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A review by book_lizard42
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
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.