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shadowkat[Warning: been in an incredibly foul mood all week long. This means content and responses may end up being on the snarky side of the fence.]
Finished Jim Butcher's "Changes" - the latest in the Dresden Files, in which, well the author managed to surprise me with his ending. Did not see that coming. Saw a lot of other things coming, but not that. Have rather mixed feelings about it, to be honest.
In case you haven't read Butcher's Dresden novels, and plan to, I'll hide most of this post behind the quintessential cut-tag. But then I hide most things behind cut-tags, for obvious reasons that aren't really worth going into at the moment.
Butcher's novels are noirish supernatural thrillers - with a decidely Raymond Chandleresque feel to them. They aren't really mysteries, although there's a mystery in the center, it's more an adventure caper or how do we resolve this impossible problem without destroying ourselves and everyone else in the process. The mystery itself? You sort of figure out about ten-fifteen pages in. The story has plot-twists, but it is more character driven then plot driven - which is why I find it interesting. Plot driven stories tend to bore me. Since most plots are rather boilerplate. Yes, we know, its the hero's journey, again, now show me something interesting. Butcher's novel is not the boilerplate hero's journey, which is why it is interesting. The books are rather violent. One of the many reasons that I'm hunting something non-violent as my next read - thinking it will be Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking on the Kindle. But, this novel like the others - has interesting characters, and a complicated hero, who you can't help but root for on some level. I fell in love with him in the first novel.
OMG, I can't believe they just killed Kenny! - South Park
Great humorous line, which is even funnier when he comes back.
Oh Kenny, you're alive! I'm sooo relieved. (Group hug)
[Only to have someone shoot the hooded Kenny, who everyone adores, again]
OMG I can't believe they just killed Kenny! AGAIN!
My first reaction upon finishing that last chapter - was, wait, did he just kill off his protagonist? OR did I read that wrong? No, didn't read it wrong, although, this being a supernatural story, and the protagonist having just made a deal with Mab - the Queen of Air and Darkness, or the Winter Queen of Fairy (ie, the male version of the devil in white, or the Queen of hell), it is more than possible he's fine. OR will be soon. At least physically speaking. I mean if she can heal a broken back and make him walk again and be super-strong, what's a measly bullet wound? Plus he fell into a cold lake, which previous books have alluded to as being her domain, she's often seen near the water in Summer Knight. And...there's the fact that Dresden is the protagonist of Butcher's best-selling series of books. Can't really see Butcher letting go of that right off the bat.
So, yeah, I think he just killed Kenny - albeit only to bring him back again. It surprised me that he did that. Was expecting something else....something like Mab showing up and dragging him off to fairy. But I guess this works too.
Can't say I was surprised by the deal he made with Mab - they'd been alluding to that for some time. I was waiting for him to do it with Lascial, the fallen angel, and was somewhat disappointed when he overcame that problem. I rather liked the idea of him giving in to Lascial to save someone, and having to be rescued by Molly - who could enter people's minds. Even wrote a fanfic in my head about it. So, when Mab reappears again in Small Favor - and the whole Winter Knight thing arose a second round, I thought okay, where's Butcher going with this.
Also numerous characters, from Thomas to Slate have been dark reflections of Harry's own addiction to his power or need for power. That's a heavy theme right now in all our cultural offerings, regardless of what form they come in - the need for physical power and control.
And not just any power - power over life and death. Specifically death.
Not surprising that Butcher chose to have Harry take Mab's deal. And it is written well. Harry has to be dragged kicking and screaming into making it. He can see no other option. I do wonder what might have happened if he'd told Ebenazar sooner about who the kidnapped girl was, but I can see why he chose not to. That's another heavy theme throughout - how the desire to protect someone by not telling them who you are, withholding information, and removing them from your presence - has a tendency to backfire on you. Ebenazar's decision not to tell Harry who he was, backfired on him. Because Ebenazar's enemies already knew. And Susan's decision not to tell Harry about Maggie - people who might be able to protect or help her, backfired, because the person she did tell turned out to be the most dangerous and revealed it to the enemies.
I have a feeling Harry's decision to give up Maggie and not try to be her father, is going to back-fire also. Just as his decision not to tell Susan what is going on, way back in the novel with the ghosts that I can't remember the name of where he kills Bianca, backfires on him - when Susan shows up at the vampire party and gets her memory removed and is taken by the Red Court. If he'd been honest with Susan from the get-go, told her what was happening, and what he was involved in, she may not have shown up at the party. And she might have been able to give him the pertinent information on the dark sorcerer that he was hunting. His decision to not tell her for her own good - backfired.
