Happy release day for Brief Cases, the first book in the Dresden Files to be released in what feels like eons. Brief Cases is just what I needed to tide me over until Peace Talks, which should hopefully release next year. (I'm basing this off of what Butcher told the audience at his panel at Emerald City ComiCon earlier this year.) 

I love that Butcher explores other characters lives and problems through his short stories, in ways that he can't in the main books. Butters' first mission is a perfect example of something that really wouldn't fit into the main books but gives us a wonderful look into Butters' mind and fears and what motivates him. I find this kind of worldbuilding so fascinating. 

I was also delighted to see the three Bigfoot stories collected here as well. I adore Harry's take on Bigfoot and really enjoyed them when I hunted them down previously. 

Molly's stories always kind of break my heart, but "Cold Case" really takes the cake. 

The star of Brief Cases is the final novelette, featuring Harry, Maggie and Mouse at the zoo. It's a sweet story that gives us a layered view of a situation, and reminds us that we're all fighting our own battles at any given time, even in something so casual as a visit to the zoo. 

Brief Cases is an absolute must-buy if you're a fan of the Dresden Files. 

Thank you to Ace, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am up-to-date in my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40346-the-dresden-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Dresden Files series</strong></em></a> reading, so for the first time I could request and review one when released.  I totally love this series and all its wonderful characters.  I started to read this with excitement a few weeks ago and couldn't seem to get going on the first story.

So I began again with trepidation, rather than glee. It still took a moment but then I settled into the story. The first one is about Warden Luccio and I am sure if I had been ensconced in the voice of James Marsters, the two week pause would never have occurred.  Also, if the first story had been one about a character more familiar, and this one placed a bit later in the order, I would have been off and running with no end in sight. Once I did get going I read until 4 in the morning and could barely put it down to sleep, finishing the next day.

I loved all these stories SO much. It was amazing to hear the backstory in the little forewords to each one. I particularly enjoyed getting so many others point of views, such as Molly, Butters, Maggie and Mouse. I cherished every word, laughing all the way.

I own the rest of the series on audio. I love James Marsters' narration.  When preparing the review format last month,  I added the links to purchase. I went ahead and pre-ordered the audio version for myself. I'll love it many times for many years. I want more of this series and this author, and will  treasure each book.
<blockquote>" When people come to the only professional wizard in the Chicago phone book for help, they're one of two things: desperate or very smart.  Very rarely are thy both. The smart ones come to me because they know I can help; the desperate ones come because they don't know anyone else who can......

My newest client wanted something different, though. He wanted me to meet him in the woods. This did not make me feel optimistic that he would be one of the smart ones."</blockquote>

I have been a fan of Mr. Butcher for years, but I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of short stories. However, I miss this series so much, (Oh, how I miss Harry!), I had to read this collection as I generally don’t read them included in other anthologies. Yes, most of these have already been published but not all together, so if you are expecting new “cases,” you won’t really find any. However, it was great to be back in Harry’s universe again. I really enjoyed these stories for the most part; no one can deny Mr. Butcher is a great storyteller. He is a great writer, and his stories are filled with fun, great plots, and lots of witticisms. I so enjoyed seeing Molly, Butters, Mouse, I could go on and on. One thing I will admit: this book makes me almost resent that we don’t have Peace Talks yet….deep breath. Yes, I know I must have patience, but really? This long?!? LOL! If you are fan, you will love these stories. If you haven’t read Mr. Butcher before, you can read these but will miss a lot of the subtleties. Highly recommend! I was provided a complimentary copy of the e-book which I reviewed voluntarily.

Brief Cases (The Dresden Files #15.1) by Jim Butcher is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I have loved his books even before he had the TV show. I love the imagination, creativity, and the humor. This book is another one of those books! Several short stories creative characters and plots that kept me interested from beginning to the end. They also have just enough snark and wit! There were several stories about Bigfoot and a really great one about Dodge City and Mr. Earp. But in that last story there were wizards and strange creatures to ride on that did not sound like horses! That was my favorite. A fun read.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher , another book of short stories that fill in some gaps in between the books. Most are available elsewhere in other short story books but that last one of Zoo Day is AWESOME, Butcher has done it again.

