Changes (The Dresden Files, Book 12)

One can, and I assure you everyone is, be addicted to one or many things. If you are one of the unfortunate, and simultaneously blessed beyond reason type of people with whom the addiction is The Dresden Files, my prayers are with you. While reading book 12, Changes, I laughed a hundred times, some just low, quiet chuckles and some raucous sudden outbursts that evoked looks of alarm and/or irritation from those nearby. I also, however, cried twice and F you Butcher, I DO NOT CRY at funerals, at sappy movies and especially not books. At the end of changes, because Butcher has slowly, deviously and demonicly weaved so many of the characters throughout the series into my psyche, I threw my tablet across the room. I was terrified to immediately purchase, download and read in its entirety the next book, bastard. You're a genius, I love your work, I hate you, please stop. P..S. when is the next one due?

An apt title for this book - a lot of things change and the groundwork is laid for some very intriguing future story lines. Won't spoil anything for those of you who haven't read this yet. It was certainly a fun read, but fell flat for a few reasons: Still not a fan of the profanity Jim Butcher seems to be adding more and more of with every book. It does nothing for the story but irritate me. I'm also starting to notice a pattern with this author starting out subplots and then dropping them whenever it's convenient. This time it's Thomas's entire character. A couple of books ago he supposedly went back to the dark side, embracing his vampire inner self, feeding and killing with abandon. I thought that would be interesting and a nice change up to his character. Now he reappears and all of that is just totally ignored. Harry welcomes him back with open arms and it's right back to the brotherly banter and wisecracks between them. Right. Then there's the horrible cliffhanger ending. This is the longest Dresden book so far and to get to the end and come away with nothing feels like a slap in the face. One of the great things about this series has always been that each novel can be read as a stand alone. Sure it makes more sense if you go through the series but you could still pick up any of them and get a great story with a satisfying conclusion. Not here. Previously I've always moved on and purchased the next book because I wanted to. Now it's because I HAVE to so I can get a conclusion. Not cool

Overall I have loved this entire series, even when a volume here and there has been “off”. This one however fell off the cliff. It certainly was not up to the author’s usually excellent writing standards, it went completely off the rails with the overall storyline woven through the series, and had a truly dark tone unlike the other volumes. What made matters worse is that the sub-story in this volume seemed to be made up of mismatched plot ideas that had no bearing on one another, but that the author decided to dump into a single episode just to use them up. I usually can’t wait to read the next installment in the series, but now I’m not sure if I’ll finish reading the rest ... so sad.

Okay. This one totally broke me up. Sat there near the end and just bawled. I love these characters so much it just tears me up the stuff he puts them through. Harry finds out he and Susan have a daughter who's been kidnapped by one of the Red Court vampires and is slated to be sacrificed to provide the power for a blood curse aimed at Harry and all his relatives. There are so many twists and surprises I had to stop reading and just try to digest what the heck had just happened every so often. The ending is a shocker. Don't know if I'll ever really get over that as it's just so darned unfair.

Dresden’s entire life as he knows it - A strange life to say the least -is uprooted with the return of Susan Rodriguez, his old lover who was attacked by the Red Court many books ago. Everything Harry believes in is put to the ultimate test - will he be able to maintain and live up to his own strict moral code? I liked the new developments and the expansion of Dresden’s life. Sometimes there is no way to win, but the book itself is a winner.

This book had an ABSURD amount of hype going in, and I'm happy to say that for the most part it lived up to it. It certainly has loads of 'Changes' for Harry and his friends. Nothing in this series will ever be the same after this book, and I think that's a good thing. While I personally was still really enjoying the arc of the series, I can see where some people may have felt after 12 books it was starting to get stale. It's not anymore. The plot is actually incredibly simple- Harry's old flame/now vampire(ish) Susan Rodriguez shows up at his door and tells him that not only do they have a daughter, but she has been stolen by the Red Court to be sacrificed in a ritual that will kill Harry's entire bloodline. Woah. The rest of the book is basically Harry being really angry and trying to recruit anyone and everyone to help him rescue her. The middle of the book did kind of feel like a giant (and somewhat forced) reunion of characters. Some of the cameos worked, some not so much. Harry also makes some decisions that you (and he) knows will come back to bite him, but he has to make because saving his daughter is more important than anything else. It's Harry at his most heroic, and most morally grey. It all leads up to easily the most explosive and epic ending in Dresden history. I was riveted the entire time. And after all of that is through, and you think Butcher will at least give you a satisfying, if bittersweet, ending, he pulls the rug out from under you with the biggest cliffhanger ending yet. Ugh. I'm exhausted from this book. Now where's Book 13?!?!

Ok, sadly I had stumbled across several major spoilers, but there were many others in this book. I would have enjoyed either way. Butcher grabbed me by the throat, with the first sentence, and didn’t let go. I finished gasping, even though I knew the ending. We learn that Harry and Suzan have a daughter, who has been kidnapped by the Red Court’s Arianna Ortega, a duchess in the Red Court. All the while, Arianna works to neutralize the White Council. Back at home CPD’s sleaze bag is going after Harry in a big way, and by extension Harry’s pal, Murphy. He’s even called in the FBI to investigate Harry. Plus it seems as if there is an assassin or two after Harry. We see what parts of his humanity Harry is willing to sacrifice to get through this and save his girl. Other good parts of the book include: - Bob’s wise cracks. - The misnamed uber-dog Mouse keeps coming into his own as a protector, mainly of Molly, as well as a fighter. - We learn even more about Harry’s family. If there’s anything else, we’ll have to wait and see. - Butters plays comic relief for a few pages. - Murphy will stand by Harry, no matter the cost. - Thomas, while going fully White Court vampire and work for Lara, is willing to help Harry. Bad things about the book: it’s a cliff hanger. Sorry, that’s all. Everything changes as Harry loses nearly everything.

Jim butcher has done it again! The Dresden series just keeps getting better and better. Set in a world not much unlike our own where a secret society of mage's keeps the peace Dresden ( A PI) goes around solving crimes/ supernatural occurrences. I just cant quit reading these books! The order of the books and a very brief synopsis of each so if you cant remember which one you last read. As I had to look it up when reading them I thought this might be helpful. Warning this has some spoilers but will try and be bland enough you can just figure out where you have read to. sorry for only limited links amazon only allows 10 Storm Front - First book In which Dresden fights Warlock Victor Sells and saves mob boss Johnny Marcone Fool Moon – Second book in which Dresden fights FBI hexen wolves and Macfinn (werewolf) Grave Peril– Third book in which Dresden unwittingly sets off a war between the Red court and the white council Summer Knight– fourth book in which Dresden as emissary to the white court secures passage for the white council in the lands of winter Death Masks– Fifth book in which Dresden fights a duel in wriggly field(to a draw...) One of my favorite parts of this series is in this book when Ebeneezer lands a satellite on the red court in retaliation for cheating. Blood Rites – Sixth book in which Raith is overthrown by his daughter who uses him as a puppet.

This book was another full set of stars book up until the end. I really do not like tragic endings and since I am not really a professional reviewer I am afraid that these things influences my ratings. Unfortunately the ending of this book is quite tragic as far as I am concerned. I have to admit that I have cheated and already read the book blurb of the next book in the series. Had I not, well then I would probably have been even more distressed by the (cliff-hanger) ending of this book. Now all of this is of course very much a personal preference so I feel the need to, again, point out that this is a very good urban fantasy book and if you do not have the same aversion against tragic stories as this simpleton has, and likes urban fantasy, then you are probably going to enjoy this book a lot. It is quite a bit of a roller coaster ride. It starts of in a similar fashion as the old book by kick starting the plot big time in the first few pages. From there on the pace is kept fairly frantic. Not insanely stupidly frantic though. There is enough of a coherent story, slow (or rather not so fast) moments and investigative work to keep the story balanced and entertaining. There are a lot of interesting moments. Personally I like Harry’s encounter (no it is not another clobber time encounter) with “Vadderung” who is probably one of the most well made modern depiction of an old mythical character (no I am not going to write who it really is) that I have read in a long time. The book also manages a good mix of seriousness and less serious parts. Taken alone the pizza eating “little people” in the book would be outrageously ludicrous but the way they are woven into the story makes them an entertaining addition and not a burden. There is a lot of action as well of course. Some of it having a bearing on the story, or rather quest, itself and some if, for instance the encounter with a certain Erlking, being more of a coincidence and diversion. Then we come to the ending. There are some action in there of course. Then some more action. Then Mr. Butcher adds yet some more action. And so on. I would say that the ending is pretty epic. Everyone plays are role. I quite liked Murphy’s role. Again, it is not just mindless action. The events and the revelations really make for a good story and consequently for a really good read. Needless to say there are some sacrifices (literally) and this is where I became somewhat unhappy. As I said before, that is just me and my personal preferences of course. The title of the book, Changes, is quite suitable. There are plenty of changes. Especially in the last third of the book. I am indeed quite looking forward to see where the story arc goes with some of them. Some of them are, unfortunately, rather irrevocable and I am less pleased with those but I guess that I repeating myself here. Then, so is the author. I have to say that a few of the explanations of various things were repeated a bit too obviously. Nevertheless this is indeed a good book and there is no doubt that I am going to eagerly read the next one in the series.

Wow! What a great installment of the series! Jim Butcher really ups the ante with this book. Instead of letting the series stagnate at any particular status quo, Butcher drives up the stakes to an all-time high for Harry and introduces major shifts in the story that will have ripples on every single sequel to come. This book isn’t called “Changes” for nothing — it’s a MAJOR turning point in the series that reshuffles nearly every aspect of Harry’s life in order to prepare for the descent into the much darker and far-reaching plot points that follow in subsequent books. This book is really what the series so far has been leading up to in its entirety. The Red Court issues from Grave Peril finally come full circle. Mab’s continual involvement in Harry’s life finally reaches a point of no return. Harry’s familial backstory is finally explored to a much higher degree than it has been in books past, giving the reader a better understanding of the family-related issues and events that led to Harry’s life becoming what it has been so far. This installment takes characters from every single other book and brings them together to form a complex plot, where Harry’s previous escapades determine who he can turn when for help, who gives it, who doesn’t, and who ultimately impacts the book’s finale. Butcher doesn’t leave anyone (or anything) out, tying together Harry’s various relationships to create the most precarious situation the wizard has ever encountered. And one that will have permanent effects on his life for the rest of the series. Some people have criticized Butcher for turning away from the idea of “wizard PI” as the series has progressed, especially with this book, which diverges so far from that original premise that the series can never return there. But, personally, I wouldn’t fault Butcher that — because, from the very beginning of Storm Front, Butcher has been slowly but surely building an overarching plot that has always been greater than simply “wizard PI.” And I’ve been invested in that promise of something greater for the entire series; for me, Changes is where that promise finally begins to develop. From this point on, the Dresden Files is a whole different monster. And I look forward to getting to know that monster in the subsequent books. So, in my opinion, Changes is awesome. An excellent installment of the series that keeps things fresh and new while bringing together ideas from Butcher’s complex, multi-book world-building in a way that creates a story environment similar to but different enough from any we’ve seen so far that the book is propelled to a whole other level while still retaining the core aspects that make it a novel of the Dresden Files. Great book, all around!

One can, and I assure you everyone is, be addicted to one or many things. If you are one of the unfortunate, and simultaneously blessed beyond reason type of people with whom the addiction is The Dresden Files, my prayers are with you. While reading book 12, Changes, I laughed a hundred times, some just low, quiet chuckles and some raucous sudden outbursts that evoked looks of alarm and/or irritation from those nearby. I also, however, cried twice and F you Butcher, I DO NOT CRY at funerals, at sappy movies and especially not books. At the end of changes, because Butcher has slowly, deviously and demonicly weaved so many of the characters throughout the series into my psyche, I threw my tablet across the room. I was terrified to immediately purchase, download and read in its entirety the next book, bastard. You're a genius, I love your work, I hate you, please stop. P..S. when is the next one due?

An apt title for this book - a lot of things change and the groundwork is laid for some very intriguing future story lines. Won't spoil anything for those of you who haven't read this yet. It was certainly a fun read, but fell flat for a few reasons: Still not a fan of the profanity Jim Butcher seems to be adding more and more of with every book. It does nothing for the story but irritate me. I'm also starting to notice a pattern with this author starting out subplots and then dropping them whenever it's convenient. This time it's Thomas's entire character. A couple of books ago he supposedly went back to the dark side, embracing his vampire inner self, feeding and killing with abandon. I thought that would be interesting and a nice change up to his character. Now he reappears and all of that is just totally ignored. Harry welcomes him back with open arms and it's right back to the brotherly banter and wisecracks between them. Right. Then there's the horrible cliffhanger ending. This is the longest Dresden book so far and to get to the end and come away with nothing feels like a slap in the face. One of the great things about this series has always been that each novel can be read as a stand alone. Sure it makes more sense if you go through the series but you could still pick up any of them and get a great story with a satisfying conclusion. Not here. Previously I've always moved on and purchased the next book because I wanted to. Now it's because I HAVE to so I can get a conclusion. Not cool

Overall I have loved this entire series, even when a volume here and there has been “off”. This one however fell off the cliff. It certainly was not up to the author’s usually excellent writing standards, it went completely off the rails with the overall storyline woven through the series, and had a truly dark tone unlike the other volumes. What made matters worse is that the sub-story in this volume seemed to be made up of mismatched plot ideas that had no bearing on one another, but that the author decided to dump into a single episode just to use them up. I usually can’t wait to read the next installment in the series, but now I’m not sure if I’ll finish reading the rest ... so sad.

Okay. This one totally broke me up. Sat there near the end and just bawled. I love these characters so much it just tears me up the stuff he puts them through. Harry finds out he and Susan have a daughter who's been kidnapped by one of the Red Court vampires and is slated to be sacrificed to provide the power for a blood curse aimed at Harry and all his relatives. There are so many twists and surprises I had to stop reading and just try to digest what the heck had just happened every so often. The ending is a shocker. Don't know if I'll ever really get over that as it's just so darned unfair.

Dresden’s entire life as he knows it - A strange life to say the least -is uprooted with the return of Susan Rodriguez, his old lover who was attacked by the Red Court many books ago. Everything Harry believes in is put to the ultimate test - will he be able to maintain and live up to his own strict moral code? I liked the new developments and the expansion of Dresden’s life. Sometimes there is no way to win, but the book itself is a winner.

This book had an ABSURD amount of hype going in, and I'm happy to say that for the most part it lived up to it. It certainly has loads of 'Changes' for Harry and his friends. Nothing in this series will ever be the same after this book, and I think that's a good thing. While I personally was still really enjoying the arc of the series, I can see where some people may have felt after 12 books it was starting to get stale. It's not anymore. The plot is actually incredibly simple- Harry's old flame/now vampire(ish) Susan Rodriguez shows up at his door and tells him that not only do they have a daughter, but she has been stolen by the Red Court to be sacrificed in a ritual that will kill Harry's entire bloodline. Woah. The rest of the book is basically Harry being really angry and trying to recruit anyone and everyone to help him rescue her. The middle of the book did kind of feel like a giant (and somewhat forced) reunion of characters. Some of the cameos worked, some not so much. Harry also makes some decisions that you (and he) knows will come back to bite him, but he has to make because saving his daughter is more important than anything else. It's Harry at his most heroic, and most morally grey. It all leads up to easily the most explosive and epic ending in Dresden history. I was riveted the entire time. And after all of that is through, and you think Butcher will at least give you a satisfying, if bittersweet, ending, he pulls the rug out from under you with the biggest cliffhanger ending yet. Ugh. I'm exhausted from this book. Now where's Book 13?!?!

