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The Dresden Files #17.2
The Law
From the number one New York Times bestselling The Dresden Files series, a brand new novella set after Battle Ground, that thrusts Chicago’s only professional Wizard, Harry Dresden, back into battle–both a legal one… and the kind with explosions.
Not every danger comes in the form of a mega-threat like a Titan. Some predators are a lot cozier... more personal.
When one such creature threatens an independent tutor, Harry Dresden must shake off the blood and dirt of his most recent battles and rise to the occasion, even when it turns out that the new predator is far more dangerous and connected than first appearances would suggest.
Not every danger comes in the form of a mega-threat like a Titan. Some predators are a lot cozier... more personal.
When one such creature threatens an independent tutor, Harry Dresden must shake off the blood and dirt of his most recent battles and rise to the occasion, even when it turns out that the new predator is far more dangerous and connected than first appearances would suggest.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2022
1697 people are currently reading
5301 people want to read
About the author
Jim Butcher
202 books51.3k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,048 reviews
July 24, 2022
I devoured this 99-page short story!
The Law is set a month after the events that happened on Battle Ground.
Dresden is still in mourning but when a woman comes asking for help, he can’t say no to her situation and agrees to help her.
The woman in question is a tutor who has opened 35 tutoring places in the last few years helping kids from low-income homes. In a past life, she was a hooker, and now that her pimp is out of prison he wants money from her.
Dresden starts investigating. This takes him to meet a new character named Winter Winter, and old characters including Marcone, paranoid Gary, Bob, and even MAB makes an appearance marking this short story a very fun read.
I always do the Dresden audios (except for the first book). Shocking but I didn't do the audio on this one (Jim Butcher is the narrator). I ended up liking the new characters Jim butcher added to The Law. I wonder if they will make an appearance in Twelve Months. I hope they do, to help Dresden not to hurt him.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Law is set a month after the events that happened on Battle Ground.
Dresden is still in mourning but when a woman comes asking for help, he can’t say no to her situation and agrees to help her.
The woman in question is a tutor who has opened 35 tutoring places in the last few years helping kids from low-income homes. In a past life, she was a hooker, and now that her pimp is out of prison he wants money from her.
Dresden starts investigating. This takes him to meet a new character named Winter Winter, and old characters including Marcone, paranoid Gary, Bob, and even MAB makes an appearance marking this short story a very fun read.
I always do the Dresden audios (except for the first book). Shocking but I didn't do the audio on this one (Jim Butcher is the narrator). I ended up liking the new characters Jim butcher added to The Law. I wonder if they will make an appearance in Twelve Months. I hope they do, to help Dresden not to hurt him.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
July 28, 2022
I cannot help it, I’m a Harry Dresden fan.
Jim Butcher’s 2022 novella, taking place a short time after the events of Battle Ground, provide a warm respite for those of us already Jonesing for another visit with Chicago’s resident wizard.
Harry is still trying to recover from the cataclysmic destruction that was Battle Ground. Butcher has served up plenty of epic battles over the years but I don’t think any matched the apocalyptic measure of his 17th Dresden novel published in 2020.
I loved the way Butcher describes how non-magic citizens are coping with the aftermath of the Battle of Chicago, most believe, as told to them by the propaganda engines, that all the mayhem was the result of terrorists (which in an arcane Lovecraftian sort of way is true) and that everyone has a case of the Heebie Jeebies.
We find Harry getting back to basics and going back to his detective roots to help a damsel in distress.
We have plenty of NeverNever shenanigans, Queen Mab, Marcone, and some bad Winter Court goings on and this is just fun. Butcher can get a little heavy and this return to earlier plot structures was just what the doctor ordered – for Harry and readers.
Better than expected and will help tide us over until the next novel, scheduled to be out in 2023.
Jim Butcher’s 2022 novella, taking place a short time after the events of Battle Ground, provide a warm respite for those of us already Jonesing for another visit with Chicago’s resident wizard.
Harry is still trying to recover from the cataclysmic destruction that was Battle Ground. Butcher has served up plenty of epic battles over the years but I don’t think any matched the apocalyptic measure of his 17th Dresden novel published in 2020.
I loved the way Butcher describes how non-magic citizens are coping with the aftermath of the Battle of Chicago, most believe, as told to them by the propaganda engines, that all the mayhem was the result of terrorists (which in an arcane Lovecraftian sort of way is true) and that everyone has a case of the Heebie Jeebies.
We find Harry getting back to basics and going back to his detective roots to help a damsel in distress.
We have plenty of NeverNever shenanigans, Queen Mab, Marcone, and some bad Winter Court goings on and this is just fun. Butcher can get a little heavy and this return to earlier plot structures was just what the doctor ordered – for Harry and readers.
Better than expected and will help tide us over until the next novel, scheduled to be out in 2023.
July 5, 2022
A novella in which Harry Dresden battles the forces of stupidity.
8.3/10
8.3/10
July 26, 2022
Harry is suffering after all that happened in Battle Ground. A case comes along and he decides to take it to distract his thoughts. A former prostitute who has gotten her life together as a tutor and is now being sued by a sleazebag who works for Marconi. I love the return to detective work for Harry. It's been such a long time, it's nice to see Harry get back to basics. It's a nice little interlude to tide readers over until the next Dresden Files is released. I do think we'll be seeing Winter Winter and Maximus Valerious again.
FYI - If you are having problems finding this, it appears to be an Amazon exclusive and is available in Kindle Unlimited.
