For Harry Dresden, the only advertised PI/Wizard in the Chicago phonebook, life has never been easy. At one time his foster father-mentor tried to murder him for his abilities. Then his own wizard council, the Grey Wardens, wanted him dead. He has watched his friends be harmed or destroyed by standing by his side. Yet through it all, Harry has weathered the difficulties with the relentless valor of a true self-sacrificing hero. Almost always turning away from the darkness that could consume him and standing for what was right, no matter the physical or emotional cost was to him. Hey, he is only human.

Now one of those sacrifices has re-emerged, and Harry has found that this cut is the deepest. Harry receives a phone call from his ex-girlfriend Susan Rodriguez, the lost love and deep guilt he carries for the attach that made her half- vampire. The call alone is shocking, but that pales in comparison to her asking for his help because their daughter has been kidnapped by the Red Vampire Court. A daughter Harry never knew anything about and his life starts to drastically change. Harry must now come to terms with Susan's deception, of the simple fact of being a father, and the danger that this child is in for being his, all while forces are at play to destroy Harry's life from all angles. With no support from the wizard council Harry has fought tirelessly for in the war against the Red Court, Harry is forced to turn to 'other' resources, some nefarious, to defeat the godlike power that he will be facing. Harry must decide how far he is willing to go to save the life of his own child and where that decision will take him, and his friends who are always there to support him.

Jim Butcher has led us through eleven books up to now with Harry Dresden. Through each he has skillfully navigated Harry's world of magic and blended it into our own reality to make a wildly entertaining ride. His books normally wind you up and down like a roller coaster, slowly building to the powerful climax. With CHANGES, book twelve of the series, however, he never descends. The story is constantly moving upward in tension toward the crescendo, with an occasional plateau so not to wear out the reader. Harry's mess of emotional control rides you to the end as well as the continually action. Harry's cocky wit and pulp fiction literary references throw humor in at just the right pacing and the monsters can be truly frightening if not in physical description but in actions as well. And with Harry, you know there is never a perfectly happy ending; the struggle must continue, but in this instance, Mr. Butcher has left us with a cliff hanger that will have readers salivating for the next book.

For me, this is the best one so far of the Dresden Files series. If you are a fan of the series, it is a must not miss read. If you are new to the series, I definitely recommend you read the full eleven previous books for the full experience, as you have references all the way to book one in this story. If you don't have the time for the full catch up, then book five, Death Masks, is a pre-requisite.

Book Summary