Challenge Corner discussion

Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work--magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses--and the first two don't count...

Just picked it up tonight. :) I'm probably going to take this one slow, but I'm excited to get back to the series.

C.P. wrote: "Just picked it up tonight. :) I'm probably going to take this one slow, but I'm excited to get back to the series."

I would be slow too, I think because I would work on saturday too, so I think I would be slow, but there is no hurry! And I am really excited about this, too! I've read the first one some years ago but I really liked it, and now it's the right time to pick up the series again! :)

I just read the first one last month. I didn't love it, but I did enjoy it. So I want to read a few more and see what I think.

C.P. wrote: "I just read the first one last month. I didn't love it, but I did enjoy it. So I want to read a few more and see what I think."

I hope we would enjoy this one! :)

Me too!

Chapter 1 (view spoiler)[I read the first one some time ago, ok it was years ago, and I liked it so I was really curious about this series, but now I am not so enthusiastic. I've read just the first chapter, so it's soon and it's not that I think that it was bad. I liked it, but I am not really hooked up as I was expecting. I hope that the things would go better soon!
But now I am hungry and reading about him who is at dinner is not helping me! ;) (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 5. (view spoiler)[Really, he didn't think about things from Murphy's perspective?

Harry really does a lot of stupid things. Following the blood was bad enough, but now? He wasn't even careful! (hide spoiler)]

Sibil wrote: "Chapter 1."

I hope you like it more as you read. I'm still not hooked. I want to give it a couple books before giving up on the series, but if something doesn't grab my attention soon I may not get very far with these. They are kind of forgettable to me.

C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 5. Really, he didn't think about things from Murphy's perspective?

Harry really does a lot of stupid things. Following the blood was bad enough, but now? He wasn't even careful!"

(view spoiler)[ I agree with you, and you are right, Harry really do a lot of stupid things. And he's not so young that you can fault it to the young age, he's a man so he's supposed to have at least a little bit of common sense!
But I thinkt that it's true that Harry didn't try to see the things from Murphy's perspective, but it's true also the other way around, I can understand why he keeps some things for himself: the magic is not a widely known metter and sometimes there are things that you just can explain to someone who does not understand it fully because it can really be dangerous. So I think that both of them could try to see the things from the other's point of view. (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Sibil wrote: "Chapter 1."

I hope you like it more as you read. I'm still not hooked. I want to give it a couple books before giving up on the series, but if something doesn't grab my attention soo..."

I think it would be the same for me, even if I read a novella about Marcone's POV and I really liked it, so I think I would try and read some more volumes. For now I'm enjoying this even if I am not enjoying it as much as I was expecting/hoping. But I do not rule out the possibility to drop the series later on.

Chapter 5-11 (view spoiler)[Also in these chapters Harry do a lot of stupid things. I mean he just went in a werewolves (or are they loup garou or hexed werewolves? Whatever) den, thinking that they are the real thing and that maybe they are the criminals behind all the killings and he didn't bring support or some kind of powerful weapon or magic with him? That's plain dumb!
How he has survived until manhood is becoming a big mistery for me!
But I liked a lot the scene in wich he conjures the demon, the dialogues were fun and I really liked that part. And it was intriguing the little bit of information about Harry's parents. Now I want to know more.
And I am really happy to see Marcone (because of the novella I've just read), it can be an interesting character and I hope to see more of him. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 12-16 (view spoiler)[I may have to rethink my previously affermations about going on with this series. The parts in the wood with Tara are full of mere stupidity. I mean: she's not even human and she cannot say if the man is alive or dead?? And she just went on the attack the second she decided he's dead? This was the most annoying part so far and I am really not happy about it.

I am also sad about Kim's death, but Murphy really annoyed me. I mean, she doesn't trust Harry, but this is really too much. How can you do not have a little bit of trust in him and yet pretend that he would help you?
I am not a fan of Murphy at the moment! (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 10. (view spoiler)[I think Mister is my favorite character...not sure what that means for my overall impression of the books. But he's a cool cat.

Also, has it given an explanation as to how Harry controls Bob? Just curious about how that works.

And I don't feel good about those FBI guys... (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 10. I think Mister is my favorite character...not sure what that means for my overall impression of the books. But he's a cool cat.

Also, has it given an explanation as to how Har..."

(view spoiler)[Mister is really a cool cat! But about Bob I do not know, but it would be interesting to know! (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 15. (view spoiler)[What is Tera, I wonder. She isn't human. And what is she hiding? (hide spoiler)]

Sibil wrote: "C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 5. Really, he didn't think about things from Murphy's perspective?

Harry really does a lot of stupid things. Following the blood was bad enough, but now? He wasn't ev..."

(view spoiler)[I definitely think you're right. They should try to understand each other a little better. (hide spoiler)]

Sibil wrote: "Chapter 5-11 Also in these chapters Harry do a lot of stupid things. I mean he just went in a werewolves (or are they loup garou or hexed werewolves? Whatever) den, thinking that they are the real ..."

(view spoiler)[I know! How has he survived? He does too much stupid stuff, and doesn't ever seem to realize it until afterward. I'm also curious about his parents. What actually happened to them? And who was his mom? (hide spoiler)]

Sibil wrote: "C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 10. I think Mister is my favorite character...not sure what that means for my overall impression of the books. But he's a cool cat.