FYI - If you are having problems finding this, it appears to be an Amazon exclusive and is available in Kindle Unlimited.
August 31, 2023
Bwahahahahahaha!
Harry is back in the PI business (sorta) and this is his first case. The problem isn't so much the threat level as the question "What do you do if people are so utterly stupid they don't actually understand the situation they are in?!" 🤣
The foe might have been a sleezeball but boy, was he entertaining.
But there is more. Supernatural more. Quite a nice twist.
Nice little story that shows us Harry in the aftermath of book 17 so it was especially nice seeing .
P.S.: Butcher read this audiobook himself and while he isn't as good asSpike James Marsters, it was cool - especially the bloopers in the end. :D
Harry is back in the PI business (sorta) and this is his first case. The problem isn't so much the threat level as the question "What do you do if people are so utterly stupid they don't actually understand the situation they are in?!" 🤣
The foe might have been a sleezeball but boy, was he entertaining.
But there is more. Supernatural more. Quite a nice twist.
Nice little story that shows us Harry in the aftermath of book 17 so it was especially nice seeing .
P.S.: Butcher read this audiobook himself and while he isn't as good as
July 15, 2022
Nice plot. Nice exploration of moving on. Good pacing. Makes me even more excited for the next book.
My thoughts in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs_Ta...
What I enjoy most in this book is seeing how far Harry has come from the beginning of the series. In many ways, he has fundamentally changed the way he interacts with people and Cases. This story shows off a lot of those differences by giving Harry a simple Case to solve that intersects with several of his old frenemies.
My thoughts in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs_Ta...
What I enjoy most in this book is seeing how far Harry has come from the beginning of the series. In many ways, he has fundamentally changed the way he interacts with people and Cases. This story shows off a lot of those differences by giving Harry a simple Case to solve that intersects with several of his old frenemies.
December 5, 2022
4 Stars The Law: The Dresden Files, Book 17.4 (ebook) Jim Butcher.
Dresden is seeing clients again and this time the client is in legal trouble. He tries to work things out peacefully but of course things escalates. Fortunately much of Chicago has previously been destroyed so there isn’t much left to worry about. This was a fun short story that fits in nicely between the main stories.
Dresden is seeing clients again and this time the client is in legal trouble. He tries to work things out peacefully but of course things escalates. Fortunately much of Chicago has previously been destroyed so there isn’t much left to worry about. This was a fun short story that fits in nicely between the main stories.
November 9, 2023
Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller
An enjoyable short, even if not particularly memorable.
What it did well was give us a check-in on Dresden’s well-being after the events in Battle Ground. It was nice to be back in this world as we wait patiently for the next book. And there’s even a new character (a lawyer) whom I hope we see again.
Butcher himself narrated this short, something I cringed at when I heard about it initially, yet he actually did a decent job with it. Better than at least 80% of the author-narrated audiobooks I’ve tried (and probably better than a portion of the “professionally” read ones too… nice). Truth be told, had I not been informed it wasn’t Marsders I’m not totally sure I would’ve noticed the change (as I’ve read the last few physically).
Recommendations: if you’re a Dresden fan up to date with all his writings, enjoy this snack novella. If you haven’t done any of the short stories yet, this is not one of the stronger ones. And for the love of books, don’t read this one unless you’ve read Battle Ground – MAJOR spoilers.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Tonya, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3
Other books you might like:
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
An enjoyable short, even if not particularly memorable.
What it did well was give us a check-in on Dresden’s well-being after the events in Battle Ground. It was nice to be back in this world as we wait patiently for the next book. And there’s even a new character (a lawyer) whom I hope we see again.
Butcher himself narrated this short, something I cringed at when I heard about it initially, yet he actually did a decent job with it. Better than at least 80% of the author-narrated audiobooks I’ve tried (and probably better than a portion of the “professionally” read ones too… nice). Truth be told, had I not been informed it wasn’t Marsders I’m not totally sure I would’ve noticed the change (as I’ve read the last few physically).
Recommendations: if you’re a Dresden fan up to date with all his writings, enjoy this snack novella. If you haven’t done any of the short stories yet, this is not one of the stronger ones. And for the love of books, don’t read this one unless you’ve read Battle Ground – MAJOR spoilers.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Tonya, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3
Other books you might like:
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
October 9, 2022
A good little story with lots of the usual ingredients, but way, way too short.
July 9, 2022
THE LAW: A DRESDEN FILES NOVELLA by Jim Butcher is the latest story set in the wonderful world of Harry Dresden. Despite the fact I have some criticisms about the books, it remains one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Harry is just so damn likable, his flaws aside, and the writing style is just a warm Pop Tart to the brain.
Unfortunately, a big cloud hangs over this volume and that is the fact it is the first story since the controversial death of an important supporting cast member. If you pick up this audiobook, prepare to be spoiled for it as it is a follow-up story to BATTLE GROUND. I admit to being one of those fans in denial who suspect they’ll be back sooner than later but we’ll see how that goes in upcoming books.
Anyway, Harry is in a deep depression due to the aftermath of said Battleground. Lots of people are dead as well as someone he loves so he’s suffering PTSD. This being a book and not real life, the best way for Harry to recover is to help the innocent. In this case, it’s a former prostitute turned owner of a mildly-successful children’s tutoring business. Her ex-pimp is out of prison and wants imagined tens of thousands that he assumes she’s making.
