Book Review; Changes by Jim Butcher

Changes by Jim Butcher is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series. If you have not read the previous eleven books do not start with this one. While it is not the final book of the series several plot points and questions from previous novels are dealt with. If you enjoy urban fantasy with a sarcastic cast then start at the beginning with Storm Front and sit back and enjoy the entire series. Jim Butcher is a master in the realm of having his characters say what they are thinking, often with wise cracks and sarcastic quips being the result.

Now, for my fellow Dresden fans, this book is phenomenal. Many questions are answered and assumptions destroyed. Susan is back and she has a problem. Apparently when she and Dresden got intimate a few books ago there were more consequences than her realization that her vampire have would put the people she cares about at risk. She was also pregnant. Their daughter was living with a safe family but was kidnapped by Red Court vampires that have a grudge against Harry. Now the hunt is on to find the little girl and how the vampires knew she was his daughter when he didn't even know of her existence. All your favorite characters are back playing their roles to perfection, but this is going to be far from an easy ride. Old gods, faeries, wizard politics and vampire intrigue all collide to create a confrontation more dangerous than we have seen yet.

I do not want to give away all the details that are revealed in the book, or the additional questions that are raised. This book is darker with huge battles, dramatic action scenes and treachery above the expected. I was completely amazed by the truths reviled and the twists and turns taken. Changes has so much packed into it that it almost feels like the end. However, a quick look at Jim Butcher's website reassured me that more is on the way. Which was great news, because after finishing this novel I am chomping at the bit for the next installment of the story.

What all this means is that if you are a fan of the series you will not be disappointed. If you have not read the rest of the series do not start here, but I do highly recommend the series as a whole. It is a great example of Jim Butcher's skill and the urban fantasy genre.