Highly Recommended Reading: 'White Night' by Jim Butcher

Filed by: Darren on January 25, 2008 at 15:05
Filed In: Books

A new instalment of The Dresden Files? Gimme!

White Night went straight to the top of the 'to be read' pile as soon as I opened the packet from Orbit and I ended up leaving barely a few hours between finishing the rather superb Last Argument of Kings and plunging headlong into the latest rip-roaring adventures of gumshoe-wizard-detective turned magical-guardian-of-Chicago, Harry Dresden.

And in this, the eight book in what's rapidly turning into my favourite long-running series of all time, I found author Jim Butcher to be in rather excellent form, and no mistake.

I'm not going to summarise the narrative, because there's a lot of back-story and sub-plot in White Night that has been carefully lain down in earlier parts of the series that I'd pretty much have to re-cap the whole lot to-date. Instead, I recommend that you nip out and buy, beg or borrow all eight books, then settle down for a good, long read. You should be able to get through them all in a weekend if you really put your mind to it, eh?

I will say, though, that I'm really very pleased indeed with the way the series as a whole is still growing and changing; accreting new layers of meaning and detail with each new book. There can be a risk, with these multi-episodic narrative ventures, that the author's initial enthusiasm will wane, or a particular element of the storyline will come to dominate the narrative; I'm thinking of the way the soft porn aspect of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series came to dominate and drown out most other facets of the series at round about the same stage in its development.

Not so with our man Jim Butcher and our demi-hero Harry Dresden. In White Night, there's enough in the way of ongoing continuity to provide a warm glow of familiarity for regular readers, without any of the major themes or incidents feeling too repetitious or worn-thin. In particular, this tale is blessed with the return of several favourite minor characters, some of whom haven't been seen for at least a couple of the preceding volumes.

At the same time, though, Jim Butcher has continued to expand upon his milieu, for instance with some fairly significant revelations about the state of the global situation vis-a-vis the power struggles ongoing in the supernatural spheres. He's also continuing to develop - in subtle, but significantly ways - the character of protagonist and first-person narrator Harry Dresden; ensuring that the guy remains interesting and edgy, despite eight volumes' worth of growing reader familiarity.

All of which bodes well for the twelve volumes of The Dresden Files that Jim Butcher tells us he still plans to write. He's put down plenty of potential plot-seeds and possibilities in White Night and I look forward to seeing how they blossom and bloom (bless Orbit, they're bringing out the next volume in March, in hardback... only a two-month wait!) If he can keep up the same mix of high-octane action, suspenseful intrigue, strong characterisation and effective character development, then I'll definitely remain a fan to the very end. At which point I'll hopefully find time to sit down and re-read all twenty through again. At least a couple of times...

Great stuff! Go forth! Acquire! Read!

Filed on: January 25, 2008
Filed under: Books
Tagged with: Jim-Butcher | recommended-reading | The-Dresden-Files |

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9 Responses to 'Highly Recommended Reading: 'White Night' by Jim Butcher'

Gav (NextRead) on January 25th, 2008 10:42 pm

Gah! You had to say that didn't you! I've got books three and four lined up. Now all I need is time...

Thanks for confirming that he's managing to keep the series at a high standard :D
Darren on January 26th, 2008 3:16 pm

I've got books three and four lined up. Now all I need is time...

...and books five and six and seven and eight... :)

And he certainly has managed to keep the quality high. Talented chap, this Butcher. Haven't read his fantasy series yet though. Anyone out there know anything about that one? Worth looking into?
Sayuri on January 29th, 2008 4:13 pm

I friggin LOVED this book. I love any book where Thomas is involved though. And Marcone.

I have the first book of the Codex Alera series but haven't read it. But by all accounts it's fab too. Jim seemingly wrote it as a bet.

During a panel someone said you had to have decent subject matter to write a decent book and Jim disagreed saying a good author could take any subject matter and make it interesting. Challenge was extended and Jim accepted. Subject matter was Roman Legions and Pokemon. Codex Alera was born.....
Darren on January 29th, 2008 5:54 pm

Actually, I think Marcone is one of my favourite supporting characters as well. And the <ahem> developments (he says, avoiding spoilers) in this one should make things... interesting from here on in, eh?

So Codex Alexa represents the confluence between Roman Legions and Pokemon? Hmmmmmm... not sure that's really selling it to me, for some reason... ;)
Joe on February 4th, 2008 10:07 pm

Yup, I shove all the other books on the Eternal Tottering Pile Of Books Awaiting Reading to one side whenever a Dresden Files comes to me from Orbit (all books gratefully received, just wish I had time to read more of them). And so far Jim's never once left me feeling let down, they just damned well keep getting better! And I'm with you on the the intriguing increasing details and complexity he is building up in the background with each volume - does make it very hard to summarise a novel for a review, mind you, but makes for a terrific series you can submerge yourself into. Be interesting to see what the comics version does in a few months
Kathy on March 25th, 2008 4:04 pm

Just looking for a bit of feedback on Butcher's Codex Alexa fantasy series when I stumbled upon this blog and was compelled to add my $0.02, particularly after reading that bit about Laurell K. Hamilton. I don't think that anyone was more disappointed than I when her supernatural crime-fighting series degenerated into vampire and werewolf porn for lonely housewives.

Needless to say (because you already have), Jim Butcher has yet to disappoint. I am a longtime fan of The Dresden Files and I'm just about finished with Book 1 of The Codex Alera, which is proving to be just as addictive a read. Enjoy!
Darren on March 25th, 2008 4:10 pm

Hi Kathy -

Well, thank you very much indeed for the Codex Alexa hat-tip. Sounds like it's going to turn into another series for the to-be-read mountain after all... :)

Have you ordered your copy of 'Backup' from Subterranean Press yet, btw?
Kathy on March 25th, 2008 5:16 pm

Well I'll be ... boy, am I out of the loop! Here I just found out that the next Dresden novel is weeks from release, and now this!

I will be ordering my copy of "Backup" right after I submit this post! Thanks!
ariel on April 11th, 2008 7:51 pm

Well whaddya know, my new employer just just announced we'll be publishing Jim Butcher's Codex Alera in 2009... looks like I'll definitely get to read them now :)

So, Sayuri, Kathy, what did you think of Small Favour..?