Ok, sadly I had stumbled across several major spoilers, but there were many others in this book. I would have enjoyed either way. Butcher grabbed me by the throat, with the first sentence, and didn’t let go. I finished gasping, even though I knew the ending. We learn that Harry and Suzan have a daughter, who has been kidnapped by the Red Court’s Arianna Ortega, a duchess in the Red Court. All the while, Arianna works to neutralize the White Council. Back at home CPD’s sleaze bag is going after Harry in a big way, and by extension Harry’s pal, Murphy. He’s even called in the FBI to investigate Harry. Plus it seems as if there is an assassin or two after Harry. We see what parts of his humanity Harry is willing to sacrifice to get through this and save his girl. Other good parts of the book include: - Bob’s wise cracks. - The misnamed uber-dog Mouse keeps coming into his own as a protector, mainly of Molly, as well as a fighter. - We learn even more about Harry’s family. If there’s anything else, we’ll have to wait and see. - Butters plays comic relief for a few pages. - Murphy will stand by Harry, no matter the cost. - Thomas, while going fully White Court vampire and work for Lara, is willing to help Harry. Bad things about the book: it’s a cliff hanger. Sorry, that’s all. Everything changes as Harry loses nearly everything.

Jim butcher has done it again! The Dresden series just keeps getting better and better. Set in a world not much unlike our own where a secret society of mage's keeps the peace Dresden ( A PI) goes around solving crimes/ supernatural occurrences. I just cant quit reading these books! The order of the books and a very brief synopsis of each so if you cant remember which one you last read. As I had to look it up when reading them I thought this might be helpful. Warning this has some spoilers but will try and be bland enough you can just figure out where you have read to. sorry for only limited links amazon only allows 10 Storm Front - First book In which Dresden fights Warlock Victor Sells and saves mob boss Johnny Marcone Fool Moon – Second book in which Dresden fights FBI hexen wolves and Macfinn (werewolf) Grave Peril– Third book in which Dresden unwittingly sets off a war between the Red court and the white council Summer Knight– fourth book in which Dresden as emissary to the white court secures passage for the white council in the lands of winter Death Masks– Fifth book in which Dresden fights a duel in wriggly field(to a draw...) One of my favorite parts of this series is in this book when Ebeneezer lands a satellite on the red court in retaliation for cheating. Blood Rites – Sixth book in which Raith is overthrown by his daughter who uses him as a puppet.

This book was another full set of stars book up until the end. I really do not like tragic endings and since I am not really a professional reviewer I am afraid that these things influences my ratings. Unfortunately the ending of this book is quite tragic as far as I am concerned. I have to admit that I have cheated and already read the book blurb of the next book in the series. Had I not, well then I would probably have been even more distressed by the (cliff-hanger) ending of this book. Now all of this is of course very much a personal preference so I feel the need to, again, point out that this is a very good urban fantasy book and if you do not have the same aversion against tragic stories as this simpleton has, and likes urban fantasy, then you are probably going to enjoy this book a lot. It is quite a bit of a roller coaster ride. It starts of in a similar fashion as the old book by kick starting the plot big time in the first few pages. From there on the pace is kept fairly frantic. Not insanely stupidly frantic though. There is enough of a coherent story, slow (or rather not so fast) moments and investigative work to keep the story balanced and entertaining. There are a lot of interesting moments. Personally I like Harry’s encounter (no it is not another clobber time encounter) with “Vadderung” who is probably one of the most well made modern depiction of an old mythical character (no I am not going to write who it really is) that I have read in a long time. The book also manages a good mix of seriousness and less serious parts. Taken alone the pizza eating “little people” in the book would be outrageously ludicrous but the way they are woven into the story makes them an entertaining addition and not a burden. There is a lot of action as well of course. Some of it having a bearing on the story, or rather quest, itself and some if, for instance the encounter with a certain Erlking, being more of a coincidence and diversion. Then we come to the ending. There are some action in there of course. Then some more action. Then Mr. Butcher adds yet some more action. And so on. I would say that the ending is pretty epic. Everyone plays are role. I quite liked Murphy’s role. Again, it is not just mindless action. The events and the revelations really make for a good story and consequently for a really good read. Needless to say there are some sacrifices (literally) and this is where I became somewhat unhappy. As I said before, that is just me and my personal preferences of course. The title of the book, Changes, is quite suitable. There are plenty of changes. Especially in the last third of the book. I am indeed quite looking forward to see where the story arc goes with some of them. Some of them are, unfortunately, rather irrevocable and I am less pleased with those but I guess that I repeating myself here. Then, so is the author. I have to say that a few of the explanations of various things were repeated a bit too obviously. Nevertheless this is indeed a good book and there is no doubt that I am going to eagerly read the next one in the series.

Wow! What a great installment of the series! Jim Butcher really ups the ante with this book. Instead of letting the series stagnate at any particular status quo, Butcher drives up the stakes to an all-time high for Harry and introduces major shifts in the story that will have ripples on every single sequel to come. This book isn’t called “Changes” for nothing — it’s a MAJOR turning point in the series that reshuffles nearly every aspect of Harry’s life in order to prepare for the descent into the much darker and far-reaching plot points that follow in subsequent books. This book is really what the series so far has been leading up to in its entirety. The Red Court issues from Grave Peril finally come full circle. Mab’s continual involvement in Harry’s life finally reaches a point of no return. Harry’s familial backstory is finally explored to a much higher degree than it has been in books past, giving the reader a better understanding of the family-related issues and events that led to Harry’s life becoming what it has been so far. This installment takes characters from every single other book and brings them together to form a complex plot, where Harry’s previous escapades determine who he can turn when for help, who gives it, who doesn’t, and who ultimately impacts the book’s finale. Butcher doesn’t leave anyone (or anything) out, tying together Harry’s various relationships to create the most precarious situation the wizard has ever encountered. And one that will have permanent effects on his life for the rest of the series. Some people have criticized Butcher for turning away from the idea of “wizard PI” as the series has progressed, especially with this book, which diverges so far from that original premise that the series can never return there. But, personally, I wouldn’t fault Butcher that — because, from the very beginning of Storm Front, Butcher has been slowly but surely building an overarching plot that has always been greater than simply “wizard PI.” And I’ve been invested in that promise of something greater for the entire series; for me, Changes is where that promise finally begins to develop. From this point on, the Dresden Files is a whole different monster. And I look forward to getting to know that monster in the subsequent books. So, in my opinion, Changes is awesome. An excellent installment of the series that keeps things fresh and new while bringing together ideas from Butcher’s complex, multi-book world-building in a way that creates a story environment similar to but different enough from any we’ve seen so far that the book is propelled to a whole other level while still retaining the core aspects that make it a novel of the Dresden Files. Great book, all around!

The line between 'hero' and 'monster' is very thin, and this is the book wherein our protagonist straddles without grace. Quick, spoiler-less recap: Harry Dresden was a private investigator, and he was damn good at his job. Problem was jobs were never forthcoming. He has gone on a slew of high-powered adventures and proven himself something of a hero and idol among the supernatural community. A community of vampires, werewolves, spirits, demons and everything else. Well, except for Bigfoot. We're still fairly sure he's just a hoax. Dresden has a whole lot of 'mine'isms' throughout the series. His car, his apartment, his 30 pound cat named Mister. His mutantly-huge dog named Mouse, his friends (and he has quite a few), his family, and his tools of the trade. He has only one answer when something is 'his' and threatened - blow it all to &^%$ and back again until it stops. So with a mentality thusly measured, he's gotten quite a list of enemies as well. Changes is just that - the one book that changes every aspect of the protagonist's life, and not all for the better. The best I can compare it to is the movie Serenity after watching Firefly. It's hard to see where things are going to go from an ending such as this. Saying much more than this will bring this too close to spoilers. If you are interested in Urban Fantasy, this is not the book to dive into first; go back and read the preceding 11 novels. Then, get ready for a roller-coaster of a ride. This is one series that ramps up and doesn't let you down. Getting to this book is only half the fun though. Getting through this book is the other half.

Brace yourself for breakneck speed when you turn to page one. Changes is a roller coaster ride that never lets up. All that you have come to expect from a Dresden novel gets turn around. There is a moment early on when Dresden goes to his favorite pub. Something happens that made me say to myself "All bets are off." Another reviewer compared Changes to a Season Finale of a TV show. To me it felt more like a Series Finale. I respect that Butcher was willing to break all his rules and making some tough choices with this universe. I usually read Dresden as a fun break from all the Epic Fantasy I read. Changes was not that. It is the first Epic Fantasy novel in the series. There was somethings issues that I had with Changes. The first half is much better than the second half. Once you start getting to Finale time some parts can get rather silly. Which for me takes away from the grandiose storytelling that had been on display. There was also a revelation about a character that never got resolved. Which would be okay except Harry never reacts to it later. It is forgotten all together. I almost loved Changes. Even though there was a couple of things that took away from my experience I still really enjoyed reading this installment of the Dresden Files.

This is Book 12 of the Dresden Files, an urban-fantasy series about Harry Dresden, a sometime private investigator in Chicago who is a powerful wizard. At the opening of the story, Harry receives a call from his ex-girlfriend Susan informing him, for the first time, that he has an eight-year-old daughter, and the little girl has been kidnapped by Duchess Arianna Ortega, a high-ranking vampire of the Red Court. Over and above the years-long war between the Red Court and the White Council of wizards, for whom Harry is a warden, the Duchess has a personal grudge against Harry. He is more than willing to snatch up the gauntlet Arianna has thrown down. Harry will do anything to save his innocent daughter from harm. Anything. Including seeking out allies in places he swore never to ask for help because, previously, the price was too high. The title for this book is quite appropriate, because everything changes in the Dresden world after the events of this latest installment, though the name "Dresden Files" for the series stopped being appropriate many books ago since only in the first few books did Harry's character act as anything resembling a traditional, hard-boiled detective. Very early in the series, Harry began to move away from that, and increasingly over the past six to seven books, Harry has been evolving into a type of superhero, and the enemies he faces are increasingly powerful supervillains. The one thing that hasn't changed about Harry from book to book, though, is the fact that he is always an extremely sympathetic hero. In this book, as in all others in this series, Harry is unwilling to ever give up when innocent lives are in danger at the hands of horrible villains, and he constantly displays his trademark snarky defiance in the face of impossible odds. The sound quality of this audio recording is excellent and it is an unabridged version of the book. It is narrated by actor James Marsters, best known for playing the character Spike, a platinum-blond, British vampire in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, between 1997 and 2004. Marsters does an outstanding job on every part of the reading, including general narrative and various character voices. Listening to him is a real pleasure. I am extremely grateful for Mr. Marsters's reading talents not just for their own sake, but because experiencing this novel as an audiobook gave me the opportunity to admire Jim Butcher's writing even more than I did when I read this book in print--which I did not think was possible. In my experience of listening to audio versions of books, very few of them can stand up to the intense focus of being read aloud, which is much slower than reading silently to oneself. This relative snail's pace acts to draw attention to every problem of dialogue, pacing and plot. I am happy to report that under that intense spotlight, I experienced not a single flaw in this book. I originally read this book when it first came out in hardcover format. Recently I enjoyed it again in audio format. I am not a person who often reads a book more than once--too much to read and far too little time. But this book was definitely worth experiencing twice. And owning this recording means I may listen to it far more times than that in the future.

This is an excellent installment in a phenomenal series. True to the title, there are many changes in store for Harry Dresden, in an action-packed book that you won't want to put down. Several series long story arcs come to their exciting conclusions, while several new and important ones are born. If you're a fan of the Dresden Files, you won't be disappointed. A note, this is NOT a series you can pick up in the middle. If this is your first Dresden book, put it back on the shelf and start from the beginning!

"Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files", by Jim Butcher, is the 12th book of an on-going series of urban fantasy novels which revolve around wizard Harry Dresden (his name Harry was in honor of the original "Harry", Harry Houdini, not Harry Potter). Harry is basically a wizardly private eye who consults with police in magical matters while also taking cases from the public who seek help, although as the books in the series have progressed, he's done less and less police consulting/taking cases from the public and more just investigating paranormal mysteries, usually at the behest of supernatural creatures of one stripe or another. I've come late to this series, so I've literally just read all 12 books back to back to back over the course of the past three weeks. As such, I perhaps have a slightly different perspective than someone who read the books over several years. I can clearly see a progression of Mr Butcher's maturity as a writer and his ability to more intricately plot his tales and increase the excitement. But as each book builds upon those that came before, so you really should read these books in order; while you could perhaps skip a book or read one or two in a different order, if you don't read them in order, you may miss the introduction of a new character or some significant event in Harry's life. So, I'm going to give my impressions of this book assuming that you've already read all (or at least most) of Mr Butcher's previous Harry Dresden works. And I am not going to give any spoilers. The title "Changes" is very true for the book ... almost everyone and everything about Harry's life, including many of his friends, is drastically and probably irrevocably changed. To a certain extent, the last few books of the series had been pointing in this direction, as the focus of the books were less of the mundane to almost exclusively dealing with the supernatural. As you've probably noticed yourself, pretty much gone are the days of Harry, the financially struggling private investigator, in favor of Harry, White Council member and warden, who contends against increasingly powerful supernatural foes. The changes in this book, pun intended, appear to be moving the series in a completely different direction. The plot and story are typically top-notch. As is the case other books in the series, many recurring major and minor characters are involved, and there are still sly bits of humor ... gallows and otherwise ... that add to the fun. But the sheer amount of "changes" that are occurring, particularly the very significant choices Harry had to make, along with a cliffhanger ending that struck me as very, very wrong, leave me a bit confused and perhaps dismayed about the future direction of the series. In series like this, an author either has to keep his characters relatively static with regards to abilities, dealing with basically the same level of problem in each book, or raise the ante by making his characters more powerful and the enemies larger and larger. There is no right or wrong answer to which way to go. Mr Butcher, in taking the latter route, appears to be transforming Harry in such a way as to leave his old lifestyle as a practicing PI behind in favor a new career featuring entirely supernatural foes, albeit aided as needed by mortals. While most of the characters we know and enjoy will likely continue the journey alongside Harry, I for one, miss Harry's struggles in dealing with the ordinary. Most fantasy series develop in such a way that their protagonists ultimately become superheroes, but to me, a part of Harry's charm was that his powers, while significant, were far from omnipotent, and he had to deal with a lot of the same problems that we mere mortals face. To me, characters such as Spiderman and Batman have been more appealing than, say Superman. Although as a character, Harry continues to give at least lip service to being like Spiderman, in truth, he's veering dangerously into Superman territory. But, as the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound, so I'm going to give Mr Butcher the benefit of a doubt, buy his next book, and hope that I enjoy it as much as I have the others. And hope that the "changes" in series isn't a sign that it's "jumped the shark". I've struggled with what rating to give the book. For pure readability and excitement, it's an easy five stars. For what's actually happening in the story, though, I give an uneasy four stars. Partly for past merit, I guess I'll go with five stars overall.

Let no one accuse Jim Butcher of mailing it in. Despite Dresden bringing the same kick-ass, wise-ass action adventure in every installment, each book stands on its own and serves to advance the overall mega arc of Harry Dresden's story. Changes is no exception - this book comes at you non stop from page one and it leaves you begging for the next book.

Fans of The Dresden Files have a new adventure in their hands. April 6th was the release for book 12 of the series chronicling the supernatural exploits of wizard and private detective, Harry Dresden. Dresden is the worlds only publicly practicing Wizard. Don't believe it? It says it right there on his business card. But while earlier books were more centered on cases brought to him as a private investigator, Changes is entirely focused on Harry's personal life. The Dresden Files has been one wild adventure after another. Vampires, trolls, werewolves, wizards, fairies, and all manner of mystical beings congregate around modern day Chicago. And where supernatural forces frolic, supernatural bedlam often ensues. And over the years Dresden has made powerful friends and even more powerful enemies. This time around Harry's personal life catches up with him. And in the course of the tale, author Jim Butcher does an amazing job of pulling in characters from novels past and linking them all into a potent and action packed crusade that will change the future of the Dresden character forever. Every previous book literally brought Dresden to the events detailed in this book and the consequences of this edition threaten to have far-reaching ramifications. It's hard to review the story without giving away twists or turns critical along the way. It's impossible to mention the peripheral characters that come into play without giving away information that is key to the resolution of the story. I consider this a mark of the true craftsmanship that Jim Butcher employs when telling his tales. The characters are compelling and long lasting as they are developed further from one book to the next. Later books directly reference the outcome of events that were important in earlier books and surprisingly consequential in continuing storylines. Without giving anything away, its safe to say that book 12 is an amazing work of fiction that was nearly impossible to put down. The mythology of Dresden's world is compelling. The writing throughout the series is consistent and has all led up to what happens in this book. Changes proved to be a great addition to the series and, much more than past release, really leaves the reader anxious for book 13. And there is good news on that front as Side Job, book 13, is scheduled for release in November of 2010. Its unusual for Butcher to release two Dresden books in the same year. But with the recent conclusion of his Codex Alera series it seems he has dedicated his creativity fully on Harry Dresden. As an aside, those not familiar with the Codex Alera works, the 6 novels comprise a mind-blowing work of fiction in their own right. The Dresden Files is a series of stories told from the first person perspective of Harry Dresden himself. Due to the craftsmanship of Butcher's work, it's crucial to read the books chronologically in order to truly appreciate the development of the character and his history. Each book builds on the characters and events that came before it. And the history of the series makes for an interesting and exciting journey. I have never regretted starting Storm Front, book one, less than two years ago and I anxiously anticipate the release of Side Jobs, book 13 in November.

