Review - Good Omens - Pratchett and Gaiman

Title: Good Omens
Authors: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

There are certain books which must be read.

Well, of course, all books must be read.  That is, if you are going to get the contents of the book into your head, reading must be done.  But that's not what I mean.

What I mean is, if you are a fan of a certain genre of book, there is a set of books which forms the "working vocabulary" of that genre's fans, and there is an expectation among those fans that other fans will have read those books.

For instance, if you say you are a fan of epic fantasy, then surely you have read Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings.

And if you are a fan of hard science fiction -- at least if you grew up in the sixties and seventies -- you will have read most if not all of the core Asimov books - the Foundation Trilogy and at least I, Robot, as well as probably Herbert's Dune.

And, when it comes to comic sci-fi (yes, that's a subgenre, and yes, "comic" means "funny" in this instance) everyone expects you will have read Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Well, shoot, I've read all those.  What I had not realized is that there is another book which needs to be included on the list with Hitchhiker's is Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.

Neil Gaiman is an amazingly prolific writer (not Stephen King prolific, I suppose, but close) who has a well-deserved following; much of what he writes is spooky, but not all of it, and no matter what he writes, it's well received.  He's a Big Deal. [1]  Terry Pratchett is revered as the prolific counterpart to Adams in comic sci-fi (who was not all that prolific, when it comes right down to it) and is also a Big Deal. [2]

Well, before they were Big Deals, these two creative geniuses got together and wrote a book.   Apparently, this book is now a :cult classic."  Why I had never heard of it before I happened to pick it up and said "I've always meant to read some Pratchett, and here he is with Gaiman, who is spooky, but clever, so I should buy this," I'll never know.  I think the reason has to do with the "cult."  I'm not much of a "cult" guy.  Meet me, and you don't think "cult."  It might be about the last thing you think when you meet me.  So, apparently, those cultists who worship Good Omens: ... just never mentioned it to me.

So here I am, in my advancing years, picking up this book a good 25 years after it was first published.

And enjoying the Hell out of it!  (You think I just swore, don't you?  And if you know me, you're thinking "Steve!  You don't swear!  What's going on?  Is it that 'cult?'  Do we need an intervention?")

The story in Good Omens: ... presupposes that Heaven and Hell have been at war since Creation, which really was only just over 6000 years ago, and that, as predicted by many a churchman over the years, as well as one extremely prescient witch (the Agnes Nutter mentioned in the full title,) the whole thing is going to come to a head in the years after the Anti-Christ is born.

The novel introduces us to a whole cast of Dramatis Personae who are involved in the End Times, including a pair of buddies from opposite sides of the Ultimate Battle - an angel named Aziraphale and a demon named Crowley.  They've each been doing their appointed Thing for their Side for six thousand years, but they also have formed a bit of a relationship.  Sound funny?  It is funny!  Britishly funny, though.  Dry, clever, understated, even when very overstated things are happening.  And yet, it has the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, depicted as never before.  And while they, themselves, are in no way funny, the way they are brought into the present [3] is spot on!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.  It's so funny.  It's thought-provoking in the nicest possible way.   It almost treats the whole Heaven/Hell/Good/Evil thing respectfully, but not completely.  And yet, it's never offensive. [4]  It's fun! 

I think Christians who have read Lewis's The Screwtape Letters really ought to read this, too.  And I think non-Christians who think they have a handle on how this whole God/Devil/Heaven/Hell thing can't be real, and doesn't have anything to say to my life really ought to read this.  It will not convert you.  I promise.  But maybe, just maybe, whichever you are, you will learn what "ineffable" means, and you will laugh while you learn it. [5]

=====

[1] And he's fun to follow on Twitter.  Seriously.  (Well, he's not serious very much of the time, but then sometimes he is, and he's always interesting.)  And he lives in Minnesota.  Which is unusual for an Englishman.
[2] Sadly, Pratchett died in March 2015, but his impact on sci-fi ensures he remains a Big Deal, and will be so for as long as people are reading the subgenre, which is likely to be a very long time, indeed.
[3] Well, not the present of 2015 -- the present of 1990.  It works.  It really works.
[4] OK, it wasn't offensive to me.  I realize that I offend much less easily than some people.  So, if you are easily offended, especially where it comes to religion, be warned.  It might offend you.  But if it does, just remember a couple of things:  it's fiction and it's satire, of a sort.
[5] And that might have sounded like I was swearing, too.  But I was not.  Ineffable.  It's a word.  Look it up.  And then read this book.

Review - Hydrogen Sonata - Iain M Banks

Title: The Hydrogen Sonata
Author: Iain M. Banks

I picked this book up when I was in Dragonfly Books, in Decorah, Iowa, because it's an independent bookstore owned by a classmate of mine, and I can't think of three better reasons to buy a book.

