DRESDEN FILES BOOKS RANKED!
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- My ranking of every Dresden Files Book! Let me know what your ranking would be either in the comments down below of tweet them at me. :)
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![Small Favor By Jim Butcher [SPOILER REVIEW] | The Dresden Files](/img/n.gif)
The problem is I was so into the books I finished the full series in a month so I can't tell which book is which.
Eh, I've reread the series a couple of time and still mix it up expecially considering that titles mix up with story of other books. Don't sweat, I look up wiki all the time when discussing the series
I do this with wot all the time. Idk what book is which I just know what's happening chronologically
Don't worry about it, I started when Changes came out, and I had to refresh my memory on which books held what plot with Google's help.
Yup. Read that series through probably about 4 or 5 times and I super struggle to tell which plot belongs to which book.
Same
Justice for Turn Coat. Incredible, contained and the ending. Insane.
Turn Coat my first and stil favorite entry into the series
The best in the series. I mean Harry gets to set the wheels in motion for once.
Agreed. His opinion of Turn Coat is my only major disagreement.
The end fight is the best in the series defined by the underdog punching above his weight class.
The remaking of Morgan in that book is just perfect.
Ghost Story is actually my favorite Dresden book so far. It shows the consequences, for the world and for Dresden's friends, of what happened in Changes. It builds on aspects of the world-building that had mostly been neglected up until that point. It placed Harry in a position where he wasn't the most knowledgeable person in his sphere. Most of all it was a welcome return to a less angsty, if still dark, tone. I know a lot of people don't like Ghost Story because they want a Dragonball Z-esque progression where he gets more powerful with each book until he's disintegrating planets or something, and he is instead placed in a position where he doesn't have access to his normal power set at all and has to cope, but that's one of the things I like about the book: it's all about character and worldbuilding. Also, there's no vampires. Man, did I ever get tired of vampires.
I get what you are saying. I agree on alot of points .. But it was so boring. Idk i just magic and shit. Like it reminded me of eldest. Super important to the story but it felt like i had to push through it.
i really loved the first half of ghost story. all the stuff involving dresden contacting his friends. but the corpse taker was kind of a lame villan in the second half and dresden entering molly's mind was just weird.
Cold Days is easily S tier, though.
Great world-building, great battles, new and weird enemies and a lot of heavy consequences for characters that we didn't expect at all. Also, the faries are back and they're by far the best faction.
Also pretty much makes it clear that Winter - in and of itself - isn't evil. Just ruthless, and for a good reason.
@@craniusdominus8234 That's also true, but I already thought about that before. Mab has never been a villain for villainy sake. She tried to maintain balance every time she needed Dresden and helped him in her own way.
Agreed, this was the only ranking I disagree with for all the reasons you listed. The world building is probably the most significant we've seen so far and I guarantee it's going to set the stage for the rest of the series.
Edit: spelling
I liked this book the most as well. The fact that harry has a 6 month intensive training with Mab and without any magical items to help, shows Harry's growth and strength as a wizzard.
@@randomguy2no Absolutely. It also seems yet another hasty reaction to change from Daniel.
He wanted Harry to be back in his element, but since he doesn't have time to work on his gear, he needs to fight with the bare minimum. Which was pretty cool for me, because that was showing us how strong Harry has become and how skillful as well (ever since he started teaching Molly, he's been getting better on subtler stuff).
I think Daniel's reaction is similar to Summer Knight, he thought Dresden Files would remain within street-level noir genre and didn't like when things got bigger with the Queens of Summer and Winter.
I think you're being unfair to Turn Coat here. There's actually a lot of depth to it that might not be obvious at first.
First off, with the revelation of the turn coat's identity, go back and reread Summer Knight and Proven Guilty, and a lot of the general hostility towards Dresden starts to make a lot more sense.
Second, a lot of other "unexplained" coincidences that happened in the background, like the raid on Arhangelsk start to make a lot more sense.
And third, Morgan is a badass, and there really needs to be a story about him and that nuclear testing facility.
Seconded
Don't forget about Shagnasty. He's still one of my favourite creatures in the series. The way he got introduced was just soooooo badass.
We also got to see, beyond Dresden's actual character, how the rest of the council views him, which was quite entertaining, Dresden performed the sanctum invocation on demonreach, which was incredibly important, and also, we got a huge development in Thomas's arc, thanks to the skinwalker.
Also can I just say that the scene at the end of Small Favor with Harry in the hospital chapel was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever read? I’ve reread this series multiple times written and audio format and that scene brings me to tears EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. So powerful.
Ghost Story: It's a deliberate 'rest' after the insanity of Changes. I think a lot of the dislike comes from people who already had a 15 month rest waiting for Ghost Story written, and then another 15 months for Cold Days. It feels better when you can read straight through.
It's also Butcher letting Harry be the good Good Guy one last time before--you know, stuff.
Yeah. I actually liked Ghost Story because it was nice to see the effect Harry had on Morty. Sure we got to find out what he was doing besides swindling people earlier. But just how Harry has managed to make not only Butters in to what he was, but made Mortimer a freaking badass that took a lot of punishment and refused to crack.
