White Night
5 out of 5 Vampiric Stars
"Being a wizard gives you more power than most, but it doesn't change your heart. We're all human. We're all of us equally naked before the jaws of pain."
Another epic installment in an even more epic series. How do you do it, Butcher? Seriously, I want to know! Each installment keeps getting better and better than the last, which is mindblowing, since the series is so amazing to start off with. I'm continuously pleasantly surprised with each story, and am devouring this series as quickly as I can.
"This is stupid," I panted to myself. "Harry, you jackass, this is how you keep getting yourself into trouble."
Plot-Line:
"Suffer not a witch to live" really sums up White Night. People are killing off female practitioners of the Art, and it's up to Harry to find and stop the murderer. Unfortunately, most of the evidence seems to be pointing towards Thomas, Harry's half-brother. Wait, what? Thomas? It doesn't help that he's also keeping secrets from Harry, making it seem even more likely that he's somehow tied into all these deaths. There's a whole big mess brewing between the White Court of Vampires, old players both bad and good are making their appearances, and we get some interesting flashback scenes from earlier in the year (after Proven Guilty but before White Night). What happened in New Mexico, Harry? Whatever it is, you need to deal with it quick. Murphy's a bit restricted in SI -- since she's no longer lieutenant -- and you need to find this killer before any other innocent people die.
"Using magic is about doing things for the right reasons. You don't throw down like this just because you're strong enough to do it. You do it because you don't have much choice. You do it because it's unacceptable to walk away and still live with yourself later. Otherwise, you're using power for the sake of using power. And power tends to corrupt. It isn't hard to love using it. You've got to go in with the right attitude or the power starts using you."
Notable Parts:
So. Much. New. Information. There are changes with Lasciel, Ramirez is getting more involved, and we may or may not be given some information about Harry's... birth? Yeah, you read that right. Important things are stirring, guys. As per usual, the humor is on point, adding a bit of relief to all the dangerous situations that are happening. Harry's got some new magical shindigs, Marcone makes an appearance, Molly is apprenticing. Harry is becoming more mature, learning to listen to reason over rage and lust for battle. But he's still got that anger problem going on, which Murphy notices. I'm excited to see how things play out with Molly, and with Ramirez! I really do like his character. Lots of happenings throughout White Night, and I really like the flashback scene -- it might be my favorite scene out of the whole book. Flashbacks aren't something that Butcher has really experimented with, and I think he pulled it off excellently. It ties into the overall story perfectly, and has some ripple effects too that I did not expect.
So. Much. New. Information. There are changes with Lasciel, Ramirez is getting more involved, and we may or may not be given some information about Harry's... birth? Yeah, you read that right. Important things are stirring, guys. As per usual, the humor is on point, adding a bit of relief to all the dangerous situations that are happening. Harry's got some new magical shindigs, Marcone makes an appearance, Molly is apprenticing. Harry is becoming more mature, learning to listen to reason over rage and lust for battle. But he's still got that anger problem going on, which Murphy notices. I'm excited to see how things play out with Molly, and with Ramirez! I really do like his character. Lots of happenings throughout White Night, and I really like the flashback scene -- it might be my favorite scene out of the whole book. Flashbacks aren't something that Butcher has really experimented with, and I think he pulled it off excellently. It ties into the overall story perfectly, and has some ripple effects too that I did not expect.
"Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice."
Overall:
White Night is freaking awesome, like all the rest of The Dresden Files. Harry faces a lot of challenges against enemies and within himself, and it's always a great read dealing with all this crap along with him. The bond of brotherhood is tested, and I love the relationship between Harry and Thomas. Butcher provides more questions than answers, making us readers greedy for the next installment, and I can't wait to start Small Favor! Each novel packs a punch and is full of action, mystery, suspense and character development. What does Butcher have planned for Harry next? I guess I'm just gonna have to put everything else on hold and find out. The Dresden Files, here I come!
White Night is freaking awesome, like all the rest of The Dresden Files. Harry faces a lot of challenges against enemies and within himself, and it's always a great read dealing with all this crap along with him. The bond of brotherhood is tested, and I love the relationship between Harry and Thomas. Butcher provides more questions than answers, making us readers greedy for the next installment, and I can't wait to start Small Favor! Each novel packs a punch and is full of action, mystery, suspense and character development. What does Butcher have planned for Harry next? I guess I'm just gonna have to put everything else on hold and find out. The Dresden Files, here I come!
"Growing up is all about getting hurt. And then getting over it. You hurt. You recover. You move on. Odds are pretty good you're just going to get hurt again. But each time, you learn something. Each time, you come out of it a little stronger. Everyone is down on pain, because they forget something important about it: Pain is for the living. Only the dead don't feel it."
