So I just finished ‘s latest Dresden Files novel, Changes, and I have one thing to say: AUGH! *^_^*;;
This here is not a proper review post; it’s a spoiler-laden discussion thread! If you’ve also read the book and you want to talk about it, drop a comment! Gush or wail or both to your heart’s content! And needless to say, if you haven’t read it yet, stay far, far, far away from the comments until you do. You’ll thank us later.
My own reactions behind the cut!
And I totally need to get me a proper book!Harry icon, although tv!Harry will do for this purpose.
Oh good gods where do I start?
AUGH #1: The systematic steamrollering of every! single! thing! that we’ve come to know and love as a detail in Harry’s life: his office. His home. The Blue Beetle. His staff.
AUGH #2: OMG POOR MISTER where are you kitty?
AUGH #3: I TOTALLY CALLED that Susan was not going to survive the book, and I was halfway suspicious that she would in fact be forced to go full vamp before everything was done. I did not however call that Harry was GOING TO HAVE TO KILL HER HIMSELF. AUGH.
AUGH #4: I also totally called that there was no real way that Harry would be able to keep the kid even if he did actually successfully rescue her. I am pleased that Jim did in fact lay it out that it would be extremely stupid for Harry to try to keep the kid around. But I didn’t call that Harry would have to bring himself to hand poor Maggie off to Murphy and beg Murphy to take her to Father Forthill and ask that she be put somewhere safe that not even he knows about. When Harry stammered delivering that request my heart just cracked for the poor guy. AUGH.
AUGH #5: Of COURSE Ebenezer is Harry’s grandpa AUGH!
AUGH #6: This is me being whomperjawed that Team Dresden actually took out the ENTIRE RED COURT with the rebound of the death curse. HOLY CRAP. I guess this is putting a good heart stop to the vampire/wizard war, ain’t it? But we’re only halfway through the series! Who the hell’s going to be rising up to top the Reds as the Bad Guys?
AUGH #7: OH GOD Harry’s working for the Winter Court now. And while he was quite right in that Mab was the least evil of his options, and while my partiality to things Faerie takes pleasure in this particular development, I am nonetheless AUGH because Jim writes him some scary fey like whoa.
AUGH #8: OH GOD poor Molly really taking several hits for the team. I guess she’s not going to be a mere apprentice wizard too much longer, huh?
AUGH #9: MOUSE! I didn’t think it was possible for Harry’s dog to be any more awesome, but Jim has proved us wrong. (heart heart heart)
AUGH #10: MURPHY WITH THE SWORD! *awedface* How amazing was that?!
AUGH #11: And speaking of Murphy: JIM YOU UTTER BASTARD TEASING US WITH HARRY GOING OUT WITH MURPHY AND THEN GETTING SHOT AUGH AUGH AUGH AUGH AUGH.
AUGH #12: The title of the next novel is, if Jim’s Twitter account is to be believed, going to be Ghost Story. Any bets on whether he’s going to pull the same stunt did, and have Harry actually be dead, but then get better? ;) I can’t imagine that Mab’s going to actually let Harry stay dead for long.
AUGH #13: For those of you who don’t know yet, there’s going to be a post-Changes novella in the next Dresden release–not the next novel, but the anthology Side Jobs, due out in November. It is from Murphy’s point of view and I am SO TOTALLY BUYING THIS.
AUGH! AUGH! AUGH!
I will second, third and fourth your AUGHS!!!
There were so many ups and downs in this book I could hardly stand it. The only thing that’s keeping me going is knowing that we’re only halfway through the series! LOL And knowing that there’s no way Mab will allow her newest Winter Knight (whom she’s been after for YEARS) to get away that easily.
One thing that surprised me (I know…ONE?!?!) is how much time has passed since the beginning of the series. I had no idea it’s been almost ten years!
OH GOD YES there is no earthly way Mab is giving him up without a fight. I’m very much wondering if Harry’s going to wind up in some sort of state between life and death in the next book, and Mab winds up resurrecting him or something.
And yeah, I hadn’t really realized that that much time had passed in the series, myself!