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Wizard Harry Dresden must investigate his own flesh and blood when a series of killings strike Chicago’s magic practitioners in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.Someone is targeting the members of the city’s supernatural underclass—those who don’t possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Some have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But now the culprit has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes—a message for Harry Dresden.
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Harry sets out to find the apparent serial killer, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half-brother, Thomas. To clear his brother’s name, Harry rushes into a supernatural power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation.
And Harry knows that if he screws this one up, people will die—and one of them will be his brother... show less
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Among a series that is always enjoyable, White Night feels like a filler episode. These are those episodes before sweeps weeks in which minor storylines end in an effort to clean up the plot before the main storyline can kick back into action full throttle. With Harry’s search for the mysterious serial killer, many subplots connect. Readers finally get resolution on certain plot points that could have been problematic if they had progressed any further. This is not a bad thing, as certain questions are finally answered. There is also more humor and more humanity in this ninth novel. While the action is as dramatic as can be, Harry’s labors to reconcile the horrors with which he battles on a daily basis with his need to protect the show more innocent are what drive White Night. In fact, his emotional struggles provide the reader with some of the most memorable scenes in the entire series - although the dinosaur scene from the seventh book will always be the best action scene in a novel ever.
This is not to say that the increasingly apparent Big Bad is not still lurking on Harry’s periphery. The main threat is still there and garners several mentions throughout the novel as Harry jockeys to position himself in a favorable manner that will allow him to defeat whatever the Big Bad is. The more hints and mentions of the Big Bad there are, the more anticipation builds, as well as overall concern that Harry may have finally met his match should he ever uncover the full truth.
What makes the Harry Dresden series so successful is Mr. Butcher’s ability to balance the lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek moments with the more emotional drama. Even while he is acknowledging the silliness of the storyline, he throws in elements of true suffering that adds gravity to the more sardonic elements. In other words, Mr. Butcher is able to explore humanity in a series that focuses on the supernatural. It is a balance that is difficult to accomplish successfully for one book, let alone nine or more.
After nine books, I really have nothing more to say on my feelings of James Marsters as narrator of this series. James Marsters is Harry Dresden. Enough said.
White Night is a perfect breather among all the action from the previous novels. It allows readers to discover just how much Harry has changed since his first introduction. While he still faces mortal peril, it takes a backseat to his more mental and emotional battles. The end result is a story that is just as intense as the more action-heavy novels in the series and more satisfying for the greater number of answers given. At the same time, it continues to build anticipation and tension at the possibility of a coming battle with the unknown Black Court. In fact, it is getting quite difficult to avoid immediately reading, or listening, to the next story in the series. Mr. Butcher better start writing faster before I catch up on all of the novels; I don’t think I am going to be able to wait!
Acknowledgments: Mine. All mine. show less
This is not to say that the increasingly apparent Big Bad is not still lurking on Harry’s periphery. The main threat is still there and garners several mentions throughout the novel as Harry jockeys to position himself in a favorable manner that will allow him to defeat whatever the Big Bad is. The more hints and mentions of the Big Bad there are, the more anticipation builds, as well as overall concern that Harry may have finally met his match should he ever uncover the full truth.
What makes the Harry Dresden series so successful is Mr. Butcher’s ability to balance the lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek moments with the more emotional drama. Even while he is acknowledging the silliness of the storyline, he throws in elements of true suffering that adds gravity to the more sardonic elements. In other words, Mr. Butcher is able to explore humanity in a series that focuses on the supernatural. It is a balance that is difficult to accomplish successfully for one book, let alone nine or more.
After nine books, I really have nothing more to say on my feelings of James Marsters as narrator of this series. James Marsters is Harry Dresden. Enough said.
White Night is a perfect breather among all the action from the previous novels. It allows readers to discover just how much Harry has changed since his first introduction. While he still faces mortal peril, it takes a backseat to his more mental and emotional battles. The end result is a story that is just as intense as the more action-heavy novels in the series and more satisfying for the greater number of answers given. At the same time, it continues to build anticipation and tension at the possibility of a coming battle with the unknown Black Court. In fact, it is getting quite difficult to avoid immediately reading, or listening, to the next story in the series. Mr. Butcher better start writing faster before I catch up on all of the novels; I don’t think I am going to be able to wait!
Acknowledgments: Mine. All mine. show less
Since the first The Dresden Files book I have been waiting for a book that would finally, finally captivate me enough to give it the highest rating (because my ratings of the series gradually and certainly went from 2 to 4 stars), and BINGO - White Night is IT! Unputdownable and so engrossing that I could not stop reading it, this story has made me ridiculously excited to read the next book in the series.
101
The book has some of the best metaphors EVER
This was the room we'd been in when a necromancer and a gaggle of zombies had put a bullet through the head of Butters's capacity to ignore the world of the supernatural.
It is surprisingly quotable
...when writing a book review
I read the words, but there was an odd sense of blankness show more inside. I read them, understood them, but they somehow didn't seem relevant.
...when you just HATE that BIACH
The reflection of light from her teeth could have left scars on my retinas.
...when you need to explain your need for swearing to your mom or your boss
Hell, the whole practice of invective was developed to add extra emphasis when the mere meaning of the words alone just wasn't enough. And I was [AM] feeling plenty emphatic.
It has very important life lessons
Just because you start out as one thing, doesn't mean you can't grow into something else.
You don't leave an injured friend all alone.
It has genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud moments
Welcome, sir [...] May I take your coat and... and stick?
All in all, this instalment is darker, angrier and urges you to pray to God [or to Jim Butcher] to finally get Harry Dresden laid. *fingers crossed* show less
101
The book has some of the best metaphors EVER
This was the room we'd been in when a necromancer and a gaggle of zombies had put a bullet through the head of Butters's capacity to ignore the world of the supernatural.
It is surprisingly quotable
...when writing a book review
I read the words, but there was an odd sense of blankness show more inside. I read them, understood them, but they somehow didn't seem relevant.
...when you just HATE that BIACH
The reflection of light from her teeth could have left scars on my retinas.
...when you need to explain your need for swearing to your mom or your boss
Hell, the whole practice of invective was developed to add extra emphasis when the mere meaning of the words alone just wasn't enough. And I was [AM] feeling plenty emphatic.
It has very important life lessons
Just because you start out as one thing, doesn't mean you can't grow into something else.
You don't leave an injured friend all alone.
It has genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud moments
Welcome, sir [...] May I take your coat and... and stick?
All in all, this instalment is darker, angrier and urges you to pray to God [or to Jim Butcher] to finally get Harry Dresden laid. *fingers crossed* show less
Yup, second five-star in a row. I'm enjoying the hell of this series, when honestly, I shouldn't be.
Teen apprentice? Shouldn't like it.
Half-brother? Shouldn't like it.
All the ex-lovers and potential lovers? Shouldn't like it.
And yet, not only does Butcher make it work, he makes it fun. And the plot in this one was just as twisty as a long-time reader of Dresden would expect.
Great series.
Teen apprentice? Shouldn't like it.
Half-brother? Shouldn't like it.
All the ex-lovers and potential lovers? Shouldn't like it.
And yet, not only does Butcher make it work, he makes it fun. And the plot in this one was just as twisty as a long-time reader of Dresden would expect.
Great series.
I've read this many times and pick up new things with each read. I enjoy the quick wit and fast pace. White Knight is one of my favorites. Jim Butcher builds a fight scene like a Mozart composes an opera. There is an opening theme, teases, flirts, complete chaos, and a resounding resolution. He keeps me coming back for more.
I think this is one of the first of the Dresden Files books that really feels like a more traditional mystery. (Or at least my idea thereof; I don't read much traditional mystery). Mysterious shadowy figures and murders abound and throughout it's unclear exactly who/what is responsible. There are a few clues for the reader that Dresden otherwise misses, but for the most part, we learn about happenings as they happen.
One really cool scene: Dresden takes advantage of the fact that you can draw energy from the surrounding environment in order to power a spell. He proceed to shoot off a pillar of fire 2-3 feet wide and 20 stories high into the night sky. Can you imagine being a mortal living in Chicago and seeing that? The best part: He show more didn't even need the fire. He just needed to freeze a chunk of Lake Michigan. Love it.
Another great part about this book in the continued characterization. We learn more about Mouse's magical nature (A real temple dog! ). We get another cool scene of Marcone saving the day (he's really starting to make a habit about that). And we get a much better look at House Raith in general and Thomas in specific. For the most 'human' of the vampires, they're still kind of terrifying when they want to be.
So far as larger world building, the stage doesn't change overly much. There are more details about what exactly happened in Dresden's past with He Who Walks Behind.
Oh and that scene at the end with Lash. I really liked her. I liked seeing how Dresden dealt with the power he had and the power he could stand to gain. It was neat to see how just as she changed him, he changed her in turn. It will be interesting to see what fall out there will be from that (if any) in future books. show less
One really cool scene: Dresden takes advantage of the fact that you can draw energy from the surrounding environment in order to power a spell. He proceed to shoot off a pillar of fire 2-3 feet wide and 20 stories high into the night sky. Can you imagine being a mortal living in Chicago and seeing that? The best part: He show more didn't even need the fire. He just needed to freeze a chunk of Lake Michigan. Love it.
Another great part about this book in the continued characterization. We learn more about Mouse's magical nature (
So far as larger world building, the stage doesn't change overly much. There are more details about what exactly happened in Dresden's past with He Who Walks Behind.
When Harry Dresden, professional wizard, discovers that a serial killer is targeting low-level female magical practitioners in Chicago, he is catapulted into a case which threatens to force him into choosing between family loyalty and his chivalric (read chauvanistic) impulse to protect the women of the city.
Consumed by his duties as a warden of the White Council and by his responsibilities to his rebellious apprentice, Harry has practically lost touch with the magical community of Chicago. When he discovers that a killer has been systematically targeting female practitioners of magic, he is shocked to discover that in the eyes of the magical community, he is the main suspect: a man dressed as a warden has been seen speaking to many of show more the women who have disappeared or died. Fighting the mistrust of the community, Harry starts his investigation in his standard fashion: poke around until the situation explodes. As he is catapulted from one crisis to another, he discovers more and more evidence that implicates his own half-brother and begins to unravel a plot that threatens the entire White Council of wizards--and all of humanity.
I enjoyed this book, but for me, it has an unusually dark tone. One reason is that Harry's increasing slips into his darker nature. Several books ago, in Death Masks (book 5), Dresden becomes the unwilling host of the shadow of a fallen angel. Lash, or Lasciel, has attempted to tempt him with power and information into consciously succumbing to her influence, but he has attempted to use her aid as sparingly as possible. However, the destruction she has caused is more insidious. Her influence is immediate: from book six onward, Dresden becomes more savage and cruel, and the moments in which he revels with a bizarre, sick pleasure in holding power over his enemies have steadily increased. Dresden, a deliciously unreliable and not particularly introspective narrator, has reported his actions and emotions, but has failed to connect them to the influence of the fallen angel. In this book, he is finally confronted with the increasingly strong hold his dark nature has over him, and with the angel who has so influenced him.
