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Changes

changes

Changes (The Dresden Files #12)

by Jim Butcher (Author), James Marsters (Narrator)

With this book the whole tone of the series changed making the title very relevant. The characters have all been through things which have changed the way they not only look at the world but also the way that they view themselves as well. Things are a little darker as the characters find themselves backed into a corner that they may not survive.

Susan Rodriguez comes back into Harry’s life only to drop a bombshell on him and enlist his help while doing so. She tells him that they have a daughter and that she has been abducted by the Red Court for an unknown reason and he has to help her get the child back. Duchess Arianna of the Red Court arrives to discuss peace with the White Council just as Dresden heads there in order to enlist their help with locating and bringing the child home. Of course that does not work out for him like he expected.

Harry is also under investigation by the FBI for various crimes which are never fleshed out. He has a price on his head and is being targeted for extermination from all sides. Neither he nor any of his friends are safe anymore as all the stops come out in order to take him down.

Definitely worth the price of admission!

This is why you have to listen as well as read this series. With James Marsters doing the narration you are sure to get than just a simple read, you get that roller coaster ride that only he and Harry can give you.

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The man once wrote: Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. Tolkien had that one mostly right.

I stepped forward, let the door bang closed, and snarled, “Fuck subtle.”
Jim Butcher, Changes

“But there were some things I believed in. Some things I had faith in. And faith isn’t about perfect attendance to services, or how much money you put on the little plate. It isn’t about going skyclad to the Holy Rites, or meditating each day upon the divine.
Faith is about what you do. It’s about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It’s about making sacrifices for the good of others – even when there’s not going to be anyone telling you what a hero you are.”
Jim Butcher, Changes

 

 

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Turn Coat

turn coat

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files #11)

by Jim Butcher (Author) James Marsters (Narrator)
  I have been enjoying listening to the books after reading them a few years ago. James Marsters has brought so much life to the characters that I cannot imagine any other voice as that of Dresden. He gives a true vibrancy and personality to each of the characters which distinguishes them from one another. The stories have continued to evolve from that first introduction to the wizard and his world. Things can sometimes drag a little, but it is never for long and always picks up.

Morgan has been the bane of Harry Dresden’s life since he was a 16 year old kid hauled before the White Council for the crime of killing with magic. When Morgan finds himself on the other side of the good graces of the Council he goes to the one person who you would expect to laugh in his face and send him to his fate. But that is not how Harry operates, he believes Morgan when he says he is innocent, and at the risk of his own life sets out to prove that innocence.

A well written ride through the world of Harry and all those creatures, friend and foe,  who inhabit it. This is a good one!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“You’re in America now,” I said. “Our idea of diplomacy is showing up with a gun in one hand and a sandwich in the other and asking which you’d prefer.”
Jim Butcher, Turn Coat
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Lady of Valor

lady of valor

Lady of Valor (Warrior #3)

by Tina St. John (Pseudonym)
Historical romance was never a genre that I was totally interested in. When I read the first in this trilogy I fell in love with t and this story is no exception. The characters are interesting and have a depth to them that keeps you wanting more from them. The setting is perfect and seems mostly authentic to the period, though some things seem more modern than others. It does grab you and draw you in from the start if you have read the previous two books because you know something of the main character already.

Sir Cabal a.k.a. Blackheart is in Palestine with King Richard and has been keeping watch over Sir Garrett of Fallonmour for his liege. When he comes upon Sir Garrett about to do very adult things with a child he kills him and releases the child. When King Richard is informed he decides to dispatch him to Fallonmour to give the news to Garrett’s widow as well of letting her know that the King will be finding her another husband and a new holder for Fallonmour.

Lady Emmalyn of Fallonmour is 20 years old and has enjoyed life while her husband has been away. She loves the land and the people of Fallonmour and considers it to be her home as she has worked very hard to bring more revenue in. To have this man come from the King and tell her not only will the holding be given to someone else, she is to be given to someone as if she is nothing more than chattel. Lady Emmalyn decides to fight back but things can always change the way you see life.

