Book Twelve - 12 (The Dresden Files series) - The Dresden Files

Easily the best of an already great series so far. It's rare to find an author that can keep a series so engaging for so long, let alone successfully build upon and change all the established plot threads and continue from there.

I have been a Danielle Steel fan for many years. I especially enjoy her earlier books. This is the second time I have read Canges and have enjoyed it just as much as the first time. She is my very favorite author.

Changes, the newest in the Harry Dresden series was worth the wait and the hassle of getting a hardcover instead of reading it on my kindle. This series just keeps getting better. This book leaves you hanging and wanting more. I can't wait for the next one.

Great as usual, I really love these characters! Harry is growing up, but still manages to collect some impressive bruises. The title is very apt - all I can say is that I hope the next book is already half written! I cannot wait a whole year for the next one!!

I'm going to start this review a little unconventionally but bear with me. I must say I was actually angry when I saw that Jim Butcher was taking time out to write the Codex Alera (Codex Alera, Book 1) series. Not intrigued at the possibility of getting to read a new milieu created by a wonderful author, but genuinely mad that he would divert his amazing creative energies and time away from the Harry Dresden books. I eventually caved in and read that series, and I was impressed by the way Butcher had a very clear idea of the arc of the story right from the start. Amidst the amazing action scenes, political intrigue, and even romance, he never loses sight of the need to drive the story and his characters forward.

The same can be emphatically said for Changes. It's remarkable that after all Harry has been through in the series so far, Jim Butcher manages to to reach a new high in terms of the stakes for Harry in this book. What he risks, what drives him to do it, and the jaw-dropping outcome are all "turned up to 11" in this volume. Although much is bleak and tense, Harry's trademark dark humor is never far from the surface. And, as always seems to happen in every volume, he gets the snot kicked out of him in new and creative ways. It just wouldn't be a Dresden Files book if Harry didn't have a metaphorical piano dropped on his head a time or two!

Many reviewers have complained about the shocking cliffhanger at the end of this story. I disagree with them. I found it worked wonderfully well simply because it came as such a surprise. We've had 11 volumes in which a chapter of Harry's life draws to a satisfactory conclusion; I respect and admire how Butcher keeps the reader a little off balance this time. Many authors learn to play it safe and simply deliver "more of the same" but Butcher, like Harry, isn't content with the status quo. He has to keep striving for more.

I hate spoilers in reviews, so pardon me if this part of the review is frustratingly vague, but I simply have to mention it. By the end of the story we know that Harry's career path is going to change dramatically. I'm anticipating that plot arc much more than the resolution of the cliffhanger. My hat is off to Jim Butcher. Many lesser authors wouldn't dare tamper with a successful formula, but this book leaves me eagerly awaiting the next exciting chapter of the Harry Dresden saga.

But no more side projects, Mr. Butcher! I grudgingly forgave you for the Codex Alera but I'm a Dresden Files junkie that needs his next fix. Hurry up, man!

I absolutely love Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden. This book was in my opinion probably his best. I can't wait to see what the next one holds. You almost need to ready this one twice because you miss so much the first time you read it. I love how the character's are growing more and even in the fast pace of the plot, their evolution through the story is seamless. I love the Dresden Files!

A typical Dresden story in many ways. I've always enjoyed the side stories as Harry navigates his way through all of the twists and turns getting to the major action of the story. This was a bit lacking in this book. It seemed as if Butcher was trying to just get through it and be done with it. Without giving away too much of the story, each thing that happened was sending signals that this was the end. The authors note at the end urging readers to go to the Codex Alera series was wasted on me, as I've already read all of Tavi's adventures. I'm left wondering where Butcher goes from here. Maybe to retirement?

Jim comes thru again with the lastest Dresden novel. It will make you laugh, scream and possibly cry. The only short coming was it was such a short view of Harry's exciting life, the book takes place over 3 to 4 days. As usual, it leaves you wanting more.

The best Dresden yet! I don't think I can wait a whole year for 13. I gasped, I laughed, and I cried and cried. I havn't been this emotionally invested in a book in a long time. So flippin' great!

Entertaining read, so far (about halfway thru.)
If I were Butcher's editor, tho, I would make some
suggestions. Dresden could be a little less melodramatic,
and some of the tangents the plot takes are not entirely
logical, specifically, concerning the involvement of mortal
folk. But I don't want to give away any of the plot.
It just seems like the plot is more confusing than it needs
to be. Maybe TOO clever.

I really hope Dresden didn't die and we will be treated to another chapter of Chicagoland style wizarding. It did tie up the love interest and yet left another way to go with his daughter, now.
I really enjoyed this one!

I am a huge Dresden fan, but despise this type of ending. If you are like me, you have invested too much on this character to not feal a little betrayed by this finale. Assuming there is another book, you wait a year to find out what happened. Are we going to get something more plausible than a "Who Shot J.R. Ewing" kind of explanation?

That said, I agree with some of the other positive reviewers. Many of the story lines are advanced, though not all. There is no shortage of action, although sometimes, as in the major battle toward the end, some outcomes are a little big thin. Some of the plot advancements have me very curious about which direction they will take.

I'd put this latest installment, sans the ending, firmly in the top 2 or 3 Dresden books. Add in the ending and it is my least favorite installment.

Disclaimer: This review includes some spoilers -- proceed with caution. The reason for including some spoilers is to make a point about the write style, tone of the book and overall feel of the book.

Overview: 4 stars
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Harry Dresden's life is turned upside down in "Changes". The main plot elements surrounding Harry Dresden all get wrapped up in an over-the-top climax including The Gray Council, a retired God with his army, the White Council, Harry's informal strike team and a fairy Godmother. Harry's life is totally changed in the last two pages...just before he and Murphy get together. It is very frustating for a reader of this long running series.

The story has a tremendous number of plotlines interconnecting resulting in the destruction of the Red Council. The entire story starts with Harry finding out that he has an 8 year old daughter with Susan. It is pretty much downhill for Harry after that. Harry's actions are rapid, effective, yet it is clear that he is being railroaded into a bad ending. Harry makes some very hard choices which result in him becoming the Knight of Winter so he can save his daughter. Harry's need to have a family causes him to do some very drastic things. At the end, we find out the power of a wizard curse has no time limit.

Plot:
------
The plot is fairly linear with Harry operating with very few options. It is frustrating for a reader who has enjoyed the development of the Harry Dresden character. I really enjoy Harry because he operates out of the box and is a great thinker. In this book, he does not feel like the Harry from earlier in the series. The plot seems forced to wrap up as many plotlines as possible in the fewest number of pages.

Characters:
-----------
The book includes the main characters from the prior books in the series. The characters are used for decoration instead of greater character development for Harry or other main characters.

Harry in the next book(s) will most probably no longer reflect his starting background (penniless Philip Marlow type detective). I am sad to see him go.

Prose:
------
The writing style is very consistent with the other books in the series. The only noticable difference in the style is that Jim used less description then in prior books. He is depending on the reader being a loyal fan of the entire series to use past information to fill in the blanks of the descriptions. Jim Butcher is using a bit of formula for the Harry Dresden series. I get the feeling that Jim is looking to change up the writing style.

World Setting:
---------------
The focus of the events are primarily set in Chicago and Mexico. The political setting is turned on it's head -- wiping out the Red Court, the White Council gets a serious shock to the system and Harry is off to the Nevernever.

I've been a follower of Harry Dresden from the first publication of Storm Front; the paperbacks, the ARCs, Omnibus editions, the author's tweets, I even watched the dismally imagined SyFy television series so committed am I to the Butcher ouevre. Then we come to this book. I wanted to like it, but I didn't. I stalled, skipped ahead, read the end (I know, wicked, wicked) and decided to just browse what I'd skipped.

There's too much interior Harry, struggling with what's he's doing, acknowledging that it's a bad thing, but he's going to do it anyway because it's the right thing for him to do no matter the inevitably ugly consequences. The problems back in Edinburgh with the White Council are unconvincing, there simply to keep them out of Harry's struggles (or maybe setup for the next book). There are two deus ex machina interventions in the climatic fight that I thought poorly setup and I hated, hated, hated the ending.

There's some good stuff here, powerful writing in the climax and a very amusing three way conversation between Harry, Sanya (a black Russian Knight-of-the-Cross) and Toot-Toot Minimus (a 15" fairy with a pizza addition).

I'll give it another try in a couple of months and hope I'm in a more receptive frame of mind.

I thought this book would never end! I forced myself to finish it because I kept telling myself that it had to get better, but it didn't. The writing is sophmoric and repetitive and the storyline is very predictible. The main characters were very unlikable... Mel is a wimp and puts her needs and the needs of her step-children above the needs of her own children. Peter is a selfish, self-centered chauvinist, who has time for everyone else but his children. The only reason I would want to be around him is if I was having a heart transplant! It will be a long time before I read another Danielle Steel book!

"Wake up son o' mine
momma got somethin' to tell you

Changes come
life will have its way
with your pride, son
take it like a man..."

Changes do indeed come, most often when you are not ready, and generally when we least expect. They are not always the changes that we would envision, nor are they ones that we have planned, but still they come. It is, therefore, no surprise when Changes come for Harry Dresden. While his life has never been what one could call "static", been far too hectic for that, it has at least maintained a basic structure amidst the chaos. He has always had his office, his apartment, his car, his cat and along the way has picked up many other friends and family, but change is inevitable, even for a Wizard.

Thus it is, twelve books into The Dresden Files, that Changes find Harry, and his life shall never be the same. Just as in Turn Coat, the action begins on the first page of Jim Butcher's latest Harry Dresden adventure and hardly lets up until the very last word. This time it is Susan Rodriguez, Harry's old flame, that drops the bombshell on Harry: the Red Court has kidnapped THEIR daughter.

"...Hang on son o' mine
a storm is blowin' up your horizon

Changes come
keep your dignity
take the high road
take it like a man..."

To anyone who has read the previous Eleven Dresden novels, this bombshell is as big a shock to us as it is to Harry. It has been seven books since we last saw Susan, and she is half-vampire, so the thought of a child from their last encounter seemed very unlikely. After eleven books, we know Harry Dresden, know his capabilities, know his allies, his enemies and we know what Harry will do to protect one from another. We saw a glimpse of what he was willing to do in Grave Peril to save his love, we witnessed how far he was willing to go in Blood Rites to preserve his family, and we all saw how much he is willing to risk himself for a young woman in trouble in both Proven Guilty and White Night. What we do not yet know, is how far Harry is willing to go for his own daughter, who represents all of the things he holds most dear and fights hardest to protect?

Changes answers that question, with resounding potency and astonishing results. While Turn Coat seemed like a major shake-up in the status quo of the Dresden Files, it was a mere prelude of what comes in Changes. For while Turn Coat fundamentally alters characters and relationships, even the White Council, by the end you still feel as if you will be prepared for what is next. I, honestly, cannot make such a claim after Changes. The anticipation to see what happens next has never been more acute and that year between books has never felt longer.

"...Listen up son o' mine
momma got something to tell you

All about growin' pains
life will pound away
where the light don't shine, son
take it like a man..."

The cast of characters in the Dresden Files grows with each passing book. Some of them are every bit as interesting as Harry, and all of them add significant meat to the series. Butcher pulls out all the stops in Changes, as nearly every character Harry has met along the way shows up in one shape or form. It is almost like a walk on the Nightside at times, so many familiar faces appear and every chapter is so full of action, imaginative creatures and confrontations, though with more depth than your average John Taylor adventure. Many Major Players show their faces for the first time, after being mentioned many times in previous books, among them Duchess Ortega, the Red King, and the CEO of Monoc Securities, Donar Vadderung. Each lives up to expectations, or in the case of Vadderung, exceeds them.

However, it is the faces we know and love that really steal the show. While Thomas and Molly are solid, and at times great, it is Murphy, Mouse, Lea and Sanya that shine brighest. I suppose it should not be a surprise by now, as Mouse has scene stealing performances in every book since Harry found him, but this time out is his best yet. If there has ever been a cooler dog written than Mouse, I have yet to read them. Murphy's character has been improving, for me, the farther "down the rabbit hole" she is willing to go, as I find her much more interesting as part of the super-natural world than as the Scully. The Leanansidhe returns with a fine role, and her ties to Harry's mother are a very important part of the novel, as well as being a very interesting revelation in its own right. I have always loved the Knights of the Cross, but until this book did not truly appreciate how fun Sanya is to read about. This is the first book where he is the feature Knight, and he holds the mantle with class, dignity and hilarity.

"...Suck it up son o' mine
thunder blowin' up your horizon

Changes come (changes come)
keep your dignity (keep your dignity)
take the high road (take the high road)
take it like a man (take it like a man)..."

Harry Dresden has always been a "Man of Power", and the books have been an interesting study of one man accumulating Power, while trying to maintain the integrity of his ideals. He takes on beings of greater power in every adventure, but is always able to live up to the responsibilities that come with his own power. The fight is never easy, even his inner-self craves more Power, if only for self-preservation, but he has always been able to weather the storm with his quick thinking and smart mouth. However, of late, Harry has been in even more over his head than usual, and you just know that it will eventually catch up with him. For while it is his anger at injustice, his passion for fighting the evil, that pulls him through again and again; passion is a fire that can burn both ways. His passion for doing the right thing allows his enemies, such as Bianca and Nicodemus, to manipulate him because they know he is willing to die "doing the right thing".

Many are those who wish to destroy him, but nearly equal are those who wish to recruit him. As he so coldly enumerates to Mavra in Dead Beat, he has plenty of offers for greater power, and he is not afraid to take them if necessary. It is only love which keeps him on the righteous path. Love which preserves him against the White Court, love that vanquishes Lasciel and frees Lash, love that wins the hearts and loyalty of his many friends. It is only love which allows Harry to fight the darkness rising inside him, as he wields that lance in righteous anger and not in malice. His enemies know this as well, and some are so powerful that they do not fear using his love against him; Beings who do not fear to wield his own flesh and blood, his family, against him.

"...momma said like the rain
(this too shall pass)
like a kidney stone
(this too shall pass)
it's just a broken heart, son
this pain will pass away." **

Family has always been an integral part of The Dresden Files. In Storm Front, Harry, once an orphan, is already picking up charges, with his cat, Mister, and Toot-toot, the first of his Little Folk army. In Fool Moon, Harry is almost like a parent to the Alphas, shepherding them into the world of the weird. In Grave Peril, Harry is a man who is fighting tooth and nail for his mate, starting a war to rescue Susan, his love. In Summer Knight, Harry is more like the older brother to the Alphas and begins in earnest his fatherly watch over the little Fae as the Za Lord.

Death Masks, shows Harry the contrast in real family, The Carpenters, and the twisted family of self-interest, The Denarians, and sees him risk becoming the latter to save the former. Blood Rites is all about family, as Harry finds a brother and a dog, growing his family more and figuring out what it means to him, personally. Dead Beat, sees Harry finally knowing what is to have family, as well as feel the pain at the prospect of losing them. Proven Guilty, is mostly about reconciliation and who your family really is, as Harry finds when his friends back him without thinking, following him into the very heart of Winter.

While foiling the White Night, Harry learns what it is to be a mentor and father figure via his apprentice, Molly, and the kids at Camp Kaboom. While performing Mab's Small Favor, Harry displays the lengths to which he will go to save a child and friend, Ivy. While unmasking the Turn Coat, Harry discovers what kind of Power he is willing to utilize to save his brother, Thomas, his only blood. But it is while dealing with Changes, that we all see how far Harry's family extends, and how much he is truly willing to give for its preservation.

For Harry is to learn what All Fathers know: when it is your own child in peril, the line begins to blur.

"Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you aren't ready for the Big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really, but it does...the Big moments are going to come, you can't help that, it's what you do afterwards that count, that's when you find out who you are."***

438 HC pages 5 out of 5 stars

*Title taken from "Changes" by David Bowie
**Song quotations from "Momma Sed" by Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer
***Quoted from Whistler's speech in "Becoming", Buffy Season 2 Episode 21, written by Joss Whedon

I want to start this review by relating a true story told by Sci Fi writer Jack McDevitt:

***"During the course of a recent writers' seminar, I was reading a student story in which the first-person narrator encounters an old acquaintance on a clifftop overlooking the sea. The sky is ominous, rain coming, somewhere in the distance a dog barking.
So far so good. I was there. I could feel the storm building, could hear the ocean rumbling against the rocks below. Then, safely within the perspective of the viewpoint character, I turned my attention to the acquaintance, whose name was Michael. Michael was short, mildly overweight, with thick black hair. He delivered pizzas for a living. And the narrator mentioned almost casually that once, years ago, Michael had touched the stars.
I was drawn in. While the darkness gathered and the rain began to fall, I waited to hear in what way this magic had occurred.
Michael was, the writer added, pococurantic.
Pococurantic?
The storm vanished, as did the clifftop, the ocean, and the magic. I was back in my living room, consulting my dictionary."***

No, Jim Butcher doesn't ruin the narrative with obscure words. He ruins the narrative with too damn many references to *Other Authors Works*. References to characters from Lord of the Rings or The Wizard of Oz or the Star Wars saga are waaaaaay overdone here.
It's a technique - pop culture references - that can work well when used with a light touch, like adding a pinch of oregano to your pizza sauce. Too much oregano, though, and the sauce is ruined. In the past, Butcher has mixed his ingredients well. When he's at his best he's found his own secret ingredients. (I'll never forget the clever, hilarious and perfectly written scene of the `Chlorofiend' [The what?] `Umm.., the plant monster'. - Just brilliant.)
Sadly, in this book, Butcher has dumped in a cupful of Wizard of Oz, a half-dozen cloves of Lord of the Rings, and a heaping handful of Star Wars. It doesn't blend well. Just when things are going smoothly you find yourself reaching for a sip of beer to wash away the funny taste of Tin Woodman you just bit into.
To take the analogy one step further, I'll say that Butcher also managed to burn the crust - literally as well as figuratively - by having Dresden's house burn down and have his car get fatally destroyed. This was potentially another mis-step, unless Butcher manages to have the house re-built. (The term `recipe for disaster' comes to mind.)

I'm not going to stomp my foot and say `that's it; I'm done'. I still think Butcher is one of the best fantasy writers around. In fact, I seldom read fantasy, but the Dresden series is so well written, it's one series in fantasy I eagerly read. So I'll keep going and hope that this was just a one time slip.
But I wish Butcher would just write his own stuff, and stop the cheap cribbing from others. He does his best work when he's his own man.

Rather than repeating any of the excellent insights provided by Michael Lichter (Buffalo, NY USA) (the first 3-star review), I want to add some thoughts to the discussion.

Let me start by saying that Turn Coat, the book immediately preceding this one, is one of the best books I've ever read. Ever. Period. It is an absolutely sublime melding of different genres, and Butcher's prodigious knowledge, freewheeling genius, imagination and grasp of how magickal energies work -- plus Harry Dresden's irresistibly smartass, inventive and out-of-the-box approach to challenges. I have loved every book in the series, but Turn Coat is sheer perfection.

That said, anything that followed might seem anticlimactic. And at first I told myself that, plus the fact that I find Americans' obsession with vampires to be the biggest yawn in creation, was why I felt so incredibly dissatisfied when I closed the book ... oh, and the kind of cliffhanger ending that I loathe. I mean, c'mon, Jim Butcher, I would have pre-ordered the next book, even if you hadn't done that.

Yes, once I let my imagination journey out to possible next scenarios, I realized it was probably a great place to stop. But when you're totally in love with Harry and have to wait a year to find out what happens next, it's NOT a great place at all, at least not at the instant you close the book for the first time.

Some of my friends have been really upset about all the dreadful things that have happened to our hero in this book. That doesn't really bother me, because life is like that. Sometimes the whole sky lands on top of your head ... the test of character is how you handle the experience, and I think this is where Changes really failed. Harry just kind of went limp and, aside from personnel assignments, pretty much put the reins in others' hands. Way out of character, as far as I'm concerned. On the other hand, as anyone who plays World of Warcraft knows, leveling up, as Harry is undoubtedly doing in Changes, is a very dangerous time, especially if you haven't acquired the additional skills and armor you need to meet the escalating challenges. But Harry was strangely passive, even considering the numerous shocks he endured.

I admit to having been uneasy each time I read Jim Butcher's epilogue about his love for sword and sorcery in the past couple of Dresden books. I'm just not a fan of that genre; I read the first of the Codex Alera, and it was beautifully done, but not my cup of tea. So I was worried that the Dresden books might change in a way that left me behind ...

But I've learned, after years of following other favorite authors, that when a writer gets bored with a series, the writing goes downhill. I would hate for that to happen in to the Dresden series, and even though Butcher decided to shake things up and shift the playing field, I'll still pre-order the next book. As you'll find on his web site, the entire series was planned, but events were a bit behind schedule, which is probably why there was so much was going on that there wasn't much room for character development.

BUT ... I really hope the funny, smartass, noir-ish, out-of-the-box nature of our hero is still in there somewhere, to be rediscovered next year ... if it isn't, I'm going to feel like one of my best friends has moved out of the country, and doesn't have phone or email. And then I'd probably start buying the used paperbacks instead of pre-ordering hardcovers.

*sigh*

No spoilers in this review, but Wow! Just wow!

On the first page of this book we learn exactly what Harry Dresden's mission and prime focus is going be. Throughout Changes the characters we know and love appear, but the conversations they could/should and probably will have with Harry one day often don't eventuate, because there simply isn't time. Harry has his mission and one sole focus and his friends are either with him or not. There is no time for deep discussions or reflections.

The changes, questions and possibilities accumulate in this book, not just for Harry but for all the characters. I can't wait to see which avenues Jim Butcher will explore now that so many more have opened up. But fans may also be surprised at some of the Dresden familiarities that come to an end.

The final 20 - 25% of this book especially impressed me. It was building up to a huge climax and it certainly didn't disappoint, but we are provided with many surprise twists rather than just one big fight at the end.

There is one particularly enormous WHOA! moment that I guarantee nobody will be expecting.

A wonderful book, a crucial pivot point in the Dresdenverse and after I've taken stock and recharged the kindle I'm off to read it again to see what I missed.

Is it April 2011 yet?

Book lives up to title. Read it expecting that almost anything, no matter how much of a constant it's been over the past eleven books, might be altered, revised, or destroyed. Any given plotline you've been waiting for Butcher to move forward or develop, there's good odds you'll find out more here, and more than one multiple-book plot thread finds its end.

