The other issue I had is that even for a Dresden novel everything in here was just too damn convenient. It started with me with Lea and the gift from his mother. I mean for him to just ask for that out of the blue, and then get the perfect gift seems a bit much. Not to mention he immediately figures out how to use it, where as in the past it would have taken him some time and practice to get something like that down. We are told that it caused him mother to lose the ability to sleep and Lea feels it will destroy him, but there seem to be absolutely no adverse effects at all to him using it. His house is burning down, and he's badly injured but he somehow climbs a ladder with what appears to be a broken leg, and then breaks his back. That's okay though because Sonya is on hand to save the day all of a sudden. It's cool that be becomes the Knight of Winter, but the fact that it heals his broken back and gives him super powers all in one go is just a bit much. Yes, yes, I know that's why he did it. I am in full Agreement with Apt on the confrontation with the Red Court as well. We are told he's going to be facing multiple beings who are on the same level strength wise as Odin, plus Arianna and the Red King, and however many of their minions (which in fact ends up being thousands). This is supposed to be a near impossible task, yet their little group waltzes in with some guns, swords, and enchanted clothes and come out with only a few scratches to show for it, having gone through the vamps as if it were nothing. I know he's now got additional powers but I didn't get the impression the winter knight was supposed to have powers that allowed him to face down a situation like that.
That's kind of my complaints in a nut shell and I know it's pretty much exactly what Apt said, but I just had to add my two cents. I did really like this book though, and I'm only complaining because I don't think the writing is on a level with some of his other works. This book actually had the exact same feel that the last Codex Alera book did, too much crammed in, too scattered and far too convenient. There were some really cool things in this book though. I loved that he's now the Knight of Winter, the way he did away with the Red Court was awesome, finding out Ebeneezer is his grandfather was a real shocker for me, as was finding out that Dresden had a daughter. The throw down in the Erlking's court was fantastic, and what he did to Arianna was bad ass. I am with Apt though in thinking that there was enough action in here to break it into two books. It would have allowed a bit more time for the material to breathe so to speak. More time to properly flesh things out and develop the story line a bit more. Instead of jumping all over the place and rushing through things to fit it all in. The show down with the Red Court was much more focused, it would have been nice if the rest of the book had that kind of feel. Again despite all my bitching, it was a great book and of course the ending has me chomping at the bit to find out what happens next, I can't wait.
This post has been edited by teholbeddict: 13 June 2010 - 08:34 PM