Small Favor

In the tenth book of The Dresden Files, Harry agrees to do a small favor for someone and quickly finds himself in way over his head. Meanwhile the main plot of the series is just treading water while everyone gets moved into place.

I really don't expect a lot from The Dresden Files. They're like popcorn action movies. Something that's entertaining, but that I don't really think too hard about. The plots are convoluted but not necessarily complicated. There are a ton of characters - both allies and enemies of Harry. But keeping them all straight is what the internet is for. And I definitely kept my tablet close at hand so I could keep looking things up while I read this.

This book brought back a lot of characters from the past. Both faerie courts are in play, as are the Denarians and the Knights of the Cross. The Archive shows up, along with a warden, Thomas, and the ever-present Murphy. It almost felt like an attempt to reintroduce a bunch of these characters and tease out their alliances in preparation for the climax that I know is coming in the next book or two.

In the meantime, this book was fun. There was snappy dialogue and lots of action and cameos by nearly all of the characters I've come to care about over the course of the series. Exactly what I want when I pick up a book in this series. Just some light, zippy entertainment. The Dresden Files may not be the greatest series ever written, but it's not the worst either, and this installment was a fine example. It's nice knowing that even ten books in, Butcher can still churn out entertaining, action-packed stories that don't feel like retreads of everything that's come before.

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