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Fool Moon is the second instalment in the Dresden Files series and it certainly ramps up the excitement, escapades and atrocities of the evil villains. The Dresden File series follows Harry Dresden, a wizard who is basically a private investigator, crime-fighting, weight-loss potion supplier (on the low days) and the "hero" of our series. The world of the Dresden Files is based on the idea that most people do not really seem to believe in the occult and supernatural, as many people believe Harry Dresden to be a bit of gimmick or fake. However, the police have a specific department headed up by Murphy who deals with anything supernatural and is a female character that I hope will continue to grow across the series. Murphy tends to be the character drawing Dresden into all the action and conflict as he tries to help her figure out what supernatural creature is causing chaos.
This instalment was focused on werewolves (as the title may indicate) and the various kinds of werewolves: werewolves, loup-garou, hexenwolves etc. I liked how Jim Butcher didn't just have the stereotypical one werewolf, linear plot-line as I feel like most supernatural narratives take one origin of werewolves and run with it. Butcher does well to combine lots of different storylines and ideas about the supernatural into his stories and I really like how he mixes things up.
Fool Moon built on all of the good bits of Storm Front and made them better, as we got more snarky banter from Harry Dresden, more action and claw-biting moments of the book. This was definitely a big positive for me as although, I did enjoy Storm Front I was not blown away by it. Fool Moon dragged me into the narrative much more, and it seemed to have a quicker, more hard-hitting pace as you knew all the central characters: Harry, Murphy, Marcone and Susan. Not only was the plot pacing quicker and more exciting, I also found it was more unpredictable as the villains in this completely surprised me and I was confused until very near the end when things started to slowly unravel about who had committed all the murders.
The main characters that seem to have been present across the last two books are Harry Dresden, our snarky wizard who has a great sense of humour, but does seem to bumble through a lot of his wizardary. I would never say I feel that he is a competent wizard, but I think that's the vibe Butcher is going for. Then we have Murphy who is the police officer that often drags Dresden to the scene of her crimes. Murphy although present at many of the big scenes still seems to be a big mystery, as we haven't really gotten to know her that well. I'd like to see her develop more across the series as I think she has the potential to be a great, strong female character. Marcone is the typical gangster lord, who reaches out to Dresden on many occasions as he tries to recruit him as his own personal wizard. I enjoy the interactions between Dresden and Marcone as Marcone serves to help showcase Dresden's moral compass and we see the dirty underworld of society. Then finally we have Susan who is Dresden's love interest. She seems to be a fairly fun, sexy, but also intelligent character. Again, as the second main female character in the series she does tend to be on the sidelines most of the time, although her presence and role in Fool Moon definitely built on that in Storm Front.
Overall I think there are lots of great elements in Fool Moon as the Dresden Files series combines the supernatural with crime fighting. These are two of my favourite genres so there isn't a lot to dislike. I look forward to reading more of this series and intend to pick the third book up straight away as I enjoyed this one so much. I would definitely recommend this book to all, and would say that this book is a lot stronger than the first in the series, so do not let that put you off.
This instalment was focused on werewolves (as the title may indicate) and the various kinds of werewolves: werewolves, loup-garou, hexenwolves etc. I liked how Jim Butcher didn't just have the stereotypical one werewolf, linear plot-line as I feel like most supernatural narratives take one origin of werewolves and run with it. Butcher does well to combine lots of different storylines and ideas about the supernatural into his stories and I really like how he mixes things up.
Fool Moon built on all of the good bits of Storm Front and made them better, as we got more snarky banter from Harry Dresden, more action and claw-biting moments of the book. This was definitely a big positive for me as although, I did enjoy Storm Front I was not blown away by it. Fool Moon dragged me into the narrative much more, and it seemed to have a quicker, more hard-hitting pace as you knew all the central characters: Harry, Murphy, Marcone and Susan. Not only was the plot pacing quicker and more exciting, I also found it was more unpredictable as the villains in this completely surprised me and I was confused until very near the end when things started to slowly unravel about who had committed all the murders.