Butcher is at the top of his game here, and it may be the best overall book in the series to date; from the very first line -- "I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, 'They've taken our daughter[,]'" -- the book moves at a page-tearing clip, and I read it pacing back and forth in my living room, so wholly and obviously absorbed that my girlfriend gave me the night off from household chores ("Sorry I haven't done the dishes, dear. I can't. Book." "I know. It's okay.")

Butcher's spent the past eleven books developing Harry's character, establishing his hunger for family, his devotion to saving innocents, especially children, and his willingness to burn the world in order to do the right thing, regardless of cost; he's also balanced Harry on the knife's edge of several different horrible temptations, and shown that Harry's passion has the potential to lead him very badly astray. This book drops Harry onto that knife edge and then hits him with a truck, and much of the tension in the book comes from watching Harry discover just how many moral and emotional lines he is, after all, willing to cross, and how many irrevocable steps he's willing to take, in order to save his daughter.

It isn't unrelentingly dark; the trademark humor of this series is on display, and fans will find plenty to chuckle over in between the explosions (my favorite, among many, might be Harry's pointed refusal to wear a hat, a subtle comment on the inaccuracy of the series' cover art). Despite that, though, this is definitely the psychologically darkest book in the series so far, and I expect it marks a trend we'll see continue in later books (Butcher plans to write approximately 12 more books in the Dresden series).

Like many a season finale, this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger -- while the plot of this story's resolved, there's a 'Whoa! what just happened?" moment on the last page or so. The good news is that the Dresden Files short story anthology, Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files includes a novella (titled "Aftermath") set forty five minutes after the conclusion of this book. The bad news is that "Aftermath" doesn't include any direct answers, just a few more pieces of the puzzle, so we'll have to wait for the next full novel, Ghost Story , for clear resolution.

I don't recommend starting the series here; start with the first Dresden Files book, Storm Front, or with the prequel graphic novel Welcome to the Jungle, and work your way forward. If you'd like a preview of this volume, though, the first four chapters are available for free on the author's website.

I've looked forward to "Changes" for the better part of a year, ever since I closed the cover of "Turn Coat" and realized that I'd have to wait until the following spring to find out what happens next.

My daughter put me on to the Dresden Files, and I read the first 11 books with pleasure, as Dresden's world became darker and more complex, and as Jim Butcher's writing grew subtler and richer.

In "Changes", however, much of what I enjoyed about the series has disappeared. The sense of place, of Harry Dresden's Chicago, is gone. The ancillary characters, from Murphy the cop, to Butters the Jewish polkaholic coroner, to Susan and Martin, to The Merlin, have been reduced to caricatures. There's very little of the banter and byplay among the characters that makes the the earlier books so enjoyable (with the exception of a scene beginning on page 333, where Harry's friends argue over who gets to be which character from "The Lord of the Rings"). Harry seldom even cracks wise. It's symptomatic that the central character of the story, Harry's daughter Maggie, never appears: we have glimpses of her, but throughout the book we never actually meet her. Instead, she's the object of Harry's concern rather than a real person: a child serving as what Alfred Hitchcock called "the maguffin" - the thing that the characters are pursuing, that propels the plot.

I can't give examples without giving away plot spoilers; but by the book's end, the Harry Dresden of the first 11 books, combination wizard and private eye, has been swept away, replaced by a sword-and-sorcery superhero; and the story has been propelled in an entirely different direction. I'll read the next book, in the hope that "Changes" is an aberration. But I'm afraid that with "Changes", the Dresden Files has jumped the shark.

...it has a tendency to irk me. SPOILERS!! I don't mind the whole Dresden going dark side. I don't mind him manipulating Susan into making her choice, she still made it. But what I have a problem with is the absolute prolonged annoyance of the Murphy/Dresden thing, which led to the most contrived and fake ending ever. If Butcher wants to drag out the Murphy/Dresden thing to the ends of the earth and beyond, fine. But when you treat us like idiots who don't recognize the machinations for what they are, and think we won't see through just pure crappy plotting, then I get offended. If you don't want them together, then don't put them together, but to have a scenario that basically is just this:

Murphy: Oh hey, after ten years of underlying sexual tension, Dresden, yes I am finally going to just jump your bones. But even though the wicked fairy queen might show up at ANY second to claim your soul, I am first going to drive clear across town to take a shower and just assume you'll be here when I get back. Bye now, don't get yourself killed or taken before I return. M'kay?

Because what, the boat doesn't have a shower??? Please. The ending annoyed me seriously.

Disturbing, sick, uncomfortable and so wrong in so many levels. The way May & Harry is portrayed having sex is like hearing about rape or incest or anything that is so disturbing. The author id turning Harry and Thomas to something dark and not the original characters we fell in love with. Harry thinks Mab is not evil? Killing & torture is evil & she makes it look easy.

In an excellent series, this volume stands out as phenomenal. Would have given six stars, if that was possible. This is the 12th book in the series, and it changes everything in Harry's life to date.

I've been binge reading the whole series in order, and reviewing as I go. My reviews focus on setting readers' expectations, rather than summarising plots. The most important aspect a new reader needs to know is that the series has an over-arching story arc, with roots starting at book 3 (Grave Peril) but only becoming visible as more and more of the series unfolds. It's a great thing, but as it continually colours events around Dresden it's best to read the series in order.

*** What to expect
This volume starts with a shock right off the bat, and things go even crazier from there. Harry's life is set in turmoil, and is then systematically destoryed. This book is all about the choices Dresden make (or have made) in his life, and how they affect everyone around him. It's a thriller-paced urban fantasy, with fast moving intrigue, action, and many plot twists. Though Harry spouts his usual brand of flippant humor in the face of the supernatural, this novel is darker than most.

*** What I liked
I like Harry's wise-cracking attitudes towards life, and in dealing with supernatural horrors. I like the supporting characters in general, and I find Butcher is doing excellent job in characterising and building recurring cast and introducing new characters. The long-running support cast are especially complex, and one can see them maturing between books. They deliver emotional payoffs for dedicated readers, with their lives and deaths having meaning.

*** Be aware
This is part of a series, and you really need to read them in order. This is especially true for this volume, as to understand the momentous changes in Dresden life you have to be familiar with events to date.
Butcher has Harry's mental dialogue to recap previous events and dialogue for those who read the series in breaks, which can feel like he's talking too much (and also may grate on some reader's nerves as a "telling" style, or simply for being repetitive). It's just a function of a long-running series, but as entering the series mid-way is not recommended anyway it doesn't offer much to new readers while could be distracting to fans.
Also, some readers may find Dresden attitudes chauvinistic and misogynistic, though that is a both a trope of the genre and something of a failing of his.

*** Summary
My favourite novel in the series to date, it stands out as a tour de force of urban fantasy. A great, fast-paced, emotional, urban-fantasy thriller. If you want a blend of modern-day thrillers with dark fantasy, this is the series to read - just start at Storm Front.

--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

Butcher consistently crafts the best first sentences I have ever encountered. Always after reading only a few words, I am willing to invest my time for a significant portion of the remaining pages, and in Butcher's case the following pages have never disappointed--until the end of this book. I hate cliffhanger endings. I think they're a cheap trick and I have never encountered a reader who appreciated them. If you, as an author, don't think readers are going to come back without needing to find out if this or that character is alive, you should be working on the rest of the book, not leaving the story while the characters are in danger. In this case, the rest of the book was compelling, and I was happy with it as a story until that cheap closing page (I will not call it ending because it was a beginning in entirely the wrong place). 

That said, as promised by the title, this book changed or resolved major plot threads which I had thought would take much more time. While the writing foreshadowed the biggest change enough for me to see it coming, the moment still proved unexpected and poignant in the how. Harry's life, where he had accrued so many obligations and useful objects, was cut down to the basics: bare-necessity Dresden. The stories had become vastly complicated, and it was nice--realistic--for Harry to finally find himself unable to just barely pull through. The circumstances of his last reduction, the simplicity, was ironic and inevitable. Dresden is back to where readers first met and liked him, except, of course, much worse off. It felt very true to the style and intentions of the character and author.

The one other facet which I did not like was the change in the relationship between Harry (or Hoss) and Ebenezar McCoy. When McCoy was simply a good person doing his best to look out for others as a wizard, I had great regard for him. Now that he has such cliche motivation, the whole character-to-character relationship is cheapened, as well as Ebenezar himself. He is transformed from a complicated good person to a simple person. I was vastly disappointed in this choice. 

I liked this book a lot, it changed things up in a mostly enjoyable and promising way, but it contained three base cliches including ending with a cheap cliffhanger. I rate it 7/10.

I feel like a broken record. There isn't much more for me to say. I'm enjoying the series, but it's not going to ever be one of my favorites or end up being one that I return to over and over. It's kept my attention, and at times I really enjoy it, but it just doesn't really grab me and suck me into the story and characters like other series. I think about Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series a lot when I read it. It's very similar in feeling (though I believe Dresden came out before Mercedes Thompson did), but I just don't find myself falling in love with the world and characters as I do in that one.

I will say that this was one of my least favorite of the series. While it was interesting, I spent most of the time shouting at Dresden to not be stupid. Seriously. I was enjoying the way things were happening in this book. And the ending sucked. Seriously sucked. Not because I was upset, but it combined two of my biggest pet peeves with writing -- [SPOILER!] abrupt cliffhanger endings and "killing" off the main character. Come on. Like Dresden is really dead. Please. It's clear he's going to come back, and pretending to kill him off is a cheap writing shot.

My first reaction to this audiobook when I started listening was "oh, no". I hadn't liked how things ended between Susan & Harry, and nothing good ever comes out of an ex appearing back on the scene. Then, Rodriguez revealed the reason for her return, and that was when sh*t got real. Dresden has been building quite a name for himself within the wizarding world, but in this installment he loses it all—his home, his business, his magical paraphernalia, and even his lil Blue Beetle that could. It was devastating, and not only that, he was also forced to give up a piece of his soul in order to save a part of himself that he didn't even know he had until this volume. At the time, Harry didn't think twice about it because that's just what you do when a loved one's life is in danger however, this decision will drastically change the direction of this series going forward. Mouse's voice is finally heard, and I absolutely LOVED what he had to say. I felt vindicated by how the story concluded vis-à-vis Susan, crushed over the false start with Murphy, and incensed by the cliff hanger. What an amazing listen!

Changes start with a shocking truth. Harry is a father. Long ago, he and Susan Rodriguez were in love and from this love a child was born. A child Harry knew nothing about. Harry is more than angry about Susan hiding the child from him but he has no time to dwell on it since someone has kidnapped her and all the fingers point to Arianna Ortega, the Duchess of the Red Court Vampires. Arianna has not forgiven Harry for killing her husband. She wants Harry dead but she wants to make him suffer first.

Changes is fast-paced, has crazy twists, with great evils and devastating losses. In a way, Harry loses almost everything. One thing is clear. He would do anything to keep his daughter safe. One of the things I enjoyed is how much Harry is starting to trust Molly. Yes, she has made mistakes but she has evolved. I still have hope they can become a couple sometime soon.

Changes was the perfect name for this book. Some included: Harry's daughter, home, car, Lloyd Slate, Susan, The Red Court of Vampires, his new job. It also adds more interesting characters like Donar Vadderung who is probably the god Odin. We get to see Harry interacting with past characters like Anastasia Luccio, Ebenezer, the Merlin Arthur Langtry and the Leanansidhe, who plays a major part in this book including giving Harry the Ruby of Pathfinding.

Cliffhanger: YES

"You are far from your sources of power here, my dear demon."

"I live with a wizard. I cheat."

5/5 Fangs

4.5-5 stars

Wow...there's so much that happens in this story. Things are learned and not just Harry learning about his secret daughter. Harry has a lot piled on him and is forced into choices that he wouldn't have normally made and performed acts he never thought he could in order to save his daughter (and his friends). The war between the White council and the Red court culminates and Harry reaps changes that help this conflict end and will live on in the history books (but not in a happy way). I didn't always like the things Harry did but I could understand why he had to do them and the actions he took to save his daughter saved many, many more people. Unfortunately, the story doesn't exactly end on a happy note...if you wonder what I mean, just check out the name and description of book #13.

Overall, I thought this book was a great story. It was so emotional and intense and I was sucked in from the beginning and couldn't stop until I'd finished it. I'd recommend this story and series. :D

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and James Marsters did a great job with the narration.

Oooo, this one was good! This is clearly a big turning point in the series, and the action and plot and layers that unfolded were just...SO GOOD! I'm a little excited/curious/nervous for the next book in the series, as after this book, it's clear the series isn't going to be the same, it's got to evolve. Hopefully without losing the bits I love. :)

+ Murphy continues to be awesome. I adore her, and I just keep loving how she's evolved over the series. Her friendship with Harry and their tension is always fabulous.
+ Loved seeing Susan again. Her whole arc was lovely and heartbreaking.
+ MAGGIE. Really curious to see how that comes up again.
+ Mouse talking! Yay!
+ Grandpa McCoy!
+ Sonya returns!
+ Wow, still not sure about Harry becoming the Winter Knight, but I figured it'd happen soon or later.
+ Killing off all the reds??! Didn't see that coming, but I thought it was super clever.
+ Donar Vadderung has to come back into play
+ That ending!! OMG!!

As usual Marsters did a fantastic job narrating, and he just gets better and better at it.

Already eagerly awaiting the next book becoming available at my library.

Note: I feel that Death Masks, Book 5, is where reading this series out of order starts to do you an injustice. This book does work as a stand alone to some extent, but you will get major spoilers for the previous books in the series and it also pulls in characters we have met before. So I recommend reading the previous books before you jump into this one.

Out of Harry’s past, Susan Rodriguez gives him a call, though it isn’t to swap the latest news of their lives. Their daughter, Maggie, has been taken by the Red Court vampires and Harry is ready to go on the war path. Harry will give up plenty in this book in order to save a child he has never met.

Way back on my review for Book 3, I said that’s when the series gets real and the ante was upped. Now, this is the book that showed me the author isn’t afraid to push that envelope to the breaking point. I had plenty of emotions on this one, even on the reread. Harry can take only so much abuse!

Susan, who is tainted with Red Court vampire bite but has held off the change all these years, flies into town with her sidekick, Martin (who shares the same affliction). They work with Harry, Thomas, and Murphy to dig up info on one of the leaders of the Red Court, Arianna Ortega. Harry soon learns that he’s got a pair of vampire assassins after him and they have some monstrous near-jaguar thing (which he calls the Ick) with them. The Ick quickly scraps his car and the assassins take out his office. It only gets more heated from there.

Harry calls in every favor owed him and then some in his hunt for info on his daughter’s location. He even burns a few bridges with the White Council of wizards in doing so. A handful of folks guess why this one human child is worth so much to him and all who know advise him to keep that very, very quiet. Meanwhile, Harry is advised to seek out some assistance from crime lord John Marcone, who points him to Monoc Securities. This is one of my favorite little parts of the book. I love that the author starts to pull in some deities as Harry gains in power.

The assassins aren’t done with Harry and he continues to lose things that matter to him. Eventually, he’s trapped between a rock and a hard place and he has to do something he never wanted to do. That was tough. It makes a great read and a great story but I also felt for Harry in that moment when he makes the decision.

The last quarter of the book is this long running battle full of individual triumphs and failures as Harry and his friends face off with the Red Court. It’s incredible! So many people laying it all on the line against such odds and Harry really letting his inner dark side out to play! It was intense but not fatiguing.

There are plenty of repercussions to that lengthy fight. Some we know by the end of the book and some we don’t until later in the series. That’s one thing I really enjoy about this series: your actions have repercussions, no matter your reasons. For instance, Murphy took yet more time off from work to assist Harry and she will pay for that. We also learn some things about Harry’s past and about his mother. All in all, I think this is one of the best books in the series.

Narration: James Marsters continues to do awesome work with this series. He is angry Harry, tender Harry, sad Harry, relieved Harry, etc. He really owns this character. In this book, he also does a great job with some Mayan words (such as the full name of the Ick). His voice for the Red King of the Red Court Vampires is chilling. I also love his voice for the delighted, and perhaps slightly demented, Liana (Harry’s fairy godmother).

Wow, what a ride!
Changes is a very appropriate title for the 12th book in the Dresden Files.
This book had a little bit of everything in it. All the relationships between characters I’ve grown to love, were there in this one. And the ending…wow. If you haven’t read this one yet, I hope you do so soon. I really enjoyed it.
(Major disclaimer: The very first Dresden book I read was Ghost Story, the 13th book. I had it and had never read Butcher, so I started there. Anyway, even knowing what is to come, sort of, Changes was FULL of surprises.)
There were a lot of things that became clear in this book. Probably my favorite book in the series thus far. Butcher’s writing ability keeps improving with each new novel, and that is saying something.
Highly Recommended
5 of 5 Stars

I got hooked on the Dresden Files when my sister bought the first box set for me as a gift. I was quickly hooked. Every book in the series leads to book 12, "Changes". It's aptly titled. There are many life changes in store for Harry Dresden in this book and many of them will have you weeping in sorrow for our favorite wizard. The end, especially, left me shocked and feeling empty inside. Tears were streaming down my face as I read the last chapters. I couldn't shake the feeling for several days. I have been reluctant to pick up book 13 as I just can't imagine how the story can go on from here. "Changes" is the best of the Dresden FIles so far.

This isn’t fair.

I’ve been a fan of the Dresden Files series since book number one, and a super fan ever since book number three. I’ve gushed about how the books keep getting better and better and I have urged my Goodreads friends to take a dip into this pool if they have any interest at all in urban fantasy or even if they have no interest in fantasy at all but just want a really great series of stories to read.

I used to think the novels in this series were simply awesome, with great characters that were multi-dimensional and formed a coterie of characters for Harry to work with and advance his larger story. It was far more than just Harry Dresden that we came to care about and root for.

I used to think the novels of this series had cool, creative plots, thoughtful, and full of intricacies that made for great reading fun. There were really cool and powerful fight scenes which drew upon the complex and yet organized magic system that Jim Butcher has created based on our own world’s myths and legends about magic. Creatures of all types can be found in these books, everything from basilisks to vampires to fairies and demons. And then throw in “real world” cops and mobsters and, trust me, it’s all fantastic.

I used to think the novels of this series allowed us to get deep into the protagonist, Harry Dresden through these books’ first person points of view. We have experienced his life, his triumphs, his foibles, his emotions, all through his own particular brand of wry humor. We have taken this journey with him as if it were our own.

My friends, this book is better.

The last book reached the pinnacle and it just could not have gotten better.

But it did.

The title is entirely appropriate as there are many changes that occur over the course of the novel, most of them major. There are aspects of Harry’s life that we have come to take for granted through the first 11 books but much of that is now no more. I can’t get too much more descriptive about these changes without major spoilage so suffice it to say that Harry Dresden’s future will be quite different than his past, in small ways and large ways.

So just when I thought these books couldn’t get any better, they got better. At least this one did and it will be nigh impossible to continue the trend. Fortunately, Jim Butcher knows what he is doing and I am happy to keep following his work, drooling over the opportunity to read the next, and the next…

CHANGES, the twelfth installment in the Dresden Files wizard-for-hire series, is an over-the-top, busy, noisy, violent affair. It begins with a bombshell revelation -- that Harry has an 8-year-old daughter he never knew about, and that she's been kidnapped by vampires, then builds up to a Faustian bargain it's hard to believe that Harry would ever make, and culminates in an extended battle that makes "Avatar" seem like "My Dinner with Andre".

Of course, there's more to CHANGES than whiz-bang action. Harry learns more about moving between one place and another in our world via the Nevernever (where the faeries live), which is interesting, and he outsmarts a powerful magical beast in a battle of wits, which is amusing. He has a frustrating encounter with the White Council, which looks increasingly like Harry Potter's head-in-the-sand Ministry of Magic. He also gets pummeled by unexpected revelations, like the fact that a close associate is actually a relative, and major setbacks, including the loss of a great deal that is dear to him.

What happens to Harry in CHANGES is the culmination of something that has been brewing for a while in the Dresden Files world. In the beginning, Harry Dresden was a wise-cracking hard-boiled wizard-detective, a loose adaptation of noir gumshoes Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. His adventures were mostly confined to his home city of Chicago and to its dark underbelly of gangsters and ghouls. He was just a regular guy with a sharp tongue, a bruised ego, and an empty bank account. Butcher might originally have set out to write a long series of wizard-detective novels where little changed from book to book aside from the specific mystery and the bad guy, but it's kind of hard to keep that sort of thing fresh after 5 or 10 books. Agatha Christie may have been able to do it, but not everybody is Agatha Christie. So, Butcher's been upping the stakes, with Harry becoming progressively more important and powerful, the bad guys growing bigger and badder, and the stage expanding in breadth and depth, now encompassing all of wizardly affairs and most of at least two universes.

I think I speak for many dedicated readers (but clearly not all) in saying that it was more fun reading about Harry the penniless wizard-detective than it is reading about Harry the reluctant and somewhat compromised superhero. Tough luck for us! The series is headed in another direction, and we've petty much seen the last of the old happy-go-lucky Harry Dresden of STORM FRONT, the first Dresden Files novel. He's a charming guy but hardly the man you'd choose to lead a Global Magical War on Evil; he doesn't have the drive, the ruthlessness, or even the inclination. Yet, that's clearly where Harry is headed. Hence, Butcher has to destroy Old Harry in CHANGES so that New Harry can be born in subsequent books.

My main problem with CHANGES is in how Butcher does it. In this book, poor Harry endures an unending hail of physical and emotional blows; even for Harry, this is a really bad day (or so). It's as if Butcher made a list of bad things to do to Harry and then ticked them off, one by one. Furthermore, he gives Harry virtually no time to absorb, reflect on, and react to these blows. Harry should be reacting, and reacting deeply, if not breaking down completely, at least briefly. Instead, Butcher names Harry's pains, but does little or nothing to help us share them. As a result, the cascade of catastrophes (and fireworks) is numbing rather than affecting, and Harry's choices seem arbitrary and inauthentic rather than organic and informed by his feelings.

In other news, readers who had expected major developments in the effort to unmask and destroy the Black Council after the events of TURNCOAT will be disappointed. I'm guessing that we will see only slow movement in that direction until book 14 or 15. Still, those who can't get enough of magical mayhem will thoroughly enjoy CHANGES. Those who want emotional authenticity will be let down. Neither group will be able to put the book down, however, and both will eagerly await the next installment.

Changes is, in its own way, an ending point for The Dresden Files. More precisely, it is the end of the "old" Dresden Files and the beginning of the new. The major plot arc for the first ten or so books of the series, the war between the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court of Vampires, comes to its dramatic close. We also bid farewell to the majority of the original series' trappings like the Detective story elements, its Noir trappings, and the idea this is anything but a very high fantasy urban fantasy series.

