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Editor's picks

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  Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (545 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  The perfect mix of hardboiled and fantasy fiction

  Take traditional hardboiled fiction, give it a mind bending preternatural twist and you have Storm Front, the first book in a new series with the potential to send author Jim Butcher to the top of the gumshoe sub-genre of horror/fantasy fiction. Harry Dresden, the series' protagonist, is everything that's great about the hardboiled anti-hero, with a twist: He's a wizard trying to make a living working practical magic in a modern world that's foolishly rejected the supernatural in favor of science and technology. Part average guy, part renaissance man, Harry's got a dark side, a wicked sense of humor and a deeply rooted, personal code of honor that drives him to risk everything to fight the supernatural forces preying on his clients, an attitude that puts him at constant, dangerous odds with both the bad guys and the authorities alike.In Storm Front, when a routine murder investigation turns out to be anything but routine, the police reluctantly turn to Harry for help... 5/5 MARTINA E BALINT - See all my reviews This review is from: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback) Take traditional hardboiled fiction, give it a mind bending preternatural twist and you have Storm Front, the first book in a new series with the potential to send author Jim Butcher to the top of the gumshoe sub-genre of horror/fantasy fiction. Harry Dresden, the series' protagonist, is everything that's great about the hardboiled anti-hero, with a twist: He's a wizard trying to make a living working practical magic in a modern world that's foolishly rejected the supernatural in favor of science and technology. Part average guy, part renaissance man, Harry's got a dark side, a wicked sense of humor and a deeply rooted, personal code of honor that drives him to risk everything to fight the supernatural forces preying on his clients, an attitude that puts him at constant, dangerous odds with both the bad guys and the authorities alike.In Storm Front, when a routine murder investigation turns out to be anything but routine, the police reluctantly turn to Harry for help... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 31, 2000

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  The Thaumaturgic Gumshoe

  This is the first volume in a recent series that has a bit of an unusual premise. Harry Dresden, the 'anti-hero' of the book is a detective who is also a licensed wizard. Unlike Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy, however, Harry is more of a gumshoe than an aesthete. He's like a combination of Phillip Marlowe and Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. Think of him as a magic wand with an attitude. A thirty pound cat with half a tail and an oversexed skull in his basement don't help his image either. He makes a thin living finding the lost and helping the police, despite being the only wizard listed in the Chicago Yellow Pages.Dresden, broke as usual, answers a police call for assistance, and discovers a gruesome double murder. The two victims, caught in flagrante delicto, have had their hearts blown out through their rib cages. Detective Karrin Murphy wants answers fast, but Crime boss Johnny Marcone wants Dresden out of the case. Dresden's other case is searching for a missing husband who... 4/5 Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews, November 10, 2001

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  Wonderful! A Magical Mystery!

  "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher is the first book in a promising new series that already has me hooked. Butcher has come up with a fun and entertaining idea, and has crafted likable characters that readers can root for. Harry Dresden is a wonderful creation and I look forward to many more adventures with him."Storm Front" introduces Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, who is currently having trouble making ends meet. You'd think that being the only "out" wizard in the country would mean Harry was in demand, but unfortunately, people in the 21st century would rather pretend those unsettling things that science can't explain aren't really there. Then Harry gets what he believes to be a stroke of luck - a woman whose husband has disappeared wants to hire Harry to find him AND his friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy with Special Investigations in the Chicago PD calls Harry in to consult on a murder case. Two paying jobs in one day has Harry thinking that things are... 4/5 Sophie (Canada) - See all my reviews This review is from: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback) "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher is the first book in a promising new series that already has me hooked. Butcher has come up with a fun and entertaining idea, and has crafted likable characters that readers can root for. Harry Dresden is a wonderful creation and I look forward to many more adventures with him."Storm Front" introduces Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, who is currently having trouble making ends meet. You'd think that being the only "out" wizard in the country would mean Harry was in demand, but unfortunately, people in the 21st century would rather pretend those unsettling things that science can't explain aren't really there. Then Harry gets what he believes to be a stroke of luck - a woman whose husband has disappeared wants to hire Harry to find him AND his friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy with Special Investigations in the Chicago PD calls Harry in to consult on a murder case. Two paying jobs in one day has Harry thinking that things are... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 24, 2002

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  List Price: $9.99
  

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• 

  Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

  Book (Roc)
  

  Rating (545 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  The perfect mix of hardboiled and fantasy fiction

  Take traditional hardboiled fiction, give it a mind bending preternatural twist and you have Storm Front, the first book in a new series with the potential to send author Jim Butcher to the top of the gumshoe sub-genre of horror/fantasy fiction. Harry Dresden, the series' protagonist, is everything that's great about the hardboiled anti-hero, with a twist: He's a wizard trying to make a living working practical magic in a modern world that's foolishly rejected the supernatural in favor of science and technology. Part average guy, part renaissance man, Harry's got a dark side, a wicked sense of humor and a deeply rooted, personal code of honor that drives him to risk everything to fight the supernatural forces preying on his clients, an attitude that puts him at constant, dangerous odds with both the bad guys and the authorities alike.In Storm Front, when a routine murder investigation turns out to be anything but routine, the police reluctantly turn to Harry for help... 5/5 MARTINA E BALINT - See all my reviews This review is from: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback) Take traditional hardboiled fiction, give it a mind bending preternatural twist and you have Storm Front, the first book in a new series with the potential to send author Jim Butcher to the top of the gumshoe sub-genre of horror/fantasy fiction. Harry Dresden, the series' protagonist, is everything that's great about the hardboiled anti-hero, with a twist: He's a wizard trying to make a living working practical magic in a modern world that's foolishly rejected the supernatural in favor of science and technology. Part average guy, part renaissance man, Harry's got a dark side, a wicked sense of humor and a deeply rooted, personal code of honor that drives him to risk everything to fight the supernatural forces preying on his clients, an attitude that puts him at constant, dangerous odds with both the bad guys and the authorities alike.In Storm Front, when a routine murder investigation turns out to be anything but routine, the police reluctantly turn to Harry for help... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 31, 2000

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  The Thaumaturgic Gumshoe

  This is the first volume in a recent series that has a bit of an unusual premise. Harry Dresden, the 'anti-hero' of the book is a detective who is also a licensed wizard. Unlike Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy, however, Harry is more of a gumshoe than an aesthete. He's like a combination of Phillip Marlowe and Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. Think of him as a magic wand with an attitude. A thirty pound cat with half a tail and an oversexed skull in his basement don't help his image either. He makes a thin living finding the lost and helping the police, despite being the only wizard listed in the Chicago Yellow Pages.Dresden, broke as usual, answers a police call for assistance, and discovers a gruesome double murder. The two victims, caught in flagrante delicto, have had their hearts blown out through their rib cages. Detective Karrin Murphy wants answers fast, but Crime boss Johnny Marcone wants Dresden out of the case. Dresden's other case is searching for a missing husband who... 4/5 Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews, November 10, 2001

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  Wonderful! A Magical Mystery!

  "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher is the first book in a promising new series that already has me hooked. Butcher has come up with a fun and entertaining idea, and has crafted likable characters that readers can root for. Harry Dresden is a wonderful creation and I look forward to many more adventures with him."Storm Front" introduces Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, who is currently having trouble making ends meet. You'd think that being the only "out" wizard in the country would mean Harry was in demand, but unfortunately, people in the 21st century would rather pretend those unsettling things that science can't explain aren't really there. Then Harry gets what he believes to be a stroke of luck - a woman whose husband has disappeared wants to hire Harry to find him AND his friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy with Special Investigations in the Chicago PD calls Harry in to consult on a murder case. Two paying jobs in one day has Harry thinking that things are... 4/5 Sophie (Canada) - See all my reviews This review is from: Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback) "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher is the first book in a promising new series that already has me hooked. Butcher has come up with a fun and entertaining idea, and has crafted likable characters that readers can root for. Harry Dresden is a wonderful creation and I look forward to many more adventures with him."Storm Front" introduces Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, who is currently having trouble making ends meet. You'd think that being the only "out" wizard in the country would mean Harry was in demand, but unfortunately, people in the 21st century would rather pretend those unsettling things that science can't explain aren't really there. Then Harry gets what he believes to be a stroke of luck - a woman whose husband has disappeared wants to hire Harry to find him AND his friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy with Special Investigations in the Chicago PD calls Harry in to consult on a murder case. Two paying jobs in one day has Harry thinking that things are... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 24, 2002

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  List Price: $9.99
  

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  Dresden

  DVD (Koch Vision)
  

  Rating (41 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  Enlightening Dresden's Day of Horror

  I made a last minute decision to watch this on the History International channel. It's one of the best TV decisions I've made in a long time.This is a fabulous tale of the horrors of war, humanity of all sides in a conflict and romance.You can feel the horror building as the British planes approach Dresden and see the horror of the devastating firestorm following the massive bombings as more than 25,000 civilians were killed.There is tenderness here, too. The characters are multi-dimensional. Even those we think have done terrible things, we know are conflicted and in at least case seek penance.The photography and special effects are stunning.I'll have to save my nickles and dimes to buy this one. 5/5 Ronald D. Hawkins (Martinsville, Ind.) - See all my reviews, January 28, 2008

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  Terrific Production - looks like a 100 million-dollar movie!

