Customer Reviews

Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12)

5 star:		(234)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Book lives up to title. Read it expecting that almost anything, no matter how much of a constant it's been over the past eleven books, might be altered, revised, or destroyed. Any given plotline you've been waiting for Butcher to move forward or develop, there's good odds you'll find out more here, and more than one multiple-book plot thread finds its end.

Butcher is at the top of his game here, and it may be the best overall book in the series to date; from the very first line -- "I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, 'They've taken our daughter[,]'" -- the book moves at a page-tearing clip, and I read it pacing back and forth in my living room, so wholly and obviously absorbed that my girlfriend gave me the night off from household chores ("Sorry I haven't done the dishes, dear. I can't. Book." "I know. It's okay.")

Butcher's spent the past eleven books developing Harry's character, establishing his hunger for family, his devotion to saving innocents, especially children, and his willingness to burn the world in order to do the right thing, regardless of cost; he's also balanced Harry on the knife's edge of several different horrible temptations, and shown that Harry's passion has the potential to lead him very badly astray. This book drops Harry onto that knife edge and then hits him with a truck, and much of the tension in the book comes from watching Harry discover just how many moral and emotional lines he is, after all, willing to cross, and how many irrevocable steps he's willing to take, in order to save his daughter.

It isn't unrelentingly dark; the trademark humor of this series is on display, and fans will find plenty to chuckle over in between the explosions (my favorite, among many, might be Harry's pointed refusal to wear a hat, a subtle comment on the inaccuracy of the series' cover art). Despite that, though, this is definitely the psychologically darkest book in the series so far, and I expect it marks a trend we'll see continue in later books (Butcher plans to write approximately 12 more books in the Dresden series).

Like many a season finale, this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger -- while the plot of this story's resolved, there's a 'Whoa! what just happened?" moment on the last page or so. The good news is that the Dresden Files short story anthology, Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files includes a novella (titled "Aftermath") set forty five minutes after the conclusion of this book. The bad news is that "Aftermath" doesn't include any direct answers, just a few more pieces of the puzzle, so we'll have to wait for the next full novel, Ghost Story , for clear resolution.

I don't recommend starting the series here; start with the first Dresden Files book, Storm Front, or with the prequel graphic novel Welcome to the Jungle, and work your way forward. If you'd like a preview of this volume, though, the first four chapters are available for free on the author's website.

Just when you thought Harry Dresden had every problem a wizard could have, a new one appears.

And his problems pile up like so many skulls in the twelfth book of the Dresden Files series, which is appropriately titled "Changes." Jim Butcher's quirky sense of humor is still in place ("Ick! My lips touched dog lips!"), but this is definitely a darker twist in the series -- and Butcher seems intent on diving down into a place that's far darker, bloodier and scarier than most urban fantasy authors can even dream of.

Harry is understandably shocked when his ex-girlfriend Susan tells him that their daughter has been abducted by Duchess Arianna Ortega, a vampire of the Red Court who has a personal grudge against him. After all, he didn't even know he HAD a daughter. To make matters even worse, the supernatural world is on the verge of imploding because of the Red Court's war with the White Council, which means that Harry can't depend on his own kind for any actual help.

And what's more, Harry's being bombarded by assassins, giant Mayan demons, and hordes of Red Court vampires out to destroy/vampirize him. He has to gather as many allies as possible before Arianna puts her lethal plan into effect, and he might have to sacrifice his morals to do so. But even then, an all-out assault on the Red Court in their own territory will tax Harry and his little fellowship to the limits -- and will tear away even more of what he loves.

"Changes" is a painfully appropriate name for this book. Just about everything you know in the Dresden Files series changes here -- the enemies, the allies, the politics, the devastating losses and even the war against the Red Court. Even the series itself is changing from an urban fantasy series into an EPIC fantasy series -- and it feels like a turning point after which everything (and I do mean everything) will be different.

For most of the book, Butcher whips up his usual mixture of action (a giant centipede out of "Inuyasha," a pitched battle in a fae court), convoluted supernatural politics, funny clothing, and pop culture references ("You know, I believe it IS possible to reference something other than "Star Wars," boss." "That is why you fail").