An enjoyable look into the past with good action, a nice love story, and a hero and heroine that you could not help but like. Each has been hurt in some way and are reluctant to trust, but they want to trust each other. Anyone who loves romance will like this!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Small Favor

small favor

Small Favor (The Dresden Files #10)

by Jim Butcher (Author), James Marsters (Narrator)
Another good book, though I may be a bit prejudiced when it comes to them. I think the characters are brilliantly drawn and very well fleshed out. The mythical creatures come off as being natural to their environment whether in Chicago or elsewhere. The magical workings make sense and appear that they would work because it is energy essentially.

Harry gets attacked by the Three Billy Goats Gruff while practicing defensive magic with Molly at her parents home. He is not sure however whether they were after him or the Carpenter family. He is then called to the sight of a major magic working by Karrin Murphy and finds that Marcone has been kidnapped. There is a lot going on in and around Chicago to be worried about. There seems to be a hit out on him, Mab is calling in one of her favors, and the Denarians are back with another plot. Something major is about to happen and Harry has to figure it out before things really get hairy.

Enjoy!

*James Marsters does a wonderful job once again of bringing the story to life. I cannot imagine listening to anyone read these books because James is it! Love this guy!!
“Nay, but prithee, with sprinkles ‘pon it instead,” I said solemnly, “and frosting of white.”
Jim Butcher, Small Favor
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White Knight

white night

White Night (The Dresden Files #9)

by Jim Butcher (Author), James Marsters (Narrator)
This is just another wild ride with the only practicing wizard in Chicago. The writing is always lively and descriptive giving a great look at both the characters and surroundings. The story is tight and flows perfectly. I love to listen because James Marsters is Harry Dresden and pulls me in as soon as he starts talking.

Harry has been drafted by the White Council as a Warden and is actually having to deal with them and look out for his territory. It just so happens that women, witches are being killed and or disappearing and he has no idea until Murphy clues him in. Molly is pushing hard to be included even though she has no experience. And to top it off many people believe he is the killer because a tall man in a grey cloak has been seen with the victims.

Dresden fans will enjoy this!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am a super fan of Harry!
“What is the point of having free will if one cannot occasionally spit in the eye of destiny?”
Jim Butcher, White Night
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Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story

IWTV claudia's story

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story

by Ashley Marie Witter (Adaptor/Illustrator), Anne Rice
I got this because I am a big fan of the Vampire Chronicles and look for anything that can expand on their stories. This fleshed out Claudia’s story a lot more so that you have more of an understanding of why she was as she was. The art work is nice and I like the way it was done in black and white. It did make Louis appear to be nothing more than a pawn to Claudia after she became an adult in a child’s body.

I think any Anne Rice fan will enjoy this.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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No review- End of April 2017

Assassin's LamentDT fall of gilead1ghoul's night out

 

Assassin’s Lament gets 3 of 5 stars. This moved a little slow for me and so I had a hard time getting into it. I do love the author however because he writes with passion.

 

Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead #1 gets 4 of 5 stars. I loved all the books and this gives you a chance to see behind the curtain to what was going on that we did not get to see originally.

 

Ghouls Night Out gets 4 of 5 stars. This is book two of the series and it is a nice addition but pretty much the same type of thing that happened in the first with the addition of another male. Rose Pressey writes some sweet and sentimental books with fun characters and plenty of humor.

Nothing says romance like taking your date with you to exorcise a house. Candlelit dinners, flowers, and demons…yes, going to a movie and dinner was far too normal for me. I had to be different. No wonder I hardly ever had a date. Ghouls Night Out

 

 

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Proven Guilty

Proven Guilty

Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files #8)

by Jim Butcher, James Marsters (Narrator)

Another good Dresden book with characters we have not seen for a while as he avoided them. The story continues to evolve and his relationships continue to deepen and shift as he learns to deal with family. The characters themselves continue to grow and add new facets to their personalities.

