Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Grave Peril (Dresden Files #3): Review


Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: Roc
American release date: September 1, 2001 (reprint)
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/sci-fi fantasy/378 pages
Overall Personal Grave Peril (Dresden Files #3)
Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: Roc
American release date: September 1, 2001 (reprint)
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/sci-fi fantasy/378 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Harry Dresden, wizard PI, and his faithful friend and comrade, Michael Carpenter, have been spending a lot of time together lately, attempting to clean up the supernatural problem in Chicago.  Called to the maternity ward of a large Chicago hospital, Harry and Michael find themselves up against a vicious ghost with infanticidal tendencies. In order to save the babies, they must go into the Nevernever, despite Harry’s misgivings. There they not only encounter the vicious Agatha Hagglethorn on her own turf, but also Lea, Harry’s faerie godmother. Their encounters never end well.

The next day, a young girl approaches Harry, just as he’s leaving his office for the day, and tells him if she doesn’t get his help, she won’t live through the night. How can a wizard resist? Sometimes, maybe he should, as he’s about to open a whole can of worms he’d really rather not deal with.

Something wicked is going down in Chicago, and only Harry Dresden can really see it for what it is.

The third book in the Dresden File series is just as good as the others, fast-paced and exciting, and filled with all sorts of things that go bump in the night. In this book, we meet Michael, who is somewhat Harry’s opposite. He’s a very spiritual man. In fact, he’s got a direct pipeline to God. And his faith is very strong. Together, he and Harry fight the forces of evil, even if not for the same reasons. Michael’s wife, Charity, doesn’t really care for Harry. She thinks he’s a bad influence on Michael. Harry does have a way of getting Michael into trouble, that is undoubtedly true. It doesn’t look good for one of God’s chosen to spend time in jail.

In this volume, we see growth in Harry’s relationship with Susan Rodriguez, reporter for a sleazy tabloid. Beautiful and gusty, Susan’s quite the match for Harry, and she’s certainly no shrinking violet who does what she’s told. When Harry inadvertently admits something important about his feelings for her to Michael, Michael presses him to tell Susan, but that doesn’t seem to be on Harry’s agenda.  When he receives an invitation (read: command performance) to attend Bianca’s Vampire Ball from two of Biance’s minions—nasty siblings with bad attitudes who think to get over on Harry— naturally Susan wants to go with. That ain’t gonna happen, according to Harry.

Oh yeah?

In Grave Peril, we learn more about Harry’s background, and come up against his beautiful but evil godmother, Lea, see more of Bianca and her court, and meet a very fascinating vampire named Thomas, whom I hope to see more of in future volumes.

Whatever else the Dresden Files might be, they’re never dull. Another great read from Jim Butcher.

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