I'm a HUGE Jim Butcher's fan. Both series I have read by him are in the top10 favorites of all times.

I'm (and the majority of his fans) desperately waiting for Peace Talks but while we are waiting, Brief Cases is here!

Brief Cases, just like Side Jobs, is a compilation of short stories in the Harry Dresden World.

Most of the short stories have Harry as the protagonist but we also get some of the other very well known players having their own. Molly has two, one before and one after becoming the Winter Lady. Waldo Butters facing his first quest as a knight, Gentleman Johnnie Marcone handling a sticky situation, and even Anastasia Luccio battling evil in the company of Wyatt Earp.

Of course, my favorite was the last one. It involves Harry, Maggie and Mouse spending a day at the zoo. Why was it my favorite? Because we get the same tale told by each of them in their own perspective. Harry being a wizard and having so many enemies is never going to make his parenting easy.

Bigfoot also has 3 short stories. Bigfoot asks Harry for help with his scion. The first one, when Irwin was a kid, then as a teenager and the last one, as a young man in college. I enjoyed them all. I hope we get to see Bigfoot and Irwin showing up in any of the books to come and helping Harry when he needs it.

"Whenever you've got a choice, do good, kiddo. It isn't always fun or easy, but in the long run it makes your life better."

Don't hesitate to grab Brief Cases if you are a lover of the Harry Dresden files. It's a must!

I just have one question. When is Peace Talk coming out??? I NEED IT NOW!!!!

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ace Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man I've missed this series. Returning to the Dresden Files was wonderfully refreshing. The world continues to delight. Okay now to look at the book as a librarian and as a reader.
First as a Librarian: I adore this series, and I recommend it to my older students all the time. However I don't know how likely I'll be to recommend this particular volume to anyone that isn't already a fan of the series. That's because while some of the stories are easily accessible to new readers (the Bigfoot stories, Luccio's delightful Old West story), others rely rather heavily on knowledge ot the series mythology (i.e. Marcone's story and both of Molly's stories). While I think that many readers can find something to like in this book, you have to read all of the previous books to truly get the most out of it. So while I will be recommending it for purchase, I won't be recommending it to readers who aren't already fans.
As a Reader: As already mentioned, I love this series a lot. I've read all of the previous books multiple times, and purchase them in multiple formats the day that they release. I was slightly worried that I wouldn't find the same magic in this book as I had in the others. Luckily this book did not disappoint. That being said, if you're coming in looking for stories about Harry in particular, you may be disappointed. Over half of this volume is made up of stories narrated by someone other than Harry. Personally I rather liked the change in viewpoints (my favorite were the opening and closing stories-Luccio and Maggie & Mouse respectively), but I could see it annoying other people.

I'll admit, when I started reading this book I was a bit... miffed. Apprehensive. It's been a long time since I'd been in the Dresdenverse, and I'd been spending a lot of time in other universes. I was impatient for a new book.

[Now don't get me wrong -- I understand authors are human beings with lives and other responsibilities and they don't exist solely to entertain me. I have sort of a cognitive dissonance going on where I am 110% patient when it comes to supporting Mr. Butcher as an author who writes on his own time, while I am also mad at Harry for being away for so long.]

But the Bigfoot stories got to me and pulled me out of my "I miss Harry" funk. The Bigfoot trilogy rose to the top of the collection and showed us the more parental side of Harry. We see this new Harry again in the final story, where a zoo trip with Mouse and Maggie forces all three to face their demons (and some real demons, too.)

Side characters are given their time to shine in this anthology. Even Gentleman Marcone gets an opportunity to be a bit heroic. We see Molly twice, one in a heartrending story of loss, and again when she earns that favor from the dark elves and we see how an illusion mage like herself handles combat magic. (Creatively.)

Waldo Butters steals the show as the new Knight of the Cross. Considering that he wields a sword that looks more like a lightsaber than a holy relic, it should come as no surprise that his first "Call" from the Almighty is quite a bit different from the still, quiet voice that pious Michael had heard.

And who could deny the appeal of Anastasia Luccio subduing some bad guys out in the Old West with Wyatt Earp?

I suppose you could skip this collection and still read Peace Talks, book 16, when it comes out. But why would you want to? This book is just FUN and gives more insight to characters that Mr. Butcher has already fleshed out wonderfully.