Seeing the consequences for taking the power he needed in Changes, trying to get out of the consequences of that... how doing what he did to his enemies created different problems. And seeing how this community of people that want to protect Chicago (or beyond) reacted to him being gone and even reacted to him maybe not being gone.
It was a well written and important book. And sure it may not have been as fun or as epic. But it was a choice that fit the series well. My biggest complaint was it was the last time my wife and I shared a physical book before switching to Kindle. And I had to wait for her to finish it before I could read it. Between that and Cold Days was when I got my Kindle and I preordered Cold Days and Skin Game on it. So we no longer had to share a single hardcover.
Agreed, However, Jim Butcher was going through some heavy real life things. So while a bummer and can understand I am happy he is coming back up to speed releasing two books this year 2020!
Daniel: *puts Dead Beat in A*
Me: *assembles long-range antimaterial rifle*
Daniel: *moves Dead Beat up to S*
Me: *nods once, disassembles long-range antimaterial rifle*
Daniel: puts turn coat into C
Me: Reassembles antimateriel Rifle
😆😆😆😆😆
Puts Ghost Stories in B... I shoot the Rifle.
@@williamtorres4140 With a sharp *ping,* your bullet falters in the air and tumbles to the ground, barely deformed by whatever intersecting object just glanced off of it.
Gun barrel smoking, I pull back from my scope as our eyes meet across fifty miles of no-man's-land.
Calmly, without breaking eye contact, I rack another cartridge.
"Your move, friend."
@@skyleryarroll2369 Finally a challenge. These last months had been easy jobs, boring jobs. I smile, this is an interesting development.
Finishing up deadbeat today
Half way through i bought a bunch of extra credits on audible to get into the rest of the series straight away
I honestly didn't expect to get as invested in this series as i am getting.
I have to thank you for introducing it to me on your channel.
So thanks bro
Come over to /r/dresdenfiles on Reddit and let us know how you are digging the series. We can't get enough of new readers sharing their thought as they read through for the first time. They are great about not spoiling anything while still giving the appropriate amount of hype for the future books.
Damn man, making me feel cheap bc I just exchange my book for the next one in the series I'm reading.
One word. Sue.
@@coleton7048 I vaguely remember a panel of his (in the lead up to another release), where an audience member asked which books to re-read (to get caught back up on the important bits). He included Dead Beat for legitimate reasons, but then said he would always suggest it because of Sue. Hilarious.
I love turn coat personally. I think it has a lot to do with how intimidating Skinwalkers are. I think Turn Coat is the "last mystery send off" that you claim White Night is actually.
I loved Turn Coat as well. Getting to know Morgan better gives you a glimpse into what Dresden could look like in the future depending on his path.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who liked Ghost Story, I was feeling a bit lonely. You did a great job of putting my feelings on it into words.
Itching to hear your full reviews!
I adored Ghost Story it was fantastic to see how the limitations Dresden had really made him think more about things. Sir Stuart Winchester was amazing too !
Who doesn't like Ghost Story?!
@@wolfdragonhorse I don't. It would be bottom of my tier list with Fool Moon. I actually skip it on re-reads.
I didn't like like Ghost Stories but I did see the importance of it.
@@conwaystern9802 I love ghost story. But I too skip it on rereads not except for the last couple chapters it's such a departure from the rest of the series it almost feels like one of the side series like side jobs or brief cases. And it is wonderfully written it's just a book where you can't feel like it's a Harry Dresden book because Harry can't do anything about alot if what happens. so I love it I understand why some people don't like it.
Daniel’s rankings:
S: Changes, Dead Beat
A: Small Favor, Skin Game, Proven Guilty, White Knight
B: Ghost Story, Cold Days, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Storm Front
C: Turn Coat, Grave Peril, Fool Moon
D: Blood Rites
My rankings:
S: Changes, Skin Game, Dead Beat
A: Cold Days, Small Favor, Turn Coat
B: Grave Peril, White Night, Summer Knight, Proven Guilty
C: Storm Front, Ghost Story, Death Masks
D: Blood Rites, Fool Moon
Correction: you wrote blood rites in B instead of storm front
Your list about nailed it for me too. Only thing I'd do is probably swap Proven Guilty to top of C and Ghost Story to bottom of B (only just to avoid throwing 5 books in B).
But yeah. There really are 3 books out of 15 that are S tier. That are "If these were able to be appreciated as much as standalones, any fantasy fan should read them". But in the context of the overall series they are what defines this series to me. And why my wife and I eventually both bought Kindles. Because at some point we realized that we could not share a single physical book when it came out. We bought a hardcover of Ghost Story and since she reads far faster than me, she got to read it first. And that was a long weekend waiting my turn. Cold Days and Skin Game we got on Kindle since we can share 1 copy at the same time (eventually we each got a second copy anyway and have given a few as gifts).