You did count to three, right?  1) Independent Bookstore.  2) Classmate.  3) I was in a book store.

OK, now that we have the justification for the purchase settled, I suppose I should review this thing.

Hah!  That would be something!  How in the world to summarize the plot of this story, so I can tell you a bit about it?  Hmmmm....

In the far, far future, the many civilizations in the universe have discovered that there is something outside our normal four dimensions.  That "something" is called the Sublime.  When a race reaches a point where there doesn't seem to be any more it can do in Reality (three dimensions plus time) the race can decide to go, en mass, into the Sublime.  Individual biological beings can't seem to do it themselves, so whole races need to go, at once.  (Spaceships, which are AIs of significant substance, can sometimes do it -- and some have.)

Well, early on in The Hydrogen Sonata, we find that a race is very close to their Subliming day, but something strange happens, and this strange thing might threaten that Very Significant Event.  Several characters get involved in the intrigue, and as they do, we are presented with an amazing future where science has allowed for enhancements to people which I would never have imagined.

The story starts out confusing, as author Iain M Banks plops us down into many threads, as if we were already familiar with his concepts, but then slowly ties the threads together, while teaching us his world. The resulting exposition is fascinating, as subsequent chapters make you reevaluate what you thought you knew from the preceding ones.  

The story is complex, and at times both amusing and thrilling.  In the end, though, I am not sure the story is what I'll be left remembering.  Because -- and don't let this scare you -- ultimately I think it's the philosophy of the book which left the deepest impression on me.   I can't really describe it without spoiling some of the story, so I won't try. 

It's been a long, long time since I read a book and wished it had been part of a college class or book club, so that I would have the chance to discuss the book with others who had just read it.  This is that kind of book.

So, it's sci-fi.  If you can't handle that, stay away.  But if you can, and you like a novel that makes you think, and challenges your sense of propriety at times, this is a good read.  I want to read more of Banks's books now.

Review - Captain's Fury - Jim Butcher

Title: Captain's Fury
Author: Jim Butcher

While I said, in the review of the third book in the "Codex Alera" series, that it was the best of the lot so far, you should in no way take that to mean that this, the fourth book, is to be ignored.  Oh, no.  Keep reading.  This is still plenty good!

Book four gives Amara a very difficult task, and Butcher's writing keeps you hanging on every part of her journey.  And she's not even the key figure in the story!

Again, that position belongs to Tavi, who is now in charge of a Legion of soldiers.  While he has been successful, others are jealous, and they intend to use their positions and their Furyborn power to take what they can.  Meanwhile, as always, Tavi has seen the next threat to the Empire, and must seek to neutralize it.

By the time you read book four, you will have seen the heroes make tactical alliances with "bad guys" already, and this theme continues.  And, by this time, you will probably be impressed with the ways the author can find of putting his heroes in seemingly hopeless situations, only to have them emerge, if not victories, at least alive, if somewhat damaged.

The only "negative" I can write about this book is that the ending did not drive me to pick up the next book immediately.  Books two and three almost demanded me to start the next story -- not because the story was incomplete, but because I simply had to see what would happen next.  I have not yet read book five simply because Butcher "let me off the hook" with the end of this novel.  Oh, I'll go back.  I have to.  At this point, it seems to me that Butcher has a plan, and there might actually be an ending to this books-long story.  I want to see what that end is.  I think you will, too.

Review - Cursor's Fury - Jim Butcher

Title: Cursor's Fury
Author: Jim Butcher


Book 3 of the "Codex Alera" by Jim Butcher finds our hero, Tavi, grown into a young man who has been given a very special job -- that of Cursor.

We encountered the concept of a Cursor back in book one, and learned more in book two, and it's pretty clear by this point that a Cursor is a "secret agent" of sorts.  This allows for a very interesting story, as Tavi takes on a secret identity in order to carry out his mission.

Now, much as in the first book and the second, while the main storyline centers on Tavi, the other major characters we've followed continue to have their own parts to play.  Amara, in particular, takes on a very key role in this book, and her relationships become very critical to the story.  I truly appreciate the skill Butcher has in creating multiple threads, keeping the reader learning new things,  while hiding information from the characters.

At the same time, while the characters and the intrigue are impressive, the attention to war craft -- the Aleran armies are very similar to ancient Roman armies in their techniques and structure -- sets this series apart from many other fantasy stories I've read.

By this point, the series is really rolling, and I have become quite involved with the characters, and pleased by the writing.  I'll continue.  If you read books one and two, you should, also.  This book is excellent.  I've read the first four by now, and I think this might be the best of the lot so far.