It’s a very noir premise and falls onto the same sexist tropes that Butcher has been regularly criticized for but I’m pleased to say there’s almost zero sexual tension between Harry and his client. I’m also pleased to say the book includes Bob the Skull after a fairly lengthy period of his being downplayed in Harry’s activities. That’s because this is the first “Harry does private eye things” story in awhile.
So, what did I think? Well, it was okay. I bought both the audiobook version of the Kindle Unlimited version and generally think both are worth the money (though given KU is free…). Jim Butcher does the narration for this book rather than James Marsters and actually does a decent job. However, it does have one particular flaw and that’s Jim Butcher struggles with the same problem as Supernatural.
Bear with me. Basically, Supernatural was never so good as it was dealing with episodic evils and after they managed to fight the Devil in Season 5, they could never really manage to lower the stakes down to a reasonable level for its premise. Here, Harry is dealing with a pimp and some supernatural nasties but Jim insists on having a god involved.
It’s not that it’s going to end with a throwdown but Jim wants to make sure that our empowered Harry can’t do it even he wants to, which I feel is silly. We also have an ending which is, “let the law rather than personal justice decide things.” Which is not Jim Butcher’s fault but feels like a very unfortunate message these days and even this novel has numerous characters express how being lawful only benefits a certain type of American.
In conclusion, I’m going to still give this one a thumbs up because I’ve missed Harry doing noir detective work, and seeing him rusty as well as more morally ambiguous in his methods works well. This Harry assumes roughing up the guy is something he can pull off as the Winter Knight for example. But Harry is Harry and about as intimidating as a big old puppy dog. It also gives a good denouement for the life-changing events of Battle Ground.
Unfortunately, a big cloud hangs over this volume and that is the fact it is the first story since the controversial death of an important supporting cast member. If you pick up this audiobook, prepare to be spoiled for it as it is a follow-up story to BATTLE GROUND. I admit to being one of those fans in denial who suspect they’ll be back sooner than later but we’ll see how that goes in upcoming books.
Anyway, Harry is in a deep depression due to the aftermath of said Battleground. Lots of people are dead as well as someone he loves so he’s suffering PTSD. This being a book and not real life, the best way for Harry to recover is to help the innocent. In this case, it’s a former prostitute turned owner of a mildly-successful children’s tutoring business. Her ex-pimp is out of prison and wants imagined tens of thousands that he assumes she’s making.
It’s a very noir premise and falls onto the same sexist tropes that Butcher has been regularly criticized for but I’m pleased to say there’s almost zero sexual tension between Harry and his client. I’m also pleased to say the book includes Bob the Skull after a fairly lengthy period of his being downplayed in Harry’s activities. That’s because this is the first “Harry does private eye things” story in awhile.
So, what did I think? Well, it was okay. I bought both the audiobook version of the Kindle Unlimited version and generally think both are worth the money (though given KU is free…). Jim Butcher does the narration for this book rather than James Marsters and actually does a decent job. However, it does have one particular flaw and that’s Jim Butcher struggles with the same problem as Supernatural.
Bear with me. Basically, Supernatural was never so good as it was dealing with episodic evils and after they managed to fight the Devil in Season 5, they could never really manage to lower the stakes down to a reasonable level for its premise. Here, Harry is dealing with a pimp and some supernatural nasties but Jim insists on having a god involved.
It’s not that it’s going to end with a throwdown but Jim wants to make sure that our empowered Harry can’t do it even he wants to, which I feel is silly. We also have an ending which is, “let the law rather than personal justice decide things.” Which is not Jim Butcher’s fault but feels like a very unfortunate message these days and even this novel has numerous characters express how being lawful only benefits a certain type of American.
In conclusion, I’m going to still give this one a thumbs up because I’ve missed Harry doing noir detective work, and seeing him rusty as well as more morally ambiguous in his methods works well. This Harry assumes roughing up the guy is something he can pull off as the Winter Knight for example. But Harry is Harry and about as intimidating as a big old puppy dog. It also gives a good denouement for the life-changing events of Battle Ground.
September 7, 2022
4 Stars for this "Dresden Files" update set after last year's double-header. Harry is suffering a lot from Murph's death, but the show must go on -can't wait for Butcher to give us #18 & hope it happens sooner than later
July 14, 2022
Excellent Dresden
As someone who is always hungry for more Dresden this was an excellent appetizer before we get an actual novel hopefully next year. In a lot of ways this was an old school case file that was the perfect breather after Battle Ground. It had a little bit of everything I love about Dresden and it scratched the itch nicely. While I really liked seeing some of the aftermath of Battle Ground it was just as satisfying to see Harry doing his thing again. Highly recommended for all Dresdenphiles.
As someone who is always hungry for more Dresden this was an excellent appetizer before we get an actual novel hopefully next year. In a lot of ways this was an old school case file that was the perfect breather after Battle Ground. It had a little bit of everything I love about Dresden and it scratched the itch nicely. While I really liked seeing some of the aftermath of Battle Ground it was just as satisfying to see Harry doing his thing again. Highly recommended for all Dresdenphiles.
July 5, 2022
9/10
A great Dresden novella. I need more Dresden!
A great Dresden novella. I need more Dresden!
July 12, 2022
Nice to see Harry in less epic circumstances. The Law is quite fun, even though Harry does behave like a thug here. It deepens the lore and is enjoyable, though not great.
