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Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4)
Summer Knight - Dresden Files, Bk 4
Author: Jim Butcher
Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can't pay his rent. He's alienating his friends. He can't even recall the last time he took a shower. — The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man. — And just when it seems things ca...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780451458926
ISBN-10: 0451458923
Publication Date: 9/3/2002
Pages: 371
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 533

4.3 stars, based on 533 ratings
Publisher: Roc
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 49 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Harry Dresden is in a whole lot of trouble. His actions precipitated a war between the Vampire's Red Court and the Wizards White Council. His girl friend was "infected" by the vampires and Harry has been spending every waking minute searching for a cure for her - to the point where he isn't working, isn't bathing, isn't really even eating. He is about to be evicted from his office for not paying his rent. Not only that, but assassins are after him and he has been summoned to the Wizard's council to account for his actions. Could his day get any worse ... this is Harry Dresden, of course it could ... in pops the winter queen of the faeries. It seems that his fairy godmother has sold her hold over Harry and now the winter queen wants Harry to figure out who killed the Summer Knight. He doesn't want to work for her, but isn't given any choice ... and, of course, the fate of the entire world rests on Harry solving the case in time. Fun read!
cosmichomicide avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 134 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Best so far. Harry, the werewolves and the pixies wind up in the middle of a war between the faeries of the Summer and Winter Courts as a test from the White Council. Fast paced action - really fun book.
nashbery avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on
Helpful Score: 3
It's fast-paced with interesting new characters added, although it does lack any interaction with some of the "standard" characters for various reasons. I literally laughed out loud more than once, and I think it's worth reading to the end just for the light-hearted denouement.
reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on
Helpful Score: 1
Light and humorous reading. This series is fantasy for those who do not want to get to serious about their monsters and badguys or heroes.
aksmith avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Harry is up to his old tricks. This time the world is at stake and he has to rely on his instincts about women to boot. Can he do it? I liked this book better than the first three.
Read All 25 Book Reviews of "Summer Knight Dresden Files Bk 4"

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4iggies avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 13 more book reviews
Ass always Harry Dresden keeps us on the edge of our seat until the end of the book. I always enjoy the antics of Harry and his crew
sleach329 avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 21 more book reviews
This is my favorite of the series so far. I love reading good faerie books and having Dresden getting really involved with them in this story was awesome for me. The faerie setup in this story flowed well with other books I've read, which was a huge plus too.
I like how Billy and the Alphas are still around, helping Harry out. I also enjoyed the fact that, while Murphy was still in the story, this book wasn't heavily involved with the police.
bolgai avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 109 more book reviews
Over the course of the last three books of the Dresden Files series I've come to expect Jim Butcher to give me something different every time, not just in terms of Dresden's adversaries and allies but also in terms of the difficulty of his task and the character arc. I've come to look forward to finding out what supernatural species was going to come up on the stage next. I've come to relish the smart-alec and often beat up but never beatdown Harry. I thought I had the general system all worked out. And then Butcher surprised me.
What surprised me most was the emotional journey on which the author took Harry. The last time I saw this level of character development in a fantasy series was in the Abhorsen Chronicles and I was glad to discover a similar depth in the Dresden Files. One of my favorite things about Butcher's writing in this novel is how well he showed the extent of Harry's depression and downright desperation. Grave Peril didn't end very well for the wizard and from the very first pages the fallout was obvious in everything from dark sarcasm to the state of Harry's life. Things started to turn around so gradually that I almost missed it, but I sure was glad to see it happen. After all, who wants the protagonist to be semi-suicidal for the nearest foreseable future, right?
The story has grown too. All the familiar elements were there but this time every aspect was taken to the next level - the villain is the most powerful being Harry has battled so far, the life of the entire planet is at stake, and the guys who should be helping are leaving Dresden out in the cold. Fortunately it wasn't just about the circumstances. This time around experience and the willingness to take a risk weren't going to be enough, and fire and wind magic was useless against beings with unlimited power. This time it was as much about keeping at it despite a seemingly no-win situation, not falling apart because of guilt and pain over the past, and being able to tell who is a friend and who is a foe waiting to put a deadly spell on you.
If you're wondering what supernatural species is front and center in this novel you're in for a treat: this story is all about the fey. You know, Summer and Winter courts, Queens, bargains one's better off not making. It was dangerous and a little disturbing but, true to the Dresden Files ways, a lot of fun.
Reading this book was like starting to see what the puzzle will look like after having only the simpler pieces to work with. I look forward to seeing more of the big picture.
ravensknight avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 178 more book reviews
My least fave Dresden book to date. Harry stumbles through the story, has a typical "Ah Ha!" moment, solves the immediate problem, and voila, good for another week. Lots of problems still left to deal with though, so we shouldn't worry that Harry will take charge, grow a spine, or otherwise act like a real adult.
And the white council? Enough to make ME want to be a dark wizard, or whatever their equivalent is :-)
BaileysBooks avatar reviewed Summer Knight (Dresden Files, Bk 4) on + 491 more book reviews
This is Book 4 of the Dresden Files.

I have said that these books keep getting better. This is the best one yet.

The political consequences at the end of Book 3 set the scene for the turmoil at the start of Book 4. Harry is in deep, hemmed in from all sides by the White Council, the Red Court, the Winter Lady, missing persons, and a whole list of people (dead, alive, and otherwise) who are trying to get him killed.

There is a lot going on in this book. It gets pretty busy in the middle and timelines are a little fuzzy, but in all it turns out to be a great political chess game where the answers aren't revealed until the very end. There are plenty of surprises here, and you are given the very first glimpse into the inner workings of the White Council.

Some of the issues are resolved in one way or another, but other issues remain open-ended and will hopefully be addressed in the coming books. Butcher is building an incredible world here and he is making each new adventure well worth the ride.


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