Liked the characters, especially the supporting cast, but found the plot a little weak; it seemed like it was fight scene after fight scene. The fight scenes are generally well described, but about half of them didn't seem to forward the plot. I didn't like the power inflation; fallen angels, previously portrayed as powerful and described as badass immortals in exposition, showed up in droves and were mowed down like orcs. I did like how the protagonist used his boon from the fey court to cleverly get out of a jam. ( )

A lot of really good, interesting stuff happens in this book. Harry learns a lot.

A lot of sad things happen, too.

Remember: "Tiny, but fierce!" ( )

As usual, this Dresden File hit the ground running, with Harry and his friends being attacked by all manner of ugly supernatural creatures. This time, he finds himself trapped, beholden to (or is that wooed by?) both Summer and Winter, who seem united in this one goal: to fuck up Harry. He quickly springs to action, aided by his trusty band of sidekicks: Knights of the Cross, cop Karrin Murphy, vampire brother Thomas, and a few others. Things get dire when the Denarians, those unfortunate beings who have been subverted by Fallen Angels, get into the act, kidnapping Harry's sometime ally, sometime rival Johnny Marcone, as well as Ivy the Archive. Most of this is pretty routine ass-kicking, with Harry mostly on the receiving end, but dishing out some hella wallops when he gets a chance. Something pretty terrible happens to one of his pals, and it remains to be seen how dire it will end up being. There is some pretty next level spiritual stuff here, particularly with the Knights and the Fallen, this is Christian mythology gone wild. I personally kinda love it, it brings a whole different tone to the usual sorcery and magic. I'm always tempted to launch right into the next one when I read these, because they have a satisfying yet frustrating lack of backstory, which means if I wait too long, I totally forget what has happened before (who is the Archive again???) But I also find I need to give myself a break, since the action, magic, and emotion are so intense. So, I'll move on to other things for now, and return to Harry when I've had a breather. ( )

451 ( )

Small Favor is the tenth book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... Mab, ruler of the Winter Court of faerie, is calling an a favor from Harry. Marcone has gone missing and it's Harry's job to locate him.

Another great entry into the series. The mix of action, humor and compassionate moments is almost perfect. I loved how this book opened with Harry enjoying some time with the Carpenter children having a snowball fight, even if it does get ruined almost immediately. It was so nice to see Harry have a moment of fun and not have to worry about saving the world that I was furious with Butcher for ruining it. The humor is in high form. There are so many laugh out loud moments. One of my favorites:

"Right," Thomas said. "Where are we headed?"

"To where they treat me like royalty," I said.

"We're going to Burger King?"

Have to love the brotherly banter between Harry and Thomas.

So much happens and I have no idea what half of this means for the series. I have so many questions. The ending with Michael about broke my heart. Harry gaining further abilities probably means that the future is going to be even crazier. I guess I'll just have to read and find out. ( )

Pretty good fast-moving story of a wizard detective fighting the forces of evil. I still could understand the story without having read the previous ones (I've only read the first one in the Harry Dresden series as a graphic novel). Nice bits of humor and good characters. I picked it up for free after a library book sale. ( )

I read this book on the exercise bike, and I kept working out too long because I'd lose track of time and keep pedaling!

You know, there's this thing Jim Butcher does in a lot of his books that I don't like. "I have a plan! *fade to black*" That kind of deliberate author withholding from reader usually annoys the crap out of me. But I forgive him, because his pacing is so good that I accidentally work out too long. ( )

Another good one - actually the writing in the books is getting better. ( )

As much as Small Favor is full of action and character development, this book is set-up. It is good to pay close attention to the details because many will become plots or twists in further books. I don't know if you will remember the story with the big battle on the island, but you will remember nuggets from this book. ( )

WHY DO YOU MAKE SUFFER LIKE THIS?
great book, I loved how it advanced the story. ( )

Another great entry into the Dresden Files. Mab is terrifying as always and we are reunited with some enemies and friends from previous books that I absolutely love to read about. The enemies are the worst of the worst (at least so far) and the friends really show what they are capable of. ( )

(Audiobook) Better than many in the series. Some real character depth here. I had hoped that some events hinted at would have occurred and added some new elements to the series, but we will see what happens.

A couple of quibbles. Bob being a perv I has grown old and it’s hard to buy into the idea that Marcone is a fierce gangster.

Marsters, as always, is excellent in his voice work. ( )

This one seemed to go pretty quickly, but maybe that's because it's set in a single night (or at least mostly so). Lots of stake raising and room for more story! ( )

I had a great time with this audiobook! This is such a fantastic series. I love Harry and most of the other regularly appearing characters in this series. As I have come to expect with this series, this book was exciting, entertaining, funny, and even thoughtful. The audio is superb and really takes everything to the next level. If you have not tried this series yet, I highly suggest you pick up the first book and give it a read.