Another cause of the somber mood is Dresden's inner conflict and isolation from the other characters. As he struggles between his bone-deep desire to protect his brother and stop the killer, Harry's path is darker and murkier than usual. Although the usual cast is present, mistrust and conflict create a barrier between Dresden and most of his erstwhile companions. Sgt. Karrin Murphy is at his side, kicking ass in her inevitable fashion, but her attempts to confront Dresden with his increasingly savage actions disrupts the typical easy-going camaraderie. Molly Carpenter, Dresden's new apprentice and erstwhile warlock, adds a new tone of teenage sulk and wilfulness to the atmosphere. Although Dresden is ready to forgive his old flame, Elaine Mallory, I found her character tainted by her past lies and betrayals, and her completely unapologetic and unrepentant attitude. Harry's half-brother, Thomas, has disappeared, and is increasingly tainted by suspicion of involvement. The book does not stint on villains, either. Lara Raith, one of my absolute favorite villains in the series, makes an appearance and dominates the power games in her usual deliciously immoral fashion.
One of my biggest issues with the book was actually a small incident in terms of number of pages, and actually intended to be lighthearted. Continuing on an ongoing joke, Dresden is again cast as Thomas's boyfriend. This time, he purposely plays the role as a disguise, and pulls out practically every negative stereotype of a gay man possible: a bitchy, whining tone, fluttering hands, even a lisp. The characters he tries to deceive show absolute intolerance, not even wanting to touch his hand, etc. Sure, Harry comments that he played up to the role, trying to encourage the bigotry so people would assign him to a stereotype and stop thinking--but that wasn't the only instance, and not the one that left a bad taste in my mouth. Dresden implicitly congratulating himself, points out the bigotry of an individual who thinks gays are so disgusting that he refuses to touch the hand of one. Ironic, since all of the characters, good and bad, including Dresden, constantly assign passe negative stereotypes to gay men. When Harry leaves, he is "secure in [his] own heterosexuality"--because clearly being cast as gay was an insult he had to insulate himself from. When news of Harry's act get back to Karrin Murphy and the police, and they also rib him, again using every sick stereotype of a gay man possible. I increasingly feel that bigotry against gay men is ingrained in the series. Throughout, Dresden constantly defends himself with remarks like, "I'm not a pansy," etc. In a previous book, which also contains a riff on Dresden and Thomas being partners, a friend of Dresden's comments that he won't "judge"--implying that homosexuality is something to be judged. In this book, when Murph teases him and ascribes 'girly' interests to him because of his supposed homosexuality, Dresden is humiliated and feels he will "never live this down". The series contains absolutely no examples of a positive male homosexual relationship. There are several references to lesbian/bi women, but considering how men (including our narrator) find "girl on girl" to be titillating, this doesn't exactly speak of open-mindedness. I find bigotry most repulsive when it is combined with self-congratulation on tolerance.
Despite my reservations above, I really did enjoy reading this one. There are some very enjoyable interactions between Lash and Harry, and although it added tension to their relationship, I loved that Murph takes on the role of conscience when Harry steps out of control. Speaking of out of control, there are some excellent action scenes and (of course) a burning building or three. This book also features a fantastic and very visually captivating duel sequence. Plotwise, it felt to me like a return to its noir roots, which can be seen as either good or bad. Like Chandler's stories, a man must step in to rescue the defenseless damsels in distress, homosexuality is treated as repulsive, the femme fatale makes her usual appearance, and men apparently should be as "manly" as possible. In a later subplot, a character is continually mocked for his virginity--because that is clearly something shameful. Overall, I felt this book had one of the least thoughtful, intellectual, and tolerant takes on sexuality and gender that I've seen in the series for a while. At the same time, the mystery took central stage and Harry and Elaine's detective duo was very entertaining.
Overall, White Night is a fun book, with some entertaining scenes, an enjoyable set of villains, and a tight plot. It also contains some amount of resolution to Dresden's continued conflict with Lasciel. However, for me it was somewhat tainted by a dark tone and casual slurs on homosexuality that left a bad taste in my mouth. show less
Consumed by his duties as a warden of the White Council and by his responsibilities to his rebellious apprentice, Harry has practically lost touch with the magical community of Chicago. When he discovers that a killer has been systematically targeting female practitioners of magic, he is shocked to discover that in the eyes of the magical community, he is the main suspect: a man dressed as a warden has been seen speaking to many of show more the women who have disappeared or died. Fighting the mistrust of the community, Harry starts his investigation in his standard fashion: poke around until the situation explodes. As he is catapulted from one crisis to another, he discovers more and more evidence that implicates his own half-brother and begins to unravel a plot that threatens the entire White Council of wizards--and all of humanity.
