Customer Reviews

Blood Rites (Dresden Files)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the sixth book in the Dresden series. Harry Dresden is Chicago's only practicing wizard investigator and is listed in the yellow pages. He's young, single, and good-hearted. A vampire friend (there are three kinds of vampires, Red, White and Black Court) wants him to investigate a case for him. A movie producer is being cursed, and the women around him keep on dying in strange ways. As usual, Harry jumps right in, is chivalrous and heroic to the end, and there's plenty of action on every page. Demons, puppies, vampires, police, mysterious assassins, wizards, succubi, it's all there. However, this book was different from the previous five because at the end of the book, Harry and his life had changed forever. This series used to be frustrating to read because each book would end with very little changed about the character or his circumstances, like a sit-com. But with this latest installment, there was more heart, non-stop action as usual, and new relationships being formed, so that it was more like an exciting installment of a dramatic series. Butcher writes very well, there's no mad clap farcical world (Terry Prachett or Christopher Moore) or weird angst - Harry's just a regular guy with bad luck days - just that his bad lucks tend to include demon assassins, homocidal succubi...

I'm not sure that it is technically accurate to label this latest stanza in the 'Dresden File' series a pleasant surprise, since all of the books have been enjoyable reading. But author Jim Butcher has managed to take a series that was showing signs of being pleasantly predictable and up the level just a bit. Much of this has been accomplished by developing Harry Dresden into something more than a Chicago wizard with an overly developed sense of responsibility (and possible an overactive thyroid). He has developed more of the sense of self-awareness I would expect from a professional wizard, although I would say that Harry's judgment is still has a bit of adolescent about it.

Another part of this growth stems from the fleshing out of the basic Dresden plot, which is Harry in trouble with the wizard's White Council and hunted by the various vampire courts. That hasn't changed much. This time Harry is trying to put a stop to a new Black Court effort to end his life while keeping a deadly evil eye curse from bankrupting a porno film startup company. The latter effort puts Harry at odds with the head of the Vampire's White Court. We get to experience both the delights of the film stage and the wild action of a raid on a Black Court lair.

Butcher makes this come alive by filling in a lot of the blanks about his vampire's society and politics, while stepping up the heat on Harry's relationship with Lt. Karrin Murphy, the head of Special Investigation. Throw in the development of several other collateral characters and you have an action story with interesting characters. This works well, because Butcher seems to know when to back off from the melodramatic and let people behave like people (or vampires) in a serious conflict..

Of course, the usual spookiness and ritual magic are there as always. Magic works in Butcher's alternate reality, and it sometimes works with a vengeance. The author sometimes takes a moment to explain how such things are supposed to work, but wisely, he avoids creating a formal system that would limit story development. Instead he blends magic, supernatural, and the occult as needed to get the right effect. I'm not a purist, and Butcher manages to avoid glaring self-contradiction. Keep in mind that this genre is beginning to get crowded with Harry Dresden's and Anita Blake's. Butcher's stories maintain a distinct identity and style that is beginning to be imitated, which is the best recommendation of all.

Wowsers. Mr. Butcher just keeps raising the bar in this series. I found this book to be the most rewarding and tightly-plotted of the Dresden books so far. Lots of questions are answered, while dangling plot threads from two and three books ago are woven back in. And yet, the more that's revealed about Harry's world (and his place in it), the more mysteries arise.

One particularly interesting and insightful bit (especially in a "fantasy" novel with vampires, magic and whatnot) is the commentary on the porno industry and its shaping of human expectations of sexual behavior and relationships for malevolent purpose. Some of the earlier books might be merely "fun reads," but this one tackles some issues that are worth talking about, and does so intelligently. And it does so in a, well, fun read.

Not to mention the characters' growth! Sheesh! Six books of Harry and Murphy, and we're still just scratching the surface. Well, we're a little deeper than the epidermis at this point (might actually be drawing blood, if you'll forgive the analogy), but you get the sense that there's still a long way to go yet before we really get to the meat...

I've been hooked on this series from book one Storm Front and there these books just got better and better. After re-reading Death Masks and finally excepting Harry and Susan's break-up that I took really hard, because I thought they were so good together. Harry finally finds out more about his family and secrets about his mother that he never knew. Things also heat up for Karin Murphy a detective and Harry. Also he gets to fight Vampires and finds out that he has a brother who I won't tell who he is. I enjoyed the flying Monkeys and his new family member, a dog? I highly recommend this series and I'm anxious for the next book in the series called Deadbeat. I also hope that Jim plans to bring Susan back she prove to be a valuable friend and allie to Harry in the future. Read this series,but start with book one because all his books build from his previous ones.

Butcher's back on top of his game, serving up a hard-hitting mix of magic, monsters, mayhem, and mirth in Book Six of the Dresden Files. Blood Rites isn't as labored as Death Masks or as slow-moving as Summer Knight, harking back to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink exploits of Grave Peril. Harry Dresden's in fine form, firmly planting his clod-busting stompers where angels fear to tiptoe, and compulsively cracking wise every feisty step of the way.