December 5, 2023
Necesitaba leer una novella para un reto, y esta saltó desde la lista de mis amistades. La verdad es que me 'espolie' de lo lindo, porque no he leído las dos novelas anteriores :P
Dresden viviendo en su castillo (!), entre medio de la pena y tratando de retomar su vida recibe una mujer con un caso donde su ex-cafiche (ahora ella dirige un programa de tutoría para chicos de pocos recursos) ha salido de la cárcel y la demanda por su parte del negocio. El abogado del proxeneta esta bajo el alero de Mab, y parece que es un sujeto muy peligroso (¿cuando no?) y el proxeneta fue hombre leal a Marcone y él aprecia la lealtad según dice aunque el tipo vale cero. Dresden siendo Dresden ya saben que pasará.
“Mister Dresden, on the streets they say that if you need help, you call the police, or the EMTs, or an insurance agent. But when you need a miracle… the only one to call is you.”
Oh, hell. That old thing again.
Alegra ver caras conocidas como Bob.
Max el abogado es interesante.
Dresden viviendo en su castillo (!), entre medio de la pena y tratando de retomar su vida recibe una mujer con un caso donde su ex-cafiche (ahora ella dirige un programa de tutoría para chicos de pocos recursos) ha salido de la cárcel y la demanda por su parte del negocio. El abogado del proxeneta esta bajo el alero de Mab, y parece que es un sujeto muy peligroso (¿cuando no?) y el proxeneta fue hombre leal a Marcone y él aprecia la lealtad según dice aunque el tipo vale cero. Dresden siendo Dresden ya saben que pasará.
“Mister Dresden, on the streets they say that if you need help, you call the police, or the EMTs, or an insurance agent. But when you need a miracle… the only one to call is you.”
Oh, hell. That old thing again.
Alegra ver caras conocidas como Bob.
Max el abogado es interesante.
September 26, 2023
This was a nice little snack while I wait for the next in the series to be released, HOWEVER, I missed James Marsters narrating. Jim Butcher did a decent job, but it just wasn't the same.
July 20, 2022
The wait between finishing the latest Dresden Files book and the next one always seems forever. I guess that is the way it just is for your favorite series. This was a great pick me up between books and we got the hear the writer read his own works as a bonus. Excellent short. Very recommended
July 12, 2022
So glad I finally get to read fresh Harry Dresden. This was everything I expected it to be and more. Consequences from previous books are present in the narrative, both prominently and subtly. Harry Dresden's character writing was on point as usual, although I must admit that his character hit me harder than it normally would have in this novella because I've been pretty starved of Dresden Files content.
My only criticism here is that the waiting for Twelve Months just got a whole lot worse T_T.
My only criticism here is that the waiting for Twelve Months just got a whole lot worse T_T.
July 8, 2022
I have never hit preorder on something so fast as when I saw this little novella pop up! I am a fiend for anything Dresden - well, except for
BATTLE GROUND,
me and that one did not get along. I will say that this novella gave me some insight and depth to some things I took issue with in
BATTLE GROUND,
so I might not be as mad about it as I was before. (Guess we'll see on a reread, lol)
This story takes place soon after the destruction of the previous book and we get an up close and personal look at Harry Dresden and how our favorite Wizard For Hire deals with his grief and loss. I have to say, I think Jim Butcher outdid himself in this regard. I actually thought to myself, this is really great advice! Harry allows himself time to grieve, then he gets on with his work.
Harry takes the case of a young woman, Mya, who is being sued by a dirtbag recently released from prison. The suck part is - the guy actually has some legal grounds for it...not that it makes it right. Honestly, I think we got this novella as a way for the author to introduce a potential Big Hitter for future Dresden novels, but hey - I'm not too mad about it. I thought it was a delightful story and anytime I get something from the Dresdenverse, I'm a happy girl.
I have to make sure and mention that I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jim Butcher himself! I'm a snob - I'm one of those who says James Marsters IS Harry Dresden and no one else....but Jim did a phenomenal job with the narration. (Well, I kinda hated the voice he used for Bob *shrugs*)
So this novella was a nice appetizer between full sized novels...sure hope the next one is on the way soon!
This story takes place soon after the destruction of the previous book and we get an up close and personal look at Harry Dresden and how our favorite Wizard For Hire deals with his grief and loss. I have to say, I think Jim Butcher outdid himself in this regard. I actually thought to myself, this is really great advice! Harry allows himself time to grieve, then he gets on with his work.
Harry takes the case of a young woman, Mya, who is being sued by a dirtbag recently released from prison. The suck part is - the guy actually has some legal grounds for it...not that it makes it right. Honestly, I think we got this novella as a way for the author to introduce a potential Big Hitter for future Dresden novels, but hey - I'm not too mad about it. I thought it was a delightful story and anytime I get something from the Dresdenverse, I'm a happy girl.
I have to make sure and mention that I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jim Butcher himself! I'm a snob - I'm one of those who says James Marsters IS Harry Dresden and no one else....but Jim did a phenomenal job with the narration. (Well, I kinda hated the voice he used for Bob *shrugs*)
So this novella was a nice appetizer between full sized novels...sure hope the next one is on the way soon!
February 6, 2024
Entertaining supernatural listening 🎧🎶
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account.
Surprising how many authors are showing up on Kindle Unlimited.
A quick action packed novella as Dresden helps a friend fight a criminals law suit. It ends happy.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of supernatural novels. 2024 😎👒😡😮
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account.
Surprising how many authors are showing up on Kindle Unlimited.