I love Dresden--deeply, madly, completely. That doesn't mean he (and by extension, Butcher) can do no wrong...but it does mean that I'm likely to love everything that comes out in the Dresden universe. This collection is no exception, except it's like love with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

There were a few of these stories I'd encountered before (the Bigfoot ones), but several I hadn't had the chance to read. I have to say, as much as I adore Dresden's POV, it was actually really fun to get into the heads of some of our other favorites this time around. And the fact that Butcher can have an equally authentic voice as Luccio, Marcone, Mouse (yes, Mouse, the dog), Maggie and more--well, that just shows he's a good writer and not just a one trick wonder (as if we thought that ever).

Fans of Dresden will eat this up, and might even get a tad bit emotional. I mean, how can you not, when you get to learn about Dresden from his faithful dog??

3.5 of 5 stars

Hard to believe it has been four years since the release of the last Dresden Files book, and sure, fans might have a little longer to wait until Peace Talks, but for now, an anthology would tide me over quite nicely. Peace Talks is a collection of new and old (but mostly old) short fiction that takes place in the world of Harry Dresden, collected in one convenient volume. Together with the previous anthology Side Jobs, these books give you a chance to catch up with all the stories if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet.

A more detailed review of the contents:

A FISTFUL OF WARLOCKS

The opening story is a Western, as evidenced by its title, following Anastasia Luccio long before she has achieved the post of commander of White Council wardens. Riding in pursuit of a rogue warlock named Alexander Page, Luccio heads into Dodge City where she meets Wyatt Earp and teams up with him to take on a couple of necromancers.

In his foreword for this story, Jim Butcher writes: “Some stories happen because a writer gets inspired by some wild idea that needs expression. Some stories are carefully put together as part of a greater whole. And some stories you write because a professional friend asks you if you want to contribute to an anthology, and it sounds like a really fun idea.” This third reason given is why I typically don’t tend to read “side stories” that are tacked onto a main series, preferring the “inspired” and “carefully put together” ones instead. Plus, with any series, I always seem to end up forming attachments to only a small number of characters, and as such, I find I have very little interest in novellas or shorts that feature the perspectives of other minor characters or people in the series universe.

I’m guessing this is why I didn’t like this story as much as I’d hoped. To be honest, I barely remember Anastasia Luccio from the main series, and while meeting Wyatt Earp was kinda cool and on the whole this was a fun little story, A Fistful of Warlocks still had that “throwaway” vibe to it that makes me doubt it will stick in my mind for very long.

B IS FOR BIGFOOT

I had much better luck with B is for Bigfoot, which is also the first story of what is now known as Butcher’s “Bigfoot trilogy”, a trio of short stories featuring Harry Dresden and his interactions with the Sasquatch known as River Shoulders. In this one, Harry is hired to help his Irwin Pounder, River Shoulders’ son who lives with his human mother. It seems lately that Irwin has been having some trouble at school, and Harry takes it upon himself to give the boy a talk about bullies. For such a short tale, this one had a lot of heart, and both River Shoulders and Irwin are great additions to the Dresden universe.

AAAA WIZARDRY

Originally included in the manual Dresden Files RPG: Core Rulebook Volume 2 - Our World, this short story shows Harry in a role of teacher to a group of young wardens. I liked how it featured another side of the character, though plot-wise it was a bit undeveloped. Since the tale was first published in an RPG rulebook about the many different factions, people, and creatures of the Dresdenverse, I didn’t really expect a lot from it, but I had hoped that it would be a bit more memorable.

I WAS A TEENAGE BIGFOOT

We’re back to River Shoulders and Irwin Pounder in this story, and I couldn’t be happier. This time, Irwin is a little older, attending the prestigious Saint Mark’s Academy for the Gifted and Talented. But his supernatural origins might have attracted some unwanted attention, so his mother Dr. Helena Pounder hires Harry to keep an eye on her son. Sure enough, when Irwin gets sick, Harry is not convinced that it’s just a simple case of mono. These Bigfoot stories are becoming the highlight of this anthology, and this one had a funny twist at the end too that had me laughing. I had a great time with this one.