After reading "Changes," my first thought was that this is the most appropriate title I have ever seen, and my second though was that some people are going to be majorly disappointed in the direction this book takes. So, I wasn't surprised to find some less than glowing reviews. My own opinion is mixed. I enjoyed the book far more than the last one because in addition to the nearly non-stop action and biting sarcasm, it had a lot of closure. One insurmountable enemy is finally taken down. There are still plenty left, but we get a sound victory none-the-less. However, I do agree with other reviewers that Harry Dresden drastically changes in this book, doing things that I do not feel are keeping with the character from the first 10 books. And I also hate cliffhangers. The last couple of pages could easily have been the first of the next book without leaving readers annoyed. Harry has an 8 year old daughter, taken by the Red Court. He will get her back at any cost. Truly - even making a Faustian bargain to do so. Another reader complained that Harry didn't seem to react to much during all the action. For me, it was more like he was in shock through most of the book. Not only does he reunite with a woman he loved, he learns he has a daughter she never told him about, taken by some pretty sick monsters and he takes actions that eat away at him to get her back. Yeah, shock seemed perfectly reasonable to me, and fit with the story. The book left me depressed though, because our good guys are losing their souls. I was very unhappy with what happened to Thomas, who no longer fights against his demon, Ebenezer is the Blackstaff who can kill with magic, and now Harry is suddenly an "ends justify the means" type of guy? It was disturbing, to say the least. On the other hand, Butcher's writing is top notch. The pace is fast, but doesn't carelessly roll over details either. They plan, they prepare, they follow through. I also enjoyed that Harry gathers all his allies together for the assault, Molly and his Faery Godmother included. The final battle is exciting, surprising and there are casualties. This book went to a very dark place. I am anxious to read the next book, to see where Butcher goes with this. But, I am afraid that it could be the last Dresden File I read.

Let's get down to business *rubbing hands together*. First note... if you have not read The Dresden Files series yet.... do not read past this first paragraph of this review. In fact, get your bum off the computer and go read book 1, Storm Front. Urban Fantasy lovers have no excuse to not read this series and you should be ashamed of yourself. Harry Dresden is a professional wizard.... a smart ass, witty, smirking, sexy as hell professional wizard. And he has a staff. I'm just saying. Changes is book 12 in the series and may be the best one yet. I have no idea how Jim Butcher has managed to keep such a long running series so freaking fantastic, but I am beginning to suspect magic or a deal with a demon. I am going to need Butcher to send me copies of all works in progress so I can work out how he is doing it, k, thanks. Now, all you Dresden virgins move along.... tho you can read the quotes below if you want. Those are probably safe. Dresden fans, have no fear, I think I have kept it relatively spoiler free. To say that this book has been anticipated is like saying I like twitter... gross understatement. When the blurb first came out I stuttered and was left speechless for almost an entire minute. Harry has a secret baby?? Susan is coming back and there is a child?? Whaaaa???? My speechlessness was immediately followed by cursing and vile names being thrown at Susan, who I just don't like (if you say I'm jealous - you could be right, but be warned I will glare at you). Changes starts out with a life changing phone call between Harry and former lover, current half vampire *cough*bitch*cough* Susan. Turns out that super hot kitchen sex scene almost 10 years ago did more than just make me pant, Susan and Harry have a daughter. As if that isn't shocking enough for poor Harry, his daughter Maggie has been abducted by the Red Court Vampires. Harry has to call in all the friends he can find and make new ones in order to save the life of a little girl he has never met, a little girl who has been raised without knowing he exists. Butcher brings back the familiar gang of do-gooders for Changes. Molly is still apprenticing under Harry and is showing signs of growth and maturity in her character. Murphy is Murphy, she is there for Harry no matter what - even if it means all she has worked for and cares about will be turned upside down. Thomas, Sanya, Mac, Bob, and Butters all make appearances and contribute to the cause and the story with their quips and sayings. Mouse reveals himself to be the coolest pet ever. But Changes also gives us a much darker Harry Dresden. He is still witty and quick with the self-depreciating moments ... but he is also angry and on the edge. His daughter is out there, alone, waiting for someone to save her. Harry has to chose between one painful choice after another. He is tested to his limits and pushed to re-evaluate his moral core over and over again. How far will he go to save her and what will it cost him? Every move he makes, every battle he fights in this book is of dire importance and emotionally exhausting. Finishing this book left me in utter shock, looking for a support group and chatting up people at all hours of the the night. Honestly, this book should be titled HOLY HELL I AM AN EVIL AUTHOR AND I TURNING YOUR WORLD ON IT'S SIDE. Changes is a high speed freight train of a read and just when you think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and a smile starts to spread across your face Butcher hits you upside the head with a can of WTF JUST HAPPENED. Jim Butcher has exceeded my expectations with this installment, easily making Changes the best book of the series so far, and what will be without a doubt one of my top 10 books of 2010.

THERE IS ONE VAGUE REFERENCE TO THE PLOT OF THE BOOK IN HERE, I DO NOT THINK IT COUNTS AS SPOILER BUT TREAD WITH CAUTION. I enjoyed this book tremendously, it was a non stop action and yes, as many have said Changes is definitely the perfect title for it. I am very impressed with how Jim Butcher seems to have such a good hold on the world he created and how we see that so many things were foreshadowed in the earlier books. I am also very impressed that what happened with Thomas in the last book was not really a setback as far as I thought in his relationship with Harry in this book, that was one part of Turncoat that left me dissapointed. I do wonder where Harry is heading with all of these, obviously Butcher puts him in the position of having to make difficult choices and probably the most difficult so far. As far as I am concerned one choice that Harry makes puts him quite close to evil in my mind, but we shall see in the next book. I am giving the book five stars, because it gave me such thrill when I was reading it, but I have to say it I HATED cliffhanger ending. Not as in - frustrated, have to wait another year hated (even though I did), but as in I wish Mr. Butcher have had a tiny bit more respect for his fans. To be fair, he is by no means alone in doing that, le but I always thought that book in the series should not be left with huge cliffhanger. Obviously series have connecting arc and stories, but to leave it like that? Feels to me (always does) as a cheap trick to make me buy a next book. Honestly, truly Mr. Butcher, I bought twelve books so far (and the last three in hardcovers) and I am not going to stop buying them, unless I will be majorly dissapointed in the substance of your story and I am not so far, not even close. And even more annoying part to me is that one reviewer mentioned that we will learn exactly what happened in the short story from the anthology??? So, if I do not want to buy anthology I will not know how this got resolved? So buying the next book will not be enough?

When the daughter that Harry didn't know existed is kidnapped by the Red Court, Harry will pay any price to save her from the evil vamps - and it will cost him everything. (cue ominious music here) My hubby and daughter got to Changes before me, so I was armed with a few spoilers going in or I might have been too devasted to have enjoyed this as much as I did. Author Jim Butcher has definitely set up here to take the series in a new direction and unlike previous books Harry's honor is no longer intact, he crosses some lines and makes some deals with the devil - but even though he is the doing the wrong things, Harry is still doing things for the right reasons so I was able to accept his choices. One of the things that I loved about Changes is that while the whole story tears Harry's world apart one piece at a time, everything builds up to an epic battle at the end and Butcher doesn't just throw off an easy resolution in a few pages. Instead Butcher brings all of Harry's resources to bear in order to just face the insurmountable odds and gives us a battle that is truly epic - Butcher's fantasy roots really pay off here. In Changes, the story is a string of losses for Harry - Butcher already started heading in this direction with Thomas' fate in Turn Coat - and truly I can't imagine where the Dresden Files goes next. I just am sure that it will have to be something completely different and I'll be waiting anxiously for the Dresden short story anthology,

This is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butchers. I seriously think this was the best book in this series so far, and that is saying something given how much I love this series. Harry gets a call from his old flame Susan, she has a surprise for Harry. Harry has a child and his daughter has been stolen by the Red Court. Harry will stop at nothing to save his child from the Red Court. He will petition all his allies for whatever help he can get. With the Red Court and the White Council at an uneasy truce; Harry won't be able to depend on the other wizards for help. Harry make have to make some deals to increase his power and call on help from unlikely sources. I am afraid all I can do is gush about this book, it was amazing! Harry increases in power and gets pulled through a non-stop course of events that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. There is a reason this book is called "Changes". Harry goes through a number of huge changes in becoming a father and in having to make some tough decisions about how he will bend his morals to get the power he needs to save his daughter. Murphy goes through changes when she take up one of the Three Swords. Heck even Mouse, the dog, goes through Changes. The pace of this book was phenomenal. Harry is catapulted from one interesting and creative situation to another; all of them life-threatening. Things happen to Harry in this book that make you want to cry, yet Butcher does an excellent job at not letting things get too heavy by throwing in some of the gallows humor he excels at. The action scenes were exquisite, the character development perfect (even for side characters). I feel like no side characters were forgotten, yet the book never seemed cluttered. There is a lot going on in this book. You have the White, Grey, and Black councils involved, the vampire courts involved, fairy involved, and the Three Holy Swords thrown in there. Molly has become a steadfast character as Harry's apprentice. Harry is beginning to really become a force to be reckoned with. He is using his power in more intelligent ways and making better decisions; the way he resolves impossible situations is interesting and engaging. Butcher's writing is very readable and engaging and in general is just a joy to read. I forget how top-notch Butcher's writing style is and then I read one of his books and am reminded again and again. If there is one thing to complain about in this book it is the ending. The book literally ends in the middle of a very important scene for Harry and I couldn't believe it. I was looking for more story and was sad that the book was over. Now, my next question is when is the next book coming out!!?? If you have been reading this series, get this book and read it. If you haven't started this series, get the previous eleven books and then read this one. Or read a summary of the plot online and then get this book and read it. Just make sure you read this book!!

This is the best urban fantasy series currently ongoing. It's not even close. Jim Butcher is so good with the Dresden Files that, for the past few years now, I've been hailing each new entry as the best one yet. CHANGES is the hellacious twelfth book, and I really don't know how Butcher does it, how he keeps things so fresh. But here's Harry Dresden, Chicago's only resident wizard-for-hire listed in the yellow pages, and he's tilting at windmills again. And, yes, CHANGES is the best one yet. Harry Dresden has gone thru so much that any new book from now on isn't what you'd call a jumping on point. The history's too rich and tangled, Butcher drops in too many call backs, the cast has gotten too huge. If CHANGES is your first experience with the Dresden Files, I say put it down for now, and start from scratch, start with STORM FRONT, which is the first one. But if you've been a constant reader, then this is the book that blows up the status quo. After some years away, Harry's estranged ex-sweetie Susan Rodriguez (who you'll recall had some time ago halfway joined the ranks of the undead) returns to the Windy City desperately seeking Harry's help and also nursing one hell of a surprise. A stunned Harry learns that he and Susan have a little daughter, and that she has just been abducted by the Red Court Vampires. Everything else that happens in this book, all the blood and thunder and the emotional abattoir and desperate last stands, spills out from Harry's learning this. We've come to know Dresden over the sum of eleven books, Butcher having made him a very real, three-dimensional character to his readers. I, for one, have grown emotionally attached to the guy, and there's a concern over the many temptations he's had to wade thru. And now here comes the ultimate temptation. What won't you do for your own child? Harry Dresden will do whatever it takes. And, when he learns that he's pitted against some overwhelming odds and some truly diabolical enemies, he's left with having to make awful moral choices, with opting for dark solutions from which, as they say, there won't be any going back. The White Council, predictably, doesn't have his back. Harry Dresden has accumulated a loyal bunch of friends, and he gathers them to him now. As always, I relish catching up with Harry's sprawling supporting cast. I dig that Butcher never discards old characters. He likes to have them occasionally casually stroll in for a cup of coffee or to tell our main man: "Hey, Harry, need help with your crazy suicidal quest?" Just to mention a few of my favorites, I'm very fond of Molly, Harry's teenaged apprentice (is she still a teenager?), and it's nice to see that the girl is showing signs of growth. My fingers are always crossed when Molly participates in Harry's insanely dangerous missions (because my gut feeling informs me Butcher won't hesitate to sacrifice a popular character for the sake of compelling drama), and this story is so intense and brutal that I wasn't sure she'd survive. And does she? I won't tell. I get a smile, too, whenever the Pizza Lord's Guard shows up, with its bold but tiny Major General Toot-toot Minimus. And how cool of a pet dog is Mouse, who is absolutely more than just a pet dog? He again demonstrates just how much more in this book. Oh, and the lovable Butters is here. So it's time to settle accounts with the Vampire Court once and for all. Time for some really life-changing events. After twelve books now, I'm still not sure if Jim Butcher has a master plan or an end game planned out for this series (I'm guessing he does). But what happens in CHANGES is tantamount to a seismic shift, a definite advancement of plot. There's a surging momentum now, as Harry finds himself in very unfamiliar territory. Harry's world is much darker and bleaker now, and I marvel that Harry can still crack snarky jokes and that these jokes, conversely, actually lend even more weight and heft to the story. It's that old thing about either laughing or cowering in a heap. I haven't even gotten into how Butcher continues to excel at writing crazy exciting magic-slinging battle scenes, always one of his strengths. I am all anticipate-y for the upcoming thirteenth novel GHOST STORY, surely the best book yet in the series.

Changes is the perfect title for this book. Harry's entire world changes when he learns that he has a daughter and she is now in the hands of some of his worst enemies. He must determine which lines he will cross in order to get her back safely. What is he willing to sacrifice to keep her alive? Jim Butcher truly pushes Harry to his limits in this book -- emotionally, physically, and magically. Dresden and his friends are in constant danger as someone (or something) tries to kill him with all manner of attacks. Once again, we see who will stand with Dresden even in the face of certain death and who will abandon him to save their own skin. Politically, Dresden is a step behind as usual but he generally figures it all out just in time. Of course, what he figures out this time leads to some even larger questions and the choices he makes along the way have far reaching consequences. I love the non-stop action in the Dresden books. Although Dresden has a lot to think about and many choices to make, he rarely has the time for serious contemplation. Dresden's humor is another of my favorite things about this series. He rarely knows when to stop with the wise-cracks, even in the most serious of situations. He faces death with sarcasm and quotes from Star Wars. I think this book may be my favorite in the series so far because we learn so much about who Harry Dresden truly is and what he stands for. Butcher ends Changes with a serious cliff-hanger and I cannot believe I have to wait until March 2011 for Ghost Story to come out!

Kinda spoilery: read at your own peril. When I first read that Harry was trying to rescue a daughter he never knew he had, my first thought was that the series about to jump the shark, that we were introducing a child character that would somehow attempt to "humanize" Harry in future books. Nothing could be further from the truth. Butcher uses the daughter as a construct to push Harry further than he's ever gone. For those regular readers of the series, we know that Harry himself was an orphan and has often felt acutely lonely. When the opening paragraph of the book gives us a phone call from former lover Susan Rodriguez and the news that "they kidnapped our daughter" Harry is already off the charts about what he perceives as Susan's betrayal by not telling him he was a father. Over the course of the book we see one thing after another taken from Harry. He loses any support from the White Council (no real surprise there), loses his office, loses his home, his cat Mister has taken off and he doesn't know where he is and eventually Harry finds himself even without mobility and desperate enough to reach out and accept an offer of power that he has long refused and an unexpected ally. And at the end is a quest of nine to go into the heart of the enemy's power to retrieve a helpless little girl against overwhelming odds. Butcher's trademark humor is in fine form throughout. His characters continue to be funny and loyal and they are pretty much all here and fleshed out more with each book. We also get a stunning climax to the book, followed by a surprising ending. Family is a recurring theme throughout the book, from the blood family that Harry has had and lost (and discovered) and the family ties he's forged by choice with his friends who would risk their own lives, careers and futures to be there with him. At the end of the book you will be grieving, excited, frustrated and wondering when the hell the next book is coming out so you can find out what happened.

