Changes: The Dresden Files, Book 12

"Wake up son o' minemomma got somethin' to tell youChanges comelife will have its waywith your pride, sontake it like a man..."Changes do indeed come, most often when you are not ready, and generally when we least expect. They are not always the changes that we would envision, nor are they ones that we have planned, but still they come. It is, therefore, no surprise when Changes come for Harry Dresden. While his life has never been what one could call "static", been far too hectic for that, it has at least maintained a basic structure amidst the chaos. He has always had his office, his apartment, his car, his cat and along the way has picked up many other friends and family, but change is inevitable, even for a Wizard.Thus it is, twelve books into The Dresden Files, that Changes find Harry, and his life shall never be the same. Just as in Turn Coat, the action begins on the first page of Jim Butcher's latest Harry Dresden adventure and hardly lets up until the very last word. This time it is Susan Rodriguez, Harry's old flame, that drops the bombshell on Harry: the Red Court has kidnapped THEIR daughter."...Hang on son o' minea storm is blowin' up your horizonChanges comekeep your dignitytake the high roadtake it like a man..."To anyone who has read the previous Eleven Dresden novels, this bombshell is as big a shock to us as it is to Harry. It has been seven books since we last saw Susan, and she is half-vampire, so the thought of a child from their last encounter seemed very unlikely. After eleven books, we know Harry Dresden, know his capabilities, know his allies, his enemies and we know what Harry will do to protect one from another. We saw a glimpse of what he was willing to do in Grave Peril to save his love, we witnessed how far he was willing to go in Blood Rites to preserve his family, and we all saw how much he is willing to risk himself for a young woman in trouble in both Proven Guilty and White Night. What we do not yet know, is how far Harry is willing to go for his own daughter, who represents all of the things he holds most dear and fights hardest to protect?Changes answers that question, with resounding potency and astonishing results. While Turn Coat seemed like a major shake-up in the status quo of the Dresden Files, it was a mere prelude of what comes in Changes. For while Turn Coat fundamentally alters characters and relationships, even the White Council, by the end you still feel as if you will be prepared for what is next. I, honestly, cannot make such a claim after Changes. The anticipation to see what happens next has never been more acute and that year between books has never felt longer."...Listen up son o' minemomma got something to tell youAll about growin' painslife will pound awaywhere the light don't shine, sontake it like a man..."The cast of characters in the Dresden Files grows with each passing book. Some of them are every bit as interesting as Harry, and all of them add significant meat to the series. Butcher pulls out all the stops in Changes, as nearly every character Harry has met along the way shows up in one shape or form. It is almost like a walk on the Nightside at times, so many familiar faces appear and every chapter is so full of action, imaginative creatures and confrontations, though with more depth than your average John Taylor adventure. Many Major Players show their faces for the first time, after being mentioned many times in previous books, among them Duchess Ortega, the Red King, and the CEO of Monoc Securities, Donar Vadderung. Each lives up to expectations, or in the case of Vadderung, exceeds them.However, it is the faces we know and love that really steal the show. While Thomas and Molly are solid, and at times great, it is Murphy, Mouse, Lea and Sanya that shine brighest. I suppose it should not be a surprise by now, as Mouse has scene stealing performances in every book since Harry found him, but this time out is his best yet. If there has ever been a cooler dog written than Mouse, I have yet to read them. Murphy's character has been improving, for me, the farther "down the rabbit hole" she is willing to go, as I find her much more interesting as part of the super-natural world than as the Scully. The Leanansidhe returns with a fine role, and her ties to Harry's mother are a very important part of the novel, as well as being a very interesting revelation in its own right. I have always loved the Knights of the Cross, but until this book did not truly appreciate how fun Sanya is to read about. This is the first book where he is the feature Knight, and he holds the mantle with class, dignity and hilarity."