Review - Academ's Fury - Jim Butcher

Title: Academ's Fury
Author: Jim Butcher

This is Book 2 in Jim Butcher's "Codex Alera" -- a series begun with Furies of Calderon.  (I suggest you read the first two paragraphs of my review of that book to get the fantasy context.)

Most of the primary characters from book 1 return for this installment, and in particular, the young boy, Tavi, begins to take center stage.  Tavi has been brought to the school in the capital of the Aleran realm, and is being taught in the same manner as the rest of the Aleran children, but because he has no Furycrafting, and most of the students are relatively highborn and thus have Furies of their own, he struggles.

Still, he has made some friends, and he has a special work assignment as a messenger for the First Lord, so while his life is busy, it is interesting.

Before we get very deep into the novel, it becomes even more dangerous than it is interesting, and Tavi is forced to improvise as he helps implement a political cover-up, while also attempting to solve a mystery, as a strange attack on the empire seems to appear out of nowhere.

This installment is even more intriguing than the first, as Butcher continues to fill out his world with new characters, and with a deeper understanding of the nature of Fury-based power/magic.  Do not read this book until you have read the first, but if you liked the first, you will definitely enjoy the second.

Review - Skin Game - Jim Butcher - Dresden Files

Title: Skin Game
Author: Jim Butcher

Would you be surprised if I told you I didn't like a "Dresden Files" novel?

Well, you should be!  Because it ain't happening!  If someone tells you that, they are pulling your leg.  It just hasn't happened.  And it didn't with Skin Game, Jim Butcher's latest.

In fact, just the opposite.

Listen, have you ever been reading a novel and suddenly you find yourself wanting to cheer?  I mean, really, opening up your mouth, pumping your first, and yelling "YES!"

I happened to me in Skin Game.

Four times!

I know a friend who, well, let me quote him "finds Dresden's constant self-flagellation a little tiring."

Jon, I know what you mean.  I really do.  But as I said in my comment back, every hero needs to have a flaw or two, and Harry Dresden beats himself up over bad things that happen.  I can assure you, he grows as the novels progress, but I also can tell you he slips back into the pattern sometimes.

And in this novel?  Man!  Well, there's this scene between Harry and an old friend.  And his friends, be assured, have noticed the same thing.  And this particular friend is just not going to let Harry get away with it.  Anyway, I hope I haven't already said too much.  Cheer number one is not related to magic, or action -- it's related to friendship and personal growth and Butcher being aware of how readers might react to the flaws which make Harry who he is.  It's priceless.

Anyway, like every Dresden novel, bad things will happen unless Harry faces an impossible situation and finds a way out of it.  What makes this novel a particularly interesting episode is that it's essentially a "caper" in which Harry has to become part of a team to pull off a heist.  That's not even close to the best part of the impossible mission, but I will not spoil this for you.

I had to buy this book on my Nook so I could carry it easily on my extensive travels this fall.  I'm certainly glad I did.  But despite the fact that I have borrowed every book in the series to this point, and that I own an electronic copy of this installment, I am soon going to have to buy (or receive as gifts) every Dresden Files novel -- so that I can loan them out.  Really.  These are good.  They are fast reads, and they have a life of their own.  I can't wait for the next one.

But I have to!

Review - Furies of Calderon - Jim Butcher

Title: Furies of Calderon
Author: Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher, author of the highly imaginative "Dresden Files" books, has created a fantasy world with a novel system of magic.  In this world, all humans have some level of magical ability -- well, all but one human, a teenage boy named Tavi.  People, in their adolescent years, find a fury (or more than one) which is an elemental being which binds itself to the person for life, and responds to the person's wishes by allowing the person to perform actions according to the ability of the fury.  For example, an air fury can help a person by controlling air and wind, even to the point that the strongest Air Furycrafters can fly.

Now, many people don't have much power with their fury, but everyone has some -- except, as I said, for Tavi.  And so, of course, as fantasy hero stories go, Tavi is our hero.

But as Butcher tells the story, Tavi is only one of several major characters.  We get to know some of the villains from their viewpoint, and we get to know several other heroes, as the world of the humans comes in conflict with the neighboring civilization, the Marat, who, while human-like in some respects, are definitely not human, and who have a history of war with the people of the human empire.

Yet, as with many empires, there are people who want power for themselves, and they prove to be as dangerous as any outside force.

Like the Dresden novels, the pace of Furies of Calderon is fast.  Our "good guys" (once we figure out who they are) do not have time to stop and plan, let alone get any rest.  Danger and death are a part of the story, even in a land where Water Furycrafters can perform amazing healing magic.

As the first story in what is clearly meant to be an epic, this is a good start.  The characters involved are fleshed out.  There are clearly secrets to be unraveled over time, and only a spare few of them are revealed in this first book.  Yet we don't feel cheated, because the world is well designed, the story is entertaining, and the narration pulls us in.