I enjoyed this book, but for me, it has an unusually dark tone. One reason is that Harry's increasing slips into his darker nature. Several books ago, in Death Masks (book 5), Dresden becomes the unwilling host of the shadow of a fallen angel. Lash, or Lasciel, has attempted to tempt him with power and information into consciously succumbing to her influence, but he has attempted to use her aid as sparingly as possible. However, the destruction she has caused is more insidious. Her influence is immediate: from book six onward, Dresden becomes more savage and cruel, and the moments in which he revels with a bizarre, sick pleasure in holding power over his enemies have steadily increased. Dresden, a deliciously unreliable and not particularly introspective narrator, has reported his actions and emotions, but has failed to connect them to the influence of the fallen angel. In this book, he is finally confronted with the increasingly strong hold his dark nature has over him, and with the angel who has so influenced him.
Another cause of the somber mood is Dresden's inner conflict and isolation from the other characters. As he struggles between his bone-deep desire to protect his brother and stop the killer, Harry's path is darker and murkier than usual. Although the usual cast is present, mistrust and conflict create a barrier between Dresden and most of his erstwhile companions. Sgt. Karrin Murphy is at his side, kicking ass in her inevitable fashion, but her attempts to confront Dresden with his increasingly savage actions disrupts the typical easy-going camaraderie. Molly Carpenter, Dresden's new apprentice and erstwhile warlock, adds a new tone of teenage sulk and wilfulness to the atmosphere. Although Dresden is ready to forgive his old flame, Elaine Mallory, I found her character tainted by her past lies and betrayals, and her completely unapologetic and unrepentant attitude. Harry's half-brother, Thomas, has disappeared, and is increasingly tainted by suspicion of involvement. The book does not stint on villains, either. Lara Raith, one of my absolute favorite villains in the series, makes an appearance and dominates the power games in her usual deliciously immoral fashion.
One of my biggest issues with the book was actually a small incident in terms of number of pages, and actually intended to be lighthearted. Continuing on an ongoing joke, Dresden is again cast as Thomas's boyfriend. This time, he purposely plays the role as a disguise, and pulls out practically every negative stereotype of a gay man possible: a bitchy, whining tone, fluttering hands, even a lisp. The characters he tries to deceive show absolute intolerance, not even wanting to touch his hand, etc. Sure, Harry comments that he played up to the role, trying to encourage the bigotry so people would assign him to a stereotype and stop thinking--but that wasn't the only instance, and not the one that left a bad taste in my mouth. Dresden implicitly congratulating himself, points out the bigotry of an individual who thinks gays are so disgusting that he refuses to touch the hand of one. Ironic, since all of the characters, good and bad, including Dresden, constantly assign passe negative stereotypes to gay men. When Harry leaves, he is "secure in [his] own heterosexuality"--because clearly being cast as gay was an insult he had to insulate himself from. When news of Harry's act get back to Karrin Murphy and the police, and they also rib him, again using every sick stereotype of a gay man possible. I increasingly feel that bigotry against gay men is ingrained in the series. Throughout, Dresden constantly defends himself with remarks like, "I'm not a pansy," etc. In a previous book, which also contains a riff on Dresden and Thomas being partners, a friend of Dresden's comments that he won't "judge"--implying that homosexuality is something to be judged. In this book, when Murph teases him and ascribes 'girly' interests to him because of his supposed homosexuality, Dresden is humiliated and feels he will "never live this down". The series contains absolutely no examples of a positive male homosexual relationship. There are several references to lesbian/bi women, but considering how men (including our narrator) find "girl on girl" to be titillating, this doesn't exactly speak of open-mindedness. I find bigotry most repulsive when it is combined with self-congratulation on tolerance.