...Suck it up son o' minethunder blowin' up your horizonChanges come (changes come)keep your dignity (keep your dignity)take the high road (take the high road)take it like a man (take it like a man)..."Harry Dresden has always been a "Man of Power", and the books have been an interesting study of one man accumulating Power, while trying to maintain the integrity of his ideals. He takes on beings of greater power in every adventure, but is always able to live up to the responsibilities that come with his own power. The fight is never easy, even his inner-self craves more Power, if only for self-preservation, but he has always been able to weather the storm with his quick thinking and smart mouth. However, of late, Harry has been in even more over his head than usual, and you just know that it will eventually catch up with him. For while it is his anger at injustice, his passion for fighting the evil, that pulls him through again and again; passion is a fire that can burn both ways. His passion for doing the right thing allows his enemies, such as Bianca and Nicodemus, to manipulate him because they know he is willing to die "doing the right thing".Many are those who wish to destroy him, but nearly equal are those who wish to recruit him. As he so coldly enumerates to Mavra in Dead Beat, he has plenty of offers for greater power, and he is not afraid to take them if necessary. It is only love which keeps him on the righteous path. Love which preserves him against the White Court, love that vanquishes Lasciel and frees Lash, love that wins the hearts and loyalty of his many friends. It is only love which allows Harry to fight the darkness rising inside him, as he wields that lance in righteous anger and not in malice. His enemies know this as well, and some are so powerful that they do not fear using his love against him; Beings who do not fear to wield his own flesh and blood, his family, against him."...momma said like the rain(this too shall pass)like a kidney stone(this too shall pass)it's just a broken heart, sonthis pain will pass away." **Family has always been an integral part of The Dresden Files. In Storm Front, Harry, once an orphan, is already picking up charges, with his cat, Mister, and Toot-toot, the first of his Little Folk army. In Fool Moon, Harry is almost like a parent to the Alphas, shepherding them into the world of the weird. In Grave Peril, Harry is a man who is fighting tooth and nail for his mate, starting a war to rescue Susan, his love. In Summer Knight, Harry is more like the older brother to the Alphas and begins in earnest his fatherly watch over the little Fae as the Za Lord.Death Masks, shows Harry the contrast in real family, The Carpenters, and the twisted family of self-interest, The Denarians, and sees him risk becoming the latter to save the former. Blood Rites is all about family, as Harry finds a brother and a dog, growing his family more and figuring out what it means to him, personally. Dead Beat, sees Harry finally knowing what is to have family, as well as feel the pain at the prospect of losing them. Proven Guilty, is mostly about reconciliation and who your family really is, as Harry finds when his friends back him without thinking, following him into the very heart of Winter.While foiling the White Night, Harry learns what it is to be a mentor and father figure via his apprentice, Molly, and the kids at Camp Kaboom. While performing Mab's Small Favor, Harry displays the lengths to which he will go to save a child and friend, Ivy. While unmasking the Turn Coat, Harry discovers what kind of Power he is willing to utilize to save his brother, Thomas, his only blood. But it is while dealing with Changes, that we all see how far Harry's family extends, and how much he is truly willing to give for its preservation.For Harry is to learn what All Fathers know: when it is your own child in peril, the line begins to blur."Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you aren't ready for the Big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really, but it does...the Big moments are going to come, you can't help that, it's what you do afterwards that count, that's when you find out who you are."***438 HC pages 5 out of 5 stars*Title taken from "Changes" by David Bowie**Song quotations from "Momma Sed" by Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer***Quoted from Whistler's speech in "Becoming", Buffy Season 2 Episode 21, written by Joss Whedon