I like it.  I'm going to keep going.

Review - My Family and Other Hazards - June Melby

Title: My Family and Other Hazards
Author: June Melby

There are so many ways to start this review.  But there's only one way to end it, so I'll start there:

[End of Review]

Whether you know June Melby or not, you will feel as if you do, by the time you finish My Family and Other Hazards, her memoir describing the summers her family spent running a mini-golf course.  Whether you're willing to admit that your attitudes towards your parents and their mores might have been immature and needed reexamination as you grew up, you will see that June is more than willing to express herself as she admits it, and you find yourself doing that reexamination alongside her as she shares her lifelong process of revelation and appreciation.  This book is filled with stories, humor, appreciation, and ultimately a familial love that you will either recognize or long for -- or perhaps both.

---

And now, let me start the review.

I met June Melby, the author of My Family and Other Hazards, when she was an underclassman in High School, and I was an upperclassman.  We were both interested in drama, so we became cast members and mime troupe cohorts (yes, I was a mime for a while -- yet another thing most of you never knew about me.)  Ultimately, she joined our Dungeons and Dragons group, in which I was either the leader of the party, or the Dungeon Master.  And, importantly, she was the daughter of my high school Chemistry and Physics teacher -- which mattered to me almost none at all, because being the child of a teacher, myself, I knew that children are not their parents, and they don't go tattling to their parents/teacher about every little strangeness their friends/students might have.

Yet, once June left Decorah for college, we rarely saw one another, and until she started performing in Los Angeles and started her own blog (long before anyone was trying to make a living blogging, or, truthfully, before people called it "blogging") I had very little idea what she was up to.

I say all this as a preface, because I want you to understand that when I read June's memoir, I already knew that she spent her summers at a Tom Thumb mini-golf course.  I knew, because, from a friend's viewpoint, it was quite inconvenient.  It took June away from us for the crucial months when the group of us could gather regularly for gaming or movies or just walking around our hometown laughing too loudly, concocting inane ideas which seemed to matter so much, but which ultimately became inside jokes, and in general, just being a group of teenagers.  And June was not able to be part of those summers.  Instead, she was with her family, at the Tom Thumb, somewhere in the wilds of Wisconsin.

Little did I understand what was happening at the Tom Thumb.  Now I know:  It was forming the basis for the very interesting life story of a very funny, very engaging, very personal author.

And I really don't think I'm saying this just because I know June.  Because when I read the book, very little of what was written were stories I had heard from her.  I think that's because -- and it's clear as you read the book -- while she certainly remembers the stories of her teenage years, and she remembers how she felt and reacted as a teenager -- she didn't realize at the time how much those years with her family were affecting her.  In particular, it's clear that the adult June knows that the teenage June didn't understand or appreciate the role her parents were taking in shaping her, even as she rebelled against (in her subdued Midwest way) and questioned so many of their ways.

As she tells the stories, you can imagine sitting in a coffee shop with her, listening to the narrative of her experiences, and being drawn along as she learns more about life, love, and her parents.  And you can imagine enjoying every minute.

And now -- get ready branch to the ending and read it again.  My long-time friend, with whom I lost touch a bit over the years,  but who now lives back in our hometown, has written a book.  She spent her summers doing something most of us cannot imagine, and she wrote a very well-crafted book telling the story of how running a mini-golf course with her family affected her life.  If this description makes the book sound like something you would enjoy, you're right.  If it does not, well, sorry, you're wrong.  You will be pleasantly surprised.

Now - GOTO [End of Review]

Review - Cold Days - Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

Title: Cold Days
Author: Jim Butcher

Do you know why a good book series is so captivating?  Read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books from the beginning, and you'll find out.

Start with Storm Front, and before too long, you will be caught.[1]   You will want to read the next book, as soon as you can.  You will get lost in the stories.  You will get frightened, you will laugh, you will cry, you will be upset by the things that happen to the characters you get to know, you will be amazed, amused and impressed.  You will never be disappointed, and you will never want to stop.

And why?  Why does this happen?

Because Jim Butcher creates characters who have life.  Certainly, Harry Dresden soon becomes a person you feel you know, as you follow his story through his own words throughout the novels.  But it doesn't even come close to stopping there.  Like all people with a life, Harry has people in that life.  And those people, necessarily appear in Harry's story because, just like your best friends are there for you when you need them, Harry's friends are, for him.  And, just like your friends, Harry's friends have lives of their own.   Your friends grow and change and do great stuff and stupid stuff and it affects them, and by affecting them it affects you.  And the same happens with Harry and his friends.

