Customer Reviews

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11)

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Over the course of the last few books, the Dresden Files has been steadily upping the ante for our pal Harry Dresden. He has become a Warden, picked up an Apprentice, triumphed over Hellfire, captured the attention and respect of an Archangel and shown significant signs of growth as a Wizard.

Harry has grown so much that by Turn Coat, the series has really come full circle in many ways. In Storm Front, Harry was the suspected Warlock who had to prove himself to the Wardens, specifically Morgan. It was Morgan who had to pull Harry's butt out of the fire. Now, ten books later and at roughly the halfway point in the Dresden Files (according to info at his site), it is Morgan who is the suspected Warlock/traitor to the White Council, and it is Harry he comes to to pull his butt out of the fire.

Morgan shows up on Harry's door, looking like death warmed over and barely able to speak, but what he does say is like a bombshell dropping: he is a hunted man, accused of murdering a member of the Senior Council.

So begins the best Dresden Files book yet. Turn Coat is everything I expected, and more, it is everything I hoped for. It has been the worst kept secret of the series that a traitor was lurking in the highest echelon of the White Council, and the unveiling of that traitor is very well done. The highest compliment I can pay to Butcher is that he genuinely kept me guessing until he wanted us to know. The ultimate reveal is handled with complexity and a laudable maturity of authorship.

Many of the usual faces return for Turn Coat. Molly, Mouse, Thomas, Murphy, Morgan, Ebenezar, Luccio, the Alphas and Toot-Toot!! all have feature supporting roles, (though Ramirez is surprisingly absent since the book is so much about the Council) and of course, they are all as excellent as ever.

Other characters we have already met, but know little about, such as The Gatekeeper and Injun Joe, are explored in more detail. I do not know about anyone else, but this book is worth it for Listens-to-Wind alone. He is just an amazing Wizard, and I look forward to seeing him more in later books. Add in some quality Gatekeeper conversations and a real look at what just some of the Senior Council can do in action, and you really have as much Wizard action as ever before. And they are really only a very small fraction of the goodness that is Turn Coat!

Ultimately what I am most impressed by is how much Butcher is willing to change the "status quo". There are some major shakeups in Turn Coat, and somewhat of a change in direction for the series. As Bob the Skull says, Harry has really started playing in the Big Leagues. His power and abilities are increasing, but so are the threats he has to face, as the world around him is getting nastier and more perilous every day.

I compared Grave Peril to the second season of Buffy once, similar in how both characters really grew up all at once. I would compare Turn Coat to the fourth season of Angel: a movement away from the more singular storytelling and the beginning of piecing together the larger tapestry. Both characters somewhat outgrow their PI status, still utilizing the talents but focused more directly on the larger scale. Both face enormous powers behind the scenes as they are caught up in the whirlwind, losing friends and allies along the way, but they shall Not Fade Away.

This one has it all: good philosophical debate, fascinating new insight into some characters we thought we knew, moral and ethical quandaries that exceed mere "black and white" bordering into grey, killer action, quality one-liners and a deepening sense of maturity to the series as a whole.

418 pages has never felt so short.

5 out of 5 stars

Morgan has always been a major thorn in Harry Dresden's side. So of course, he appears on Harry's doorstep, half dead and convicted of murder.

But that's only one of the problems facing Jim Butchers wizard PI in the eleventh Dresden Files Book,. The aptly named "Turn Coat is half whodunnit and half magical thriller, with plenty of explosive magic, hard-nosed wizards, deadly conspiracy and plenty of grotesque monsters and vampires. What's more, Butcher pulls some brilliant plot twists out of his hat, including some that are sure to wrench the heart.

An injured Morgan turns up at Harry's door, hunted by Wardens and convicted of murdering Aleron LaFortier for the Red Court. Even worse, it's an airtight case against him.

But Harry can't bring himself to believe that Morgan could ever do something treacherous (even if Morgan is a big bottom-pain). His investigations take him on an unpleasant tightrope to vampire hangouts and the Council HQ, where he learns that LaFortier's death could -- if left unpunished -- lead to a very messy civil war between the weakened wizard factions. In other words, the Black Council is making a move.