Also, has it given an explanation ..."

(view spoiler)[Mister is pretty great. Yeah, I am interested to know how he and Bob work. Like, how did he get him in the first place? Maybe he was his trainer's, but how did he transfer over? And what has to be done to allow him to leave? It's not a big deal, just something I'm curious about. (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 15. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I'm wondering the same thing. Going on with the reading you know something more but not enough, I hope to know what she really is before the ending! (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Sibil wrote: "C.P. wrote: "Through chapter 10. I think Mister is my favorite character...not sure what that means for my overall impression of the books. But he's a cool cat.

Also, has it given a..."

(view spoiler)[I do not think that we would discover something more about them in this book, but I hope to know more, sooner or later! (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 31 (view spoiler)[I've read more than what I expected, so I'm almost at the end. After my ranting about the possibility to drop the series, I am happy to say that I've changed my mind, again. I'm not in love with this series, and I think that Harry is stupid, and the others characters are not more clever or bright, and that's really a perplexing thing, but in the end I am liking it, or, better yet, I think it's not horrible, so I would read the next one and see.

And I really wasn't expecting the FBI to be the culprits! I mean, they were quite creepy and strange, yes, but I didn't think was them! (hide spoiler)]

Wow, you've been able to get through a bunch! Hoping to read a few more chapters in just a bit.

C.P. wrote: "Wow, you've been able to get through a bunch! Hoping to read a few more chapters in just a bit."

In the end I had more time to read, so I'll read it till the end, but there is no hurry! :)

Glad you had more time to read!

I'm through chapter 26 now. (view spoiler)[I knew there was something off with those FBI people. That part was a little disturbing.

still wondering about Tera. I also want to know what's happening with Murphy. (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Glad you had more time to read!

I'm through chapter 26 now. I knew there was something off with those FBI people. That part was a little disturbing.

still wondering about Tera. I also want to kn..."

(view spoiler)[I agree with you with the FBI, even if I really couldn't imagine something like that!
And the relationship with Murphy and all her scenes get me a little confused. I think that it's not so well developed! (hide spoiler)]

I finished. Wasn't very impressed with this one. I think I'll try one more and then decide if I want to abandon the series. I'll comment some thoughts tomorrow.

Alright, here are some thoughts. I didn't like this one as much as Storm Front and I'm not feeling that interested in continuing. I do plan to give it one more book, however, before I make a final decision on that. Here are some spoilery thoughts for the book.

(view spoiler)[The mystery with the FBI and wolves was a little too predictable and never really grabbed my attention. Both books leave a lot of hints for bigger things at play, but no answers, or even really any theories are given. I'm also not into shapeshifting in general, so reading those last few chapters about all of the morphing into wolves just wasn't interesting to me.

Harry frustrated and irritated me here. How has he survived this long? He seems to make the stupidest decisions. And again, it hints at more going on with his past, but never gives any details. That frustrated me. I want a little more about his parents, or the person who trained him, or the girl who was dark or whatever. I can't even remember her name.

Also, I'm not really a fan of sex in books in general, but that scene with Harry and Susan just before they all went to Marcone's mansion for the final showdown was really out of place to me. Yeah, she wanted him to see that not everything is just pain and suffering. I get that. But really, it just didn't feel like that fit.

The ending wasn't very satisfying either. A lot of that has to do with the not getting enough answers thing, but I also just felt like it was a rushed and lackluster ending to the story. (hide spoiler)]

C.P. wrote: "Alright, here are some thoughts. I didn't like this one as much as Storm Front and I'm not feeling that interested in continuing. I do plan to give it one more book, however, before I make a final ..."

I agree with you almost on anything. I would read the third one for sure, but I am not so sure to keep reading the series.
(view spoiler)[ And I didn't thought about the FBI as the culprit, so it was sort of a surprise when they were the really bad guys. I mean, that they was not the good one it was clear, but the bad bad ones for me was a little surprise.
But I agree with you with the stupidity of Harry Dresden, really... he's supposed to be this wise wizard, the experct one in the magic world and he makes stupid choise after stupid choise after stupid choise... really, no comment on this front!
And I agree about the sex scene, it didn't fit with all the story.
And I would have liked more answers too, there are a lot of hints to something bigger and more mysterious, but we don't get any answers, so this is really frustrating! (hide spoiler)]

Glad to hear I'm not alone with all of this! I have been told that book three is where the series really starts becoming good, so I want to try that one and see. I'm planning (tentatively) to read it the beginning of November, so if you want to buddy read it let me know!

C.P. wrote: "Glad to hear I'm not alone with all of this! I have been told that book three is where the series really starts becoming good, so I want to try that one and see. I'm planning (tentatively) to read ..."

I really hope that it would go better with the third one, some things are not bad but he really is soooo stupid that is annoying!
I really would be glad to read it with you! I hope to remember it!!! :)

I'll remind you. :) Does Nov. 1st work? I think I'm going to start it then. I don't want to be reading anything with Oathbringer on the 14th.

C.P. wrote: "I'll remind you. :) Does Nov. 1st work? I think I'm going to start it then. I don't want to be reading anything with Oathbringer on the 14th."

That would be perfect! And thanks a lot!!!! *_*