I am finishing a reread (finished all 15 in series. Working on Brief Cases now). And I was shocked at how I enjoyed the first 6 books (library Kindle versions came in books 1-6 and 7-12). But the immediate step up when you hit 7 (I mean it is Dead Beat).. Jim really hit his stride and has continued to grow. Not to mention Alera. Really looking forward to July and September (and I'm near Phoenix. I NEVER look forward to July). Especially after the video trailer that came out for Peace Talks.
I agree
I agree with your ranking
So when do we get the Dresden short stories tier list? Some of them are pretty crucial to understanding the characters around Dresden.
I was just about to bring up side jobs lol.
Side jobs, brief cases and the bigfoot trilogy
@@JL-vt5uo All three Bigfoot stories are in Brief Cases too.
Based off this videos performance, not likely I’m sorry to say :/
@@DanielGreeneReviews We don't necessarily need a tier list, but maybe a review of all of them together? And you just released this video, isn't it early to consider it's performance?
"Ghost Story is probably my most controversial opinion"
*Rates Cold Days a B*
Okay now we have a problem.
You HAVE to read both short story anthologies. It adds so much depth. Especially after Changes.
Ghost Story offers a badly needed change in perspective. After the monumental events in Changes, the characters (and the readers) need a chance to process. I'm guessing that Mirror, Mirror will do the same thing after Battle Ground.
Maybe not, though. At this point, some sort of endgame should be rearing its head, and since Christianity is being brought up, the archangels and denarians aren't unlikely to make an appearance, and nothing with them is gonna be low-stakes.
It's been *years* since I last read Dresden (I think I was in middle school at the time), but I remember Turn Coat being my favorite. I just really liked Morgan and the skinwalker.
You nuked it?
@@camerondomer it's the only way to be sure.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the last story in the Brief Cases anthology..now that you've finished Skin Game. Possible big ramifications for the future of the world.
Which was the last story in Brief Cases again? Was it the 1 with Thomas or which 1?
@@CosmicG777 The zoo.
@@dominicjohnson2364 Gotcha.
@@CosmicG777 Ah, yes... He doesn't know about Thomas, does he?
@@tzaphkielconficturus7136 I love the stories with Thomas.
3:28 "I was an idiot"
LOL! Daniel, I've caught a couple of your Dresden videos, I especially liked your 'Changes' video. I'm very happy your discovered and gave 'The Dresden Files' a chance because as you know now, after muddling through the first 2 books (Storm Front, Full Moon) the world of Dresden just EXPLODED and took off and I'm very happy you were able to be a part of it and enjoyed it as much as you did. Now, like the rest of us, you have to wait a little while until the next 2 books get released in a couple months. On the bright side... at least your wait wasn't as long as some of ours.
Keep up the excellent work, I enjoy your enthusiasm and excitement over this series. When you can fit it in, you need to get to the 'Jack Reacher' books. It's Dresden without the magical world but still very excellent. Anyone who likes Dresden will like Reacher. If you've seen any of the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movies that will be your biggest obstacle to overcome, getting the image of Cruise as Reacher out of your head. Once you're able to do that, and can focus on the Jack in the books, it'll all come together for you just like Dresden did.
Started dresden files two days ago, onto Fool Moon now :D Also, just finished Rage of Dragons this morning. Damn! what a book!
Just finished The Dragon Reborn... thank you times a million for introducing me to this series. It is quickly becoming one of my favourites. Onto The Shadow Rising!
Is it better than the last 2? Im at the end of book 2 but it still hasnt gotten into the sauce yet if u know what i meN
@@jaxpk2669 I'm on book 4 right now, and I would rank them as: 4, 1, 3, 2 (only 200 pages into 4, and it is SOOOO much better than the first 3 for me)
@@matthewc5747 hmmm I see, I wasn't a big fan of 1 either till right at the end of it.
@@jaxpk2669 In my opinion, 1 is great, 2 is still great, 3 is STILL great and 4...is fantastic, and I'm only 1 5th into the book.
I just finished the series. I'm so envious of you getting to read this for the first time. The last book is...staggering.
Michael Carpenter is if Mr Rogers also slew demons
I'm happy for the love for Skin Game. A lot of fans knock it, seemingly never having watched the Sting. The emotional beats are fantastic, especially Harry's first visit to Michael's home, and just declaring that he's lost, and his first interaction with Maggie.
All in all a great ranking of the series, and I'm glad to have experienced your journey into the fold... I keep sending your review of White Knight and Changes to my friends who are into Dresden
I like most of your ranking and loved the walk through and reasons! Personally I would flip Fool Moon and Blood Rites. Not sure why but Fool Moon just didn't do it for me. Years ago I almost quit the series when I was about halfway through Fool Moon. Also, imagine finishing changes the day it came out and having to wait a year for ghost story....
Turn coat is one of my favourites because of the new characters and the fantastic setpieces. Binder, Shaggy, the Morgan focus, and the pressure cooker on the island are all so damn memorable.
