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book_lizard42's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe I'm just in the wrong mood, but Dresden makes me tired. In the first books, there was as much story as action, and there was at least some hope that he would come out on top. The endings were big, and there was some relief for both Dresden AND reader. Not anymore.
Now it's one man against the Unseelie and the Outsiders. I'm tired of walking on broken glass. At this point, there is no soft place to fall. Butcher may have taken the underdog thing a little too far. I've kind of given up on Dresden being able to save the world single-handedly, and I don't even care that much that the odds are against him.
I get it. He's a big, tough character with a lot of emotional baggage. But he doesn't learn much from past mistakes, and it's like watching an alcoholic I love reach for another drink. There comes a point when I just can't watch anymore.
I'll finish it, and I hope that the ending gives me something worth coming back for.
UPDATE:
Finished it last night. Here's a plot summary. Feel free to apply it to any of the last four books.
Meets some being he's never encountered before.
Takes a beating that would kill an ordinary man.
Gets rescued by some unlikely source.
Gets heinie handed to him by another supernatural being.
Gets all broody and lonely, vows he'll never lead his friends into this danger.
Leads friends into danger anyway.
Notices how pretty his brother is. Down boy, he's your brother.
Safe place is breached.
Another beating ensues.
Shirks some kind of responsibility.
Feels like turd.
Regrets a choice he made two books ago.
Someone isn't who we thought they were.
Reminds the reader how long it's been since he was with a woman.
Some tidbit of the bigger picture is revealed. The plot thickens.
Faces insurmountable danger.
Doesn't succeed.
Chips are down! Chips are down!
Almost makes the wrong choice but changes his mind in the end.
Pulls some magic out of his heinie and saves the day. But just the day. Tomorrow is still screwed.
Still doesn't get the woman.
Now it's one man against the Unseelie and the Outsiders. I'm tired of walking on broken glass. At this point, there is no soft place to fall. Butcher may have taken the underdog thing a little too far. I've kind of given up on Dresden being able to save the world single-handedly, and I don't even care that much that the odds are against him.
I get it. He's a big, tough character with a lot of emotional baggage. But he doesn't learn much from past mistakes, and it's like watching an alcoholic I love reach for another drink. There comes a point when I just can't watch anymore.
I'll finish it, and I hope that the ending gives me something worth coming back for.
UPDATE:
Finished it last night. Here's a plot summary. Feel free to apply it to any of the last four books.
Meets some being he's never encountered before.
Takes a beating that would kill an ordinary man.
Gets rescued by some unlikely source.
Gets heinie handed to him by another supernatural being.
Gets all broody and lonely, vows he'll never lead his friends into this danger.
Leads friends into danger anyway.
Notices how pretty his brother is. Down boy, he's your brother.
Safe place is breached.
Another beating ensues.
Shirks some kind of responsibility.
Feels like turd.
Regrets a choice he made two books ago.
Someone isn't who we thought they were.
Reminds the reader how long it's been since he was with a woman.
Some tidbit of the bigger picture is revealed. The plot thickens.
Faces insurmountable danger.
Doesn't succeed.
Chips are down! Chips are down!
Almost makes the wrong choice but changes his mind in the end.
Pulls some magic out of his heinie and saves the day. But just the day. Tomorrow is still screwed.
Still doesn't get the woman.
subparcupcake's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly didn't think anything would be able to top [b:Changes|6585201|Changes (The Dresden Files, #12)|Jim Butcher|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304027244s/6585201.jpg|6778696]. It was just so emotional and... Full of change (yep, I went there). But damn. Just damn. [b:Cold Days|12216302|Cold Days (The Dresden Files, #14)|Jim Butcher|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345145377s/12216302.jpg|17189468] didn't just top it for me, it blew it out of the park.
All of those little things in the previous books that didn't make sense? The things I just kind of went with assuming I had missed something? Those questions are all starting to be answered, and on a totally epic scale. I feel like this entry in the series just took Dresden from and bunch of semi-related stand alone Urban Fantasy novels to one huge Epic Urban Fantasy tapestry. Yeah, tapestry, I know. I squeezed reading this into a Wheel of Time re-read, deal with it.
I love Butcher's sense of humor. I love how I can go from tense and on the edge of my seat, to laughing out loud, and then to getting a little misty eyed all in one page. I love that he teases my stupid squishy romantic side a little, without the story turning into a another lame paranormal romance (sorry PNR fans, it's just not my thing). I just plain love this series.