The main characters that seem to have been present across the last two books are Harry Dresden, our snarky wizard who has a great sense of humour, but does seem to bumble through a lot of his wizardary. I would never say I feel that he is a competent wizard, but I think that's the vibe Butcher is going for. Then we have Murphy who is the police officer that often drags Dresden to the scene of her crimes. Murphy although present at many of the big scenes still seems to be a big mystery, as we haven't really gotten to know her that well. I'd like to see her develop more across the series as I think she has the potential to be a great, strong female character. Marcone is the typical gangster lord, who reaches out to Dresden on many occasions as he tries to recruit him as his own personal wizard. I enjoy the interactions between Dresden and Marcone as Marcone serves to help showcase Dresden's moral compass and we see the dirty underworld of society. Then finally we have Susan who is Dresden's love interest. She seems to be a fairly fun, sexy, but also intelligent character. Again, as the second main female character in the series she does tend to be on the sidelines most of the time, although her presence and role in Fool Moon definitely built on that in Storm Front.
Overall I think there are lots of great elements in Fool Moon as the Dresden Files series combines the supernatural with crime fighting. These are two of my favourite genres so there isn't a lot to dislike. I look forward to reading more of this series and intend to pick the third book up straight away as I enjoyed this one so much. I would definitely recommend this book to all, and would say that this book is a lot stronger than the first in the series, so do not let that put you off.
That was actually lots of fun, it made me laugh. It was light-hearted and funny and just what I needed.
Absolutely got sucked in, and considering this was free on Kindle unlimited. Entirely thrilled. I have to say, absolute sucker for the strong alpha female character. Loved it. She got herself out of every situation.
Not quite as good as the first instalment, but still very enjoyable. This is the escapism I need from the world right now.
This didn't feel like the Tao I got to know in the first book Feral Sins. There felt like a couple of inconsistencies in character.
However, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
However, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
A Manual for Heartache was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now, it was honest, thoughtful and also light-hearted despite the subject manner. It made me think a lot about life and things that are happening and how to cope with that.
Cathy Rentzenbrink experienced a painful and traumatic loss of her brother at the age of 17 which has impacted on the rest of her life. This book is not about that experience, but how we are all human and that heartbreak is natural and expected in our lives. It is about what we can say to people going through tough periods in their lives, and what we can do if we are experiencing painful moments; whether that be bereavement, family illness, our own illness or even a painful break-up. Pain is not confined to a specific event, and we should not judge others for how they experience and deal with their pain. Cathy speaks about heartache in a very poignant way as she discussed how we view that there is a hierarchy of pain. We often see some painful moments of people's lives as more worthy than others, when in fact we are all allowed to suffer and we are all allowed to deal with pain in our own ways. The pain we all feel should be recognised and accepted equally.
This book felt like a comforting blanket that offered peace and acceptance. It made it okay to laugh and to cry and to feel the pain you are experiencing. I could relate to the book and feel like it was very important in my life.
It also has some beautiful quotable sections especially, particularly about love and heartbreak:
Cathy Rentzenbrink experienced a painful and traumatic loss of her brother at the age of 17 which has impacted on the rest of her life. This book is not about that experience, but how we are all human and that heartbreak is natural and expected in our lives. It is about what we can say to people going through tough periods in their lives, and what we can do if we are experiencing painful moments; whether that be bereavement, family illness, our own illness or even a painful break-up. Pain is not confined to a specific event, and we should not judge others for how they experience and deal with their pain. Cathy speaks about heartache in a very poignant way as she discussed how we view that there is a hierarchy of pain. We often see some painful moments of people's lives as more worthy than others, when in fact we are all allowed to suffer and we are all allowed to deal with pain in our own ways. The pain we all feel should be recognised and accepted equally.
This book felt like a comforting blanket that offered peace and acceptance. It made it okay to laugh and to cry and to feel the pain you are experiencing. I could relate to the book and feel like it was very important in my life.
It also has some beautiful quotable sections especially, particularly about love and heartbreak:
"Love widely, love often I'd say. Love with your whole heart even as you fear it wouldn't survive the loss. Anything else is not being fully alive."
"The world can feel like a cruel place sometimes but allow yourself to feel your feelings, ask for help, notice kindness and look for currants in the cake."
"We don't need to be unbroken. Our first step is simply to stop trying to hide our scars. Heartache is human."