  I got to see part of "Dresden" while in Germany last year and was very impressed with its authenticity and devotion to detail. I know that some of the effects were digitally accomplished, but the acting and sets were terrific, too. My German isn't the best, so I'm looking forward to purchasing the DVD set, which will be subtitled in English. I understand that there will be some great DVD "extras" about the making of the movie, too. 5/5 Dee J. - See all my reviews This review is from: Dresden (DVD) I got to see part of "Dresden" while in Germany last year and was very impressed with its authenticity and devotion to detail. I know that some of the effects were digitally accomplished, but the acting and sets were terrific, too. My German isn't the best, so I'm looking forward to purchasing the DVD set, which will be subtitled in English. I understand that there will be some great DVD "extras" about the making of the movie, too. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 9, 2008

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  Very Well Done

  We love documentaries and accurate historical fiction, and thoroughly enjoyed this program on the History channel. Since we missed the first hour plus, I was happy to see this is now available on DVD, and pre-ordered it immediately. It was extremely well thought out, the characters were engaging and believable, yet the historical details were carefully crafted and well done. Highly recommended. Also recommended about WWII: Band of Brothers; The War. 5/5 Dawn "Dawn" (MN United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Dresden (DVD) We love documentaries and accurate historical fiction, and thoroughly enjoyed this program on the History channel. Since we missed the first hour plus, I was happy to see this is now available on DVD, and pre-ordered it immediately. It was extremely well thought out, the characters were engaging and believable, yet the historical details were carefully crafted and well done. Highly recommended. Also recommended about WWII: Band of Brothers; The War. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 29, 2008

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  List Price: $19.98
  

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• 

  Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (199 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Cry Wolf

  There are many kinds of wolves in the world, and not all of them are human. Not even those that walk on two legs.Someone, someTHING, is shredding people in Chicago, leaving behind huge doggy footprints painted in the blood of the victims. Oh, and of course, it's round about full moon time. Reluctantly Karrin Murphy, Director of Special Investigations for the Chicago P.D., has had to call in Harry Dresden, professional wizard. Not that she trusts him much anymore after the way he left her hanging the last time they worked together. But he's the only with the knowledge and special skills she'll need if she has to deal with a werewolf on the loose.In this second volume of his exciting new "Dresden Files" series, Jim Butcher has packaged up another action-filled detective story with a mystical twist. Like any good gumshoe thriller, "Fool Moon" has a plot full of peril, false leads, near misses, and all the usual (and unusual) suspects. Like any good... 5/5 Sharon Brown - See all my reviews, February 8, 2001

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  On a Dark and Wandy Night

  After reading the first in this series "Storm Front" I had come to believe that the comic ineptness of Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book (or any other phone book for that matter) was due more to the inexperience of the author than it was intentional. At that time, I thought the basic premise of the plot was serious. After all, people die when Harry gets things wrong. Well, it appears that I was wrong. Jim Butcher has clearly created one of the strangest wizards in detective fiction.Actually he is a wizard/gumshoe with the kind of do-gooder streak that is a cinch to cause trouble. In this volume Dresden is trying to solve a serial killer problem which seems to involve several different kinds of werewolves. These range from nasty people who think they are wolves right up to the honest-to-God tear-you-and-all-your-friends-to-pieces loup-garou. Inevitably Harry goes into each struggle well armed with wands, charms, and even guns. And inevitably... 5/5 Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews, November 13, 2001

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  so well constructed, so fun to read, a real nail biter