CURSES

Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat, this story begins when a man walks into Harry’s office attempting to hire him to remove the curse that was supposed placed on the Chicago Cubs during the 1945 World Series. It was an interesting premise, but I just didn’t find myself too invested in the story, though I’m sure it would be immensely more fun for baseball fans or Chicago natives. At the very least, I got to learn some new things surrounding what is known as the Billy Goat Curse.

EVEN HAND

Set between Turn Coat and Changes, this story is told from the perspective of one of the series’ most notorious characters, the mob boss known as “Gentleman” John Marcone. Things begin in his office with a visit from Justine, who arrives with a child in tow, claiming that she is being pursued by the Fomor, a race of water-dwelling creatures. Justine wants protection from Marcone, who is about to turn her away until the leader of the Fomor himself crashes his headquarters, changing the situation. I’ll be honest; I was a never a big fan of John Marcone, even though he’s one of the most prominent characters of the Dresden Files series, having been around since the beginning. That said, I’ve always liked the complexity behind his personality and motivations, and this one did a nice job showing him operating in his own world.

BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS

And so ends the Bigfoot trilogy with this final River Shoulders story about Harry helping Irwin Pounder for the third time. Irwin is now all grown up and in college, playing on the football team, dating a pretty girl, and generally busy doing college student things. However, when it is discovered that Irwin’s girlfriend Connie Barrowill is a vampire of the White Court, Harry goes to let River Shoulders know that his son may be in danger. But as always, things are never as they seem, especially when it turns out Connie is also unaware of her true nature. Things turn a little dark in this Bigfoot story, but I loved the deeper themes in the end about fatherhood and trusting in your children to make their own way.

BOMBSHELLS

A story about Molly Carpenter, Bombshells follows Harry’s apprentice showing how she’s been dealing with life since the death of her mentor. This one also begins with the sudden appearance of Justine, who shows up on Molly’s doorstep asking for help looking for her lover Thomas, who is also Harry’s half-brother. For a series I love so much, sometimes it surprises me how few of the key characters actually resonate with me. Molly is another member of the main cast whom I’ve never really felt much for, which might explain why I felt so apathetic about this story. It has only been a few days since I finished reading it, but I’ve forgotten many details from it already.

COLD CASE

Another Molly story, but I fared a lot better with this one. Cold Case begins with Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, charging Molly to collect an overdue tribute owed to the Winter Court. While on her mission, Molly meets up with Carlos Ramirez, a young warden of the Wizard Council, and they strike up a fast friendship and become intimate with each other. Unbeknownst to Molly, however, when she agreed to take on the Winter’s Lady mantle, certain unpleasant “rules” came attached. Admittedly, this story didn’t really wow me until near the end, when the revelations of the mantle’s influence finally hit me like a punch in the gut. I really felt bad for Molly then, and Butcher did such a great job writing her anger, frustration, and loneliness.

JURY DUTY

In this story, Harry is summoned for the direst and most unpleasant of tasks—jury duty. A man named Hamilton Luther is under trial for the murder, and it appears to be a straightforward case until information surfaces about the possible presence of little girl at the crime scene, who would be a key witness—if she could be found. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Harry follows the girl’s trail and discovers that she has been abducted by a vampire of the White Court. Featuring a mix of action and humor, this was one of the more entertaining and interesting stories of the collection.

DAY ONE

Yay, a Butters story! I was excited about this one, because here’s a side character from the series that I actually am quite fond of. Day One follows Butters as he embarks on a mission to track down a supernatural predator who has been targeting children, feeding on their nightmares and turning the kids into paranoid and sleepless husks. I have a soft spot for geeks and nerd characters, which is probably why I like Butters so much. Characters like him don’t get much of a chance to shine, so when they get to be the stars of their own stories, however short they are, I take notice. Plus, this one had a hilarious World of Warcraft reference, and because I just happen to be an avid pet collector in that game, huge points for that bit about the murloc egg alone.

