skybridge

babewiththepower.bsky.social · @babewiththepower.bsky.social@bridge.neodb.net

Rated Grave Peril 8/10

Re-reading The Dresden Files after a dozen or more years is both like reading them for the first time and somehow also going back to an old friend. Books 1 and 2 were good, but there's a clear trajectory leading up to the end of this book how better filled out Harry becomes and a lot of the main pieces are set that become incredibly important by a dozen books later. I've always said books 1 and 2 are fine, but to make sure and read through the end of this book to really get into what this series is all about. As I was finishing "Grave Peril," I realized what it is about this book and the turn the series takes with it that makes it a sustained good series to read. While the previous books are an interesting mix of noir and urban fantasy, they were written fairly similar (at least on the fantasy side) to most other books. The series starts with the pretty much expected classic monsters of vampires, werewolves, and evil masterminds. The difference, I think, or at least for me and the reason I read book after book, is the characters on the team of the good guys. Michael, Murphy, Father Forthill, Mister!, and yes lascivious Bob. Oh! And Thomas! Now there was a character I'd totally forgotten about, so that was a nice "surprise" to be reminded of. Each of them is different and bring their own skills and you want to pull for all of them as they get beat up mercilessly to save the innocent and beat the evil perpetrators. My favorite quote in this book I made sure to note and epitomizes the irreverant and wry tone I love of the series, through Harry, when things are dire as always is, "I'd hate to find out that the universe really wasn't conspiring against me. It would jerk the rug out from under my persecution complex." Speaking of evil perpetrators there's no great good characters without great dark characters: Red Court, White Court, Black Court vampires and the Summer and Winter courts of the Sidhe. And in the background to all this the other wizards... That's the other main thing that draws me in is the politics that starts here with all these characters. It really gets going here. Really recommend sticking out the series until the end of this book!

#book

Published 2026-08-18 17:59 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere