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A nice collection of Dresden short stories. I liked some better than other, I think Warriors and Love Hurts were my favorites, but they were all good in their own ways. A must read for any Dresden fan for sure... Three and a half stars. ( )

I've read all except the last...Aftermath. It was totally worth the read. Sort of a "don't worry, Harry isn't really dead" short to whet our appetite for Ghost. ( )

So grateful for this one, got my Harry Dresden fix between the last one and the one yet to come out. These are a bunch of short stories that fill in some blanks and show some of the evolution of his other characters in the Dresden Files and I appreciated them greatly. Especially the last. ( )

I’m going to start off with two opposing disclaimers. First, I don’t really read that much short fiction anymore. I used to, but somewhere along the way, it lost its appeal. Second, the Harry Dresden series is one of the best things I’ve read in my life, so I’m predisposed to like this… except, of course, for the short form.

These stories occur between the various novels, and there’s a little forward for each one saying when it occurs and how he came to write it. Often these stories were requested for anthologies, so the story behind the anthology was a little interesting as well. Anyway, the stories started from perhaps halfway through the series so far (i.e. maybe as early as book 5 or 6), all the way to one story that occurred between Changes and Ghost Story.

By and large, these were good stories, and I enjoyed them. Perhaps my biggest complaint was the short form, but I already said I’m biased against that. That stripped the tales of a lot of the wonderful character and world building that they’re known for, and then just as the story really started ramping up, it was over. But what else are you going to do in 8,000 words?

Two stories in particular stood out from the rest, largely because they were not written from Harry Dresden’s point of view. Now, I love Dresden’s first person narrative voice, but the tales done from Thomas’s and Murphy’s points of view were fabulous.

Thomas’s tale dealt with a subject that, by its very nature, Harry was never going to be able to narrate. It was about an effort to intentionally obscure and hide things, which tends to be the very opposite of Harry’s modus operandi. Thomas, however, is well-versed in keeping secrets, and it was great to get his view of the magical world.

Murphy’s tale takes place between Changes and Ghost Story. It’s a time when Harry Dresden is, shall we say, indisposed. Given what the magical side of Chicago looks like at the start of Ghost Story, this story provides a powerful glimpse at the desperate resolve of his friends picking up the fight in his absence.

So, if you’re a fan of Harry Dresden, definitely check this out. If you haven’t read them yet, though, go pick up Storm Front and start reading. ( )

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy anthology
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Urban Fantasy, the Dresden Files

My Thoughts: This is a book of short stories in the Dresden-verse, put into chronological order, and starting back during Dresden’s training with Nick Angel. The stories are:
“Restoration of Faith”: in which Harry finds a missing girl, but it’s never as simple as it seems. Butcher complains about the lack of quality in this story, but I think it’s really awesome. It’s also where Harry meets Murphy, plus a troll, so bonus!
“Vignette”: This story is just a short piece where Bob and Harry talk about his Yellow Pages ad, and why Harry does what he does.
“Something Borrowed”: Billy and Georgia’s wedding. Georgia’s stepmother is a real piece of work. Wow.
“It’s my Birthday Too”: It’s Thomas’s birthday. And he’s taking part in a LARP. And then real vampires show up.
“Heorot”: Mac brings Harry in to look for a woman who has gone missing. I'd like to point out that the whole “police won't look for a missing person until 24 hours has gone by” thing is a misnomer; they will take into account unusual circumstances and go looking sooner. This is the story in which we learn the truth about Miss Gard. Malks are involved. And it explains why Mister is never involved. “Mister didn't come with me on cases, being above such trivial matters, but he found me pleasant company when I was at home and not moving around too much, except when he didn't, in which case he went rambling.”
“Harry’s Day Off”: In which Harry eagerly anticipates a day off to spend with Luccio, but everything that can go wrong does.
“Backup”: See my review on the book's page (here, where formatting permitted)
“The Warrior”: Michael is retired, but are all his enemies taking that into consideration? Or, for that matter, his so-called friends? This story is all about the unintended consequences of our actions, and is very good. I became all choked up while reading it.
“Last Call”: When the forces of darkness try to mess with Mac's brew...? Harry don't play dat...
“Love Hurts”: When people are killing themselves in suicide pacts, Harry decides that there is probably mental manipulation involved. People are being forced to fall in love.
“Aftermath”: This is an original novella written for this anthology and not available anywhere else, unlike all the others, which are published in other anthologies. It takes place right after the end of Changes and will bring me into Ghost Story. This one is told from the point of view of Murphy, who came to meet with him and found a bullet hole and blood all over the Water Beetle when she arrived. Anyway, the story, despite that, isn't about looking for Dresden, since Billy shows up and puts Murphy in the middle of a situation where apparently small-time magic users are being abducted, including Georgia, Billy's wife.

Disclosure: I picked up this book on my own. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Here, together for the first time, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher—a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. Also included is a new, never-before-published novella that takes place after the cliff-hanger ending of the new April 2010 hardcover, Changes. This is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan as well as a perfect introduction for readers ready to meet Chicago's only professional wizard. ( )