Look, from a fantastic fiction viewpoint, Jim Butcher has created a mythos which is remarkable.  His world of magic and horror, sitting believably right within our normal world, fits together so well, you'd think he was around back when all these myths about vampires and faerie were created -- or rather, when we normal mortals first encountered them and decided they must be myths.  Seriously, the skill and imagination it took to work holy swords and Norse gods and Native American monsters into one mystical whole -- it's amazing.

But that's not what makes you want the next book so badly.

It's these characters, and the changes they undergo.  It's how they handle the trials put before them; how they are damaged; how they persevere.  It's seeing changes happen, and knowing that the characters can never go back to the way they were in the "good old days" of previous books, because, after all, change happens and we just have to move on.

In Cold Days, Harry Dresden undergoes more change.  It's a given.  It happens in every novel. People change as life moves on.  It happens.  We're never exactly the same people we once were, because life happens, and we change.  And in Harry's case, while we can't imagine the change before we start reading, it makes perfect sense as the story unfolds.  And at the same time, as Harry's latest, most critical adventure takes place, the people and beings around him are also changed - forever.

I have told you basically nothing about the plot of this book.  That's intentional.  If you haven't read any Dresden books, very little I said would mean much.  And if you have read them, but haven't reached this point yet, I am not about to spoil things for you.

What I'm saying is if you haven't read them yet, but you like great characters and an author who knows how to handle them, and if you can stomach some horror, you should get a copy of the first novel and start reading.

And if you've started reading the Dresden Files but haven't gotten to Cold Days yet, well, wow.  I envy you!  Keep reading!  It's so worth it!

===================

[1] I bet, by the time you make it through Summer Knight (book four) you will realize you are into something special.   It happened for me with book three, Grave Peril.

Review - Ghost Story - Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

Title: Ghost Story

Author: Jim Butcher

In telling the stories of Harry Dresden, professional wizard, author Jim Butcher has had the chance to deal extensively with many different types of supernatural creations, weaving a complex and believable mythos.  The series is long, though, so Harry has had a chance to encounter several kinds of supernatural entities many times over.  Yet, really, the only novel which had dealt with ghosts -- one of the quintessential horror elements -- was Grave Peril, way back in book three.  This is novel 13 of the Dresden Files.  It was time for Butcher to give us a deeper examination of the world of ghosts and spirits, and in Ghost Story, he delivers -- Dresden style.

Once again, I am somewhat tied down by my attempts to avoid spoiling things for people who have never read the books, but I can assure you that in this book, as in every preceding installment, Butcher has found a way to advance the continuing story of Harry and his friends, while forcing them to deal with extremely dangerous situations, and allowing us to get an even deeper understanding of how Butcher's world exists beside our own.  Harry faces challenges he has never faced before, not least among them is being forced to accept the transformations his friends have undergone, because of his actions and his relationships with those he loves.

But if that makes Ghost Story sound like a Jodi Picoult novel, you're missing the point: Butcher finds a way to put "real life" into a thrilling supernatural adventure mystery.  And he does it Every Time.  He did it again.

Love these books!

Review - Changes - Dresden Files 12 - Jim Butcher

Title: Changes

Author: Jim Butcher

 

Here where we are: eleven novels had been written Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard.  Throughout those novels, we have seen Harry deal with many dangerous supernatural dangers, from vampires to demons to necromancers to fairies.  As we've watched him, he has met, and we have come to know, many people -- and many non-people -- who have become the relational fabric of his life.  And, as we have walked alongside Harry, a flawed but honorable man, we have become very familiar with his surroundings, his moral code, his intense desire to remain his own man, and, yes, his apartment and his car.

Well, now the twelfth book in the series appears.  The title alone, Changes, tells us to expect something new.  And in the first paragraph, things change.  And then, throughout the remainder of the book, they keep changing.

 

As the changes occur, the danger grows, and Harry has to reach out to his friends; in fact, to almost every friend he has ever had, and even some enemies.  You know, because "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."  In the first Dresden book, Harry had no family and has precious few friends, but by book twelve, he has learned a bit more about his past and he has developed relationships which bind him to others in ways both normal supernatural.  

 

Meanwhile, the dangerous political intrigue between groups of Wizards, Vampires, Fairies and others has been building the background, and now, just when Harry doesn't need the distraction, just when Harry has to find a way to help a helpless little girl, these global dangers insert themselves into his life again, forcing Harry to decide between the needs of the many, and the needs of the few, or the one.  It's a common theme in heroic stories, I realize, but it feels fresh and new and terribly personal as we follow the path Harry Dresden is forced to take.

I have stopped speculating whether each of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books could be read in a stand-alone form and enjoyed.  I suspect that each of them could, but at this point it just doesn't matter.  No, wait, it does!  Why?  Because if you have never read a Dresden novel, and you think this one sounds fun, you should not read it!  Why?  Because so much of the fun, so much of the emotion, so much of the tension in this book has been building through the previous eleven installments, that you simply do not want to deprive yourself of the huge payoff this book brings.