This channel is growing crazy fast! Every time I check it’s gone up 1k
I'm not gonna go through the whole series and rank them, but my favorites have to be Skin Game, Changes, and Death Masks. I'm weird, cause I rank Skin Game above Changes, I know, but I love the way that Dresden plays with the reader's expectations in the book. I think the whole book shows an immense amount of character growth. I mean, he had HADES speaking to him, maybe not as a friend or equal, but at least respectfully. Dresden also shows that he actually has some foresight in Skin Game, which I love. Butcher has been writing about how wizards have to be prepared for a fight in order to be at their best for about a decade now, so it's nice to see that in practice instead of Harry going in with a vague clue of what's going on, and then just improvising desperately.
I also rank Skin Game above Changes, it's easily my favorite.
After three rereads I still get misty eyed during the climax. Easily the best. Best Star Wars reference ever.
@@jameshamilton6381 Buddy where I come from, there is no try :') loved it
Nice, a list I mostly agree with! I definitely agree with Ghost Story being higher than many people would give it; after Changes there needed to be a contemplative chapter where Dresden comes to terms with his regrets. The main two I disagree with are Turn Coat and Proven Guilty which I would have much higher and lower respectively. Turn Coat has some of the best 'oh shit' moments in the series with the skinwalker, great world building with the Council, and you get to see a member of the Senior Council throw down. Proven Guilty had so many little mysteries that aren't revealed yet attached to it that it didn't always feel like its own novel to me; I like it when looking at the series as a whole, but as its own self contained novel I would rate it quite a bit lower.
One noteworthy thing is the general trend of the books getting better as the series goes on for most peoples' rankings. It's not just that Dresden grows as a character, but Jim grew as an author immensely throughout the series.
Just wanted to say thanks for introducing me to this series. I read Storm Front for the first time the other day and now I'm hooked. Can't wait to see more of Harry Dresden's adventures.
Ghost Story wasn't a regression in Quality as a regression in Action. And that is only from the perspective of it came right after Changes.
I need you to officially do the power rankings over again to put Harry where he belongs. I know you verbally moved him up a place on the dresden files podcast, but I want to see it. But seriously, I would love to see how you think Harry will fare against other protagonists in a power ranking after Battle Grounds.
Absolutely. Harry Dresden at his Dead Beat power level is far lower than Dresden in Skin Game. Needs to move up a lot!
The mantle of the winter knight really moves him up a lot 😂
God > Michael > Lucifer > other archangels/the Mothers > Hades (possibly) > Ethniu/Mab (depends on whether Mab is playing everyone as many theories suggest) > Titania > High tier Dragons > Lasciel > other denarians and angels > Archive/Odin/Cob/Erlking > Cowl/the Merlin
Idk about the rest, and I am utterly lost when it comes to vampires. Some of them seem really strong, but none of the strong ones seem to have an IQ above 50
Pretty decent list. I am firmly in line with 'almost' everything you said. I would put Ghost Story higher. Maybe even over Skin Game. I loved the dive into Morty's character and I liked the view we got into his world. And huge things were done to the Dresdenverse in that one. I'm still loving it after two reads.
Agreed, but it sad to see that Blood Rites is still getting so much hate. I would put it at least over Fool Moon, but I usually skip that one on re-reads of the series.
@@bbmproductions5948 I agree. I don't understand the dislike for Blood Rites. We get so much from it. The Raiths. Harry's Brother. Harry's MOTHER. Mavra. The Kincaid/McCoy connection. We learn that the White Council sometimes breaks the "rules." To be fair, there isn't a Dresden Files that I didn't like. They do get better as you go for sure. But I enjoyed them all so far. Including Fool Moon. I love werewolves.
@@davidconnelly1362 Mavra is underrated in general. I can see the fact that she hasn't shown up in a LONG time (probably the longest character absence in the series) so people have forgotten about her
You're finally done! I'm so glad! It's been GRUELING waiting for you to catch up because I was so excited for you! Like, "catch up and enjoy this with me"
I am currently waiting for my order of The Dresden Files books 1-4, and I am super excited to get into them today!
If you want an audience for your reactions or just to talk about the books, their are some good people over at reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles who would love to hear from you. They are super respectful of spoilers and always eager to hear from someone about their first read through.
@@AaronAlthaus thanks for much! I will join the sub right away, I am really excited to talk about the world and everything the encompasses the books. I have heard Daniel and many other UA-camrs awe in The Dresden Files beauty, I am so excited to start! I have been up all night waiting for these books to come in lol
@@xXLunatikxXlul Btw, the sub is not respectful of spoilers, and sometimes has a couple of comments that in their view vaguely say "wait until that book, you'll get resolution of your question" and "this character is prominent, your questions about him wil;l be answred, just wait", and throw several quotes. Which actually spoil stuff
@@nathanliteroy9835 I joined the sub and will keep and eye out for spoilers, if they come my way; hopefully they will be respectful, and if not I need to read these books asap this week!
I'll be very honest and say I mostly decided on the Patreon to hear you try and pronounce my name. Not quite there, but a better job than most English speakers I come across. ;)
Love what you're doing here, keep it up!
Greetings from Belgium.
Turn Coat is the actual send off to Detective Dresden rather than White Night, it's a classic Whodunnit and near S class for me. Definitely the best book pre-Changes.