And Harry has problems close to him as well -- a price on Morgan's head, the Binder's ectoplasmic hordes, and a chilling immortal monster of Native American legend called a naagloshii (skinwalker). When the naagloshii kidnaps Thomas and trashes the Raith mansion, Harry must find a way not only of saving his brother and Morgan from certain death -- but unveiling the traitor within the Council as well. Hard to do when everyone is very, very mad at you...

"Turn Coat" is definitely a turning point in the Dresden Files series, where the Black Council becomes a widely-known -- though not widely-acknowledged -- reality, and Butcher is clearly setting up a massive conflict. Relationships are shattered, alliances are strained, personalities are changed, a traitor is revealed and the White Council is more openly threatened by the Black Council. A few people even die.

And Butcher does a pretty brilliant job meshing together fantasy, political thrillers and Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. He fills the story with sharp dark-edged noir prose, fun dialogue ("Mission accomplished, my lord of pizza!"), and some literally explosive action scenes (including a pitched battle on a rainy magical island). But despite the dark, grim cast of the plot, Butcher doesn't forget to add some humor to the mix. Where else can you find a spell that uses Silly String?

What's more, he fleshes out the rather mysterious Council, and shows the motivations and sacrifices that it has been built on, as well as its reasons for being so strict and reclusive. The one problem is that the murderer is a bit obvious, and I expected someone a bit more... important.

Harry proves himself to be the right kind of guy simply by wanting to prove Morgan innocent, and by forging ahead with some really risky magic that even the Gatekeeper blanches at. But his quest for justice takes away some people that he cares about as well, leaving some terrible long-term repercussions for his brother Thomas. And Butcher takes great care to show that while Morgan is annoying and self-righteous, he's also strong and honorable. And once he was more like Harry.

"Turn Coat" also fleshes out the Council considerably, showing them more as real people -- the Merlin eats sandwiches, Mai is revoltingly rigid, and there are even bureaucromancers. And "Injun Joe" shows the incredible range of his power, as well as the sadness of his past. Butcher needs to show a bit more of this awesome old wizard, because he rules.

"Turn Coat" is a brilliant turning point for the Dresden Files series, as well as a painful series of lessons for Jim Butcher's wizard anti-hero. And the battle is hardly over yet.

I have just finished reading the book, I spent most of the day devouring it. As a big fan of the series and Jim Butcher I can say without a doubt I was impressed and this book finally answers nagging questions fans of the series will have. In addition it sets up the next book with a great conflict and more intrigue. I would recommend though that those just getting started with the Dresden Files not make this their first book. So much in this book is dependent on previous books. Once again if you are a fan of great writing I recommend this novel.

After finishing Turn Coat I am convinced that my theory about Jim Butcher being a mutant genius/author should now be confirmed. I have read every book of The Dresden Files as well as the Codex Alera series and have yet to read a bad book written by Butcher. (considering that is a combined total of 16 books id say that's pretty impressive on his part) Turn Coat isn't the greatest book in the series but is still a solid read. Butcher keeps the pressure on throughout the book and doesn't let up until the very end.(very minor spoiler!!) I wasn't too happy that Micheal wasn't in the book or that you're given no information on his current condition other than Harry saying he's crippled. other than that the only real complaint I had is probably something a lot of people enjoyed. The trouble literally starts on page one, and while im sure many people prefer it that way, i always enjoyed seeing a little bit of Harry's normal life before the action started. all in all a very good read and a great addition to the series. highly recommended.

****SPOILER ALERT****

I'm not trying to blow the story for anyone here, but I may drop some hints that will give some things away. This review is a little jagged because I'm filling things in as I think of them.

I'm skipping the story summary since that's been done.

This story starts out fast! Action from page one. It was glorious. By the middle of the book, I was practically in tears at how good this story was. I love the previous books, but I've been waiting for a story like this for awhile. Something with some real meaty revelations about the bigger picture.

It was vintage Harry (like there's any other kind), dealing with most of his surrounding characters we've all become so attached to. There was Molly, Mouse, Morgan, Mister, Murphy (Lotta "M"s here), Thomas, and lots of others.