This book is a book for the lovers of the Dresden Files.  I clearly count myself among them.  Bravo, Mr. Butcher.  Bravo!

Reading Rainbow Kickstarter - Video

You have to have heard about this.  If not, you have to hear about this.

I am looking forward to having Reading Rainbow for my grandchildren, just as we had it for my children.

Bring Reading Rainbow’s unlimited library of interactive books and video field trips to kids everywhere & help classrooms most in need!



The Kickstarter link

P.S.  Like Star Trek?  Stay to the Very End of the video.

Review - Turn Coat - Dresden Files 11 - Jim Butcher

Title: Turn Coat

Author: Jim Butcher

As the eleventh book of the Dresden Files begins, our favorite wizard detective, Harry Dresden, comes face-to-face with something he has been suspecting for several installments now -- there is treachery in the White Council.  And if the most powerful wizards in the world are not safe, then neither are Harry, the people he cares for, or for that matter, all of humanity.

A master of the thriller, Jim Butcher again puts his hero, Chicago's only professional wizard, into the middle of tremendous danger which flows like a swollen river, so fast we believe Harry Dresden might drown.  In fact, with the return of the TV series "24" for its ninth season, it occurs to me that Turn Coat, like many of the Dresden Files, is often driven by imminent danger and a fast-approaching deadline -- accent on the "dead."

Many supporting characters who have surrounded Dresden in past books are called upon again, in each case critical to the story Butcher is telling, in many cases developing as characters in their own rights. I was very happy to see Toot-toot!

Harry Dresden always seems to be faced with the choice between doing what he knows is right, which will almost undoubtedly mean his death, or doing what is expedient.  Harry is a flawed hero, but he's definitely a hero.  And it's constantly entertaining to see how the story plays out, and the prices which are exacted for doing the Right Thing.

Review - Starhawk by Jack McDevitt

Title: Starhawk
Author: Jack McDevitt

Space exploration in the late twenty-first century is dangerous, as imagined by Jack McDevitt in his "Hutch" (or Academy) novels.  But, much as it was in the late twentieth, it has become commonplace enough that the general public takes its safety for granted, and politicians attack it for its use of resources, which could be better spent on "real life" issues.

Good science fiction projects from our current time, from our current circumstances, and examines how we will react, personally and as a species, if things change. 

In McDevitt's Hutch novels, a couple of big things have happened to the human race since our time:

1. Faster than light travel exists -- though it is not nearly so convenient as our movies would portray it.
2. Our exploration of space has proven that we are not alone, but that life of any sort is much rarer than we hoped, and intelligent life is much rarer than that.

This is the backdrop for all of the Hutch novels.  The last one I read, and reviewed, was Cauldron.  I thought it was probably going to be the last in the series in which Priscilla Hutchins (aka "Hutch") was a central character.  Then late last year I learned that Starhawk was on its way.  I put it on my Christmas list and (thanks Dad and Mom!) received it.

I didn't quite know how this series would continue, and I am still wondering, because McDevitt decided to go back and do a prequel!  When we read the very first Hutch novel, Priscilla Hutchins was already an established captain of interstellar ships.  So, naturally, she had a back story.  But in the series of six novels, we never really learned about her past.  So Starhawk allows us to get to know Priscilla just as she's starting her career.

As I said, good sci-fi posits some changes, but then it often takes the reality of human existence and lets it flow around these changes -- like a stream of water which encounters rocks, but always incorporates them into the inevitable flow down hill.

So, as I mentioned above, there is politics.  There is science.  There are corporations.  There are people  concerned about what politicians, scientists and corporations are doing.  There are different ways of approaching problems, based on different kinds of people and their differing goals.  All of this could be the set up for a soap opera. 

It's not.

This story does a great job of showing us how Priscilla Hutchins became the strong captain we had met in the other books, and it tells a moving and very interesting science fiction story along the way.  We meet people we'll hear about (and in some cases interact with) if we read the other stories.  And we get a sense of the wonder, and danger, of exploration.

I think I may go back and read Engines of God again, to decide which of the books is better read first -- the first one starring Hutch, or the one in which she gets the nickname in the firstplace.

Review - Small Favor - Dresden Files 10 - Jim Butcher

Title: Small Favor

Author: Jim Butcher

This is the tenth book in the Dresden Files, and if you have been reading my reviews of this book series, you know I eat them up, with relish.  Small Favor is another wonderful meal.

As usual, we find Chicago's only professional wizard immediately in danger.  He's attacked by some creatures from Faerie who you will recognize from the fairy tales you heard as a child -- but in Jim Butcher's world, they are nastier.  Much nastier.  

