Rating: 
Summary: It just keeps getting better
Review: If you want to know how I feel about this series as a whole, check out my other reviews. This installment, however, Butcher seems to have hit his stride.New characters are introduced with a sense of backstory that actually made me wonder if I'd missed some books somewhere. Not that more story was needed to explain anything, I just wanted to know more about the history between these people. I was amazed at how real these people felt (especially the Knight of the Sword, Michael, who could arguably carry a series of his own). Even the main thrust of the plot seems to be intertwined with a previous case of Dresden's which we only see in flashback. This should be disconcerting, and I did occasionally find myself wishing I'd read that book as well. However, the story flows so well that you almost find yourself thinking that you did read that book. More importantly, the third book in this series starts to delve into the emotional life of Harry Dresden in a way we'd only glimpsed before. Personally, I'm a sap, so I'm all for dealing with emotional issues. Also, it really helps you to know a character and their motivations better if you have more insight into their source. Also, the further bits of background (more about the vampire Courts, the White Council, etc) really enhance the tapestry that is The Dresden Files. If this series does not become a cult hit, and soon, I'll be very surprised.
Rating: 
Summary: A spooky--and I mean spooky--continuation of the series
Review: If you've read the previous installments of the Harry Dresden series--and if you haven't, I'd start at the beginning, with Storm Front--you'll know that Harry Dresden, Chicago's cross between Sam Spade and Harry Potter, has a remarkable knack for attracting some very unpleasant adversaries. Indeed, he seems to have been at the vortex of a maelstrom of nastiness that has been growing since the first book. In Grave Peril, author Jim Butcher raises the stakes even higher, giving a shape to some of the peril in which Harry has found himself, and also edging the action closer and closer to HP Lovecraft-level horror.
Someone has been stirring up the ghosts of Chicago, weakening the barrier between the 'real' world and what Harry calls the Nevernever. Harry, with a most unlikely (for him) sidekick, Michael Carpenter, Knight Templar and Fist of God, has been running around, trying to send these apparitions back to their Nevernever home, but things keep getting worse. The bordello-running head of Chicago's vampires, Bianca (who hates Harry's guts), is about to be promoted, and wants Harry to attend her celebratory ball. And someone--or something--seems to be out to get all of Harry's closest associates: Lt. Murphy and her Special Investigations crew; Susan Rodriguez, Harry's girlfriend; and even Bob, the friendly (usually) spirit who lives in a skull in Harry's basement. Battling demons, ghosts, three different types of vampires, and a very mean faerie queen, Harry careens his way through one brush with disaster after another. Along the way, we learn a little more about his past, watch him finally get what Huey Lewis was talking about in "The Power of Love," discover that death isn't quite what it seems and see Harry pull some stunts that definitely shouldn't be tried at home.
I enjoyed the book enormously, though it isn't for the squeamish. I also appreciated the less-than-neat ending, which, while satisfactory, leaves room for further books and also maintains the Dashiell-Hammet-like moral ambiguity that has been at the core of this series from the beginning. Oh, and by the way, regarding the complaint below, for a wizard who uses a 'flickum bicus' spell to light a room's candles to refer to himself as 'flicking on the lights' seems within the scope of the reasonable (though the books could use a good copyedit, I must say)....
Rating:
Summary: Great supernatural who-done-it
Review: It has been a tough two weeks on Harry Dresden, Chicago's only known wizard (check the phone book if you are a nonbeliever). It seems he and his good soul partner Michael Carpenter, a knight with a holy blade, have spent the previous fourteen evenings fighting terrifying ghosts that crossed the barrier between here and Nevernever land.
When Harry finds the same barbed wire on a human being's soul that he found inside a ghost, he knows he is fighting a dangerous enemy who breaks all the known rules of supernatural physics. This foe can enter homes without permission, wreck havoc on holy land, and tie mortal and spirit together with otherworldly barbed wire. While Harry gets ready for battle with this unknown superior creature, he also struggles to uncover who is destroying the barrier between earth and Nevernever and must deal with the Vampire Court whose leader has summoned him.