In taking Mab's deal - he is able to obtain enough power to make it at least possible to save his daughter. Mab's deal provides him with three things - his body is physical healed (when he would have been dead or in traction for forty years otherwise), he is given power both magical (ice to complement fire) and physical (ability to heal faster and withstand abuse), and Mab sends Lea, a powerful fairy, to aid him - Lea makes it possible for the Grey Council to show up, for Susan to kill Martin, and to remain concealed long enough to stop the Red King from killing Maggie, and to get them there in time. Without the deal with Mab - Maggie would be dead.
And technically speaking, Mab was the lesser evil of the options available. He'd tried Ebenzar (granted he didn't give Ebenazar all the info, but Ebenazar hadn't given him enough to know to do it either), and he'd tried Uriel, who only provided him with Sanya and the swords. (I was very happy not to have to deal with the annoying Michael and Chastity again. I love Molly, but her parents get on my nerves. Although I think they were left out of it - because Michael often acts as Harry's conscience, and if he'd been around, something tells me, Harry may not have been able to do some of the things he needed to.)
But the deal comes with a hefty price...one that we're not entirely clear on.
I figured out who Ebenazar was the moment that Arianna said this was never about "you". It's when I realized, Ah, Ebenazar. Makes sense Harry didn't figure out immediately. And I rather liked that twist, because it explains a lot of things - like why the White Council hasn't killed Harry yet. And why Ebenazar has done some of things he has done. It also explains Harry's mother - and why she did what she did. Harry in effect, is to a degree paying for his bloodline's crimes. Granted he's made his own enemies, but my guess is some of them were after him because of his lineage. I would not be at all surprised if Lea and Mab weren't in part interested in Harry because of Ebenazar and Margaret La Fay.
Then there's Susan. I knew when they explained the bloodline curse - that they'd need a substitute. For a while, I thought Maggie would get turned into a vampire and Harry would be forced to kill both Susan and Maggie. So I was somewhat relieved. (Yes, I have a nastier imagination than the writer). Harry killing Susan to save Maggie - felt pre-ordained. And with Harry's own mother issues...painful. He had no choice of course. It was the only way to save Maggie and everyone in the temple. But, he is right when he says he literally has her blood on his hands, because technically speaking he killed her ages ago, when he put her in danger.
Here - at least, her death has meaning. She saved her daughter and numerous others against a foe that she'd been fighting for years, the foe that destroyed her relationship with Harry and any life they might have had together. She died a hero. Sacrificed herself for her daughter, Harry, and everyone else. A death Harry wished for himself, but could not have.
Another theme is sacrifice - both Harry and Susan sacrifice themselves on altars, both make deals with monsters, to save their daughter. Harry near death sacrifices himself on Mab's altar and is reborn as her Winter Knight. Susan sacrifices herself on the Red King's altar, becomes a vampire and takes out the Red Court. If the symmetry is to continue - Harry may well be Mab's undoing. Although, I doubt it. The fairies aren't really evil like the vampires, so much as amoral. And there's a difference.
Butcher literally rips everything away from his hero in this novel - his car, his house, his daughter, his lover, his hopes, his dreams, strips him down. But Dresden does still have his friends and to a degree family, he also has Murphy ( who has also lost a lot). That is until he is shot. And falls to his suspected/alleged death in the lake. And met by what he thinks is a light in a tunnel only to realize it is an on-coming train. (Nice joke.)
Enjoyed this novel and I find my head playing with it afterwards, wanting to possibly re-read chunks of prior novels. I'm also hoping there's another one in the works and this not the end of the Dresden files. Really hope it's not the end of the story. I rather love Dresden and I want more story. Which often happens at the end of these books.
Finished Jim Butcher's "Changes" - the latest in the Dresden Files, in which, well the author managed to surprise me with his ending. Did not see that coming. Saw a lot of other things coming, but not that. Have rather mixed feelings about it, to be honest.
In case you haven't read Butcher's Dresden novels, and plan to, I'll hide most of this post behind the quintessential cut-tag. But then I hide most things behind cut-tags, for obvious reasons that aren't really worth going into at the moment.
Butcher's novels are noirish supernatural thrillers - with a decidely Raymond Chandleresque feel to them. They aren't really mysteries, although there's a mystery in the center, it's more an adventure caper or how do we resolve this impossible problem without destroying ourselves and everyone else in the process. The mystery itself? You sort of figure out about ten-fifteen pages in. The story has plot-twists, but it is more character driven then plot driven - which is why I find it interesting. Plot driven stories tend to bore me. Since most plots are rather boilerplate. Yes, we know, its the hero's journey, again, now show me something interesting. Butcher's novel is not the boilerplate hero's journey, which is why it is interesting. The books are rather violent. One of the many reasons that I'm hunting something non-violent as my next read - thinking it will be Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking on the Kindle. But, this novel like the others - has interesting characters, and a complicated hero, who you can't help but root for on some level. I fell in love with him in the first novel.
