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sharelleFinished "Blood Rites" today – which actually took me a bit longer to read than the others. But, then, I didn't have as much free time this week. (Thoughts of going back to work at the end of this month, niggling at the back of my mind, continue to force me to do responsible adult-type preparation things.)
General opinion of Dresden Files Book 6, I loved it. My only problem with that is, since the book's only in its first few days of release, who knows how long until the next one comes out. (Grr.) Of course, my musings are chock-full of spoilers, so read on only if you've finished the book . . . or if that's your thing, you spoiler-whore, you!
"Blood Rites:" I squirmed, I 'squeed,' I scrutinized! – Some random reflections in no particular order.
The Squirmage
- Nothing like a detailed description of lustful vampiric incest to really liven things up!
- Harry's poor, poor hand! (Although it worked well to hark back to Lasciel's sigil. I was disappointed not to see anything come of that yet, but I was glad Butcher didn't leave that subject totally buried – pardon the pun – and forgotten until he was really ready to bring it into the plot.)
The Squee-age
- I was up in the air over which of the women in Harry's life I was shipping for by the end of Book 5, but by the time he was all flirtatiously (and honestly) complimenting Murphy on the way she looked in her dress, I was all, "Susan who?" In fact, I was much happier with Karrin's overall presence in the book this time. She seemed more like a real character and less like a 'means to an end,' as she did in some of the other books in the series -- where she would step in at a critical moment and then disappear for the duration. If Butcher is pro- a Harry/Karrin relationship, the time he's taking to develop it, alone, can only mean that it will probably be a serious one. (Very "Sculder.") And it's likely that they both may have their fair share of false-starts before that even happens if, in fact, it ever does. (Did anyone else sense a little Karrin/Kincaid? *G* And Harry seemed veeery disappointed at the notion that Murphy digs the bad boys!) This book was filled with instances of Harry really noticing her as a woman rather than a pal (there was that offhanded remark about marrying her), and as a result, allowing the reader to notice as well. And though some of those glimpses were perhaps a bit gratuitous (read: Murphy removing her pants to slither under infrared tripwires), they each enable us to see sides of Karrin that we've never seen up to this point. (And I don't just mean her little pink panties.)
Murphy's always shown that she can care deeply about people and causes, that she's fiercely trustworthy and a true friend, and that she occasionally reveals some emotion, though she tries very hard not to. But here we see her as someone who can feel strongly about more than just her work, someone who can feel rejected by those she cares about, someone who's not as perfect as her prolific accomplishments and accolades might suggest and, yes, someone who's got her fair share of sexual frustration. (And in this way, she couldn't be more different than Susan, who had sexuality in spades and never tried to hide from it. Murphy, on the other hand, represses, which is undoubtedly why she reacted the way she did with Kincaid.) She seems to be warming to Harry, though. Boucoup eye contact this time around and, while there's no soulgaze yet, when it comes you know it's going to be a biggie!
The Random Scrutiny
- Honestly, I wasn't all that surprised to discover the "shocking secret" mentioned on the book's back cover. In fact, I pretty much had that one pegged. For the last 5 books, Harry's been hearing hints as to possible family out there somewhere. And the attention that was paid to the absence of it in his life at the beginning of the book kind of paved the way for a logical conclusion. (I was happy to learn that it wasn't the entire Raith family tree to which he was related. If Inari and Lara ended up being his sisters besides, that would be just . . . well, see "Squirmage" point #1. *squirm*) I'm happy with Thomas as his brother, though, since I've always liked him. And Harry's ultimate reaction to the news was beyond sweet. (I was a tad cheesed by the whole vision revelation by his mother, but Butcher seems to be a fan of deus ex machina solutions, especially in his final chapters, so I suppose I'll let him have that.)
