No Spoilers here...you want spoilers to ruin this read, go
to another reviewer. This story should be experienced.
For Harry Dresden, the only advertised PI/Wizard in the
Chicago phone book, life has never been easy. At one time
his foster father-mentor tried to murder him for his
abilities. Then his own wizard council, the Grey Wardens,
wanted him dead. He has watched his friends be harmed or
destroyed by standing by his side. Yet through it all, Harry
has weathered the difficulties with the relentless valor of
a true self-sacrificing hero. Almost always turning away
from the darkness that could consume him and standing for
what was right, no matter the physical or emotional cost was
to him. Hey, he is only human.
Now one of those sacrifices has re-emerged, and Harry has
found that this cut is the deepest. Harry receives a phone
call from his ex-girlfriend Susan Rodriguez, the lost love
and deep guilt he carries for the attach that made her half-
vampire. The call alone is shocking, but that pales in
comparison to her asking for his help because their daughter
has been kidnapped by the Red Vampire Court. A daughter
Harry never knew anything about and his life starts to
drastically change. Harry must now come to terms with
Susan's deception, of the simple fact of being a father, and
the danger that this child is in for being his, all while
forces are at play to destroy Harry's life from all angles.
With no support from the wizard council Harry has fought
tirelessly for in the war against the Red Court, Harry is
forced to turn to 'other' resources, some nefarious, to
defeat the godlike power that he will be facing. Harry must
decide how far he is willing to go to save the life of his
own child and where that decision will take him, and his
friends who are always there to support him.
Jim Butcher has led us through eleven books up to now with
Harry Dresden. Through each he has skillfully navigated
Harry's world of magic and blended it into our own reality
to make a wildly entertaining ride. His books normally wind
you up and down like a roller coaster, slowly building to
the powerful climax. With CHANGES, book twelve of the
series, however, he never descends. The story is constantly
moving upward in tension toward the crescendo, with an
occasional plateau so not to wear out the reader. Harry's
mess of emotional control rides you to the end as well as
the continually action. Harry's cocky wit and pulp fiction
literary references throw humor in at just the right pacing
and the monsters can be truly frightening if not in physical
description but in actions as well. And with Harry, you know
there is never a perfectly happy ending; the struggle must
continue, but in this instance, Mr. Butcher has left us with
a cliff hanger that will have readers salivating for the
next book.
For me, this is the best one so far of the Dresden Files
series. If you are a fan of the series, it is a must not
miss read. If you are new to the series, I definitely
recommend you read the full eleven previous books for the
full experience, as you have references all the way to book
one in this story. If you don't have the time for the full
catch up, then book five, Death Masks, is a pre-requisite.
Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until
she was attacked and left struggling with the bloodlust of
the vampiric Red Court. Now, she needs Harry's help.
Harry's enemies have found the secret she has hidden for so
long, and he will have to unleash the full fury of his
untapped power. Because this time, he's fighting to save his
child.