Yet another outstanding addition to Jim Butcher's incredible urban fantasy series. Butcher is really ramping things up for the ever-abused protagonist, Harry Dresden.

I realized I'd never sent this on netgalley itself.

https://openlettersreview.com/posts/brief-cases-by-jim-butcher

Jim Butcher’s ongoing series The Dresden Files is eighteen years old this year, and in that time, readers have been on a long journey with the lovable buffoon named Harry Dresden, ‘the only professional wizard in the phone book,’ and protector of Chicago, Illinois against all things peculiar and otherworldly. With fifteen novels, multiple graphic novels, and a short story collection, the world of The Dresden Files is vast. It has been cited as the gold standard of modern urban fantasy, so it comes as no surprise that Butcher’s latest outing in the series is highly anticipated. With Brief Cases, Butcher brings together his second collection of short stories, following 2010’s Side Jobs.

As with Side Jobs, Brief Cases collects stories set in the Dresden Files universe which, with one exception, have been published over many years in collections with other authors. Fans who have been patient enough to wait and purchase this second collection will not be disappointed, as Butcher delivers his usual mix of sarcasm, geekiness, and darkness followers of Dresden and his adventures have come to expect from the wizard.

Butcher has introductions before every story, detailing his inspiration and where they each fit chronologically in the overall series. The last three stories in the collection, “Jury Duty,“Day One,” and “Zoo Day” are each set after the events of the last novel published, 2014’s Skin Game, so those three especially act as an appetizer to the much anticipated sixteenth installment in the main series. “Zoo Day,” the one previously unpublished story, showcases the growth of Dresden who, having been a twenty-five-year-old bachelor at the start of the series, is now a father, spending his first day alone with his young daughter at the zoo. Three stories spread throughout the collection make up the ‘Bigfoot trilogy’ with Dresden hired to look after a half human, half Bigfoot young man throughout his teenage years and into college. The three stories also force Dresden into the role of a parental figure in preparation for the eventual birth of his daughter.

Dresden is not the only character on display here. Some stories, such as “Even Hand,” are Dresden-less, and come from the point of view of other characters such as 'Gentleman’ John Marcone, the major organized crime boss of Chicago and Harry Dresden’s sometimes rival and sometimes ally who comes to the rescue of Justine, a friend of Dresden. The story shows multiple sides of Marcone, who is one of the earliest characters introduced in the first book of the series, 2000’s Storm Front. He sets aside his business activities to help save a child. Some might say that short stories in large series are unnecessary; however, in the end, “Even Hand” also shows Marcone as an antagonist for Dresden, and helps to further the larger plot:

I would test myself against Dresden in earnest one day – or he against me. Until then, I had to gather as many resources to myself as possible. And when the day of reckoning came, I had to make sure it happened in a place where, despite his powers, he would no longer have the upper hand.

"Bombshell"s and "Cold Case" act as a back-to-back combination narrated by Molly Carpenter, Dresden’s one-time apprentice, now out on her own and proving her worth without him. "Day One" focuses on fan favorite Waldo Butters, a medical examiner who assists Dresden in an early novel as a one-off appearance, only to be brought back and made a series regular later on. “Day One” explores his first exploit as a Knight of the Cross, wielders of holy swords whose mission is to protect the innocent.

These stories show new sides of these characters, and further the lore of The Dresden Files. With this series, Butcher has created an array of characters of all species and sizes, and is known to not waste a character – if someone is introduced, they likely have an important role to play in the overall story. Every story in both collections adds to the world Butcher created, but being able to get inside the minds of Dresden’s friends and enemies is a treat for any fan.

To further the world-building, some stories have references to events of the main series, with some even inserting characters never seen into the prior narrative of the main series, like in “Bigfoot on Campus”:

“I recognize you,” I said pleasantly to Barrowill. “You were at the Raith Deeps when Skavis and Malvora tried to pull off their coup. Front row, all the way on one end in the Raith cheering section.”

“You have an excellent memory,” Barrowill said.

Brief Cases has a great balance of humor, imagination, and furthering the overall story. There are numerous references and inside jokes that Dresden Files enthusiasts will be exited to read. Butcher even finally addresses the use of the wizard Dresden’s first name, which is a fun non-subtle nod to another series about a wizard name Harry:

“I’m Harry,” I said, and held out my hand.

He eyed my hand and then me, huffing out half of a laugh. “Wizard Harry. You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” I said. I looked at him and lifted a speculative eyebrow.

Some readers will likely re-read the entire series leading up to Peace Talks, the next novel in the series. While it might be tempting to sprinkle in these stories chronically, reading them back to back is a unique reading experience when comparing the various characters, specifically Dresden, to themselves in different time periods. Either way it is read, Brief Cases is a must-read for any Dresden Files fan.

Michael Feeney is a book reviewer and pop culture junkie from the Philadelphia area. He is an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction.

This was a hard book to read because the reader had to savor. I wanted to hoard it until a new book came out, but the longer I waited the more anxious I became. I had to read it.

