Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4) in MobileRead Book Challenges

Oct 02, 2011 Christa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reading-in-2011

It's always nice when a series gets better instead of worse, and while I did enjoy the first 3 Dresden Files books, #4 is definitely better. Harry is evolving and Murphy is also going through changes, and it's a treat to watch the characters grow and see how it effects their friendship.We also meet someone from Harry's past, and I think I was as startled as Harry was.

There are some interesting themes in this book - like trust and the difference between honesty and "not lying". We get some more ...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Nyssa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, fantasy, humor, mystery, 2011-2020, format-electronic, speculative-fiction, magic, urban-fantasy, paranormal-supernatural

I thoroughly enjoyed Summer Knight! The plot was just serious enough, without the doom & gloom feeling of Grave Peril. What I loved most of all was Harry's friends! Finally, he has a group he can call/count on, no strings (or handcuffs) attached.

I would love to see... (view spoiler)

I'm looking forward to reading Death Masks ...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Bianca van Willigenburg rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fiction-fantasy

Although I liked all the previous books in the Dresden Files series I started to get annoyed with Harry's constant whining and self-pity, so much so that I had put off reading this installment. Luckily there isn't much of that behaviour in this book.

Because Harry, and thus the reader, has become more experienced the stories have become better with each book because Butcher can draw on past experiences and characters introduced in previous books without going into long explantions or introduction ...more

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May 08, 2020 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: read-as-ebook, crime, fantasy, supernatural, urban-fantasy, read-as-audiobook

3.5 stars

Brief biographical note:

It's been a while since I finished a book. I had abandoned this book a few years ago after looking ahead at the many many Dresden Files books and thinking: "if they're all like this it'll be a slog". I worry that my tastes have changed (I read much less Sf/F), I worry that they're too downbeat for me (more below), I worry that there are much better books I could be reading instead (but then that's always true).

But, I saw a Youtube video by someone I like who sa 3.5 stars

Brief biographical note:

It's been a while since I finished a book. I had abandoned this book a few years ago after looking ahead at the many many Dresden Files books and thinking: "if they're all like this it'll be a slog". I worry that my tastes have changed (I read much less Sf/F), I worry that they're too downbeat for me (more below), I worry that there are much better books I could be reading instead (but then that's always true).

But, I saw a Youtube video by someone I like who said he enjoyed the series (he's up to date), and I thought I need something to break the logjam of unfinished books of the last few months. So I downloaded the audiobook (to listen to alongside reading, something that helps when reading feels hard) and away I went.

And... if life had any sense of narrative this would be the best book I ever read, or a very good one at least. Sadly it's not. It's not even as good as the previous ones in this series. For me.

Hopefully I can still maintain some reading momentum anyway.

I didn't hate this book, it's a solid 7/10, but it follows what has become a bit of a formula with these books. A large part of which is that Dresden gets beat up on - emotionally, spirtually, magically and physically - before finally winning through at the end. I remember in Fool Moon enjoying an "action scene" where a werewolf attacks a police station. It was well written and exciting and a highlight. This book feels like it tries to maintain that kind of pace all the way through. You go from one big fight scene which our heroes barely survive to the next. There's maybe a couple of "rest" scenes where characters interact without fighting for their lives, but then even those suffer from a lot of exposition dumping. The final chapter, which ties up the plot and gives us a moment of characters bonding, did help to have me leave the book with more of a smile on my face.

I guess more than not enjoying these elements I worry that they will be repeated in upcoming books and I had hoped to get back to the series. That Youtuber I mentioned said there are no more dips in quality after Dead Beat i.e. 3 books away. However if I manage to get back into a reading habit generally then I can sprinkle these books amongst others and it won't be a slog. They tend to be a quick read.

But for this book - if you like the things that make the formula you'll like this. ...more

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Oct 03, 2015 Wanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, 2015, fantasy

Summer Knight more than makes up for the previous entry in this series, Grave Peril. The story line is all around tighter, the supporting characters better developed, and there's just enough dry wit and banter to keep things fun. ...more

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Jan 25, 2014 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Totally loved this book. Lots of action. Plenty of humor amongst the drama.

Harry is hired to determine who killed a man and what was taken from him. He finds out later that the dead man is one of the Fairie.

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