I know people who have actually started the series from Turn Coat and instantly fell in love with it.
He even gets his Agatha Christie assemble everyone in a room and explain the crime to a dramatic reveal of who really did it
Great Tier list! I got hooked on the Dresden books back in 2007 (OMG 13 Years?) when I watched the TV series. Dresden and Murphy and Bob (his voice, of course), in my mind, will always look/sound like the actors in the show. Thanks for this Tier list and the book explanations cause it is tough to remember each book. Can't wait for Peace Talks!! TOMORROW!!! Got it pre-ordered on Audio. Wonder if it will show up at 12:01 in my Audio library. Worth staying up for!
Agree on Skin Games. I love that book and you finally see Harry REALLY thinking ahead.
Gotta love how you can't get the first or last words on the cover to fit in the rows, so if you're reading the list you get great mash-up titles like "Skin Butcher," "Ghost Butcher," "Small Butcher," and "Cold Butcher."
Started Storm Front after watching your updated top 10 video from last week, half way through not bad so far. Any chance you will do a ranking video for Discworld very interested to know your thoughts.
the only thing i disagree with here is where grave peril is. i personally rank it a lot higher because for me its where we went from good to great
I didn't know this when I started the series but Changes had just come out. I finished Changes at work and had no idea if that was the last book or when the next book was coming or anything. I spent all day dealing with the emotions of "Is this the end? Did dresden *spoiler*?" The wait for Ghost Story was like waiting for Avengers Endgame but worse because you kinda knew what was gonna happen in the next avengers movie.
I just finished Death Masks today and I am so excited for the rest of the series. I've read the first 5 over maybe the last month and they are so good.
It's pretty amazing how you can form thoughts on all of the books and pin those thoughts against each other for the comparison, having read the books in such a short period of time
Hot take: Ghost Story is the best book in the series. Changes was epic, for sure, but there was so much action that the neither the characters nor the readers were truly able to process what they were going through. So for me, as powerful as it was, it pales next to the impact of, say, Harry's cat recognising him. The way it's all delivered is so elegant too. By making ghosts operate on memories and emotions (which fits perfectly both with magic as portrayed within the series and with the folklore around ghosts) Butcher gets to do deep worldbuilding and make powerful character moments at the same time. Also the weird teleporting ghost battle was just extremely cool.
Agreed.
Maybe the only problem in Ghost Story was the villain, Corpsetaker was just handled soo much better in the first book she appeared in.
Still, I read books for the characters, especially in series as long as the Dresden Files, and Ghost Story is by far the best book in terms of character developments and moments.
Pretty good list, I would put Turn Coat ahead of Deathmasks myself and push Stormfront Down to top of C tier. Personally in Turn Coat, I really liked the council politics and I really enjoyed the ending scenes.
I just got my friend to start this series! She just finished SF yesterday! So excited for her to go on this adventure!
Love the love for Ghost Story!!!
I really appreciated not only the chance to take a breath and spend most of our time reckoning with what has happened to the characters, but even more so the fact that this deep into the series Butcher was able to pivot into something that felt completely fresh and new, while still delivering all the Dresden goodness.
With you on Changes, such a deceptively simple title, but so accurate as well. The entire series does just that...changes.
On a personal note, I was a couple books behind in May 2009 when my wife gave birth to our 1st, a little girl with dark hair & eyes (my wife is from Mexico). After mom and daughter were settled, I slipped out for a bite to eat and decided to pick up the most recent books (Changes and Ghost Story) to keep me busy. I sat down, opened Changes and the first words of spoken dialogue, "They've taken our daughter" hit me like a ton of bricks. Reading that book for the first time, as a new father, of a little girl was...difficult. Hit a little too close to home.
Cold Days was robbed, but I generally agree with everything else.
I'm happy you've finally caught up on the series, and watching your changes review had me pick up Storm Front again for another re-read.
I only read 3 of Dresden books but watching this made me realise I need to go back to this series real soon!
Glad to see you finished reading the series. If you haven't checked out the short story anthologies I think you'd enjoy them and he's sprinkled them back and forth through the series. July can't get here soon enough for me. The end of the drought. My favorites so far are the last 3 books but that may just be that I devour these books as soon as they're released and then re-read over and over waiting for the next book to drop. Butcher's also said there's a spinoff coming eventually from a character introduced in Skin Game, which should be real fun. I'll be interested in seeing your reviews of the rest of the books.
You hit a lot of beats I agreed with on my first run through the series, but there is this fun moment when you look back on older books or read out of order. When I started reading Dresden, I read up to Cold Days (Then the most recent book) within five months. Years later, my favorites changed drastically. While Small Favor is still my favorite book, Turn Coat and Ghost Story have risen up to number two and three, where as initially Turn Coat was much lower and Ghost Story was mid at best. I attribute this to all the hype surrounding Changes. It had me rushing through Turn Coat to get to the good stuff, and then just exhausted from the emotions Changes left me with.