OMG, I can't believe they just killed Kenny! - South Park
Great humorous line, which is even funnier when he comes back.
Oh Kenny, you're alive! I'm sooo relieved. (Group hug)
[Only to have someone shoot the hooded Kenny, who everyone adores, again]
OMG I can't believe they just killed Kenny! AGAIN!
My first reaction upon finishing that last chapter - was, wait, did he just kill off his protagonist? OR did I read that wrong? No, didn't read it wrong, although, this being a supernatural story, and the protagonist having just made a deal with Mab - the Queen of Air and Darkness, or the Winter Queen of Fairy (ie, the male version of the devil in white, or the Queen of hell), it is more than possible he's fine. OR will be soon. At least physically speaking. I mean if she can heal a broken back and make him walk again and be super-strong, what's a measly bullet wound? Plus he fell into a cold lake, which previous books have alluded to as being her domain, she's often seen near the water in Summer Knight. And...there's the fact that Dresden is the protagonist of Butcher's best-selling series of books. Can't really see Butcher letting go of that right off the bat.
So, yeah, I think he just killed Kenny - albeit only to bring him back again. It surprised me that he did that. Was expecting something else....something like Mab showing up and dragging him off to fairy. But I guess this works too.
Can't say I was surprised by the deal he made with Mab - they'd been alluding to that for some time. I was waiting for him to do it with Lascial, the fallen angel, and was somewhat disappointed when he overcame that problem. I rather liked the idea of him giving in to Lascial to save someone, and having to be rescued by Molly - who could enter people's minds. Even wrote a fanfic in my head about it. So, when Mab reappears again in Small Favor - and the whole Winter Knight thing arose a second round, I thought okay, where's Butcher going with this.
Also numerous characters, from Thomas to Slate have been dark reflections of Harry's own addiction to his power or need for power. That's a heavy theme right now in all our cultural offerings, regardless of what form they come in - the need for physical power and control.
And not just any power - power over life and death. Specifically death.
Not surprising that Butcher chose to have Harry take Mab's deal. And it is written well. Harry has to be dragged kicking and screaming into making it. He can see no other option. I do wonder what might have happened if he'd told Ebenazar sooner about who the kidnapped girl was, but I can see why he chose not to. That's another heavy theme throughout - how the desire to protect someone by not telling them who you are, withholding information, and removing them from your presence - has a tendency to backfire on you. Ebenazar's decision not to tell Harry who he was, backfired on him. Because Ebenazar's enemies already knew. And Susan's decision not to tell Harry about Maggie - people who might be able to protect or help her, backfired, because the person she did tell turned out to be the most dangerous and revealed it to the enemies.
I have a feeling Harry's decision to give up Maggie and not try to be her father, is going to back-fire also. Just as his decision not to tell Susan what is going on, way back in the novel with the ghosts that I can't remember the name of where he kills Bianca, backfires on him - when Susan shows up at the vampire party and gets her memory removed and is taken by the Red Court. If he'd been honest with Susan from the get-go, told her what was happening, and what he was involved in, she may not have shown up at the party. And she might have been able to give him the pertinent information on the dark sorcerer that he was hunting. His decision to not tell her for her own good - backfired.
In taking Mab's deal - he is able to obtain enough power to make it at least possible to save his daughter. Mab's deal provides him with three things - his body is physical healed (when he would have been dead or in traction for forty years otherwise), he is given power both magical (ice to complement fire) and physical (ability to heal faster and withstand abuse), and Mab sends Lea, a powerful fairy, to aid him - Lea makes it possible for the Grey Council to show up, for Susan to kill Martin, and to remain concealed long enough to stop the Red King from killing Maggie, and to get them there in time. Without the deal with Mab - Maggie would be dead.
And technically speaking, Mab was the lesser evil of the options available. He'd tried Ebenzar (granted he didn't give Ebenazar all the info, but Ebenazar hadn't given him enough to know to do it either), and he'd tried Uriel, who only provided him with Sanya and the swords. (I was very happy not to have to deal with the annoying Michael and Chastity again. I love Molly, but her parents get on my nerves. Although I think they were left out of it - because Michael often acts as Harry's conscience, and if he'd been around, something tells me, Harry may not have been able to do some of the things he needed to.)
But the deal comes with a hefty price...one that we're not entirely clear on.
I figured out who Ebenazar was the moment that Arianna said this was never about "you". It's when I realized, Ah, Ebenazar. Makes sense Harry didn't figure out immediately. And I rather liked that twist, because it explains a lot of things - like why the White Council hasn't killed Harry yet. And why Ebenazar has done some of things he has done. It also explains Harry's mother - and why she did what she did. Harry in effect, is to a degree paying for his bloodline's crimes. Granted he's made his own enemies, but my guess is some of them were after him because of his lineage. I would not be at all surprised if Lea and Mab weren't in part interested in Harry because of Ebenazar and Margaret La Fay.