I understand the objections many have with the installment of the Harry Dresden series. But I think I understand where the author is coming from more. After all, it's his creation and his world. He gets to take the story wherever he likes. I don't read the Dresden books for great literature and I don't want them to get into a predictable rut. I read the Dresden Files books to relax and have some fun. As I tell the guy at the super cool private book store where I tend to buy these..."it's better than watching TV." I really do advise anyone new to this series to start closer to or at the beginning. This book won't really work if you're not well versed in the Harry universe. I particularly enjoyed all the crazy action this book has. I love the pictures in my head as I read along. Jim Butcher is very good at writing in a way that lets you speed along without thinking too much. That might sound bad, but in this type of book, it's a great thing. I doubt anyone will be swayed by what I write here, but any Harry Dresden fans out there who would like to chime in, please do.

I consider myself a seeker and connoisseur of magical adventures for young and old. This series, in my opinion, is unsurpassed in potency. The freshness of premise, flair of writing style, characters that walk off the page and talk to you, complexity, unpredictability and credibility of plot as well as sheer volume of enthralling action makes this a very difficult book to stop reading. As an added bonus, we've got lots of powerful magic with a uniquely creative built-in manual for many magical workings. The world of Butcher's creation is very real and compelling. For me, it is a feast of imagery, mind-bending plot twists including excellent battle choreography sprinkled liberally with fascinating real-world information, a healthy dollop of humor, garnished lavishly with modern philosophical banter. The reader will enjoy a roller-coaster range of emotions that will leave you craving the next ride. What a treat! I'm grateful to have found such a prolific series... THE END.

With the 12th book of the series Jim Butcher mixes things from the first sentence to the last. Once Butcher had hashed things out Harry in the first few books you ever couldn't be fully sure what to expect outside of action, mystery, magic, and heart ache while knowing the consequences of actions in previous books always carried into the next and so on . Up to this point certain things have remained a constant within Dredens world and while change was to be expected what I found in this book had me going...."Wow....Dang you Jim Butcher!!! You brilliant but sick man thank you!" Thankfully the next book and a few more have been out so I do not have to wait to see where the story will lead.

I usually try to read the Dresden books slowly, to take my time and savor the small bit of time I have to spend in Harry's Chicago, but this book wouldn't let me. Not that the pace of the Dresden books has ever been slow, but the pace of this book was almost frenetic. Butcher has been pushing Harry, and most of his supporting cast, into darker territory for a while now, but this book drops them all into the middle of the black. Butcher's humor is still intact, but it's overshadowed by the tone of the book and Harry's desperation. You can read the teaser chapters on Butcher's website, so I'm not going to go into length about the plot, except to say that there's plenty of reasons for Harry to embrace his darker side (then again, there always has been). This book is a bit depressing, but in a realistic way that makes sense. As I read, I realized that I didn't always like what was happening to the characters, but I knew it fit the story. I agree with a previous poster that this story was over the top, but this is Harry Dresden we're talking about. He's always over the top and that's why we loved him. I was thinking that this book would be a great movie, only I know that if they turned into a movie they wouldn't do it justice, so I'll stick with the books. My only real complaint is that I have to wait another year to find out what happens. Dammit Jim!!!

When I first started this serious I was hooked, and each book just got better and better. The series doesn't really take off until the third, but it's amazing none the less. The world building for this universe is astounding. So far there are 15 books in this series and it is understandable as to why. This book, 'Changes' is a game changer in the series and so far my favorite in the series. The characters are so well developed. Even the 'bad' guys aren't so one dimensional. All the characters are complex, their motives complicated, and their actions unpredictable because of this. This series has been compelling, and while quite suspenseful and dark in some instances, each novel ends well while wanting you to reach for the next one as soon as possible.

Definitely a fan of the series but this book ROCKS! Blew me completely away. The premise of the story is that Harry gets a call from his lost love, Susan, and she discloses that they have a child together who has been kidnapped by the Red Court. That's the premise. From there, you know that Harry will do just about anything to save his child and those he loves. I would hate to give the story away beyond this point, so I'm not going to spoil a thing if I can help it. But suffice it to say, this book really dealt with a very complex subject in a very human way. Granted, we're not wizards, vampires aren't real, but... what would you do, if you had powers, to save your child? What would you do? That's what makes this such a great read. Harry has always been about doing the right thing. But what if the situation were SO dire. What would you do? That ethical line that Harry has walked for 11 other books is going to be put to the test. Beyond that, expect Red Court Vampires, Elves, Wizards and a whole lot of fighting. Just another Class A novel from Jim Butcher. I'd give this book a six out of five if possible. Seriously.

A pivotal chapter in the Dresden saga. Butcher is willing to shake up his universe in the most drastic ways possible, and that's to his credit (Robert B. Parker's Spenser, who was a lot like Harry without the magic and is cited by Butcher as an influence, was basically the same guy after 20-some books). All the familiar things in Harry's life - home, allies, friends, powers - are at risk in the final war against the Red Court vampires, and none will emerge the same. These is a great deal of loss in this book, so steel yourselves. (Butcher, a terrific guy, inscribed a copy of this to my mother at the recent COSINE conference: Mom gives it 5 stars.) It sets up a whole new direction for Harry's saga. Dresden devotees MUST read this one. - Matt Bille, author, The Dolmen, Wolfsinger, 2014

I have to agree with everyone who says this book lives up to it's name. Between the covers of this book everything changes, and it's all in a good way. In other words things don't seem contrived, or force. Anyone familiar with the Dresden File series knows every story starts with a big problem, moves to bigger dangers and ends with a huge finish. Sometimes you wonder if Mr. Butcher can get any bigger? Well Mr. Butcher answers in this volume with a resounding "HELL'S YES!" Changes is a World Series wrapped in a Super Bowl covered in a summer blockbuster. There isn't a single boring page or a single word wasted. Like everyone other volume by the end you have resolutions, cliffhangers and nail biting possibilities. There's a reason why the character of Harry Dresden should be elevated to icon status and Changes adds to that status. There are very few books I've found myself constantly re-reading. Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, several Stephen King Novels, now the Harry Dresden series. After putting this volume down I found myself gathering to whole collection to prepare to start from Storm Front until I come to this volume again. It will be the third time I've gone through this series and I never get tired of any of them. And I plan to recommend them to everyone i know.

This is the best in the series! Amazing. So much happened; so much realization; so much fun and sarcasm; but so much pain. I love Mouse. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for all of the characters. I am headed to buy the next in the series right this second.

With a single phone call, Dreden's life gets turned upside down. Susan comes back into his life, but as with everything else that comes into Dreden's life, she brings along a lot more complication than he was ever expecting: she tells him he's a father and his little girl has been kidnapped by the Red Court. He's not given much time to recover from that bombshell as the Court immediately begins cutting off help. But Dresden has more resources than the Court knows about, some of them just require giving up more of his soul than he'd like. Impression: Let me just get it out of the way: the end of this book made me cry. The only thing that kept me from getting really upset was knowing that a new Dresden Files book is on its way. That being said, Changes is an excellent addition to the Dresden Files. The characters are still growing and changing, the plot is deeper than the surface reveals, and there are unexpected turns that make perfect sense when you look back. It really is nice to have a series that maintains the quality of story and writing after the fourth or fifth book. Because of the ending, I can't say it's one of my favorite books in the series, but it's close, and I'm looking forward to the next book, Ghost Story. One of the things I love about this series, is that it's not doing what most series do by this time and sliding downhill. I'm not finding editing errors intruding on the story (which they do for me) or changes in the characters that make no sense. Butcher is allowing his characters to change while maintaining consistency in who they are and keeping the quality and complexity of his plots at a high level. And he has a gift for evoking emotion from his readers. One day, he'll probably have to bring the series to its final close. When he does, I'm certain the last book will be as good or better than the first and as much a joy to read. I highly recommend this series and all the books in it. Even if their endings make me cry.

I've been waiting for this book for ages, Susan and Harry together again,but complications exist. Harry's little girl unkown to him, has been kidnapped and Susan, his former lover, and mother of his daughter needs his help to get her back. In four hrs. I eagerly devoured this book and didn't regret it. Now I have to wait another whole year for the next book. So many questions were answered, and yet, so many new situations exist. Loved the tender moment between Harry and Susan, and in the last several chapters the climax of this book changed Haryy's whole life. At the ending, I almost dropped the book, how could Jim end it this way? Sad ending, but I hope future books will end better for Harry and his friends, and I was also sorry because Harry lost someone verrry special in his life. Will not tell you anymore, you have to read this book, but start with the first book Storm Front. I love this series, Jim created characters that are endearing, funny, and last long after the book is finished. JIM HURRY UP WITH THE NEXT BOOK. I CAN'T WAIT.

Changes is a perfect title for this book, as everything changes for Harry Dresden. If you are new to the Dresden Files, do NOT start with this book, as it builds many things and characters which were introduced in previous books. In my opinion, this is the best book in the series so far. Fantastic action, lots of humor but more emotion than in previous books. The Stakes seem higher. Lots of revealed surprises. We get to see a different side of a few characters. The power level gets ramped up. And the climax of the book is an incredible battle with an amazing result. Plus, the final scene hits like a ton of bricks. I'm not going to go through the plot because the very first sentence of the book contains a surprise that motivates the entire book. If you like the Dresden Files books, simply look forward to "Changes" as the best book so far.

Compelling reading, it's very easy to (visualize and) fall into Harry Blackstone Dresden's world. Featuring many different components of the supernatural. The touches of classic detective novels with unforeseen elements coming into play, a hardboiled protagonist with a soft spot for and a need to protect women and family work well. As do the vitality of the characters. What might not work is the lengthy and repeated descriptions of physical (and mystical) confrontations and battle scenes. Overall a very good read. Caution, if you read one you may end up reading the entire series, fortunately there are currently 16 books. All the books in the Dresden Files were written to work as a stand alone read.

(...It has been a busy 4 days for me. I started the Dresden Files a ways back, and read all the way to book 4. Due to some issues though, I had to put them down for a while. Some time later, I started reading again, and got all the way up to book 7; again, something came up, and I could not go any further. About 4 days ago, I picked up book 8, and let me tell you, I've spent the last week reading until 1AM. I love this series with a passion, and when I finally finished Changes, it left me itching for more. I'm really looking forward to Ghost Story, because I'd really like to see how everything resolves...) But this review is about Changes, heh. Alright, so Changes is (in my humble opinion) the best book in the series so far. Many loose ends finally get tied up, with results that will both shock and please many people. The cliffhanger in the end would have really knocked me off my feet... except I stupidly managed to spoil it for myself a little while back... but that doesn't change the fact that it's a shocker. The concluding fight was great too, but they almost always are. Uh, yeah, so... great book, great addition to the Dresden Files, can't wait for more... Go read it. Now.

Jim Butcher's latest contribution to the Dresden saga is as enjoyable as ever. Indeed, it moves the saga along considerably, adding depth to just about all the usual cast of characters. If this is the book that introduces you to Dresden, it works as a classic stand alone adventure. However, almost every page of the book rests on aspects of earlier books in the series. So there is always another level in the story which book 12 is playing off. This is clearly a book of changes, as significant changes have been introduced to almost every aspect of the Dresden story. Some changes you've seen coming for several books, if not the entire series. Other changes are out of the blue. I was hooked on Dresden a long time ago and my addiction has only gotten worse as the installments to the series have continue to flow. I certainly hope that Butcher gets another installment out before next April. It will be difficult waiting that long, especially with his cliffhanger ending.

Before I considered downloading this on kindle I read the top reviews and the worst, I usually do just to get a sense of equilibrium. I was half tempted to wait for this one on paperback, the reviews were bi-polar to say the least. Those of you who rated 1 or 2 stars, seriously go back and re-read the books again obviously you have no sense of the storyline, just who Dresden is or where he is going or any clue of foreshadowing by the author. This book is simply amazing, I was very surprised by some of the twists even having read the spoilers that weren't warned about in the 1 & 2 star ratings (It is not hard to type up *spoiler alert*, jeez grab a clue.) This book reaches down to the darker natures of humanity, and anyone who is a parent knows this, the simple question is asked "How far would you go to save your child?". I feel like I can't really explain just how moving I found this particular book in the Dresden files to be without giving up too much of the story line, I will say though that Dresden as a character becomes more; more primal, more human, more base, more compassionate. The rest of the characters that we see through the story, definitely take a back seat and remain more 2d than usual, but I think that was necessary for the story to become what it is and set the stage for the next part of the series to flesh out. This book is Dresden's and his alone and that's the way it should be. Buy it, read it, love it.

There are few authors who can bring me physically to a bookstore anymore. I'm addicted to my tablet and my Kindle app. Jim Butcher brings me running particularly when Harry Dresden is the object of my obsession. Harry gets more and more defined and developed with every new Dresden Files Novel. Changes is one of those rare novels that absolutely lives up to it's title. Harry is tasked harshly in this episode. The odds seem insurmountable. And to top it all off, the personal stakes are incredibly daunting. He makes some very bad deals for very good reason. This is the kind of book that you wish would go on forever, but you can't wait to find out what happens in the end. There are indeed, many Changes

HOLY CRAP! WOW! You really need to brace yourself for this one. It starts smacking you upside the head with the first sentence and doesn't much let up. Even on the last page there's another surprise. And some of those surprises are severe. And surprising. I definitely did not see most of the plot twists and revelations coming. The risk Jim Butcher is running here is that Harry is turning into someone that he (and we) don't like much. He has some tough calls to make here, and makes them with characteristic courage, but he's definitely got a lot darker in the most recent books. The book is certainly well-named. So many things change, so permanently, and the stakes are raised so high that I'm really looking forward to seeing where Butcher takes it from here.

Wow - every time I think that Harry Dresden has done it all, I discover that I am oh, so wrong. This book opens with Harry learning that he and Susan have a daughter, and his daughter was kidnapped by Arianna of the Red Court vampires. The intensity of the situation hits the reader from the beginning, and never wavers. Dresden will literally do anything to save his daughter, but you wonder how far he will need to go. I can tell you now that Dresden crosses lines previously not crossed. He changes not only his world, but also the world around him as well. The battle scenes leap off the pages, as Harry rushes around trying to save his daughter without letting the world at large know about her. Butcher conveys emotional so well that Harry's anger and worry slither into the reader's mind. I found myself torn between wanting to help Harry, and being scared of the man. I give "Changes" 5 out of 5 stars.

Changes is a good name for this book because everyone ended up changing in this book. I did like the story and as always the writing is really well done but this book was a bit of a let down in some ways for me. The ending was a cliffhanger so I guess things could turn out for the better, although I am guessing that they do not but unlike the earlier books in the series were things would turn out more or less for the better in the end this one does not. I am not one to always read books with a "happy ending" nor am I saying that all the books in the series had one, but for me this one seemed a little more dark then and depressing then the other books did. I don't want to give any of the story away because I hate to read reviews that ruin all or parts of the book and I enjoyed the book but I really liked the earlier ones better, still a huge fan of the series tho!

After Susan reenters Harry's life and informs him their child has been kidnapped and she needs his help, they figure out the little girl is going to be sacrificed on an altar in Mexico by the Red Court vampires. This brings Harry through a turmoil of emotions and events that leads to many different places. My husband and are very into this series and were eager to read this novel when we found out about the first line. There were so many questions! So when we started reading it, neither one of us could put the book down until we'd finished it. The ending was very good, and leaves a lot of potential for many different things to occur in the next novel. Needless to say, we can't wait for that one's release now! Once again, Jim Butcher does not disappoint us! He is a wonderful writer and really keeps his audience on the edge of their seats through the whole thing, leaving them hungry for more at the end.

