get paid by the book. If new books don't come out regularly, sales on old books fall off pretty badly. So be assured, I'm producing things as fast as I can. Also, be assured that I am aware that, for many readers, my absolute most blistering production pace would not be nearly fast enough. :)
Jim
PS--Bob isn't really a terribly reliable narrator either, outside of his area of expertise. Anything to do with souls, faith, that kind of thing, is sort of beyond what he can readily grasp, except by indirect observation.
Jim wrote: "Jason,Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises..."
I'm just so happy you write at all. You're one of my favorite writers and I will read every single book you write. I enjoy every world you write about and I look forward to your latest book every year. Thank you for giving us readers something to look forward to.
Yes, regardless of my complaining, The Dresden Files is one of my T5 series of the century, with the only other one still alive being The Stormlight Archive. So I am grateful for Butcher turning out so many books that are on my favorites list(s).
Your statement about Skin Game being written when you had other worlds to dive into, vs Cold Days and Ghost Story being more of a slog, is really interesting. Of the three I certainly feel like Skin Game was the most fun to READ, and the other two do read more slowly than most of the other books in the series.Keep writing in multiple worlds Jim, I'm happy to read whatever you want to publish for me in whatever order you want to publish it, at whatever pace.
@Jason: If you are not already acquainted with Toby Daye and Meg Corbyn I recommend you acquaint yourself. They share the same room in my heart with Dresden and Kaladin. Mercy Thompson, Rachael Morgan, and Kate Daniels share an adjacent, if noticeably less posh, room in the same wing.
James, I love Mercy, Rachel, Kate, Dresden, and Meg. Thanks for the tip on October/Toby Daye. :)
And holy cow, Jason, Jim Butcher commented on your review. A LOT. :D:D :D :D :D :D
Jim wrote: "Jason,Sometimes life (and the bad things that life can bring) happens to authors too.
Bad things like that can have a greater impact on creative efforts, which are emotionally-driven enterprises..."
I don't really understand why people complain. I mean, yeah, my favorite series of yours is the Dresden Files, too. Reading Storm Front, Fool Moon, and then Grave Peril in quick succession inspired me to try my hand at writing an urban fantasy series (it's not as good as yours, but I've actually written 3 books for it). So, I can sorta see why people want you to write faster, but at the same time, writing is more than simply sitting in front of your computer and putting words onto a page.
There is so much more that goes into the process of writing a novel than simply, well, writing a novel. There are steps that need to be taken. Rough drafting, beta reading, revising, more beta reading, more revising, followed by some serious word cutting and darling killing, and then having your story edited, proofread, and getting the book cover created. It's a long process, an arduous process, and it generally takes months just to finish the revisions - and that's only if you do nothing but write. And, contrary to popular belief, authors do have lives of their own to live. They don't just live inside of their imaginations.
This also isn't putting matters like burnout into consideration. Sometimes, you just have to write something else in order to come back to your other stories with fresh eyes and new inspiration.
And, of course, this does not include everything else that best selling authors probably have to do outside of writing, but that are still writing related; book tours, book signings, interviews, and so on. How much time do you spend on the road these days, traveling the country, meeting with fans and talking about your books? I bet it's a lot. Being a fan, I look up your website to see when you'll be in my city so I can finally have one of my books signed, and I see that you do quite a bit of traveling. That would take away time from your writing, but it's necessary if you want to meet with people and see what their opinions of your books are. It's also necessary because it allows you to connect with your readers.
There's probably a lot here that I'm not mentioning, and that's because I honestly have no clue what best-selling authors do. My point is, you do a lot more than just writing, and most of us understand that on some level. We're just such big fans that we tend to get impatient.
However, while some might be impatient, all of us will wait for your next book, regardless of which series it's for, checking your website for updates, while letting you do what you do best.
Jason wrote: "Yes, regardless of my complaining, The Dresden Files is one of my T5 series of the century, with the only other one still alive being The Stormlight Archive. So I am grateful for Butcher turning ou..."
P.S. Jason, I think the fact that Jim Butcher has actually commented on this review shows that he knows people are waiting for him to put out his next Dresden Files novel, but you can't rush writing.
Worth it I got advanced copy and the book was amazing I think spacing the books out improves Jim's writing the guy is a master yeah Dresden files are fantastic and we all want another but don't rush it. let him work at his own pace and just be happy with the new great books we get ie codex ( my favorite butcher books) and now windlass another great world
I started it. I'm guessing I'm gonna like it but find it far from amazing, based on what's happened so far. It is at least better than the rough, uneven Codex Alera.He has stated his reasons for why there's been longer breaks between books, but I would disagree with your opinion that longer breaks = better writing. At least he hasn't seemed to give the idea that longer breaks necessarily = worse writing, the way that certain other authors have of late.
