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We've had a good run of completely mindless entertainment you and I, but I think that it's time we broke up. I mean sure, we've always had our problems, and for the last eight or so books you've been a complete hot mess. Still there were enough kernels of entertainment buried in between the increasingly sloppy writing and inconsistent characterization that while I refused to shell out anymore money to actually buy your books, I would occasionally pick one up from the library.
But a few weeks ago when I went to the library, I saw your latest incarnation "Changes" on the shelf, and after cringing at the amazingly lame title that would be more appropriate to say, a Judy Blume book, I opened up and saw this blurb on the jacket cover:
Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.
Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry's not fighting to save the world...
He's fighting to save his child.
My first reaction was a very loud "Dude, are you fucking serious?!!!" followed uproarious laughter, which immediately earned me the scowl of the librarian at the circulation desk. I then checked you out for the sole purpose of this crazy to my husband, who made the best WTF face ever after reading the summary. I wish I'd had my camera ready, Dresden Files, because seriously that's a moment I'm going to cherish forever.
I spent maybe ten minutes or so debating whether or not I should actually read Changes, but tossed it aside and watched the DVD of HBO's Rome instead. Tom skimmed you, laughed and swore a lot, and told me that predictably you sucked ass.
Anyway, best of luck Dresden Files. Harry having a kid and going evil to protect his spawn is pretty much jumping the shark in the lamest, most cliched way possible. I'm returning you today, and while I know our breakup is going to be hard for you, I figure you'll manage to console yourself with the dump trucks full of money you'll be making off this book from your dedicated fans.
Sincerely,
Prisoner24601
Okay to be honest, this series lost me a long time ago. There was a moment where it would have made perfect sense for when Harry's annoying and condescending nice guy/white knight/"I must save the womenfolk" attitude to bite him right in the ass. And honestly, I thought it would because I thought that's what the series had been building toward. But instead we were treated to Harry sternly lecturing another character (who was pretty badass in his own right and would have no qualms of killing an evil woman) about how he shouldn't buy her bullshit. His friend OF COURSE doesn't listen, and Harry OF COURSE has to save him.
At that point, the book sailed across the room and I was finished.
Jim Butcher does a few things right in this series but the good has long been eclipsed by the bad. The plots have gotten so sloppy and ridiculous that it makes me wonder if he even has editors anymore, or if the publisher is just all "Okay fuck it. Let's make some money." The last few books I read seriously needed a second or third draft they were so poorly crafted. This doesn't even include the annoyingness of BIG THINGS HAPPENING that have no real world consequences, Jim Butcher's complete lack of knowledge about the geography and feel of Chicago, and the fact that Harry's smart ass ways never get him in trouble that he can't get out of. Combined with Harry constantly angsting about shit that really isn't his fault (because, crap, we can't have a hero that actually fucks up for real), new plots cropping up all over the place with other sideplots never getting resolved, and the continuous beating of a dead horse issues that were supposed to be resolved, well let's just say that these books have been a fucked up mess for years.
I don't have any faith that this new plot will be handled in a way that makes Harry do anything actually bad, because Butcher has a nasty habit of completely wussing out when it comes to stuff like this. So even though it's free, I think I'll pass. Really I should have been done a long time ago.
But a few weeks ago when I went to the library, I saw your latest incarnation "Changes" on the shelf, and after cringing at the amazingly lame title that would be more appropriate to say, a Judy Blume book, I opened up and saw this blurb on the jacket cover:
Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.
Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry's not fighting to save the world...
He's fighting to save his child.
My first reaction was a very loud "Dude, are you fucking serious?!!!" followed uproarious laughter, which immediately earned me the scowl of the librarian at the circulation desk. I then checked you out for the sole purpose of this crazy to my husband, who made the best WTF face ever after reading the summary. I wish I'd had my camera ready, Dresden Files, because seriously that's a moment I'm going to cherish forever.
I spent maybe ten minutes or so debating whether or not I should actually read Changes, but tossed it aside and watched the DVD of HBO's Rome instead. Tom skimmed you, laughed and swore a lot, and told me that predictably you sucked ass.
Anyway, best of luck Dresden Files. Harry having a kid and going evil to protect his spawn is pretty much jumping the shark in the lamest, most cliched way possible. I'm returning you today, and while I know our breakup is going to be hard for you, I figure you'll manage to console yourself with the dump trucks full of money you'll be making off this book from your dedicated fans.
Sincerely,
Prisoner24601
Okay to be honest, this series lost me a long time ago. There was a moment where it would have made perfect sense for when Harry's annoying and condescending nice guy/white knight/"I must save the womenfolk" attitude to bite him right in the ass. And honestly, I thought it would because I thought that's what the series had been building toward. But instead we were treated to Harry sternly lecturing another character (who was pretty badass in his own right and would have no qualms of killing an evil woman) about how he shouldn't buy her bullshit. His friend OF COURSE doesn't listen, and Harry OF COURSE has to save him.
At that point, the book sailed across the room and I was finished.
Jim Butcher does a few things right in this series but the good has long been eclipsed by the bad. The plots have gotten so sloppy and ridiculous that it makes me wonder if he even has editors anymore, or if the publisher is just all "Okay fuck it. Let's make some money." The last few books I read seriously needed a second or third draft they were so poorly crafted. This doesn't even include the annoyingness of BIG THINGS HAPPENING that have no real world consequences, Jim Butcher's complete lack of knowledge about the geography and feel of Chicago, and the fact that Harry's smart ass ways never get him in trouble that he can't get out of. Combined with Harry constantly angsting about shit that really isn't his fault (because, crap, we can't have a hero that actually fucks up for real), new plots cropping up all over the place with other sideplots never getting resolved, and the continuous beating of a dead horse issues that were supposed to be resolved, well let's just say that these books have been a fucked up mess for years.
I don't have any faith that this new plot will be handled in a way that makes Harry do anything actually bad, because Butcher has a nasty habit of completely wussing out when it comes to stuff like this. So even though it's free, I think I'll pass. Really I should have been done a long time ago.