Some of these changes are for the better.

Some aren't.

The premise of the book is Susan Rodriguez, the first love interest of Harry Dresden, has returned from a lengthy absence to inform her ex-boyfriend he's a father. Rather than bring them together, the discovery that she cut him out of his child's life without even allowing him the decency of knowing destroys any respect Harry has for his now-vampiric former lover. Worse, his child has been kidnapped by the Red Court of Vampires for an evil ritual which will probably result in her sacrifice.

The Red Court is pulling out all the stops to destroy Harry, having grown absolutely gut-sick of the constant never-ending interference of our protagonist. This means attacks on Harry from supernatural, mundane, and spiritual corners. For once, they are portrayed as being every bit as deadly as their reputation implies. Watching Harry's life begin to disintegrate underneath the onslaught of terrible things is some of the most tense storytelling in the series.

Changes makes excellent use of continuity without feeling the need to bog down the reader in irrelevant details. As Harry's life slowly unwinds, he proceeds to call in just about every single favor and ally he's made in the past ten books. He acts intelligently, with conviction, and proactively rather than reactively--at least to dealing with the problem at hand. It's one of Harry's finest moments, taking charge of his destiny to get back his daughter.

Much of this novel is devoted to the moral question of what to do in order to accomplish your goals. Nietzsche formed an entire moral philosophy around this concept and what you should be willing to do. Here, Harry makes a statement he will do anything to save his daughter's life. Anything. That includes making a deal with the Queen of the Winter Fae and, if she refuses to help, darker sources of power. There's some genuinely shocking moments and they are all the more effective because you wouldn't think Harry would stoop to those levels.

The ending of Changes is, sadly, something readers will never be able to experience the same way fans did when the book first came out. It was so shocking and unexpected everyone was seriously considering it to be the end of the series. Now that new volumes of the series are out starring Harry Dresden, some of the initial impact has been lost. Still, it's a surprising ending and more effective for that.

In conclusion, this is one of the best books in the series but it's also one which is terrible for getting on the series with. Much of its appeal stems from the great use of continuity and previously established characters. Despite this, it's so well-written and such a classic story you could jump on it if you wanted to. The humor, action, and villains are great in this book. There's also a lot of powerful terrible moments like the resolution of the Harry/Susan plot.

10/10

For those of you unfamiliar with The Dresden Files, you do not want to start with this book, book 12 in the series. While each book has an intact story that doesn't exactly require the previous books to understand, there is so much back story built up that, even though Butcher does a fairly decent job of quickly filling in details about past events/people, a lot of the context will be lost. Besides, it's a good series and, if you want to read them, you should just start at book one, Storm Front.

If you've been around for a while, you'll know that book 11, Turn Coat, was the first of the Dresden books that I haven't been in love with (or extreme like). And, wow, it was enough to allow me to go a whole year before picking up Changes. I thought about it several times over the past year but, every time I did, I decided to go with some other book. I suppose a streak of reading books I didn't enjoy much prompted me to go ahead with book 12.

The first thing I will note is that the editing is much better in this one. Although there are more commas than are strictly needed, there are none just stuck into the middles of clauses. At least not so many that I noticed them like in the last book.

The idea behind this book is right in the title. Butcher has decided to change Dresden's life, really shake it up. The one thing I have really liked about the Dresden books is that Dresden is not a static character. This is not one of those series where everything goes back to the status quo at the end of each book, which is why you can't pick the books up at random and read them. If you don't read them in order, you can't follow the overall story arc and the growth of the character. The truth is that change is a normal thing for Harry Dresden. Well, except for the fact that he can't ever seem to get ahead. But there are far-reaching consequences in these books that you don't always see in series fiction like this where each book has a happy ending and everything is fine again. Dresden may get the technical happy ending, but nothing is ever fine.

In this one, though, Butcher goes after Dresden hard.

In fact, it's so hard that it's like someone walking up to you on the street and just punching you in the face. Which is kind of the problem, because Butcher picks one of the most cliche ways of doing that: "They've taken our daughter." That's sentence one, and, of course, Dresden didn't know anything about having a kid. Nor should he have because it was from a singular sexual encounter. I'm just going to say, really, only teenagers expect people to believe that you can have sex once and get pregnant.

Sure, I know that it's technically possible, and teenagers, which I know from years of working with them, want adults to believe that, really, they only slipped up the one time and, oops!, pregnant. The reality, though, is that that pregnancy is the result of two humping like bunnies for months. So it's really kind of insulting for Butcher to throw the unknown kid at us from the one sexual encounter Dresden had with the mother years before.

But that's (almost) the only complaint I have about the book. Once you get past the whole "I have to go rescue my daughter" thing, it's a well constructed story. Butcher systematically goes through and dismantles Dresden's life and even managed to throw in a couple of things I didn't see coming. That doesn't happen for me very often. [In fact, the big problem I had with book 11 is that I knew who the bad guy was and what was going on by about 1/4 of the way through the book. The rest of it was just going through the motions.] I don't mind Dresden having a daughter. I don't even mind that he didn't know he had a daughter. I mind that it's the result of this one time thing that happened. Beyond that, this book is a great ride.

Oh, I did say "almost" the only complaint. The other thing is the cliffhanger that Butcher threw in on, literally, the last page. I won't say what happened, but I find just tossing that in at the end to be about as cliche as the beginning. So, yeah, take out the first page and the last page and this is an awesome book. Unfortunately, the reliance on those two gimmicks takes the book down a peg for me. It's still a great series, though, and I would highly recommend it to any fan of fantasy, especially modern fantasy.

*Book source ~ Purchased at Audible
Narration ~ 5 bites

Harry Dresden, Chicago's wizard extraordinaire and private investigator for the supernatural (and the sometimes mundane) has just found out he has a daughter and that she's been kidnapped by the Red Court. Fury such as he's never known nearly consumes him, but his own good sense and the common sense of his friends keep him, barely, grounded. The Red Court has crossed a line that Harry will not tolerate and he'll stop at nothing to get his child back. Even if it means he has to call in every favor he has and then some. Hell hath no fury like Harry Dresden and the Red Court is about to find out exactly what that means.

Guest reviewers:

A ~ my 17-yr-old daughter
T ~ my 15-yr-old son
K ~ my 14-yr-old son

The changes kept on coming in this book, from the very beginning where Harry finds out he has a daughter to the very end where, well, let's just say the ending was a shocker. K & I had already read the book, so we knew what was coming, but A & T were blindsided. In fact, T said, "That's bullshhhhhh." The kids aren't allowed to swear, but for this I told him, "Go ahead. This ending is worthy of it." "Really? That's bulls***!" he proclaimed loudly. Oh, my, that ending. *sigh* Yep, so many changes that I can't even list them without spoiling the story. I will say this...there are a Baker's Dozen (13) major changes to Harry's life. Well, that's really just our opinion. Some people may come up with less, some with more, but that's the number we settled on.

We all love Harry and to watch him in this book was so extremely painful. One thing after another piled up on him, but he kept going and going, like the Energizer bunny. Now, this is typical of Harry, he pushes through all the crap to finish the job, but this book was saturated with Harry's urgency and desperation to save his daughter. T did not like all the changes, A didn't like them, but said they added drama and K liked all the changes. In fact, K said he liked the ending. What?! Of course, you have to take in the fact that he's read the next two books in the series and I tried to tell him to think back about when he first read the ending, but he couldn't separate then from now. Oh, well.

I asked them if Harry's decision (can't say what without spoiling) was the right one and everyone said yes. Well, K said Harry should have called in ALL his markers, but that boy likes to make things extremely difficult for the main characters. They weren't all that surprised about Maggie (Harry's daughter), but there are other things that did surprise them. Again, so many spoilers in this book! All-in-all, this book put us through the wringer, but was well worth the read.

Favorite quotes:
There were, as usual, many good ones, but we whittled it down to these.

"This creature serves you?" Sanya asked.

"This one and about a hundred smaller ones. And five times that many part-timers I can call in once in awhile." I thought about it. "It isn't so much that they serve me as that we have a business arrangement that we all like. They help me out from time to time. I furnish them with regular pizza."

"Which they...love," Sanya said.

Toot spun in a dizzy, delighted circle on one heel, and fell onto his back with perfectly unself-conscious enthusiasm, his tummy sticking out as far as it could. He lay there for a moment, making happy, gurgling sounds.

"Well," I said. "Yes."

Sanya's eyes danced, though his face was sober. "You are a drug dealer. To tiny faeries. Shame."

****************************************************************************

"Da. This is going very well already."

Thomas barked out a laugh. "There are seven of us against the Red King and his thirteen most powerful nobles, and it's going well?"

Mouse sneezed.

"Eight," Thomas corrected himself. He rolled his eyes and said, "And the psycho death faerie makes it nine."

"It is like movie," Sanya said, nodding. "Dibs on Legolas."

"Are you kidding?" Thomas said. "I'm obviously Legolas. You're . . ." He squinted thoughtfully at Sanya and then at Martin. "Well. He's Boromir and you're clearly Aragorn."

"Martin is so dour, he is more like Gimli." Sanya pointed at Susan. "Her sword is much more like Aragorn's."

"Aragorn wishes he looked that good," countered Thomas.

"What about Karrin?" Sanya asked.

"What--for Gimli?" Thomas mused. "She is fairly--"

"Finish that sentence, Raith, and we throw down," said Murphy in a calm, level voice.

"Tough," Thomas said, his expression aggrieved. "I was going to say 'tough.' "

As the discussion went on--with Molly's sponsorship, Mouse was lobbying to claim Gimli on the basis of being the shortest, the stoutest, and the hairiest--

"Sanya," I said. "Who did I get cast as?"

"Sam," Sanya said.

I blinked at him. "Not . . . Oh, for crying out loud, it was perfectly obvious who I should have been."

Sanya shrugged. "It was no contest. They gave Gandalf to your godmother. You got Sam."

****************************************************************************
And my personal favorite because I've basically said this all along:

"Then you know that Sam was the true hero of the tale,' Sanya said. 'That he faced far greater and more terrible foes than he ever should have had to face, and did so with courage. That he went alone into a black and terrible land, stormed a dark fortress, and resisted the most terrible temptation of his world for the sake of the friend he loved. That in the end, it was his actions and his actions alone that made it possible for light to overcome darkness."

Twelfth in the Dresden Files urban fantasy series revolving around a private investigator who is also a wizard. Based in Chicago.

My Take
And it starts with the snark — thank you, god, ‘cause I do enjoy all the fun he pokes at American culture and human nature, lol. It’s Yoda, the “applause-o-meter”, Go, Go, Gadget, and The Wizard of Oz all rolled into one.

Y’know, Harry reminds me of Nelson DeMille’s John Corey. Neither of them respect authority. Both expect integrity from their superiors and rarely get it. Both are so full of snark that I’m surprised there’s any left for the rest of us. Hmmm, must be why I like them both, lol.

I can’t agree with prolonging a war, but I can’t agree with ignoring the plight of people or children simply because it’s not-in-my-backyard or they’re not of enough value to bother about. And the Council has some serious issues about its self-absorption. Maybe they need to hire Rudolph. He seems like their kind of guy. Smarmy, Out for himself. Which leads me to think of Lea. Some very interesting tidbits she’s dropping, such as all the protections she’s put in place. The freebie she gives up!? Lea? A freebie?? Whoa, you know it’s bad when Lea doesn’t bargain or something.

It’s about time Harry cottoned on to the lie that “ignorance is safety”. No matter how bad, it’s always better to have the information when you need to make decisions. As for Karrin. I didn’t like her in the first couple of stories, but once Harry let up on that whole “need to know” issue of his and let Murphy in on what’s behind the curtain, she’s really stepped up over and over, and it’s not different in Changes. And does she ever let Harry know it! She’ll back it up with Fidelacchius while Susan wields Amoracchius.

Okay, okay, that’s one way to slip away from the FBI, lol. It certainly keeps life interesting for Harry. Hmm, I could get to liking Agent Tilly. Anyone who reacts to Rudolph as he does deserves a second look. Terrorists . . .

Lea does have a point, and it’s one I’ve been asking myself. If Harry is supposed to be such a white-hot wizard, albeit still young, why does he only know one trick? And why can’t he control it any better? He certainly doesn’t seem to be putting any efforts into learning any control. I do like the sound of the gift Lea has been holding for Harry from his mother. It’s almost as good as a beam-me-up-Scotty! It definitely gives Harry a chance to confound Susan and Martin, lol, even if it does come with some terrifying “legs”.

Oh-mi-god. It’s too funny. Lea has been assigned to help Harry in his daughter’s rescue, and . . . and . . . oh, man, she has her own ideas of how to get the team to move fast. Gives us some insight into Mouse’s thought processes as well.

Again, what is Harry’s problem with Ebenezar’s role as the Blackstaff and killing the men who are attacking them? I just don’t get it. I could see the First Rule being circumvented if Ebenezar is running around killing people who aren’t ready to pull the trigger, but, um, these are men who’ll kill him and anyone with him. WTF?
”Polka will never die.”

The Story
A child. Harry has a daughter. A child, and she’s been kidnapped by the Red Court. You know Harry. He won’t kowtow to a bunch of vamps, and he may only have known of his daughter’s existence for a few hours, but he’ll move heaven and earth to save her. And it starts with a break-in at the Red Court’s Chicago headquarters while Rudolph is scheming behind Murphy’s back and IA is bugging her phones.

And Harry finds out how many friends he has when he needs to rescue his eight-year-old Maggie.

The Characters
Harry “Hoss” Dresden is an unorthodox wizard, a finder of lost things, and a Warden for the White Council. Mister is his huge, independent-minded cat while Mouse is his huge Temple/foo dog. The Blue Beetle is Harry’s banged-up, multi-colored VW. Bob the Skull is an Archive, much like Ivy, but with a tendency toward erotic literature and only has a spirit form. Margaret LaFey is Harry and Thomas’ mother, and she was an incredibly powerful wizard. Thomas is a half-brother and a White Court vampire. After the torturous events in Turn Coat , 11, Thomas has retreated.

Susan Rodriguez is the girlfriend he lost ten years ago, halfway, to the Red Court. The plain, dull, average-looking Martin is her partner. Both of them are members of the Fellowship of St. Giles, an organization “of the supernatural world’s outcasts and strays, many of them half vampires like Susan”. Think terrorist, and you’ll have it right. Maggie is the daughter Susan sent to live with strangers, the Mendozas, to keep her safe. Red vampires slaughtered the whole family to get to Maggie.

Sergeant Karrin Murphy with Special Investigations (SI), a division of the Chicago PD, is Harry’s best friend. Lieutenant John Stallings is still head of SI and supportive of Karrin; Rawlins is still her partner. The brown-nosing Detective Rudolph moved over to Internal Affairs and has it out for Karrin and Harry. Waldo Butters is a medical examiner on Harry’s side.

Special Agent Tilly with the FBI has been brought in. With a warrant to search Harry’s place.

Molly Carpenter is Harry’s apprentice, and she’s coming on. A little too much actually, she’s insisting on Harry eating more healthily. Her parents, Michael and Charity haven’t seen much of Harry since Turn Coat , when Michael almost died. He now walks with the aid of a cane and can devote himself to building houses and enjoying his family. Father Forthill is a Roman Catholic priest in charge at St. Mary of the Angels church. Sanya is the other Knight of the Cross, well, the only one now that Michael has retired. Uriel is the Watchman, an archangel who can’t help.

The White Council of Wizards
The White Council is like a union for upper echelon wizards — the less-talented need not apply *eye roll*. The Senior Council is the governing body within this Council and is based in Edinburgh. Gregori Cristos, the newest council wizard, and Ebenezar McCoy are in the group meeting the duchess. The Merlin, Arthur Langtry, the current leader, is not up there nor are the rest of the Senior Council. Seems they can learn. Carlos Ramirez is the commanding Warden of the western United States and a friend of Harry’s. Warden Chandler, a.k.a., Steed, is the well-dressed one. It seems that the Black Council is in control. The Grey Council was coined by Ebenezar in Turn Coat and consists of wizards Harry and Ebenezar trust.

The original Merlin, yup, that Merlin, founded the original Council, wrote the Seven Laws of Magic, and supposedly won the wizards’ stronghold from a Daoine Sidhe lord. Wardens are the militant branch of the Council. Captain Anastasia Luccio, a former lover of Harry’s, is the commander of the Wardens. Wizard McPhee is on the old-fashioned switchboard.

The Archive is a twelve-year-old girl fated to hold all the knowledge the world has ever known. Harry calls her Ivy. Jared Kincaid is her “driver, bodyguard, cook, and all-around teddy bear”.

Gentleman Johnnie Marcone runs the criminal enterprises in Chicago; he and Harry have a sort of détente going on — he’ll help Harry as long as Harry’s actions lead to the kind of results Marcone wants. Sigrun Gard, a.k.a., the Chooser of the Slain, is a supernatural and a security consultant from Monoc Securities. Donar Vadderung is CEO of Monoc Securities — and he’s a god, Odin; his immediate secretaries are identical twins and completely lethal with no sense of humor. That’s it. Harry’s in trouble. Worse, Donar knows who Maggie is. The kenku are some kind of birdmen who owe Ebenezar a favor.

Steven Douglas, a.k.a., Stevie D, (he killed Torelli a few years back) was hired to do a hit on Harry. By Susan.

Mac runs a pub, McAnnally’s. A place where the supernatural can meet on neutral territory. We’ve never heard much about Mrs. Spunkelcreif, Harry’s little old landlady. I think she must be very tolerant to have allowed Harry to stay all this time. The Willoughbys are the upstairs neighbors.

Faerie
The Leanansidhe, a.k.a., Lea, is Harry’s faerie godmother. No, she’s Winter; don’t be expectin’ no balls or princesses. Mab is the Queen of Air and Darkness for the Winter Court, and she’s been trying to get Harry to replace Lloyd Slate as her Winter Knight for years. It takes sex, and Mab broadcasts the act to all in Faerie. The Erlking is not one of Harry’s fans. A.k.a., the Lord of Goblins and leader of the Wild Hunt, he’s caught in his own words. Rafforut seems to be one of the Erlking’s advisors.

Major-General Toot-toot Minimus is the captain of the Za-Lord’s Guard. He’s also a minor fae whom Harry pays off with pizza every week.

The Red Court
The Red King, the Great Lord Kukulcan, is nuts with his own agenda, in every way you cannot imagine. Duchess Arianna, the widow of Paolo Ortega and daughter of the Red King, is a player with her own agenda, one that will use Maggie, Harry’s daughter. Now she’s ambassador to the White Council to sue for peace. You’ll never believe where the Court’s local HQ is located. Talk about insult! The Eebs are Esteban and Esmeralda Batiste, a pair of Red vampires who have gone around the twist. Martin claims they have “complementary insanities”. I think he’s right. The Ik’k’uox seems to be their pet. Priestess Almaya is human and one of their pets. The Lords of Outer Night are the second tier of power in the Red Court.

The Nevernever is a spirit world that exists in an alternate plane of existence, which touches at various points to our world and contains Faerie and the Ways.

The Cover & Title
The cover is metallic in its bit of silver and gold with a grim Harry wearing his signature duster and fedora, holding his staff and standing, looking back over his shoulder at the Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Flying bats, torches flaring, and he’s surrounded by skulls. It ain’t promising.

The title is a portent of things to come, the Changes that are a’comin’.

Trust no one. Not even yourself.

The first change – before even opening the book – is right on the cover. Instead of Our Hero standing in profile, with a hat tipped over his eyes, we actually get to see his rugged face. The book opens with another change – Harry Dresden’s girlfriend Susan, who he hasn’t seen in about eight years, says their daughter has been kidnapped. Daughter? Color him gob-smacked.

And Harry is an orphan, his mother died when he was a baby and his father died when he was a child. And his own child has grown up childless because he didn’t know she existed? Oh, Susan, big mistake.

Harry wonders if it’s a trick – of course he wonders. That’s the way his life has been going these last eight years. He carried a torch for Susan for years after she left, until two books ago – two years ago – he fell in serious like with someone who returned the sentiment. Harry Dresden, Knight Errant, finally got to spend his nights erring. Then he found out it was somehow a trick. She didn’t love him after all. Love is just a means of manipulation. Now, of all times, Susan shows up? Claiming she hid his daughter for eight years?

To go with the increased emotional confusion, there are multiple attacks, and multiple attackers. Harry has to figure out if the attacks are connected, or if he actually has multiple enemies coming after him this time. Again. And is Susan telling him the truth or setting him up for a fall? Or, possibly, both? The bad guys are playing for keeps – and this book reads like a country-western song on steroids. You lose your daughter, you fight with your girlfriend, you lose your office, you lose your car, you lose your house, you lose… everything.

After figuring out where his daughter is, Harry collects allies for the big fight. Including his fairy godmother. Who always thought he’d be happier as a dog, fighting without having to think too much. At least he can trust her… sort of. Mostly. Who else can he trust… mostly? What about Molly, his apprentice who he loves like a daughter, or little sister, and totally never ever notices that she’s not a little girl anymore, totally? He trusts her, but is she strong enough to help? His brother of course, and Kinkaid the Hellhound.

Allies aren't enough. He needs more help, and he has a little green book of monsters who would be GLAD to help him, now that he's willing to pay the price. And the price is huge, on level with his level of desperation. Oh, Harry. This is going to come back and bite you in the next few books.

Just when it seems that Harry gets to save his daughter, he has to commit a terrible deed – something his daughter might never forgive. Poor Harry. Being a parent is a life changing event, indeed.

New to this book: Harry has to mastermind the whole plan this time, because he has information and allies that Susan can’t reach. Fairy Godmother is delighted that he is now smart enough to ask for information that she couldn’t give until he specifically asked for it.

In any series of books there is an ebb and flow, some stories stronger than others. _Changes_ is among the better Harry Dresden books. The series is becoming darker, the choices and challenges Dresden faces gradually taking their toll on him. As the title implies, this Dresden (and, I assume, those in subsequent stories) is very different from the consulting wizard of earlier (Storm Front (Dresden Files),Fool Moon: Book two of The Dresden Files.) Some may find this disconcerting. I think it is wise - and necessecary. Without change, characters and plot become stale.

Here, Harry learns that he is a father - complicated by the fact that his daughter is about to become a human sacrifice in order to evoke a "bloodline curse" - a curse that will effectively destroy all the victim's blood relatives. The pace of the book is frentic and chaotic - while Harry is desparately trying to learn who has is daughter and where the sacrifice will take place, all manner of obstacles (both natural and supernatural) are thrown at him, neither readers nor our intrepid hero are sure of who is pulling the strings. In an effort to gain an advantage, Harry makes a deal with the Winter Queen, sure to be another more sinister turn of events for the remainder of the series.

