Jim Butcher's "Changes"

 Jim Butcher is a geek's geek.

There is no possible way to track the sheer quantity of in-jokes and film references that this man bestows upon us in each installment of the Dresden Files. Yoda quotes, barbarian thews in RPGs, and Anne Rice all take hits in his glorious melange of pop recycling.

That, however, is not the true strength of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, as the happy readers of Butcher's long-running series are all perfectly aware.

The real strength is the epic battle Harry's been engaged in since the first time I picked up Storm Front on my friend Jessica's recommendation. Jess told me that “since you love Laurell K, you'll LURVE Butcher's stuff, man.” Was she ever right.* I'm fascinated with urban fantasy that contains more than just sexy vampires and distraught damsels; I like my fantasy with a kick and a twist. Harry's continuing journey through questions of faith and morality provide the meat of this meandering tale without detracting from the awesome action Butcher tosses at us just to keep us on our toes.

SPOILERS FOLLOW FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE DRESDEN SERIES

The moments of sheer awesomeness that Butcher seems to capture without even trying are unattainable by most pop authors on their best day. I read Death Masks and sank into the penultimate scene, desperately clutching at each side of the book and screaming NO WAI NO WAI OMG OMG NO WAI while Miss Gard is piloting the helicopter to rescue Harry from the monsters and Karrin is laying waste with an Uzi while loudspeakers blast “The Ride of the Valkyries”. Seriously? NOBODY does action like Jim Butcher.

A frigging ZOMBIE TYRANNOSAURUS REX AS A WAR MACHINE?

Ok, now I'm done with my squee.

In Changes, Harry makes some of the most devastating, violent, and simultaneously moral choices I've ever seen a character wrestle with. I hated every minute of his torment, but couldn't look away. He struggled all along with the temptation of power, from the freely-offered magical and spiritual might of the Denarians to the more mundane political and criminal alliances with Gentleman Johnny Marcone and the White Court of vampires. I guess the difference between Harry and Ender (if you've read my previous gripe about the one thing I think would give Ender the true kiss of humanity) is that every once in a while, Harry gives in, or makes a mistake, or flies off the handle. This character is a wizard in the Chicago Yellow Pages—but he's more human than any two-dimensional Lothario in a name-your-chick-lit-doorstop.

His perpetual attempts to right his mistakes and defend the people he loves make his choices not only understandable, but imperative—even foreordained for anyone who knows what it is to love another person more than yourself. Now we'll see if he can dig himself out of the pit that circumstance, the Red Court vampires, and the Queen of the Faeries have mired him in.

Mr. Butcher? Can I, like, order you pizza or something so you'll have that much more time to write? My heart can't take the strain of waiting for the next one!!

*But only everything from Obsidian Butterfly and before, because after OB is when Anita Blake jumped the shark.