But a bleak, dark undercurrent runs through the entire book, and it gets darker every time another little piece of Harry's life is chipped away. Butcher spends the whole book creating a slow-burning build-up to a really nasty confrontation with the Reds, and it all culminates in a truly explosive climax that's soaked in blood, magic, and the deepest passions of the human heart. Here's the only disappointing aspect of it -- the "to be continued!" cliffhanger.

Butcher also brings in countless characters from previous books (Thomas, Sanya, Uriel, Butters, Toot, the ever-elusive Lea, Luccio), and introduces a few new ones (Vadderung, who resembles a certain ancient father-god). But the center of this story is undeniably Harry, who is so determined to save his daughter that he is willing to do literally anything -- he's even willing to do things you would never have thought him capable of.

"Changes" is full of changes -- it's the ending of an era in the Dresden Files, and it leaves you desperate to know what will happen next. Utterly brilliant, and truly heartbreaking.

No spoilers in this review, but Wow! Just wow!

On the first page of this book we learn exactly what Harry Dresden's mission and prime focus is going be. Throughout Changes the characters we know and love appear, but the conversations they could/should and probably will have with Harry one day often don't eventuate, because there simply isn't time. Harry has his mission and one sole focus and his friends are either with him or not. There is no time for deep discussions or reflections.

The changes, questions and possibilities accumulate in this book, not just for Harry but for all the characters. I can't wait to see which avenues Jim Butcher will explore now that so many more have opened up. But fans may also be surprised at some of the Dresden familiarities that come to an end.

The final 20 - 25% of this book especially impressed me. It was building up to a huge climax and it certainly didn't disappoint, but we are provided with many surprise twists rather than just one big fight at the end.

There is one particularly enormous WHOA! moment that I guarantee nobody will be expecting.

A wonderful book, a crucial pivot point in the Dresdenverse and after I've taken stock and recharged the kindle I'm off to read it again to see what I missed.

Is it April 2011 yet?

CHANGES, the twelfth installment in the Dresden Files wizard-for-hire series, is an over-the-top, busy, noisy, violent affair. It begins with a bombshell revelation -- that Harry has an 8-year-old daughter he never knew about, and that she's been kidnapped by vampires, then builds up to a Faustian bargain it's hard to believe that Harry would ever make, and culminates in an extended battle that makes "Avatar" seem like "My Dinner with Andre".

Of course, there's more to CHANGES than whiz-bang action. Harry learns more about moving between one place and another in our world via the Nevernever (where the faeries live), which is interesting, and he outsmarts a powerful magical beast in a battle of wits, which is amusing. He has a frustrating encounter with the White Council, which looks increasingly like Harry Potter's head-in-the-sand Ministry of Magic. He also gets pummeled by unexpected revelations, like the fact that a close associate is actually a relative, and major setbacks, including the loss of a great deal that is dear to him.

What happens to Harry in CHANGES is the culmination of something that has been brewing for a while in the Dresden Files world. In the beginning, Harry Dresden was a wise-cracking hard-boiled wizard-detective, a loose adaptation of noir gumshoes Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. His adventures were mostly confined to his home city of Chicago and to its dark underbelly of gangsters and ghouls. He was just a regular guy with a sharp tongue, a bruised ego, and an empty bank account. Butcher might originally have set out to write a long series of wizard-detective novels where little changed from book to book aside from the specific mystery and the bad guy, but it's kind of hard to keep that sort of thing fresh after 5 or 10 books. Agatha Christie may have been able to do it, but not everybody is Agatha Christie. So, Butcher's been upping the stakes, with Harry becoming progressively more important and powerful, the bad guys growing bigger and badder, and the stage expanding in breadth and depth, now encompassing all of wizardly affairs and most of at least two universes.

