Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Jun. 24th, 2008 05:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meganbmooreI’m a little behind most I know in reading the latest Dresden Files. This is strange, as Butcher is typically an author who I read as soon as I get his latest book, but I just wasn’t in the mood. The plot is fairly common for Dresden Files: the Winter Court wants something from him and is calling in his debt, the Summer Court (which is normally more inclined to like him) is sending assassins after him, his sometimes-ally/sometimes-enemy, Marcone, has gone missing, and The Fallen are hovering around and causing mischief. And explaining any of that is spoilery for this book, and most of the ones that came before.
The book was good, but, as has been mentioned before, a lot of it feels like Butcher was wrapping up plot points (including a couple we’ve been tapping our feet over for a while now) creating new players, getting rid of old ones, and essentialy arranging the board for stage two. I also have to wonder if Butcher is paying more attention to Codex Alera right now than to Dresden Files. I’m very fond of Codex Alera, but I don’t want him to be worrying about it when he’s writing Dresden Files.
The book was good, but, as has been mentioned before, a lot of it feels like Butcher was wrapping up plot points (including a couple we’ve been tapping our feet over for a while now) creating new players, getting rid of old ones, and essentialy arranging the board for stage two. I also have to wonder if Butcher is paying more attention to Codex Alera right now than to Dresden Files. I’m very fond of Codex Alera, but I don’t want him to be worrying about it when he’s writing Dresden Files.
A few spoilery and quasi-spoilery mumblings:
1. Murphy finally has Fidelmacchus(I am not looking it up to make sure I spelled it correctly) and Michael got hurt because of Harry. The first is approved of. The second not so much, but it was inevitable. I’m amazed Charity reacted so well, and wondering how (if) this will affect Molly’s apprenticeship. I’m also amused that Harry now finds himself stuck finding the owner of another Holy Sword.
2. What was with all the “we did this, but it was very very manly and not girly at all and we’re just guys” stuff. Did Butcher finally learn he has slash fans or something?
3. The Dresden/Luccio hookup kind of boggles my mind. It’s just so…random. I have to wonder if the publisher told Butcher to have Dresden get laid or something. Also, I like Luccio a lot and Harry is one of my favorite fictional characters, but she is slumming. Also, while I can go with the commanding officer/subordinate thing under certain circumstances, it gets really dodgy when it’s the commander who makes all the moves. The end of the book also reminds me concerningly of when Harry hooked up with Susan, and we all know how that went. Butcher, please do not be doing awful things to Luccio just to give Harry more angst. Harry already has enough angst to satisfy the most demanding of fans!
4. For reasons discussed here, Ivy and Kincaid have almost become my favorite thing about this series and I wish to have much, much more. Though I have to say, that last scene where he was all Daddy and fell asleep beside her? On the one hand, cutest thing ever. On the other, he took the safety off his gun. All I could think was “but what if she forgets he isn’t a teddy bear and accidentally whacks it in her sleep?” It also reminded me of a page from an early issue of Nomad that’s actually one of my favorite comic book pages ever.
1. Murphy finally has Fidelmacchus(I am not looking it up to make sure I spelled it correctly) and Michael got hurt because of Harry. The first is approved of. The second not so much, but it was inevitable. I’m amazed Charity reacted so well, and wondering how (if) this will affect Molly’s apprenticeship. I’m also amused that Harry now finds himself stuck finding the owner of another Holy Sword.
2. What was with all the “we did this, but it was very very manly and not girly at all and we’re just guys” stuff. Did Butcher finally learn he has slash fans or something?
3. The Dresden/Luccio hookup kind of boggles my mind. It’s just so…random. I have to wonder if the publisher told Butcher to have Dresden get laid or something. Also, I like Luccio a lot and Harry is one of my favorite fictional characters, but she is slumming. Also, while I can go with the commanding officer/subordinate thing under certain circumstances, it gets really dodgy when it’s the commander who makes all the moves. The end of the book also reminds me concerningly of when Harry hooked up with Susan, and we all know how that went. Butcher, please do not be doing awful things to Luccio just to give Harry more angst. Harry already has enough angst to satisfy the most demanding of fans!
4. For reasons discussed here, Ivy and Kincaid have almost become my favorite thing about this series and I wish to have much, much more. Though I have to say, that last scene where he was all Daddy and fell asleep beside her? On the one hand, cutest thing ever. On the other, he took the safety off his gun. All I could think was “but what if she forgets he isn’t a teddy bear and accidentally whacks it in her sleep?” It also reminded me of a page from an early issue of Nomad that’s actually one of my favorite comic book pages ever.