What can I say, I can't get enough of Butcher. He may not chose the most original concepts, but he brings them all together into a great rip roaring tale that he very much makes all his own. Once you get hooked on Dresden (which took me about 5 pages) you will never stop reading his tale. I even got the Audio versions of these books (which are excellently done by the way) to listen to later. I warn you though, don't start this series unless you can afford all 10+ books because you will have to have them. I'm giving the same review for all of his Dresden series because I'm lazy but make no mistake what I say here is absolutely true for all of his books so...

While I could not add to the glowing praise of most reviewers of "Changes" or to any of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, I would like to add a short note to anyone who is sitting on the fence, wondering if these books are worth reading. They are definitely well written, have a complex story line that cannot be predicted, interesting characters that you begin to feel that you know and care about, and an outrageous sense of humor that occurs when totally unexpected-in short, they are completely addictive! When my husband and I began the series back in January, I was not sure this genre was going to hold my interest. I generally resent getting sucked into becoming emotionally involved in the characters in a novel, however, this series has been the exception. We have literally devoured all the books, including "Side Jobs", the book of short stories, with a competition for who can get to the next book first! I cannot praise Butcher enough for a thoroughly enjoyable and somewhat thought-provoking series, in-depth and meaningful characters and some laugh out loud funny lines! I only wish he could write as fast as I am able to read or that he lived next door!

This book was worth the wait. Don't hesitate to get it--- you won't be disappointed! It had all the elements we expect from Jim Butcher. I don't want to put in any of the spoilers because you deserve to discover it all on your own. Very well written- great action and suspense. It tied up some loose story lines from some of the previous books really well. This is the best in the series but I wouldn't recommend starting the series with book 12- Harry is worth getting to know- start with book 1. You really need all of the history and details from the previous books to appreciate the character and the storyline. Throughout the series we see Harry evolve- he makes mistakes but he learns and grows from them. I appreciate the authors care in not keeping Harry stagnant. In this book we really see what motivates Harry and we see him mature and make hard decisions based on who he is. The decisions he makes were logical for his character. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

I love and I loathe cliffhangers,but at least I could simply jump into the next book, Ghost Story, right away. It's been fun to watch Jum Butcher's writing evolve and improve with each successive installment. The main characters are wonderfully familiar, and the author has thankfully abandoned, for the most part, his habit of fully describing every familiar location and item in the story that readers quickly become familiar with within the first three novels.

Not much more positive review needs to be said than whats been said from other reviewers. At this point, I have completed the series thru book 15 (Skin Games); ready to read thru the series again (and the next 15 ??). Will definitely re-read these books to pick up on other clues/pieces of information that have more significance after I have read them the first time. If there was ever a case of $$$ well spent, this is it.

When Butcher first created Harry Dresden I was a devoted fan, read every book & waited almost breathless for the next installment. But some where about book 7 or 8 it all became too much of a muchness, I wasn't breathless anymore. I didn't even read Small Favor or Turncoat, wasn't interested anymore. Then I was on Amazon desperate for a read, noticed Changes, read the synopsis and thought I'd give it a go. This book is so much more like the Harry of old and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Some have critized the plot for being too far fetched. He's a wizard folks, battling vampires, werewolves & faeries, it's supposed to be far fetched. It's far fetched, fast paced & Harry back on his game. And I'm really looking forward to the next installment.

When Jim Butcher does wholesale change, he doesn’t mess around. Changes, the 12th novel of in The Dresden Files, is a book with twists aplenty and a story packing maximum emotional wallop. Many of the disparate threads from the previous 11 novels meet their end in this book. Like many books in this series, Changes is filled with explosive payoffs and tectonic shifts in narrative. What happens when a wizard discovers he has a daughter and that his child has been abducted by the Red Court of vampires? Said wizard goes on a roaring rampage and his friends come along for the ride... To read the rest of this review, please visit The King's Crier: Book Reviews blog on Blogger.

This will be short and avoid any spoilers. Changes is the penultimate chapter of the first "arc" of the Dresden Files. From the get go, you know everything is changing for Harry, and by the end nothing is or ever will be the same. Dresden and his entire supporting cast are present or mentioned and each character has their part to play beautifully. Butcher has improved as an author. You can see this with each novel as his style is slightly tweaked. The difference in skill between Changes and Storm Front (Book 1) is amazing. There is no lag, it draws you in and doesn't let go until the last word. You don't want to go into Changes cold turkey however, I highly recommend reading all the previous Dresden Files and being prepared to be hooked for however many stories are released in the future.

Couldn't put it down but I had some problems with the plot. It was a little too simple for my taste and seemed single minded in its focus. Now I'm well aware that this series tends to be simple minded in that manner but I was left hoping that more would revolve around it than the main plot. It was good, great even but this fact made me stray from giving it a five star review. Plus another fact that bothered me about it was the way that the hero and his friends seemed near invincible. After going on and on about how powerful one of the main bad guys was it sure didn't seem that hard to beat him. Sorry if this spoils things for anyone but I was left disappointed on that front. Other than those factors the book was very entertaining and enjoyable to read.

Jim Butcher went all out in his 12th installment of the Harry Dresden series, CHANGES. No punches are pulled, no holds are barred. CHANGES do indeed abound, starting right off on the very first line of the first page, and continuing on to the very end. CHANGES "goes to 11," for both Harry and for the readers. As this is no longer a spoiler (it has been widely used in publicity for CHANGES), I will say it here: Harry has an 8 year old daughter and the vampires of the Red Court have kidnapped her. We learn this in the first line of the first chapter. And the excitement and tension just keep growing exponentially from there. Harry Dresden kicks major butt and takes no prisoners. Jim Butcher has really thrown the proverbial kitchen sink into CHANGES. Old friends, enemies, and even frenemies make their appearances. We learn a bit more about each one, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Harry must make "a deal with the devil" to improve his chances of getting his daughter back, trying to chose the least evil of his options. He stands to lose everything, and very nearly does. All of the icons that define Harry as Harry are at risk. His friends are at risk. And Harry himself, his ideals and principles, are at risk. Is it even possible for Harry to survive? Can he save his daughter without losing himself? Harry Dresden is one of my favorite characters. I eagerly anticipate his spring visit ever year, as if anticipating the visit of an old friend. And once his new story arrives, I am pretty much good for nothing until I have finished the new book. And CHANGES was no different. I always try to read each new Dresden book slowly, so that I can catch every nuance and draw out my enjoyment. But, as always, I read CHANGES through lickity-split, skipping meals and stay up until the wee hours. Jim Butcher writes with such ease, familiarity, suspense, and intrigue, that I could not put CHANGES down, no matter how hard I tried (okay, I didn't try all THAT hard). CHANGES is clearly a major turning point for Harry, with heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat, pacing-around-the-room-as-you-read, gasping-for-breath chills and thrills. Both Jim Butcher and Harry Dresden keep growing - Jim in his already impressive writing abilities, and Harry as both a human being and as a wizard - which is the main reason, IMHO, that readers keep flocking back. Harry gets dealt blow after blow after mind-numbing blow, and still manages to keep the droll, witty sense of humor that we have all come to love. CHANGES is no exception; there are several laugh-out-loud moments, as well as lots of heart-warming grins. But by the end of CHANGES, Harry may be changed forever... However, we will have to wait until the next book to find out. CHANGES is the first Dresden that is a true cliffhanger - a how-could-you-do-this-to-me, screaming-at-the-book cliffhanger. The last page of the last chapter nearly did me in, and definitely has me already drooling for more. I don't know how I am going to survive until next April. Only 11 months and three weeks to go. ACK!!!!

I started reading this book a long time ago, but put it away for some reason or other. I picked it up again last weekend and was thrilled with it. What I liked - and hadn't read far enough to appreciate - was the dramatic "change" Butcher created for Dresden What had started out as a sort of "Here We Go Again", moved into a kind of "He didn't really do that, did he?" To find out what follows the death of a hero, I immediately purchased the subsequent books to find out. I'm looking forward to finding out what Butcher has in store for Dresden.

There are numerous reviews here for the 12th Harry Dresden novel so I'm going to keep it short and to a point. If you've been reading Jim Butcher's series to date you definitely need to grab this ASAP. As the title states there are MAJOR readjustments in Harry's life and the balance of power and control again shifts in chaotic leaps like an demonic chessboard manned by evil idiots! I've read all the novels in the series and nothing really prepared me for some of the acts committed by the characters. Look, stop wasting time reading this and get a copy ! And seekers of new and exciting urban fantasy need go no further. Start at the first book and enter an scary, thrilling and humorous world that easily rivals reality. Lines have been crossed. People will die. Life is change.

I love everything Jim Butcher writes, but the Dresden Files series just keeps getting better. I keep thinking the ethical choices Harry has to make in each book can't possibly get any more complicated, more soul searing, but they do. This new entry in the series was no disappointment. I had this book on preorder, and couldn't wait to get started - but then kept pacing myself so I wouldn't finish it too soon! I finally had to stay up until the wee hours completing it, because I needed to know how Harry could possibly get out of the middle of thousands of Red Court vampires and what sacrifices he would be required to make (and also because my son was nagging me for his turn with the book) and drat that Jim Butcher! He left us with a cliff-hanger! Jim... you had better be half way through writing book 13. I'm looking for how to preorder it now...

I loved this book. Books 1-11 were great, and led to this climactic #12 that was sheer perfection. The Dresden Files books will make you laugh, cry, and think. They are amazing.

I am very shocked and heartbroken. Jim Butcher has done a great job on creating the plot of this 12th installment. I have listened to the audio of this at work in two days. Not only the story is very entertaining, it is narrated by James Marsters. The cliffhanger is such a deathblow. Luckily, I already have the next installment. So no book hangover for me. This is my second favorite in this series. Don't get me wrong. I love the entire series, but this book contains information about Harry's pedigree and more. Moving on to Ghost Story.

I have to admit that although I have loved all the other Dresden books I was kind of getting tired of the same bad guys and the same solutions. This book changes all that. Harry finds himself in a moral dilemma that creates a wonderful plot and requires NEW ***NEW*** solutions. Solutions that require more of the famous what is the best of all the worst case scenarios. The difference is that Harry, himself is changing, he is GROWING Up !!!!! He is beginning to realize there never are "perfect" answers and his MORAL core seems to be more solid or rather his confidence in his inherent "goodness" seems to be emerging. Looking forward to the next book---what a great cliff-hanger ending!!!

I always find myself holding my breath towards the end of a Dresden novel, but this one had me holding it from page 1. The action and twists never stop. Without providing any spoilers, all I can say is that everything you thought you knew about Harry and the world he lives in will be changed - forever. All my favorite characters are back (Polka will never die!) and many of them also undergo their own changes, some shine forth in a way never expected, some fall short my expectations. Just like real life - only with wizards and vampires and incredibly powerful demigods. Has to be in my top 10 books ever. I can't imagine how Butcher will ever top this, but he never disappoints so I will have an oxygen bottle handy for the next Dresden file.

This book was amazing! Action packed from literally the first chapter! I laughed and then I cried! Spoiler this book ends on a cliffhanger. I'm still amazed at times with the choices harry makes, but I find in the end that is because he does it for the ones that he loves!! Awesome read.

Never Disappointing Jim Butcher's "Changes" deserves to be purchased and I'm glad I did. This particular adventure kept me on edge and I can't help but feel it is the best book yet in the Dresden Files. I believe three things make a great book: emotion, intensity and originality, but add dynamic style and you have a best seller. One other factor helps me rate this novel, after hours of wading through a deep slush pile, editing speculative fiction, I was able to pick this book up and read with satisfaction. High praise. Michael C. Pennington Editor Aurora Wolf Literary Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy [...]

Changes was an amazing addition to the Dresden Files. I just couldn't put it down once I started. The only reason I did was that I had class the next morning and had to get some sleep. All said and done, I read it start to finish in 49 hours (including sleep/class/etc). I reiterate that I just couldn't put it down to do anything else. I still remember my reaction when I reached the end of the book was to continue looking through and past the "About the Author" section because I was positive there had to be more story. Oh, well, at least Jim Butcher comes out with books extraordinarily quickly and hopefully we'll just have to wait until November or December to get the next one.

I never saw this one coming for Harry. I have no idea what us next. I can't wait to find out. So many possibilities.

These books just keeping getting better and better. Now granted, if I didn't know there were books after this I would have been very disappointed at the ending, but gladly the story goes on. I love seeing how Mouse continues to develop and how Harry's "life" keeps getting more complicated. The author does a great job of building suspense and by the time you reach the last 25% of the book it is impossible to put down. That makes it hard when you do most of your reading on breakfast and lunch breaks.

I've been a fan of The Dresden Series from the start. Harry Dresden is a great character and is surrounded by an outstanding cast of characters. Mr. Butcher puts Harry through the ringer in every book and it is exciting to see how he's going to get himself out of it. Changes is the perfect title for this book. A lot of the things we've come to know and love about Harry and his life gets turned upside down. Plus, with the way this book ends your left with wanting more... in a good way. I would highly recommend this book and the rest of the Dresden series, as well as Mr. Butcher's Codex Alera series, for any one looking for a fun read.

Butcher writes with depth, detail and humor. The characters come to life and tackle the most amazing nasties.

I did enjoy this book. Jim Butcher annoys me sometimes with his writing style (like when he comments on the cleverness of his own puns? *cringe*) By and large though, I do enjoy each story. This one was no different. I knew from the very first line of the book that it was about to hit the fan. The only thing I didn't like was the ending because it was extremely abrupt. It sort of seemed like he couldn't think of what to do next. All I have to say to that is that I'm glad I discovered this series rather recently and didn't finish Changes until about two days ago. At least I don't have long to wait! :)

One of the themes of the Dresden saga is the continuing education of Harry. Each story has presented him with a challenge or several challenges he has to overcome. As his mentor has said, the day you stop learning is the day you start dying, (or words to that effect). As he learns and grows in power and experience, he has to grow in understanding and maturity as well, always at the risk of making a fatal wrong turn in his choices. This book is like graduate school on steroids for Harry. One of the pleasures of the story is seeing how he has taken the lessons from his prior adventures to heart. As a character, he is anything but static. And yet he retains a core of decency and integrity despite all he's been through. (And humor.) One of the subtle elements of the story is that in this tale, Harry hasn't had to develop new skills or powers to survive, though there is some of that. Instead, it's more about Harry taking what he has learned, and starting to put the pieces together more effectively. He's beginning to think deeper, grasp the subtleties of magic more clearly, beginning to develop a measure of mature wisdom. Without resorting to spoilers, this story will take everything Harry has, and test him to limits he hasn't even dreamed of till now. And at the end of the tale, he (and we) will barely have begun to understand the price he has paid or how to go on after all of the changes he has undergone..

I love the Dresden files. Set in Chicago with Chicago's only advertising Wizard private detective. Harry Dresden is really a wizard. Who can take the elements and make something else out of them. Earth, fire, water, and air and the human spirit... to arrange and use these things to help Humanity.He takes on the meanest and worst of the evil creatures from the Never Never. Where things we think of as nightmares exist. Plenty of action and plenty of trials and tribulation for Harry who tries to do the right thing.

This was a very disorienting story. Awful things kept happening to Harry with no apparent rhyme or reason. He accepts that he has a daughter unquestioningly.

I mean I love this series but I would not recommend it to others. This one is weirdly angry and also I want a more emotionally intelligent protagonist but what I want, I must make.

WOW WOW WOW! This book takes off like a FREAKING ROCKET! So many things have happened in Harry Dresden's life, he's made friends, allies & enemies. He has saved countless people's lives, fought the evils of "Black Magic" & tangled with forces from Heaven, Hell & realms of Farie. He has prevented several wars and incidentally started another. He even has an open grave at the local cemetery with the headstone engraved "HARRY DRESDEN - HE DIED DOING THE RIGHT THING" waiting to receive him. ( It was a gift. ) In this latest book he is in trouble, real trouble. The kind of trouble that can cost him everyone & everything that means so much to him. You will enjoy the action, suspense, danger & the classic humor we have all come to love. I do not want to give away spoilers. However I will say that this book is so good that after I read the last page I was just sitting in my chair stunned! If you liked the other Dresden books, you will FRIGGIN' LOVE this book. Note: If you finish this book & can't wait for the next to be released, I suggest reading some of the short stories featuring Harry Dresden. They all take place between the main books & are what I'm doing to ease the wait of the next book being released.