What else can I say? If you're considering picking this book up, I'm hoping you've read the other thirteen books in the series first. And if you've read all thirteen, I'm guessing you're enough of a fan to want to continue. And if you're a fan, you won't be disappointed.
No doubt about it, five stars. Hell, make it six for that matter. Loved it!
Damn it... Now I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next.
All of those little things in the previous books that didn't make sense? The things I just kind of went with assuming I had missed something? Those questions are all starting to be answered, and on a totally epic scale. I feel like this entry in the series just took Dresden from and bunch of semi-related stand alone Urban Fantasy novels to one huge Epic Urban Fantasy tapestry. Yeah, tapestry, I know. I squeezed reading this into a Wheel of Time re-read, deal with it.
I love Butcher's sense of humor. I love how I can go from tense and on the edge of my seat, to laughing out loud, and then to getting a little misty eyed all in one page. I love that he teases my stupid squishy romantic side a little, without the story turning into a another lame paranormal romance (sorry PNR fans, it's just not my thing). I just plain love this series.
What else can I say? If you're considering picking this book up, I'm hoping you've read the other thirteen books in the series first. And if you've read all thirteen, I'm guessing you're enough of a fan to want to continue. And if you're a fan, you won't be disappointed.
No doubt about it, five stars. Hell, make it six for that matter. Loved it!
Damn it... Now I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next.
lannnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mwplante's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These just keep getting longer, better, and more epic. Is the end game finally being set in motion?
prab's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
After Ghost Story, Ive stopped reading Dresden Files for awhile as I didn’t like the direction that he was heading, the whole back to life thing. However, Cold Days is a blast and definitely as good as Changes for me.
All the twist and turn and mysteries kept me guessing for the whole book and I wasn’t even close to the correct answer. And what make this book special for me are the relationships between characters especially Harry and Thomas. The scene when Harry met Thomas for the first time after his presumed death made me teary a lil bit.
Overall, this is a great addition to the series and I hope it’s getting better.
All the twist and turn and mysteries kept me guessing for the whole book and I wasn’t even close to the correct answer. And what make this book special for me are the relationships between characters especially Harry and Thomas. The scene when Harry met Thomas for the first time after his presumed death made me teary a lil bit.
Overall, this is a great addition to the series and I hope it’s getting better.
songwind's review against another edition
2.0
This was certainly a Dresden novel. It was entertaining, up to a point.
I feel like Butcher has lost control of the Dresden Files. This latest novel was overburdened with self-reference and pop-culture references. It creaks under the weight of established continuity.
It's been clear for a few books that Butcher is attempting a sort of sleight-of-hand stasis for Harry, and with this book it goes into the deep end. Harry is no longer the plucky underdog fighting the good fight. He's now one of the movers and shakers of the magical world. Rather than deal with this and have it result in actual character growth, the magnitude of the opposition has continued to increase. That way Harry gets to be more badass while still basically behaving the same way as he always has.
There was a sweet spot of 2 or 3 books where it looked like there was going to be more to Dresden than that, but it passed. I kept with it afterward because, like a brainless popcorn movie, it was fun. It's not much fun anymore.
I feel like Butcher has lost control of the Dresden Files. This latest novel was overburdened with self-reference and pop-culture references. It creaks under the weight of established continuity.
It's been clear for a few books that Butcher is attempting a sort of sleight-of-hand stasis for Harry, and with this book it goes into the deep end. Harry is no longer the plucky underdog fighting the good fight. He's now one of the movers and shakers of the magical world. Rather than deal with this and have it result in actual character growth, the magnitude of the opposition has continued to increase. That way Harry gets to be more badass while still basically behaving the same way as he always has.
There was a sweet spot of 2 or 3 books where it looked like there was going to be more to Dresden than that, but it passed. I kept with it afterward because, like a brainless popcorn movie, it was fun. It's not much fun anymore.
celtic_oracle's review against another edition
4.0
And with this book, the Dresden series joins that other wizard named Harry in terms of series I want to read again - straight through so I can pay more attention to the seemingly minor events that have a major impact in the later books. I'm going to hold off on that for now, because I really want to know what happens next, but I'm really looking forward to re-exploring the Dresden world as a knowledgable reader.
Also, holy crap, Molly! 0_o
Also, holy crap, Molly! 0_o
shawniebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Rounding up because it's Harry, but this was too long and there was too much going on.
katyanaish's review against another edition
5.0
I truly don't understand how this series gets more amazing with every book, but it does. Every time you finish a book, you feel positive that it has peaked... and then you read the next one and your jaw is on the floor.
Freaking amazing.
Freaking amazing.