Novella (‘ware the hardcover price!) from the POV of Thomas, Harry Dresden’s half-brother, in which Thomas gets to be the secret hero, and also a noble monster. Since he actually is a monster—a sexual vampire—his angst is somewhat more convincing than Harry’s. An entertaining enough diversion. ( )

I love to see the story from Thomas' point of view. This was a great quick read that just made me want to see more. ( )

I collect books, so I expect books from small publishers to be more expensive. “Backup” was issued by Subterranean Press in two editions: a 500 copy signed leather-bound limited edition for $45, and a trade hardcover for $20. However, in this instance both are WAY overpriced. This isn’t even a novella – it is a very short story. It says 72 pages, but that includes illustrations, a large font and big margins. Butcher’s tale in the “Mean Streets” anthology was much longer. When other small publishers, and even SubPress, has signed, limited full length novels with smaller print runs for $40-50 this felt like a ripoff banking on Butcher’s fans to pay for the privilege. Extremely disappointing.

However, the story itself was excellent. The Dresden Files series is told from Harry’s point of view. This story is told from Thomas’ and has some great ideas. The Vampire White Court has been fighting a secret war (with a very unique twist) and their enemy is trying to drag Harry into it. Thomas can’t tell Harry about it, so he decides to play “backup.” I’ve loved Thomas’ character since he was introduced and it was great to get a deeper look at him, without seeing him through Harry’s eyes. Plus Bob and Mouse make an appearance. If you enjoy the Dresden series, grab this at the library. If you’re a devout fan, get it at Amazon’s discounted price. ( )

I collect books, so I expect books from small publishers to be more expensive. “Backup” was issued by Subterranean Press in two editions: a 500 copy signed leather-bound limited edition for $45, and a trade hardcover for $20. However, in this instance both are WAY overpriced. This isn’t even a novella – it is a very short story. It says 72 pages, but that includes black and white illustrations, a large font and big margins. Butcher’s tale in the “Mean Streets” anthology was much longer. When other small publishers, and even SubPress, have signed, limited full-length novels with smaller print runs for $40-50 this felt like a ripoff banking on Butcher’s fans to pay for the privilege. No color plates, duotone or other special features besides leather to warrant the price - extremely disappointing.

However, the story itself was excellent. The Dresden Files series is told from Harry’s point of view. This story is told from Thomas’ and has some great ideas. The Vampire White Court has been fighting a secret war (with a very unique twist) and their enemy is trying to drag Harry into it. Thomas can’t tell Harry about it, so he decides to play “backup.” I’ve loved Thomas’ character since he was introduced and it was great to get a deeper look at him, without seeing him through Harry’s eyes. Plus Bob and Mouse make an appearance. If you enjoy the Dresden series, grab this at the library. If you’re a devout fan, get it at Amazon’s discounted price. ( )

Thomas Raith is a study in contrasts. By day he works as a mild mannered hairdresser (complete with funky accent) and in his off hours he acts as guardian angel (or guardian demon to be precise) to his half brother, the enigmatic wizard, Harry Dresden. When he receives a warning from suspicious sources that Harry's latest case/cause could have potentially disastrous consequences to both his half-brother and the world at large, Thomas rushes in, determined to do anything to protect them both.

Since I've only read the first three or four Dresden books, and that was over a year ago, I may not exactly be the intended audience for this novelette. Despite that, I really liked this story. For the short length I thought it did a very good job of fleshing Thomas out and showing both his good intentions and darker, hidden drives. This is an intriguing character study with a little action/adventure plot thrown in and has made me recall how much I enjoy Mr. Butcher's writing. Since I have no recollection of Thomas at all from the Dresden books I did read, it really makes me want to go and continue on with the Dresden series at large. ( )