Mild Spoilers for Turn Coat below------
Looking back now, Turn Coat probably has my favorite character arc conclusion in the series with Morgan's last dance. Looking at early books again, I feel for Morgan is such a better character. The best example I can give is when rereading Dead Beat, there comes a scene in which Morgan and Dresden seem to be having the confrontation that was hinted at throughout the early books. In my initial reading this was cool moment where I knew Dresden was in the right and that Morgan wouldn't do anything lasting. After coming back to it, I found myself amazed by how this scene tore me up inside, and how much I legitimately felt that Dresden was in serious danger. I found myself wishing that as early as Grave Peril, Morgan had, for a flip of the coin, placed more faith/trust in Dresden and the two became friends and allies. We had seen hints that Morgan was a good and honorable man throughout the series.
Hey there Daniel. How are you doing? I am now on chapter 10, in Storm Front. I have listened to this book before, but back then I was totally not prepared for it. I am picking up so much more now. I love it. I will likely move on to the second book at the beginning of next week. I have also been reading a bunch of manga. I finished reading all of Cells at Work, which was awesome, and I am currently working on Cells at Work Code Black, Snow White with the Red Hair, and the Ancient Magus Bride.
My rankings:
1. Changes
2. Dead Beat (Probably the most fun read in the whole series.)
3. Ghost Story (I love the slower pace and the focus on the world outside of Harry’s point of view-that last part is also one the best parts about Dead Beat as well.)
4. Small Favor (Nicodemus is probably my favorite villain in the whole series, and this is the book where it really solidifies the rivalry between Harry and Nick, not to mention further elevates the true gray man, Johnny Marcone.)
5. Storm Front (This is a totally biased homer opinion, but this book started it all for me and I still live rereading it :-) )
6. Turn Coat (I love the subtlety of the magic used for the story’s plot, the focus on Morgan’s life, and nothing beats the smack talk and badassery demonstrated by Dances with Wind and the Skinwalker at the end!)
After this, I don’t so much have rankings as I do groupings:
Death Masks, Summer Knight, and White Night all have elements I love that inspires me to reread them: Grave Peril: Nicodemus and Shiro; Summer Knight: the faerie queens; and White Night: Thomas the White Court hierarchy.
Grave Peril and Cold Days have some of the most epic moments I have ever read in the series, with Harry going nuclear bomb on Bianca and Freddy Kruger on Maeve’s attendants.
Fool Moon and Blood Rites and Proven Guilty aren’t bad (although Fool Moon is my least favorite book) but nothing about them really hooks me :-/
As for Skin Game...I need to reread it (I read it right after it came out and haven’t touched it since), but my initial gut reaction was: “meh,” but I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it was the heist aspect (never been a big heist movie fan), or maybe it was how little room there was for Harry and Nicodemus to collide, then it could just be the pacing. I remember it reading so fast, like Thriller fast, and I’m just not a thriller reader. I like exposition and Internal monologue, and there were so many moving parts in Skin Game I don’t remember it being able to really focus on anything in particular.
I agree with a lot of your analysis of the series, I think Grave Peril should be a little higher on the rankings because of how much foreshadowing Jim was able to put into this good and how many things that are going on the edges of this book the become relevant later.
One of my favorite aspects of Skin Game is that Butcher setup the major trust issues between Dresden and his crew with Ghost Story then really put the pressure to that trust in Skin Game. One of the major recurring points in Skin Game is Dresden really going along with some serious evil and all he can do to reassure his friends is "Trust me". Butcher does a great job of telling you how much Karen trusts Dresden now compared to some of this other friends who "trust but verify" e.g. Butters.
Also, I'm not going to go in depth because of spoilers but the ending with Butters in Skin Games made me want to cheer.
I keep watchig your reviews of the books and one of the the things about the overall story, the "meta" story if you will is the place for all the short fiction...What Butcher does with some of the worldbuilding and other character development is AMAZEBALLS in the short stories, and even some of the online "microficition" written on his web site (starting hillariously with "Vignette") I would love to see you review all of them at once
I put Small Favor in S, personally. I love Michael, I love Marcone (especially his parental side), I love the Denarians, and I love Ivy!
I've read the series through a few times now, and Ghost Story used to be the one I wasn't looking forward to, mostly because of pacing. I enjoyed it last time though, and your explanation helped me figure out why. Well said!
Have you read Side Jobs and Brief Cases? Yes, they are anthologies but they do explain somethings. Plus, they satisfy your Dresden fix.
Okay, so I legitimately gasped at your ranking for Turn Coat - it's definitely in the A tier for me. On a different note I cackled when you mentioned how the end of Changes made you immediately pick up the next book. I was up to date on the series when it came out. I want you to imagine what it was like to finish that book and then have to wait for the next one to get written. :')
My mom always tells me I don't know what it was like waiting 2 years for Episode 6 of Star Wars to find out what happens. I just tell her I waited years to find out what happened to Dresden
So... I just started listening to the Dresden Files on Audiobooks. I'm really digging it already. The guy reading it has a cool voice. Harry Dresden will ALWAYS have that voice... even when I read the books in the future! Hahaha. You've inspired me to make that step. Thank you, sir!