A quick action packed novella as Dresden helps a friend fight a criminals law suit. It ends happy.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of supernatural novels. 2024 😎👒😡😮
July 10, 2022
As a rule, I'm not a fan of novellas. They always feel like filler stories that can't have too much canonical weight because most readers won't read them, therefore the important stuff for the overarching stories has to happen in the main books. However, it's been a while since I've read anything Harry Dresden related and I thought I'd give this one a try.
THE GOOD
Potentially my favourite thing about this book was that it gave us some time to see some emotional progression for Harry as he dealt with the fallout from the last book. At the start I almost thought that this was going to be more of a character study to really explore what such a huge emotional blow was like to come back from for him, getting him into a good place to start the next novel without quite so much baggage. However, this was a bit too light and too little to accomplish that goal, but it was good to see regardless.
The second thing I liked (surprisingly) was the audiobook narration by Jim Butcher. He obviously will never be the same as the masterful James Marsters, but he did a good enough job that if it were my books and I could do such a good job narrating them, I might have done so right from the start.
THE BAD
The main conflict in this story is about Harry trying to help out a young woman who is being sued for her current legal business by her ex-pimp who is now out of prison. This premise was really broken to me because I never quite understood why this man has any kind of legal case against her at all. If he was coming at her as a thug trying to extort money, that would be one thing, but to sue her legally when any previous partnership was completely illegal before... I just don't get it. I don't see why Harry was even needed because I don't see how any legal system could ever see his claim as anything close to remotely valid.
I also didn't like how large the consequences of this little adventure got for Harry. This isn't necessarily because of the consequences themselves, but rather that those consequences won't matter that much in the long run because this is a novella. Harry should have been severely reprimanded for his actions in this novella, and the fact that he wasn't, breaks with what we know about those two characters.
Finally, the most frustrating part of this novel was seeing how little growth Harry has made as a character since the start of the series. With everything he has accomplished over these books and everything he has learned, his days of going at things like a bull in a China shop should be long behind him. He also should have been way above the problems presented by this job. This is a case the Harry Dresden of Stormfront might have struggled with, but the Harry Dresden who has been through so much... sorry, I'm just not buying it. He should have been able to deal with this easily, and not made so many naive mistakes.
To top it off, he spent a big part of this novel acting like a thug, and he couldn't even do that right. After everything he has been through, I'm starting to expect more progression from Harry. He should have long since levelled up to the point where navigating the relatively simple situation of a street thug going after a young woman (when compared to the infinitely more complex problems of dealing with literal gods, forces of nature and the politics of the fae) shoudl have been child's play for him.
Conclusion
I was going to give this one a 3-star rating before writing this review, but as I have laid out my points here, especially the last one, I realize that this is actually just a two-star read. It's fun as a little stand-alone adventure, but when you slot it back into the larger story of Harry Dresden, it becomes a throwaway adventure at best, and something that clashes with the main series at worst.
Ultimately it's forgettable, and I doubt I'll ever read it again.
THE GOOD
Potentially my favourite thing about this book was that it gave us some time to see some emotional progression for Harry as he dealt with the fallout from the last book. At the start I almost thought that this was going to be more of a character study to really explore what such a huge emotional blow was like to come back from for him, getting him into a good place to start the next novel without quite so much baggage. However, this was a bit too light and too little to accomplish that goal, but it was good to see regardless.
The second thing I liked (surprisingly) was the audiobook narration by Jim Butcher. He obviously will never be the same as the masterful James Marsters, but he did a good enough job that if it were my books and I could do such a good job narrating them, I might have done so right from the start.
THE BAD
The main conflict in this story is about Harry trying to help out a young woman who is being sued for her current legal business by her ex-pimp who is now out of prison. This premise was really broken to me because I never quite understood why this man has any kind of legal case against her at all. If he was coming at her as a thug trying to extort money, that would be one thing, but to sue her legally when any previous partnership was completely illegal before... I just don't get it. I don't see why Harry was even needed because I don't see how any legal system could ever see his claim as anything close to remotely valid.
I also didn't like how large the consequences of this little adventure got for Harry. This isn't necessarily because of the consequences themselves, but rather that those consequences won't matter that much in the long run because this is a novella. Harry should have been severely reprimanded for his actions in this novella, and the fact that he wasn't, breaks with what we know about those two characters.
Finally, the most frustrating part of this novel was seeing how little growth Harry has made as a character since the start of the series. With everything he has accomplished over these books and everything he has learned, his days of going at things like a bull in a China shop should be long behind him. He also should have been way above the problems presented by this job. This is a case the Harry Dresden of Stormfront might have struggled with, but the Harry Dresden who has been through so much... sorry, I'm just not buying it. He should have been able to deal with this easily, and not made so many naive mistakes.
To top it off, he spent a big part of this novel acting like a thug, and he couldn't even do that right. After everything he has been through, I'm starting to expect more progression from Harry. He should have long since levelled up to the point where navigating the relatively simple situation of a street thug going after a young woman (when compared to the infinitely more complex problems of dealing with literal gods, forces of nature and the politics of the fae) shoudl have been child's play for him.
Conclusion
I was going to give this one a 3-star rating before writing this review, but as I have laid out my points here, especially the last one, I realize that this is actually just a two-star read. It's fun as a little stand-alone adventure, but when you slot it back into the larger story of Harry Dresden, it becomes a throwaway adventure at best, and something that clashes with the main series at worst.
Ultimately it's forgettable, and I doubt I'll ever read it again.
August 9, 2022
The Law by Jim Butcher is a novella offered in Kindle Unlimited and Audible.