The bulk of the action-and it's pretty steroidal stuff-is crammed into the space of three days. The basic plot comprises two intertwined storylines. Three, counting the puppy, but he's more a combination of comic relief, future stage-setting, and probably-unintended red herring, dropped into the Blue Beetle's backseat and out of the story entirely for a hundred pages before inexplicably resurfacing in Harry's apartment. Continuity, continuity. Never mind, he's cute anyway. So's the puppy.

So, two storylines. First, White Court vampire Thomas asks Harry to seek and destroy a suspected entropy curse stalking Thomas' movie-producer friend. Then, before Harry even meets his new client, he learns the hard way that Black Court vampire Mavra is in town, hot for his blood. Literally. When the producer turns out to be a porn king, and Thomas turns out to have far more ties to the case than he let on, and Harry ends up eyeball-deep in the private family business of virtually everyone involved-including, quite unexpectedly, himself-it only adds to the general pandemonium.

Be warned: most of the main characters have figured in previous Dresden cases, and Butcher wastes minimal words on back story. Harry's partnership with police lieutenant Karrin Murphy is developing nicely, whether she ultimately replaces ex-flame Susan or not. Hired gun Kincaid, who barely registered in Masks, is shaping up as an unfeeling assassin to cheer for, though readers may find that his revealed past takes some of the fun out of his behavior. Best of all, Butcher hasn't forgotten that even the prettiest people-eater-male or female-is creepy, dangerous, and fundamentally not-human. With continued fleshing-out, his trio of vampire courts grows increasingly less likely to please hard-core undead sensualists or traditionalists, but his creations make thrice-damned, triple-threat, bloody righteous monsters by any other name, so why sweat the technicalities?

For Harry fans, Blood Rites scores big. The fast pace and light storytelling touch play to Butcher's strengths, making it easier to overlook pesky little writing lapses (not knowing how few days until Saturday, or how many films Genosa has shot, or what "née" means; taking off a coat twice in three short paragraphs, then spacing out on the garish shirt underneath; getting the Beetle back from the mechanic, who never had it in the first place; to mention a few). At the same time, there are enticing glimpses of the dark wings beating ever more strongly about the edges of Harry's soul. He and readers get substantial new chunks of his past along the way, too. Great game!

Blood Rites (2004) is the sixth urban fantasy novel in the Harry Dresden series, following Death Masks. In the previous volume, John Marcone grabbed the Shroud from Nicodemus and jumped off the train into the river. Michael Carpenter attacked Nicodemus and was overwhelming him, but then Nicodemus pulled a gun and shot Michael several times through his breastplate. Harry temporarily overcame Nicodemus and got Michael off the train.

Marcone pulled Harry from the river with the Shroud. After that, Harry didn't remember anything until he woke up in Charity's guest room. Marcone still had the Shroud. By following the gang boss around the city, Harry finally learned why Marcone had commissioned the theft of the Shroud.

In this novel, Harry is running hard down the abandoned school hallway with a box of puppies in his arms. The old school is on fire, but not because of him. Three monkey demons are chasing him, throwing gobs of flaming monkey poop at him and starting fires all along the corridors. One puppy keeps climbing up and barking at the monkey demons.

Once Harry drops the box and the puppies fall out. Harry scoops them up and starts running again, but the little notched-ear pup has been left behind. As he stands growling at the monkeys, Harry turns back, gathers him up and starts running again. Finally he gets outside the building and runs toward the Blue Beetle.

A larger version of the monkey demons bursts out of the doors. The other three monkeys ram the large demon and are absorbed, making the large demon become still larger. This entity spreads his wings and takes off, buzzing the Blue Beetle. Harry yells at Thomas to start the car, then dives in the passenger side and stuffs the box of puppies into the back.

The flying monkey throws incendiaries at the Volkswagen. Thomas hangs onto Harry's leg as he hangs out the door and blasts the monkey. Then Harry has Thomas stop the car and blasts the demon right between the eyes. Scratch one demon, at least for a little while!

Harry passes the box of puppies on to his client, but fails to notice the notch-eared pup under the seat. When he finds the pup, his client has already left for Tibet and is unavailable. Harry decides to keep the pup for a while until he can make some other arrangements.

In this story, Thomas asks Harry to talk to an erotic film producer who seems to be suffering from a curse. Arturo is Greek and has three ex-wives. His female associates are dying in strange ways. Harry wonders if the man has been cursed with an entropy spell, but also considers an Evil Eye curse. He finally agrees to talk with Arturo.

Harry reports to work the next day at the makeshift studio. As a production assistant, he is basically a gofer. At least he will be able to observe the crew and sense the curse first hand. That morning, Harry senses an evil magic rising near him and tracks it to a staff restroom. Another woman has been badly hurt and only saved from death by Harry's timely intervention.

Later, Harry finds out that Lara -- one of the actresses -- is the older sister of Thomas. She is a vamp in more than one sense of the word. She exudes sexuality, but what would you expect from a White Court vampire?

This story involves ancient Greek witchcraft and modern contract law. Harry begins to understand the motivation for the murders, but not the means. He suspects that an experienced and talented sorcerer is behind the curse, but is otherwise clueless. He starts checking out Arturo's financial circumstances.

