Jim Butcher - Amazing Author - Dresden Files, Codex Alera

[netherspirit]

Originally Posted by InfinityMax

OK, because I am the local crotchety bast-ardo, I'm going to say something negative. And not just because everyone is happy right now and I don't like that.

Dresden is a total nerd. The man cries. He goes to final showdown battles in sweat pants and cowboy boots. He thinks his duster looks cool. If he were a gamer, he would LARP.

I know Jim Butcher is a total nerd - total dweebs read his bio and go, 'man, what a nerd.' But is it so hard to have a hard-boiled detective be just a little hard-boiled? Harry Dresden is this powerful hard-on magical killer, and he's a total goober.

The TV show Dresden is immensely more likable. The book Dresden reminds me of guys I see at ren fairs.

I love the books, but I really wish Butcher could write the hero with a little more stones.

You've only read the first book though right? He gets much more bad-azz when he gets more experience dealing with the Vampires, Demons, Werevolves, etc. on a regular basis.

[markwars]

I love you IMax. :P

[Tiberius]

Well personally I feel that showing that weakness and emotion humanizes our hero. Not everyone is invincible and has nerves of steel to face every horror the fantasy universe has to throw at you and walk away mentally well. And everything that they guy has gone through I think has shown he has huge stones for facing what he faces and takes on.

[InfinityMax]

I read the first one, and most of the second. I sure hope he gets more cajones. I don't mind foibles, but there is a difference between having emotion and the odd weakness and being a total weenie. Not that Dresden is a total weenie, but he is kind of a girly-man. I will keep reading - I like the books - and I look forward to seeing him throw out his Tampax.

[Tiberius]

Well in book three, he still has his tampax.

[Hahma]

I finished Storm Front the other day and really liked it. The only thing that I was disappointed in was Buther's generic discription of Chicago and surrounding areas. However, after getting into Fool Moon a little bit, I am pleased that he actually says that Murphy takes Dresden to Rosemont, instead of just "the suburbs" crap.

Regarding Dresen's cajones, I like that he's not some super badass wizard without a human element or that is without weakness. I mean, from what I've seen in real life situations, it's usually the quiet mild mannered guy that ends up being the hero, the big-mouth tough guy cop seems to be the one that gets caught on video tape beating the crap out of a female bartender because she cuts him off from drinks (two separate incidents like this from Chicago's finest).

[oogiezone]

Jim Butcher is by far my favorite author. It's totally awesome that he has two really good series of books out. In my experience, when authors (like Jacqueline Cary and Holly Lisle) have one series that is really good and try to do a different series, its never as good, but the Codex Alera books totally rock. You all should read them.

Also, it endears Harry to me when he has no idea what he's getting into until its too late. I like that, even though he's not the best or most versatile wizard, he still puts himself in situations where he is outnumbered and outclassed because someone that he has decided to protect is in trouble. I kind of like that he's a puss, because it makes the story more real to me. I'd totally be scared poopless going into the situations he does.

[markwars]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

Well in book three, he still has his tampax.

I wouldn't agree. Harry's first trip into the Never-Never (at least in the books) happens early on in Grave Peril and I think Harry was pretty damn brave in that scene. He's willing to take his lumps, he just complains about it. :P

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by markwars

I wouldn't agree. Harry's first trip into the Never-Never (at least in the books) happens early on in Grave Peril and I think Harry was pretty darn brave in that scene. He's willing to take his lumps, he just complains about it. :P

I just finished Fool Moon and am moving on to Grave Peril tomorrow.

I agree with Markwars in that Harry has stones to do some of the things he does, but he's not a robotic hero type that is always calm cool and collected despite the odds or situation. Harry does what has to be done, but he's often scared as hell while he's doing it and I imagine that some things can be overwhelming emotionally. I'd suspect that cops, firefighters, EMT's and soldier/marines get pretty emotional after some of the stuff they have to see or do. This gives Harry more of a human element IMO. Dude has issues and must fight evil using a different set of morals and ethics than the bad guys do, it must be a pain in the arse.

I was glad to see that Butcher got better at describing Chicago and surrounding areas in a less generic way than in did in Storm Front. I used to live a few blocks from Wolf Lake and never suspected that werewolves were about, though there were often some odd characters roaming about. Hmmm......

[Hahma]

Just finished Grave Peril and will move on to Summer Knight tomorrow.

So far, Grave Peril has been my favorite, but I've enjoyed them all.

[netherspirit]

Originally Posted by Hahma

Just finished Grave Peril and will move on to Summer Knight tomorrow.

So far, Grave Peril has been my favorite, but I've enjoyed them all.

Grave Peril was my favorite until I read Summer Knight, that is currently tied for my favorite with White Night. I love them all though.

[hex706f726368]

Summer Knight was my favorite when I got to that one. I felt like he finally started acting like a smart wizard in that one. I kinda felt vindicated sticking with him.

Dead Beat is by far my favorite in the series so far. Proven Guilty is a very close second just based on the conversation between Harry and Michael at the end of the book.

I'm reading White Night right now. I'm a bit reluctant to finish it though. Not sure what I'm going to do when I don't have another one waiting to pick up where the last one left off.