This has been the most emotionally trying book in the series so far. I', still under its influence. It was beautiful, painful, hopeful, and hopeless, all at once. I cannot really put into words what I feel like now. I think this is a turning point in the series and the life of Harry as well. Can't wait to carry on.

Changes is book #12 of the Dresden Files and is definitely NOT the place to start this series. There are simply too many characters and situations from past books mentioned for a newbie to make any sense of this book. However, one thing I love about this series is that, if you start from the beginning and read along, you'll notice that Jim Butcher only introduces a few new characters and/or concepts in each book. He periodically refers back to these characters and concepts in later books, makes connections among them, etc. So by the time you get to a book like this, it's pretty easy to remember who everyone is. I like the gradual buildup of complexity. (If it's been a long time since you read the last one, there are decent Wikipedia summaries for the books in this series.)I thought book #11 was a little different in tone from the rest of the series and ended on a sad/downbeat note, but this book kind of blew that out of the water. However, don't lose hope at the end. There are at least three more books already published in the series after this, and it's my understanding there are more to come. So keep that in mind...I'm glad I can download #13 as soon as I finish writing this review. Sometimes I take a break between reading Dresden books but I don't think I will, not this time.First difference: in other books, Harry has a mystery to solve. The mystery gets resolved by the end of the book, and we learn some things about the larger story arc of the whole series. This time, however, there is a quest, but there's not much of a mystery involved (although there are a couple of big revelations at the end). The quest is finished by the end of the book, as is at least one major part of the series arc (I think), but there is no choice but for the series to transform into something different after this book. (Interestingly, this is the only book in the series with a one-word title. That makes it stand out a bit, too.) So if you are looking for more urban fantasy featuring a private detective, this book may not be your best bet. However, if you are invested in the series and characters and want to see this thing through to the end (like I do), then you'll just have to read this!Second difference: other books are set wholly in Chicago and its environs. This book has a fair number of scenes in Chicago, but also a lot of scenes in the Nevernever (Faerie land, basically) and the final confrontation takes place in Mexico.Third difference: After a few books where Harry doesn't change much, as a character, he changes in several big ways here. But I feel like his motivation is clear. He was an orphan and longed for family connections. So when he found out in this book that he had a daughter (like in the first chapter, probably available in the Kindle preview, so not really a spoiler), who was in trouble, of course he wants to save her. He goes to some extreme measures to do so, takes some actions he never would have considered (and some he passed up on moral principle) in previous books. I think his actions make sense, though. And maybe he was always capable of what he did in this book, he just needed a REASON to go that extra mile.One thing that's kind of the same as in past books is that Harry learns he's not going to get help from the White Council (governing body of wizards, essentially), so he has to assemble a team of friends (not all of whom are wizards, and not all of whom are supernaturally strong) to attack the enemy stronghold. Of course, by now, most of his helpers have been through at least a handful of battles.The final confrontation is pretty spectacular (and decisive) here. Yeah, there's some big-time deus ex machina going on, but I won't complain too much. You probably haven't made it this far in the series without expecting a little bit of that. Jim Butcher manages to make his books a lot of fun even in spite of (or perhaps because of) them being full of fantasy tropes. FYI, as usual, there are a handful of 4-letter words and some sexual situations.This is turning out to be one of my favorite series. The writing flows well (maybe too many Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references here, but at least those are familiar to most of the people who would be reading this), I find the characters to be sympathetic, and even though the ending of this particular book was unexpected and kind of depressing, I'd much rather read something by an author who puts his characters in real danger than anything that's resolved too neatly and too cleanly, with no serious trouble. I know I'll be interested to see where Jim Butcher goes with the next book.

Una lectura recomendada para todos los amantes de Dresden

liked the flow on effect from Changes. Didn't like the super powerful end, but was tidy way to tie up existing threads and restart the playing field. Changes is a good read and needed book, Ghost (#13 is better).