Despite my reservations above, I really did enjoy reading this one. There are some very enjoyable interactions between Lash and Harry, and although it added tension to their relationship, I loved that Murph takes on the role of conscience when Harry steps out of control. Speaking of out of control, there are some excellent action scenes and (of course) a burning building or three. This book also features a fantastic and very visually captivating duel sequence. Plotwise, it felt to me like a return to its noir roots, which can be seen as either good or bad. Like Chandler's stories, a man must step in to rescue the defenseless damsels in distress, homosexuality is treated as repulsive, the femme fatale makes her usual appearance, and men apparently should be as "manly" as possible. In a later subplot, a character is continually mocked for his virginity--because that is clearly something shameful. Overall, I felt this book had one of the least thoughtful, intellectual, and tolerant takes on sexuality and gender that I've seen in the series for a while. At the same time, the mystery took central stage and Harry and Elaine's detective duo was very entertaining.
Overall, White Night is a fun book, with some entertaining scenes, an enjoyable set of villains, and a tight plot. It also contains some amount of resolution to Dresden's continued conflict with Lasciel. However, for me it was somewhat tainted by a dark tone and casual slurs on homosexuality that left a bad taste in my mouth. show less
As usual, this entry into the Dresden Files hits the ground running, with Harry trying to figure out what his vampire brother Thomas is hiding from him, while also working to figure out who is killing female magic practitioners, and why. But the action quickly ramps up as he is engaged in several supernatural skirmishes, before the whole thing escalates into full-blown paranormal mayhem. As the usual magical combat is anticipated, we also learn more about the complicated political backstory, with vampires seeking to destroy the White Council of wizards, wreaking havoc on training camps and practitioners alike, but also, apparently, warring amongst themselves, struggling to gain power and dominance over their own kind. This may prove to show more be their undoing, as Harry charges in -- though Harry himself must make some pretty whopping compromises to ensure the safety of those he cares for. The eternal conundrum of the powerful wizard who walks among us. show less
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Author Information
166+ Works 160,427 Members
Jim Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri on October 26, 1971. He is the author of The Dresden Files series, the Codex Alera series, Side Jobs, Ghost Story, and the Cinder Spires series. He has also written a Spider-Man novel entitled The Darkest Hours and a novelette entitled Backup. He has contributed to numerous anthologies including My show more Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, Blood Lite, and Many Bloody Returns. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- White Night
- Original publication date
- 2007-04-03
- People/Characters
- Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden; Karrin Murphy; Thomas Raith; Molly Carpenter; Elaine Mallory; Carlos Ramirez (show all 39); Lara Raith; Madrigal Raith; Lasciel; Bob the skull; Gentleman Johnnie Marcone; Helen Beckitt (Demeter); Justine; Cowl; Waldo Butters; Mouse, Harry Dresden's dog; Mister, Harry Dresden's cat; Pauline Markovitch; Brioche; Anna Ash; Mac Macnally; Anastasia Luccio; Marie; Abby; Priscilla; Sally; Jessica Blanche; Alessandra; Grey Cloak; Olivia; Bill Meyers; Murzhek; Terry Trailman; Tila Trailman; Bonnie; George; Cesarina Melvora; Vittorio Malvora; Donar Vadderung
- Important places
- Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cook County, Illinois, USA; Illinois, USA
- Dedication
- For the newest members of the family, Jesse and Dara
For the newest members of the family,
Jesse and Dara - First words
- Many things are not as they seem: The worst things in life never are.
- Quotations
- . . . age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good.
Bigots see something they expect and then they stop thinking about what is in front of them . . . It's probably how they got to be bigots in the first place.
Everyone is down on pain, because they forget something important about it: Pain is for the living. Only the dead don't feel it.
Life's easier when you can write off others as monsters, as demons, as horrible threats that must be hated and feared. The thing is, you can't do that without becoming them, just a little. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I burst out laughing, and it felt good.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing, and it felt good. - Original language
- English
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