Book three of the Dresden Files, GRAVE PERIL, is a great supernatural who-done-it. The key to this tale and its predecessors (see STORM FRONT and FOOL MOON) is that every character and situation feels genuine. For instance, readers will feel what technology-machinery impaired Harry feels when he removes the barbed wire from the soul of a friend. Anyone who enjoys an offbeat but cleverly written urban fantasy will want to visit the Windy City's only advertising wizard because few horror, fantasy, or mystery tales get any better than this wonderful plot that smoothly combines all three genres into one novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Ghostbusters, The Novel
Review: It should come as no surprise to the followers of Harry Dresden, freelance wizard and general dogooder, that Harry starts out the third volume of this series in every bit as much trouble as he ended the last. After all, Harry's natural state is jumping out of frying pans and into fires. Except when he is looking for another frying pan to fall out of. This time the book opens with Harry and a new friend, Michael (a Knight of the Sword and even a bigger dogooder than Harry) racing to stop Agatha the ghost, who has a bit too much affection for infants. Without fail, Harry fumbles the attack and Michael and he must pursue Agatha into the Nevernever. In the process of putting Agatha away Harry has a run in with his dysfunctional fairy godmother and barely manages to escape with all his body parts. Michael and Harry have been chasing down disgruntled ghosts for weeks now, and finally Harry has come to believe that this isn't just a series of coincidences. Instead, someone is deliberately stirring the ectoplasm with evil intentions. But Harry barely has time to discover this when he is visited by two vampires, who go out of their way to irritate him while delivering a formal invitation to the elevation of Bianca St. Claire to the position of Margravine of the Vampire Court. You may remember Bianca from "Fool Moon." She was the vampiress Harry managed to make a deadly enemy of in the first 15 minutes of their meeting. Harry may be slow witted, but even he knows that Bianca's plans include making Dresden au gratin. So he refuses the invitation, right? Well, not quite. A wild series of ghostly attacks, bespelled friends, and damsels in distress ensue. Harry, a class act as usual, manages to lose Michael's magic sword, fail the damsels, and barely keep his friend's alive. It is only a matter of time before the ever-widening swath of disasters leads Harry straight to Bianca's soiree and Harry-splatting party. And does Harry get splatted? You bet. It is characteristic of this story that the question Harry gets asked most often is "What happened to you?" And these are just the highlights of the quiet part of the novel. Jim Butcher has once again concocted a unique mix of comedy and horror, In doing so he has created an entirely new genre, which I call 'noir vaudeville.' Bad things keep happening, and the life-span of one of Harry's friends seems to be about a week, but you can't help snickering and moaning. Perhaps because Harry generally deserves everything that happens to him. But you do have to feel sorry for Michael and his wife, Harry's girlfriend Susan, and most of the Chicago police force. And don't forget poor Bob the sex-fiend in a skull, who gets a serious workout this time and no fun. Butcher ends "Grave Peril" on a 'to be continued' note, which means we can look forward to even more misadventures from the career of the most hapless wizard in the Midwest. Let's hope Harry has good medical insurance.
Rating:
Summary: Yet another Winner
Review: It's time to give Jim Butcher his just dues. the man has written 3 back to back books that have been down right outstanding. I cannot recommend this series enough. Especially to the Anita Blake fans. I could go into the plot of the book. But instead I'll simply say it's good. It wraps up nicely, and drops a couple more sub plots that give you renewed hope of further novels, and the direction that they will go. Furthermore, they are immensley satisfying. I give this 5 stars, and I hope Mr. Butcher is working on his next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Ghosts and vampires in Chicago and only one can stop them...