I think I speak for many dedicated readers (but clearly not all) in saying that it was more fun reading about Harry the penniless wizard-detective than it is reading about Harry the reluctant and somewhat compromised superhero. Tough luck for us! The series is headed in another direction, and we've petty much seen the last of the old happy-go-lucky Harry Dresden of STORM FRONT, the first Dresden Files novel. He's a charming guy but hardly the man you'd choose to lead a Global Magical War on Evil; he doesn't have the drive, the ruthlessness, or even the inclination. Yet, that's clearly where Harry is headed. Hence, Butcher has to destroy Old Harry in CHANGES so that New Harry can be born in subsequent books.

My main problem with CHANGES is in how Butcher does it. In this book, poor Harry endures an unending hail of physical and emotional blows; even for Harry, this is a really bad day (or so). It's as if Butcher made a list of bad things to do to Harry and then ticked them off, one by one. Furthermore, he gives Harry virtually no time to absorb, reflect on, and react to these blows. Harry should be reacting, and reacting deeply, if not breaking down completely, at least briefly. Instead, Butcher names Harry's pains, but does little or nothing to help us share them. As a result, the cascade of catastrophes (and fireworks) is numbing rather than affecting, and Harry's choices seem arbitrary and inauthentic rather than organic and informed by his feelings.

In other news, readers who had expected major developments in the effort to unmask and destroy the Black Council after the events of TURNCOAT will be disappointed. I'm guessing that we will see only slow movement in that direction until book 14 or 15. Still, those who can't get enough of magical mayhem will thoroughly enjoy CHANGES. Those who want emotional authenticity will be let down. Neither group will be able to put the book down, however, and both will eagerly await the next installment.

Why I am even bothering with a review given that I am about to jump into the orgy pile of over 100 other ecstatic 4/5-star respondents? Simple: A desire to reward good behavior, narcissism, and... well... I guess that's it. I'll try to keep it short (for me) and relevant.

We're on book twelve. If you're actually considering starting the series with this book, you need more help than a mere review can provide. But in a word, don't. This book is great, but only because Butcher somehow (and I admit to being amazed by this) manages to keep his story and characters growing after so long a run.

If you had any hopes that Harry would return to his gumshoe roots, you should take those hopes out behind the shed and put a bullet in them. Changes pretty much crosses the no-going-back threshold between -- how shall I put this -- local and epic fantasy. One of my few complaints with story arc of the series has been this transition from magic-noir detective to a more forces-of-light-versus-forces-of-evil story, but I think that's more to do with the dearth of the former and preponderance of the latter than to any lack of skill on Butcher's part. My secret fantasy now is that Molly will get her own spin-off series that gets back to the one-book adventures of Storm Front.

One of my favorite features of the series, and perhaps best exemplified by Changes, is that actions the characters take have consequences -- sometimes dire ones. Butcher as much tells the reader this through the voice of Mac (yes, Mac has a voice) in a great scene that puts forth the notion that sometimes there are no good choices. Similarly, the characters in Butcher's universe are not mindless arch-types. Good girls do bad things. Bad guys have soft spots. People are the way they are due to actual back-story, which is a rare and refreshing position in a genre that tends to keep its heroes lilly-white, villains pitch-black and endings happily-ever-after. Yeah, I'm talk'n to you, Kim Harrison.

If there was one sour note for me in Changes, it was that Butcher seemed determined to get some on-screen time with every still-living character he has ever introduced in the series, and I'm pretty sure all the dead characters were at least mentioned. The fanboy in me was okay with it, but the critic in me has to point out that several of the cameos really weren't necessary.

And finally, Changes could only be more of a cliff-hanger if Butcher ended the novel in mid-sentence. Yes, lots of stuff gets resolved in Changes. More so than in any of his prior books, however, you will be pining for his next work because you nave no historical reason to believe it won't be fun AND there is a crapload of oh-my-eff'n-wow introduced in this book that needs to be followed up on. Curse you, Mr Butcher.

Curse you.

** Here ends my review of Changes and begins my Kindle rant **

EDIT: Yes, I know that Changes is now available on Kindle, but I'm leaving these original comments with my review because i think the sentiments are still relevant.

