Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

Book Four of the Dresden Files

When the first line of a novel is, “It rained toads the day the White Council came to town,” you might get an inkling that you’re in for a bumpy ride. And when it’s the ragamuffin wizard Harry Dresden narrating that line, you’re sure of it.

In Summer Knight, Harry, suffering the severe psychological backlash of the events in Grave Peril, finds himself at the epicenter of a complex set of overlapping conflicts involving the White Council (the wizards’ governing body, which is already full of people who distrust and hate him), a vampire war, and the courts of faerie. There’s also a murder mystery to solve and the return of someone he thought was dead. All in a few days’ work for the Chicago-based wizard for hire.

I really liked this story with its engaging language, reminiscent of the hard-boiled detective stories, fast-paced action, and entertaining characters. There were enough twists to keep me on my toes and enough danger and suspense to keep me frantically turning the pages (or pushing the buttons…I read this as and e-book.) I love Harry’s attitude, his stubbornness, strength and courage, the type of courage that is just on the other side of the fine line separating it from insanity.

As usual, Harry gets stuck in something so deep (um, literally) that it should be impossible for him to get out. He does get out, of course, and if you’re aware that there are more books in the series, I suppose that’s not such a surprise. Yes, he manages to be the awkward hero once again, this time with the aid of quite a motley assortment of allies, including his old friend Murphy from the Chicago police, a pack of young werewolves, a few changelings, and some seriously dangerous pixies led by the formidable Toot-Toot. In the end I was not only left still believing in Our Hero, Harry, but also the power of what is right and the power of true friendship born of respect. And the power of pizza.



You might also like Grave Peril, Book Three of the Dresden Files

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