Harry owes Queen Mab a favor and she is calling it in. She needs him to find and rescue John Marcone. To make things more interesting the Billy Goats Gruff are out to get Harry. Throw in some excitement from the Denarians with their evil coins, the Knights of the Cross, and the Archive, and things get exciting really quick. There was a lot of action in this book and quite a few threads to keep track of but it all came together in the end.

James Marsters does an amazing job in bringing this series to life. I love all of the voices that he uses for the various characters. I almost felt like I was right there with Harry anytime I picked up my headphones to listen. He adds a lot of emotion and excitement to the story and he helps to make Harry’s sense of humor shine. I believe that his narration added to my enjoyment of this story.

I do highly recommend this book. This is a series that just gets better and better as you work your way through the series. This was my second time reading this book, the first time with the audiobook, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. I cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series! ( )

Small Favor combines my favorite parts of the Dresden Files: the Denarians and Knights of the Cross, Marcone, and the Fae in varying degrees. On top of that, where White Night tended towards mystery, Small Favor is straight up actions. The story hits the ground running and never really stops, right through several big set piece battles and one of the bigger finales we've seen (albeit not quite up to the level of Sue...).

On top of that, we get another of Butcher's lovely twists which just drop the bottom out of a story. You think you know what's going on... turns out you've missed the same huge clue that Dresden has. I'm always impressed with those.

There was one particular interesting thought that stuck with me even after I finished the book. Neither the Knights nor the Denarians believed that it was possible Dresden could be rid of Lash without taking up the coin. Everyone has their blind spots. It makes you think about where your own blind spots might be. And back in the Dresdenverse, given how tightly tied the Dresden Files are to Dresden's point of view, what is he missing?

We're also starting to see more and more power creep. Dresden may have lost the ability to sling Hellfire with Lash's demise, but he's got a new trick up his sleeve curtesy of a new heavy hitter on the supernatural scene. If all of the big guns show up in the promised finale to the Dresden Files another ten books down the line... It's going to be an interesting day.

Fun quotes:

"We're ostriches and the whole world is sand."

"That's the problem with you immortal types. You wouldn't get a pop culture reference if it skittered up your neck and implanted an embryo down your esophagus."
( )

Another action-packed Harry Dresden adventure, starting with an attack on the Carpenter family and Harry in their backyard. With Michael absent, some quick thinking and magic saves the day. Karin Murphy then asks Harry to a crime scene, where it seems Johnny Marcone has been taken hostage. Then Queen Mab of the Winter Court calls in a favor Harry owes, asking to rescue Marcone. Meanwhile. Queen Titania of the Summer Court is trying to stop Harry, sending some nasty fae creatures after him, including the brothers Gruff (weregoats, with each brother bigger than the one before.) Whom exactly has grabbed Marcone, for what purpose, and whether Harry can barter a deal to have Marcone released is the main story, involving animating coins and fallen angels. A terrific battle scene at the aquarium. Harry is able to rally his allies: brother Thomas, vampire of the White Court, his friends (the knights of the Cross), and eventually a team of Wardens, including his boss, which is an interesting plotline by itself.

Harry is still wise-cracking, but he is also growing wiser and more powerful. ( )

One of the best books in a great series. ( )

Much fluff. Much fun. Woof. ( )

Small Favor is the 10th book in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago. Occasionally he helps out the local police with supernatural incidents and he hires on to help clients with hard-hitting magical problems. This time, he's in trouble.....a heavy hitter from the Winter Court calls in a favor. Whenever Mab wants something, it's always horrific and incredibly dangerous. What appears to be a kidnapping case ends up involving fallen angels, grotesque supernatural goats and more. Another great urban fantasy action-packed book in this series!

My husband has read all the books, including Brief Cases that just released this summer, and I want to catch up before the new book comes out. There is no publication date for Peace Talks yet, so I have time....but I want to have plenty of discussion time with hubby before the new book. Plus, I want to finish the series so far before he accidentally blurts out some important plot point accidentally. The struggle against spoilers is real, folks. :)

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Loved it! James Marsters narrates. As I listened I knew I recognized the voice but couldn't quite place it....so I googled him. Marsters played Spike on Buffy! That fact made me enjoy his performance even more. :) I have hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book. Marsters reads at a nice even pace, and does all the different voices perfectly, IMHO. Great performance!

I definitely recommend this series for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy. Jim Butcher weaves in a lot of action, humor and grit. Ignore the television series from a few years ago -- it was Crap (with a capital C). The books are SO much better!!

On to book #11 -- Turn Coat! The series has 15 books so far....with #16 Peace Talks coming soon. ( )

This series just gets better and better. A great villain,and some good foreshadowing for the arc myth. Good stuff. ( )

reread ( )

Another great addition to the Dresden files series. These just keep getting better and better. Just when you think you've got something figured out he flips it on its head. Love the Gruffs and seeing the Denarians again. ( )

Harry battles the fallen angels who want to capture The Archive & turn her to a fallen angel

Entertaining read. Nice plot.

First Read: June 2014
Second Read: July 2016 ( )

Another good addition to the series. Story progresses at a good pace. Easy read. ( )