Jim Butcher is hitting his stride with this series. The books just get better and better.

I was LOVING this story right up until we got to the resolution part.

I was thinking "Wow, finally a breakthrough! This will be major. A big player in the Black Council was going to be dealt with. Most of the major players were there, so it was finally time. Alas, it wasn't to be. It was like bracing yourself for an explosion and only getting a *pop*. It was a big letdown, especially since the suspense was building so well with the rest of the story.

My only other point of contention was with how Luccio was handled. That whole thing had a nasty deus ex machina smell to it. I should be happy that it wasn't all a dream sequence, I guess, but it wasn't that far from it. I understand why it was done. We couldn't have Harry in a happy relationship yet, it just isn't him. It's the "how" that was annoying.

Honestly, though, even the letdowns aren't as bad as they could have been because the rest of the book was completely awesome. Action, touching moments, etc. It's all there in spades.

The door has been opened for lots more political intrigue with the Council (yawn) and some of Harry's relationships are back to square one, so not many doors were really closed and more were opened.

Breaking it down, I'd give this book 5-stars for three quarters of it and probably a 3-star for the ending. That'll make it a four.

The first week of April is no longer just the time of year to look forward to silly pranks. Now it's the time of year to look forward to our annual check-in with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden.

I've said before that I believe Butcher's series about Chicago-based wizard Harry Dresden to be the best on-going fantasy series on the market today. I've even gone out on a limb and said that I think the series is better than a certain other best-selling series about a wizard named Harry.

And with the latest entry, "Turn Coat," Butcher once again reinforces those assumptions.

When his old nemesis, Morgan turns up on his doorstep, wounded and fleeing the Wizard's Council, Harry Dresden is caught in a dilemma. Morgan is wanted for a murder he insists he didn't commit and is asking Harry for his help. Morgan is clearly counting on the fact that Harry will know the horrors of being wrongly accused of a crime and assist him. Morgan is right and before long Harry finds himself drawn into a web of conspiracy at the heart of the Wizard's Council and battling a shape-shifting monster with supernatural powers far beyond anything he's encountered before.

In short, it's just another day at the office for wizard and Warden Harry Dresden.

"Turn Coat" is the Dresden Files at their very best. It's got equal portions of character development, expansion of the universe and hints about the overall plot arc that has bubbled under the surface since our first meeting with Dresden back in "Storm Front." Butcher's strength is that he's able to take all the recurring storylines and keep them firmly in the reader's mind without bogging the story down in huge passages of info-dumps. The cues and call backs to previous novels are done well enough that new readers will be able to follow the storyline (though I don't recommend you start here if you've not read the series before. Start at the beginning and savor the journey) while long-time readers will be given a richer and deeper understanding of Dresden and his universe.

All that and I defy you to read put this book down in the last 100 pages. The final fourth of the novel, when events all culminate is some of the most entertaining I've read all year. There are a number of fascinating revelations in the final quarter of this book--not just about the central mystery, but also about some long-term storyline events.

It all leads up to one thing--one of the most satisfying Dresden Files novels yet. And a huge empty feeling as I realize I will have to wait until next April for the next installment...

Turn Coat is the eleventh volume of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, supernatural adventures featuring Chicago-based wizard and private investigator, Harry Dresden. With any long running series such as this, it would be a rare reader, indeed, who would choose to start reading it so far in, with so much back-story to get through, so the question becomes: will this book satisfy the series' fans? Does it push all the right buttons, and continue Harry's adventures in an enjoyable and interesting way? Well, the answer has to be an unqualified `Yes,' although that's not to say that readers won't have individual criticisms with some aspects of the novel.

After last year's Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10), which culminated in a climactic battle with the Knights of the Blackened Denarius, and the crippling of Harry's friend and Knight of the Cross, Michael Carpenter, Turn Coat re-enters Harry's life a few months later, and the tone turns even darker, if that were possible, with the arrival on his doorstep of Morgan, the warden and wizard who despises and distrusts Harry above all, wounded, accused of murdering a senior member of the White Council of wizards, and begging his aid. If Harry helps Morgan, a man he detests, and is caught, he will face execution with him, but if he refuses, an innocent man will die and the true assassin escape, leaving a traitor at the heart of the Council.

