Customer Reviews

Backup

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Unlike most of the negative reviewers I'm not docking stars due to cost or length. I thought the description made it clear what Backup would be, so I did not feel deceived. This is however, the first of Butcher's books to get less than 4.5 stars from me, and surprisingly it is entirely due to characterization, writing and plotting.

Characterization - Thomas is awesome. His character arc has been great, and the scene with him, Harry, the race, and the water bottle from "Dead Beat" is probably my favorite of the series. So what do we learn about him now that we are in his head? Nothing new. Nothing about his relationship with his sister, his girlfriends, his clients or even his brother. Honestly, he seems less interesting and intelligent to me now than he did before.

Writing - Thomas's voice...is Harry's voice. Sure, different in some details, but the tone, the rhythms, the wise cracks, they were all Dresden-esque. Far more than genetics would be able to explain. I felt like it was lazy. You could have swapped Harry and Thomas's role in the story, and a significant amount of the internal dialog would not have had to be rewritten.

Plotting - So we get the first Dresden Files story from a non-Harry point of view. That's exciting, I can't wait to see what we learn that we haven't been able to see before. Who is in the story? Thomas, Lara, Justine, Mouse, Bob, Harry, Villian du jour. Not a particularly new cast of characters, eh? Where does the bulk of the exposition take place? Harry's basement, talking to Bob. Where do we go in the Dresden universe, Thomas's apartment and Harry's apartment. What do we learn about Harry from this new POV - he's noble, too trusting, and a really really powerful mage. There is a new major supernatural conspiracy, but it is unrelated to Harry, extremely non-time specific, not particularly threatening compared to most of Harry's cases, and is unlikely to show up again.

So all in all I was hugely disappointed. I expected to walk away from this novella with a different perspective on Thomas, Harry, their relationship, their priorities, the White Court, what it is like to be a Vampire-in-exile, something. But no, there wasn't anything new. That scene from Dead Beat I reference above did a much better job making me empathize with Thomas than every description (or illustration) of "His Demon" in Backup.

Was it awful, of course not. I enjoyed it in parts, and the humor was well done, but there wasn't anything there I'm going to take away with me.

I have to admit I pre-ordered my Backup from Subterranean Press way back in January when it was announced at Bucher's site. Therefore, I was gouged the full $20, but even at the reduced Amazon price this is still overpriced.

I really felt it was a rip-off in many ways: The novella is actually 70 pages, NOT 80 as it has been listed. Even within that, there are MAYBE 55 actual pages of story (and even then it is a very small book in size so translated to regular HC or PB it would be even less), thanks to blank pages before chapter breaks and the Mignola illustrations (which are kinda "eh", they don't offer much).

An average Dresden Files book is about 400 pages in large HC format and usually you can get one for $15 around release thanks to Amazon pre-order pricing, so the fact that Backup was more expensive than a full Files books is just a joke.

People complained about "Welcome to the Jungle" because it was a Graphic Novel/Comic, but there is definitely more story and, I think, more text in that story than this one, not to mention the nice art and little extras at the end.

The story itself is good. I like Thomas, and being a fan of the Dresden books it was a nice supplementary tale. There is some good information about Thomas and "Oblivion War" that would never have been revealed in a Harry-centered tale, but it is (at least at this point) of no real consequence to the Dresden Files main story. If I was rating it just based on the story, I would have given it 4 star review, but unless you are a hardcore Dresden fan, it is NOT worth the price of admission.

Id recommend borrowing it from a friend for 40 minutes, that is about all it will take to read. Between this and the short-story anthologies, I am starting to feel a bit annoyed at the cost of minor side stories to the Dresden Files. $15 for this, $10 for a short story anthology (x4 now) with ONE minor Dresden tale, it is just too much for too little. Stick with the main Files books, they are worth the money.

I'll confess right up front that I am an unabashed fan of Thomas Raith, Harry Dresden's psy-vampire half-brother, and when I first heard about this book, I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. As short as it is, it's a great read, and it gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of a character who is far more than the mere pretty face he may pretend to be. We get a first-hand sense of Thomas's struggle to keep his literal inner demon-symbiote in check, and of his concern for his little brother. And we also get some stunning if deceptively small revelations about the world in which they both live and work and fight to keep the things that go bump in the night in check. The illustrations by legendary graphic novel artist Mike Mignola more than complete this great little book!

excellent novellette (novella?)... took me only about an hour and a half to read, but thats the only drawback. was very well written and adds a whole new dimension to thomas.