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic magic, strange deaths, and a stubborn wizard.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I think there's no question about it: 'Blood rites' is the best in the series so far. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the whole series and Harry Dresden is quickly becoming one of my favorite male characters. However, this latest book is finally giving some substance to characters who previously were either too good to be true, too bad to actually take seriously, or to sketchy to care. For those who are only now discovering the series: Harry is a wizard who has to make a living in a world that doesn't believe in wizards, and also to discover his past, which is clouded in mystery and violent death. As a private investigator and occasional consultant for a special division of Chicago police, Harry has already had his share of encounters and supernatural adventures in the five previous books. He had to fight a renegade practitioner of the black arts, ghosts, vampires, werewolfs, faeries, fallen angels, not to mention his very own White Council of wizards, for whom his own past (which they seem to know a lot better than Harry) is an almost certain ticket to painful execution.

In this book, Harry has to figure out who is behind an entropy curse hitting actors in a porn movie business, but also to deal with unexpected and not altogether pleasant truths about his past. The action acquires a more interesting, darker side, that promises great character development, not only for Harry, but also for Murphy, who is finally shown to be more than a slightly obsessive fighting babe with no personal life and an inflexible sense of justice. I absolutely loved the plot from the beginning to the end, despite the fact that the author seemed to have forgotten that Harry actually shared a soulgaze with Ebenezar [according to book 4 in the series], which should have prepared Harry for most revelations about his teacher in book 6 - unless I really don't understand how a soulgaze works.

I also hope that Jim won't give in to the temptation of making the series allegedly more 'appealing' by destroying the plot and adding lots of sex, as it unfortunately happened to the Anita Blake series. Although Harry is not getting any and I think the author could take some pity in the future [c'mon Jim, how would you feel if you had to spend a year with only a cat and a skull as company? :)], I really really like Harry just the way he is.

Okay, I stumbled upon the Dresden files last summer and quickly read through the first 5 books. This is the best of the bunch and you don't have to read all the others to enjoy this book, however, I think it's sacriledge if you do pick this up without reading the other. Jim Butcher does a good job just in making the book very self-contained, exciting stuff. I tried to pace myself with this one, but ended up finishing behind closed doors at my office when I should have been working. Great book!

Jim Butcher has an amazing skill, I think genius level on how to pace a book. From page one the pace of this book is outstanding. I can't remember the last book I read that didn't have a "slow part". I typically read from two points of view: wannabe writer and lifetime reader. Usually I tackle the reader side first and then, if worthy, go back a second time with a writer's perspective. I couldn't help but do both. This was just a FUN read. The story is interesting, great characterization, dialogue is snappy, at times contemporary but always on point. High on entertainment, good messaging about family and wanting of such. You will play this book like a movie in your head. You probably have ideas of current actors who could play the leads. When this does get the Hollywood TV treatment all I can tell folks is READ the books. It will make great TV/Movie but you can't appreciate the texture of a well written and paced book.

Well done Mr. Butcher. I highly recommend this book to those who are not into High Fantasy but more of an realistic urban fantasy.

I really enjoy this series, but I agree with the other reviewers that Harry didn't really seem to have much of a life. In this book he finally discovers his family, learns disturbing things about someone he loves, and adopts a puppy that has foo heritage.

Very cool.

As usual, lots of humor, and several laugh-out-loud funny moments help to balance the darkness and bloodshed.

In addition, the character of Murphy also continues to develop and she makes the story richer. She is no longer the Xena-cop of the first books. Instead, she is developing more of an emotional life and a past. We meet one of her exes and her family, and see her relationship with Harry deepening. Who knows how things will develop.

We also learn more about the 3 vampire courts. Very interesting, in a disturbing kind of way. The Red court are demons in a shell of human flesh, Black vampires are more traditionally Stokerish, with rot and decay thrown in, but in many ways, the White court is the creepiest. They draw their power in through lust and seduction, making thier victims want to die, writhing in pleasure. Yikes.

I started reading this this morning and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. Now I am tempted to read it all over again.

This book would make a great addition to your library!

Once again, Jim Butcher does not disappoint. This series has evolved into a riveting read. I will not summerize the plot, since other reviewers have done it so well, but I would like to comment on the type of story.

This books begins to read like the original Anita Blake books did, only without the repetitive phrasing. It is a great blend of humor, adventure, and action. There is action galore in this book. So much action, in fact, that when reading before bedtime I couldn't find a good stopping point. I had to just keep reading and reading until I fell asleep in the middle of a chapter. It was a very entertaining read.

In the previous books, Harry was the only well-defined character, while all the supporting cast seemed rather cardboard. In Blood Rites, Mr. Butcher begins to flesh out the supporting characters. Thomas, Murphy, and Ebeneezer begin to act more like real "people" as opposed to the one-dimensional things whose only purpose is to push the plot along. I also found Kincaid to be a great addition to the cast. I look forward to seeing more of him in the future, hopefully with an unraveling of his history.

Finally, I would like to say that I was hooked from the first book in the series, but I found Blood Rites to be the most well-written in the series. I eagerly await the next installment in the Harry's saga.