As one character reminds Dresden, "Here's where you find out who you are." We may not like who Harry is - and is becoming - but it will certainly be an entertaining ride. Without giving too much away, Butcher leaves readers with a real cliff-hanger of an ending in addition to the broader (if gradual changes) Dresden is experiencing. All in all, a fantastic read in a tremendously entertaining series. Highly recommended.

Changes by Danielle steel
She seems to have it all but she wants so much more. Twin daughters who are teens,
Melanie Adams, successful career but she doesn't have a man of her dreams, yet love is outside her reach. One of her reports will be on a heart surgeon who she hopes she can talk into doing a transplant for a little girl, so her company can tape it for their TV show.
The book also follows heart surgeon Peter with kids of his own has just lost his wife. He puts himself out there with so much time for every transplant and talks the patient into accepting things. Once there are negative thoughts the body rejects the organ.
After the surgeon he invites her back to his house to meet his kids and spend time with them. They open up to one another, their deepest thoughts and fears. She has to leave soon to return to NY, and he lives in CA and she likes the location and the warmth.
She has met his kids and they are starving for a woman in his life, well not the teen girl. She's jealous of the time she doesn't have with her father. Work keeps her away from her kids and she's back on the west coast to follow up on the shooting of the president. She does get to spend time with Peter.
They are able to spend some time together for themselves and feel guilty! When they make the next big step they are faced with teens problems and career choices and other life events...

***SPOILERS***

I just discovered the Harry Dresden Files a few months ago & have been reading them straight through. I haven’t written any reviews so far, but I think Changes needs one.

I have to say that I absolutely hate it when any series (television, book, or movie) suddenly gives the main character a kid, so it’s no surprise that I’m not happy that Susan had Harry’s daughter 8 years ago & never told him. She’s been kidnapped by the Red Court, & her rescue is the reason for the entire book. This is probably the only thing Harry has gained, the book isn’t called Changes for no reason, Harry pretty much loses everything else. His house is burned down, the blue beetle is crushed, his leather duster disintegrates, Mister’s whereabouts are unknown, Mouse has gone off with Molly (who is seriously injured) & Thomas to a medical ship, Martin is dead (killed by Susan), Susan is dead (killed by Harry), his friend Murphy’s career is destroyed, Harry’s freedom is lost because he made a deal with Mab (I think she engineered everything) that he will become the Winter Knight in exchange for the safe rescue of his daughter, & oh yeah, his life is lost in the final pages of the book when someone shoots him.

I don’t have a problem with changes, if Butcher kept writing the same thing over & over, the series would get stale & boring. Unfortunately, there were so many changes in this book, that he might have been better off just starting a new series. This is no longer going to be about a wizard detective, it’s moving in an entirely different direction & I’m not sure I like it.

Harry Dresden finds out he has a daughter who happens to be missing. His passion to help a female in need propels him into a series of unfortunate, and dangerous events. Has Harry has bitten off more than he can chew?

I love all of the Harry Dresden files so far. Each one builds a little on the previous one and you dig a little deeper into Harry's life. With Harry's 'do what's right' attitude I cannot help but love him and hope he succeeds in each of his missions. Jim Butcher does a phenomenal job keeping the reader guessing and it was a struggle to put the book down.

This was the most challenging ending for me to take so far. Most of the Dresden Files have a sense of resolution at the end and this one really let me hanging. I did have the next book on hand and had to start it immediately!

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes supernatural detective books.

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard private investigator, is about to have the most tumultuous three days of his life. It will be turned upside down and inside out and, ...oh, stars and stones, no description I could come up with would do the events justice. I became a fan of the Dresden Files audiobook versions in 2010 after listening to the short story "Herot". Having only seen the short-live TV series up to that point, I was not prepared for the intensity of Jim Butcher's storytelling. James Marsters narrates all of the Dresden Files audiobooks and is in top form in this installment.

If you haven't ready any of the series yet, then this book is NOT for you. Sure, it can stand on it's own, but you'd be cheating yourself of a lot of insight and satisfaction that comes with knowing the extensive back story. Fans of the series wouldn't want to know too much going in, but I will say that many of the threads that Jim Butcher has been weaving through the previous book converge in Changes. And they converge with a bang! All of the recent books have a ton of action, but Butcher turns it up to 11 here. Secrets are revealed, new powers are found and precious things are lost. Old friends come to Harry's aid, new allies are gained and the odds are stacked against Harry more than ever before (if you can imagine that) as he faces a seemingly undefeatable foe. There is a very satisfying climax and an ending that makes waiting for the next books seem like an eternity. Fans of urban fantasy and dark humor should find a lot to like in Changes. Just don't make it your first Dresden Files novel. Mr. Butcher has said he plans to write 10-12 more books in this series, so thankfully it will not be the last.

~ Kort

With CHANGES, Butcher literally changes it up a bit for his hero, Harry Dresden. Upon finding out he has a child with his former love, the now half-vampire Susan, he also discovers that this offspring is going to be used as a human sacrifice by one of his worst enemies. This leads Dresden on a wild dash to put together a group that can help him accomplish this; finally getting to the point where he has to cut a deal that will change his life drastically. With this one Butcher pulls out all stops, bringing back a variety of characters and plotlines all leading to the predictable epic battle that seems to be the climax to all his later novels. However this one has some real emotion built into all the clever asides and wild action and with a truly epic twist at the end, Butcher delivers one of the strongest novels in the series.

Dresden is a father. He didn't know it until his ex, a half-vampire, shows up at his door and tells him that their 8 year old daughter has been captured by the Red Court, which apparently means to sacrifice her as a way to wipe out Harry's whole bloodline.

Harry has to restrain his anger that he hadn't even known of his daughter's existence, and to get past that while trying to dodge would be assassins and avoid entangling himself any farther in the machinations of his fairy Godmother or Mab, the Faerie Queen of the Winter Court.

Everyone seems to need something, and even as he approaches his own personal Armageddon, Harry is forced once again to call on the aid of his closest friends and companions. From Mouse, his foo dog companion, to Murphy, his small tough-as-nails cop friend.

Dresden finds himself calling in every marker he can imagine, begging for help from the most unlikely places. Even as he goes to the wizard's council, he finds that the ones responsible for his daughter's abduction have anticipated this move and cut him off at the knees. The Red Court wishes to negotiate a permanent truce with the White Council at the very same time that they're arranging to wipe out his whole family.

Harry is forced to make some hard decisions, and make deals he knows he'll regret later. But having been abandoned by his own parents, he really doesn't think he has a choice. There was no way he was going to let his daughter down, even if he had to move heaven and Earth to do it.

By the time I reached the climactic battle at the end of this book, I was in tears. I read four Dresden books in quick succession and I'd become so invested in the characters that every single event felt like it was personal. Jim Butcher has a way of making all his characters come alive, from the protagonist to the lowliest secondary character. Even his villains, hateful as they might be, exist beyond just the simple antagonism toward Dresden. People like the mob boss who plays on the line between the mundane world and the world of the supernatural, or the diminutive leader of his household guard, the pixie Toot-Toot. You end up with feelings for these people, be it amusement, respect, or even admiration.

My wife hasn't read the Dresden books. I wish she could. There's a lot to like for a fan of urban fantasy. As many of the sub-genre as I've read, I place these very close to the top of the pile. Few things satisfy as much as Dresden does.

Plain and simple... start from the beginning and read to the end. You won't be disappointed. And you won't want it to end. Ever. I know I didn't.

Calls from ex-girlfriend Susan are never good news for wizard Harry Dresden, but this time she drops a bombshell. His daughter has been kidnapped by the vampires of the Red Court. That would be bad news under any circumstances but the news is complicated by the fact that Susan never let Harry know he had a daughter. With the Red Court currently pushing for a truce with the White Council of wizards, Harry is on his own.

He may be shocked to learn he has a daughter, but Harry has to deal with it. To save his daughter, he realizes he's willing to make decisions, compromises, sacrifices he would never make to save his life. And one of those involves asking for help from the Fae winter court. He's resisted their offers, insisted on being his own man, but his independence means nothing compared to the life of his daughter. Still, what help they can offer seems inadequate compared to the power of thousands of vampires, vampires who virtually rule South and Central America.

Although Harry thinks he'll be on his own, his friends don't see it that way. Although his cop-friend Murphy may lose her job if she helps, she won't let him go alone. Nor will his half-brother/vampire, Thomas, or his apprentice, Molly. Of course Susan and her dubious sidekick, Martin are coming along. But getting there is half the challenge. Because Arianna, princess of the Red Court, has every intention of stopping him before he can arrive at Chichen Itza where his daughter's sacrifice is on schedule. The vampire assassins she's sent to stop him aren't particularly effective, but they are powerful and persistent.

Author Jim Butcher continues his Dresden Files series with a story that really does lead to CHANGES. Harry's relationship with Susan, with Murphy, with Molly, and especially with the Winter Court and his 'godmother' all evolve as he adjusts his priorities toward saving his daughter. A father should do what he needs to do to save his daughter, especially from a band of vampires who intend to use her in a blood sacrifice, but Harry crosses lines he's never crossed before.

The Dresden Files series has always been a bit dark. Survival means making compromises, acknowledging that evil cannot be defeated, recognizing that ancient gods have far more power than any mortal and that confronting them is an act of simultaneous folly and hubris. CHANGES escalates this darkness. This isn't a light story. Harry becomes less likable even as he fights to save his daughter. The resolution to the battle with the Red Court is particularly painful.

A frequent problem with long-running series is that the story doesn't really move forward, that a reader could have skipped a volume without really missing much. That certainly is not the case for CHANGES. Harry and everyone around him is changed. I doubt that Molly will ever again be the light and fun person she was. as for Harry...well, that would be a spoiler but certainly he's put himself in a position where his life can never be the same. Fans of the series will want to read this one, even if it leaves them, like me, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable. Then again, easy answers so often are not answers at all.

Changes (2010) is the twelfth Fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Turn Coat. In the previous volume, Harry produced evidence revealing the real traitor. In the ensuing chaos, the betrayer got away, but Harry was just behind him.

Harry grappled with the turn coat and was losing. Then Morgan shot the renegade twice in the head. Morgan confessed his true reason for taking the blame for the murder and died. Ebenezar decided to create a Grey Council.

In this novel, Harry Dresden is a wizard, the only one in the Chicago Yellow Pages. In the past, he has had many run-ins with the White Council, the ruling body of human magic users. Now he is a regional commander of the White Council Wardens.

Molly Carpenter is Harry's apprentice. She was convicted by the White Council of using black magic, but Harry got them to give her another chance. She is exceedingly good on veils and illusions.

Karrin Murphy is a Detective in the Chicago Police Department. She had been the Lieutenant over Special Investigations, but one of her joint ventures with Harry had resulted in her demotion. Since goofoffs are usually sent to SI, Karrin stayed in the division as a Sergeant.

Thomas Raith is a White Court Vampire. He is also Harry's half-brother. His mother had an affair with Lord Raith and later delivered Thomas. Harry and Thomas have been trusting each other for some time now.

Susan Rodriguez was a tabloid reporter and Harry's lover. Then she was bitten by a vampire from the Red Court. Now she is a member of the Fellowship of St. Giles, trying to kill Red Court vampires.

Martin is Susan's ally and partner in the fellowship. He and Harry do not get along at all.

In this story, Harry gets a call from Susan. She says that the Red Court has taken their daughter. Since Harry had not known that he had a daughter, he is rather flustered.

Harry decides to consult his favorite bartender at McAnally's. Usually Mac just grunts or issues short phrases or uses body language in response to customer comments and questions. This time he replies in clearly phrased English.

Mac tells Harry that he has to be very careful. He says that this will test Harry like nothing else. He states that Harry is heading into the badlands and it will be easy to get lost.

When Harry returns to his apartment, he goes straight to the lab and prepares a couple of things for the upcoming task. Then he tops off his force rings and cleans everything in anticipation of Susan's visit.

Susan arrives about one in the morning. Naturally Martin is with her, but he stays outside. Susan asks if she may come in and Harry asks her if she can do so without explicit permission.

Susan steps through the doorway and passes the first test. Mouse gives a polite warning growl and Susan passes the second test. Then she notices that apartment is different and Harry explains the invasion of zombies and werewolves.

Harry invites her to take a seat and offers something to drink. Susan requests water. Then she asks Harry if he is going to leave Martin outside and Harry tells her that he is most certainly going to do so.

Harry learns that Susan had named the girl Maggie after his mother. Then Susan tells him why she had not informed him of their child. She states that she had placed the child in a foster home. Yet the Red Court had found her and abducted her.

Susan gives Harry a picture on his daughter. Then they start planning ways to find Maggie. They try to get help from the White Council, but the Red Court gets there first.

This tale eventually involves Molly, Murphy, Thomas and other friends and allies in an effort to find and rescue Maggie. Then they find that there is a deadline. The Red Court is planning to use Maggie for ritual sacrifice.

This novel takes Harry into an effort exceeding anything he has ever done before. The next installment is Ghost Story. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical conflict, political intrigues, and stubborn wizards. For those who are unfamiliar with this series, the initial volume is Storm Front.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Changes tears up the Dresden playbook and skitters off into uncharted waters.

The franchise had been getting stale, though Turn Coat was a step in the right direction, yet Changes is a wild ride that will, or should, end up sending the series in a more adult direction. To this point the Dresden Files had been facile YA fare…with a little Urban Fantasy Noir thrown in. Hopefully, with this new direction the book will offer more depth, complexity, and moral ambivalence.

Not wanting to offer any spoilers all that needs to be said is that this is the best book in the series, to date, and that it has left Harry’s world in ruins—and more.

I’m not certain where the series is headed in the future but this should make fans, that had been getting bored with the formula, renew their commitment to the series.

Highly Recommended

Rating 5 out of 5 stars.

Wow, this was a pretty exciting book. It also lived up to its name, Changes. There were a lot of plot twists, some I liked, some I didn't. I'm not going to bother going through the previous books, there's simply too many. The most important thing about this series is that Harry Dresden is a wizard, living in Chicago, who more than often is saving the world.

Harry Dresden has a daughter. That's how the book opens. His old girlfriend Susan has called to tell him that their eight year old daughter Maggie has been kidnapped. And oh yeah, she informed him at that precise moment that he even had a daughter. She'd been taken by the Red Court of Vampires, who are currently at war with the White Council of wizards and she needs Harry's help to save her. Of course it won't be easy, he'll have to call in a few dangerous favors and people are trying to kill him in the meantime. But anythings worth it to save the daughter he has never met. Even if it means dealing with some of his darkest foes.

Harry really stepped it up in this novel. He stopped being so goody-goody and really expressed a wide range of characteristics. In other words, he was tough. Susan was a bit irritating in this book. I never really liked her in the first place and since she played such a large role, it was hard to avoid her in this book. The rest of the characters had minor roles, but they were all well written. We got to see a little more info on Mouse, Harry's dog, and it was definitely very interesting. Although animals are just wonderful anyway so its always nice to read about them.

Butcher's writing style has definitely improved. He's stopped over detailing things and started really focusing on the important aspects of the novel, like plot and motivation. There were a few plot twists I didn't particularly care for. The first being the notion of Harry having a daughter. I don't know why that bothered me, but it just did. The other was the constant attempts on his life, that line of writing is getting a little stale with him, even though its realistic. The rest of the plot twists however, were excellent. This was definitely an edge of your seat kind of book. Not to mention, the endings a real cliffhanger.

I'm not sure what I'll do until the next book comes out. I know Side Jobs is out and I have it sitting on the shelf waiting for me, but since its only a side book instead of a continuation of the series I don't think it'll satisfy my wanting to know what happens next. Regardless, I've enjoyed reading the series and can't wait to read the next one.

Changes
Copyright 2010
438 pages

I just realized that I haven't reviewed my favorite series. The Dresden files are most certainly that. Butcher KNOWS how to write! He knows how to compel his audience like no other and his imagination makes it so none of the Files are boring or repetitive. This is installment 12 in what I hope a long list to come. Harry Dresden is a very three dimensional character, with odd quirks and superb companionship. Butcher even manages to give harry's pets a character of their own without letting them speak or sign. The main character is supported by a number (not too large) of side characters that are equally well developed and whom are people "loosely defined" in their own right, not overshadowed by the main. Some of them, though always playing a necessary role, are plain funny. Bob kicks ass, the cat is magnificent, pizza eating faeries rule! All of those have given me good laughs.

The preternatural world Butcher has created is of a large variety yet he always sticks to his own preset rules. He does not deviate from the story line in any way and is masterful at conveying his exact thoughts on how things are in his imagination. It's a well developed imaginary place based on loads of the "old story" characters with an innovative and personal Butcher twist.

I adore his writing style a lot. He knows how to trickle small amounts of information to keep you interested and curious but never too much to spoil the surprise. It never gets boring with him and his created world comes across so believable that it doesn't even seem like you're reading fantasy, but truly live in it. His writing is so compelling and strong, his dialogues witty and funny, serious and sad.

I like the fact that he's logical about this new world he created which permits the readers to attach to the story. There is no exaggeration and Dresden comes across very human regardless of the powers he holds.

It always feels like you're in the mind of harry Dresden, feeling what he feels, doing what he does, living how he lives. I have yet to encounter a Butcher work piece that I am able to put down or criticize.

While reading this series I have seen Harry face a lot. With each book he becomes a little more beaten down, and a little harder. Through it all he's maintained his moral code. He's very firm about how far he is willing to go and what lines he can never cross.

Sometimes, an event will happen that is so viscerally important that you will be willing to do anything to fix it. Nothing matters, not yourself, not the future. Nothing except the person at the center of that event. This book is Harry's crucible. He will run the gauntlet and find out how far he is really willing to go.

This book is...epic for Harry. Everything he knows and depends on for stability seems to crumble around him. The author pulled no punches in this one. The things we have identified with Harry and looked at as part of his identity for this whole series are ruthlessly stripped from him. The author seems to leave Harry naked, with only his wits and a few friends willing to stand by him when it's important to him.

Always before, Harry gets into tough situations for someone else. He may get in a little too deep by himself, but the original situations are usually not of his making. He is always willing to help the underdog out. If it's important, even if he really doesn't like you, he'll be there. That's just the kind of guy he is. In this book it is finally a situation that Harry needs help with for himself. He's asking personal favors because this situation is personal.

As Harry searches for allies, we notice a definite split in the group of people he associates with. This is the book that shows who his real friends are. When your so-called friends turn their back on you, you only have so many options. Harry needs people on his side for this. It will be the biggest, most important fight of his life to date. If he can't find allies through his associates, he'll find them somewhere, one way or another.

It's really hard for me to talk about the sheer awesomeness of this book without giving away spoilers. While reading I was shocked. I never expected the author to do something like this. It's not just the obvious lines that Harry crosses that were so surprising. It was just the whole situation. As I saw person after person refuse to help him I got so pissed off! The people who stuck by him didn't surprise me, they'll die for Harry. It was all the others that made me so mad. They're supposed to be a unit! They're supposed to be there for each other! I hope that bridge is burned.

Even after being finished with the book for a while now, it's still so hard to imagine what's going to come next for Harry. A lot have things changed in this book and he's going to have to deal with the fall out in the next book.

By the way, Murphy really impressed me in this book. She's always been there for Harry, but she really steps up her game here. I was so glad she was there for Harry to lean on when he started to crack. I can't believe that her whole identity is a hairsbreadth from being taken too. So many changes for so many people.

One last point! I'm so impressed that Harry has finally decided that even if the situation is horrifically dangerous he won't hold back someone who wants to help him. He's grown enough to know that they're all adults and he can't shelter them all the time. He has to take help wherever he can find it. Kudos Harry!

I'm so anxious for the next book! That was a horrible cliffhanger at the end! What happened??? I need to know!

Changes: The Dresden Files - Book 12

Jim Butcher

Published by Orbit

"I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, 'They've taken our daughter.'

Harry is shocked to discover he has a child with his ex-girlfriend Susan. Their daughter has been abducted by a vampire of the Red Court, Duchess Arianna Ortega, who blames Harry for her husband's death. She is planning to use the girl as a human sacrifice to gain enough power for the Red Court to rule the world.

Thanks to diplomatic wrangling, the White Council refuses to offer help. Harry must rely on his own skills and cunning to outwit the monsters and save his daughter. He has the help of many friends and familiar characters (cop Murphy; Harry's half brother, vampire Thomas; Sanya the Knight; and Harry's apprentice, Molly) as they risk everything to save Harry's daughter. The book ends with a cliff hanger on the last few pages. I'm really anxious to read the next one now. This CAN'T be the end!!!

Changes is a great read, full of action and with a clever plot that keeps you guessing. The longest book in The Dresden Files series, there is never a dull moment in this book. For Harry Dresden fans, this is a must read. If you are a new reader, don't start the series here, go back to Storm Front: Book 1.

Wow. What a magnificent story!
The call came. "They've taken our daughter." A daughter Harry didn't even know he had.
And that shocker is just the beginning of a fantastic roller coaster ride to find out who has his daughter, where she is, and how they can rescue her. What great storytelling!
Susan, the half vampire and long-time love object of Wizard Harry Dresden, and mother of Maggie, and Harry are going to need plenty of help, and they set out to get it.

Next thing, the Red Court vampires blow up the building containing Dresden's office, and the FBI and Chicago police come knocking on Wizard Harry's door. Desperate to get on with the rescue of his daughter and not wanting the magical wards around his home to harm any of the officers, he lowers the wards and escapes to the Nevermore--an Alice-in Wonderland-type of reality--to hide incriminating weapons and magical tools. But, how will he escape the monsters and get back to his home, and what happens when he is arrested?

The surprises keep coming. How will Harry and Officer Karrin Murphy and Molly find out what evil is being planned and where and when? And why is his daughter so important?
The White Council of Wizards does not realize that a war is being plotted against them by the Red Court. Harry and his friends are jumping into the middle of this war, and it looks to be a suicide mission. Yet, still they go.

This is Butcher's best story yet and one you can barely put down until the gut-wrenching ending. "I used the knife.
I saved a child.
I won a war.
God forgive me."
Then, . . . What just happened? Can you even wait for the next adventure?

For Honor: An Adventure of What Might Have Been: Book One of By Honor Bound

I am a huge fan of the Dresden files books, having been hooked immediately by the first novel. Harry is a character I really feel I have come to know over the course of the books, and I care a lot about his struggles, his triumphs, and his tragedies. He has evolved a great deal from the Harry Dresden of book one, though he remains the wise-cracking and big-hearted wizard that he was in that first novel. Because I have so much invested in this character, I was completely and utterly blown away by this book.