Hey Amazon, just thought you should know that the ONLY reason you get my dollars is customer service. I own a Kindle. I own an iPad. Guess which device I finally had to read Changes on? If you really think that you are doing your customers a favor by not offering an electronic version of a novel, AT FULL PRICE, on the same day the hardcover is released, you are mistaken. If you really think people fork out hundreds of dollars for e-readers so they can ultimately end up saving money after buying 300+ books at a modest discount, you are mistaken. If you really think that you can compete as a hardware developer/manufacturer against the likes of Apple and Sony, you are mistaken.

Have you been to the B&N web site or a Border's brick-and-mortar store recently? Have you used an iPad? I would MUCH rather shop you guys on-line and read my book on the most advanced hardware I can get. Spend your energies on making a great web-site, great cross-platform e-book reading software and great customer service. And never, never not-ever not have a book available that someone else has. You are a freak'n book-seller! The moment you forget that core truth is the moment you lose.

Book was EXCELLENT, but Kindle price unconscionable. I've had a Kindle now for 3 years, since they first came out. I waited and waited for the price of Changes to drop to a reasonable level, but I finally gave up and checked it out of the Library. This is the first time I've had to read a paper book since I got the Kindle. The only way we can make a difference is if we boycott ALL digital books that cost equal to or more than regular trade paperbacks. No one loses this way, including the author, since we all know they cost less to produce. They MUST stop this senseless price gouging or Kindle will wither and die on the vine.

Jim Butcher went all out in his 12th installment of the Harry Dresden series, CHANGES. No punches are pulled, no holds are barred. CHANGES do indeed abound, starting right off on the very first line of the first page, and continuing on to the very end. CHANGES "goes to 11," for both Harry and for the readers.

As this is no longer a spoiler (it has been widely used in publicity for CHANGES), I will say it here: Harry has an 8 year old daughter and the vampires of the Red Court have kidnapped her. We learn this in the first line of the first chapter. And the excitement and tension just keep growing exponentially from there. Harry Dresden kicks major butt and takes no prisoners. Jim Butcher has really thrown the proverbial kitchen sink into CHANGES. Old friends, enemies, and even frenemies make their appearances. We learn a bit more about each one, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Harry must make "a deal with the devil" to improve his chances of getting his daughter back, trying to chose the least evil of his options. He stands to lose everything, and very nearly does. All of the icons that define Harry as Harry are at risk. His friends are at risk. And Harry himself, his ideals and principles, are at risk. Is it even possible for Harry to survive? Can he save his daughter without losing himself?

Harry Dresden is one of my favorite characters. I eagerly anticipate his spring visit ever year, as if anticipating the visit of an old friend. And once his new story arrives, I am pretty much good for nothing until I have finished the new book. And CHANGES was no different. I always try to read each new Dresden book slowly, so that I can catch every nuance and draw out my enjoyment. But, as always, I read CHANGES through lickity-split, skipping meals and stay up until the wee hours. Jim Butcher writes with such ease, familiarity, suspense, and intrigue, that I could not put CHANGES down, no matter how hard I tried (okay, I didn't try all THAT hard). CHANGES is clearly a major turning point for Harry, with heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat, pacing-around-the-room-as-you-read, gasping-for-breath chills and thrills.

Both Jim Butcher and Harry Dresden keep growing - Jim in his already impressive writing abilities, and Harry as both a human being and as a wizard - which is the main reason, IMHO, that readers keep flocking back. Harry gets dealt blow after blow after mind-numbing blow, and still manages to keep the droll, witty sense of humor that we have all come to love. CHANGES is no exception; there are several laugh-out-loud moments, as well as lots of heart-warming grins. But by the end of CHANGES, Harry may be changed forever...

However, we will have to wait until the next book to find out. CHANGES is the first Dresden that is a true cliffhanger - a how-could-you-do-this-to-me, screaming-at-the-book cliffhanger. The last page of the last chapter nearly did me in, and definitely has me already drooling for more. I don't know how I am going to survive until next April. Only 11 months and three weeks to go. ACK!!!!