  I liked Storm Front well enough that it didn't take a lot of convincing to get Fool Moon, too - I do remember, however, that somebody told me that the series gets better with each new installment and so I opened up #2 in the Dresden Files ready to do a comparative analysis.And it really is better. The voice is stronger, the difficulties more insurmountable, every last character is human, the setting of Chicago and the description of the magic are equally palpable.Butcher maintains a pitch of tension throughout the novel which is positively excruciating. You know how in most books the tension builds and builds and then things come to a head, there's a climax, then a nice neat denoument? Fool Moon hits the crisis point at about page 10 and stays that way until the bitter end. It's incredible.Plus, Butcher hasn't at all lost his sense of the absurd. Dresden's outfits are even more ridiculous than in Storm Front (which sounds impossible enough... 5/5 mlle. x (California) - See all my reviews, August 2, 2006

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  List Price: $9.99
  

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• 

  Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)

  Book (Roc)
  

  Rating (199 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Cry Wolf

  There are many kinds of wolves in the world, and not all of them are human. Not even those that walk on two legs.Someone, someTHING, is shredding people in Chicago, leaving behind huge doggy footprints painted in the blood of the victims. Oh, and of course, it's round about full moon time. Reluctantly Karrin Murphy, Director of Special Investigations for the Chicago P.D., has had to call in Harry Dresden, professional wizard. Not that she trusts him much anymore after the way he left her hanging the last time they worked together. But he's the only with the knowledge and special skills she'll need if she has to deal with a werewolf on the loose.In this second volume of his exciting new "Dresden Files" series, Jim Butcher has packaged up another action-filled detective story with a mystical twist. Like any good gumshoe thriller, "Fool Moon" has a plot full of peril, false leads, near misses, and all the usual (and unusual) suspects. Like any good... 5/5 Sharon Brown - See all my reviews, February 8, 2001

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  On a Dark and Wandy Night

  After reading the first in this series "Storm Front" I had come to believe that the comic ineptness of Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book (or any other phone book for that matter) was due more to the inexperience of the author than it was intentional. At that time, I thought the basic premise of the plot was serious. After all, people die when Harry gets things wrong. Well, it appears that I was wrong. Jim Butcher has clearly created one of the strangest wizards in detective fiction.Actually he is a wizard/gumshoe with the kind of do-gooder streak that is a cinch to cause trouble. In this volume Dresden is trying to solve a serial killer problem which seems to involve several different kinds of werewolves. These range from nasty people who think they are wolves right up to the honest-to-God tear-you-and-all-your-friends-to-pieces loup-garou. Inevitably Harry goes into each struggle well armed with wands, charms, and even guns. And inevitably... 5/5 Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews, November 13, 2001

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  so well constructed, so fun to read, a real nail biter

  I liked Storm Front well enough that it didn't take a lot of convincing to get Fool Moon, too - I do remember, however, that somebody told me that the series gets better with each new installment and so I opened up #2 in the Dresden Files ready to do a comparative analysis.And it really is better. The voice is stronger, the difficulties more insurmountable, every last character is human, the setting of Chicago and the description of the magic are equally palpable.Butcher maintains a pitch of tension throughout the novel which is positively excruciating. You know how in most books the tension builds and builds and then things come to a head, there's a climax, then a nice neat denoument? Fool Moon hits the crisis point at about page 10 and stays that way until the bitter end. It's incredible.Plus, Butcher hasn't at all lost his sense of the absurd. Dresden's outfits are even more ridiculous than in Storm Front (which sounds impossible enough... 5/5 mlle. x (California) - See all my reviews, August 2, 2006

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  List Price: $9.99
  

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  Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (472 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  odd duck in the series

  Jim Butcher is one of those authors I count on. Usually his books are like the reading equivalent of a weekend at a five-star hotel with a personal chef and a cabana boy. GHOST STORY was was more like a weekend at a four-star hotel with a nice dinner out. Not bad - not even close to it - just not the same superlative wonderfulness that Butcher usually delivers.In GHOST STORY, Harry is forced into a passive role. The title is literal: he's a ghost. He can't do much of anything. He has to stand by and let other people act, or, if he's lucky, persuade them to act according to his instructions. In terms of Harry's character development and moving the series forward, I think this is exactly what Harry needs. For example: there's a sideplot with a gang of kids who are ordered to do a drive by shooting on Murphy's house. Harry ends up hanging out with the top kid, learning about his situation, and then working to change it by rustling up some caretakers and competent... 4/5 mlle. x (California) - See all my reviews, July 26, 2011

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  Harry Dresden is More Fun Dead than the Other Wizard Named "Harry" is Alive.