This book was definitely all about Changes. Harry's life is permanently changed along with most of his friends.

Of all the books in the Dresden series, this was by far the BEST. There's a reason every single book before this, and every single book after this in the series, have titles consisting of 2 words. This is only book titled using one word, and it's deliberate. Anything I could say about this book would be a spoiler, but I heartily recommend you read the 11 books that came before this one, so that the multiple impacts Changes makes will be significant.

Jim Butcher, long the master of magical suspense, turns up the heat on his hero Harry Dresden with the very first line: -I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, "They've taken our daughter."- The rest of the book asks: How much will Harry sacrifice to rescue this daughter he has never met? The answer is everything. The title CHANGES is a clue to the reader of what to expect. All the props and touchstones of Harry's life from the dingy basement apartment, the long leather coat, the battered VW Beetle--everything he has goes on the line and the sacrifices don't stop there. Butcher keeps upping the ante. The vampires holding the little girl are plotting an act of ritual magic so black that the threat embraces both Harry and his half-brother Thomas. The White Council is riven by treachery and dissent. Harry is a man with legendary cards up his sleeve but events force him now to put the whole deck on the table. He's at peace with laying down his life but giving up his integrity? This is read-until-three-in-the-morning plotting. And it is not until the very last page that Butcher reveals just what a devil's bargain Harry has struck. This is a no spoiler review so I can't say much. I hate how this book ends, but hope this isn't the last word on the subject. The main fault with this book is that it is not self contained. It can't be. Fans of the series will rejoice in the appearance of many of the regulars and one needs to be a fan to catch all the references. But die-hard fans are unlikely to to be content with where Butcher leaves us. This isn't so much a cliff-hanger as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle pushing Sherlock Holmes over the cliff...enough said.

Probably one of the best books in the series. In terms of earth shaking events in an otherwise well established universe, this book is aptly (if perhaps not quite as cleverly as usual) named. Not since the beginning of the war with the Red Court and the introduction of the Denarians (and the implications thereof) has a Dresden book left such an impact on the world and the readers. Nothing will be the same.

Kindle copy-fine delivery. I added the audio book because Marsters is perfect for Dresden.

One of the things I enjoy about Jim Butcher's writing is how far he takes the reader. Not distance per se, but the ablity to test all of the options available to the character under pressure. I had an idea of where the story was going, but when I got there I was not disappointed. The only drawback to reading the book (quickly) was that now I have to wait for the next book to be published. Pins and needles anyone? My only consolation is that Mr. Butcher is not dividing his time with the Alera Codes series (which I enjoyed too) and The Dresden Files. Pins and needles, Mr. Butcher... pins and needles.

Jim Butcher does it again. A great story that starts off with a plot twist just to end with another. This book is going to absorb you and you will not be able to stop until the very end. The title "Changes" suits this book perfectly, it is a refreshing book on the series that was becoming a bit repetitive. Once you start this book you will not stop until you get to the following book in the Dresden Files series.

To Chicago's only listed wizard Harry Dresden his affair with Susan Rodriguez feels like yesterday and eons ago. They were madly in love until she was assaulted by one of his adversaries Bianca coming after his Achilles' Heel. Susan fled Harry and the States for South America to keep as much of her humanity as possible while struggling with her new needs for blood and a thirst to destroy the Vampiric Red Court whose blood rage Bianca infected in her. However, Susan hid from Harry and the Red Court a tiny secret. Red Court Duchess Arianna Ortega learns that Susan gave birth to Harry's daughter Maggie. The evil vampiress realizes Maggie is an even better tool to destroy her group's greatest foe Dreden whom she holds responsible for her husband's death. She abducts Maggie planning on a ritual sacrifice with a death for a death. A distraught Susan turns to her former lover Harry informing him he has a preadolescent daughter and she has been kidnapped by the Red Court. Raging almost out of control, Harry ignores the White Council of Wizards who would prefer a half-breed to die for the so called better good mentality of maintaining the peace with the vampires who have wrecked South America. He is willing to go dark side to save his offspring's life. Jim Butcher is incredible as this time Dresden is saving his child that he never knew existed. Fast-paced, but character driven throughout as the obsessed wizard seems almost over the edge, but long time fans will know his dark jocular asides prove he still is Harry; just with a personal mission. Changes is a great entry as Harry faces fatherhood if he can save his daughter's life from an equally raging vampiress. Harriet Klausner

Good book but so much too the story. Though wish dresden gets a break. Poor guy.

Story had all the right twists and turns. Ending had more than I had expected. Well done and thanks Mr. Butcher.

I have never followed a book series so religiously! I mean it when I say it, if you love sci-fi fiction and anything to do with magic, READ THIS SERIES!!! I never thought myself for the detective type, but Jim Butcher is an absolute artist of the pages when it comes to the satisfaction of a thriller. Get the first one "Storm Front" NOW!!! What are you waiting for!!!

Great book, but this one is a game changer. The book arrived on time and in great condition.

One of the best Dresden Files book and true to the title it changes everything with an ending that keep his loyal fans on pins and needles until the next book came out.

I love you, Jim Butcher; you never let me down. Butcher's latest offering on the Harry Dresden series, CHANGES is a thrill ride and-a-half. The teaser on the cover gets your mind wrapped around the idea that Harry will face off against the Red Court to save his (surprise!) daughter, but that's just page ONE. The crises come fast and furious, giving Chicago's favorite wizard no time to recover or recoup. This is by far the meatiest and most action-packed Dresden yet, with Butcher giving us everything we love about the series and then some. I loved every moment, every page, every paragraph; 546 pages in two sittings, and I coulda kept going. Even the last page had me grinning. What a ride!

From the opening line, to the final cliff hanging one, this book gripped. The characters are rich, and even for fantasy creatures, they and their dialogs are believable. Dresden has to come to grips with a situation he never thought he would have to deal with, making deals with the fey. But he does this for righteous reasons, as once again the White Council does nothing but posture and say no to Dresden's request for aid. Don't want to go into too much detail, as I don't want to spoil for anyone. Excellent book, in both Treeware and E-ware form. I recommend it.

Butcher skillfully picks up the plot threads he's been weaving together for the last 11 books or so, and brings them together in a climax that can literally be called earthshaking! (Trust me, see... these bad guys get... well, just read for yourself...) And for every plot thread he wraps up, a dozen more come to life. True to the title 'Changes' is about shaking up the status quo, clearing out accumulated baggage and laying the foundation for many hard (yet rewarding) days to come for Harry Dresden!

One of my favorite series of all time. I’ve read the whole thing twice.

I've been a Jim Butcher fan for a while. But with the last few books, I've felt they've become a bit predictable. While still enjoyable, I was less and less excited with each issue. With Turn Coat (the previous book in the series), I saw some very appreciated changes. Well those changes go even farther in Changes. Taking a darker and more sinister twist than previous books, we get to experience a side of Harry that we've only seen hinted at before. In the quest to save his daughter, harry will do whatever it takes. Its still a Jim Butcher book though, so its a fast and fun novel with lots of action and dialogue. The writing is tighter in this new contribution to the series, and I felt there was a welcome change in some of the scenery presented. If you're looking for a book that explores humanity or modern society, keep looking. But if you're looking for a book to keep you rapt in attention until the earth shattering conclusion, then look no further. Get this book.

I thought that there would be some chages due to the name of the book, but I didn't expect there to be changes to almost everything in Harry Dresden's life. Also there is a cliff hanger at the end ,[ of course at the end], that I didn't expect. This now leaves you waiting and wondering what the next book will be about. In one way this is a good way to get you to buy the next book, but it also makes you a little angry that you have to wait to find out what happends next. I still loved the book and can hardly wait for the next book in the Harry Dresden series.

Was worried these might be old copies that were damaged (having read similar claims when buying box sets). Nope, these are brand new and in great condition.

And nothing else matters. You will literally do anything to get her back. Changes was the BEST dresden book. Until Cold Days. Read and Enjoy, it only gets better from here.

The Dresden series just gets better and better as it moves forward! The latest saga has Harry out to save his daughter (he just learned of her existence at the end of the previous book) from the Red Court Vampires. His most powerfully impressive band of cohorts to date, travel with Harry to the Red Court's place of power where Harry's daughter is slated to be the guest sacrifice in a ritual meant to kill off her bloodline. aka Harry. Harry's band of Heavy hitters is made up of friends and some of those we have known to be semi-enemies in his past. Of course Murphy and Harry's half brother Thomas, the White Court vampire, are with him for the final battle. But there are others with Harry that will be a bit of a surprise and adds greatly to the intrigue! Of course in the backdrop is the usual strife within the White Council of Wizards. This installment builds to a powerful and gut wrenching conclusion. Anyone who has enjoyed the Dresden series will certainly not be disappointed with "CHANGES"!

Book number 12 out of a 15+ book series. I am now halfway through _Ghost Story_ and have arranged to pickup _Cold Days_ at the library due to my zero hardback policy. And book #15, _Skin Game_, appears to be far off in the distance. In which Harry Dresden and the Scooby gang head down to Mexico to rescue Harry's daughter. What, you did not know that Harry had a daughter? Neither did he. And this episode has a very bitter, very very bitter ending so do NOT read the ending first!

I just wish Jim Butcher would turn out these Dresden Files novels more often. For me, he's up there with Robert Crais and Elizabeth Peters for turning out consistently fun reads. I always enjoy the mixture of inventive plots, humorous asides, and interesting characters, and I found myself reading realllllly slowly to draw out the experience. This in a tiny point, but I think the final scene might have played better if the setting had been an unknown Mayan ruin deep in the jungle (there seem to be plenty of these) instead of the Chichen Itza.

Jim Butcher has done it again! I have been hooked on this series since storm front and the only bad thing about reading this book is knowing that the next book isn't ready for me to devour!! Since page 1 this book takes you on a fast paced journey into one man's quest to desperately hold on to his family at all costs. Every chapter has twists and turns that keep you reading and saying to yourself, "Ah-HAH! I knew it!!". Lets just say that when Harry gets done with this book many loose ends get tied together while Harry himself makes some of the most gut wrenching decisions he has ever had to in his career. This is a MUST read book that not only keeps you wanting more but gives you plenty of the book the book down and laugh yourself hysterical moments that make us love Jim's writing so much. Prepare for fights on an Epic scale as Team Dresden suits up for their fevered plight into Mordor....(cough cough you'll get the joke when you read the book). Although I have to say this is my favorite book in the series, Jim really throws your head and heart in a blender at the end of this book as Harry finds out more about his family, and just how much trouble hes gotten himself into in the process! Harry jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire and I can't wait to see how he gets out of it! WATCH OUT FOR THE HUGE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END OF THE BOOK!!! >=O At least we know there HAS to be another book coming in the future now hehehe (I'm not giggling, this is a wizard's cackle).

If you don't know of Jim Butcher and you love witches, warlocks, cops, bad guys, good guys, demons and zombies, well ... get the Dresden Files. Ought to go down in history as a classic. There are 14 or 15 books to the actual episode series, I've read them all and really wish there were more.

Jim Butcher continues his Dresden series with this thrilling new chapter. I'm afraid I didn't like it as much because (as often seems to happen in continuing series) the storyline has just gotten way too dark for me to enjoy anymore. My Mom is happily continuing on with the series but I'm afraid this is my last adventure with Dresden. I got involved for action and great storylines and plot twists but largely the humor that made the books so much fun to read. Sorry Dresden.

As the headline says, it arrived in great shape and on time.

Talk about a cliff-hanger. Just about the time I think surely Jim Butcher has run out of trouble for Harry Dresden to find himself embroiled in, yet another adventure begins. This time it isn't just any 'damsel in distress', it's his daughter. And anyone who knows Harry knows how he is when it comes to the fairer sex and children. The only character I missed in this book was Michael, and I'm hoping we haven't seen the last of him. Even though his last books have been poorly edited (and it's a shame) I still look forward to the next one.

Overall I liked this book, but I found the tone to be way off from the other Dresden book. It takes itself way too seriously-there is almost no humor here. That's one of the things I've always enjoyed about the Dresden Files-they made me laugh at times. Not this time. Hopefully, this is not a hint of things to come. There's been enough reviews, that I don't have to go over the story yet again. Let me just say, that I HATE cliff hangers. They feel so manipulative, and make me feel used. I would have bought the next book anyway.

Following the series. This one took it up a notch.😁 Became very personal for everyone. Nice twist, strange ending consider first book of his noted he had been dead

I should have know by the title!! 12 Dresden Files, 12 wonderful stories! GONE! It seems the flavor of the month is vampires. Pasty face vampires with cute girls. , Last year it was that boy wizard with the scar, people forgot about Jim Butcher. He created a world where there were vampires, werewolves, faires,dogs, cats, blue beatles, female police detectives and you cared about each one of them. They were family and you loved them and died with them. If you are fan of Dresden then you have to read this book. Butcher pulls out all the stops. There are twists and turns and topped off with one hell of a battle scene that lays wastes to central Mexico. This book is worth the price and I am wiping away the tears. Damn I am crying over a stupid book. Yet I have spent many an hour with Harry and now nothing. This has not been a good time for me. I lost Jesse Stone and now Harry Dresden. When was the last time a book affected you?

This is, quite simply, a book I could not put down. No spoilers here, but if you have been reading the dreseden files, you CAN NOT miss this book, and if you haven't been reading them, the you need to start. It seems like the hardest thing to do in books or movies is to finish off a series with a satisfying ending( dark tower, matrix, neaderthal parallax, and to a much lesser extent, this authors own codex alera), but if Mr. butcher can continue this series at this high level, and finish it off well ( lord of the rings, hyperion cantos) this this may become my favorite series of all time.

Much of what I would say has been said by others here, so I will just say this: I have afflicted others in my family and friends with this series and they have all succumbed to the Dresden Files. I read this the day I got it and am now well-nigh gnashing my teeth that I have to wait another year to get more. Dammit. FYI, Mouse is now one of my favorites. I always liked him but now he is going to be awesome in the future. Butters is a true Boyscout. Molly is coming along nicely and Tomas is...Tomas. Murphy...what can I say....Tiny but FIERCE! Sanya...nuff said. McCoy showing us what a Blackstaff is and Harry. Harry... shows us what a parent who cares will do even at the cost to themselves. (I did really enjoy his physics lesson on gravity...you'll see) I look forward to what happens next and continue to recommend this series to anyone who wants a good read by an author who knows how to show you instead of telling you. That is incredibly rare and not to be unappreciated. Read them from the beginning and make up your own minds. That is the beginning of wisdom.

Just finished the book this morning. I tried to read just a chapter a day and savor it slowly, but that ain't happening with Harry Dresden. As always, our hero gets deeper and deeper into trouble, all the while taking beatings (and handing them out), creating new enemies and causing the readers pulse to quicken. The last hundred pages went by in blur -so much for savoring- and left me tired and slack-jawed. Yep, there be changes...BIG changes! Butcher is awesome as ALWAYS. Harry Dresden RULES and Harry Potter drools...

I can't seem to get enough of Dresden. I read way past when I should at night because I can't seem to boot the books down! The writing style can be awkward at times but it's easy to look past that for the story Butcher weaves and the under laying world of the Supernatural. Changes did not disappoint with an ending that brought Dresden MORE problems!! But that's normal!

Jim Butcher has out done himself, once again. I'm a devoted Dresden Files fan and I loved every single page of this book. Every scene was engaging and exciting, each of the characters shows remarkable depth that I've come to admire in the series. "Changes" is an appropriate title, because this one really broke the mold and rattles the foundations on which the series has been built. I've been shell shocked since I finished it and I still can't quite put it down. Every time I think about part of the story I have to flip to whichever section and rehash all the details. You will not regret buying this book, and you will most likely finish it begging for more.

This is a must read for any fan of the Dresden files. Several different arcs and storylines have their peak in this volume, making for one intense read and ride. Unlike some of the earlier volumes, this is not a good place to start for new readers. Most of the story and finer points build on the lore and backstory of the entire series. Now I'm off to read the next volume... it was that good and captivating.