Harry has faced many difficult moral decisions throughout the series, but in this novel he faces what is, perhaps, the most difficult of all moral choices: how far should a parent go to protect their child? As a parent myself, this theme really resonated with me. Harry has always been a character with a very strong sense of morality, a man who is always there to defend the good and the weak. He knows how to see the possibility in others, and he knows the power of redemption, so to watch him struggle with a plethora of bad choices was really difficult. This book demands that Harry perhaps make the ultimate sacrifice and, though it is one that he is willing to make, the question is, at what cost? The choices Harry faces in this novel, the decisions he makes, threaten to compromise his character, to cause him to become something against which he has always fought. Even as I rebelled against the thought of this beloved character having to compromise his morals, I understood. As a parent, there isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect my own child.

Prior novels have had twists and turns, but this one has by far the most devastating ones for Harry. The fight in this book has huge and far-reaching consequences, the likes of which I haven't yet witnessed in any of the other novels. As the title of this book states, this is a novel about some very, very big changes, not just for Harry, but also for his friends. I've no wish to give anything away to someone who hasn't yet read the book, so suffice it to say that this is the first Dresden novel that actually made me cry. I was simply blown away by some of the events and was devastated by what ultimately happens to Harry and his friends.

I love this series so I am inclined to like each new book, but this book wowed me. "Changes" is the best Harry Dresden novel yet. It grabbed me from the first sentence and kept getting better through an epic battle scene and an ending that made me wish the next book was ready so I could keep going.

If this would be your first Harry Dresden novel, I want to recommend that you go back and read a few of the earlier books. The plot in this book stands on its own and the author explains relationships so you wouldn't miss anything factually but this book has a lot of emotion that may not be conveyed without a history with the characters. In particular, you may want to read Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3) and also maybe Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2) and/or Turn Coat: A Novel of the Dresden Files for Harry's past with Susan Rodriguez. You could also read Death Masks: A Novel of the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, Book 5) for why Arianna Ortega of the Red Vampire Court hates Harry so much. On the other hand, if you jump in with this book, you will get hooked on the series and want to start at the beginning and read them all.

The name of the book is particularly fitting because Harry gets hit with a lot of changes and also makes choices that will lead to more changes. I don't want to give away any of the plot but it is interesting and involved. A lot of familiar characters are present plus a few new ones

Readers who enjoy Harry's fights with the things that go bump in the night will have a lot of appreciate in this book. There are a number of separate fights and one amazing massive battle.

I can't wait to see what the author does next in this series.

This is a hard book to review because I don't want to post any spoilers. But how can you stay away from talking about that ending?!? I'll just keep this short and sweet...

Harry thinks his life might finally be slowing down a little when he gets a call from Susan Rodriguez. She tells him they have a daughter and that she has been kidnapped by the Red Court. Harry has to save her and save her fast. It takes all of his skills, cunning, and allies to help him out and even then not much goes as planned. As the title of the novel alludes, everything has changed for Harry Dresden by the end of this book.

This book was like a magnet; I couldn't pull away from it. The plot was pretty well paced except for a few weird side trips that happened towards the beginning. When the actual rescue starts to go down, it was impossible to stop reading this book until the end. If Mr. Butcher had tightened the beginning a little bit, this book would have been perfect. As it stands, it is still a 5-star read for me and an incredibly impressive entry into the Dresden Files. This book was so emotional and changed so many things.... I'm speechless. All I can do is read the next book as fast as possible

First Sentence: I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, "They've taken our daughter."

Seven years' ago, wizard Harry Dresden's love, Susan Rodriguez left after being turned into a half-vampire. Now she calls to tell him that his daughter Maggie, about whom he'd never known, has been kidnapped by the Duchess of the Red Court. Harry learns that Maggie is to be a blood sacrifice in an act that will destroy him and many others. Harry is determined to rescue his daughter.

I am, primarily, a mystery reader. I picked up "Storm Front," the first Harry Dresden book by Jim Butcher thinking it would be interesting to see how he brings mysteries and the paranormal together. While the books are far more paranormal/fantasy than mystery, about half-way into that first book, the genre definition no longer mattered.

Harry Dresden is not the stuff of fairy tales--at least, not the Disney versions--Grimm was, after all, rather grim--but the stuff of nightmares with a wickedly good sense of humor. It is definitely a series to be read in order.

Boy, does Butcher know how to tell a story. He touches every emotion while making us face the monsters in the closet. I thoroughly enjoyed the references to movie, television, literature which have become part of our popular culture.

The world and characters created by Butcher are vividly drawn and often very unpleasant. Much of that is offset by the strong human characters, excellent dialogue and wonderful humor. There is a delightful bit where Harry "said firmly, "I don't do hats." This is a jab to the fact that the cover of every book shows Harry wearing a hat.

Dresden is a classic hero. He is tall, attractive, strong, clever, protects the innocent and weak, destroys the bad buys and isn't overly macho ever. As with each previous book, we continue to learn more of Dresden's background. We also see the extent to which he is willing to go to protect and save others.

In "Changes," Butcher brings together nearly all the characters of previous books for this pivotal story, and some wonderful characters they are. It's thanks to his skill and imagination that we have Bob, the intelligent spirit who love trashy romance novels; Molly, Harry's apprentice; Mouse, the amazing Foo dog, and all the others; human and inhuman.

The story is non-stop with some breath-catching moments, both in terms of pacing and suspense. It is touching, suspenseful, gruesome, emotional, violent and occasionally funny. The book's ending is as much a shock to us as it is to Harry. I'm one who usually abhors cliff-hanger ending, but then realized Butcher did play fair with us by the lead up to the ending.

I am concerned about where the series is going from here, as I know the series is continuing. I'll just have to trust to Butcher's wonderful writing and go along for the adventure.

CHANGES (Para/Mys-Harry Dresden-Chicago-Cont) - VG+
Butcher, Jim - 12th in series
RoC, ©2010, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780451463173

This twelfth installment, Changes, is the culmination of monumental change in direction for the Dresden Files world. This book signals a new, and darker, era for Harry and his supporting cast, the White Council, the Sidhe Courts and the Vampire courts.

This book is a page-turner that gripped me by the neck from the first sentence and as a parent I could understand Harry's desperation to sacrifice all and burn down the world to save his child.

I was surprised and disappointed that there was practically no mention of Michael or his recovery from the massive injuries he sustained helping Harry in Turn Coat; his retirement of his sword only rated a passing mention. I hope Amoracchius passes to Molly or Luccio and Fidelacchius goes to either Kincaid or Marcone.

Author Jim Butcher created a wonderful cast of compelling characters and the universe they live in continues to grow and change. While Bob, Thomas, Luccio, and Mac come in as solid support, with Murphy as her usual wooden self, it's Sanya, Ebenezar, Molly, Lea who shine. Mouse and Toot both have scene stealing performances.

Although the explosive climax ended on a disappointing cliffhanger, I wasn't overly perturbed by it because it made me think about what will be next in store for Harry, plus I was spared being subjected to some tacked-on intimate moment between Harry and Murphy.

Changes is a crucible, burning away the familiar trappings of Harry's former life...his home, his lab, his beetle, his trademark duster and maybe even his soul. We can bid adieu to Harry Dresden the charming, down on his luck wizard-detective as he heads for darker territory.

This series is the gold standard for this genre, this is what Urban Fantasy should be.

I actually don't much like the Dresden Files, but I kind of liked this book.

One of the problems with the Down and Out Private Eye Out of His Depth(TM) urban Fantasy sub-genre is they inevitable start out with the main character being a bit player...but as the series goes on they get more and more powerful friends and enemies, and it becomes increasingly absurd that they are a down and out private eye. When powerful beings constantly gun for the hero, it becomes increasingly absurd that the hero's life remain the same.
This is the book were Butcher finally acknowledges that, and changes the game completely. In a sense, it is the author's "Buffy Musical Episode" in that the author acknowledges the fact that the hero really should be crazy by now.

There were a couple twists near the end I like. I also liked the satisfyingly elegant "bad guy bashing". There was a "soap opera" element to it...but I didn't mind it.

What I don't like is the glee with which the author tortures the main character. I realize this is a common writing technique, but at some point it becomes kind of sadistic. I also don't like how often Dresden is the helpless pawn of fate.

First, I'm a really big fan of Harry Dresden. This series is one of the best urban fantasies on the market today. Period. As a number of other reviewers have noted, this book marks several changes in Dresden's life: a child that he never know that he had and the return of Susan Rodriguez. There are other changes, but I don't want to be a spoiler for all of the events that take place. I will say one thing about his book, which is true for most of the later books in the series, and that is Butcher does not ask, but absolutely requires, that you have read the earlier books if you want to fully understand what is going on. Even die hard Dresden fans, like me, will have a hard time in places with this book unless you have read the previous books recently or have an excellent memory. At one point, for example, Harry, Susan and Susan's colleague, Martin, are standing at the edge of cliff about to drink a potion which will allow them to float down and, hopefully, infiltrate a Red Court facility. Susan hesitates to drink the potion and makes a comment about how the last time she drank one of Harry's potions, the situation became embarrassing. That is reference back to the first book in the series. You have to have read it in order to appreciate the remark. This book demands that type of background knowledge. If you have that knowledge, then you love this book. Yes, some of the banter and humor are missing in this book compared to earlier ones, but that has been increasingly true as the series progresses. My one quibble with the book is how it ends. I would have preferred that the last chapter had been moved to the next book in the series, which I am really looking forward to. What better way to end a book than with the statement, "God forgive me." I'd be interested if others feel the same. Whatever you think of the ending, and it is a dozy, get the book, read the series, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Changes is a superb feast for the mind and heart. This is a solid 10 star read. The first scene and the first words of Changes, ("I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, 'They've taken our daughter), are captivating. After hearing this announcement from Susan Rodriguez, we are held hostage until the entire story has unfolded. There are many intense moments in Changes. One occurs in the very first scene. In this scene, Harry is told that his daughter, Margaret Angelica, is missing. Together, both Harry, (and you and I), hear about his daughter for the first time, ever. This scene informs the tone and intensity of the narrative. He first met Susan, his daughter's mother in Fool Moon where they began dating briefly.

In Changes, aptly named, Harry's entire universe changes. His car, the Blue Beetle, is destroyed; his home burns down; he is separated from his tom cat, Mister, in the fire; his office is bombed; he is uncertain about the dependability of Thomas, who has been yielding to the demon side of his nature; and his friend Karrin is in trouble with the FBI; and many members of the White Council have mysteriously become ill. He proves that he will go to hell and back to save one who is not known to him but is important and loved, because he has given her life, albeit unexpectedly, along with his unrequited love, Susan Rodriguez. He shows this by making a deal with Mab, Queen of the Winter Sidhe.

The war that is started with the Red Court of Vampires in Grave Peril is brought to a conclusion in Changes with a total absoluteness and grim finality. In fighting the cause of his daughter, he fights again for many who have been victimized by the Red Court. The Red Court has held evil Dominion over the parts of South America and Mexico where the Red Court dominates. This is an allegory for the victimizations and the abuses in life: physical and emotional abuse of children and adults, and even modern human slavery, (usually the slavery of women promised what they have hoped for but in the end are given so much less), perpetrated on specific factions in society by the powerful, whether criminal elements like cartels or otherwise. If only all evil-doers can be vanquished like the Red Court in one crusade by one pure of purpose such as Harry becomes in Changes. Changes is also the tale of a love story gone wrong. Harry and Susan once upon a time dated and unbeknownst to Harry, they had a child, Margaret Angelica. Margaret Angelica appears to be a "right" result of their relationship. The part that has gone wrong is that after all that they must go through; they will never be able to be together.

Themes such as third world victimization, the victimization of women, the development of the Stockholm syndrome, and the difficulties of being a parent in today's world are considered in this modern allegory and gives us pause. Why the Stockholm Syndrome: While the psychological condition in hostage situations became known as "Stockholm Syndrome" due to the emotional "bonding" with captors and is and was a familiar story in psychology, it had been recognized many years before and was found in studies of other hostage, prisoner, or abusive situations.

In the final analysis, emotionally bonding with an abuser is actually a strategy for survival for victims of abuse and intimidation. The "Stockholm Syndrome" reaction in hostage and/or abuse situations is well recognized. We see this, especially in the story of Alamaya. She belongs to the Red King and will do anything that she feels that he wants her to do. This includes offering Harry her body, not to please Harry, but to please the Red King and show that she is willing to do her duty. The bonding has occurred with individuals like Alamaya because having no power; this is their best way to survive one who has such little regard for human life.

The tale of Changes is impressive by virtue of its greatness. Though Harry overcomes many obstacles to save Margaret Angelica, in the end, not everyone can be saved. This again informs the reader and reminds one of life. Failure exists and we must rise above the struggle. Harry rises above the struggle and the price he pays is dear.

Changes, though a modern allegory, is also reminiscent of Homer's Odyssey and the many challenges that Odysseus encounters before he again returns to Ithaca. Odysseus after 10 years of trial and tribulation finally reaches home. The cost has been dear.

Changes rises to the status of icon and Harry becomes the avatar of justice. In its brilliant narrative it stands alone. It's the most impressive novel of the series to date.

James Marsters is masterful in his narration in the audio version. Whether you read the book or listen to the audiobook, this is a solid 10 stars.

Really enjoyed this one. A real page-turner, I could not put it down. Relentless pace. I do kind of miss the peaceful moments in between all-hell-breaking-lose that was common in the older books though.

There seem to be plenty of hints as if there's a whole other layer going on where someone is manipulating Harry and others - presumably the Black Council. I get the feeling more than ever that even at the end of the book, Harry hasn't really figured everything out yet. The ending would seem to indicate that is the case (although in many ways it makes perfect sense given his situation, and the basic scenario of how it could happen has been laid out in previous books and referenced again within the book). Changes indeed.

I am somewhat ambivalent about the huge Changes that are being wrought (certainly an accurate title for this one) since many of my favorite trademark features that are such a part of Harry seem to be going by the wayside. How could Harry still be our Harry without them? What will take their place? I was happy to see Sanya in action, but I do miss the Carpenter family, whether Michael wields a sword or not. I enjoyed Murphy's role in this one, and everyone else fit together nicely as well. Very satisfying.

Monoc Securities is an interesting addition, though of course Miss Gard has been around for awhile. Curious where that's going, if anywhere.

The only problem with this book is that I don't have the next one yet! In fact this series is awful, it always leaves me wanting more. Curse you Jim Butcher! :)

It is hardly surprising that after enjoying the previous 11 books in this series that I have enjoyed #12 as well. But there you have it. This one one of the more exciting novels in the series full of intrigue and plot twists. Just a really good boo.

As usual for the series there were some slow parts but the rest of the book is so action packed it is hard to complain. Just be ready for the roughly middle third of the book to be a bit slow. Others than that no complains at all this was quite simply another great installment in a very good series.

As this 12th novel of the Dresden Files series begins Harry gets the phone call that most men have nightmares about - an old girl friend calls to tell him he is a father. Of course since Harry Dresden is a Wizard, one with numerous connections (and enemies) in the Supernatural community, and the former lover is a partially turned vampire the mere news of the child's existence is not the whole story. No the biggest bit of news is that the child, their daughter, has been kidnapped by the Red Court vampires. Still reeling from the shock of his paternity Harry must now devise a way to locate the girl and rescue her, without revealing that she is her daughter to those who would use the child as a hostage against Harry if given the chance. Harry's quest to reach his daughter leads him into danger in both the mortal world and the NeverNever and exacts from very dear sacrifices from him.

This is an excellent adventure in the always superb series of urban noir fantasy thrillers. As always Harry struggles to find balance in his life, working in both the mundane world of mortals and the supernatural with serious problems in both, Harry also has to struggle with his own conflicted nature and maintain a balance between Light and Dark. There is a very pronounced overall story arc in this series so begin with STORM FRONT and proceed in order then join the rest of us fans while we wait to see how Harry will get out of the mess he is in at the end of this one.

After 13 books in the series, it is pretty obvious that Jim Butcher felt he needed to shake up his 'Dresden Files' series. Changes did that in a big way. Every character that has become a staple in the series in effected by the events in this book. Harry, Susan and Murphy are changed forever. Supports like Molly and Thomas are changed, and even Mouse will be different from here on out.
Aside from the massive shake-up, this is your typical Dresden fair. Constant action, everyone and their mother getting in on the action. This book feels a lot more personal though. Aside from the emotional pull of the Harry-Susan dynamic, the Red Court (that always makes it really intense) brings in something else to make this uber-personal with Harry. Without giving away any of the plot, this is a great read and totally turns the universe on it's head. It freshens everything up and makes this series incredibly exciting again for the future!

This was an excellent read. It starts with a bang and keeps going. I like Harry. He stands by his ideals, he's brave, keeps his word, is kind to animals and keeps on keeping on even when those he should be able to count on fail to get on his bandwagon. He even loves his half vampire brother. In this story he displays all these things and we learn some new things about Harry as he learns them. I read this in one sitting practically. I did have to give up and go to sleep after the final climax and read the last few pages in the morning. The end is kind of a cliffhanger. Not that all the loose ends to this story are left unraveled - they all get tied up or I'd have been mad. It just makes you know you have to go to the next book to find out what's going on now! I'm not going to do that, though - not yet. Not looking forward to getting to the end of the series so I will pace myself and hope Jim Butcher can keep ahead of me. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy looking forward to the next adventure.

Jim Butcher's Changes introduces many changes into the lives of characters from the Dresden Files. I finished the previous book long enough ago to have forgotten most of the details (okay, I have a bad memory), but the author includes enough simple references to satisfy without my needing to reread--a master at the well-hinted back-story I guess. Characters spring back to, or into, personhood (or something else) and pull the reader in, while the overall situation, a missing, vitally important child, keeps the tension going from beginning to end.

This is definitely not a story for the squeamish. Dangers and horrors hinted at in earlier volumes become much deeper here, and Ick isn't just a name for a monster. But as horror stories go, there's plenty of human interest, lots of fascinating depth of detail, and intriguing hints at the only partly known. There are mysteries too, and wholly satisfying revelations, complex good and bad guys, and a fine coming together of ideas from the earlier novels. Did the author really have all this planned out from the start, or is he a genius at making ideas come together? Whatever, I really enjoyed the book and am eager to read the next; I just wish it would come out in paperback sooner. Ah, but that's what libraries are for...

Disclosure: My husband and I both enjoy the Dresden Files, so when we heard this one was out in paperback we had to buy it. Husband gets to read it next.

Book 12 of the Dresden Files.

I have to say that Changes is the best book in the Dresden Files Series to date. So much happens in this instalment of Dresden's life. This books challenges Harry and some of those closest to him to battle the vicious Red Court. While calling in some favours Harry has to make some deals that he rather not have to and lead to future changes that all converge and take the reader on a hell of a global trip battling all sorts of nasties. You really find out who you can trust to have your back in this book.

Jim Butcher doesn't disappoint in pulling at those heart strings and making this book an epic battle ride between the love of a parent for their child and the extent one can take revenge against someone else.

There are lots of shocks in this twisted tale that will leave you gasping and cheering right to the last page. Dresden really finds out the kind of man he is and how deep his love can go for those dearest to him.

Jim Butcher hit it right out of the park with this latest Dresden File book.

Priscilla

This installment of the Dresden Files certainly is about Changes. Most of what you think you know about Harry changes, including what Harry is willing to do. It was well written and is in the same tongue in cheek style of all Dresden books, only much darker. That being said, I had to give it a four instead of a five because of the mixed feelings I have over what happens in the book, these "Changes".

Harry does a couple of things out of character in the book that I think unsettled some of the other reviewers who perhaps don't have children. If you did, you'd realize that push come to shove, they aren't out of line for a parent.

There is a lot more here on the structure of the Red Court which is fascinating and the Fellowship of St. Giles. Harry calls in all his markers on this one and it is quite a mess that he will be left with. I can't say I like the changes that Butcher has made, many of the things we think of automatically when we think of Harry Dresden are gone and there is one "Luke, I am Your Father" moment that doesn't seem to be as impactful for anyone involved as it should have been.

Still, it is a solid book in the series and better than one or two of the previous ones that have really stretched the readers abilty to suspend disbelief.

I know that a lot of people liked this book, but it is probably my least favorite Dresden book. It departed so much from what a Dresden book usually is, from what makes them great. I know that change is good and you can't expect a man to keep going the same way for very long without change, but this is just to much. Yeah Dresden seems to be the same as always, he talks the same, he even mostly thinks the same, but to much is to much. Especially coming down to the end, decisions are made and actions are taken that the normal Harry Dresden wouldn't take. Not to mention that now he works for someone else, and someone that the author has been setting up for books as evil. I still love this series, and I will still read all of the books that come out, but I really was disappointed in this book and I'm scared what the author is going to do in the books to come.

The Dresden Files has departed significantly from its rather humble murder-by-magic beginnings. When Susan Rodriguez appears, begging help to save her and Harry's daughter from the clutches of the Red Court, it starts off the greatest power struggle Harry has ever been a part of.

What manages to make the meat of the book so good is the visceral realness of it. Butcher doesn't pull much of this from his nether regions, and manages to weave together real mythical creatures into a wonderful tapestry that is neither bland, dry, or god forbid, sparkly. And in the middle, the smartass attitude continues to carry well, despite it becoming more of a shield rather than an outlook.

The only downside for this is there's little in the way of reference for those who juggle multiple massive worlds, and can not remember side characters even after they have been reintroduced. While I loathe books that get a third of their weight in recapping, the series is in sore need of at least a cast of characters page, or possibly even a terminology guide at the end.

And, like a weaver looking down at his splayed skeins, Butcher has decided, blessedly, to start closing off plot threads. And why the climactic cliffhanger is bound to pull a scream from some, it clinches the end of the book closed with force that few can pull off well.

(No Spoilers) The 12th book in the Dresden Files series, Jim Butcher has done it again with Changes, a most appropriate title if I ever saw one. Changes is packed full of action, drama, suspense, and enough tension to keep readers from eating or sleeping so that they might finish the book. For avid readers of the Dresden Files, they will find that Changes closes some previous subplots as well as bringing new revelations to light. Nothing detracts from the overall plot and awesomeness of the novel, however, as Harry Dresden searches to rescue a little girl from the clutches of the evil vampires. (Thank goodness for evil, non-sparkly vampires by the way!) The only part I didn't care for about Changes was the ending, which is why I rated it 4.5 instead of 5 stars. Directly before an uncustomary ending, there is a moment of romantic tension that I found to be rather awkward considering what Harry had recently been through, romantically speaking. All in all, Changes is a wonderful, fast-paced addition to the Dresden Files line. You'll laugh at Harry's ever-present wit, cry at his losses, and cheer him on at every heart-pounding turn. Please don't leave us hanging on the cliff for too long, Jim!