I'm going to start this review a little unconventionally but bear with me. I must say I was actually angry when I saw that Jim Butcher was taking time out to write the Codex Alera (Codex Alera, Book 1) series. Not intrigued at the possibility of getting to read a new milieu created by a wonderful author, but genuinely mad that he would divert his amazing creative energies and time away from the Harry Dresden books. I eventually caved in and read that series, and I was impressed by the way Butcher had a very clear idea of the arc of the story right from the start. Amidst the amazing action scenes, political intrigue, and even romance, he never loses sight of the need to drive the story and his characters forward.

The same can be emphatically said for Changes. It's remarkable that after all Harry has been through in the series so far, Jim Butcher manages to to reach a new high in terms of the stakes for Harry in this book. What he risks, what drives him to do it, and the jaw-dropping outcome are all "turned up to 11" in this volume. Although much is bleak and tense, Harry's trademark dark humor is never far from the surface. And, as always seems to happen in every volume, he gets the snot kicked out of him in new and creative ways. It just wouldn't be a Dresden Files book if Harry didn't have a metaphorical piano dropped on his head a time or two!

Many reviewers have complained about the shocking cliffhanger at the end of this story. I disagree with them. I found it worked wonderfully well simply because it came as such a surprise. We've had 11 volumes in which a chapter of Harry's life draws to a satisfactory conclusion; I respect and admire how Butcher keeps the reader a little off balance this time. Many authors learn to play it safe and simply deliver "more of the same" but Butcher, like Harry, isn't content with the status quo. He has to keep striving for more.

I hate spoilers in reviews, so pardon me if this part of the review is frustratingly vague, but I simply have to mention it. By the end of the story we know that Harry's career path is going to change dramatically. I'm anticipating that plot arc much more than the resolution of the cliffhanger. My hat is off to Jim Butcher. Many lesser authors wouldn't dare tamper with a successful formula, but this book leaves me eagerly awaiting the next exciting chapter of the Harry Dresden saga.

But no more side projects, Mr. Butcher! I grudgingly forgave you for the Codex Alera but I'm a Dresden Files junkie that needs his next fix. Hurry up, man!

I give the story five stars but the publisher zero stars. Butcher, as usual, wrote a darn good book. Unfortunately, I can not bring myself to spend over $10 for an electronic book. After waiting months for the price of the kindle edition to go below that mark, I broke down and got it from my library. I did the same with Side Jobs. I wish I had both of them on my Kindle (I have the other Dresden book on my Kindle) but alas, that will not be.
I know publishers are in the business to make money, but considering that hard cover books have to be printed, shipped and stored, charging over $10 for an electronic book month after it's release is just plain greedy. Of course, that's nothing new.
I am probably in the minority, but I didn't buy my kindle for the convenience of carrying around hundreds of books at once, I bought it hoping to (in the long run) save money by not buying hare cover books and going back and forth to the library, thinking the electronic versions would be relatively inexpensive. With Penguin, this is not the case. I have to say, after reading Side Jobs and Changes from the library... I kind of missed reading an honest to God book.
Bring the prices down, Penguin, or this is one customer who will get your books from the library and not sent you a dime.

I like Dresden because it's completely unabashed pulp. I sit down with the book and can read it in an evening or two and I'm pretty much promised an action-packed ride where Dresden gets the crap kicked out of him by enemies, proceeds to kick the crap out of said enemies with a group of his closest friends, and unwinds a twisty mystery in the process. The unwinding is as often as not not the result of good detective work, but rather having survived the initial crap-kicking, and then living long enough to dish out his own kicking of crap. This book thoroughly delivers on all counts. It's a great romp with action ramping up in to a thoroughly satisfying, violent climax.

My only complaint is that, being a Chicagoan, as Dresden becomes increasingly international in his travels I miss his interaction with the Windy City setting. Sympathizing with Dresden as he combated Chicago winter during White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) or having wonderful familiarity with the T-Rex he re-animated in the Field Museum in Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7) are mostly gone.

The only bad part about finishing a Dresden novel, during that happy nigh-coma after your reading binge your eyes tired from over-exertion and thoughts moving a bit lethargically with the late hour, is that you know in the back of your sleepy head you have to wait another twelve months before the next one.