<blockquote>I answered the phone and Susan Rodriguez said, "They've taken our daughter."</blockquote>Un inizio col botto, subito a piena velocità, per quello che sicuramente è fino a questo punto il libro migliore della serie.Una serie che si era mantenuta a lungo su un buon livello, ma che poi sembra aver premuto decisamente sull'acceleratore diventando ottima.Harry si trova davanti alla missione più difficile, la scelta più complicata.Si tratta di una questione personale, che per di più lo tocca nel profondo visto il suo passato.E' il suo momento più nero, quando il suo bisogno è maggiore... e si ritrova quasi da solo.Vicino a lui solo gli alleati storici: Murphy, Mouse, Molly, Senya, Thomas.Il White Council? Occupato a trattare col nemico, ancora traballante dopo gli eventi del libro precedente.Il Grey Council? Impegnato a nascondersi e a progettare l'attacco ai suoi nemici.Luccio? Fuori dai giochi.Ramirez? Fuori dai giochi.I Raith? Non abbastanza coinvolti per entrare in gioco.E contro Harry, l'intera potenza della Red Court, decisa a pareggiare i conti una volta per tutte.Nemici quasi divini, quasi imbattibili.Le entità in gioco sono sempre più potenti, le scelte di Harry per tenere testa all'avversario sono sempre meno. E nessuna di queste è buona.Va scelto il male minore, letteralmente.Un libro avvincente, appassionante, con un ritmo forsennato che tiene incollati alle pagine e rende difficilissimo staccarsene per -ad esempio- adempiere a banalità materiali come l'andare al lavoro.Un libro che gronda cupezza, rabbia, dramma.Con un finale potentissimo e inatteso.

It's almost impossible to review this book without producing spoilers en masse. So I would simply try to summarise my feelings: -1. This could have been and should have been the last book in the Dresden Files. The simple fact that there have been subsequent volumes prove that the series, the protagonist, and the fascinatingly weird-yet-real world inhabited by him endure on.2. Although it was dark, deadly, and gruesome in its depiction of the violence, the book had enough moments of wry humour and wordplay to keep the reading enjoyable.3. I am going to read the next book right away.Recommended.

Je l'avais attendu, ce moment ou on pourrait enfin revoir Susan. Il faut dire que la vie sentimentale d'Harry a depuis frisé le néant hormis un bref passage peu concluant.Les tomes 3 et 5 avaient touchés le lecteur de par la tragédie qui en découle et faisant de Susan l'un des personnages les plus intéressant et profond de la série. Cette fois, sa réapparition sera encore plus un choc pour Harry car comme l'annonce le résumé du livre, notre magicien préféré est papa d'une petite fille de 8 ans (suite à la nuit passé du tome 5)!Harry qui est toujours dans les rangs pour sauver la veuve et l'orphelin va cette fois agir avec une dévotion proche du fanatisme. Après tout, c'est la chair de sa chair qui est menacé, faisant de ce livre l'un des plus intense au niveau de son histoire et de son suspense. On vit avec Dresden le compte à rebours qui le sépare du sacrifice de son enfant avec cet ardent désir de connaitre la conclusion de l'histoire.Mais ce tome 12, ce n'est pas seulement de l'action mais aussi du romantisme. Susan revient et malgré la colère qu'éprouve Dresden sur le fait de lui avoir caché cet enfant, il l'aime avec toujours autant d'ardeur. Susan n'est d'ailleurs pas en reste puisqu'elle avoue n'avoir connue que lui depuis qu'ils s'étaient mis ensemble dans le tome 1. Faisant de cet ouvrage l'un des plus beaux de la série grâce à une Susan tout en sensibilité. Les petits gestes qu'ils ont chacun l'un pour l'autre serre le cœur du lecteur et on souhaite de tout notre cœur la fin heureuse qu'ils méritent.La fin de l'ouvrage fut d'ailleurs un grand choc pour moi et Jim Butcher surprend le lecteur à plus d'un titre. J'ai vraiment eu les larmes aux yeux pour ce final qui chamboule le lecteur en lui laissant un gout amer dans la bouche.Changes est sans aucun doute l'un des meilleurs tome de la série si ce n'est le meilleur. Dans ce tome, plus qu'une histoire, c'est d'une tragédie familiale qu'il s'agit.