Let me preface this review by saying that at I have read several other books in this series.
Jim Butcher has become a favorite Author.

Having said that, I was very disappointed with this particular book - compared to the other books I have read.
All the quirky things I loved in the other books were pretty much missing in this book.
This book is also extremely violent. The ending is one of the most graphically violent I have ever read.

I still recommend that you read this book - if you are a fan of the series. But be prepared NOT to lik ethis book.

#12 Harry Dresden paranormal series, and a very apt title. Harry's life is definitely *full* of changes in this book. The first is that he receives a call from his former girlfriend Susan informing him that their daughter (whom Harry didn't know existed!) has been kidnapped by Duchess Ariana of the Red Court Vampires for some nefarious purpose. Susan is a half-vampire/half-human who went out of Harry's life years previously when she was bitten and took up with a group of like-minded people fighting the Red Court.

Harry and Susan put together a team to get Maggie back from Ariana and are thrown into a maelstrom of trouble coming from many fronts. Within a short period of time, Harry's office is blown up, his home burned down, and he makes some alliances and some discoveries about his ancestry that leave him reeling.

Excellent entry in this most excellent of paranormal series, perfectly read by James Marsters who captures the very essence of Harry and his friends and life. Left with a terrible cliffhanger, I'm very anxious to get to the next in the series when it becomes available.

I am almost ashamed to say that I had never read a Jim Butcher novel and I picked up Changes on a whim. Well for those who haven't read it yet, I won't spoil it for you but it had a very surprising ending for me and left me with a desperate craving for more Dresden adventures. I had to go to the store and start buying the books from the beginning. I can't afford to buy them all at once so I have been looking for package deals of "sets". I have now read the first three and am still hungry for more.

Mr Butcher, If you read this I am so sorry I didn't discover your work sooner, but you have an avid follower now. I cannot be as active as I once was and I find Harry Dresden to be a delightful change and a guy I would like to know. True Gentlemen are almost non-existant and I enjoy that about him, although I do wish he weren't so gullible where the distressed damsels are concerned. :) Susan's situation was her fault not his. If she hadn't been so stupidly nosey she wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. God, I do love your work. Thanks!!!!

The Dresden Series is one of a few urban fantasies that maintains its ability to enthrall the reader with surprising plot twists, dark humor, and the complicated humanity of its main characters in book after book. If you want to get lost for a little while in a world of magic, with all of its beauty and horror, this is the book for you!

Paperback/Urban Fantasy: This book is really good. Everything Harry didn't lose in Turn Coat Turn Coat, he loses in this book. And just when you think he can't lose anything else, BAM! Then, he can't lose anything, BAM, repeat...several more times. I see lots of peeps saying this is the best Dresden book. I still think the first book Storm Front Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) is the best.
You know from the first line of the book what the situation is going to be. The only mystery is how Dresden is going to get there.
There are some funny parts including Mouse "talking" and Toot mouthing off about the reflection he saw in he pond. I actually had to reread the latter because it is so funny. I'm still loving some Molly and her maturing role.
Great book and great addition to the Dresden series.

This was one of the best books I have ever read...I have just recently read all the books in this series and this is definately the best one, although I would give all of them 5 stars..Changes starts out fast and keeps going and going, there is never a dull moment...Harry is on top of his game in this one, making tough decisions and getting the job done once again...DO NOT start the series with this book, you have to start from the beginning in order to know all the players...Lots of surprises that I didnt see coming...seems like Jim Butcher puts alot of time inbetween his books, the next one in the series came out over a year ago...once I have read Ghost Story, I will have to wait for the next one and it will be hard...I will have to go back and re-read the previous books...I have listened to the audio version of most of these and the reader, James Marsters is great!! I highly recommend this series with its in depth characters and story lines...Jim Butcher is a great writer, too bad there is so much time between books!!

I would have given this author a full 5 stars for his work but I had to take three away because he broke from his pattern and created a cliff hanger. No, I am not going to give anyone the cliff notes version of this story but like all crime detective novels I like to know who done it at the end of the book. There is nothing I hate more than soap opera writing it is a cheap way to sell anything and it just makes me mad. If you have not purchased this book and you are like me and don't like cliff hangers that take a year to find out what happens just wait till the new book come out. If cliff hangers are your thing then this is the book for you. Don't misunderstand the book is well written but I hate Cliff hangers in books because they take too long to find out what comes next. It was one of the things I liked about Mr. Butcher's books was that I could read a book to conclusion and it was a complete story. If you can not wait till next year and you hate cliff hangers take my advice and just stop at page 420 and don't read chapter 49.

I hope this helps someone.

The dude has spoken.

What can I say but WOW! I found the early books in this series entertaining and definitely worthwhile reads, but the last few books have just blown me away. I'm not sure if it's because I'm so invested in the characters but honestly, I think it's because Butcher's writing has gotten all the more better (as it is still excellent writing in the earlier novels) and the storylines have just really ramped up. Jim Butcher has a very creative mind because the things he comes up with...I'm at a loss for words. He has a fantastic sense of humor and it totally shines through in Harry Dresden. These books would not be the caliber that they are without Harry's signature sarcasm and wit.

If you haven't read this series and you enjoy urban fantasy that has just the right amount of sarcastic humor, this series is a must read. And stick with it as the books just get better and better as the series progresses.

Only Jim Butcher can make a novel worth of a 300 million dollar movie and complex as the Dark Knight. Action packed and filled with changes-no pun intended-this is the best of the series. It's sort of like the add-on to Grave Peril, as Small Favor is to Death Masks.
The action is non-stop and violent; it pulls the story forward. There are still one-liners-as many have said-and the story is probably the best story ever created. Dresden has to save his daughter(GASP) from Red Court vampires,who took her not only to get revenge(!). Most of the previous characters come forth and Sanya is really prominent this time.
As for changes, there are just too many to name. The end is the real turning point. Dresden also gets to be the big hero and confront the baddies by himself and not take help from his seniors. As another reviewer said, this is the end of season one. The final page is certainly the best cliffhanger ever made. Jim Butcher, at least release the cover of the next one FAST, please!!!!
An infinite amount of numbers out of five.

This is the ULTIMATE Harry Dresden book. From the moment I started it I could feel that important things were going to happen. Even the book title of Changes tells you this is going to be different than all the other Dresden Files books. Let me tell you, that is a serious understatement. Harry does things in this book that are going to change his life forever and I'm getting excited and worried just thinking about it again.

It's going to be really hard to review this without spoilers so I'll keep this short and general. The book opens with a phone call from Susan Rodriguez telling Dresden that their daughter(!?!?) has been kidnapped. That is not a spoiler since it's on the first page and the back of the book but I was shocked by that alone. I can't remember the last time we even heard about Susan and to find out Harry has a daughter is just crazy. Well, as with all Dresden books, that is just the tip of the iceberg and it only gets crazier from there.

I really thought the last book, Turn Coat, was a new high for the series after a string of mediocre books. This takes everything I loved about Turn Coat and ups the ante by 1000%. Pretty much all the characters that were absent in the last one show up in this one (except Michael but we do get some information on what he's been doing). Dresden's reaction to becoming a father is fascinating and goes from anger to joy to confusion and everything in between. The whole book is really about his struggle to come to terms with this as well as the fact that Susan hid his daughter from him all these years.

Harry resolves to get his daughter back no matter what the cost and let me just say that the cost is HUGE. He does things that he never would have done before. The group responsible for the kidnapping do things to him that has never been done before. In short, everything CHANGES. For better or worse Harry will never be the same man he was in the previous 11 books in the series. It's just not possible anymore.

The ending to Changes is SHOCKING. Looking back it was strongly foreshadowed in the rest of the book but I was in disbelief. I read and reread it multiple times because my brain could not comprehend what had just happened. This is a new personal best for Butcher and he has injected new life into the Dresden Files. I have no idea where it's going to go from here but I can't wait to find out.

Before we begin, *MAJOR, EGREGIOUS, HUMONGOUS SPOILER ALERT*

I'm serious, now, so no complaining when I PRESENT KEY PLOT POINTS from this BOOK YOU MAY NOT HAVE READ YET.

OK, so I have been going back and forth on this book. I'll start with my positive impressions:

Butcher is becoming a more polished writer. His dialogue and relationship development are excellent. Reading about the interactions between Harry and his friends makes me feel like I would enjoy being part of the group, because of their deep bonds and easy banter. I strive for those things in my friendships. The action sequences are usually entertaining and well thought out, and many even contain some fairly original occurrences. I enjoyed Harry's destruction of the Ick because he used his head and an unexpected maneuver. Harry's world still contains a great deal of humor, which I value. In Turn Coat, it was amusing how every time Harry returned to his home Mouse was busy deterring violence from various parties (Molly, Morgan, Luccio). It had the feel of a sigh and roll of the eyes that I enjoyed, even if the scenarios were serious. That humor continues here with Sanya's "street-flavored" commentary on Harry's tryst with Mab, as well in numerous other situations.

Now for my less-than-positive reactions:

I felt that Thomas was given short shrift here. In Turn Coat, the naagloshii battered him into embracing his inner Hunger and it looked like his closeness with Harry was, at least temporarily, at an end. In this book he seems to be back to the same jocular companion he was. Did I miss something? I also have an issue with how Harry wins this war. Was it an ingenious, original plot device from Butcher? Sure it was. But what happened to the man who says "No life is worth more, Merlin? No life is worth LESS."? I get that it's for his daughter, and that tie has been explained ad nauseam as driving Harry beyond his former moral limits. I even (somewhat) accept his decision to become the Winter Knight, because it fits with his typical ideal of taking consequences onto himself. I just find it hard to accept that he manipulated Susan into turning fully vampire, than talked her into letting him sacrifice her to defeat the Reds. Yes, yes, he destroyed the entire Red Court - I get it. And yet, "no life is worth less." Just struggling with this based on all I know after reading and rereading the Dresden files. There is, for me, no clear answer. But it bugs me. Oh, and a blatant cliffhanger? Come on, Jim, you're better than that. As if we don't all already salivate upon the approach of a new Dresden novel. No more cheap theatrics, please.

I still love Butcher's work. I still very much enjoy the Dresden files. I even understand the necessity for Harry to grow in stature and power (much like Tavi in the Codex Alera) in order to confront larger powers. I just can't seem to fully accept how much Harry sacrificed in terms of his personal belief system and morals in this book. I guess I have no right to complain - it is, after all, called "Changes."

This is an utterly brilliant installment in the series. I finished it today, and I can't believe how much Butcher turned poor Harry's life upside-down! One of the things I love about the series is that you can't take any aspect of Harry's life for granted. Nothing is safe.

I disagree with the reviewer that complained that Harry was not appropriately broken up over some of the losses that occur. I felt his emotion acutely. And, having young children myself, I definitely understood the lengths to which Harry went.

I loved how many characters reappeared, or at least were mentioned, from previous adventures. They were deftly woven into the story and all had a place. Ivy and Kincaid, Marcone and Miss Gard, Susan, Lea and Mab, Murphy and Thomas, Sanya, Molly, Bob, Mouse, Lara Raith, Ebenezar, Luccio, etc.

Just awesome. I wish I could read it for the first time again, and the cliffhanger left me crazy for more!

Changes by Jim Butcher is the twelfth installment in the bestselling series The Dresden Files. Readers are sure to get everything they expect out of a Dresden Files novel as well as a few unexpected surprises since Butcher delivers even more blood-pumping action and wizardly mayhem, which is sure to stir Dresden fans into a frenzy.

After the arrival of Harry Dresden's ex-girlfriend Susan, Chicago's resident private eye/wizard for hire finds himself hard pressed to investigate the kidnapping of a young child, and this time the stakes have never been higher. Not only is the child his, but she has also been kidnapped by the vicious Red Court vampires. When Dresden's friends join the effort to rescue Maggie from certain death, he sees a chance to snatch back his child from the hands of his enemies, but at what cost? Dresden is forced to make difficult choices that will irrevocably change the course of his life, the lives of his friends, and the world in which he lives. Can he make the ultimate sacrifice to save his daughter?

This latest edition to The Dresden Files, aptly named Changes, reveals the most significant turning point in Dresden's life and in heart-wrenching fashion. While this novel has more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel, Changes races through the plot at lightening speed until Butcher brings Harry Dresden face to face with the most cunning opponent he has ever faced. With precision of purpose, Butcher pulls subplots together from previous novels, solidifying an over arching plot within the series itself. In so doing, he bring Changes to a cataclysmic, shocking end that will leave readers breathlessly wanting more.

Changes reveals a maturity in Butcher's storytelling that elevates The Dresden Files to more than just a series of entertaining novels about a Chicago based, magic wielding, private investigator. In true Dresden style, Changes delivers strong characters, a compelling story line, and more action than an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie set at Hogwarts. Changes is a wonderful addition to a solid series.

Fans who can't wait until April 2011 for Ghost Story, the next book in the Dresden Files Series, should check out Jim Butcher's new anthology Side Jobs, which is packed full of short stories featuring Harry Dresden and his friends.

This is one of the best Butcher novels so far. Typically in a Dresden book there are lots of fireballs, bad guys are repealed and justice restored. Two or three separate story lines interweave until a climactic release. In Changes, JB raises the stakes and opts for a simpler, cleaner and psychologically more complex narrative. Gripping from the beginning to the end.

Butcher has clear ideas about reality, the mind and the 'supernatural'. No mere fantasy, his views seem coherent and based on deep personal investigation, study, reflection and commitment. I like that. His wizard, an alter ego of sorts, is not perfect yet Butcher makes the very imperfection into an embodiment of humanness, humor and style. And the characters, well, one gets to love'em from the cat, the dog and the skull to the heroes and antiheroes. Looking forward to the next installment.

Once again I wish I could give 1/2 stars; this one really teeters on the 3-4 cusp. What caused me to knock it back has been mentioned by other reviewers, tho not because so many familiar "Harry things" become gone by the end of the book. I was okay with that --and even the title sorta blares out a warning for those who may be disturbed by major changes.

But what knocked down my rating includes things like Butcher's sudden obsession with pop culture references; they were sorta fun when they were occasional, but suddenly he drops them in CONSTANTLY. I found it very annoying, & not only because the dog (Mouse, not my dog) "got" more of them than I did. I don't 'do' movies or TV any more except for very occasional net streaming, and have never read any print form of super-hero things (like comic books, whatever snazzy name they go by these days). I got very, very tired of the relentless Pop Culturepalooza. I mean, give me a break, "DJ Molly C?!?" Gag me with a spoon...which is a culture reference almost as dusty & ludicrous as "DJ Molly C." Just give it a few years.

Mouse. He used to be a cool, smarter-than-your-average-canine sort of dog. This was fine; he acted like a dog with super-special doggie gifts. Now he's a human in a dog suit. The human happens to like belly rubs & wags its tail but otherwise Mouse is now pretty much a human even when he doesn't speak English. The speech thing bothered some folks, but I didn't even mind it; I imagine my dog talking pretty much all the time, but what he says is doggish things, not 'human in a fuzzy costume things.' Again, extremely annoying, & it pretty much ruined one of Butcher's better characters.

Why, oh why, with all the things that Harry loses, couldn't the odious Molly have been one of them?? Her character hasn't gotten any less loathsome.

I have noted some interesting clues to Butcher's views on females: he describes one as being 'pretty even though she wasn't wearing any makeup,' and in the next book a woman is described something like "not pretty, but wasn't disturbing looking either." Interesting binary set, Jim: women are either pretty (& wearing makeup) or you're disturbed by them. Wow. Walking in public must be hard for this author; every time he sees a female who's less than beautiful (& isn't a big customer of Estee Lauder), he gets disturbed. SHEESH as well as good grief.

The next book, which I haven't finished, is also saturated with pop culture references. If Butcher doesn't relearn how to write from his own brain, as opposed to constantly ripping off others to provide "wittiness," I may have to give up on this series. It's been entertaining so far despite some real issues, but adding annoying traits to the books rather than subtracting them is not a good trend.

I've read all of the Dresden books, and the Codex Alera as well. That's, what, 16 books? And in my opinion, they span the range of pretty good to friggen awesome. I've never read that many books by the same author and been able to make the same assertion.

This one ranks well above pretty good, but significantly below friggen awesome. It's obvious that JB's splitting the series into two parts, with this book as the transition point. And that's why it doesn't quite make friggen awesome...because it IS so obvious that this is a transitioning point. I didn't mind the fact that he was dredging up pretty much every secondary and tertiary character that he's introduced to date...some of them were nice to see again. But it's clearly apparent that he only did it to give the story that cataclysmic final battle feel, and to be perfectly honest, he could have managed that just fine without the stroll down memory lane.

But still a very entertaining read, and I'll definately keep buying books with "Harry Dresden" stamped on them until they're no longer entertaining....

This is the 12th book in a terrific series. Not only has Butcher created a large cast of compelling and interesting characters, the universe they live in continues to grow and change with them.

That said, both Turn Coat and Changes seem a bit of a come down from the terrific three books Proven Guilty, White Knight and Small Favor. And those were numbers 8, 9 and 10 in this series. I'm not sure how Butcher keeps this rolling but he's done a pretty wonderful job of it.

The story is already leaked to anyone who wants it so I'll highlight what I liked, what I didn't and why I'll keeping reading this series. First, I liked all the characters that reappeared and actually have a place in Dresden's life. After the last book, it sure looked like he was on his own for the foreseeable future. I liked the plot, Harry's daughter is at risk and his former lover is back in his life. He pulls in every marker he can and some he can't to make a rescue. He makes a lot of hard choices, some work, some don't. Butcher keeps the action hot, the dialogue smart and the story moving along sharply. Some of the plot devices seem familiar, after all, this is book 12. I like Harry Dresden best when he outwits his challenges, and doesn't need the biggest gun to win a battle. This time he's got a lot of power and takes a lot of risks to use it.

This is a great stand alone book and it certainly holds its place in the story of Harry Dresden. It's not my favorite of the 12 but I'd be hard pressed to rank them all because there isn't one that I wouldn't/haven't reread.

I'll certainly look for any short fiction that comes out about Harry and I'll be here next April when the next book magically apprears. This is another fine read in a great series.

Mel Adams has spent the past 15 years alone, since her husband left her when she got pregnant had had their twins, Val and Jess. She works hard and eventually becomes a famous TV personality.

Peter Hallam is a heart surgeon, one of the best there is. His wife has died in the past couple of years (of a heart problem) leaving him alone with his kids, Matt who's six, Pam who's 14 and Mark 17. They live in a house which resembles a shrine to his late wife Anne.

Mel is sent by her LA Network to interview Peter and she eventually meets his kids. This is where their problems begin.

I enjoyed this, it's a bit predictable yeah but still a good read...

The title for this book is aptly named because everything changes as a result of what happens in this book. Harry discovers he has has a child and the child is in danger. He has to pull out all the stops and make some choices that will haunt him. If you like fast action and an incredible story, what happens in this book will draw you in and make you want to read the rest of the Dresden series.

I give the story five stars but the publisher zero stars. Butcher, as usual, wrote a darn good book. Unfortunately, I can not bring myself to spend over $10 for an electronic book. After waiting months for the price of the kindle edition to go below that mark, I broke down and got it from my library. I did the same with Side Jobs. I wish I had both of them on my Kindle (I have the other Dresden book on my Kindle) but alas, that will not be.
I know publishers are in the business to make money, but considering that hard cover books have to be printed, shipped and stored, charging over $10 for an electronic book month after it's release is just plain greedy. Of course, that's nothing new.
I am probably in the minority, but I didn't buy my kindle for the convenience of carrying around hundreds of books at once, I bought it hoping to (in the long run) save money by not buying hare cover books and going back and forth to the library, thinking the electronic versions would be relatively inexpensive. With Penguin, this is not the case. I have to say, after reading Side Jobs and Changes from the library... I kind of missed reading an honest to God book.
Bring the prices down, Penguin, or this is one customer who will get your books from the library and not sent you a dime.

I don't know how he does it, but to have such a long running character and to pull out a book like this 12 books in says a lot about Butcher's talent. This book is outstanding. Whats more is he re-introduces some characters we have not seen in a while, brings some new characters in, expands the world the characters live in by a exponential factor. The urban fantasy genre has exploded. Sadly, 90% of it is of a harlequin romance novel variety. The sci-fi and fantasy shelves are filled with it and so very little is worth reading. This book should be a must read for ANYONE who likes this genre. I love that Jim reflects Chicago so well in his books. I hope this is the beginning of more Harry Dresden stories. Jim and Harry are a pair that I hope to enjoy for many years to come.

"Changes" as the book's name implies is a pivotal work in the series where many of the big story arcs are completed and others begun. Surprises abound. Harry Dresden has matured from a rebellious teen to a cynical, rulebreaking adult. By the end of this book he's had to make the kind of hard decisions one has to make to deal with all those areas in life that lie between white and black. Jim Butcher is one of the most gifted writers of this generation. Who else can write a series this long without the characters becoming stagnant? BTW, the audio adaptations of the Dresden Files series books voiced by James Marsters are some of the the best audiobooks on the market. I highly recommend you read the book then listen to the audio version is you have the time.

I have not read many of Danielle Steel's books, but I love this one and consider it to be a favorite. What I enjoy most is not so much the love story between anchor woman Mel Adams and high profile surgeon Dr. Peter Hallam, but the lessons the story teaches about the right way to happiness.

Danielle Steel never judges women for their choices the way so-called "feminists" often do. Mel is a career woman, but she has twin girls, Jess and Val, who are completely opposite in personality. Jess is the smart, aggressive, academically successful one, while Val is luscious, a born flirt, innocently provocative, and not especially interested in school or work. In a Mary Gordon or an Anna Quindlen novel, (and these are "literary" writers, mind you) Jess would end up being a one dimensional saint, a feminist "hero" who can do no wrong. And blonde Val would end up being just a nobody -- a mindless slut or a soap opera style diva. But Danielle Steel presents Val's life as being just as important as Jessica's. Neither sister is better, they are just different.