Then there's Susan. I knew when they explained the bloodline curse - that they'd need a substitute. For a while, I thought Maggie would get turned into a vampire and Harry would be forced to kill both Susan and Maggie. So I was somewhat relieved. (Yes, I have a nastier imagination than the writer). Harry killing Susan to save Maggie - felt pre-ordained. And with Harry's own mother issues...painful. He had no choice of course. It was the only way to save Maggie and everyone in the temple. But, he is right when he says he literally has her blood on his hands, because technically speaking he killed her ages ago, when he put her in danger.
Here - at least, her death has meaning. She saved her daughter and numerous others against a foe that she'd been fighting for years, the foe that destroyed her relationship with Harry and any life they might have had together. She died a hero. Sacrificed herself for her daughter, Harry, and everyone else. A death Harry wished for himself, but could not have.
Another theme is sacrifice - both Harry and Susan sacrifice themselves on altars, both make deals with monsters, to save their daughter. Harry near death sacrifices himself on Mab's altar and is reborn as her Winter Knight. Susan sacrifices herself on the Red King's altar, becomes a vampire and takes out the Red Court. If the symmetry is to continue - Harry may well be Mab's undoing. Although, I doubt it. The fairies aren't really evil like the vampires, so much as amoral. And there's a difference.
Butcher literally rips everything away from his hero in this novel - his car, his house, his daughter, his lover, his hopes, his dreams, strips him down. But Dresden does still have his friends and to a degree family, he also has Murphy ( who has also lost a lot). That is until he is shot. And falls to his suspected/alleged death in the lake. And met by what he thinks is a light in a tunnel only to realize it is an on-coming train. (Nice joke.)
Enjoyed this novel and I find my head playing with it afterwards, wanting to possibly re-read chunks of prior novels. I'm also hoping there's another one in the works and this not the end of the Dresden files. Really hope it's not the end of the story. I rather love Dresden and I want more story. Which often happens at the end of these books.
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no subject
Date: 2010-05-22 08:04 pm (UTC)"Take all that away... and what's left?"
"Me."
no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 03:00 am (UTC)I hate cliff hangers! lol
I find myself angry at Martin, who COULD have bitten & killed some random zombie style human, turning into the youngest Red Court Vampire so that he could have been the sacrifice...
then Susan would have been 'cured'...
but that of course would have been a happy ending, which wasn't going to happen.
sigh
I loved having Harry stripped of everything, it was almost Job like in his losing so much...
but he still has the island in Lake Michigan (I love that place), and his friends & apprentice (I agree 100% about how tiresome Michael & Charity are, but I do love Molly) as well as Mouse the Wonder Dog (I adore Mouse).
I was kind of disappointed also that Harry didn't end up doing more with Lascial, I had kind of loved that temptation always at hand (literally)... and I'm not that crazy about the whole Faerie thing (the Never Never kind of bores me)... But I am definitely on board for the ride; I hope Butcher never stops writing these books!
no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 03:23 pm (UTC)Rather love the Murphy/Dresden relationship - and find it rather amusing the lengths the writer goes to make sure they can't get together. This round - just as Harry is about to hook up with Murphy, he gets shot. LOL!
Also adore Mouse - the Siberian Ice Demon who happens to be a dog. His interaction with Lea was wonderful. (I figured out he was an ice demon from the interaction with the Ebs - who said - "how was I supposed to know they brought an ice demon - no fair!" LOL.
(Although Harry apparently believes that Molly has Mouse now, not him and that he's lost Mouse as well as Mister.)
According to another comment - Butcher is planning 20 some books in this series, and I think we're only 10. I don't know if the short stories count (hope not).
Also agreed on the fairy bit - the Never Never and fairies - I find sort of uninteresting. Possibly because I've read too many fantasy novels in my lifetime and there aren't really any new takes on the world that I haven't read before. It's become a stale genre. But the author is rather enamored of fairies and fantasy - that's what he wants to write. He basically wants to write like Tolkien and CS Lewis (if you read the little blurb at the back of the book trying to get us to read his fantasy series.). So, while I found the Lascial bit - the idea of an internal temptation, inside him, slowly taking over, far more interesting - I think the writer is more interested in going with the external. They are nice opposites though - Lascial was "hellfire" while Mab is "ice". Note he kills Ariana not with fire but with daggers of ice. While prior kills were with flame.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 10:56 pm (UTC)Yeah, no matter what Butcher is up to, I know I'll enjoy reading it.
(I picked this icon because a wizard is in Narnia... kind of like Harry Dresden stuck in the Never Never... only of course Narnia is pretty safe compared to Butcher's vision).