  At a time when so many sci-fi and fantasy writers produce two or three good books and then start phoning it in, Jim Butcher stands apart from the crowd. He just keeps getting more imaginative, more sophisticated and more entertaining with every new book in this series. Ghost Story is the 13th novel of the Dresden Files and it rivals White Knight and Turn Coat for the best.I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical that Ghost Story would work as well as some of the other books in the series. Changes, the previous installment in the Dresden Files, ended with the main character left for dead. So much of the appeal of the previous novels derives from how Dresden uses magic to combat enemies in the realm of the living that I couldn't really think of how Ghost Story could be made interesting. Leave it to Jim Butcher to turn an unlikely premise into a great read.As it turns out, Harry Dresden's luck is not much better in death than it is in life. In fact, he... 5/5 Tiger CK - See all my reviews, July 26, 2011

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  Read it cover to cover without putting it down.

  When I first picked up Ghost Story, I was expecting another high-octane thrill ride, picking up where Changes left off. My assumptions were incorrect. This volume of the Dresden files takes a much more simple, introspective approach to what's going on. The first half of the book feels a bit plodding, but you come to realize later than this was purposeful, and that it made for a much better second half.Dresden again finds himself in over his head, this time on the other side. He's got a mystery to solve, and just about no way to solve it, considering he's incorporeal. Characters that you have come to know have changed, sometimes dramatically, in the wake of what has happened to Harry. After figuring out a way to interact with mortals, that method is stripped away from him, and he's again left with nothing but his wits.If there's one thing that Jim Butcher does right consistently, it's that he knows how to plant a completely unexpected emotional moment into... 4/5 B. Burgess (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews, July 26, 2011

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  List Price: $27.95
  

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  The Dresden Files Collection 7-12 (Penguin Classics)

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (9 reviews):

  (4.4/5)

  

  Great content, but kind of clunky formatting

  First, to the content. I've read and listened to the Dresden Files several times through, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The content itself is a solid 5 stars from me. Let's face it, though - few people will pay $55 for books if they're not already fairly sure they like them, so I thought I'd focus more on the format.Pricewise, this is just over $9 per book - you may save a few dollars over individual purchases; however, for about the same price, this is a lot more convenient on your Kindle.Like most of us who felt the need for the Kindle, I have a large library, and a lot of that is in series. Unfortunately, it's difficult to organize series on the Kindle. Usually, the best you can do is organize by author; however, with long series (I'm looking at YOU, Diskworld!) it's difficult to remember the order of titles in the series. The "Collections" feature on the Kindle at least allows you to group a series together, useful when you have authors with several different... 4/5 Christopher (Honolulu, HI, United States) - See all my reviews, December 28, 2010

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  Good series, lousy price

  I really like ebooks, they are much more portable and don't take up space in my home. But not enough to pay double price. This ebook collection was just over 9 dollars a book. I can get volumes 1-9 from Science Fiction Book Club for about 5 dollars a book. They are 2 or 3 novels per hardback and I just waited until the hardbooks were on sale for 10.99. A little over 5 dollars per novel for the 2 book volumes and under 4 dollars a novel for the 3 book volume. Sorry, but 55 dollars for 6 just cannot compete with 45 dollars for 9. 4/5 R. David Morris (Houston,Texas) - See all my reviews, March 16, 2011

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  Great Books Bad Format

  All the books are just as good as the others in the series but the format of the 7-12 compilations leaves much to be desired. Unlike the other Dresden books on Kindle there are no chapter marks only marks for each book. Also the percentage meter is for the whole compilation not the book. For no difference in price buy the books individually.Books 5 StarsFormat 3 Stars 3/5 Hijammer (PCB, FL) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: The Dresden Files Collection 7-12 (Penguin Classics) (Kindle Edition) All the books are just as good as the others in the series but the format of the 7-12 compilations leaves much to be desired. Unlike the other Dresden books on Kindle there are no chapter marks only marks for each book. Also the percentage meter is for the whole compilation not the book. For no difference in price buy the books individually.Books 5 StarsFormat 3 Stars Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 26, 2011

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  List Price: $59.99
  

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  The Dresden Files - The Complete First Season

  DVD (Lions Gate)
  

  Rating (303 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  High calibur!

