REVIEW: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
Publishing Information: 2001 (first publishing) 2001 (current edition)
Publisher: Roc Fantasy, Mass-Market Paperback, 439 pgs
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-45844-5
Series: The Dresden Files Book #3
Reviewer: Andy
Copy: Out of Pocket

Synopsis: (from back of book): Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant Scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you're the only professional wizard in the Chicago-area phone book. But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: The spirit world has gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble - and not just of the door slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone-or something- is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself....

Given the serialized nature of a series like Dresden, the biggest danger is falling into the formula trap. When an author is producing 1.5 books of a series per year, all somewhere between 380-500 pages, its easy to simply repeat what has been done before and write self-contained novels that don't push a larger story forward. For example, the comfort of watching a popular sitcom on television is that each week you know that characters will be right back where they began at their natural standpoint as if nothing ever happened. This creates a sense of familiarity at the expense of character development.

I sincerely hoped Butcher would not fall into that trap. Butcher could produce a one-shot mystery for us each time without a deeper storyline, but in that case his novels wouldn't have much more substance than Nancy Drew. Thankfully, Grave Peril, Butcher's third novel in the Dresden Files, indicated that it is willing to take the series in new directions. A new partner, by the name of Michael is introduced, a pious and holy cross between a character from Camelot and a character from Highlander. Michael deepens the religious themes in the series, as he constantly cautions Harry against premarital sex and lying. The moral rigidity of Michael adds a nice foil to the rule-bending and brash maverick Harry.

And even better, we begin to explore Harry's past. Apparently, Harry owes some kind of soul-debt to a creepy fairy godmother that pesters him throughout the novel. There is a strange sexual tension between the two characters and this is complicated by Harry's growing affection for reporter Susan Rodriguez. We learn more about vampire politics and the various vampire factions that compose the vampire underworld. These elements enrich the Dresden universe while adding enough intrigue and character development to keep the series fresh....

Still though, this series causes me minor annoyances on many levels. There are constantly monotonous info-drops in every novel, the serve to fill first time readers in on Harry and his modus operandi. Butcher attempts to be clever with quite a bit of the dialogue, but often ends up sounding cornball. The 1st-person Harry has a flare for the dramatic, as he tries to explain his life in the most dramatic way possible, and often ends up sounding like someone with a deeply constructed narcissistic narrative about themselves. Meanwhile, there are knockout femme fatales that make eyes at Harry around every corner, even offering him sexual favors. This charade gets tiresome quickly and makes you wonder if the novel's target audience is teenage boys or Butcher is simply playing out his personal fantasies. More mature readers may roll their eyes during these moments.

Still, there is plenty to like about the Dresden series. It's fun urban fantasy, with a pulp noir and a horror twist and this novel might open the story up a bit for future books.

Plot……….7/10

Characters………6/10

Style……….5.5/10

Overall……….6.5/10