I’m on White Night right now. I’d never have pushed forward with these if it hadn’t been for your reviews. I love this series.
I ordered the first book the other day because of your past review, I'm quite excited to get Into the series it sounds interesting, never read this genre of fantasy.
So how about a Dresden character analysis, like you did with Wheel of Time. Any possibility of this in the future?
The first two would be C/D for me tbh. I've also read the whole series and enjoyed it.
Hi Daniel, just discovered your channel and have binged a bunch of videos! Have you read the Codex Alera series? I absolutely loved. Dresden I stopped after the first book but now I feel I must continue on!
I totally agree with Daniel about Ghost Story. I loved the part when we get to see Dresden's confrontation with He Who Walks Behind when he was a teenager.
Good to know your opinion on Blood Rites I straight sat the book down because I just haven't been able to power through it. Even though I have loved all the previous Dresden Files books its just tough!
What about the two short story collections? I wouldn't put them in S or A tier but mid B. They are worth listening to also. I have to say though my ranking would be a little different (but then who's wouldn't be?). I Loved Skin Game so much. I would totally put it up there in S tier, Changes would still out rank it though.
You are absolutely right about Ghost Story. It was the right call. It’s an A or A- for Dresden. It serves as a regrounding for Dresden, but it leaves off on a really tense spot for our side characters. Which is my guess for why it gets some guff. The resolution for our side characters is not strong.
Oh wow. I'm only at Fool Moon right now, and I absolutely love it. Yet a lot of people say it should be lower or is the worst book of the bunch. That just makes me so excited about the following ones
One take a look at the comics and sorry story collections. Two have you noticed that is send that Jim seems to write mini trilogies within his series.
Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril are Beginnings
Summer Knight, Death Mask, Blood Rights are moving forward
Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night are the easiest with The Lash Trilogy
Small Favors, Turn Coat and Changes are the Changes Trilogy
Ghost Story, Cold Days and Skin Games could be seen as both the Winter Night Trilogy but also the Acceptance or Coming to Terms Trilogy
I think the reason everyone starts talking about ghost story by saying it's not the greatest is simply because it's following changes. I think I agree with almost everything you say here. For me personally, I would switch ghost story and cold days, but I can accept your placement too.
For me personally, Skin Game was interesting from a character development standpoint, but when I read it the first time when it was initially released, I felt it was something of a letdown. I'm still processing what the repercussions of that story might be though, and I like it more and more each time I re-read it.
I'm curious, have you read the short story collections? There is a story in the first one that seriously spoke to me, called "The Warrior". This story is perhaps my favorite short story ever, because of the conversation at the end with the archangel, and the whole subtext of the story that you didn't even know was there.
Ghost Story is one of those books upon first read I didn't like and wondered why we didn't just go into Cold Days, but upon re read I appreciate the fact Butcher wanted us to see that while Dresden often felt he was a little fish in a big pond, he kept a lot of bad shit at bay in Chicago. I also think it's the only Dresden book that got me hard in the feels, especially during the Wonderful Life-esque finale.
For me:
S
- Changes (Need I justify it?)
A
- Skin Game (Fantastic structure and twists, one of the most touching scenes in the series (Dresden and Maggie), just so much done very well)
- Small Favor (Just...so good. This book I feel is where the series ascends from great to exceptional, which basically continues to the current books)
- Cold Days (Some fantastic stuff, a SERIOUSLY consequential ending, HUGE reveals about the Fae courts, "Vajazzled")
- Turn Coat (Yes I do think its on this level. Big reveals and showdowns, Dresden and Morgan making peace, ALL of that juicy White Council stuff setting the stage for Peace Talks)
- Dead Beat (yeah, its just great)
B
- White Night (Dresden gets to have some closure with Elaine and overall a good read)
- Proven Guilty (A quieter story with more personal development than large-scale plot development)
- Summer Knight (noticeable jump in quality - for me its where the series kicks into gear)
- Death Masks (introduction of some BIG bads and some important scenes that have long-lasting repercussions)
C
- Ghost Story (The same level of quality as the preceding books, the consequences of what's happened are very well explored, however I also found this to be probably the most frustrating book to read)
- Grave Peril (some real consequences and good stuff)
- Fool Moon (Same as Storm Front but an improvement)
- Storm Front (fun but nowhere near the quality of later Dresden)
- Blood Rites (Some silly/goofier elements but I quite enjoyed the story on the whole)
i am in the middle of death masks, and u putting summer knights top of B has me really fucking excited, since summer knight is currently one of my favorite books.
If You Have Time... I suggest you watch a few of the Jim Butcher Q&As on UA-cam. He goes deep into the Why of what's happened. Example: Dead Beat is so well done because it was the first hardback and became a deliberate entry point for new readers. Proven Guilty would have been written earlier, but the publisher advised a more 'weighty, rigid' story. "You mean I'm going hard cover??" "I did not say that."