  After Buffy went off the air, and then Charmed, I despaired of finding a supernatural show with quality writing and great plots. My prayers were answered by the Scifi network with this awesome show.I was already a fan of the book series and this show does an excellent job of adapting the stories written by Jim Butcher. Like in Charmed, magic exists but regular people don't know about it. Harry Dresden is the only Wizard P.I. in the phone book. Most think he's a crack pot, but some know he is their only hope. He works as a consultant to the police via Det. Murphy on those cases considered bizarre. Along the way there are werewolf serial killers, vampire club owners, and innocents that need to be protected.The show doesn't overdo the special effects, rather using them less frequently but with greater impact. Which is actually in keeping with the books. Harry is faithfully recreated and played by Paul Blackstone. And then there is Bob. The portrayal of... 5/5 Jem (MD, USA) - See all my reviews, May 29, 2007

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  It's magic

  Imagine if Harry Potter grew up to be Philip Marlowe, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what "The Dresden Files" is like.While it starts weakly -- and is rarely faithful to Jim Butcher's novels -- "The Dresden Files" manages to whip itself into a solid supernatural-mystery series, with a pretty good cast and some genuinely twisty-turny mysteries. And, of course, a snarky ghost living inside a skull.Harry Dresden (Paul Blackthorne) is Chicago's only wizard-for-hire, with a tragic past, a hockey-stick staff, and a companion spirit named Bob who lives in a skull (Terrence Mann). He's also perpetually in bad with the wizard council, and moderately famous among the supernatural crowds lurking around Chicago.As the series opens, Harry is approached by a young boy who claims he's being stalked by otherworldly forces -- and his mother confirms that he's been followed by blackbirds, crows and ravens ever since he was born. Even worse, a skinned body is... 4/5 E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews, June 24, 2007

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  Conjure at your own risk!

  Given the shakey start from having episodes juxtaposed in viewing order this season really took off with a bang! After watching just the first episode it intrigued me enough to want to go out and buy the whole series of books by Jim Butcher and I was not disappointed. Absolute page turners mixed with great characters, sly wit, wicked sarcasm, fantastic magic, and of course -- Bob! I really like how the TV show transformed the simple talking skull into a viewable character, played by none other than the superbly casted, Terrance Mann. And of course Paul Blackthorne as Harry Dresden was a brilliant decision. He has managed to capture Harry's self-depracating humor, sarcasm, and flair for drama and magic along with his vulnerable side and inevitable confrontation with the forces of evil. If you enjoy the books you will love the great adaptation they have done on bringing the world of the Dresden Files to life on screen. Given they showed the original pilot out of order as Episode 8 and... 5/5 Dawson Cowals - See all my reviews, May 22, 2007

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  List Price: $19.98
  

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  Grave Peril: Book three of The Dresden Files

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (153 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Engaging Urban Fantasy

  This is my first review on Amazon, so that should say something about how much I really loved this book and this series. This is the series that I think "Anita Blake" started out to be. The universe (present day Chicago wherein magic and the supernatural are there if one knows where to look) is deftly and wittily drawn. The protagonist, Harry Dresden, professional wizard, is smartly wise-cracking without (quite) becoming annoying. He's engagingly flawed and fallible, and if I have one gripe with his adventures, it is that in every book he seems to get SO beaten up so often that his endurance begins to strain credibility (and patience: "What? On Death's Door again?"), even for a wizard.Mr. Butcher peppers his books with engaging and believable allies and adversaries -- multi-layered, varied and believable, both as foils for Dresden and as characters in their own right."Grave Peril" is no exception in the strength of the secondary characters. Michael,... 4/5 Liberty Rose (Texas) - See all my reviews This review is from: Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback) This is my first review on Amazon, so that should say something about how much I really loved this book and this series. This is the series that I think "Anita Blake" started out to be. The universe (present day Chicago wherein magic and the supernatural are there if one knows where to look) is deftly and wittily drawn. The protagonist, Harry Dresden, professional wizard, is smartly wise-cracking without (quite) becoming annoying. He's engagingly flawed and fallible, and if I have one gripe with his adventures, it is that in every book he seems to get SO beaten up so often that his endurance begins to strain credibility (and patience: "What? On Death's Door again?"), even for a wizard.Mr. Butcher peppers his books with engaging and believable allies and adversaries -- multi-layered, varied and believable, both as foils for Dresden and as characters in their own right."Grave Peril" is no exception in the strength of the secondary characters. Michael,... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 5, 2001

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  Wonderful!

