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A review by songwind
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
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.