ZOO DAY

Told in three parts, Zoo Day is the only story completely original to this anthology and hasn’t appeared before anywhere else. In it, Harry takes Maggie and Mouse to the zoo, and father are daughter get some quality time to get to know one and another. That is, until a fledgling warlock interrupts their plans. These series of events are depicted three times, first from the perspective of Harry, then Maggie, and finally Mouse. This is a story that does many things, but I mainly liked it for showing Harry trying to be a good parent, and Maggie learning what kind of man her dad is. Their nervousness around each other really pulled on my heartstrings, especially with both of scared that they would be a disappointment to the other, when there is in fact no need for worry on that front. It’s immediately clear that the two of them are cut from the same cloth, in that they both have big hearts and want to help others. This was a sweet and touching tale to end the anthology, showing that despite all the troubles in Harry’s busy life, he still strives to make time for his daughter, recalling the loneliness he felt growing up without his parents. Mouse’s POV also succeeded in adding a little levity, because who doesn’t love getting a story from a dog’s perspective?

All in all, Brief Cases was a good read. I’m not usually one to pick up short fiction, but I absolutely would not hesitate to make an exception for an anthology like this one, mainly because the stories are in the world of a series I love. While it’s true that most of these fell into the “okay” to “good” category, there were some that were truly excellent, like the Bigfoot trilogy, that made it all worth it. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the Dresden Files or Jim Butcher, this anthology is not to be missed.

I love the Dresden Files. I loved the first short story collection Side Jobs. It was great getting snippets of the world outside of the Main books. Especially stories in the perspective of characters other than Harry. I recommend this book for fans of The Dresden Files and anyone who enjoys supernatural noir.

Brief Cases is a collection of what they call "shorts stories", but I call them a fantastic way to experience this amazing world in novelette length tellings. Every single story had me engaged and invested in the outcome... And, that is hard to do with "short stories".

I received this ARC copy of Brief Cases from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace. This is my honest and voluntary review. Brief Cases is set for publication June 05, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Jim Butcher
Series: Dresden Files
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
ISBN-10: 0451492102
ISBN-13: 978-0451492104
Genre: Paranormal | Urban Fantasy | Shorts

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brief-Cases-Dr...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brie...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brie...

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Ahh, Harry Dresden, my old friend. It's so good to see you again. I almost forgot what you look like, it's been so long...

I grew up reading the Dresden Files. And by that, I mean I discovered them when I was in high school (never mind how many years ago), and wait impatiently for each new entry in the series. They are multiple-time rereads for me, and I love how James Marsters depicts Dresden in the audio versions.

The short story collections (<i>Side Jobs</i> and this current book) give readers a different view of the Dresdenverse, which adds a lot of richness and depth to the overall story of Harry Dresden and his (sometimes) merry band of misfits.

Of the eleven stories in this book, there are a handful of them that I really liked.

"A Fistful of Warlocks" - This story features Anastasia Luccio at her best, hunting warlocks in Dodge City alongside Wyatt Earp. She. Is. Fierce. I liked seeing her outside the confines of the council chamber, riding a not-a-horse across the landscape knowing she is the scariest thing out there.

"Even Hand" - John Marconne is at the center of this story, and it's told from his POV. It's slightly terrifying getting into his head. I want more. Also, it makes me think that eventually there's going to be a showdown between him and Dresden, and it will be epic.

"Bombshells" - Hellooo, Molly Carpenter, welcome to the big, bad world. This story finds Molly floundering in the wake of <i>Changes</i>. I liked her voice, and I liked seeing her come into her own and learn how to be a wizard without Dresden. She's pretty darn good at it.

"Cold Case" - This is another Molly story, and this one finds her again in a time of adjustment. She's immensely powerful, and has the full weight of Winter behind her, which makes her potentially terrifying. I think one day Molly will be THE force to be reckoned with.

"Zoo Day"- Here Harry, Maggie, and Mouse go to the zoo, trying to be normal. Haha. As if. We get multiple POVs here, from all three characters. Yes, even Mouse, who should have his own book.

In addition to these, we get stories about Bigfoot, and even one about Harry teaching wizardlings about wizardy-type things.

Overall, this was a strong collection and a good addition to the Dresden canon.

If you are a follower of the Dresden series, you will want to pick up and read Brief Cases which is the latest collection of short stories set in the Dresden Universe. Not only does it have the complete set of Bigfoot short stories, there are tales that do not star Dresden, but rather other characters such as Butters, Molly, Anastasia Luccio, and John Marcone. Some of these tales I had read before (Curses and Even Hand) but others such as A Fistful of Warlocks and Jury Duty were new to me. Plus Jim Butcher has written intros for each story placing them in the Dresden timeline and talking about why and how the tale was written. Do read and enjoy!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this volume!