  Grave Peril is a funny, witty, rip-roaring, seat-of-your-pants, stay-up-and-read-it-in-one-night kind of book. Once again, Wizard Harry Dresden is up to his elbows in trouble, this time he's assisted by the ever stalwart and faithful co-hort, Michael -- a Knight of the Cross. The streets of Chicago have become a battle ground for terrozing ghosts and other otherworldly problems. All in all, a fine read, lots of fun. Grave Peril flows easily like an excellent mystery novel, keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. It's filled with wit and sarcasm from Harry's point of view. 5 stars. This is a must read. 5/5 Monica Gaudio (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews, September 5, 2001

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  Who you gonna Call?!

  Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher's wise-cracking wizard gumshoe returns in this gripping adventure! This time Harry finds himself a reluctant ghostbuster who must discover who have stirred up the ghosts of the spirit world who are going on a terror spree in Chicago.Harry's adventures will take from escaping from seductive but manipulative fairy godmother who seeks to enslave him, to battle blood-thirsty vampires and finally to a terrifying ghost of a demon he has slain!Harry Dresden series is entertaining blend of magic mystery, mirth and mayhem as you watch Harry get himself into and of of trouble and who's sense of honor is written in stone.The characters again come alive in this series like Harry's friend,michael a real knight who juggles saving the world with his responsiblities of his family.Bianca, the sinister head of the vampires in town and her equally menacing vampire hench people:Kyle and Kelly. Susan Rodriguez, Harry's on again off again reporter girlfriend. I love this... 5/5 Rodney Powell "fairmont66" (Macon,Georgia) - See all my reviews, November 14, 2001

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  Death Masks: Book Five of The Dresden Files: 5

  eBooks (Roc)
  

  Rating (91 reviews):

  (4.4/5)

  

  Shroud Thinking

  Shroud RemarksI only recently noticed that I had missed the release of the latest in Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, and quickly moved to correct my error. Dresden is a wizard after my own heart - trying to make a living in modern Chicago, and a bit too honest to do anything but scrape by. Armed with a wand, a few special charms, and a flower covered ancient Volkswagen Beetle, Harry is always ready to take on a task completely beyond his capabilities.This time he has his choice of menaces. Having triggered a war between the Wizard's Council and the vampire's Red Court in the last volume, Harry continues to be in desperate straights. Duke Ortega of the Red Court has proposed a way to end the war - a duel between him and Harry. Needless to say, Ortega has no intention of losing, and Harry will need more that a few incantations to survive.More of a surprise, though, is the appearance of Father Vincent, a papal agent with an assignment for Harry. The Shroud of Turin has... 5/5 Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews, June 15, 2004

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  What do you mean I have to wait for the next one?

  I consider myself quite lucky, in retrospect, that there were already five books available in this series by the time I started reading. I cannot remember the last time I devoured a series as quickly or with as much enjoyment as this one. Butcher has really done an exceptional job in creating this world and these characters. He started off with one of the best first novels I've read and has only gotten better with each installment. I have literally laughed, cried, and cheered while reading these books, and that is something that is not entirely common with me (though I'll admit to being a sap and something of an easy target for the tearjerk effect).One reader commented that this installment left many things unresolved, and this is true to a point. Actually, the majority of the major plot points were dealt with quite nicely (far more neatly, in fact, than any writer so new to the craft has any right being able to accomplish). There were a number of threads left dangling, but... 5/5 Marcus Bailey "Marc 'grailwolf' Bailey" (Darnestown, MD) - See all my reviews, May 10, 2004

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  Superb! Butcher's best to date!

  Superb! Jim Butcher has brought Harry Dresden back with a vengeance. At the end of the fourth book, "Summer Knight," Harry's world was a tad askew. His girlfriend was half-way to becoming a vampire, he'd started a war between the Wizard's Council and one of the Vampire clans. Also, he'd been on the "list" with a Chicago mob-boss for quite a while now. He did, however, manage to play some fun D&D with a group of werewolf vigilantes. Hey, you take your victories where you can.So, when a priest asks him to recover a stolen relic (sort of like a big white cloth, taken from Turin... uh... yeah, that one), and demons start popping up everywhere trying to pop Harry off, things are tense. Toss in a suprise visit from his Girlfriend, three holy knights with very holy swords (one of whom has a very bitter wife), and you see why Harry's day is just about as bad as any he's had.The mystery in this one threw me for a loop (I thought I had it right, only to learn I had it... 5/5 Jonathan Burgoine "bookseller" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews, August 3, 2003

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  List Price: $9.99
  

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