- I was a big fan of the puppy, even if it also seemed kind of cheesy at the beginning. Harry Dresden, Champion of the Innocent! Defender of Puppies! I'd thought something would come of it during the story, some revelation or plot device as to why it had come into his life at this particular time. (Important, holy guardian dog, remember.) But no, alas. Not yet. Most of the time it just stayed in his pocket and I even started to lose track of when he had it with him and when he didn't. (Sometimes I think even Butcher forgot when Harry was in the company of the dog - i.e. the fight in the library. There he and Thomas are, slamming each other around, and oops! Oh, yeah. Puppy in the pocket.) I'm not so sure I go for the name they gave it at the end, either. "Mouse"…eh. Not as catchy or as different as Mister or some of the other things Butcher comes up with, but I suppose it could be worse. I haven't quite forgiven him for the tackiness that was the "Chlorofiend."
- I wasn't totally clear on exactly what big favor Harry asked of Murphy just before they left to fight Raith. I assumed it was to put on the whole "conquered female" act, but how did he know she'd be put in a situation where she'd have to do it? (Knowing in advance that they'd have to let themselves get caught was kind of risky, especially since she ended up with a knife in her ribs. Plus, his narration at the end of Chapter 39 was a bit more misleading than it usually is.)
- The banter between Harry and Karrin was much more comfortable and playful than in the first few books. Some of their lines were priceless, too. One of my favorites: "Woman shut smart mouth and get me free or no wild monkey love for you." (One would think Harry had had enough of "wild monkeys" at the beginning of the story!)
- The book still had its fair share of typos, though not as many as Book 3, thank goodness. It's just a bit jarring when Harry tries to say something cocky and clever, and it comes out, "Gosh, I'd hate to for my life to be in jeopardy." (p. 296) Makes it obvious that Butcher had originally written the sentence differently, but didn't go back and fix all the prepositions when he changed it.
- Not as many Buffy references as in Book 5, though the ones that were there were glaring and obvious. (Like when Harry "makes like Buffy" during his initial fight against the vampires in the parking lot.) Also, at first glance, I'd thought Inari's name was a reference to the actress who played SIT Kennedy, but there's a slight spelling difference I didn't pick up on at first. (Iyari Limon played Kennedy in S7.) So my bad. But still, there's a resemblance.
I'd also noticed some fun Evil Dead references, such as Harry's insistence on using the word "Groovy" in this book, especially after being told he might lose his hand. "Ash" lights going off all over the place! ("It got into my hand and it went bad…so I lopped it off at the wrist." No chainsaw attachment for Harry, though he did mention a Swiss Army prosthesis.) And has Harry called his blasting rod his "boom stick" at any point? *G*
- Hmm. McAnally's wasn't mentioned at all. (Neither was "McAnnally's.") Guess Butcher wasn't completely decided on how he wanted to spell it.
- This series looks as though it's going to keep going for a long time, since there are so many hovering plotlines still lingering about. (One thing I like about Butcher's writing is his ability to think ahead and know what he wants to do later. It reminds me very much of J.K. Rowling in the way he drops hints as to future storylines and important themes several books in advance. The man must have very elaborate outlines at home!) Some of the things I'm still curious about that I think may come around again:
· A cure for Susan's condition since, regardless of her absence from this book, I'm still convinced that she'll be back. (And will there be a bit of a lurve triangle to contend with when she does? Dun, dun, dun! *G*)
· The whole topic of Mavra's demise
· Lasciel's sigil and the effect it's already starting to have on Harry (As well as how Michael, and perhaps even Charity, will react upon learning how he came by it.)
· I still think Michael's daughter Molly is going to have some role later. And that puppy has got to be there for some important reason!
· Harry may have Shiro's Sword, but is he the new Knight? (And if not, who? Someone we already know? Avenging Angel Murphy, perhaps?)
· What are the other two favors Harry is going to have to complete for Mab?
· Since White Court vampires have no influence over people in love and Raith couldn't completely seduce Murphy, was that due to his dwindling power or something about Murphy we haven’t learned yet?
· Since Justine's not dead, will there be more of her? (She's basically exceeded everyone's expectations already, so who's to say she won't completely recover?)
· Is Harry's debilitated hand going to be a future issue?
· The aftermath of what happened with Ebenezar and its potential to affect Harry's headway in trusting those close to him
Are there others I'm forgetting?
