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frasersimons 's review for:
Grave Peril
by Jim Butcher
While the actual plotting, especially the hook, comes along nicely from the previous instalments, the laughably badly written women I think actually transgress into offensive, rather than just eye-roll worthy. I think comparing this to ACOTAR, but from guys, is really valid, too. The romance component only gets more pronounced. Literally every character is hyper sexualized and describe as to their fuckability. They collude with Dresden in the solipsistic first person, so that Harry isn’t really supposed to be unreliable, and all these women really do purport themselves like this. And he’s gallant for rebuffing the sex kittens.
Beyond all that, all of the stakes revolve around the women. The way Harry is punished is through them, despite some attempts at them being tough or not like other women. Especially Murphy, who has been kidnapped or made to look stupid in every book now, but is supposed to be self suffice t. None of them actually have agency and all of them are vehicles, even the married wife of Michael, his sudden best friend, hand-of-god, manages to get roped into the stakes, albeit as an axis for both men to be harmed.
I can see why people like this one though, because in terms of world building and backstory, this is the first one that makes a concerted effort. In a lot of ways it could be the actual first entry to the series. The comparison to ACOTAR is even more pronounced, since the fae/fairy connection is introduced and made to be a huge component that was very minor in the previous one. There’s a lot of introducing people and then their relationship feeling unearned and large because the plot stakes requires them to, such as with Thomas—a vampire who suddenly ends up aligned with them after a pretty Deus ex machina resolution to a conflict, which again ends up as stakes for all the male characters and the women being subservient. In one case, quite literally. It is 100% leaning into the male power fantasy still, and though I do remember them getting better, this one was particularly grating, rather than fun and cheesy and stupid, at times. So, I hope Butcher smartens up soon.
Beyond all that, all of the stakes revolve around the women. The way Harry is punished is through them, despite some attempts at them being tough or not like other women. Especially Murphy, who has been kidnapped or made to look stupid in every book now, but is supposed to be self suffice t. None of them actually have agency and all of them are vehicles, even the married wife of Michael, his sudden best friend, hand-of-god, manages to get roped into the stakes, albeit as an axis for both men to be harmed.
I can see why people like this one though, because in terms of world building and backstory, this is the first one that makes a concerted effort. In a lot of ways it could be the actual first entry to the series. The comparison to ACOTAR is even more pronounced, since the fae/fairy connection is introduced and made to be a huge component that was very minor in the previous one. There’s a lot of introducing people and then their relationship feeling unearned and large because the plot stakes requires them to, such as with Thomas—a vampire who suddenly ends up aligned with them after a pretty Deus ex machina resolution to a conflict, which again ends up as stakes for all the male characters and the women being subservient. In one case, quite literally. It is 100% leaning into the male power fantasy still, and though I do remember them getting better, this one was particularly grating, rather than fun and cheesy and stupid, at times. So, I hope Butcher smartens up soon.