Hi Friends,
When recommending a book series to someone, there are several things that you could say to entice them. For example, if I were to recommend The Dresden Files, I could tell you that, like the Harry Potter series, it takes mythology and turns it on its head. Or I could mention that Harry Dresden, being an older, wiser Harry, has a better sense of humor then the wonderful, but often angsty Harry Potter. I might also mention that there are a total of fourteen books in the series, with more on the way. But I’m not going to mention any of that. Instead, I’m going to introduce you to some of the friends I have made reading them.
Waldo Butters is a coroner. He used to be a medical examiner in Chicago, but when he identified several corpses as ‘humaniod, but not human’ (well, they were vampire remains) his superiors decided he was crazy and demoted him. Despite this, Butters refused to believe he was seeing things, which eventually led to Harry clueing him into the supernatural world that existed right under his nose. Granted, this has also led to Butters being in several rather dangerous situations (being out on the streets of Chicago at the same time as an undead T-Rex, for example) yet he has remained a steadfast friend…and sometimes convenient medical examiner on the occasion where going to the hospital will just cause more problems.
William Borden is a werewolf. Not the kind you’re probably thinking of (allergic to silver, changes every full moon), but rather, a wolf-shifter, someone who can change into a wolf at will. He even has his own pack, and they refer to themselves as the Alphas. Will and his friends learned to shift in college, which was about the same time they first ran into Harry Dresden. After a rocky start, Will and the Alpha’s became Harry’s go-to group of friends for situations ranging from a brewing war between the Summer and Winter Courts of the Fae, to the perfect group of people to de-stress and hang out with. Will is loyal to a fault, and is more than willing to leap into a situation to help a friend, even if he doesn’t always have the tools to help.
The last friend I’d like to introduce is also the loyal type. Considering the fact that he’s a dog (in the loosest sense of the word) it’s not a surprise. Mouse is, as Harry describes him, “half chow, and half Mammoth”, or a “Wooly Chammoth”. As his names suggests, he’s quiet, and as Harry’s description indicates, he’s huge. Mouse and his siblings were rescued by Harry when they were puppies, and rather than go back to the Tibetan monk that wanted him found, Mouse chose to stay with Harry. Said to be a descendant of a Foo, or protective spirit, Mouse has proven time and again that if Harry is backed into a corner, there will be a big, not always so quiet protector there.
Jim Butcher, the author of The Dresden Files, has taken a world of his own creation and populated it with characters not that far removed from our own. Meeting them once makes it that much sweeter when they appear again, three of four books later. I’m not ashamed to admit that I will cheer when any of the above three characters make an appearance, because it gives me more time to spend with the friends that I have grown so attached to.
Live, Love, Learn,
Beth & The Write Teacher(s)