Each of the stories in this collection is preceded by a brief explanation of the story's origin, as well as it's approximate placement within the ongoing series. That being said, it's absolutely not necessary to have read any of the books in the series to enjoy these stories.

All the stories are written in first person. Most are from Harry Dresden's perspective, though some are from other characters within the series.

What I liked:

Jim Butcher has an engaging writing style that immediately draws you into the characters' world.

Each story has a good mix of humor and mystery. Some lean more into fantasy than others, but all of them feel plausible, in a weird sorta way. I mean, seriously, I know it's unlikely that Bigfoot has a son in college, but, hey, anything's possible!

I really like Harry's character. He's a cool combination of superhero, magician, and detective.

What I didn't like so much:

After a while, the stories began feeling a little too formulaic and predictable.

I didn't like the way female characters were portrayed. They're all some combination of drop dead gorgeous, sex-crazed, and ditzy. They felt like caricatures, and I just couldn't take any of them seriously. The one exception of note is Gard, who is beautiful but also a total badass. I would have liked less male fantasy and more reality in the female cast.

*The publisher provided me with an advance ebook copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

I am so happy that Harry Dresden is back. finally! This is the perfect book for Jim Butcher fans who are waiting (im)patiently for the next full-length Dresden book. The stories involve the more peripheral characters in Butcher's series including stories that center around lesser-known monsters and from the POVs of Molly, Marconi and Anastasia. If you have to ask who any of those characters are, then you should probably not start with this title. Instead, go start with Storm Front and read this when you have finished the first 15 books in the series. Well-written, humorous and delectable to those of us who are hungering for MORE DRESDEN.

I'm very glad Mr. Butcher added Bigfoot to the Harry Dresden universe. They were my favorite of all the stories in this collection.

It was really nice to revisit Harry Dresden’s world. I understand that many of the stories in this anthology were previously published, but they were all new to me and this collection was a joy to read.

The stories from Dresden’s point of view were like putting on an old favorite hoodie from the back of the closet, comfortable and familiar. That’s a real achievement from the author, because writing a successful short story is an entirely different skill set from writing a novel. The fact that Butcher was able to invest these short stories with the same feel as the Dresden novels is a really special thing.

That said, my favorite stories in the collection were not the Dresden ones. This collection features several stories from the points of view of different side characters from the Dresden universe, like Molly, Butters, Anastasia Luccio and even Mouse. These stories were incredibly well-written, and the author successfully managed to capture the characters’...well… “character” with the limited space afforded by the short story medium.

The thing that really struck me, reading these stories, was just how well Butcher understands human nature. The people and creatures in this series always have believable, understandable motivations. The good guys aren’t always all good, the bad guys aren’t always all bad.

Reading this collection made me remember why I loved the Dresden Files in the first place. Harry is a real hero. He helps people who need help regardless of the personal consequences. A man like that leaves a big mark on the world, and seeing that mark from the eyes of other characters was fascinating to me.

Would I have preferred a new novel in the series? Of course. But in the absence of that novel, this was a delightful reminder of why I love the series. I enjoyed every moment reading these stories and I hope for more insights into side characters in the future.

This is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters from the Dresden Files series. As with most anthologies the quality of the stories varies. The majority of these stories have appeared before in other anthologies, only the last story in this anthology is original to this collection. I had read a number of these stories previously in other UF short story collections.

My favorite stories of the bunch were the ones featuring Bigfoot and his son Irwin; I especially enjoyed “Bigfoot on Campus”. I also really enjoyed “Cold Case” which takes a look at Molly starting her duties as the Winter Queen.

This is a decent collection of Dresden stories (especially if you don’t keep up with all the short stories released in this universe). It was nice to get a dose of the Dresden Files while we suffer through this long drought between Dresden Files’ books.

Overall a good collection of stories and a “must read” if you don’t normally keep up with the Dresden Files short stories. Recommended for fans of the series; most of these don’t stand alone very well. See below for short descriptions and ratings for the individual stories.