It's been a while since I've read a Dresden Files book, so things weren't as fresh in memory. I still really enjoyed this book, I loved the short stories.

As a fan of the Dresden Files (and still mourning the demise of the TV series based on these books) I looked forward to reading this latest installment of Harry’s adventures as a professional wizard. These short stories, save one, have been published previously but that didn’t diminish my pleasure in revisiting Harry and his realm.

Although I would have preferred a full-length novel, it was still nice to immerse myself in the world of Harry Dresden for a few hours. Told with humor and filled with great characters, Brief Cases includes several tales that have appeared in smaller publications over the years. What a treat!

For fans of The Dresden Files this is a book that can’t be missed. If you haven’t read any of these books, then this will be a nice segue into his adventures. Enjoy!

This is a mixed bag of short stories about Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard. Harry does things the way he wants with those he likes to work with. Needless to day, that doesn't go over well in a professional society...

Ace and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on June 5th.

I found this collection very interesting. It's full of pieces. Beginnings and endings and even some way before with other characters. You might be reading some pieces that sound familiar but even they have chunks of odd new information that ties to another story. Jim Butcher never bores you.

The most interesting part is that these stories are written by other authors who were influenced by his work.

This is a mess of taking on quests that no one is quite sure about to accomplish they're not sure what and how to is unknown. You need more than that to be drawn in?

The Second Anthology of Dresden-Universe Stories

Spoiler-ific review

I received this book for free for the purposes of review.

The book will be published June 5th, 2018. Go buy it folks!

I read Side Jobs when it came out years and years ago and loved it. As a fan of the Dresden Files, I have to say that Butcher is just as talented at writing short fiction as he is writing long-form prose, if not more talent. While I must admit to not liking the present End-Of-The-World direction the Dresdenverse overall is heading, the smaller case-files these short stories represent REALLY do the detective-narrative style justice.

Most of all I liked ‘A Fist Full of Warlocks,’ a short story set in the Wild West. Starring Anastasia Luccio (aka Dresden’s on-again-off-again cougar love interest) as a gun-slinging cowboy hunting down a rogue British warlock, it was a hollering good time. Quite frankly, the short was so good I would love it if Butcher wrote a book (or three) set in the Wild West. It’s concept of ‘The Wild West, with Kemmler’s Black Council against the Gunslingers of the White Council’ was truly compelling.

Highly recommended you pick up this anthology if you’re even a small-to-medium fan of the series.

Stay Sunny!

I love Dresden. I even liked the the TV show, (I know, I know) and this book doesn't disappoint. Full of fun and magic and more of the world of Dresden , this is a must read for Jim Butcher fans.

This is a collection of short stories that have been previously published in various places with one new short story at the end of the book. It was nice to reread some of these stories and see the introductions explaining where they fell in the series or why they were written. I had read most but not all of the reprints since some were either in small press publications or RPG books. A great collection for any fan of the Dresden Files and nice to see the story universe with other characters getting a turn as narrator. The last story is the new one and the furthest in the timeline of the series. So nice to see Harry, Maggie and Mouse all together in one story.

This is an anthology containing all of the Dresden Files short stories and novellas published since its prequel Side Jobs. I had read most of the entries before with the exception of "Fistfull of Warlocks", "AAAA Wizardry", "Day One", and "Zoo Day".

"Fistful of Warlocks"—3.5 stars. Loved the idea, but it was a little underdeveloped. I would love to read a much longer work with Lucio as the center and really see Butcher develop this Wild Wild West Wizarding World.

"B is for Bigfoot"— 5 stars. See my previous review.

"AAAA Wizardry"— 3 stars. Interesting concept, but I wanted more. I love Harry in 'teacher mode' because event though he is far from perfect, he embraces his flaws and teachers others to do that too. Learning from your mistakes makes you humble and less likely to repeat them in the future.

"I was a Teenage Bigfoot"—5 stars. See my previous review.

"Curses"—3 stars. Perhaps not my favorite Dresden story but I adore pretty much anything set in this fictional world.

"Even Hand"—4 stars. I always enjoy a story from Marcone's POV. I think this bring balance to the series so that there is more perspective than just what Harry goes through.

"Bigfoot on Campus"—5stars. See my previous review.