I liked Cold Days and Summer Knight a little more than you did, but i mostly agree with the rest. Please rank the 2 short story collections at some point. I can see that they'd be hard to rank given the multiple stories in each, but some important things happen in them
Skin Game is easily S-tier for me. Harry being forced to work with an enemy, and only being allowed to betray him under very specific circumstances, made for a very unique challenge and watching him navigate it was a treat.
It was also the least depressing book since Small Favor, so it’s kind of a nice fun break after several books of consequences and favorite characters getting maimed, traumatized, and killed
Changes set up my favorite Dresden line where he threatens a white court vampire(I think it was in the short story Jury Duty). I won't say it to avoid spoilers, but it was EPIC!
I think this is a pretty solid list. I would flip Turn Coat and Storm Front. And slide Cold Days behind Summer Knight, not because I disagree that Ghost Story was the right choice narratively for the series, it certainly was. But because the Fey politics in both books are done well. And the relationships we see. Plus, "I don't believe in Faeries!"
Then I'd flip Skin Game & Small Favor, because in Skin Game we see Dresden reasserting his autonomy. And we see Dresden not brute force his way through a problem. Plus, Cerberus is Spot. It's Dresden figuring out his balance again...just in time for Peace Talks/Battleground to sweep everything aside.
With two new books in the series, where would you rank Peace Talks and Battleground?
Personally, I'd put Peace Talks in low B tier (because it felt unfinished) and Battleground in low A
Didn't like you final list til you moved things around. Love it! Agree with almost everything, except I would switch Fool Moon and Blood Rites. Personal preference obviously, but on rereads of the series I usually skip fool moon. Just don't like it after multiple rereads.
this was great. ready to see you reviews, i want your opinions of bonea/lash, nemesis, and the semi-reveal that Mab isn't as much of a villian as we thought, that she might have elements of anti-hero mixed with villainy. if you're wanting a new series that has a lot of similar elements, look up Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka.
as for ghost story, i hated it the first time i read it, and it came back up my personal ranking to around B upon rereads.
My biggest difference is I would put turn coat in A ranking. Just above ghost story. It gives a pretty big risk of finding the mole of the white council and putting a huge target in Dresden back again. I also love how it gives depth to Morgan as one of Dresden oldest antagonist. Are you going to trade the short story compilation books? You really REALLY need to.
I think blood rites is underrated, it really developed so many interesting characters and a great plot. I'd put it ahead of some of these definitely
To me, skin game is a huge milestone tor dresden where he isn't just reacting, he's pre-planning. That whole bit where he has the power of Thor but needs the wisdom of Oden.
I like Turn Coat and Cold Days more than you did. Cold Days really shakes things up in terms of the overall conflict, which I'd been waiting for since Dead Beat, and I really love Morgan's arc in Turn Coat. Also, the skin walker is probably the scariest thing in the series so far. I think my ranking would end up:
S-Changes, Dead Beat
A-Cold Days, Small Favor, Turn Coat, Skin Game
B-White Night, Proven Guilty, Summer Knight, Ghost Story, Death Masks
C-Grave Peril, Storm Front, Fool Moon
D-Blood Rites
Ghost Story was a great book, and a great cool down from the big showdown at Chicken Pizza (Chichen Itza) AND it added a new ghost magic system
I finished the first three books and I just started the fourth. I am glad there is some changes in the story structure down the line. The mystery/detective plots are a little formulaic and tired where I am at.
I agree on Ghost Story being the perfect place that it is after Changes. After a huge crescendo like that you need a breather and to set up what happens next and show what the consequences are
I may not agree with you on everything, but THANK YOU FOR GIVING GHOST STORY THE RESPECT IT DESERVES
I have gone back and read Storm Front. It and Fool's Moon are both the lowest tier. They are still Dresden and worth reading but the writing is very rough compared to Butcher's work which followed.
Next "Tier List" you should do is fantasy battles found throughout literature 🗡 (Lightbringer, ASoIaF, WoT, First Law, etc)
I found Changes to be one of the most accurately titled books I’ve ever read. What’s more I had the next two books sitting there waiting for me to listen, I knew this wasn’t the end, but I was really brain dead for at least 30 minutes when I finish that book. I did not know how to process.
Ghost Story was a struggle for me in part simply because it hadn’t been re-recorded with the proper narrator. I still very much enjoyed the book. All in all, I don’t have a book that I don’t enjoy of the series.
Last year I started re-listening to the entire series in preparation for the latest book(s). And then the world went to hell, and I was about to hit Changes and I haven’t been able to put myself in the correct mindset to read about the world going to hell.
Well argued. My Dresden Rating would look something like this:
S: Dead Beat, Cold Days, Changes
A: Turn Coat, Ghost Story, Small Favor, Skin Game, Proven Guilty, Summer Knight
B: Death Masks, Fool Moon, White Night, Storm Front
C: Grave Peril, Blood Rites
D: -
Turn Coat is one of my favourite 'guilty pleasure' reads. Simply love Shagnasty as the antagonist.
Ghost story has actually got me emotional a couple times. I’m on it right now. And when Dresden first encounters some of his friends and they accept his circumstances and he theirs, it got me a couple times
I have been stuck on Blood Rites forever lol glad u feel the same