[Traveller]

I'm halfway through book 3, and I'm really liking the series so far.

The 1st one was good, the second a bit too busy in places but still good, and the 3rd is picking up pace. They are very easy to read; and having read the Name of the Wind in between books one and two, the writing does seem really - basic, I suppose, but the stories are so entertaining it doesn't matter.

I've got the Dresden habit now...

This post has been edited by Traveller: 04 February 2009 - 09:13 AM

[Use Of Weapons]

They're not everyone's cup of tea, but I am a huge fan of Simon Green's Nightside series, which does some of the same things as Butcher's Dresden. You might also try his other long series (more SF), the Deathstalker sequence.

[drinksinbars]

where to start then, this thread got me intrigued?

edit - DEATHSTALKER RULES!!!!

This post has been edited by drinksinbars: 04 February 2009 - 01:00 PM

[murphy72]

drinksinbars, on Feb 4 2009, 05:00 AM, said:

where to start then, this thread got me intrigued?

edit - DEATHSTALKER RULES!!!!

For the Dresden files, start with Storm Front. You won't be sorry.

[polishgenius]

Until he catches up and is left craving his next Dresden hit. Then he'll be sorry.

[Aptorian]

drinksinbars, on Feb 4 2009, 02:00 PM, said:

where to start then, this thread got me intrigued?

edit - DEATHSTALKER RULES!!!!

Always start from the first book in a series.

While the first two can be read stand alone and the rest of them are also written for the uninitiated, they really should be read in the right order since from book 3 a thin red line of pivotal events is slowly being strung between events taking place off screen and in Chicago.

[Stalker]

Just finished DEAD BEAT. It was very very good and the ending with

Spoiler

the t-rex was insane

It is a problem for me to get school work accomplished when one of these is nearby. They are hard to put down.

[Aztiel]

I'm all about the Dresden-crack. They are short and fast, and a lot of fun. I'm reading them through for the second time now, but I'm trying to stick things in between them because I get nothing done while I have them from the library.

As a Butcher fan, has anybody read his other series? It is called the Codex Alera, fantasy fare. I quite like it, does anybody else have an opinion?

[Aptorian]

I think some Codex discussion went on earlier in the thread. I believe the general consensus was that Codex is not as good as dresden files but they get better further on...

[Stalker]

I chose to start the Dresden novels too early. I am now on the last and must wait for the next one to release... the pain!!

[Aptorian]

There'll be at least ten more books. That's a decade of waiting in agony...

[Stalker]

really? 10 is great!

Waiting isn't so great. But I suppose it is worth it in the long run.

[QuickTidal]

Jim Butcher is the fucking man! I'm just saying. The Dresden books are now what I look forward to most every year...without a doubt.

[murphy72]

Stalker, on Feb 17 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

I chose to start the Dresden novels too early. I am now on the last and must wait for the next one to release... the pain!!

There, there now, the next one is due out in April.

Aptorian, on Feb 17 2009, 09:32 AM, said:

There'll be at least ten more books. That's a decade of waiting in agony...

But you do get periodic relief and each book comes out. And then there are the novellettes and short stories in various anthologies that you get to read to relieve the pain.

This post has been edited by murphy72: 22 February 2009 - 12:47 AM

[QuickTidal]

I wonder if Jim knows how hooked we all are on Dresden-crack....anyone have his take on how his series is picking up die-hard fans left right and center?

[Coco with marshmallows]

QuickTidal, on Feb 22 2009, 02:47 AM, said:

anyone have his take on how his series is picking up die-hard fans left right and center?

I believe his response is something along the lines of:

"hahahahahaha! i'll never work 9-5 again! Minions, bring me a sandwich!"

Mainly because thats how i'd behave if i had a bestselling series on the go.

[drza44]

Just finished Small Favor. Which means that I also finally got to read from pg. 14 go 24 of this thread without being ultra-tempted by the spoilers. I don't even know where to begin to try to jump into the conversation of the Butcher plot, and it's been covered pretty well by a few already, so I'll instead try to answer the "other authors?" question that someone asked a page or two back (I think the same question was asked back in the early parts of this thread, though maybe that was a different thread and I'm too lazy to review). I would say that there were three authors that attacked the urban fantasy genre armed with a very similar set of characters/base ideas: Butcher, Laurel Hamilton, and Kim Harrison.

Butcher has put those elements together into the most ambitious and most enjoyable story overall.

I probably liked the first few Hamilton novels more than the first couple Butcher ones, but as has been noted in this thread Butcher ramped up severely several times whereas by around book 10 of her series Hamilton had basically stopped writing the original series and jumped...genres (more than just changing the story) from urban fantasy to erotic. Having picked up and read all of the Hamilton novels from 1 to 14 in one fell swoop, the transition is friggin JARRING. And it takes them out of the "recommendable series" category, because there's no payoff at the end for those that liked the initial story and aren't into multi-species orgies and S & M.

I do like the Harrison novels enough to recommend. She's up through 7 books now, and they are following a similar light-quick-reads/slowly-ramping-up pattern as the Butcher ones. She just doesn't go nearly as over-the-top or incorporate as many new elements (basically stops at magic, vampires, werewolves, elves, and demons though that is enough for a lot of action).

I've read the first book of the Castor series, and it was solid, but I'd have it a notch below the other three authors mentioned. The fact that Castor's protagonist is male gives him more of a Harry-like point of view than Harrison's/Hamilton's leads, but at least in the first book he wasn't quite as interesting to me.

Actively pining for Turn Coat, enough that I may even break down and read the spoiler chapters before my Small Favors high wears off...

[Aptorian]

I had to look up Harrison. I've heard of her and seen a couple of books at the library.

I was mistaking her for Kelley Armstrong, whom I recommend never, ever, ever reading even if you're forced at gun point, because then, when you die, at least you won't have the burden of that mess waying down on your soul.

[drza44]

Aptorian, on Mar 9 2009, 03:53 PM, said:

I had to look up Harrison. I've heard of her and seen a couple of books at the library.

I was mistaking her for Kelley Armstrong, whom I recommend never, ever, ever reading even if you're forced at gun point, because then, when you die, at least you won't have the burden of that mess waying down on your soul.

Lol, yeah, that's a big difference. I basically came into the urban fantasy genre around the end of '06, and I consumed a good chunk of what was out there all at the same time. That includes Armstrong, which was really just romance novels with magic in them (at least the ones that was able to get through).

One difference that I've noted between the male authors (Butcher, Carey) and the female authors (Hamilton, Harrison, Armstrong) that I've noted so far is that while both incorporate both action and romance the guys have tilted their stories more towards the action while the females have incorporated more romance. With Armstrong and lately Hamilton they've gone way past the genre threshold to me. Harrison reads more like the female version of Butcher to me...probably more romance, but both focused a lot more on the other action. (Edit for mild spoiler, though not specific)

Spoiler

There is a running...interaction between 2 characters in Harrison's series that has the potential to bother some, but for me it really helps the story and is part of what keeps me interested.

Overall there aren't many love scenes, and those that are there aren't much more involved than Harry's last on-screen action.

This post has been edited by drza44: 09 March 2009 - 09:15 PM

[Zanth13]

the short story in mean streets is a nice bit of dresden fix, kind of a warm up to next month...

I'm not sure what chapter you guys are talking about but I shall wait i think...