Review: Jim Butcher definitely raises the bar with "Grave Peril," the third installment of "The Dresden Files." I gave this one four stars as a comparison to books of the genre, not all books. The basic premise has Harry running around Chicago trying to find out why so many ghosts and spooks have breached the barrier between our world and that of the 'Nevernever' where all kinds of creatures reside. The story ties in a previous case involving a sorceror, as well as an extended sequence at the vampire's masquerade ball. During the course of the adventure, those close to Harry are either possessed or attacked in some way by a spirit dubbed 'The Nightmare' and even Harry succumbs at one point. What I like about this series is the mixture of horror, mystery and dark comedy. The plots have improved with each book, although they always seem to be personal involving Harry in some way. I like his descriptions of the various entities, and the rules that bind them. Harry gets a new ally in Michael Carpenter, a sort of holy knight with a special sword, although no explanation is given how these two got together. Harry's love interest, Susan, also has a strong role. Murphy has a couple key scenes, but she's out of the way much of the book. There are also various shadow characters such as Thomas the vampire, Lydia with Cassandra's Tears, Justine the victim, Lea the fairie 'sidhe' godmother of Harry, and enemies like the evil Kravos, and vampire siblings Kyle and Kelly. Bianca is both the sexiest and foulest vampire one will ever meet. Since the narration is told from Harry's point of view, we never get a lot of development of the other characters, but their outward emotions are clear, even if one never quite knows what trick they might pull next. Harry, on the other hand, is developing into a balanced character, with admirable traits and flaws like anyone. He is full of emotion, and tries to do what's right, but he recognizes his own shadow side. As usual, the sensual descriptions of magic are interesting, and the extended action at the vampire party is a page-turner. Butcher paints the characters into a corner time and again, and manages to let them figure interesting ways out of their predicaments. Harry not only uses magic, but also his brain and body. In the end, their is both a sense of finality and continuity, as the plot is resolved, but the story of Harry and his friend's (and enemies) lives will figure into future tales.
Rating:
Summary: Good Series, Give it 4 1/2 Stars
Review: Just finished all 3 books in the last couple of weeks. Lots of action, keeps your interest. Will definitly keep up with this series. Just wish the author would get Dresden, the hero, and Murphy, the female cop, together. She a great character but has not had a large enough role in the books, yet.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome wtih some engaging twists to the story
Review: Man as with the previous books in this series this was quite keen. The characters were still lively and the new characters were quite unique while still remaining 'real'. My only complaint is that while this was entertaining it seemed to be a filler for book 4. Kind of like a prelude. Oh well just makes me salivate more for the next book!!
Rating:
Summary: The Dresden series is addictive!
Review: Of the 4 Dresden books currently available (with another due out in September), this one is my favorite. The combination of very intricate plot, the main character's snarky wit and hapless, can't-catch-a-break, down and out attitude, plus the introduction of some very compelling new characters (Thomas the Friendly Vampire, Father Forthill, to name just two), make for a fascinating read. I was up past 2AM finishing this, on a worknight, because I just couldn't put it down.If I have one complaint, it is the character of Michael, Good Knight, Fist of God, Family Man, Ever-FAithful, All-Around Good Guy, yadda yadda yadda. He's Harry's friend in this, but he's just kind of there, with no background explaining his connection to the main character (who up to this point, has pretty much worked alone). He makes an interesting, if almost too-perfect, counterpoint to Dresden, though--whereas Harry's strength comes from within himself and his own magic, Michael is traditionally Catholic and is fond of such phrases as "The Lord doesn't give anyone more than they can bear." He doesn't even want to be present when Harry's doing a summoning spell because Harry's not doing it in God's name. (And even Harry expresses some exasperation when their friend Father Forthill tries to convert him every time he sees him.) I like the adultness of the entire series, but this book seems even more so than others. Harry finds himself in deep at a vampire ball, and no one emerges unscathed. In the tradition of the first two books, Harry once again winds up unexpectedly naked in this; he's also injured very badly, more than once. Jim Butcher truly understands the value of a big finish; the last 20 pages of Grave Peril are real page-turners. My heart was pounding! There's also a real tragedy that made me tear up (and that doesn't happen to me very often, believe me.) Truly a gripping, heart-wrenching read.Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and pick up the entire series of The Dresden Files!
Rating:
Summary: Best of series!
Review: The entire series of Dresden books are just fun, fast, and wonderful. Grave Peril is particularly intricately woven, and a bit more serious than some of the others. The ending is very devastaing, very sad. I also noticed more typos than usual in this book, and occasional errors, such as the fact that it's stated earlier in the book (and in all the others) that Harry has no electricity in his apartment, but at one point he goes into his bathroom and "flicked the light on". Oops. Anyway, I recommend the entire series, and am looking forward to the next installment.
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