This was my best Dresden book! It took all his expertise to save a daughter that he did not know that he had. Could not stop reading it! This was the best installment for me. I can not wait to read the next since always with Dresden, there is a price to pay at the end. Highly recommended!!

All the Dresden books a fun, exciting, quick reads. Love em!

I've read all of the Dresden File stories several times, including the compilations of shorts placed between various novels, to the point that some of my paperbacks are getting a little worn so I'm going back and purchasing hardbacks of novels when I can afford them, which will hopefully last longer. Highly recommended though Definitely don't read this one until you've read most of the earlier ones. Could spoil the experience if you do.

Fans of this series will not be disappointed. Another wonderful story from Mr. Butcher. Once again, I found myself flying through the book eagerly wanting to know the outcome of every twist and turn. Changes has the same snarky Harry we have all come to know and love. There is much heartbreak and joy to be had in this novel and it will both delight you and cause some tears. I highly recommend this to anyone who has been reading this series. Story arcs that begin all the way back in

Great story series delivered wuicklt

Devoured whole in a blink. ~BLiP~

The title kinda gives away the plot. Still, it is a very fun book.

This is definitely not the book you should first pick up if you are new to the Dresden series. Start with Storm Front, and work your way forward - your effort will be rewarded with one of the most enjoyable series read I can recall. Butcher is an excellent writer and seamlessly blends intrigue, terror and humor into a gritty urban fantasy series that seems to get better with every book! In this particular novel, Butcher shakes up everything - apparently intending this to be a non-stop action ride. I was a bit disappointed in the beginning of the book, where the the author trades the character self-reflection for jumping right into the action. Gone too are the characteristic wit and irony of the Dresden's thoughts, instead relying upon your existing knowledge of Dresden's character. But the result is a pretty decent action ride, and fans of the series will be blown away by the "changes".

It's the Dresden files, must read fiction!

Hate your choices of descriptors! Loved the book. As you might suppose, I have read the previous eleven books in the series, plus some of the material between the novels. Harry Dresden is an excellent character, well drawn. The stories are fantasy/mystery/thriller. If that is in your wheelhouse, enjoy!

In Changes Jim Butcher offers his most superlatively outstanding Dresden Files novel yet. I laughed more, I cried more (okay, I got choked up more) and I rushed more to see what came next than I had with any of the earlier excellent and outstanding Dresden Files novels. I learned secrets that I never even imagined existed. I don't want to give away any of the secrets, so let me just say, at the risk of sounding trite, that this is the Dresden Files novel where everything truly changes...

I can't even tell you how good this book is without giving spoilers. It's truly amazing, and everybody should read it.

I like Dresden because it's completely unabashed pulp. I sit down with the book and can read it in an evening or two and I'm pretty much promised an action-packed ride where Dresden gets the crap kicked out of him by enemies, proceeds to kick the crap out of said enemies with a group of his closest friends, and unwinds a twisty mystery in the process. The unwinding is as often as not not the result of good detective work, but rather having survived the initial crap-kicking, and then living long enough to dish out his own kicking of crap. This book thoroughly delivers on all counts. It's a great romp with action ramping up in to a thoroughly satisfying, violent climax. My only complaint is that, being a Chicagoan, as Dresden becomes increasingly international in his travels I miss his interaction with the Windy City setting. Sympathizing with Dresden as he combated Chicago winter during

Changes is book #12 of the Dresden Files and is definitely NOT the place to start this series. There are simply too many characters and situations from past books mentioned for a newbie to make any sense of this book. However, one thing I love about this series is that, if you start from the beginning and read along, you'll notice that Jim Butcher only introduces a few new characters and/or concepts in each book. He periodically refers back to these characters and concepts in later books, makes connections among them, etc. So by the time you get to a book like this, it's pretty easy to remember who everyone is. I like the gradual buildup of complexity. (If it's been a long time since you read the last one, there are decent Wikipedia summaries for the books in this series.) I thought book #11 was a little different in tone from the rest of the series and ended on a sad/downbeat note, but this book kind of blew that out of the water. However, don't lose hope at the end. There are at least three more books already published in the series after this, and it's my understanding there are more to come. So keep that in mind...I'm glad I can download #13 as soon as I finish writing this review. Sometimes I take a break between reading Dresden books but I don't think I will, not this time. First difference: in other books, Harry has a mystery to solve. The mystery gets resolved by the end of the book, and we learn some things about the larger story arc of the whole series. This time, however, there is a quest, but there's not much of a mystery involved (although there are a couple of big revelations at the end). The quest is finished by the end of the book, as is at least one major part of the series arc (I think), but there is no choice but for the series to transform into something different after this book. (Interestingly, this is the only book in the series with a one-word title. That makes it stand out a bit, too.) So if you are looking for more urban fantasy featuring a private detective, this book may not be your best bet. However, if you are invested in the series and characters and want to see this thing through to the end (like I do), then you'll just have to read this! Second difference: other books are set wholly in Chicago and its environs. This book has a fair number of scenes in Chicago, but also a lot of scenes in the Nevernever (Faerie land, basically) and the final confrontation takes place in Mexico. Third difference: After a few books where Harry doesn't change much, as a character, he changes in several big ways here. But I feel like his motivation is clear. He was an orphan and longed for family connections. So when he found out in this book that he had a daughter (like in the first chapter, probably available in the Kindle preview, so not really a spoiler), who was in trouble, of course he wants to save her. He goes to some extreme measures to do so, takes some actions he never would have considered (and some he passed up on moral principle) in previous books. I think his actions make sense, though. And maybe he was always capable of what he did in this book, he just needed a REASON to go that extra mile. One thing that's kind of the same as in past books is that Harry learns he's not going to get help from the White Council (governing body of wizards, essentially), so he has to assemble a team of friends (not all of whom are wizards, and not all of whom are supernaturally strong) to attack the enemy stronghold. Of course, by now, most of his helpers have been through at least a handful of battles. The final confrontation is pretty spectacular (and decisive) here. Yeah, there's some big-time deus ex machina going on, but I won't complain too much. You probably haven't made it this far in the series without expecting a little bit of that. Jim Butcher manages to make his books a lot of fun even in spite of (or perhaps because of) them being full of fantasy tropes. FYI, as usual, there are a handful of 4-letter words and some sexual situations. This is turning out to be one of my favorite series. The writing flows well (maybe too many Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references here, but at least those are familiar to most of the people who would be reading this), I find the characters to be sympathetic, and even though the ending of this particular book was unexpected and kind of depressing, I'd much rather read something by an author who puts his characters in real danger than anything that's resolved too neatly and too cleanly, with no serious trouble. I know I'll be interested to see where Jim Butcher goes with the next book.

I liked this addition even more than the other books in the series. It was very nice to see Dresden explore his emotions and ethics. Not a deep book, but I read the Dresden books because they are entertaining, interesting, and fun. I choose other books for deep. The characters are well rounded, as usual. I loved the end of the big fight (won't give any spoilers) but I don't much like the cliff-hanger type ending of the book, I prefer some closure. But I understand why Butcher might end it that way.

I have always loved the Dresden books and look forward to each one that comes out. Changes was full of surprises to say the least. Harry's life is taking a very unexpected detour from his 'normal' life. Finding out he is a dad was totally mind blowing. Harry has to grow up and he takes his new responsibility seriously. His relationships with the people in his life also takes him to a new level. I could not put the book down. The ending came as a big shock and I can't hardly wait until the next book comes out. This is the best of all the Dresden books in my opinion.

Dresden never disappoints.

Harry Dresden is a great character. Easy to root for with a ready wit and true honor. Jim Butcher knows how to weave a tale.

***warning contains potential spoilers*** A former lover suddenly reappears into Harry Dresden's life with a problem only he can help solve. Susan Rodriguez and Dresden were involved many years ago. Their relationship ended abruptly when Susan was attacked by the Red Court vampires. She has since lived in a half-vampire state, fighting between her humanity and her bloodlust. Should she take a life and feed on the blood, she will become a full fledged Red Court vampire. She has been fighting the good fight against the vampires with other half breeds, but now her daughter has been kidnapped. It seems Arianna Ortega, Duchess if the Red Court, has discovered Susan's secret and is exploiting it to take her revenge on those who have wronged her in the past. Susan needs Dresden to help her find the missing child and remove her from the clutches of the Red Court. Dresden will be pushed to the limit and will make choices he normally would avoid in other situations because this time he's not just fighting for himself or to save the world, he's fighting to save an innocent little girl, Susan's daughter...and his own. I really enjoyed this book. I love Dresden's wit and quips and the sources that Butcher draws on for thise. this book references Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and The Wizard of Oz...what's not to enjoy? :) Instead of continuing on where the last book left off, it sort of side stepped into a whole other story that wasn't expected. We get to learn more about Dresden's history and get a look into what really drives him...the choices he will make for those he loves. I'm definitely looking forward to where his next journey will take him...ghosts and interactions with the Winter Court. Some good quotes: "The headquarters of the White Council of wizards is a dull, dim, drafty sort of place - not unlike the insides of the heads of a great many people that work there." "The White Council never does anything quickly, and I had a bad feeling that tempus was fugiting quickly." ""You're a goog man, Harry." ... "Not always rational, ... But you're the best kind of crazy."" "There is, I think, humor here which does not translate well from English into sanity." ""He's Black Council"... "Or maybe stupid." ... "Not sure which is scarier." ... "Stupid, Hoss. Every time. Only so many blackhearted villains in the world, and they only get uppity on occasion. Stupid's everywhere, every day."

This continues the Dresden saga, with imagination and an undercurrent of doubt and questions about morality, absolutes, the future of the world, and other light subjects. These books continue in a dark theme, mixing good and evil, light and dark, questioning everything. They are also funny and escapist. Try one, and enjoy, or avoid the genre. Butcher writes well, characters are complex.

Unlike some Authors whose books get worse with each successive book in a series, Jim Butcher does us all proud with this installment of the Harry Dresden series. Wow. The title sums it up. I could not put it down. Read it non-stop on a very turbulent flight and it distracted me so much that I hardly noticed I was gripping the plastic soda cup for dear life to keep it's contents from sloshing to my lap... Jim Butcher is a super-talent! Keep them coming.

Way to change things up Mr. Butcher. I loved it for the twists that are on par or exceeds the big reveal at the end of Empire Strikes Back. So I really think this book is a game changer for the series. Never let it be said that Jim is afraid of shaking things up with the storyline or characters. So bravo Jim, bravo!

Fun read

I am beginning to love how Jim Butcher writes a book that can stand on its own and yet references past books. If you've read the previous books it adds a lot to the motivations of the characters. If you haven't it's still a good book

Its been a while since I've read a book that I truly did not want to put down. I literally had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep. I won't give anything away, but all I can say to Jim Butcher is well done. I am literally frothing at the mouth with the thought that I have to wait at least another year to continue the story. The only downside was only a brief reference to the Archive. Ivy is always an interesting character and I hope to see her again in the next book.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you will be emotionally scarred for life. Enjoy!

As with any good series, they just get better and better with each new release. This book is no exception, the story is revitting to the end and characters are further developed. I highly recommend this book to anyone already reading the series, and it is still a good read as a stand alone story... just more enjoyable if you have followed the characters from the start. I am not sure how i feel about the ending, without spoiling anything... let's just say it was unexpected.

I'll be honest, I almost stopped reading the Dresden Files after changes. I never liked the Susan character, and really enjoyed her being gone even though it had given an opening for Harry to have a relationship with another Warden which I didn't like (but I knew that wouldn't last so I could gag it down.) When it turned out Harry had a kid with Susan, I found those whole thing kind of 'bleh.' I really enjoyed the presence of Leansidhe, right up until somehow her magic allowed Mouse to talk. Mouse talking was just plain unpleasant. I could have done without that entirely. I know this will sound awful, but I really wished for the bulk of this book that Harry would just stake Susan and be done with it -- she was entirely overwrought and overdone in this book and it was clear from the beginning that she wasn't going to make it, so why drag it out? Ebenezzar saved the book with a little help from Mab and Leansidhe. The main story in this book, however, blew. Fortunately, the side stories were allowed to take up more space that usual, which really helped with the lame main plot.

he's not harry potter...he's harry potter for adults...well he's definetly a harry...i saw the canadian tv series and like it...got this book and every last one in the series...only thing i can say is poor harry...you almost read to see how horribly beat up he'll get this time around...things always work out..but not always wee for harry...indulge yourself in some magic doings and dark deeds...

My favorite in The Dresden Files!

You have to read all the books leading up to this one. It is so worth it and the payoff is great.

The villains aren't given much of a fleshing out here, but the story is very well done. This is probably the most action oriented book of the series, which is why I feel there isn't much development going on. It's a book where you see the impacts, and have to read the later ones to see where the pieces fell.

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series is the best action-packed, fast-moving, fantasy collection this reviewer has ever read. And the 12th installment, CHANGES, is no different. From the 1st page to the 500th, the story moves at a feverish pace. So why the 3 stars? Unfortunately, the story meanders, drifts, is hopelessly uneven, and the Red Court vamp villains are never fully vetted--with a showdown that slaughters suspension of disbelief. I look forward to finishing the Dresden Files series, but this installment definitely, in this reviewer's opinion, takes a couple of steps back. In CHANGES, Susan Rodriguez, Harry's former half-vampire girlfriend, reappears to give Harry some shocking news: Harry has a 7-year-old daughter, Maggie. And little Maggie has been kidnapped by Arianne Ortega, a noble in the bloodthirsty Red Court of Vampires, to be sacrificed in a power-summoning ritual in Mexico, destined to catapult the Red Court past their adversaries in the White Council of Wizards. Harry is emboldened, energized by anger Butcher never bothers to identify, to rescue his daughter and inflict serious damage on the Red Court. He is assisted by the usual cast of characters: Thomas, his half-brother; Karrin Murphy of the Chicago PD; Molly, his apprentice; Mouse, his supernatural dog; Sanya, the remaining lone Knight of the Cross; Lea, his dangerous, yet mysterious, fairie godmother; and Susan herself, aided and abetted by Martin, another half-vampire never fully vetted. To accomplish his task--invading the home turf of the Red Court amid literally thousands of vampires--Harry accepts the offer of Mab, the dark, very dangerous, Fairie Queen of Winter: He becomes her Winter Knight. (The consummation of his Knighthood makes for some serious page-turning.) Armed with this additional, albeit dark, power, Harry and his entourage descend upon the Red Court lair in the jungles of Mexico. The carnage is extraordinary--and there is indeed a sacrifice as the battle climaxes that is quite jarring. The title, CHANGES, is very appropriate. *SPOILER ALERT!* First of all, Harry is now a father--of a little girl he must never get to know in order to protect her from all his enemies. The building hosting his sub-basement apartment burns to the ground, and his battered Blue Beetle car is destroyed by a hideous monster summoned by the Red Court from the Nevernever. And there is a cliffhanger ending that suggests Harry's mortality has been extinguished. All compelling components, to be sure, but the unevenness of CHANGES, its inherent lack of pacing, makes for a difficult Dresden Files read. ~D. Mikels, Esq.

This book is great for looking at some of the more interpersonal relationships that are sometimes left out of the major books. I liked the first meeting between Harry and Karrin. Despite Jim Butcher's assertion that this first short story was essentially a "terrible" attempt it has great hints of the characters' personalities; you can really see where everything later developed. Sure, it's not another installment in the ongoing saga, but it is definitely an important part of the overall story. I would certainly recommend this book to any fan of the series.

Love it, love it, LOVE IT. Harry Dresden is not only challenged more thoroughly physically and magically, but emotionally and morally. This is Mr. Butcher at his best. Grim and gritty, hard (near impossible) choices, and sacrifice upon sacrifice. (When you read this you will see that the pun is intended!) If you liked any of the other Dresden novels, you will love this. So, what are you waiting for? BUY IT!

Best Dresden story to date. Looking forward to more. Keep writing the good stuff Jim. I will not sleep till the next, and then not sleep till I finish. Such a vicious cycle we live.

