Kind of hard to enjoy a series where the first few books are bad. I don't remember disliking book 3, but I only read past book 1 and 2 due the high amount of recommendation from DLP on dresden. That and Shezza's fic ofc.

 

4 out of 14 is almost a third of the series, not exactly something you can wave off. I always want the author to improve as he writes, of course, but the first two books are a big barrier of entry, especially that damned werewolf one. The ideal case would've been that Jim Butcher had already gotten a few books under his belt before starting Dresden Files.

 

I found the first book was average and a bit unremarkable. Second was just boring. But I loved the third one. It's one of my favourites in the series.

What did you guys dislike about book 3?

 

I have no idea what people are talking about when they say the first few books are bad. I loved Dresden Files from the first book to the last. And what is the problem with Ghost Story? It wasn't noticeably better or worse than the books before/after it, IMO.

 

I love the Dresden Files. I even love the first 3, heck, I even love Cold Days. That being said, it's not like Butcher is Glen Cook or Paolo Bacigalupi. I love his work, I really do! The Dresden Files are fun and entertaining and enjoyable, but I don't think anyone here would say that they're at the pinnacle of literary quality.

 

I actually liked book three, it was the book that for me, cracked open the series, the book I really hate in the series is book four, I don't know exactly why, but something about it rubs me the wrong way. And as for Ghost Story, hated it the first read, disliked it the second, and didn't mind it the third.

Now this was an interesting story, I quite like it, and am interested in finding out exactly were it is going. It's not something that will have you on the edge of your seat, but it's a hell of a lot better then anything else I have read lately.

 

Champion has been mentioned before. Not sure if it has a library thread.

 

It needs one. Very dark world they're living in, but its interesting enough and doesn't jump over the line into pure angst. Harry's character is a 5/5 and the supporting cast is a 4/5... Ron is the only character I thought was done poorly so far. The writing isn't on the level of the some of fics in the library but I consider it well-written and creative enough to read future updates and there's easily enough there to grade, making it worth a library spot.

4/5

 

I'm glad it isn't abandoned as I was following it from the last time it was posted here, but I really wouldn't call it library material. The writing is mediocre, and it loses a lot of points on top of that due to the spliced and unfinished feel of each scene. Not to mention the revival of the old 'yell incomprehensibly to win' from chapter 11.

 

I think this has been posted before, but it's now completed:

And the author has just posted the first chapter of the sequel:

It's shaping up to be one of the better dark!Harry series around.

 

The author has a real knack for writing someone who's insufferably douchey without meaning to. I'd even venture to guess that they think that Harry's 'mature' personality is cool as shit.

The author's notes seem to imply that Harry's personality is meant to mirror a young Tom Riddle, but I sincerely doubt Tom Riddle ever acted anything like this. A teenage Snape might be a more fitting comparison.

Also any story that takes itself seriously should never ever say that magic is about "two things... intention and how much magic you have to use" and boy, does this story take itself seriously, right down to the embarrassing 'dark' Harry's uncontrollable desire to tell everyone he meets that he'll be the next Lord Voldemort.

You know, because we totally weren't already getting beaten over the head with the similarities between this Harry and Voldemort.
Oh wait.

 

I've never understood why anyone reads Pure Evil!Harry. I personally enjoy Gray!Harry and even a few Dark!Harry, but Evil Incarnate!Harry doesn't make any sense to me. What's the draw of it? What's the pull? Would someone who enjoys such things mind explaining it to me?

 

It's ... fun to watch a stupid person fuck other people up, I guess?


Maybe?

 

A literary manifestation of one's inability to act like this -like a complete ass- IRL.

My pseudoanalysis could be wrong however.

 

I don't think anyone really does. Nobody on DLP, certainly.

 

Champion is bleh. There are way too many spelling and grammar mistakes. The writing has no flow and is pretty choppy. I like the concept a lot and the plot but the actual writing execution is lacking.

2.5/5

 

To attempt to figure out the mindset of a person that would write it and think it is cool.

 

"Now you see Lonestar, that evil will always win because good is dumb."

 

I mean, how are we talking evil? Since villain protagonists can be incredible, but puppy-kickers and Saturday morning cartoon villains are not. There's plenty of great media out there with a flat out villainous protagonist; House of Cards is a great show, and I don't think anyone would call the main character anything but the bad guy; any justification he makes is so paper thin not even he believes it.

 

It's the debilitating tendencies of the western civilization, it's the `desensitization to violence` psychological stage, it's the example of adjusting the Overton's window so to make ideas of violence, immorality, evilness into socially acceptable ideas.

Oh wait.