I've seen a lot of negative or ambivalent reviews for Backup and I think they are misrepresenting the demographic. I knew that it was a short 70 page novelette and a companion book to the Dresden Files, I think anyone who was confused about it could have easily learned everything they wanted to know by doing a simple google search.

As for the story itself, I really liked "seeing" the DF world from a perspective other than Harry's. I think Thomas is a good narrator and while Backup gave me more confidence that Thomas wasn't going to turn on Harry, I still am unsure about the whole Oblivion War. I'm excited to learn more and I'm sure it will become important in later novels.

My only complaint is that it's too short, but as a fan I think all the books are too short and want another the instant I finish.

Bravo, Mr. Butcher. Keep up the good work.

"I'll be damned if I know how. But then, I'll be damned regardless. My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster."

Thomas Raith is one of the more compelling, intriguing characters of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files -- a lovable, tormented incubus with an inner Hunger that nags him. Tiny novella "Backup" is the first glimpse into Thomas' head, with plenty of Butcher's trademark wit, action, and quite a bit of pathos. Looks like even a top-notch wizard need some backup now and again.

Thomas receives a mystery email from his sister Lara, regarding the Oblivion Wars from years ago. She ends up sending Justine to his apartment with photos of Harry and a mysterious woman -- turns out Thomas' wizardly baby brother has unintentionally enmeshed himself in a plot of the Stygian Sisterhood, in his search for a kidnapped child.

Unfortunately Harry knows nothing of the Stygian Sisterhood or about the danger he's in, and Thomas can't really tell him outright. So the hairdressing vampire sets out through Chicago to protect Harry from the shadows -- and promptly falls afoul of one of the Sisters. Now Thomas -- cloaked in an illusion of a different face -- must somehow help his brother before the Sisterhood kills them both.

Since the entire Dresden Files series is written in first person, readers have never really gotten inside the head of Thomas Raith. "Backup" fixes that: the entire story is told from Thomas' point of view, and it turns out he sounds a lot like his little brother. Except he really, really doesn't like what he is -- and I'm not talking about masquerading as a gay hairdresser.

He's also very funny and witty at times, dryly announcing that he has the "anthem of Nazi Germany" playing whenever his family emails him, and refers to Harry and email mixing like "Robert Downey Jr. and sobriety." Yet at the same time, we see that he's a heckuva lot darker than Harry ever is -- his contempt for his vampiric family, his fierce protectiveness of his brother, and his hopeless love for his ex-girlfriend Justine.

And then there's the Hunger. Butcher goes 110% when showing us the roaring demon inside Thomas, and the things it tempts him to do.

It's a shame that "Backup" is such a tiny novel, because frankly the whole Oblivion War and Stygian Sisterhood are incredibly fascinating ideas. Butcher only touches the tip of the iceberg. But he throws in plenty of lightning-quick action schemes with the Sisterhood and their ghoul thugs, as well as a slam-bang climax where a bespelled Thomas has to save Harry's magical butt.

Harry only appears occasionally in this novel, but he's in good form when he does -- our rangy, mildly grumpy wizard with a soft spot for little kids. Bob the Skull has a bit more presence, since he and Thomas have a bit of a heart-to-heart about supernatural matters (when Bob isn't dropping his usual lecherous hints about "grateful" mothers and beribboned nude girls).

Even a wizard needs some help from his big brother occasionally. And while "Backup" is a skinny little sliver of a story, it's a well-rounded look into the sexiest vampire in modern fiction.

"I'll be damned if I know how. But then, I'll be damned regardless. My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster."

Thomas Raith is one of the more compelling, intriguing characters of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files -- a lovable, tormented incubus with an inner Hunger that nags him. Tiny novella "Backup" is the first glimpse into Thomas' head, with plenty of Butcher's trademark wit, action, and quite a bit of pathos. Looks like even a top-notch wizard need some backup now and again.

Thomas receives a mystery email from his sister Lara, regarding the Oblivion Wars from years ago. She ends up sending Justine to his apartment with photos of Harry and a mysterious woman -- turns out Thomas' wizardly baby brother has unintentionally enmeshed himself in a plot of the Stygian Sisterhood, in his search for a kidnapped child.

