Book Review – White Knight

Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: ROC
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: April 2007

White Knight by Jim Butcher is the ninth book of The Dresden Files. This latest finds wizard Harry Dresden trying to solve several apparent suicides. Harry’s cop friend Karrin Murphy believes they were murder and calls in Harry to find out what happened to them.

If you aren’t already familiar with the series, I’ll give you a quick synopsis. If you are already familiar with these books, go ahead and skip this paragraph. Harry Dresden is a private investigator in modern day Chicago. He is also a wizard. Since he advertises that fact in the phone book, he gets all sorts of strange cases. In addition, he often helps out Karrin Murphy of the Chicago police’s SI division which handles ‘special investigations’, or rather, all the strange and unusual crimes. His brother is a vampire, his mother a faerie; and he counts angels, werewolves and witches among his friends. He is perpetually broke, lives with a giant cat named Mister, and an even larger Temple Dog named Mouse, has an angel’s daughter for an apprentice and the spirit of a banished black wizard for a lab assistant. Because he once used black magic in the past, the governing council over magic users which is called the White Council keeps him under close observation lest he slide over to the dark side.

This time around, someone is trying to frame him for the murders and somehow his brother Thomas is involved. During the investigation, Harry meets up once again with his first love Elaine, who happens to be in town to find an answer to the killings as well since Chicago is only the latest city that has record of these types of killings made to look like suicides. So, Harry must solve the case, prove his brother’s innocence, keep his apprentice safe, ensure the continuation of the Vampire Courts’ peace talks and protect Elaine.

All in a day’s work for Harry Dresden, Wizard. Of course his job is much easier since he has police back up, a magical Temple Dog, an evil but honorable gangster who needs a favor, a White Council Warden and the shade of a fallen Angel all ready to pitch in. Will Harry be able to solve the case? Is his brother truly innocent? Well, as the cliché goes, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

Butcher’s Dresden Files are very entertaining. Harry Dresden is a dynamic and well-rounded character and the supporting cast isn’t a bunch of cardboard cutouts either. Because this is an urban fantasy based on real life Chicago, Butcher doesn’t have to focus on his physical world building. He therefore puts a great deal of that energy towards his mythos. His mythical creatures all have full histories and complete biographies. While much of these may be taken from common mythology regarding vampires and ghouls and other things that go bump in the night, it is clear that Butcher has put his own stamp on each of them and keeping their stories as simple but complete as possible. He then adds in wonderful characterization, relationships and humor to create a series that is engaging and entertaining. It isn’t surprising to me that this series has been picked up by the SciFi Channel to be the basis for a TV series.

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