Always a thrilling read. A bit few too many Deus Ex Machina bits at the end for my taste but many griping plot turns and emotional parts tucked into all of the action.

The best part about rereading this series has been the chance to notice all of the foreshadowing that Butcher built into the series.

This review will be for the first... 10...? or so books in the series. It starts of pretty great. I love the throwback to the old gum-shoe schlock in the modern setting, with an urban wizard as the main character. Lots of fun. The first few were pretty enjoyable.

Then... I don't know. I guess I just got fed up with it. Book to book, I enjoyed less and less. Eventually I get to the point where I'm 9 books in and Harry is describing his car for the thousandth time, and his friend, and her mental state, and what she's wearing, and how he can't be around electronics... And it goes on and on and on with things he's said in EVERY. SINGLE. BOOK. As if the author expected that you just skipped over the previous entries, so needed to make sure you knew all the things you may have missed.

And Harry kind of goes from being this old tired detective type to a typical niceguy. I think author was riding the line since the start and just jumped over and set up camp. One of the books is literally called "White Knight."

The audiobooks are amazing though. If you enjoy the books, you'll love the audio versions, and they were a large part of why I kept going.

Just wow...wow. Wow. WOW.

This book hit like a friggin truck! From the very first chapter to that absolute cliffhanger ending, Changes did not let up. It is just one whammy after another and my heart goes out not only to other fans of this series, but to my boy Harry Dresden as well. This was a grim reminder that Jim Butcher is not afraid to bring the proverbial hammer down upon these characters and in this instance I was genuinely afraid of what was going to happen. So much crap rains down on Harry in a devastating downpour of one difficult choice after another and it just so happens that no matter how good his intentions, misfortune follows. This book literally broke me in such a permanent way that I am officially declaring Dresden has rightfully earned its place in my top fantasy series of all time.

Wow! Best so far. I swore I would take a break from this series after this one but I am afraid I’m going to have to break that promise. On to the next!

When I rate so many books in a series 5 stars, like I do with "The Expanse" or here with "The Dresden Files," my ratings seem to have caveats, both good and bad. I rate this book 5 stars because I cannot rate it 6 with this system. This is truly the best book in "The Dresden Files," and I say this having loved every single book. Sure, some books hit stronger than others (hence some were 5 and some were 4 stars), but all books have been excellent. (Okay, I perhaps have some rose tinged glasses on Book 1, but can you blame me?)

Getting back to the point, this book knows what it's doing from the first damn sentence. Really, from the title. I mean, it's frustrating how clever such a simple title is. All of "The Dresden Files" books have had a title with 2 words. This book quite simply calls itself "Changes." The thought of going from 2 words to 1 word seems so simple, and yet, it really sets off a warning tone, like an unsettling off key note in a horror movie score. Seeing how worked up I am over the title of this book should tell you something.

It's hard to really tell you what happens in "Changes" without being a complete and utter spoiler. What I will say is that this book delivers on its promises. It takes the foundation of all that came before it, treats it with love and respect, and then sets it on fire (metaphorically, not so metaphorically...). This is a book that says even though Dresden was never truly comfortable, even though there's a Black Council, wars with vampire courts, allies lost and gained, you, Constant Reader, are going to made to feel a little uncomfortable. Butcher is going to burn down your expectations, the familiar beats, your understanding of Dresden and his world. And it's going to be amazing. I love when a series requires so much of what came before it like this one does, really earns the foundation that has been built since the beginning, and truly subverts your expectations. While Butcher isn't to George R. R. Martin levels, Butcher only pulls his punches when it makes sense. And boy, he didn't not feel like he needed to for this one.

I'll be thinking about this book for a while. Thank God I don't have a wait between books though and can quickly read on.

So fucking awesome. Halfway through the projected series, and I feel like the books can't get any better. But, then again, that's what I thought after Turn Coat, so who am I to say whether the next will be as good as this one?

First, maybe the most awesome finale battle since the T-Rex. Every choice, every character, every scene. All of them brilliantly executed. Also, hilarious at all the cameos. It felt like a reunion tour. Almost all of the old faces appeared, and they each had their own great scene.

Dear Jim Butcher,

please marry me.

Love Noah.

Seems crazy to rate a book in the middle of a 15-book series with 5 stars. If you’ve invested this much time in Harry, it seems likely you’re going to continue. That said, if you were feeling lackluster about volume 11, I promise you don’t want to miss this one. This. Book. Is where it all happens.

Vampires and duels and loss and unfathomable choices. When I think of the significant moments in this series, this is the book I think of. Don’t miss it.

Damn. That was so good. Stupid good. I cannot wait for the next installment. These books get better every time.