All in all, another great book! (I miss reading it already!) I'll be eagerly awaiting news of the next one!
General opinion of Dresden Files Book 6, I loved it. My only problem with that is, since the book's only in its first few days of release, who knows how long until the next one comes out. (Grr.) Of course, my musings are chock-full of spoilers, so read on only if you've finished the book . . . or if that's your thing, you spoiler-whore, you!
"Blood Rites:" I squirmed, I 'squeed,' I scrutinized! – Some random reflections in no particular order.
The Squirmage
- Nothing like a detailed description of lustful vampiric incest to really liven things up!
- Harry's poor, poor hand! (Although it worked well to hark back to Lasciel's sigil. I was disappointed not to see anything come of that yet, but I was glad Butcher didn't leave that subject totally buried – pardon the pun – and forgotten until he was really ready to bring it into the plot.)
The Squee-age
- I was up in the air over which of the women in Harry's life I was shipping for by the end of Book 5, but by the time he was all flirtatiously (and honestly) complimenting Murphy on the way she looked in her dress, I was all, "Susan who?" In fact, I was much happier with Karrin's overall presence in the book this time. She seemed more like a real character and less like a 'means to an end,' as she did in some of the other books in the series -- where she would step in at a critical moment and then disappear for the duration. If Butcher is pro- a Harry/Karrin relationship, the time he's taking to develop it, alone, can only mean that it will probably be a serious one. (Very "Sculder.") And it's likely that they both may have their fair share of false-starts before that even happens if, in fact, it ever does. (Did anyone else sense a little Karrin/Kincaid? *G* And Harry seemed veeery disappointed at the notion that Murphy digs the bad boys!) This book was filled with instances of Harry really noticing her as a woman rather than a pal (there was that offhanded remark about marrying her), and as a result, allowing the reader to notice as well. And though some of those glimpses were perhaps a bit gratuitous (read: Murphy removing her pants to slither under infrared tripwires), they each enable us to see sides of Karrin that we've never seen up to this point. (And I don't just mean her little pink panties.)
Murphy's always shown that she can care deeply about people and causes, that she's fiercely trustworthy and a true friend, and that she occasionally reveals some emotion, though she tries very hard not to. But here we see her as someone who can feel strongly about more than just her work, someone who can feel rejected by those she cares about, someone who's not as perfect as her prolific accomplishments and accolades might suggest and, yes, someone who's got her fair share of sexual frustration. (And in this way, she couldn't be more different than Susan, who had sexuality in spades and never tried to hide from it. Murphy, on the other hand, represses, which is undoubtedly why she reacted the way she did with Kincaid.) She seems to be warming to Harry, though. Boucoup eye contact this time around and, while there's no soulgaze yet, when it comes you know it's going to be a biggie!
The Random Scrutiny
- Honestly, I wasn't all that surprised to discover the "shocking secret" mentioned on the book's back cover. In fact, I pretty much had that one pegged. For the last 5 books, Harry's been hearing hints as to possible family out there somewhere. And the attention that was paid to the absence of it in his life at the beginning of the book kind of paved the way for a logical conclusion. (I was happy to learn that it wasn't the entire Raith family tree to which he was related. If Inari and Lara ended up being his sisters besides, that would be just . . . well, see "Squirmage" point #1. *squirm*) I'm happy with Thomas as his brother, though, since I've always liked him. And Harry's ultimate reaction to the news was beyond sweet. (I was a tad cheesed by the whole vision revelation by his mother, but Butcher seems to be a fan of deus ex machina solutions, especially in his final chapters, so I suppose I'll let him have that.)
