Changes
As the title indicates, this is the part of The Dresden Files where everything changes. And it's not just that the title is Changes.
The one-word title is a distinct departure from the pattern of titles
used in this series so far. Each book's title has had two words, each
with the same number of letters. Until now.
Given all that, I went in to this book with higher than usual expectations. And it did not disappoint. From the opening lines, in which we discover that Harry has a daughter that he did not previously know about and that she's been kidnapped, this book is just relentless. Everything starts to get stripped away from Harry, who is suddenly facing the FBI in addition to the usual supernatural stuff, and the usual supernatural goons have kicked it up a few notches.
This book is really brutal. Harry comes as close to losing as he's ever done before. He gets more thoroughly beaten than in any of the previous books, and things look really grim. But he's also developed more skills, more allies, and more enemies. The deal he makes in a moment of desperation will certainly have far-reaching consequences.
Although, honestly, this almost wouldn't be a bad place for the book to end. It ties off quite a few of the loose ends that have been sustaining the series. The war with the vampires that got started back in the third book and faded into the background finally reaches it's climax. Various secrets are revealed, and Harry's relationships with his friends and family are as strong as they've ever been.
Then again, you can't just end a series on a cliffhanger. It would be cruel to end the way this book does. Especially since the stakes have been raised yet again. And indeed, this is only the halfway point of the planned series. It's a pretty great book, as far as turning points go. There are massive emotional and plot payoffs and for all the brutality it manages to also be tender and incredibly satisfying. (Except for the ending.)
I'm excited to see where this series goes next. The next book is actually the one that my book club did a year ago, which is what finally convinced me to read this series. Knowing the premise of that book spoiled me pretty severely for the ending of this book, but that did nothing to kill my enjoyment. Changes was definitely the best book in the series so far, and it will be really, really hard to top.
Given all that, I went in to this book with higher than usual expectations. And it did not disappoint. From the opening lines, in which we discover that Harry has a daughter that he did not previously know about and that she's been kidnapped, this book is just relentless. Everything starts to get stripped away from Harry, who is suddenly facing the FBI in addition to the usual supernatural stuff, and the usual supernatural goons have kicked it up a few notches.
This book is really brutal. Harry comes as close to losing as he's ever done before. He gets more thoroughly beaten than in any of the previous books, and things look really grim. But he's also developed more skills, more allies, and more enemies. The deal he makes in a moment of desperation will certainly have far-reaching consequences.
Although, honestly, this almost wouldn't be a bad place for the book to end. It ties off quite a few of the loose ends that have been sustaining the series. The war with the vampires that got started back in the third book and faded into the background finally reaches it's climax. Various secrets are revealed, and Harry's relationships with his friends and family are as strong as they've ever been.
Then again, you can't just end a series on a cliffhanger. It would be cruel to end the way this book does. Especially since the stakes have been raised yet again. And indeed, this is only the halfway point of the planned series. It's a pretty great book, as far as turning points go. There are massive emotional and plot payoffs and for all the brutality it manages to also be tender and incredibly satisfying. (Except for the ending.)
I'm excited to see where this series goes next. The next book is actually the one that my book club did a year ago, which is what finally convinced me to read this series. Knowing the premise of that book spoiled me pretty severely for the ending of this book, but that did nothing to kill my enjoyment. Changes was definitely the best book in the series so far, and it will be really, really hard to top.
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