"A Fistful of Warlocks" (4/5 stars)
Story featuring Anastasia Luccio, set in the Wild West. She ends up working with Wyatt Earp to fight a group of warlocks that are causing trouble in the region.

“B Is for Bigfoot”, Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)
This is a short Harry Dresden story in which Dresden is asked to help a half-Yeti boy deal with bullies. It wasn’t all that exciting but was decently written and I enjoyed it.

“AAAA Wizardry” (5/5 stars)
I really enjoyed this story. In it Dresden is teaching some new Wardens about investigation as a wizard. He jumps between teaching a class and telling a story about a time things went wrong for him because he didn’t look at the situation correctly. Very well done story.

"I was a Teenage Bigfoot" (4/5 stars)
Dresden goes to check on a teenage bigfoot who supposedly has mono; however something much more sinistar is going on. I ended liking this story a lot. It was a fun read and features the same kid as “B is for Bigfoot” did.

"Curses" (4/5 stars)
This was a fun story about Dresden tracking down a fae king who cursed the home plate at Wrigley stadium so that the Cubs never win. It was an entertaining read.

“Even Hand” (4/5 stars)
A story from John Marcone’s point of view. It was interesting to gain some insight into Marcone. The story was entertaining but over-all nothing mind-blowing.

"Bigfoot on Campus" (5/5 stars)
Irwin is at college now. When his dad (Bigfoot) senses that something bad is going to happen, he hires Harry to go and check on Irwin. What Harry find involves the White Court and ends up in an epic battle involving Bigfoot, ghouls, and vampires. This was an excellent story I was completely drawn and want to read about Irwin more now!

"Bombshells" (4/5 stars)
This story followed Molly as she tried to deal with some Formar. There was a lot of action in here and it was good to see how Molly fared while Harry was “dead”. I didn’t really like Molly’s “voice” that much and it was hard for me to really engage in this story, it was really dark.

"Cold Case" (5/5 stars)
This was an amazing story that feature Molly as she starts her duties as the Winter Queen. She is there to collect tribut but finds out that something is going very wrong in this town. She ends up meeting up with Carlos who helps her unravel the strange events. During the course of events Molly finds out some truly dreadful facts about what it means to be Winter Queen. This was an awesome story, a bit dark and serious but really engaging and interesting

"Jury Duty" (3/5 stars)
Super light and fluffy story about Dresden being called to jury duty. He ends up using his investigative skills to keep the defendant from going to jail. It was okay but my least favorite of the bunch so far.

"Day One" (4/5 stars)
This was a cute story about Butters and his first “call” to action as a Knight. It was well done and a fun read.

"Zoo Day" (4/5 stars)
This was the same story told three times from three different POVs (Harry’s, Maggies, and Mouse’s). I liked seeing Harry cope with being a father and seeing Maggie’s and Mouse’s thoughts were interesting. However, I am not a huge fan of this type of thing....it ends up being pretty boring reading the same thing three times.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher Ace SF
We had some debate while writing this column. When possible we prefer to include one
recommendation for a classic book or series. This issue we had two new fantasy books which
were both derived from amazingly good and groundbreaking series.
The first of these is the short story collection, Brief Cases, More Stories from the
Dresden Files. Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire living in contemporary Chicago. His clients in
the book series, now fifteen novels long, range from the mundane to the Queen of the Sidhe. The
mysteries are always fair, the magic consistent, and Harry Dresden an endearing, if flawed
character who often finds himself being the hero in a most unheroic way. Almost all these stories
are written from the wizard’s witty perspective, a few from that of his clients.
This collection of short mysteries showcases the strengths of this brilliantly written
series. Dresden’s clients include all manner of beings from the son of a Yeti to the totally
mundane. He even tackles the Cubs’ curse and reveals why it was over a goat. (Hint, it was not
really just a goat.)
There are almost too many things to mention that Jim Butcher does right with the
Dresden Files, but here are a few that will hopefully steer you toward these fifteen excellent
contemporary fantasies: Harry Dresden is a great character who does not take himself too
seriously, but is driven by a strong sense of responsibility and honor. Butcher works in a good
deal of humor. Harry’s observations are dry and witty, and situational humor adds a real
dimension to some very hard edged scenarios. The action is strong and intrinsic. The fantastic
characters ring true, even exotics with otherworldly motives. If the geography took a few books
to settle down, Butcher understands Chicago (we are from there – ed.) and the consequences of
doing magic in a place where most people do not even believe in it. It’s is a hard working
industrial city that is home to the mob, powerful mayors, and the hard knuckled CPD.
The collection brings back a number of great characters, and each story includes a note as to
where it fits in among the novels. If you are already reading the Dresden Files, there is likely no
need to tell you to get this collection. If you have not yet had the pleasure of following Harry
Dresden as he solves fantastic dilemmas while moving through our everyday lives, this is a great
sampler to start with. Recommended for all Dresden Files fans, everyone who enjoys urban
fantasies, and just about all mystery readers.