- I was a big fan of the puppy, even if it also seemed kind of cheesy at the beginning. Harry Dresden, Champion of the Innocent! Defender of Puppies! I'd thought something would come of it during the story, some revelation or plot device as to why it had come into his life at this particular time. (Important, holy guardian dog, remember.) But no, alas. Not yet. Most of the time it just stayed in his pocket and I even started to lose track of when he had it with him and when he didn't. (Sometimes I think even Butcher forgot when Harry was in the company of the dog - i.e. the fight in the library. There he and Thomas are, slamming each other around, and oops! Oh, yeah. Puppy in the pocket.) I'm not so sure I go for the name they gave it at the end, either. "Mouse"…eh. Not as catchy or as different as Mister or some of the other things Butcher comes up with, but I suppose it could be worse. I haven't quite forgiven him for the tackiness that was the "Chlorofiend."
- I wasn't totally clear on exactly what big favor Harry asked of Murphy just before they left to fight Raith. I assumed it was to put on the whole "conquered female" act, but how did he know she'd be put in a situation where she'd have to do it? (Knowing in advance that they'd have to let themselves get caught was kind of risky, especially since she ended up with a knife in her ribs. Plus, his narration at the end of Chapter 39 was a bit more misleading than it usually is.)
- The banter between Harry and Karrin was much more comfortable and playful than in the first few books. Some of their lines were priceless, too. One of my favorites: "Woman shut smart mouth and get me free or no wild monkey love for you." (One would think Harry had had enough of "wild monkeys" at the beginning of the story!)
- The book still had its fair share of typos, though not as many as Book 3, thank goodness. It's just a bit jarring when Harry tries to say something cocky and clever, and it comes out, "Gosh, I'd hate to for my life to be in jeopardy." (p. 296) Makes it obvious that Butcher had originally written the sentence differently, but didn't go back and fix all the prepositions when he changed it.
- Not as many Buffy references as in Book 5, though the ones that were there were glaring and obvious. (Like when Harry "makes like Buffy" during his initial fight against the vampires in the parking lot.) Also, at first glance, I'd thought Inari's name was a reference to the actress who played SIT Kennedy, but there's a slight spelling difference I didn't pick up on at first. (Iyari Limon played Kennedy in S7.) So my bad. But still, there's a resemblance.
I'd also noticed some fun Evil Dead references, such as Harry's insistence on using the word "Groovy" in this book, especially after being told he might lose his hand. "Ash" lights going off all over the place! ("It got into my hand and it went bad…so I lopped it off at the wrist." No chainsaw attachment for Harry, though he did mention a Swiss Army prosthesis.) And has Harry called his blasting rod his "boom stick" at any point? *G*
- Hmm. McAnally's wasn't mentioned at all. (Neither was "McAnnally's.") Guess Butcher wasn't completely decided on how he wanted to spell it.
- This series looks as though it's going to keep going for a long time, since there are so many hovering plotlines still lingering about. (One thing I like about Butcher's writing is his ability to think ahead and know what he wants to do later. It reminds me very much of J.K. Rowling in the way he drops hints as to future storylines and important themes several books in advance. The man must have very elaborate outlines at home!) Some of the things I'm still curious about that I think may come around again:
· A cure for Susan's condition since, regardless of her absence from this book, I'm still convinced that she'll be back. (And will there be a bit of a lurve triangle to contend with when she does? Dun, dun, dun! *G*)
· The whole topic of Mavra's demise
· Lasciel's sigil and the effect it's already starting to have on Harry (As well as how Michael, and perhaps even Charity, will react upon learning how he came by it.)
· I still think Michael's daughter Molly is going to have some role later. And that puppy has got to be there for some important reason!
· Harry may have Shiro's Sword, but is he the new Knight? (And if not, who? Someone we already know? Avenging Angel Murphy, perhaps?)
· What are the other two favors Harry is going to have to complete for Mab?
· Since White Court vampires have no influence over people in love and Raith couldn't completely seduce Murphy, was that due to his dwindling power or something about Murphy we haven’t learned yet?
· Since Justine's not dead, will there be more of her? (She's basically exceeded everyone's expectations already, so who's to say she won't completely recover?)
· Is Harry's debilitated hand going to be a future issue?
· The aftermath of what happened with Ebenezar and its potential to affect Harry's headway in trusting those close to him
Are there others I'm forgetting?
All in all, another great book! (I miss reading it already!) I'll be eagerly awaiting news of the next one!