I love Harry and crew and their adventures are very well thought out and executed thanks to the writing of Jim Butcher. I imagine that is the reason that Author Butcher has a hard time writing a book. Everything has to be perfect because the last thing he wants to do is let a reader down.

Some stories in this anthologiy were better than others, it still remains a five star because of Harry.

Great author - well loved by our patrons. Always a favorite. His characters are well rounded and interesting. The plots are always interesting. Love the way he merges mystery genre with fantasy elements.

I've read a lot of Jim Butcher. Listened to the audiobooks, mostly. These stories are good in-between bits, good explorations of the Dresden world.

Despite all the reading I do, I haven't read very many of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. I've read one book, watched some of the television series, and read a number of graphic novel adaptations ... and I've enjoyed them all. In part, I haven't read many Dresden Files books because I'm so back-logged with ARC's (Advance Reading Copy) and a long list of books I'd like to read. Fortunately, for me, <em>Brief Cases</em>, a collection of short stories in the Dresden Files world became available as an ARC.

The Dresden Files are fun.

What more needs to be said? A big part of the appeal to this series is that author Jim Butcher has made it fun. Harry Dresden is a smart, sassy hero who gets himself into as much trouble as he gets out of - and we're not always sure he's going to get out of trouble.

You don't really need to have read any other books in the series to enjoy this collection of short stories but let's face it ... people don't usually buy collections of short stories so it's most likely that if you pick this up, you are already familiar with the series and the characters. However, most of these stories have been previously published in other collections, so true fans may already have read them. Butcher introduces each story and lets the reader know where in the order of the books, the story takes place. This didn't mean much to me. I simply enjoyed them as fantasy stories.

Three of the stories include a Bigfoot character. I think I enjoyed these the most as we see a number of different sides to Harry Dresden and the Bigfoot character fits in so well with the Dresden Files menagerie. I also enjoyed "Jury Duty" in which Dresden sits on a jury and suspects that there is paranormal involved and solves the crime before the case is concluded.

The stories in which Harry is not the narrator/POV, were my least favorite. They just didn't have the charm of a Harry Dresden story.

I like short fiction, and I really enjoyed these stories, even though I'm not a regular follower of the books. We get a good idea of the fun, the danger, and the uniqueness of the series through these stories. It is worth reading if you like fantasy that has some danger and a touch of humor.

This book includes the following:

"A Fistful of Warlocks"
"B is for Bigfoot"
"AAAA Wizardry"
"I Was a Teenage Bigfoot"
"Curses"
"Even Hand"
"Bigfoot on Campus"
"Bombshells"
"Cold Case"
"Jury Duty"
"Day One"
"Zoo Day"

Looking for a good book? <em>Brief Cases</em> by Jim Butcher is a collection of short stories from the Dresden Files and showcases the fun and mysterious of the series in short snippets. Each of the stories is worth reading, especially for fans of the series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A nice collection of reprints all in one place, and a great new novella makes for a good short story collection. I normally don't like short story collections, but I make exceptions for authors like Butcher.

I have not read any Dresden Files novels and have only gotten into the comics. But this collection of stories was easy to follow without needing to know a lot about the characters or universe. Sure, fans will get more out of it, but I found it a pretty good read. There is nice variety among the subjects of the stories and they are all interesting enough to make you want to keep reading.

This book was so much fun! Great stories with well-developed characters and fantastical settings that Jim Butcher is known for. Dry humor was abundant here and I enjoyed every word. This is perfect for someone wanting a fun read but who has to pick up and put down a book frequently and doesn't have time to immerse in a novel with complex character and plot elements. A lover of Jim Butcher or fantasy books with a new baby or a young kid would eat this book up!

And of course fans will love this. One of my favorite parts were the little blurbs at the beginning of each story that explained where the idea had come from. The only sad part was when he said a story could easily turn into a whole novel but he didn't have time to write it, because I definitely agreed that many of these stories could be books, and I would love to read them. Crossing my fingers he ends up writing more from some of these plots.

We had a great chat about getting characters into trouble for an interesting plot on The Secret Library podcast... Jim is a really fun conversationalist and he was great to interview and very insightful about writing.

Though these are short pieces, I don’t recommend a new reader begin with these. Many, if not most, of the stories rely on readers being familiar with Butcher’s long-running series about Harry Dresden, mage and warden.

All but one of the stories are reprints. In gathering them together, Butcher is able to supply introductions to them, sometimes explaining the history and or impetus behind the stories, and sometimes acknowledging more thoughtful themes running through them..

The stories range from funny to harrowing to thoughtful. Readers should be warned that there are significant spoilers relating to events in the books. I enjoyed them, perhaps the more because they were short, so that I could read them spaced far apart; unfortunately, though I love Butcher’s characters, great pacing, and wry humor, he has a consistent tic that throws me right out of the story, which is that at least once a page, sometimes every paragraph, Harry, or someone else, “said softly.” When there are five “I said softly” repetitions on one page, I find it hard to immerse.