Events in The Law, take place about a month after Battle Ground, and Harry is mourning the loss of friends when he takes on a case involving a tutor who is being sued. It’s an old school case with some twists. It has some lightness to it that offset the overall arc development.
We meet a new character and see familiar ones, including Marcone, Paranoid Gary, Bob, and Mab. The story gives us updates on how the non-magical are dealing with the aftermath of the battle and are still suffering the heebie-jeebies. The homestead has become a bit of a refuge, but it’s not without issues. We witness first hand Harry’s mourning and the changes it has wrought. We get some Nevernever shenanigans and I loved seeing Harry in action. Bob, as always, made me laugh.
Butcher is an incredible storyteller. His character development and overall story arc pull me in again and again. These characters, and the world, have become real and isn’t that the art of true storytelling? These are audios and books I pick up again and again.
Jim narrates snd did a stellar job. He reassures listeners Masters will be back, but it was fun having this read to us by the man himself. Butcher has narrated forwards and a few anthologies, so I knew his voice was good. His tone and pacing aligns with the characters and I slipped into the world.
The Law was the perfect appetizer to get me ready for the next installment in the Dresden Files. If you haven’t joined the fandom, I encourage you to do so. This series is among my favorites and I hope Butcher does more of these short stories. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Events in The Law, take place about a month after Battle Ground, and Harry is mourning the loss of friends when he takes on a case involving a tutor who is being sued. It’s an old school case with some twists. It has some lightness to it that offset the overall arc development.
We meet a new character and see familiar ones, including Marcone, Paranoid Gary, Bob, and Mab. The story gives us updates on how the non-magical are dealing with the aftermath of the battle and are still suffering the heebie-jeebies. The homestead has become a bit of a refuge, but it’s not without issues. We witness first hand Harry’s mourning and the changes it has wrought. We get some Nevernever shenanigans and I loved seeing Harry in action. Bob, as always, made me laugh.
Butcher is an incredible storyteller. His character development and overall story arc pull me in again and again. These characters, and the world, have become real and isn’t that the art of true storytelling? These are audios and books I pick up again and again.
Jim narrates snd did a stellar job. He reassures listeners Masters will be back, but it was fun having this read to us by the man himself. Butcher has narrated forwards and a few anthologies, so I knew his voice was good. His tone and pacing aligns with the characters and I slipped into the world.
The Law was the perfect appetizer to get me ready for the next installment in the Dresden Files. If you haven’t joined the fandom, I encourage you to do so. This series is among my favorites and I hope Butcher does more of these short stories. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
July 10, 2022
This was a short, fun, and relatively low-stakes Dresden Files case file, reminiscent of the early books where Dresden worked solely as a private investigator. Coming back to this world, characters, and Butcher's writing, even for a little while, was a really enjoyable experience. Set after Battle Ground, it explores the consequences of those massive events on the city as well as how they've affected Harry mentally both in the subtle ways he behaves and his trauma, giving them a lot more weight and maintaining a great level of character and world consistency.
The case itself is fairly simple: Harry trying to prevent someone from extorting a tutor by taking them to court, possible due to a small clause in their old contract. I liked how Harry couldn't just punch his way out of things, having to resolve this issue through more mundane lines. It shows Harry's non-thug strengths: his strong sense of justice and right and wrong, his utter stubbornness to not give up on something, and the team of friends and allies he's built over the series. The funniest part of this novella was the antagonist being so delusional that he believes Harry was a hallucination, so he refused to be intimidated by his magical strength, thinking it to be a figment of his imagination.
Butcher makes full use of the massive cast of supporting characters he's built, deploying them to the story's advantage and expanding on the mythology of the supernatural world. Overall, this was a really fun and quick read, and it was great to be back with Dresden, even if it was just for a novella chronicling a small case file.
The case itself is fairly simple: Harry trying to prevent someone from extorting a tutor by taking them to court, possible due to a small clause in their old contract. I liked how Harry couldn't just punch his way out of things, having to resolve this issue through more mundane lines. It shows Harry's non-thug strengths: his strong sense of justice and right and wrong, his utter stubbornness to not give up on something, and the team of friends and allies he's built over the series. The funniest part of this novella was the antagonist being so delusional that he believes Harry was a hallucination, so he refused to be intimidated by his magical strength, thinking it to be a figment of his imagination.
Butcher makes full use of the massive cast of supporting characters he's built, deploying them to the story's advantage and expanding on the mythology of the supernatural world. Overall, this was a really fun and quick read, and it was great to be back with Dresden, even if it was just for a novella chronicling a small case file.
January 4, 2026
Stupid is way more dangerous than actual evil, if only because there’s so much more of it around.
Well, that was refreshing! Ever since Changes (Dresden Files 12), Butcher has been dealing with a serious case of power creep. Each new book brings a Big Bad more outrageously powerful than the last, until one begins to wonder if Dresden has any real limits left to his power. In this short novella, set just a month after the monumental Battle of Chicago with its catastrophic losses, Harry, in a noble gesture, takes on a smaller case for (you guessed it) a woman in distress.
Not that the case isn’t tricky. And there are indeed powerful players involved that complicate matters — Baron John Marcone, and a creature out of the shadows of Finnish folklore without a name. But the principle antagonists is just a nasty human who has weaponized his own stupidity. Harry is forced to use his brains rather than raw, overwhelming power, to untangle the case without causing a crisis within the powerful signees of the Accords.