Unfortunately Harry knows nothing of the Stygian Sisterhood or about the danger he's in, and Thomas can't really tell him outright. So the hairdressing vampire sets out through Chicago to protect Harry from the shadows -- and promptly falls afoul of one of the Sisters. Now Thomas -- cloaked in an illusion of a different face -- must somehow help his brother before the Sisterhood kills them both.

Since the entire Dresden Files series is written in first person, readers have never really gotten inside the head of Thomas Raith. "Backup" fixes that: the entire story is told from Thomas' point of view, and it turns out he sounds a lot like his little brother. Except he really, really doesn't like what he is -- and I'm not talking about masquerading as a gay hairdresser.

He's also very funny and witty at times, dryly announcing that he has the "anthem of Nazi Germany" playing whenever his family emails him, and refers to Harry and email mixing like "Robert Downey Jr. and sobriety." Yet at the same time, we see that he's a heckuva lot darker than Harry ever is -- his contempt for his vampiric family, his fierce protectiveness of his brother, and his hopeless love for his ex-girlfriend Justine.

And then there's the Hunger. Butcher goes 110% when showing us the roaring demon inside Thomas, and the things it tempts him to do.

It's a shame that "Backup" is such a tiny novel, because frankly the whole Oblivion War and Stygian Sisterhood are incredibly fascinating ideas. Butcher only touches the tip of the iceberg. But he throws in plenty of lightning-quick action schemes with the Sisterhood and their ghoul thugs, as well as a slam-bang climax where a bespelled Thomas has to save Harry's magical butt.

Harry only appears occasionally in this novel, but he's in good form when he does -- our rangy, mildly grumpy wizard with a soft spot for little kids. Bob the Skull has a bit more presence, since he and Thomas have a bit of a heart-to-heart about supernatural matters (when Bob isn't dropping his usual lecherous hints about "grateful" mothers and beribboned nude girls).

Even a wizard needs some help from his big brother occasionally. And while "Backup" is a skinny little sliver of a story, it's a well-rounded look into the sexiest vampire in modern fiction.

This is very good. An expansion of the Dresden Files world. As the previous review stated, it was a short but pleasant tale.
I would like to read more tales of this type exploring the lives of other characters in the Dresden Files' world. Karren Murphy, even Bob, Mouse or Mister could be fun in a short tail (so to speak ;)). I enjoyed this story immensely.
I can hardly wait for the next full length adventure in the main story, but this was a pleasant addition to the entire adventure.

I need to be up front about this: I am a complete Dresden fan. I had not even heard of the series a year ago, but I've bought and read all ten series books, all the short stories but one (and the collection it is in comes out next month in soft cover) and this novella.

One of the things I love about the series is the wildly imaginative takes Butcher has on the standard elements of fantasy creatures. Who thought for example that there could be 6 different flavors of werewolves? Or, more to the point, four varieties of Vampire: Red Court (Blood-drinking demons clothed in human-appearing flesh), Black Court (the classic "Dracula" variety), Jade Court (mentioned but not yet seen--can't wait to see what Butcher has in mind), and the focus of "Backup", the White Court, vampires who feed directly from the life-force of humans, through strong emotion.

"Backup" stars Harry Dresden's half-brother Thomas Raith. Since the sixth book, "Blood Rites", Thomas has become an increasingly important character, as Harry's only living family.

"Backup" further fleshes out Thomas, as we get to see him from the inside dealing with the stresses and issues that come from being a predator who does not wishes kill. Like Harry, Thomas has a secret conflict to fight, one he can't let Harry know about.

This is Dresden "lite", lacking the multi-layered plotting that characterizes the Dresden novels. The insight into Thomas though, is more than worth the price of admission and is a must-have for Dresden fans (though newbies are advised to read the novels first).

For those familiar with the Harry Dresden series, this book provides a small but sweet taste of his half-brother Thomas, and the behind the scenes activity for his brother's cases. The prose is well written in the Butcher style, and though he could have included a bit more about Harry's case, it is a fun read and leaves the reader satisfied. We all presume Thomas is not spending his whole day in the salon, and this novelette answers some of those questions.