The codex books were amazing, the dresdens files are legendary. Can't wZit to dive into his next world.
The codex books were amazing, the dresdens files are legendary. Can't wZit to dive into his next world.
I gotta say...I stayed away for a bit from Butcher's new foray, mostly due to reviews like this, and having freshly read it I find myself now annoyed.
I simply loved it. I also suspect that amateur reviews are things I should no longer spend my time on. I think one would have to be better read than simple fantasy to appreciate the breadth of this book. I myself hearkened back to Hornblower with Grimm, with his tactical genius and unyielding integrity. I found the translation of the slow historical accounts of tallship warfare into this world with it’s lightning fast three dimensional tactics nothing short of inspired.
All of the characters are interesting and Mr. Butcher has several female protagonists unique, individual and engaging. So many authors, including Butcher in the past, seem to put new paint on the same female character and he is breaking out of this, his writing showing new dimensions in this work. The warrior-born characters, with their simultaneous superiority and endured cultural prejudice also full of possibilities.
The fantasy world he is working here is provoking and he hints at a back story in the nature of this world that I'd really like to know more about. He has a new metaphysical bent to a fantasy genre in his ideas of the ether, that while not entirely unique perhaps, is definitely mined out in that Butcher style. He's like the Japan of the fantasy genre's, taking ideas from here and there, making them entirely his own.
Anybody that doesn't like Rowl, has never owned a cat, I loved Rowl.
Some brought up the comparison to the Dresden Files, which are to me, the finest example in the genre of Urban Fantasy. However, I would say that the first few Dresden Files really were not that good, part of that was Mr. Butcher gaining his legs as a writer, that's true, but it also take some time for readers to begin to care about characters. It took me three tries to read Game of Thrones, for example. (although, I should point out once I got half way through the first book of that series I finished it and the two next out at the time in less than two weeks). I really hope this series gets the time it deserves to go fully underway with its webs full of ether currents to propel it to it’s potential.
This series is just starting out, and I'll be buying the next one the day it becomes available.
And for nay-sayers wishing Mr Butcher would focus solely on the exploits of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, I would say this. As I previously mentioned, this book has shown a manifold gain in Mr Butcher's already prodigious writing talent. The freedom of a new world, I suspect, has lent him the freedom to do this. I highly suspect that allowing him to dabble and grow in whichever direction his heart leads him will grant rich returns in the Dresden Universe.
Well, it's always good to see someone enjoying something. I don't think either amateur or professional reviewers are infallible given that their opinion will not 100% match up with one's own.And yes, if the result of this book is that the next File is amazing, then hooray.
Jim Butcher is truly one of my favorite authors. In this category he is holding his flame up with Robert Jordan, David Gemmell, and Patrick Rothfuss. Let's cut Jim a break. He has over thirteen books for the Dresden Files alone. Ghost story was truly a crappy book. I've been waiting for the allusion that dying and coming back has touched Dresden in a certain way to show up and mean something. However, my favorite books in the Dresden File's are easily Changes followed by Cold Days. I'm constantly waiting for Harry to break bad and go Darth Vader, even though that's so out of character for Harry. A possibly great book would be one where the Inner Dark Dresden or Primal Dresden comes out to play.As to the Codex of Alera. This series was truly phenomenal. I am sad that there haven't been more epics tales from this world. I feel there is a theme of an overwhelming enemy like the Vord or the Outsiders(DF), that I don't like too much, an overwhelming enemy that quickly loses its appeal. A much better enemy than the Vord were the Lord and Lady Aquitaines. Or as in Cursor's Fury which was my favorite, The Carnim, who could have been what made men fear the night. I would have liked to see more of the Marat as well.
With The Aeronaut's Windlass- I am looking forward to this series growing and developing. The world was entertaining and has room to become something epic. Yet, compared to the other two series it falls short of Jim's magnificence as an author, not because it was badly written, I rather enjoyed it, but compared to two fully developed book series it is still learning to walk. If all I read of the Dresden Files was Storm Front or of the Codex of Alera, Calderon's Fury, my apatite would not have been quenched!
And lastly, Jim's been having some turbulent patches. Like all of us, we eat those curve balls on the side plate of our helmets and keep on playing for the champion ship!
Jim, thanks my friend, even though we've never met, I've read and reread your books and listened to all of your books on audio more than once. You have thoroughly captured my imagination and taken me to your worlds several times over. Thank you for the many hours of adventure.
(having one or two books that aren't on par is nothing to sneeze at, this man is an athlete, an Olympic author if there was such a thing)
Jody Robertson