Another important point is Danielle's attitude towards sex. This is not a "hot" romance, there are not a lot of sex scenes per se. But Danielle is different from most feminists in that she doesn't equate male desire with something hateful and brutal. This relates to Val because men "drool" over her like wolves over a tasty steak. Even when she's just seventeen or so, much older men are fascinated by her. Danielle shows that, and how Mel worries and wants to protect her. But she does NOT say that the men who do the lusting are all just pigs, NOR does she say that Val herself is a "victim" just because she's attractive. Danielle Steel makes sex seem natural and healthy, while so called "feminists" like Mary Gordon and Anna Quindlen see sex as something "nasty" that men "do" to women.

This kind of tolerance and compassion is exactly what makes Daniell Steel a huge author. She is popular everywhere, but most of all with the kinds of women feminists really don't care about -- the working class, the rural poor. Or perhaps just women who think for themselves and don't fit the elitist and self-serving feminist agenda.

Three cheers for Danielle Steel -- the people's choice!!!

This book is the first of two key turning points in the series (the second being Skin Game). It is an extremely intense book with an ending that will have you holding your breath and send you reeling. The only thing that keeps you from despair is knowing there is another book.

I love this series! Jim Butcher hooked me with Storm Front and I've been along for the ride ever since. I'm a little late to the party with this review; currently Ghost Story is the most recently published book in the series and I'm waiting for Cold Days to hit the shelves. I enjoyed Ghost Story but, hands-down, my favorite is Changes. This alone amazed me. Most series go downhill, but this one just keeps getting better.

If you're new to the Dresden Files you could start with this book, although Mr. Butcher seems to draw from just about every area of the world he has created, so part of the fun was remembering those older stories. If you're looking for a new series to become addicted to ... I mean read ... I'd recommend starting at the beginning with Storm Front.

I don't normally write reviews but I just read the open letter in the Telegraph (Sept 3, 2012) encouraging readers to contribute "honest and heartfelt reviews, good or bad" to drown out the phoney ones. I don't think Mr. Butcher has a problem in that regard but I thought it was a great idea.

Changes is a story I'll treasure for the rest of my life. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Absolutely, my favorite book in this series to date. You have a great amount of action and Harry's life gets turned even more upside down. The only problem is that this time the Red Court of Vampires have gravely underestimated Harry and the allies that he has. I enjoyed this book because it provided a very intimate look at Harry and how he reacts to certain situations. It also shows just how far he'll go when desperate situations call for desparate actions. This book will leave you misty eyed and excitedly waiting for the next installment, Ghost Story.

Chicago's only wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden soon finds himself in the middle of yet another battle. This time the Red Court of vampires has kidnapped a daughter that Harry didn't know he had. Former flame and half-vampire Susan Rodriguez returns to break the news to Harry and get his help in rescuing their daughter. But with peace talks in place between the Red Court and the wizard's White Council, he won't be receiving much help from his peers.

A lot of changes certainly take place throughout the course of this book, first and most obviously being that Dresden finds out that he has a daughter. This is not a spoiler, as it's talked about both in the official synopsis and first line of the book. Many other characters return to help Harry in another of his seemingly impossible quests, such as his dog Mouse, police detective Murphy, Harry's brother and vampire Thomas, apprentice Molly, and Russian knight Sanya.

Butcher never fails to present a dark, dramatic, and suspenseful experience in each of his Dresden Files installments. Also laced with humor, Dresden usually has a witty comment, which lightens even the darkest of predicaments. The climactic, final battle scene is massive with more than a couple surprises. And for the first time in the series, Changes ends in a shocking cliffhanger. With fast-paced thrills, magic and mayhem, this series is easily one of the best in urban fantasy.

This installment is a total game changer. The title is perfectly descriptive, as others have noted, and this easily could have been a mechanical effort to move the protagonist from his current situation into a totally new one. But this is no 'Laverne and Shirley move to Hollywood' effort. This is an elegantly woven story that entertains even as it devastates.

I complain a lot about the bleakness of urban fantasy. This skirts the edge closely, but it never feels like the gimmick I see in other authors' work. Each step is organic and, even though Butcher admits to willfully torturing the hero, he makes the necessary effort to keep the narrative multi-layered and purposeful. Every moment is an integral part of the story rather than a reader manipulation. He's really become masterful at telling this tale.

Although it's a little embarrassing to admit, I did walk around in a bit of a daze after finishing the book. There's a cliff-hanger, but all the events come back again and again, and each one carries its own emotional trigger. This book sticks with you. My only regret is that I didn't have some jelly-donut reading prepared as an antidote. I won't make that mistake again.

This is a heartbreaking and brilliant story that will follow you. It's the twelfth in the series, so if you haven't started reading the Dresden Files yet, you'd better get started.

Changes sees the triumphant return of Susan, a character that we met earlier in the series as a journalist covering the magical world, then later as Dresden's love interest. Susan returns out of the blue in Changes right off the bat, and the story never stops from there. Butcher really went all out in this book. I gave up counting the number of characters making returns from earlier books, in addition to the usual gang. Butcher weaves them in and out seamlessly, although I guarantee you will spend a good third of the book going "OH NO HE DIDN'T" - Similar to how George Martin's Fire and Ice series held nothing sacred in terms of characters, this book will leave you wondering what else Dresden has to lose.

Favorite Part: When Mouse Speaks (Definitely one of my favorite parts, it's so hard to choose!) and the return of the Erlking.

Worst Part: The contrived dialogue between Dresden and his Fairy Godmother - Occasionally I would read it as thus "Blah blah TROUBLE! Blah Blah DEAL"

A great view into the world of a man with the most precious thing on the line - his child - and the lengths he will go to to prevent losing her. A definite must read.

I'll get flamed for this, but this wasn't Jim Butchers best work. It was ok, but nowhere near as good as most of his writing. I am not upset by all the major changes in this book. In fact, I think it was a bold move. The author could have kept things the same and we all would have gladly kept forking out money. Instead he chose to drastically change the direction and content of the series and I salute him for that.

The problem is that the book has several flaws. First, the whole book appears rushed. The author had a lot of projects going on at the same time when he wrote this and it shows. the quality of all the things he wrote around this time suffered. The main character switches moods for no good reason. the writing is uneven in places and a number of gaps in logic exist in this book.

The pace of the book was rushed and it felt like he was trying to cram two books worth of material into a single novel (just like the last few Codex novels) . If he'd have split this one into two books and developed it more fully, then both books would have most likely been top notch.

The really big issue is that the author uses Deus Ex Machina not once but twice in this novel. He railroads the character into making two big decisions that he will lament for the rest of the series. I didn't mind the choices as they make future books much more interesting, but the author clearly gives the main character no choice in the matter. That is hard to swallow since the main theme of these novels revolves around humans having and excercising choice.

I know I am being hard, but I love this series and expect a lot from the author. It's still a good read, just not as good as previous novels in the series. I'd rank it about third from the bottom behind Storm Front and Fool Moon. se of his books to make sure they were top notch. So, the books after this one are back up to the standards I expect from the series.

Great book! Epic final battle! Jim Butcher has really hit his stride with "Turn Coat" and "Changes". His character development has been excellent, with each new book adding a rich level of complexity to all his characters. Jim Butcher has created a host of characters you care about and to whom you grow attached. You root for them and you feel their loses as well as their triumphs.
I have read all his books up to the most recent, "Skin Game". "Changes" lives up to its name and Harry Dresden will never be the same again.

I tore through this book over the course of a couple of days, but any breaks I took from reading were because I had to be someplace or do something. I finished it in a mad dash, staying up til 3am despite having to be awake again at 7am.

Another terrific entry in The Dresden Files, and the title on this one says it all. There are massive changes to the status quo established in the earlier books of the series, starting from the very first sentence and running right up to the very last. There are changes in characters' personalities, in relationships, even in the overall tone of the book. While Harry's pop-culture-referencing sense of humor is intact, it is also definitely showing the strain of too much piling up on our oh-so-human wizard.

Almost every supernatural entity Harry has ever encountered either shows up in this book or is referenced in some way. Events from the first book through the last are mentioned and some of them are explained at least a little bit (if you're paying attention). New readers picking this book up first will easily "get" most of what's going on and be able to follow what is essentially one long action-adventure novel, but long-time readers will notice all the little dropped hints and nods to past mysteries.

I'm not going to go into an indepth review dropping spoilers like a lot of others no doubt have.

This book is far far far better then the last book Turn Coat with how easy it was to predict the big bad with Mr. Peabody and figure out what was going on.

From one scene to the next there's non-stop action. Nearly every ally Harry has is called in... the werewolves were left out, never cameoed... oh well.

Harry's Godmother scares me... if only because they're in the middle of battle and she's bouncing around acting like a child in a toy store getting free reign of any and all toys she wants.

And Mouse, getting to see just how intelligent he is, and his interaction with Lei. Awesome.

So many great one-liners, I can't remember them all now...

And no Harry, you weren't Gollum, that was Martin, he was Gollum.

The only thing I didn't like is the suddenness to which Harry finds out he has a child from Susan and then at the end when he gets her back and out of safety, that he gives her up so easilly like we'll never get to see her again.

And yeah, big cliff hanger like in a series, what happens next?

Noooo! Bah. That ending... that's all I'll say. To do that and make us wait a year? Not right man. Just not right.

Anyways... where to begin?

If you like the series already and the 'dark' path it can travel, you should fall right in with this. If you don't like the series, you won't like this. And don't start here for ****'s sake. No no.

Ok, I liked seeing old faces again. Although the face I had most hoped to see was not here. Shame. Thomas is coming along nicely, as is Molly for me. I always liked her but she's growing oh so fast. I really won't go to far into this as I'm sure I'll spoil something and nothing sucks more than a spoiler.

He's got some tough choices to make and he makes them. Pretty much what he has done throughout the series. This is Harry. Standing up and bopping the nose of things far bigger than he is. As a character, I love Harry. He's the underdog in nearly every book so while we know he should win in the end, and he usually does with the scars to prove it, he usually pulls through to a more...back to norm?.... end. Not here. This one changes so much. So so much.

Everything he was, everything he is and everything he will be is changed by this book. Can the writer's magic pen put most back into place? Sure. But I don't see that for Harry. His path has never been a bed of roses and that's as it should be given the situations and choices he has to make.

Personally, I've always liked this style of story telling and Butcher doesn't disappoint. However, for me, that end is killer and should never be done in books. I can't help but repeat that. Man. I guess in a year's time, we'll see what we see.

I'm a fan and have read all the series. While still good by all common standards it is not his best work. Not that there isn't lots of adventure because there is. I just felt the story line was a way to tie up old threads that were spent and add new threads for future stories more than a real honest to goodness adventure. Also, it feels like he is stretching to add internal over the top conflict for Harry.

It is still worth reading, well worth it, but not his best so far.

By now, fans of Harry Dresden are used to him being beaten up - physically, emotionally, psychologically - in the course of his efforts to right wrongs and protect the innocent. Part of the appeal of these books is that Harry's wry sense of humor lets us know that he's coming through it all OK, though battered, and we can relax and enjoy the ride.

In this book, Harry doesn't get beaten up. He gets utterly pulverized in every sense, at every turn. Gone is most of the wry humor, gone is the sense that he's coming through OK. This book is like expecting a lighthearted kidding between friends and getting a brutal street fight instead. Familiar characters stream by on the periphery so that readers are left with nothing to watch but Harry's deconstruction.

I get the feeling that Jim Butcher is setting Harry up for some big self-revelations and resolutions in the next book (personal note - I truly dislike cliffhanger endings, especially with established characters. We'll come back to read the next book, Jim! You don't need a cheesy cliffhanger!). I wish he had made this book longer and incorporated some resolution so that we are not left with a sense of being completely unsettled by Harry's annihilation. I'm looking forward to the next book. This one left a strange aftertaste.

Possibly my favorite book in the series. This book is well worth all 11 that come before it. Butcher does a great job of tying everything from his previous stories together in an epic climax that throws his characters into whole new Challenges in the future books

This is my first Danielle Steel book, and it won't be my last. I have read so many good things about the way Danielle Steel writes I don't know why I never got around to reading her books, a friend of mine and I are reading the same books and we came across this book. I just like the way these two people were able to find love for the second time around. With Peter losing his wife and rasing his kids, With Mel having to rasie her twins girls by herself when the twins father ran out on her, to find someone in a different state and to hold on the love that they have and figture out where to go from there it's like your are taking a ride along with them to find the journey that they hope to find together as a family, and what a journey it is.

I will not give a detailed synopsis or break down for you all the events in this book. If you are a fan, you will already know the major players and have probably already read it anyway. I will just say that this title says it all: "CHANGES." It's all been leading up to this book and Harry finally has to confront how far he is willing to go to save his newly discovered daughter who is being held by the Red Court Vampires. My jaw dropped, my stomach clenched, and I even shed some tears by the end. If you are a fan girl or fan boy, you will find that this book will usher in a new era of changes for Harry, the White Council, the Faerie Courts, and Murphy. And Murphy! You will be swept away by her sheer power and strength in Harry's greatest time of need. I was on the edge of my seat during the final large battle scene, mostly because of her, plus Harry's greatest sacrifice in order to secure his daughter's safety. I'll say no more and just tell all the other Dresden fans out there: WOOO HOOO! What a ride!

I didnt want to put this book down for even a second.
I loved it that Mel was so courageous and leave everything that she knows and loves, her job, her house to be with the man she loves, but then Peter's daughter Pam hates her. Its so horrible that mel had to take on all the hatred that pam had after her mother died, but it turns out to be ok. And another Part, when Val found out she was pregnant, it made me sad to know that she aborted it. I think it would have been a really good and twisted story if Val would have kept it. And then at the end, when Mel gives birth to twins again! oh that was just so amazing, i wish that it would have been a lot longer so we could see how she is dealing with all the children, plus the two new babies.
This is a hard toss-up between this and d.s's star, this book was very excellent, and very nicely written. I loved it to death, 0and please read it. ITs a very lovely romantic love stoRY.

We all know Harry Dresden. Nice guy. Smart mouth. Always comes out on top and always, always appears in a book with a two word title. Throughout the course of this series Jim Butcher has built and expanded his world while guiding Harry through a series of fast paced, tremendously fun adventures. He's lost friends and family. He's grown a little sadder, a little wiser, but orphan-Harry can't really be hurt. Until...now. How far is Harry willing to go to save the one thing that truly matters? The answer will keep you guessing, but in life and magic one thing is sure. Everything changes.

Why I am even bothering with a review given that I am about to jump into the orgy pile of over 100 other ecstatic 4/5-star respondents? Simple: A desire to reward good behavior, narcissism, and... well... I guess that's it. I'll try to keep it short (for me) and relevant.

We're on book twelve. If you're actually considering starting the series with this book, you need more help than a mere review can provide. But in a word, don't. This book is great, but only because Butcher somehow (and I admit to being amazed by this) manages to keep his story and characters growing after so long a run.

If you had any hopes that Harry would return to his gumshoe roots, you should take those hopes out behind the shed and put a bullet in them. Changes pretty much crosses the no-going-back threshold between -- how shall I put this -- local and epic fantasy. One of my few complaints with story arc of the series has been this transition from magic-noir detective to a more forces-of-light-versus-forces-of-evil story, but I think that's more to do with the dearth of the former and preponderance of the latter than to any lack of skill on Butcher's part. My secret fantasy now is that Molly will get her own spin-off series that gets back to the one-book adventures of Storm Front.

One of my favorite features of the series, and perhaps best exemplified by Changes, is that actions the characters take have consequences -- sometimes dire ones. Butcher as much tells the reader this through the voice of Mac (yes, Mac has a voice) in a great scene that puts forth the notion that sometimes there are no good choices. Similarly, the characters in Butcher's universe are not mindless arch-types. Good girls do bad things. Bad guys have soft spots. People are the way they are due to actual back-story, which is a rare and refreshing position in a genre that tends to keep its heroes lilly-white, villains pitch-black and endings happily-ever-after. Yeah, I'm talk'n to you, Kim Harrison.

If there was one sour note for me in Changes, it was that Butcher seemed determined to get some on-screen time with every still-living character he has ever introduced in the series, and I'm pretty sure all the dead characters were at least mentioned. The fanboy in me was okay with it, but the critic in me has to point out that several of the cameos really weren't necessary.

And finally, Changes could only be more of a cliff-hanger if Butcher ended the novel in mid-sentence. Yes, lots of stuff gets resolved in Changes. More so than in any of his prior books, however, you will be pining for his next work because you nave no historical reason to believe it won't be fun AND there is a crapload of oh-my-eff'n-wow introduced in this book that needs to be followed up on. Curse you, Mr Butcher.

Curse you.

** Here ends my review of Changes and begins my Kindle rant **

EDIT: Yes, I know that Changes is now available on Kindle, but I'm leaving these original comments with my review because i think the sentiments are still relevant.

Hey the store, just thought you should know that the ONLY reason you get my dollars is customer service. I own a Kindle. I own an iPad. Guess which device I finally had to read Changes on? If you really think that you are doing your customers a favor by not offering an electronic version of a novel, AT FULL PRICE, on the same day the hardcover is released, you are mistaken. If you really think people fork out hundreds of dollars for e-readers so they can ultimately end up saving money after buying 300+ books at a modest discount, you are mistaken. If you really think that you can compete as a hardware developer/manufacturer against the likes of Apple and Sony, you are mistaken.

Have you been to the B&N web site or a Border's brick-and-mortar store recently? Have you used an iPad? I would MUCH rather shop you guys on-line and read my book on the most advanced hardware I can get. Spend your energies on making a great web-site, great cross-platform e-book reading software and great customer service. And never, never not-ever not have a book available that someone else has. You are a freak'n book-seller! The moment you forget that core truth is the moment you lose.

I loved this book. Climactic, intense, whatever you want to call it. I thought it was one of Butcher's best Dresden books - although they all follow a pattern. Harry Dresden's "can't-catch-a-break" life continues with the surprise of his life. He has a child! A child that has been kept secret from him. Although it was done to keep the child safe from Harry's enemies, it still cuts him deeply. Now that she's been kidnapped, he learns of her existence. What unfolds is a satisfying, action-filled, good-triumphs-over-evil tale.
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I suspect that either the ink or paper of this book was made from crack because I was addicted (though I know it was the story that had my glued to the page). I read this book in record time for me (48 hours). As a fan of The Dresden Files, I am used to the rocket-sled ride of Harry Dresden's adventures. However, Changes (and it should've been a clue when Mr. Butcher broke from his two word title tradition) starts out at eleven and only goes up. I loved this book because it went places I never thought it would and did things I wouldn't have imagined for a series. I had to buy the next book in the series immediately because I am a junkie with a monkey.

Yesterday, I was talking to someone who wanted a rec for some good fantasy. I was reading this book, and I said to her, "It's sort of like an adult's version of the Harry Potter universe. There's no school, but there's a wizard's council, and people trying to get along and live in the real world."

I also said, "The Dresden Files is actually pretty amazing. Usually, whenever an author writes a series, the good ones can control the book and the world/universe for about 5, 6, maybe 7 books before the seams start showing. The Dresden Files are now up to book 12, and I can honestly say I haven't seen too many seams yet--Butcher's still got the universe more-or-less in hand. That says something."

As for the book? I loved it. Jim Butcher made all the right decisions when writing, and that's all I can ask for in a book. It's just... I feel like there is some real finality to the ending. I wonder if there will be a book 13?

This is five star novel with a blistering pace. I'm not going to tell you a thing about it, except it is a great Dresden file. Personally, I found my reading enjoyment was maximized when I stopped reading at chapter 39 (page 327) and thought hard on the question, 'Could Harry have done anything different?' I had nothing, but I think you should try this question yourself.

In the second session, I was able to more enjoy the climax of the novel, instead of having any lingering regrets about the choices Harry made. This book really changes the direction the Dresden files are taking. Remember, two sittings!

Just when you thought Harry Dresden had every problem a wizard could have, a new one appears.

And his problems pile up like so many skulls in the twelfth book of the Dresden Files series, which is appropriately titled "Changes." Jim Butcher's quirky sense of humor is still in place ("Ick! My lips touched dog lips!"), but this is definitely a darker twist in the series -- and Butcher seems intent on diving down into a place that's far darker, bloodier and scarier than most urban fantasy authors can even dream of.

Harry is understandably shocked when his ex-girlfriend Susan tells him that their daughter has been abducted by Duchess Arianna Ortega, a vampire of the Red Court who has a personal grudge against him. After all, he didn't even know he HAD a daughter. To make matters even worse, the supernatural world is on the verge of imploding because of the Red Court's war with the White Council, which means that Harry can't depend on his own kind for any actual help.

And what's more, Harry's being bombarded by assassins, giant Mayan demons, and hordes of Red Court vampires out to destroy/vampirize him. He has to gather as many allies as possible before Arianna puts her lethal plan into effect, and he might have to sacrifice his morals to do so. But even then, an all-out assault on the Red Court in their own territory will tax Harry and his little fellowship to the limits -- and will tear away even more of what he loves.

"Changes" is a painfully appropriate name for this book. Just about everything you know in the Dresden Files series changes here -- the enemies, the allies, the politics, the devastating losses and even the war against the Red Court. Even the series itself is changing from an urban fantasy series into an EPIC fantasy series -- and it feels like a turning point after which everything (and I do mean everything) will be different.

For most of the book, Butcher whips up his usual mixture of action (a giant centipede out of "Inuyasha," a pitched battle in a fae court), convoluted supernatural politics, funny clothing, and pop culture references ("You know, I believe it IS possible to reference something other than "Star Wars," boss." "That is why you fail").

But a bleak, dark undercurrent runs through the entire book, and it gets darker every time another little piece of Harry's life is chipped away. Butcher spends the whole book creating a slow-burning build-up to a really nasty confrontation with the Reds, and it all culminates in a truly explosive climax that's soaked in blood, magic, and the deepest passions of the human heart. Here's the only disappointing aspect of it -- the "to be continued!" cliffhanger.

Butcher also brings in countless characters from previous books (Thomas, Sanya, Uriel, Butters, Toot, the ever-elusive Lea, Luccio), and introduces a few new ones (Vadderung, who resembles a certain ancient father-god). But the center of this story is undeniably Harry, who is so determined to save his daughter that he is willing to do literally anything -- he's even willing to do things you would never have thought him capable of.

"Changes" is full of changes -- it's the ending of an era in the Dresden Files, and it leaves you desperate to know what will happen next. Utterly brilliant, and truly heartbreaking.

I am sooo happy to have found Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. They are fantastic, and with each new offering they get better and better. I can't put them down once I've cracked the cover!