The Law is an excellent throwback to the way these books felt in the early day. It serves as a refreshing palate cleanser after the epic battles of the last few books.
Well, that was refreshing! Ever since Changes (Dresden Files 12), Butcher has been dealing with a serious case of power creep. Each new book brings a Big Bad more outrageously powerful than the last, until one begins to wonder if Dresden has any real limits left to his power. In this short novella, set just a month after the monumental Battle of Chicago with its catastrophic losses, Harry, in a noble gesture, takes on a smaller case for (you guessed it) a woman in distress.
Not that the case isn’t tricky. And there are indeed powerful players involved that complicate matters — Baron John Marcone, and a creature out of the shadows of Finnish folklore without a name. But the principle antagonists is just a nasty human who has weaponized his own stupidity. Harry is forced to use his brains rather than raw, overwhelming power, to untangle the case without causing a crisis within the powerful signees of the Accords.
The Law is an excellent throwback to the way these books felt in the early day. It serves as a refreshing palate cleanser after the epic battles of the last few books.
August 15, 2022
This was initially 2.75 to 3 stars for me, in the "there's not much egregiously wrong with it, but nothing particularly right either" bucket, but I've landed on 2.5 stars rounded down because I can't think of one single scene that I would voluntarily reread and the writing around women is, in fact, egregious. This certainly is some Dresden Files content and the review won't make much sense unless you've read the most recent ones.
In some ways, this is a return to classic Dresden form, with Harry as a detective-- or at least, that seems like the initial goal. The story almost immediately veers into supernatural territory, trying to pin down who's a new threat this time, and Harry trying to intimidate people, with at least three rounds of "why won't people do what I want when I try to intimidate them?". Just the most tedious pissing contests imaginable, and it's hard to stay engaged with that mindset.
There are flashes of something good here, including one scene set in the post-Battle Ground rubble that illustrates how badly the city is damaged, but the story doesn't really dig into those corners in the way I would like. I'd also heard that this story was a better conclusion for Murphy, but I can't recommend it on that score-- Harry being low-key depressed over a dead woman for a book or two is hardly new material for this series, and this doesn't dig much into the trauma beyond using it as an accent touch.
The individual scenes are engaging enough, but I keep coming back to how little development Butcher has had in the way he writes women. Maya, the client seeking Harry'y help because she needs a miracle (I gagged a bit), is a former sex worker turned teacher with a heart of gold. The story doesn't spend much time sexualizing her, at least by Harry's normal drooling standards, but there's the obligatory scene of Bob being gross and repeatedly asking if Harry will sleep with her. (Can Butcher not write a minor personality update for Bob now that Harry's personality has changed so much as well? I know there's some established lore about his personality being based on Harry's teenage self, but it's just dull at this point and I'd rather see a new spirit or a different take on Bob.) The other woman, whose name I am already forgetting even though I finished this book literally half an hour ago, is a very sexy secretary . Butcher said the limited interesting things he's ever going to about the threatening power of sexuality back in the early White Court days of Lara and Thomas, and these days it's just ever-more window dressing about Sexy Ladies And Their Dangerous Allure.
I had hoped for even a scene or two with Maggie, Molly, or Lara, but the existing female cast is limited to Mab showing up to solve some plot questions at the end and a mention of Lara trying to negotiate terms for a first date, which has me dreading this arranged marriage plot more than ever-- I was interested in seeing a political in-name-only type of union, at least to start.
This is not to say that the male characters are particularly good, though (with the exception of Marcone, who is at least okay here). We get the male deity who's there to be quietly menacing, and then the lowlife pimp bothering this tutoring business. To call this guy one-note would be an insult to the concept of musical tones-- his character is an irritating drone of stubbornness, stupidity, and the kind of overt misogyny that's all about calling women whores in every situation (including in front of lawyers he's negotiating with) so Harry can get angry on their behalf. Part of what's kept me in the Dresden Files this long is Butcher's knack for fun side characters, but this may be the least interesting one he's ever written.
I don't know if I'm just older and have less patience for this series than I used to-- whatever the cause, I doubt I'll remember this novella for long. It was a very okay airplane read that kept the pages turning, but nothing more than that.
In some ways, this is a return to classic Dresden form, with Harry as a detective-- or at least, that seems like the initial goal. The story almost immediately veers into supernatural territory, trying to pin down who's a new threat this time, and Harry trying to intimidate people, with at least three rounds of "why won't people do what I want when I try to intimidate them?". Just the most tedious pissing contests imaginable, and it's hard to stay engaged with that mindset.
There are flashes of something good here, including one scene set in the post-Battle Ground rubble that illustrates how badly the city is damaged, but the story doesn't really dig into those corners in the way I would like. I'd also heard that this story was a better conclusion for Murphy, but I can't recommend it on that score-- Harry being low-key depressed over a dead woman for a book or two is hardly new material for this series, and this doesn't dig much into the trauma beyond using it as an accent touch.
The individual scenes are engaging enough, but I keep coming back to how little development Butcher has had in the way he writes women. Maya, the client seeking Harry'y help because she needs a miracle (I gagged a bit), is a former sex worker turned teacher with a heart of gold. The story doesn't spend much time sexualizing her, at least by Harry's normal drooling standards, but there's the obligatory scene of Bob being gross and repeatedly asking if Harry will sleep with her. (Can Butcher not write a minor personality update for Bob now that Harry's personality has changed so much as well? I know there's some established lore about his personality being based on Harry's teenage self, but it's just dull at this point and I'd rather see a new spirit or a different take on Bob.) The other woman, whose name I am already forgetting even though I finished this book literally half an hour ago, is a very sexy secretary . Butcher said the limited interesting things he's ever going to about the threatening power of sexuality back in the early White Court days of Lara and Thomas, and these days it's just ever-more window dressing about Sexy Ladies And Their Dangerous Allure.
