Saturday, July 16, 2016

Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files, Bk 8)

Good, good good story, good twists.
I have one small complaint: Harry shows up at the Carpenter household after it was attacked and specifically mentions that the family minivan looks like giants used it to play basketball. Then after getting everyone out, it is suddenly fine to drive to safe haven. MAJOR editing flaw people! Come on! I'm a casual reader and I noticed this, I wasn't even trying. This is the type of error in these books that I see regularly, and I am striving HARD not to repeat in my own book. But I think I also have a good handful of friends who will be more than obliging to help me find them when that time comes.
I also have one big complaint: Early Dresden books dealt with the Nevernever and ghosts and so on, but a few books in we get into knights and faith and God. Now, I love me some good demon/God/insane Catholicism/summoning type stuff. I'm a big fan of Lucifer and Hellblazer. BUT these characters are obvious where they stand in regard to God and how that influences the story. Butcher's take on it is just weird and wishy-washy. Dresden knows God exists, even has a demon imprint running around his brain, but still doesn't "believe" or have "faith". There are two reasons you wouldn't give God the time of day, either you don't believe he's there or you've already had a falling out and are damned. Neither of these is the case for Dresden so his whiny, "I don't know......." make zero sense. I wish Butcher had either thrown in with the religious crowd or stayed the hell away from it (pun intended). It is my least favorite aspect of this story line. This is another issue I am striving hard not to make in my own book. I'm pleased as punch that I have a better planned out universe than the author who inspired me. But I believe I'm far more neurotic and methodical than Butcher is, but you could say that about me in regards to 99% of all 7 billion people alive today, so that shouldn't surprising.
Also NEWSFLASH to my readers: I'm writing a book. I think it's great, but when you put that much love and effort into something, of course you should think it's great. It must be the same reason parents love their children.

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