Harry is tasked with contacting the Sidhe to find out why they are not helping with the fight against the Reds when they have violated their land. He is further given information that someone is using black magic in his town and that he needs to handle it. What he finds out about both situations brings him into contact with both the Summer Lady, Winter Lady, and Molly Carpenter. Molly is the wrench in the ointment because he has been trying to avoid her father and now he has no more excuses. As usual he is going to have to fight to save not only himself but his friends.

James Marsters continues to give life and breath to these characters, especially Harry Dresden, he has made him very real. Love it!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“I don’t care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching–they are your family.”
Jim Butcher, Proven Guilty

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Extinction End

extinction end

Extinction End (The Extinction Cycle #5)

 

I love this series and am very happy with the way things have played out in this last entry in the main story. The writing has just gotten better and better from book to book.The characters were already well done but have also seemed to gain more depth and emotion as things have progressed throughout. The language never caused the story to drag either through dialogue or descriptions. The action was just that, action packed and engrossing. The monsters were everything you would have expected as they morphed into even more grotesque creatures. I was totally into the story from the first page to last.

In the midst of some devastating losses we have even more things happening to make life almost unbearable. Kate, Meg, Tasha, Jenny, and many other survivors are taken from Plum Island and may be lost. Reed and Big Horn come home to find them missing but is still happy to see that Fitz and Apollo are not lost to them. The juvenile variants are a much bigger threat than originally thought, but they may still at least be able to eliminate part of the problem. But can they get back the woman who helped create the weapon? Will the remaining members of Team Ghost and the Variant Hunters be able to neutralize the juveniles and take back the cities? It is an uphill battle that is fought with courage and honor by everyone except a very few.

The action starts from the beginning and barely gives you time to breath as it moves from one tense situation to the next. One of the things I have loved about these books is that when they are in tight spots the way they get out makes perfect sense and does not seem contrived or over the top. I have cried and laughed and cheered for these characters because they have become like friends and family. I am going to miss them and hope to see them again in better times.
Great series, great book, Highly Recommend!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Fitz slid his mask into position and pulled his bandana up to cover it. He breathed in, and picked up a distinct sour smell of sweat. It took his mind a moment to grasp that it was from the bandana’s previous owner. A piece of Riley was going back out there after all. And so was a piece of Meg. Glancing down, Fitz admired the axe hanging from his belt. He’d sawed the handle down so it would fit over his armor, but that didn’t change the fact it had been Meg’s. She’d held onto it all the way from New York to the GW. When Garcia had given it to him, Fitz had thought he might display it as a memento of her. Then he decided that a better way to honor her memory would be to split some Variant heads with it. He wasn’t much of a religious man, but he did believe the deceased lived on in the hearts and minds of those they left behind. Today, Riley and Meg would join them in battle.”
Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Extinction End

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Dead Beat

Dead Beat (The Dresden Files #7)

This one is a little more fun than some of the other books though you get laughs with them all in one way or another. The wit and sarcasm really flow. As has been the case James Marsters does a fantastic job of bringing our hero and his friends to life. The story continues to evolve along with the characters.

The war with the Red Court Vampires continues to rage and take casualties. Necromancers have come to town looking for The Word of Kemmler, a book, that will elevate them to the role of a god. Halloween is going to be less than stellar once again for the people of Chicago if Harry cannot stop the latest threat.

We get a lot more of Waldo Butters in this one as he is kind of featured. I had some laugh out loud moments because Harry has some of the wildest lines. James Marsters as usual brings it home in a big way as he continues to bring life to Harry and his merry band of friends and enemies.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“In the action business, when you don’t want to say you ran like a mouse, you call it ‘taking cover.’ It’s more heroic.”
Jim Butcher, Dead Beat