Brief Cases is a collection of short stories set in Harry Dresden's world. Most have seen the light of day previously and are now being collected together. One, Zoo Day, is brand new.

I'm not normally a fan of short story collections, but I love Harry and his world. It is a compelling world filled with amazing characters. I had only read a couple of the stories within the book previously, so it was a true pleasure reading each story in the book. I'm also very appreciative of the context Jim Butcher provides before each story, it helps set them in the proper timeline and provide a little extra background to the story.

There are two stories from Molly's point of view, one from Anastasia Luccio, and one with Butters, and three that feature Bigfoot, also known as River Shoulders. I was super excited about the story with Butters. He has become one of my favorite characters for truly facing his fears and standing up to them and even Harry at times.

If you love the Dresden Files, it's well worth it to pick up this collection and read the stories together, even if you've already read all but Zoo Day. Zoo Day is not the strongest story in the collection, but it does provide some truly interesting context and set-up some future conflicts thanks to Maggie and Mouse.

If you've never read any of the Dresden Files previously, most of the stories do stand well on their own and are enjoyable without the background context. But I highly recommend having the background context to get the most enjoyment.

Posted at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2390517910

You can definitely see Butcher's writing abilities grow with this collection. Although, I found the last story to be annoying as it is just a retelling of basically the same story from three perspectives and like I hate that kind of thing in writing. It's tedious. Overall though I found that these stories tended to highlight aspects of Butcher's writing that I don't like, the slightly patronizing tone of most of them was especially irksome. The intros to the stories were almost uniformly, "well I was super busy and sort of needed a story written for an anthology so I whipped this up real quick" and yeah that shows. I didn't hate the collection. I love the series, though, and this very much did not scratch the itch for more Dresden. I mean it's been years and instead of a new book we get reprints. So I'm a little bitter about that I guess.

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


MORE DRESDEN! FINALLY! Okay, so, I'm not going to get into how much Butcher is driving me nuts over here with his newly found George R.R. Martinism. But I will say YAY, because finally more Dresden.


Let's be honest here, though... most of these shorties were already released in other anthologies. Only one is new and original to this anthology. But, as someone who doesn't usually purchase many anthologies unless they are author-specific (like this one, or Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock anthology, or Patty Briggs' Mercyverse anthology) or they have at least two or three shorties by authors I already know and love... this anthology was a gem. I got all of these other shorties without the expense of buying many more anthologies with things I probably wouldn't love in them. :) And we got a brand new standalone story called Zoo Day.

My favorite stories in this collection were the Molly stories, if I'm being honest. She's become a very interesting and easy to relate to character, and it was cool (pun intended!) to see things from her point of view. She's got a lot of challenges ahead of her now, and I think she's going to remain one of my favorite characters in the growing cast.

I also really loved the Butters shorty Day One. Seriously, I love Waldo "POLKA WILL NEVER DIE" Butters. I love all the nerdy references in his stories.

Zoo Day was great... and we got to see some of the story from a VERY cool perspective... MOUSE! I loved it... and loved the quote from a dog's viewpoint: "That might be the hardest part of human heart-stupidity: how much happiness you simply leave aside so that you have enough time to worry." Ain't that the truth? The foo dog speaks truth!

I liked being able to read all of the Bigfoot stories as well, and rereading Marcone's shorty Even Hand was fun too.

Overall, highly recommended to help tide you over if you are jonesing for a Dresden fix, especially if you are like me haven't read most of these shorties.