Small Favor

By Jim Butcher

Book Overview

In this novel in Jim Butcher's #1 New York Times bestselling series, an old debt puts Chicago wizard Harry Dresden in harms way... Harry's life finally seems to be calming down. The White Council's war with the vampiric Red Court is easing up, no one's tried to kill him lately, and his eager apprentice is starting to learn real magic. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow. Mab, monarch of the Sidhe Winter Court, calls in an old favor from Harry. Just one small favor he can't refuse...one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and one that will strain his skills--and loyalties--to their very limits. And everything was going so well for once...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451462009
• ISBN13: 9780451462008
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Great book, good condition

This book came in pretty good condition, just some spotting on the pages here and there, and pretty bad spotting on top of the pages of the book, but in good, readable condition. Bonus that I got it as a hard cover fairly cheap.

Things are just starting to pick up.

Another great addition to the Dresden Files. As Jim Butcher really starts digging into his characters he is able to intertwine the relationships so the stories don't seem like "oh, today's guest star is [blank]". Jim Butcher also is letting each character grow with the novels and not remain a static 2-D person to play the foil-du-jour to Harry Dresden. In Small Favor, many past characters and story lines build up more steam as Dresden has what might be called a "crapstorm" dumped on him. For those of you familiar he has to deal with the Denarians, Winter (Mab), Summer (Titania), the Archive and Kincaid, no support from the C.P.D., Gentleman Johnny Marcone, and what turns to be a little more insight into the Black Council. You can almost feel Jim Butcher using 'Small Favor' to take mythos of Harry Dresden and crank things up a notch and given what has been said and done, the future is "gonna get really good!"

Never owe a faery queen a favor...

You are never going to believe what Queen Mab wants Harry to do in exchange for a favor owed her. She wants him to rescue Gentleman Johnny Marcone (one of Chicago's most nefarious gangsters) from unknown kidnappers. Now, having Johnny out of the scene could be a good thing? Well, not if the folks holding him are the order of the Denarians. And yes, they want Gentleman Johnny to take one of those ill-fated coins and the demon possession that goes with. Unfortunately, Queen Titania is not in agreement with her sister regarding Johnny's possession and she sends some heavies of her own to get Harry's goat. What is described as a small favor turns out to be a serious threat to many of the people Harry cares about. As always, Jim Butcher puts a lot of heart into his novels. He's kept Harry a good man, someone who'd risk his own life for others, a real hero in the urban fantasy genre. We get some favorites returning: Michael Carpenter and his family; Sanya, the Black Russian Knight; Captain Luccio; Gard (remember Monoc Security, part of Marcone's protection?); and others. "Small Favor" is one of the faster paced Dresden novels around. Jim had me hooked from the beginning and didn't let up until I turned the last page. I was glad to read that Butcher has ideas for 20 or so Dresden novels on the books and I seriously hope that his publisher will allow him to continue writing them.

The Series Keeps Getting Better

Harry Dresden and the cast are back for another round in A Small Favor. All of the major players have a piece in this tale, from the Faerie Courts to the Wardens and White Council, Marcone and his cronies as well as the entire Blackened Denarius (Nicklehead) crew, the Archive, the Knights and some of the powers unseen. The story is driven strongly by the sub plot of the last few books, with the formation of the Black Council and how their manipulations across the supernatural world are causing havoc. Harry has been called in for a favor from Queen Mab of the Winter Court of the Sidhe. His job; rescue Marcone. Do this while dodging hitters from the Summer Court who have a knack for finding him, as well as hitters from the Winter Court who seem to disregard the fact that Harry is on their team, and doing battle with various enemies of the Fallen, the Order of the Blackened Denarius. From the first chapter to the last, the book is a rush of organized anarchy, with everything depending on Harry and his talent for being the wrench stuck in every dark plan that swings his way. Its the 10th book of the series and doesn't disappoint. Now starts the countdown to Book 11.

Faeries, why did it have to be faeries?

Small Favor By Jim Butcher Once more author Jim Butcher has given his readers a thrill packed roller coaster ride through the wild & woolly world of Harry Dresden's Chicago. The 10th book in the series shows us an ever evolving and maturing Harry Dresden. Almost all of the old gang are back, Murphy, Mab, Thomas, Marcone, Knights of the Cross, Fallen Angles ...etc.... and of course ...Bob. While Butchers books are far superior to the enjoyable , if somewhat short lived TV series, is there anyone who doesn't visualize Terrence Mann in a smoking jacket as they read about Bob? Butcher seamlessly moves his story from the world of the hard boiled gumshoe through the occult and into magical realms of Faerie, (not to mention a few stops at the Godfathers), with all the in's and out's that we've come to expect in a Dresden novel. I normally don't do reviews of novels because I would hate to inadvertently ruin the story for someone. So here`s the nutshell version without giving anything away. A very enjoyable read that I highly recommend. The book has most of the cast and crew that we've grown to love (or hate). Fast paced with lots of twists and turns in the plot, no surprise there. The Good guy's finaly get to.......... I'll stop there. Oh, ya.... There's something better than hellfire, (be careful what you wish for Harry!). Enjoy! In Frith, Spence the Elder "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc" M. Addams