"Bombshells"—3.5 stars. I read this and reviewed it in early 2017. Molly is one of the series' most complex characters and I enjoy when Butcher delves into her voice.

"Cold Case"—4 stars. Another from Molly’s POV with some shocking things associated with her role as the Winter Lady. There are a lot of feels here and I'm still processing in 2018 just as I was when I read this story the first time.

"Day One"—3.5 stars. Nice to get one from Butters’ POV. He has grown as a character so much since his first appearance. This story seems a bit short but I think there is so much more for Butcher to write in the future.

"Zoo Day"—5 stars. I loved pretty much every aspect of this story. Harry takes Maggie on their first father/daughter trip to the zoo. Of course, trouble is afoot. The real gem here is the alternating POV between Harry, Maggie and even Mouse. We see Harry at be vunerable and also do what he does best. Maggie is special and I cannot wait to see more of how her character and her powers develop. And Mouse, love Mouse sooo much!

Final rating for collection: 5 out of 5

3.5 stars

I'm going to break down my rating by story.

"Fistful of Warlocks"—3.5 stars. Loved the idea, but it was a little underdeveloped.
"B is for Bigfoot"— 3 stars. I remember my rating from when I read it the first time in Working for Bigfoot.
"AAAA Wizardry"— 3 stars. Interesting concept, but a little short on development.
"I was a Teenage Bigfoot"—see above
"Curses"—1 star. Harry at his leering worst. It was a fun idea, but I couldn't get past how many times Dresden had to comment on a female character's body.
"Even Hand"—4 stars. Getting a story from Marcone’s POV was fun, and the last few lines gave it a nice, ominous turn and a reminder of why we can't root for this guy.
"Bigfoot on Campus"—4 stars. Again, from memory.
"Bombshells"—3.5 stars. I actually like Butcher writing in Molly’s voice for the most part, but it was irritating that her hotness had to figure into her success in the case.
"Cold Case"—4 stars. Another from Molly’s POV with some shocking things associated with her role as the Winter Lady that I’m still sorting out my feelings about.
"Day One"—3.5 stars. Nice to get one from Butters’ POV, but was a little too short to be developed enough.
"Zoo Day"—5 stars. My favorite of the collection, alternating between Harry’s, Maggie’s and Mouse’s (Mouse!!) POVs. Loved it.


What I liked the most about this collection was getting all the new POVs. "Curses" sure was a stinker, though. Reading these made me realize I really need to re-read the series before the next novel comes out. These stories reminded me of a lot that I’d forgotten.

I enjoyed the TV adaptation of Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files, and had always intended to read the books. So this is my first foray into them. Brief Cases is a collection of short fiction (some of them take over an hour to read, so I don't think "short story" is appropriate, but they're probably not novella-length, either). They feature several characters from the series, set in different times. Butcher's introductions set up the stories, including where they fall in the sequence of the main books. I found that these notes told me all I needed to know to understand and follow the story, so in that sense this collection seemed like a good first place to start with the Harry Dresden universe.

Butcher explains that one of the central organizing principles of the series was "to embrace every creature of folklore and legend that I could dig up." So there are three Bigfoot stories included, necromancers, warlocks, vampires, an enchanted skull named Bob, the Fair Folk (fairies), ghouls, shape-shifters...and I'm probably overlooking a few. Just as Harry Dresden is a vividly portrayed wisecracking wizard/private eye, these characters all have distinct identities. There are two stories starring Dresden's apprentice Molly (during a period in the series when Dresden was thought to be dead, but he got better). And the final story ("Zoo Day") memorably shows a visit to the zoo from the perspectives of Harry, his daughter Maggie, and his huge Temple Guardian dog Mouse.

I don't know how much these tales "count" in the context of the series as a whole. But I do know they were a lot of fun to read.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy.

In the fashion of previous Dresden File books, this compilation of short stories brings character, humor and an extra look into Harry Dresden.

This collection would be best appreciated by someone who has been following the series. Each short story is prefaced with an explanation of why it was written and where it falls in the series of novels. I followed the series for many years and was able to place most of the references except those in the last few years. I enjoyed it for the most part.