I fully realize that this is petty, and shouldn’t bother a better reader—his success proves that.

My review can be found on our website https://www.krlnews.com/2018/08/brief-cases-by-jim-butcher.html

I LOVED this book as I do all Dresden Files stories and book

I've spent a lot of time over the last decade with Chicago's only professional wizard. Jim Butcher's urban fantasy series really sets the bar for what the genre can be. It's full of snark, spirit and spells, but without being overly geeky. So, I was especially pleased to get an advanced reader's copy of the new Harry Dresden short story collection, Brief Cases. Collected from the live of the series, Brief Cases delivers a group of short stories featuring not only Harry, but other characters such as Butters, Molly Carpenter and Mouse doing what they do best. Especially fun was the trio of stories featuring Harry's interaction with a Bigfoot scion through three different stages of his life. While this is not an ideal jumping on point for new fans (too many spoilers), it is necessary reading for longtime fans of the series. Brief Cases will hit bookstores tomorrow, June 5. Grab one early. You'll be glad you did.

I was already familiar with some of these stories, having gobbled them up in other collections, but they are a delight to read again. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Harry Dresden, and I absolutely love the short stories, as they tend to be just as funny and as interesting as the novels, but a little less exhausting (and sometimes, less upsetting!) for the reader. Harry's life is non-stop, and the novels only get faster-paced and gain higher stakes with each subsequent publication. Some of the short stories offer a breath of Harry-scented, mania-tinged air, while still being more on the fun side than the tragic.

What else is there to say? I love this book.

What a fun collection! I was watching The Dresden Files, via a streaming service, but they moved it to pay for before I finished. That made me even more excited to get to read this collection. I liked it! These are short stories and it's a fast read. Great for a trip or a rainy day!

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

A bunch of fun stories to whet your whistle while ....still waiting for Peace Talks.... :) Some I had read in other places, but they're all short and fun!

What's not to love!! Jim Butcher is great! LOL can you tell I love him. I love this collection of short stories and the time and places he has selected to highlight his characters. Anyone who is a fan of Jim Butcher or urban fantasy will love this book.!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ace for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I don't think I can get enough Dresden Files. He just gets better and better. Often when you are reading a long-running serious, it gets stale and stagnates. This hasn't, it has gotten better. The characters flesh out more with each book, and in this book particularly we got a great story written from the point of view of "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone. Yes! It reads even better than it sounds. I know this is a re-release, but I haven't read the other anthologies so this is brand new to me. Plus, we have stories from Butters, which is fantastic, and Molly which are just as good and fleshed put as Dresden himself.

This was a great holdover for when the next book comes out, and I definitely suggest reading it. It isn't absolutely necessary to read the Dresden Files before picking this up, but it would help understand the characters a bit more. There. That is your excuse to get into this fantastic series. Dooooo itttttttt.

Jim Butcher is a favorite author of mine and I love the Dresden Files series. It was great to read these short stories and get more info on some of the other characters.

A great way to dip your toes into the world of Harry Dresden. I'm a huge Urban Fantasy fan but believe it or not, I've never read any of the Dresden Files books. I know! Its hard to believe. But here comes Brief Cases and something in me says "Hey, why not give it a try?"

So I do. And I loved it. And now I need to go and binge the entire series because its just that good!

Brief Cases is a collection of short stories from the HD world—the one with Maggie and Mouse was my favorite—but whether you're a new reader of the series or a current one, I think you'll easily find something to enjoy here.

The shorts are full of compelling characters, both good and devious, and give an exciting peak into the world without the fear of a 16 book series commitment (because yes thats how long the series is at the moment once Peace Talks come outs.) But trust me when I say that you're going to happily walk into that 16 book series commitment after you read Brief Cases. 

If you love edge of your seat adventures, witty one-liners, and exceptional character development, you'll love Brief Cases

This is considered #15.1 in the Dresden Files series. The stories are enjoyable even if you haven't read the complete series yet. Though if you haven't read all of the series, there are spoilers. It contains 11 short stories that were previously published and one novella that is new. The entry for Brief Cases on Goodreads has a list of all of the stories with about a one sentence summary of each.

I enjoyed all of the stories, but maybe in particular that there were 3 of them about a Bigfoot. They were mostly lighter than some of the others in the collection. I also found that I liked the story "Even Hand" which is told from Johnnie Marcone's point of view. It was nice to see another side of him, a deeper side.

The novella, "Zoo Day," I probably would have skipped if I knew ahead of time that it was in part a dog story. I generally don't read those in case something happens to the dog. But, the story was good.

The stories are all from various points in the series. Goodreads again includes where each story falls in the series in their synopsis here.

I'd have to say overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. The stories are well-written. You can enjoy them without having read the series, but you will encounter spoilers. There is a variety. Not all of the stories are from Harry's point of view. I would recommend this book and the series to fans of urban fantasy.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher was released June 5th, 2018 from Ace.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book. The review is unbiased and honest.