Of course, that's hardly an appetizer.  In comparison to the rest of what's on the menu, it's a glass of water.  Soon, Harry finds out the local crime lord is missing, and while this might seem like good news, Harry almost immediately gets told he must find him, and rescue him if possible.  Why would Harry do such a thing?  Well, sometimes you a presented with an offer you can't refuse -- especially if, like Harry Dresden, you have made powerful beings upset.

Before long, Dresden is working with Holy Knights, his best friend in the Chicago police department, and a vampire.  He's not only trying to save the crime lord (if Harry can find him, of course) but also racing the clock to keep the world from being plunged into chaos by some of the oldest evil in Creation.

This is a thrill ride.  The story flows perfectly from all the previous mythology, and adds to it. But we're not focused on that -- we are too caught up in the danger facing Harry and his friends.  We get confused with them, we feel the pain Dresden encounters as he gets attacked again and again.  And as the end approaches, we don't know how it will turn out.  Through all the courses of this fantasy horror meal, Butcher delivers a completely satisfying experience that fills us up, but also makes us look forward to the next meal.

Review - White Knight - Dresden Files 9 - Jim Butcher

Title: White Knight

Author: Jim Butcher

Book 9 in the Dresden Files finds our professional wizard, Harry Dresden, suspected of killing off less powerful members of the magical community.  Of course, from his first-person account of it, we know he is not the culprit, but many of those in his magical community resist his help because, really, this guy is dangerous, and an outcast.  Tall, dark and hermit-like -- that sounds like a killer, right?

Again building within the milieu he started way back in Storm Front, author Jim Butcher weaves together several ongoing plotlines with this excellent new mystery.  He brings back several characters from previous adventures, and forces Dresden to deal with the consequences of his actions.

One of the hallmarks of good thriller writing is to place your hero into seemingly impossible situations, and then have him emerge in ways which seem completely plausible, given the world in which he lives.  Butcher does that in this book -- in spades!  Fast-paced, but also introspective, White Knight is a fine addition to the series.  It might not be The Best installment, but that's like saying Filet Mignon is not The Best steak.  It's still plenty good, and I would not turn it down.  If you liked previous Dresden novels, you will like this.  And, you will need to read it.  Important Stuff Happens.

'Nuff said.

Review - Proven Guilty - Dresden Files 8 - Jim Butcher

Title: Proven Guilty

Author: Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is a professional wizard.  By the eighth book in the series, we’ve gotten to know him.  So we know, when the teenage daughter of Harry’s best friend calls on him for help, Harry is going to answer the call.  Her problem?  Her boyfriend is accused of a violent murder at a Horror Convention. 

A Horror Convention!  What a great setting for the beginning of a mystery which will involve many of the key players in the Dresden Files novels to this point.  We get the White Council (the ruling body of Wizards) and we get the Carpenter family, headed by one of the Knights of the Cross.  We get the backdrop of the Red Court Vampire war with the Wizards, and another view of the constant struggle between the Summer and Winter faeries.  We get Detective Karrin Murphy, and we get Bob the Skull, and we get Thomas, the White Court Vampire.  And it all combines to be one of the most dramatic episodes in this series.

Additionally, we get to know the structure of Magic and magical society in more detail.  Butcher does a great job of building on the depth of his milieu each novel.  We get to see new kinds of magic, new spells, and old spells used in new ways.  It’s very clever.

As I was reading Proven Guilty, I kept imagining this story being brought to film.  I don’t know if author Jim Butcher thinks consciously about the adaptability of his stories to film, but in this book, more than any other, I kept saying “Oh, I could see this on the big screen.  I want to see this on the big screen!”  Butcher has a great vision for his mixture of the real world with the magical world, and I would love to see that done with the kinds of SFX possible today.  But he also has built some wonderful characters, who have very realistic depth, and I would love to see those characters brought to life by good actors.  (And, yes, I think Leah would be perfect for the role of Molly.  You know, as long as all the piercings could be make-up.)

This story had me tense with worry.  It had me cheering with excitement.  And it had me tearing up with emotion. 

Seriously, folks, if you’re an adult who truly enjoyed the Harry Potter books, you really ought to try the Dresden Files.  Sure, Dresden is a little darker, and is mixed more with the “real world.”  And, yes, it’s a bit more adult – though the swearing is minimal, I can only think of one scene in the eight books I’ve read so far which can truly be called a “sex scene.”  The rest of the “adult” content is suggestive, rather than explicit, and it often shows Harry resisting distracting temptations in order to do the Right Thing.

Harry Dresden is a hero we can understand, a hero who can sometimes frustrate us, but ultimately a hero we admire.  Never more than in Proven Guilty.

