Read All About It: Summer Knight

We return to Jim Butcher's urban fantasy series with Summer Knight, the fourth novel of The Dresden Files. This urban fantasy world is intricate and wonderfully magical, adding depth to the series that was lacking before.

With new villains, the same old spells, and a visit from magical enforcer, Butcher creates a new tapestry to deliver mystery and fantasy unto the pages of a new novel. This one is a very fast read, and has some interesting additions to his universe in the form of magical creatures and pseudo-political intrigue.

Harry Dresden is the only wizard in Chicago, and it's not an easy job. In the past few months, his girlfriend has been turned into a vampire, he has killed a demon, and by now he can't remember the last time he took a shower.

Just when he's feeling desperate, the Winter Queen of Faerie comes to Harry with an offer he literally cannot refuse, or else he won't survive the night. This run of bad luck also means that the White Council, the authority on all wizards, is not on his side. Harry must solve a murder, clear up the tangled webs of intrigue that surround the Faerie Courts, and keep himself alive long enough to see the next dawn.

All in a day's work.

Summer Knight is the best in the bunch so far. There are still a few problems with how Butcher writes about women, but it is definitely getting better, and we see a marked improvement from the first three novels. There is an intricate plot with several twists and turns, and it is fun and engaging without being overwrought. Butcher is a master in the urban fantasy sphere, and his series is a great mix of mystery and fantasy that draws you deep into the magical side of Chicago.

Butcher started to address him obsession with women's appearances by giving himself a reason to make them extremely attractive: making them faeries. However, he begins to redeem himself by making stronger female characters and giving them stronger redemption arcs. Murphy suffers from PTSD and depression, but her struggle is realistic and she is still determined to help keep her city safe. We don't hear much about Susan, Harry's ex-girlfriend, but it keeps her apart from the narrative, and shows us that she is making her own way without Harry's influence. The women of the Faerie Courts are strong, manipulative, and magically powerful without sacrificing basic character traits.

I said previously that I was not enjoying these novels. I am still a bit wary, but Summer Knight did a great job of lessening my fears. If the next few novels continue this positive trend, I'm sure that I will enjoy them even more! Until then, maybe it'd be a good idea to stay away from people who are listed as wizards in the yellowpages. They just might be telling the truth.