An Important Book in the Series, Blood Rites is All About Family
Written: Sep 29 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Murphy and Harry together again, complicated and interesting characters, some mysteries solved.
Cons: Must read books in order.
The Bottom Line: #6 in the Dresden Files series, Blood Rites is the best installment yet.
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| dagny21's Full Review: Jim Butcher - Blood Rites |
Note: There are minor spoilers ahead. If you're wondering if you might want to read this book, or start reading this series, and don't want any spoilers, skip on down to the Final Thoughts paragraph near the end of this review.
Chicago wizard Harry Dresden is one of my guilty pleasures. I'm not exactly plowing through the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. I've been reading them at a rate of about 1 to 2 books per year. But, I keep coming back to them, and between books Harry Dresden lurks at the back of my mind, gently poking and prodding me until I finally pick up the next book in the series.
Blood Rites is the sixth book in Jim Butcher's popular Dresden Files series. At the start of Blood Rites, Harry agrees to help out a friend and finds himself working undercover as a production assistant on a film set. Not just any film set, mind you, but the set of an adult film. The women working on this film have been dropping like flies, falling victim to something Harry calls an entropy curse. They have been dying in bizarre and dramatic ways, and Harry means to put a stop to it.
Blood Rites finds our friend Harry on the verge of big changes. Always a loner, Harry is about to acquire a puppy and a family! If you've read any of this series, you're of course wondering how on earth that - at least the family part - could be possible. But it is, I assure you. Of course it may not bear any resemblance to a normal family, but family it will be nonetheless. With all the craziness and complications that all families have, along with a little blood and gore that most don't.
What's So Good About This Book?
Lots of Murphy
Although it's not possible, I feel like Jim Butcher read my only real complaint about Death Masks (#5 in the series) before he wrote Blood Rites. I was disappointed with that book because it didn't have much of Murphy in it. I love Murphy, and I love the chemistry between Murphy and Harry. Blood Rites has lots and lots of Murphy and - more importantly - Murphy and Harry together.
Fascinating Characters
Jim Butcher really exceeded my expectations this time around in terms of his characters, many of whom we've seen before and now know better, but some who are entirely new. Just about everyone in this book is really interesting, layered, and well developed. Even the baddies.
Plenty of Humor
Blood Rites begins with an awesome set-up. Harry working undercover as a production assistant on a porno film. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't get any better than that. And of course as with all of the Dresden series, there is plenty of comic relief throughout, even in the most serious and frightening scenes.
Anything Not To Like?
In this book in the series, I don't have any criticisms. It was really very good. The only important thing to note is that these books must be read in order. You really won't understand the characters or all of what is going on if you haven't read all of the previous books in the series.
Final Thoughts
My experience with the Dresden Files has been uneven, but the deeper I get into this series, the happier I am that I stuck with them. Blood Rites is actually an excellent novel, and because it brings about major changes for Harry, and hints at more big changes for the future, it's definitely an important book in the series.
More Dresden Files
Dresden Files #1 Storm Front
Dresden Files #2 Fool Moon
Dresden Files #3 Grave Peril
Dresden Files #4 Summer Knight
Dresden Files #5 Death Masks
Dresden Files #6 Blood Rites
Dresden Files #7 Dead Beat
Dresden Files #8 Proven Guilty
Dresden Files #9 White Night
Dresden Files #10 Small Favor
Dresden Files #11 Turn Coat
Dresden Files #12 Changes (coming April 2010)
Recommended:
Yes
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dagny21
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Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
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