Dresden Files: Downtown

Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files: Down Town Collection (The Dresden Files Graphic Novels #5)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author), Mark Powers, Carlos Gómez (Illustrator)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I totally have a thing for Harry Dresden and I am happy to read about him in any medium I can find him. This is a really nice new story that gives you a chance to become better acquainted with Molly Carpenter and what she is doing with Dresden as his apprentice. We also get to see the character of Marcone who does not appear a lot though he is mentioned quite often in any number of novels.

Something is killing innocent people and the police, Karrin Murphy, calls in Dresden because it is obvious that whatever it is its not human. While Harry has never seen anything like it before he is ready to stop it no matter what it takes.

This does not have a lot of plot, it is simple and straight forward, which is perfect for a graphic novel. Good story told in minimal space with decent characters, no need for major development, some fun facts.

Extinction Evolution

by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am completely blown away by this book. I loved it! The story is being built upon in such an effortless way that it is almost as if it is happening right in front of me. The characters continue to grow and expand as individuals as more are introduced who come forth as full blown people. The tension continues to build pulling you further into their world and their lives. Though this is just as much a medical thriller as it is about zombies/infected, the language does not hold it back and keeps it where you can understand what they are talking about all the time. I was into the story from the first page and only slowed down when I had to sleep mainly.

Staff Sergeant Jose Garcia is commanding officer of the Variant Hunters, so named because they have gone after them and survived more than any others. They are a part of the strike group on the George Washington Carrier and consider themselves to be Americas last best chance to survive. He and his team have seen a lot of action, including first hand knowledge of the changes taking place to the Variants in various locations.

Master Sergeant Reed Beckham and his men had to take charge when an outsider murdered their CO and tried to take over. They are now waiting for the consequences of their actions to arrive on the Island. What happens is far from consequences and the Island gets some much needed support but it is also left without its center. Kate and Ellis are working on their newest attempt to kill the Variants but get word that a new threat may make their work obsolete before it is even deployed. Fitz and Apollo are placed into danger with green recruits and find that they can do more than they thought. What happens while Team Ghost is away is enough to break any man.

Two teams manned by some of the best the world still has to offer will come together to stop what has become the last gasp of mankind. The question is can they do it and if so at what cost.

I cannot stress how much I believe that this series should be read. It is one of the best in the genre! I was crying by the end because I lost some friends in this book and I was so sad to see them go. This is what I want from a book, to make me feel so much for the characters that I forget they are fictional. If you haven’t guessed, I recommend this book highly! 🙂

‘Salem’s Lot

by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stephen King at his best. This is a vampire story that does not have a happy ending or nice vampires. These are the old vampires who just want to kill and create more as they go. The characters are good and very realistic for the time and place that they occupy. It is very much a product of the time that it was written in but does still hold up well.

Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot to exorcise the ghosts of his past. He had a terrifying experience in the local haunted house as a child and wants to write that terror away. What he could not have foreseen is that a new terror has come to take up residence in the Lot and it is something he would never believe could happen. The haunted house has been bought by some foreign gentlemen and soon things start to happen. People are missing for no reason that anyone can figure out at first, but then it becomes plain what is happening.

This may not be one of the greatest novels ever written to some but it is one of my favorites because I love a good vampire story and he told one here. This had an evil vampire who wanted to take the town and everyone in it as his own. There was more than one hero, though Ben was the main one, and they are flawed but brave in the face of certain defeat. It does kind of remind you of Bram Stokers Dracula with a modern face on it. Look at the characters and you can actually line them up from book to book. I have read both and like it. I would recommend it!