I had hoped for even a scene or two with Maggie, Molly, or Lara, but the existing female cast is limited to Mab showing up to solve some plot questions at the end and a mention of Lara trying to negotiate terms for a first date, which has me dreading this arranged marriage plot more than ever-- I was interested in seeing a political in-name-only type of union, at least to start.
This is not to say that the male characters are particularly good, though (with the exception of Marcone, who is at least okay here). We get the male deity who's there to be quietly menacing, and then the lowlife pimp bothering this tutoring business. To call this guy one-note would be an insult to the concept of musical tones-- his character is an irritating drone of stubbornness, stupidity, and the kind of overt misogyny that's all about calling women whores in every situation (including in front of lawyers he's negotiating with) so Harry can get angry on their behalf. Part of what's kept me in the Dresden Files this long is Butcher's knack for fun side characters, but this may be the least interesting one he's ever written.
I don't know if I'm just older and have less patience for this series than I used to-- whatever the cause, I doubt I'll remember this novella for long. It was a very okay airplane read that kept the pages turning, but nothing more than that.
July 16, 2022
3.5 stars
July 5, 2022
This was a delightful and unexpected treat to hold me over in the midst of the painful wait for more Dresden -- a classic Dresden case file a la the early books but in mini form. You get some sense of how the world is dealing with the aftermath of Battle Ground, but mostly it's a self-contained tale that provided some classic Dresden wit, tense stand-offs among powerful people/beings, and standing up for the little guy against bullies.
Also Jim Butcher was ridiculously solid as the narrator, and I rarely found myself wishing Marsters was voicing everyone like I had thought I was going to be continually thinking during it. Bravo, Jim! If he didn't write he easily could have become a successful audiobook narrator, which is annoying.
Also this has major spoilers for Battle Ground, so it needs to be read afterward.
With how epic the main novels have become, I hope Jim does more of these between the main books to fill out the series with more fun "Files" for the Dresden Files fans to sink their teeth into.
Also Jim Butcher was ridiculously solid as the narrator, and I rarely found myself wishing Marsters was voicing everyone like I had thought I was going to be continually thinking during it. Bravo, Jim! If he didn't write he easily could have become a successful audiobook narrator, which is annoying.
Also this has major spoilers for Battle Ground, so it needs to be read afterward.
With how epic the main novels have become, I hope Jim does more of these between the main books to fill out the series with more fun "Files" for the Dresden Files fans to sink their teeth into.
January 17, 2023
My thoughts will be brief, so overall I had a very good time. The plot is fine, it's better than the usual Dresden Files novella, where the plot complements its size. The problem with many Dresden shorts is that they attempt to be mini cases that barely have time to develop and easily the worst aspect of the stories. The smaller scale works as a follow-up to Peace Talks-Battle ground as Butcher went all out in that novel, so it's a nice reset. The best aspects of this short are all the character interactions and dealing with Dresden post-Battle Ground. How he interacts with people and his own psyche is interesting to explore. In the second last chapter, the appearance of a certain character is always welcome and seeing reoccurring characters appear is always fun to read. The actual climax was kinda whatever, but the penultimate chapter was wonderful, with a nice ending. It was nice visiting this world again and I'm excited whenever Butcher releases the next main entry in the Dresden Files. If you haven't read The Law, give it a shot.
7-7.5/10
7-7.5/10
July 9, 2022
»Between my hex and the otso’s, bad things were going to happen.«
Phew… After book-long battles, drawn-out, long-winded end-of-the-world scenarios in the last few books, we’re back to Harry Dresden, Resident Wizard but also Private Investigator of and in Chicago respectively.
This is a short novella in which Harry gets hired to get someone to end a frivolous lawsuit. While this is a long string of delivering and receiving favours, it’s much more like the Harry Dresden of old - funny, good-natured, self-deprecating.
I hope this is an indication of things to come!
Four stars out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Phew… After book-long battles, drawn-out, long-winded end-of-the-world scenarios in the last few books, we’re back to Harry Dresden, Resident Wizard but also Private Investigator of and in Chicago respectively.
This is a short novella in which Harry gets hired to get someone to end a frivolous lawsuit. While this is a long string of delivering and receiving favours, it’s much more like the Harry Dresden of old - funny, good-natured, self-deprecating.
I hope this is an indication of things to come!
Four stars out of five.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Medium | Matrix | Tumblr
Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
April 17, 2023
Of course, I loved this book! I'm a huge Dresden Fan! Even though this is an in between book while we wait for the next novel in the series, it's still a whole story.
Dresden is called upon to help a regular mortal. Which is great! It hearkens back to his early days as a Wizard PI.
An excellent book that moves the story forward without messing with the timeline. We get to see some of our favorite characters again while we heal (with Dresden) from the last huge battle. We are all haunted by the loss.
Dresden is called upon to help a regular mortal. Which is great! It hearkens back to his early days as a Wizard PI.
An excellent book that moves the story forward without messing with the timeline. We get to see some of our favorite characters again while we heal (with Dresden) from the last huge battle. We are all haunted by the loss.
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