Of course, Harry cannot abandon Morgan, and soon he is facing bounty hunters from the Never-Never, encountering White Court vampires, and being pursued by a Skinwalker, a next-to-immortal, shape-shifting nightmare from Navaho legend, all while being unable to trust the wizards of the council who should be his allies. He doesn't face these trials alone, though, as numerous friends and allies from previous books are on hand to offer support: Harry's vampire half-brother, Thomas, stands with him, and suffers for it; Molly Carpenter, his apprentice, gets a chance to prove her metal; even Billy and Georgia, the werewolves, and Toot-Toot and the other little folk of the Za-Lord's guard battle with him on the side of right, at the end.

As ever, Harry is a witty and wry hero, always ready with a quip and a pop culture reference with which to spit his defiance into the teeth of the most powerful and intractable of enemies, while also growing progressively more wizardly as he ages and matures. Butcher's writing skills are as good as ever, and he's at his best in the action scenes, banter between Harry and his friends (and enemies), and descriptions of his use of magic. Fans will be pleased that we finally get to see inside the White Council's headquarters, in tunnels under Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, and that we find out more about the mysterious island in Lake Michigan which made its appearance in Small Favor (although there's clearly more to come there), and frustrated, although perhaps not surprised, that there are no more revelations about why Queen Mab of the Sidhe has been behaving so strangely, or what the Archangel Uriel has planned for Harry's future.

If I have any gripes, it's that some characters get relegated to the sidelines: Karin Murphy of the Chicago PD, though as redoubtable as ever, seems to have less to do this time around, and Bob the Skull hardly appears at all, but then when dealing with such weight of series history, it's perhaps inevitable that some old favourites won't always get as much space in the story. All I can do is hope that next time around they get to play a larger role, and that there are more revelations to come, as the pursuit of the Black Council continues. I'll certainly be putting in a pre-order for Dresden 12, as soon as it's possible to do so, and eagerly awaiting the continuation of his adventures.

I have to say this book was aptly named. Not only was there the surface level situations going on in this book (finding the traitor amongst the White Council) but there was so much going on behind the scenes as well. This book has decidedly changed a lot of things for our favorite gumshoe, and it's not going to be an easy ride, but it'll be fun! As a reader I can always count on a solid story that keeps my eyes to the pages and on nothing else until it's finished. Mr. Butcher does not disappoint and I am looking forward to more installments in this series. I don't want to give anything away, other than this isn't a book you want to pass up and there are surprises galore (Listens-to-Wind, anyone? Wow!) and heartaches, passion, anger, rage, courage, humor, and so much more. At half way through the book I was just as stressed as some of the characters! For surely there wasn't more to this story even though it still had a good two hundred pages left. But I was very wrong. The only complaint that I would have- and it's not really a complaint- is that the traitor is obvious. But I tend to think that if a person reads a lot of mysteries (like I do) than you know what signs to look for. Otherwise, the traitor will come as a complete surprise. And, even though I figured it out fairly early, in NO way did it detract from the book or the overall story telling. It was really just the tip of the iceburg for this action packed narrative.
I strongly recommend anyone to add this to their personal collection. It's too good to miss! But then again, if you're on book 11, you're already hooked.

Butcher does everything right in this novel. The scary stuff is actually scary. The moral dilemmas aren't easy or clear cut. You don't like all the characters, but how Harry Dresden interacts with them is wonderful.

I wish I could read more books like this one. An intelligent plot, lots of action, and triumph and failures of good people. This one is worth the money folks.

Don't forget action packed. It's full of memorable fight scenes. Amazing cover, great format, fun, fast-paced, and the toughest of the Dresden Files to read (I'm 15. I am surprised at how hard the last 4 are, considering the ones before them were a bit hard but not too tough).
Dresden has finally matured a bit, so some fans might be put off by the lack of dry humor. Don't worry, it's there, but in parts.
The whole book leads up to an unexpected twist. Which I didn't see coming even a bit.
This is true literature, folks. Action, complexity, entertainment, and an amazing character facing a bizarre case. One word. WOW.