Highly recommended for those who appreciate a paranormal urban fantasy that is realistic enough to appeal to those who actually walk in our own version of the magical and mysterious (witches, and magicians of all ilks will simply love this series), while still giving you amazingly sophisticated and polished writing and hilariously clever character interactions. It really doesn't get better than this.

This book took me a long time to finish, because it wasnt very exciting. Overall it was a good book. I agree with the first review. The abortion shocked me because something was actually happening but it didnt really jazz up the book much. Also, I think it was taken too lightly. I thought the daughter should have been punished more, I didnt think it was taking responsibility like the book said and I find it hard to believe that most people wouldnt have been outraged that their stepkids got pregnant by each other. I also would have liked to hear more about the new twins. Overall good though. They made a good couple and I was glad they ended up together. Lots of chemistry between the two. I dont think I was quite as emotionally involved as I have been in some of her other books though.

Those readers who know Harry, love Harry. He is cynical, sarcastic, powerful, hilarious, and inordinately gentle with people who he considers under his protection... which for Harry Dresden means anybody in the world who HASN'T tried to kill him. Recently. This novel was beyond important in the grand scheme of Harry's life and adventures. He makes sacrifices he's never even considered before in order to save a daughter he never knew he had. His truest friends are there to back him up, and he plumbs depths to his power that we have never seen before... Butcher's intimated at them, over the course of the series, but in this novel we see RAW Harry. This book made me laugh hysterically (at the most innappropriate places--because that's what Harry does), cry uncontrollably, and hope emphatically. I highly (HIGHLY) recommend it to anyone who loves to read... and anyone who loves action, magic, Star Wars references, Princess Bride references, and a perfect balance of desperate humor and wild conflagrations of passion and purpose. Basically, anyone who loves Harry Dresden.

I picked this up at full price + taxes as a flight companion, despite being waitlisted for the library version. I am not regretting paying full price. This book is amazing. I've been following the Dresden Files from the beginning, and have to say that this book is even better than its predecessor (which I'd give an enthusiastic 5 stars to as well). Butcher has an incredible imagination and is able to narrate the events in the lifes of the multitudes of characters he's operating by bringing them to life (contrast with George R R Martin). The book ends on a high note that I personally, never saw coming, and develops the story and the character of Dresden in consistent yet unexpected ways. By now, there's enough of the series around that I'll immediately go back to reread right from the beginning. The best fantasy around, period. Thank you Jim!

Jim Butcher, you sly boots, you've done it again. "Changes," is the 12th book in the increasingly awesome Dresden Files, and the title says it all. Without spoiling it, within the first page we find out that Harry Dresden's world is about to be turned upside down. With more setting altering events than you can shake a stick at, Mr. Butcher will leave you panting for more after the last line. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series since I first started reading it a couple of years back, and man do I wish I had discovered it sooner. I even remember stocking these when I worked for one of the big chain bookstores in my area, and being intrigued, but never enough to just pick it up and read it, boy do I regret it. If you have not checked out this series, and you enjoy fantasy, magic, mystery, tight plotting, believable characters, smart heroes, smarter villains, and a whole mess of action then this is the series for you. I look forward to your next offering sir, and I salute you!

As with the preceding novel (Turn Coat), I felt this was one of the more epic novels in the series. Finally, Butcher decided it was time to tackle the Red Court-White Council war in his stories (though it turns out Harry's got more personal reasons to get involved than just Council politics). Regardless of the outcome, I was simply happy to see a progression in this storyline, and the action along the way is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is hands down the best book Butcher has written. Heck, it is one of the best books I have ever read. The action starts on the first sentence and their is not a dull page in the entire novel. The typical Dresden humor glimmers from time to time but this book is all about the action. All the favorite players from the previous books are here and you learn a lot about several of them as you work your way through an incredible number of plot twists. The climax is ... well ... climactic and the plot keeps twisting to the very last page. Hurry and get it before you read a spoiler.

Another enjoyable adventure featuring my favorite adult wizard, Harry Dresden. This one was interesting because the series jumped forward in time - I'm still trying to figure out exactly how much. Things have changed, people have grown up and matured and Harry is a bit darker these days. All in all, it was a good read. I laughed a lot and the ending left me somewhat surprised.

Jim Butcher is, to me, the Robert B. Parker of Urban Fantasy. He has, in his excellent series The Dresden Files, created an almost mythical universe of wizards, warlocks, fairies, vampires, werewolves, witches, and the like, and placed it smack dab in the middle of one of the largest and loudest cities in the world, Chicago IL. Though trying to attempt something like that, mixing fantasy in a modern day setting, sounds impossible, Butcher has done it on a magnificient, almost a majestic level, and in the process has created one of the most interesting, most complex, and certainly one of the most entertaining characters I have seen in fiction in a long time, Harry Dresden.

Think of legendary fictional detectives Lew Archer, Matthew Scudder, Philip Marlowe, and Sam Spade blended together, and then give that blend magical powers, arm him with a staff, a blasting rod, and dress him in a cool leather duster and you have a good idea of the complexity of the character that is Harry Dresden. But what makes this character unique in the realm of urban fantasy is that he is also very real as he is mythic. Harry may be a wizard capable of casting lances of hellfire at monsterous enemies, but he is also still very human, burdened with the problems of life just as the rest of us. He may be battling werewolves one minute, then worrying how he will come up with the month's rent on his cheap apartment the next. And because he is this way, the reader can readily identify with him, and that is what makes Harry so likable. He is a wizard who can make wisecracks and crack inhuman skulls at the same time

In the 12th novel in the series, Harry is faced with probably the biggest challenge in his entire life. He must rescue a daughter that he never even knew existed, one who has been taken captive by his mortal enemies, the vampires of the evil Red Court. Enlisting the aid of his friends and even some of his enemies, Harry embarks on a breath-taking action-packed adventure that literally takes him from one end of the country to the other, and eventually to an absolutely shocking and hair-raising climax among the Mayan ruins in Mexico.

During the course of his various escapades in the story, Harry rekindles a romance with a former lover, one who brings him to to the place where he will make one of the most tragic decisions in his life. He also makes choices that will likely have a major impact on him for the next few novels to come, and learns things of his past that will have far reaching implications for him in the future. The book concludes with the first cliffhanger ending I have seen Butcher employ, one that will have readers breathlessly wondering up until the next Dresden Files novel coming up March of 2011 what happens next.

Changes is definitely the best Dresden Files novel to date, and one of the most complex as well. I would highly recommend listening to the most excellent audio adaptation of the novel, entertainingly presented by actor James Marsters, to really get a feel for all the action and excitement happening in this story. But for those of us who are wild about the Wizarding World's other Harry, this book is the most entertaining read of the summer.

There are few writers who have affected me as deeply as Butcher has. I often joke that people should read the Dresden Files series, but add, "Don't get to attached to Harry - he's MINE. We're having an affair - my husband doesn't know!" (My local librarian loves that joke). Butcher writes in a way that has you laughing out loud, cheering at the characters, jeering the bad guys - OUT LOUD, while reading. I get more funny looks at work when I read his books.

Changes picks up Harry's life, and throws it in the blender. Right off the bat, Harry gets news that would throw ANYONE's life off, and his efforts to rise to the occassion, and do right take him places we maybe hoped he'd never go - but the ride is, as ALWAYS, amazing.

Butcher brings characters to life in a way that few authors can, making them so real, you almost feel like you know them. He manages a plot masterfully, and leaves you breathless by the end.

I find I envy anyone who hasn't read all these books, they still have that wonderful ride in front of them. Memory wipes should be invented JUST so I can re-read these all over again, for the first time. Again. AND AGAIN.

If you're a fan of either modern detective noir or urban fantasy, this series is for you, and Changes is one of Butcher's best efforts yet.
This book grabs you by the throat from the first page and shakes you. Character development, old plot lines from earlier in the series, and the logical progression of the protagonist's life all combine to make a heart-wrenching story of a man finally pushed to his limits by his foulest enemies. I tore through this book, unable to stop turning pages and dreading what choices my favorite modern wizard was going to make. The price Dresden ends up paying to do what he knows is right and needs to do is stunningly simple and genuinely terrifying.
We're treated to a few more secrets of the Dresden Universe along the way, and run into some old acquaintances. Succor and betrayal come from unexpected places, and by the end of the book, you're left marveling that Dresden can do something as simple as enjoy a cup of coffee after all he's been through. And just when you think Fate's finally giving him a true hero's reward, Butcher reminds us that life is rarely ever that tidy with a cliff-hanger worthy of the Tom Baker years of Doctor Who.
Buy this book. Now, in hardback. It's utterly classic and not to be missed, displaying a true mastery of suspense and action few writers ever manage to match.

I'm not going to give anything away on this book cause i wouldnt want to ruin it for anyone but let me say this is about the best Dresden yet. Changes is a perfect title for the whole thing. If you've read all the Dresden books before this one then you will enjoy it immensely! If you havent read the other books don't read this one until you have because it will make no sense what so ever to you. Butcher brings the whole cast in on this one. I had to force myself to put this book down and walk away or i would have finished it like a bag of potato chips. lol Don't expect all humor and fun..this one has meat to it with good doses of chuckle to laugh out loud bits.

In this twelfth book of the Dresden Files...
dear lovers of magical fiction,
... Harry Dresden learns that the daughter he never knew he had has been kidnapped by vampires. We wish we could say it was a good novel, but we can only give it the barest of recommendations, and then only for those, like us, who have followed and loved the books thus far. It's not that Dresden is an arrogant ass. He's always been an arrogant ass and the fact that he gains in magical power in each novel but never matures emotionally is unfortunate but, oh well. Nor is it that there is dialog between the characters just prior to battle scenes that are embarrassingly juvenile and remind us of the worse of the James Bond movies starring Roger Moore. Or even that there are a number of inconsistencies in the internal logic of the story itself. Or that the series has become formulaic. All of this we could and have borne; but, it seems as though the author simply doesn't care anymore. That he's tired of the series and writing it now only because he needs the money, or, we think more likely, his publishers insisted.
It does have a nice cliff hanger of an ending though. So if you love Dresden, despite his faults you might wish to drag yours'elf, as we did, through the novel to see where it ends.
kyela,
the silver elves

Butcher is a pretty good writer, and this book lived up to my expectations. Things definitely 'changed' and there were a lot of storylines that he either concluded or continued. All sorts of things happened that I didn't expect! It might be kind of hard to read if you've never read any of his other Dresden novels, but fans will really like it. Characters that we haven't seen for awhile come back, and we see others evolve. Surprising things are revealed about several of them. Might be a good idea to wait to read it until "Ghost Story" comes out, though, because the cliff hanger is a killer!

Changes has kept me up all night and caused me to take a day off work to recover from it. I'm not as young as I used to be, so that doesn't happen to me very often. From the first sentence I was emotionally invested in the story, by the end of the first chapter I was lost in the story and sleep was far away.

No spoilers here but I will tell you Changes is packed with suspense, with laugh out loud moments, and with "holy crap I didn't see that coming" moments.

In my opinion Changes is the best so far in the series. For those who are already fans of the Dresden Files, this is the Harry we've come to know and love, but More. More powerful, determined, funny, angry, scary, intelligent, and reckless.

Even though it's book 12 in the Dresden files series, you would not be lost by starting with this one. You many not be as emotionally invested in the characters as someone who has read the rest of the series first, but you won't be disoriented either.

I downloaded this to my Reader as soon as I got home from work last night, it's after 7am now and I'm only beginning to relax after the adventure I've been on all night.

Changes by Danielle Steel was released in 1983. It is very good. The story of Melanie a newswoman, who becomes attracted to Peter a heart surgeon involves you right away. Blending their two families into one brings much drama. Fans of Danielle Steel, and lovers of popular fiction will like this the most.

Harry returns in his 12th novel discovering through his old flame that he has a daughter. Along the way he avoids assassination attempts and hostile supernatural creatures in order to save the child. For those who have enjoyed the most recent two books it's more of the same old same old though I find the style diverting from the original first six or so novels. Harry gets into jam after jam and even though they get bigger and bigger it's gotten to the point where it's getting stale. True, the older novels were like that as well but it felt Harry was at least in more danger. These days he's so powerful and has so many allies that the question is almost jocular in how he's going to get out of it as we laugh and tag along. Writing style in the last few novels has bothered me the most. Too many characters snort in reply or cross their arms. Butcher spends more time in trying to write things he's not so good at and it makes me wince. I think Butcher's strengths have always been in his ideas and the plotting of those ideas and the writing style has always been a few notches down, especially when he deals with the love issues or "wise talk". Lately, the quality has dropped in both so it feels like he's rushing things in order to meet deadlines. SPOILERS: I think Harry's execution of Susan to save his daughter and wipe out the Red Court was a nice touch. Some will argue that it goes against the Harry they knew but I'm okay with it and feel it might be a good choice. Harry has always had a need to experience family so I can see him doing something as he did and let's face it: Susan wasn't exactly the better choice. It's unlikely I'll continue with this series as I had reservations with the previous novel and had to struggle through this one just to finish it. That said, I think Harry will be in good hands as this was on the NY Times Best Seller List and the loss of a few readers won't affect the author economically. WRITING STYLE: C to C plus; PLOTTING: B minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: C plus to B minus; CHANGES/CHOICES: B minus; WHEN READ: December to January 2012; OVERALL GRADE: C plus to B minus.

**MAY CONTAIN MILD SPOILERS**

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment of the Dresden Files, Mr. Butcher's writing has developed and matured over the years, much like his characters have. I was especially impressed with the exploration of a classic moral quandary: what if the only way to do what must be done is to do that which must not be done? Although Harry's solution to this dilemma may be less than satisfying from a purely philosophical standpoint, Butcher stands out from most other popular fiction writers in having tackled the matter at all.

I gave the book only 3 stars because I am concerned about the direction the series may be taking. By the end of the novel, nearly all of Harry's connections to his life as portrayed in the first 11 books have been destroyed--he doesn't even have a home anymore. And he has made some choices which may make it very difficult for him to remain a wizard-PI for hire. I am worried that Butcher may be preparing to take the "urban" out of this wonderful urban fantasy series. In the last two pages, Harry's last best hope at maintaining any connection to the mundane world appears to have been taken from him in a jarring and uncharacteristic cliffhanger ending. If Butcher decides to jettison Chicago and turn this into a sword-and-sorcery saga of the Nevernever (and it's hard to see where else he can go from here), I'm afraid he's going to lose me. I would miss Gentleman John Marcone.

This book elicited a visceral reaction from me, especially the appalling, but necessary, event that occurs on page 420 of the hardcover edition. I felt like I had been punched in the gut repeatedly, and when Harry says "I'm tired, Karrin," I confess I teared up (you'll understand why when you read the book.) But my concern about Butcher's apparent attempt to wipe the slate clean and start over, a deus ex machina element near the end, and the aforementioned cliffhanger force me to subtract two stars.

Harry is back, ready to kick some more vampire butt and save the world yet again. The kicker is that this time it's not the world that needs saving, but his own daughter. I love the Dresden Files. The intense supernatural action that is present in the first 11 books is back here. The book starts at a blinding speed from the first page and never lets up. My only complaint is that I think the character development suffered in this one - maybe because of the pacing or the crazy amount of action? This book is like a constant roller coaster ride. I didn't connect with it as well as I have some of the ones in the past. No time was spent with the characters; where was Harry's acerbic wit? We saw it a couple of times but nowhere near like in the past volumes. A big part of the charm of this series for me has always been Harry's steadfast resolve to hang on to his humanity, his humour and his friends. In this volume, he became more "Harry Dresden, Superhero" and less of "Harry Dresden PI". I missed the ease in which Harry moved about his city and interacted with people and how that was always counterbalanced by his magical talent and all the crazy things that happened to him. This book no longer shows that balance; it just didn't feel like the same characters or even the same series. The other characters were treated as mere accessories. In making this story so personal to Harry, the author seems to have lost Harry's personality. Maybe if more time had been spent on developing the whole situation with his daughter and Harry's feelings about it, I would have been able to buy into it a bit more.

All that being said, I still love The Dresden Files! Jim Butcher knows how to write action and this was a really fun read. I think I held my breath through most of that final battle scene. That was some good stuff. The worst thing about this book is that now I know that I have to wait for an incredibly long time for the next one. I just know Harry's not done yet.

This is beyond doubt one of the best and one of the hardest books in the series, and I really really enjoyed it. Action-packed, emotionally heart wrenching, Changes is a breaking point in Harry Dresden's character development. Hugely recommended installment!

Jim just likes to torture Harry and Changes definitely continues the torture.

Changes is aptly named, as everything in Harry's life changes, except Mab. Harry's life takes a scary change from line one and doesn't stop the last change until the last line. You will find that most all the plots that have been carried forward through the books of the Dresden files get a little twist in their road. However, Harry continues to be a character you can like, respect, have fun with and for whom you can cry. As much as I love to watch Jim torture Harry, I have to admit I cried for him this time around. Not to give too much away, but Harry gets stripped of everything before Jim finishes with him this time. The only thing I was unhappy about is a year to the next book made me think that perhaps we should torture Jim.

Wow is right! And the title is totally accurate. Changes abound! Good, bad and ugly. Congratulations, Mr. Butcher, this is your best yet. Surprises around every turn, and the end is the worst cliff hanger I've ever read. Seriously. Holy crap man. The very first sentance grabs you by the -bleep- and doesn't let go even at the last page. This just came out and I'm going to have a heart attack until the next one is published. He better make with the writing magic.

All in all, an excellent read!!

I'm a fan of the series, but this is the crescendo of the series thus far. Dresden is skillfully portrayed as a man past his tolerance and willing and able to do whatever it takes to fulfill his purpose

This one was most definately, changes. Harry finds out very quickly that he has a eight year old daughter.. hidden from him.
Susan comes to him for help, half vampire she is and trys to get him to help her rescue Her.
This book delves into a more darke side of Harry and some heavy choices he makes.
The ending is somewhat confusing, where is his cat, Mister?? Is Molly Thomases newest flame?? How did Dresden kill off Susan and how did they battle all those Red Court Demons??
So... is this the ending for Harry, and will he get another quirky apartment. What about the Ice Queen is she demanding service from Harry already...??

The title Changes is accurate. Everything in Harry's life changes in this book. Harry must save his daughter that he didn't know he had. He must confront enemies much more powerful than before. He must call in allies and make deals that he normally would not make. A great book. Please read the previous books in the series to fully understand and enjoy this book. Harry is more powerful and wiser than ever. Will it be enough?

I am not a huge Danielle Steel fan, but I have always enjoyed the "made for tv" movies that have been done of her books. After being fascinated by them, I decided to read the book. I found the book much more realistic than the movie and I enjoyed it throughly. The difficulties of two people finding love after suffering heartbreaks was very touching. I think the conflicts that both felt were very real. I especially liked the fact that Peter was a man who was not afraid to show his emotions. Several times in the book he cried, as did Melanie. The characters were very well thought out and remained true to themselves. I would really love a sequel to find out how the new twins fit in, did Melanie quit her job because of the new babies, what happend with the ther children, etc. I hated for the book to end!!

Loved Dresdan the first time through. He got me through many a boring &/or uncomfortable tasks. Now I am enjoying these stories the second time around with my husband. Jim Butcher is a genius at taking you away to a different world and getting you to care about his characters.

I just rediscovered Dresden books, and I'm so glad I did. These are the books you read in one sitting when possible. Great characters, wonderful dialog (I really believe there should be a sarcasm font),and fun story development. I am not a huge fan of urban fantasy wtitten by men... but trust me if you start with the first book you will get over that bias real quick.

I didn't find this book as emotionally compelling as some of the other books. It seemed that there was potential for really impressive internal character development that just didn't pan out - despite the fact that one of the things I love about the character Harry is that he actually does develop quite a bit over the course of the series. I felt like the plot was really predictable in a way that the other books weren't. Many of the previous books held my attention with a death-grip but this one was actually pretty easy to put down until I got to the climactic battle at the end. I actually wonder if this book might be better off as a movie rather than a novel in the way that it's structured. Harry seems to be written far more shallowly than previously, and seems to have mysteriously developed superhuman emotional control - his feelings about being deceived by his ex about their daughter are alluded to a bit throughout the book but he really doesn't act consistently with what we're told his emotions are. And having other characters tell him "you're on the edge" and whatnot doesn't really help, since as far as I felt he was acting more-or-less extremely controlled and logical about the whole thing. Minus gratuitous vamp-kissing. You'd think with Harry's newly found self-control he'd have better sense than that, especially considering what Susan did to him.

Also, the ending sucked. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger as "oops we forgot our gravity bill!" Anybody who's read a dozen volumes of a series is not suddenly going to stop reading, so I really feel that the last chapter would have been much better in the NEXT book rather than as a blatant "and now, sucker, you'll have to wait until the next book is written and published to find out what happens! Mwahahaha!" It's a big change from the way the previous novels relied on long-running mysterious plot lines to maintain book-to-book continuity, and not for the better.

In my opinion this is one of the best books of 2010 - simply outstanding.

Tight plotting, wonderful use of characters and development thereof. Mouse particularly is terriffic!

I was stunned and startled by the ending and gnashed my teeth at the long wait ahead for the next book by Butcher - March is WAY too far away at this point.

Absolutely wonderful - Butcher's best so far!

I love surprises!

Good surprises, actually, and oh baby! Butcher delivers, in the best, most satisfying way.

AND

Sometimes... when a series is as mature as The Dresden Files are, an author will bring old/all past characters into the current book, and parade them past you in a nasty, squished blur...basically sad filler that ruins your ideal of those past characters.

Butcher does this to a degree, and he does it right! Right, right, right! So happy!

Thanks Mr. Butcher! Always a pleasure.

Dark, Frightening and it changes everything. What a perfect title, it describes it perfectly. Harry, poor Harry, his life is thrown against the wall, hard. Just when I thought the books couldn't get anymore intense. This one blows the past intense out of the water.
Something precious had been hidden from him, and now he may never have it. He must make choices, hard ones that will drive him down a path he did not want to go. Ah, but Harry will always do whatever it takes to do the right thing. Even if it takes the lives of those he loves away. And it does.
Excellent book in the series, not pretty, not nice but well done. I was almost in tears for him at several points in the story. It's a heartbreaker.

I got hooked on this series a couple of years ago, thanks to a coworker, and I have not been disappointed. This one was the best as of yet, and there are so many twists and turns, references and "Holy Cow!" moments that I had trouble leaving this book unattended. Looking forward to the next installment, which hopefully will not take as long as this one did to come around.

This book kept me on the edge. I felt like I really could relate to the characters & all the circumstances they were going thru.A very emotional & touching storyline. I was surprised by the ending.