Just when you think you have Harry Dresden figured out, he changes the way you look at him forever. I will not go into the details but I can only commend Jim Butcher on writing a lovely, moving, and surprising novel. It is refreshing to see a series where the main character continues to evolve in logical ways. Most series' protagonists either stagnate or start acting erratically to "keep things fresh." Turns out that you don't have to sign up for a ticket to crazy-town to keep things fresh. All you have to do is be open to the possibilities (even the painful ones). Thank you for a lovely addition to the Dresden Files - I am anxious to read the next installment!

If you are a die hard fan of the Dresden Files like I am then by all means DO NOT PURCHASE THIS BOOK If you have anything of importance going on in your life right now. Butchers writing is how I imagine Crack to be for the addicted....as in I hope you have two days or so to yourself in order to devour this book because it is like candy for the imagination. You will NOT be able to put it down. These are the game changers we have all been waiting for! Get it now but don't start reading it and forget that you are getting married in a couple days....because that is definitely possible!

This book is a great read until the last page. It would have been five star if it hadn't been for that. If you hate cliffhanger endings as much as I do, then stop reading after the thrilling climax and put the book away until you have physical possession of the next book in the series (which better not be very long, grrr). The darkness of the plot doesn't bother me. One of my favorite series of books is the

After reading some of the reviews, I decided to start contributing as well. There seems to be a lot of criticism that Harry is growing up and changing. Well we all do dont we? I have read all of Butchers books and quite enjoy them. I find that this book and the previous book "Turncoat" are probable the best. The usual cast of characters shows up; Murphy, Molly, Thomas, Ebenizer and of course my favorite character Lea (his otherworldly godmother). Actually-she usually has the best lines. The only reason that I didn't give this book 5 stars was the weak intro, (Red Court Vampires buying his office building then blowing it up?) a little weak. I would like Thomas to have a little more airtime. However, it gets rollicking along and the bad guys get what they deserve. Be warned that this is not the happy go lucky Harry anymore. But someone who has seen the dark side and lived to tell about it.

A moving, insightful, exciting thriller in a unique genre. Love this author. Damn hard to develop a genre this good.

Been a big fan of The Dresden Files ever since I discovered these books in the Science Fiction Book Club. I bought this to fill out my collection and it was every bit as exciting, adventurous, crazy and magical as all the rest of the series. Love Jim Butcher!

I have loved all of the Harry Dresden books. The characters come alive on the page. I can hard wait for the next one.

Things really start rolling!

I love the Dresden series. Such fun reads. The book showed up very quick as well.

Or maybe the title doesn't say it enough. Changes is by far the most sweeping book in the series so far in making changes in the Dresden universe. Political changes and even an entire change in the power-balance of the world are part of this novel. Every other chapter, I was reacting with shock, amazement or horror at the events that Butcher portrayed. Dresden is, as he always has been, the same inside -- but he undergoes his own changes as well, and the cliffhanger at the end is completely unexpected. Well, the fact that there's a cliffhanger is not surprising, but WHAT the cliffhanger is... that's not what a reader will think it will be. This series is getting darker, but in a way that keeps its humor and pacing light enough that it doesn't feel like you're reading a horror novel... even though Harry is facing a lot of powerful horrors in this book.

After reading this book I would have to say that the title was a bit of an understatement. Harry is thrown into the biggest smackdown he has ever been in and the biggest I have ever had the pleasure to read about. The things he and a couple other charaters do are very shocking. Kindness from one of the last places I expected it and one particularly harsh choice that completely knocked me for a loop. Not sure what Butcher was looking to do with this volume but it certainly has me begging for more. As always the Dresden Files continues to remind me why it's my favorite series

Changes is a particularly apt title for this, as there are some major changes in Harry's life, and finding out he's a father is only the first of many. Most of Harry's friends and frenemies return to assist with his daughter's rescue from the Red Court. The Red Court plot line is dealt with in a satisfying manner, but some issues are still left up in the air. The ending leaves us wondering what's next for Harry?

Butcher's writing is outstanding not only in the depth of his description and plot, but also in his weaving together nuggets, principles of thought, wisdom and philosophy and archetypes which are often thought of as antithetical to one another e.g. Christianity and agnosticism, magic, paganism, etc. The gender roles and relationships are wonderful. ('The women are strong and the men are good looking.')Butcher's characters wear their gender unselfconsciously. Dresden characters have different talents that aren't determined by gender. Readers may want to postpone reading "Changes" however, until closer in time to the release of the next Dresden installment which appears to be in March of 2011. The wait is a bit unsettling. After reading this series, most other such books pale in comparison. The Dresden files are modern day Tolkien.

Mr. Butcher has been writing the Dresden Files for quite a while and has honed his story and characters well. There are times when he exposes his own belief system, but no author is perfect. Overall, the concept of a modern-day wizard in Chicago is well developed and presented in an intelligent manner so that the reader is caught-up in the story. Above average and fun to read.

First in regards to the series, utterly fantastic. 10 stars, If you have gotten this far into the series you should be thoroughly addicted. Butchers holds nothing back in this book and i cannot wait until the new one comes out. So much so that this purchase actually preceded my 2nd read through of the series. I honestly had no idea how crazy this book would get, it was a nail biter, on the edge of my seat, thrill ride through the world of Chicago magic and vampires. The book came in fantastic condition no issues there. If you stumbled upon this by accident, go get Storm Front. I bought mine from amazon for less than $5 with shipping, Butcher wrote each book well enough that each by their own can be read without knowing anything else about the "world" in which Dresden plays. Every book can be read without picking up any of the others. that being said, still start from the beginning. its worth it.

I started reading The Dresden files at book three out of the need to find something to read. After that I was hooked I purchased the first two and waited anxiously for the fourth to come out. Since then I spend one day a year reading Jim Butchers Dresden files and 364 days wishing the next one was out already. The Dresden files can be read as stand alone stories or you can follow as the character grows in each successive book. I enjoy the plots of each book but really enjoy the hints at a greater plot developing. If you are looking for something to make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your seat and make you cheer out-loud then give Jim Butchers The Dresden Files a read you won't be disappointed.

This whole series is amazing but this is my favorite tons of action and rage

Jim Butcher has written his best book yet. This book lives up to the standards set by the previous books in the series and exceeds them. It is well written with all the heart pounding magic, action, suspense and plot twists & turns that we have come to expect from the Dresden Files series. The book lives up to its title on so many levels. When you finish this book you will be eager to read the next installment in the series.

I have read all Jim Butcher's books- be it Dresden Files or the "Furies" set. I love them all, but this last one raises alot of issues-and burns many bridges. Unfortunately, it leaves you wondering where Wizard Dresden goes next. It puts me in an uncomfortable place. I have to wait how many months or years to see which direction Jim Butcher is going to flagellate my buddy Harry. He is getting more and more dangerous (Harry Dresden) and I fear he will come to a bad end.

Butcher has mastered the art of writing for those of us, like me, with short attention spans. Action, suspense and mayhem abound in this the 12th book in the Dresden Files. I simply could not put it down until I finished it, hours later. I worked the next day in a haze of fatigue and probably lost a major client for being asleep at the wheel. It was so worth it. The ending will make any true Dresden fan SCREAM.

Clear your calendar, call in sick, and settle in. These books are page turners that are hard to put down. Careful--if your like me--you might just read them all and be stuck with nothing to do but wait for the next book to hit the shelves.

Harry just gets in deeper and deeper in Changes. The story bounces from one bad thing happening to another -- and another, and another, etc., etc, etc. It may have one or two extra twists over previous novels. It is an exhausting read. Still, the good guys pretty much win until the very end -- but no spoilers here.

I just finished reading through the Harry Dresden series for the 1st time & each book gets better & better. It's obvious that the author has a clear plan for this series, each book & character tie in so perfectly to the previous stories. The books have a logical & believable flow that holds my interest waiting for the next release. Changes is the best book in this series so far & I'm anxiously haunting my mailbox for Ghost Story to arrive. I already know it will be well worth the wait.

Jim Butcher isn't perfect. Well you don't mind that when you get such a great character as Harry Dresden. There are minor flaws, but you will barely notice them when you re-read the series, again and again as I have. And amazingly the audible books are awesome, after book 4 anyway. James Marster's narrations are exceptionally good. He played Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and in Angel) but the only time I really could hear "Spike" was when he did one character with an english accent in Turncoat. Sadly he did not do "Ghost Story", I bought the audible version by John Glover, who did well but hey, he wasn't Marsters! This is probably one of the best morality tales so to speak in modern times. It would make an amazing series of movies, (and I would prefer Bob from the short lived TV series) he was great. Butcher has the movie rights back, so who knows. I strongly urge you to read the series, you won't regret it. Cold Days will hopefully be out this fall/winter.

No? Hey, it's a novel of the Dresden Files, and I get to read it on my computer, my phone, my tablet... And, yes, reading on my phone or tablet are my preferred methods, now - although I'm always happy to return to paper. It's just hard to keep such a huge library of books when they're all on paper, but digitally, I can carry as large a library as I want.

Poor Harry...when it rains it literally rains hellfire and demons. SPOILER ALERT!!!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!! In this latest installment, Harry gets the biggest shock any man could get--Hey Harry, its me and you are a daddy!! Like that is what Harry needs to hear at this stage in his life. Regardless, giving up ones child is hard enough for anyone and it isn't easy for Harry either. I highly recommend this book, but beware, the end is so cliff hanging and between the weeping from you the reader and the light, Harry is in huge trouble!!! So read on dear readers and may the winter queen fall into a volcano..... LOL

Good

"Changes" is great and I can recommend it without hesitation. Amongst the entire series it ranks in the top 3 of the 11 or 12 he has put out. However, I would recommend reading the series in order and not pick this up as your entry into it. It's like a TV series, pick it up from the beginning to get the most out of it. NOW, as an aside, Butcher loves writing his Codex series. However, I don't think Butcher's Codex books are 1/10th as good as his Dresden Files series and honestly would not recommend the Codex to anyone. It's the case of an author trying to force what he loves upon the public instead of focusing on his real strengths, which is this Dresden Files series. The Dresden Files Series, which are contemporary fiction, are well written and engaging.

It's Dresden, say no more. Except there may be people who haven't discovered this series yet, therefore, this book delivers everything it's title implies. Any reader of urban fantasy will LOVE this series. The first book is merely good. The second raises the level of the story characters and plot. After that it just gets better and better.

I absolutely LOVE this series. Every book is great so far. Love Harry.

Butchers been speeding up the pace quite constantly since Stormfront. Again he managed to send our dear Wizard/Warden/P.I. Harry Dresden into a mess absolutely impossible to overcome. And again it was hugely satisfying to see how Harry managed it despite those ridiculous low odds without making it look easy! Jim Butcher is taking a little bite from my 'literal' soul (literal meaning the part that loves and devours books like Jim's ^^) with every single book he publishes. Check out the Codex Alera series and the Harry Dresden short storys as well!

Read this book! Then - dig out the first book in the series "Storm Front" -- right there, third shelf from the bottom - left side next to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Riding (why do you still have that?) Find a friend, make them read it (Stormfront not the other one)... then feed them the other books. Depending on how fast they work through the series, you'll have someone to kibbutz with regarding the plot and character changes while we drag through the endless months of "gee, what happens next" waiting for the next installment.

A long time fan of Dresden, this story has it all, climaxing into a no hold barred final battle. ..Leaving the reader wondering how is he going to top this? .. and other questions after the shocking post climax.....

I bought this because I wanted a soft cover to match my other books. It is slightly bigger and wider than my other regular size books. Other than that, it was in exactly the same condition as described and it is an enjoyable book to read! I highly recommend Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series to anyone!

Typical "Butcher" a good entertaining story. Read the whole series!

Major changes in character and his world, perfectly named. Jim Butcher does not disappoint

Jim Butcher may be 12 books into the Dresden Files, but it feels like he's just hitting his stride! I'm just so impressed with out good this book was, carefully laid out, great character detail, and a perfect splash of comedy! And to hear Mouse talk...priceless! Thank you for a great book 12! It satisfied everything I look for in a really really good book!

Butcher just keeps getting better. Instead of Dresden getting bland, it seems that all the other books were just working their way up to this one. This was quite possibly the most awesome Dresden book in the series. There's more geeky shtick in here than any of the other books and it appears that as Dresden is getting older his sense of humor is getting better. The plot twists kept me surprised throughout the story's progression. So many discoveries are made, so many emotions are felt through this book, so much happened. A new story is about to begin. I've never wanted to read a book as much as the upcoming book in the Dresden files. Book 13, Even Awesomer Changes, The Tale of Mister the Cat. (Just kidding, but who knows what will happen.)

If you're interested in reading Changes, chances are you've read all 11 of the other Dresden files stories. (If not, start with book 1, "Storm Front".) That said, "Changes" is another Dresden files book, chances are pretty good that you'll like it if you've liked the others. BUT - where all of the other books have wrapped up and left the reader satisfied, this one wraps up and then has an unnecessary cliffhanger ending on the last page. That irritated me enough to make me knock a star off the rating. Come on, Jim. I'd be rushing out to buy the next book without that contrivance.

"Changes" is the 12th in Butcher's "Dresden Files" series. And, as implied by the title, it appears to be a major (make that MAJOR) turning point in the development of Harry Dresden. If you've read the rest of the series (and if you haven't, don't bother with this book -- go back to the beginning), you know the drill: very good writing, an evil that's too powerful for what the system should be able to support, a fast pace, and Harry's pithy dialog and relationships. Along with that major "Change" in Harry's life, the book also clarifies a few of his old relationships and ties up a few more. Story-wise, I'd put this right up there with my previous "Best of Series:" Summer Knight. Very good stuff. There are only a couple of negatives that keep me from giving this a 5 star rating (and they're structural instead of story-related). First, I hate cliff-hanger endings. I don't know if this actually qualifies as one since most everything that needs to be tied up has been tied up. But, it sure irritates. Butcher could have ended the book a page or two earlier or later and made me feel a lot better about waiting for the next installment. Also, the re-caps (you know, where he describes his car, his lab, his brother, Murphy, McAnally's, Mac himself, etc.) in this book seem more intrusive than in earlier books. He also does multiple re-caps of the same thing throughout the book (for instance, he re-caps Mac and McAnally's twice). In this kind of series, and at this point in it, it's time to just give up on these re-caps. Point any new readers to the first book of the series and tell them to start there. No matter how much re-capping Butcher does, there's no way they can get anything out of these books without the preceding ones. And, even with the time between books, current readers should be able to remember these things by now. Anyway, the negatives are trivial. But, they're enough for me to pull the book down to "only" a Very Good 4 star out of 5 rating. Highly recommended (and I wish the next book were available NOW). The novels in Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" are: 1.

This is part of the series that has millions of fans for a reason.

While this was very entertaining, the story just gets compressed here. However, I’m sure that the sort out will is up next.

It doesn't seem possible, but each successive book in this series is better than the last one. Fantastic battle scenes, and all kinds of plot twists in this one. Last 80 pages or so are difficult not to read all at one time. A page turner (or swiper on a kindle).

The surprises start on page one and just keep coming. It's difficult to keep a reader caring and a character growing twelve books in, but Jim Butcher does and leaves fans wanting more. CHANGES delivers everything one could want in progressing Harry's story arc forward, while still remaining true to the world and the characters we've come to care for so deeply.

I'm not really good at reviewing books, breaking down the aspects of the book, etc. But I could not keep quiet on this one. I read the first Dresden and was not all that impressed. However, something about the characters kept nagging at me. So, I picked up book 2 and book 3 and I was hooked. What impresses me most about the series is that it actually gets better with each book. So far, I have only seen steady improvement in Butcher's writing/storytelling. Changes is really the best so far. It lives up to it's name superbly. I don't want to post spoilers but there are interesting developments with: Susan Rodriguez, Ebenezar McCoy, Molly Carpenter, and Harry himself. Oh, and there are some very interesting developments with Mouse. (I love that dog!) Enjoyable, fast-paced, and a fabulous cliff-hanger ending.

I found this series after watching the short-lived series on SyFy and I have loved ever volume. This particular story is the most intense and entertaining Dresden story I have read so far. The characters are fully developed, with many old favorites included, and the action and pace of the storyline is awesome. I cannot wait until the next installment!