Review - Dead Beat - Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

Title: Dead Beat

Author: Jim Butcher

The seventh book in the Dresden Files series pits wizard Harry Dresden against his own kind – but these wizards use a dark magic dealing with the dead – necromancy.  And the stakes are as high as they have ever been, for if Harry fails, not only will he and his friends suffer, but the world may have an evil god to contend with.

Author Jim Butcher continues the story of Harry Dresden by bringing a few loose ends from past stories into Harry’s life and forcing his protagonist to examine the motivations and rules which govern his life and work.  Harry has been tempted to use dark powers before, and he has made more than one deal with “the wrong sort.”  But as the mortal world and the preternatural world intersect more and more, his temptations grow. 

And as they grow, so do the obstacles in his way, and so, we hope, does his power to defeat them.

Fast-paced and thrilling, these books keep delivering.

Review - Blood Rites - Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

Title: Blood Rites
Author: Jim Butcher

A good friend of mine is inherently opposed to “character-driven plot.”  In his view, authors take the idea of “character-driven” to the extreme, and spend all their words describing character relationships at the expense of the ideas which are the most interesting parts of stories.  Now, let’s be clear – this friend likes science fiction, horror and fantasy.  He’s not interested in reading “Literature” – largely because Literature tends to focus so heavily on characters.  But, in his opinion fantasy, horror and sci-fi (especially sci-fi!) should center their stories on the concepts which the author has found uniquely creative enough to include in such stories- the “hook” so to speak.

I tend to agree, though I am far more willing to accept a well-written sci-fi story which shows how characters can influence, or be influence by, those “hooks.”

So, why do I mention this as the start to my review of Blood Rites, the next novel in the “Dresden Files” series?

As I mentioned in my review of the very first Dresden book, the author has created a creative, believable way to mix magic into our world, and he has set up Harry Dresden as a man with a history.  He does not lay out every facet of magic, nor of Harry, in any single book, but build both over time.  Each book has had at least one “hook” in each categrory: the magical world, and Harry’s life.  From my perspective, two of the most  enjoyable features of each of these books has been how inventive the magic hooks are, and how much we care about Harry and his life as the personal hook happens.

Well, Blood Rites does both of these, several times, and ties them together so well that this might be my favorite of the novels so far.  We learn more about vampires and specific types of magic than ever before.  We see Harry deal with some of his most basic motivations and relationships.  And they are all tied together.  They make sense, they drive the story, and the conclusions are unforeseen, but completely consistent.

Bravo!  You should not start the series with this book.  But if you happen to find that one of the preceding books is not specifically your cup of tea, I hope you won’t let that deter you from continuing on, because this book?  This book is worth reading all the others to set the stage for the story told in Blood Rites.

Review: Death Masks - Book Five of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Title: Death Masks
Author: Jim Butcher

By now, as I am reviewing the fifth book of the "Dresden Files" series by Jim Butcher, I expect most of you already know the following:

• Harry Dresden is a professional wizard, who makes a living as a "private investigator" of sorts, taking cases which deal with "magic" of one form or another.
• I have liked every one of these books I've read so far.

Shall I just write a review saying "Ditto" and be done with it?

Doesn't seem fair.  So here's a bit more to whet your appetite for the story.

Once again, Harry is approached at the beginning of our story, to help someone dealing with a request which is out of the ordinary.  This time:  Someone has stolen the Shroud of Turin -- the holy relic which was supposedly wrapped around Jesus after his death, and before his resurrection.

As I mentioned in my review of Grave Peril, one of the things I like about the world of magic and horror which author Jim Butcher has created is this: he incorporates religion and faith by treating it as something with power similar to the power of magic.  For this reason, the Shroud is powerful, though Dresden doesn't know what power it has, or what someone might do with it.  Nevertheless, he has been hired to find it, so he sets himself to the task.

Again, as in Grave Peril, Harry Dresden gets help from a Holy Knight, his friend Michael.  We had learned, in previous books, that there are three of these Knights, and so I was happy to be introduced to the others.

In any event, the case is confusing, with many sets of beings interested in the Shroud, and all of them seemingly interested in bringing Harry's life to a gruesome end.  We also get to add into this mix the return of Harry's girlfriend, Susan, who has been missing for a while -- for very good reasons, which I will not spoil for you if you have not read the other Dresden books.

The action is intense, the descriptions are concise (my preference) yet sharp, and the characters are wonderful.  And the mystery?  Excellent!  The books are getting grittier as Harry's life gets more complicated (by now, there is a war going on between wizards and vampires, so that complicates life for our hero) and Butcher handles the multiple storylines very well.

For anyone interested in fantasy, who does not mind a bit of horror, I cannot recommend this series more highly.  Very inventive; very fun.