If you're a fan of Jim Butcher, you'll likely enjoy this book of short stories set in the world of Harry Dresden. Note that they are not all stories about Harry Dresden! Several of them are from the viewpoint of other characters like Molly, Butters, Anastasia Luccio, and Gentleman Johnny Marcone. Each story features an introduction by Jim Butcher that places the story in context and time in the series. These were pretty helpful, and since it's been a long time since I've read the first books it was interesting to see how much has changed.

Most of these stories have been published elsewhere, although I think there are at least two new stories included. I'd read many of the stories myself in the past, but again, it had been long enough that I liked reading them again. And it's nice to have them all in one place!

If you've never read any Harry Dresden books, I wouldn't recommend opening this book until you've read at least the first two or three in the series, and frankly, you should probably wait until you've read all of the novels or the short stories will spoil you for major events.

The biggest treat was that part of one story was from the perspective of Mouse. His explanation for being just a bit pleasingly plump? " I am a good dog, everyone says so, and that means treats."

So I normally am not a huge short story fan, but I do enjoy a good short story set in a world I already love. I especially love it when Jim Butcher writes from other characters povs. Harry is great, but it's just refreshing to see other's povs. The only thing in here I've ready already is Bombshells.

This was a really fun read and I am so pumped for Peace Talks. I will probably to a series re-read before that. I am sad there wasn't more Murphy in it. But we've got a ton of Molly so that makes up for it?

Highlye recommended!! Let me break it down story by story.

“A Fistful of Warlocks” Set pre-Dresden Files in wild west. Pov- Anastasia Luccio
Luccio teaming up with Wyatt Earp to fight necromancers including Kemmler in the wild west!! Hell yes, I am HERE for this. And crossing my fingers that Jim really writes a whole book.series on it someday.

“B is for Bigfoot” — Set between books 2-3. Pov Harry. Bigfoot story 1.
I have been hearing about this famous Harry Dresden Bigfoot stories for years. This is the first time I've had the chance to read them. Let me just say, I love River Shoulders. I LOVE Irwin. And there's some growth here for Harry. Decent intro to this bigfoot arc.

“I Was A Teenage Bigfoot” Set around Book 7. pov Harry. Bigfoot Story 2
We learn a little more about Bigfoots and Irwin is still awesome, but it's kind of a lowkey super short story.

“Bigfoot on Campus” Set between Books 11-12. Pov Harry. Bigfoot Story 3
Irwin is now in college. Harry Dresden's daddy issues are showing. And also his lady issues. And also some interesting insight in the White Court vampires. This is the most well developed of the 3 Bigfoot stories and also my favorite. I'd be up for seeing more of Irwin!!

“Curses” Set between Books 10-11. Pov Harry.
Harry dealing with the Cubs' Billy Goat Curse. I don't care about baseball so this is one of my least favorite stories in the collection. A baseball/Cubs fan might like it??

“AAAA Wizardry” Set between Books 10-11. Pov Harry
This is probably my least favorite in the collection. You know those episodes of TV shows where they have flashbacks using scenes already filmed in order to save money? This felt like that. We do see Harry teaching newbie Wardens and acknowledging his arrogance so there's a fair amount of character development. Like Harry is learning not to just charge in. But a mediocre read.

“Even Hand” Set between Books 11-12. Pov Gentleman Johnnie Marcone.
OMG!! I love it when things are from a villain pov. I love this one. There's some background stuff that ties in a lot with Bombshells thematically (White Court shenanigans, fomor, svartalfs etc.) We do get a glimpse into Marcone's motivations/character. And his relationship with Gard and Hendricks. We also get to see how BA he is and how he became the only mortal to sign the Unseelie Accords. AND (view spoiler)

“Bombshells” Set between Books 13-14. Pov Molly.
Re-reading this in the context of Cold Days is really interesting. Molly, Justine and Andi are of course still BA broads. Molly gets the job done. We also see a glimpse of not only how manipulative the Winter Court is, but what role it plays. Like, it is not just evil for evil's sake. They do good in their own way. I still want to know Harry's mom's backstory and how her relationship with Lea came to be.

“Cold Case” Set between Books 14-15. Pov Molly.
Is this the first time we see Lovecraft in the Dresden Files? It's incorporated really well. We see Molly's first job as Winter Lady. She works with Warden Ramirez and it's always fun to see him. I really like seeing how Molly is adapting to being the Winter Lady, having new powers and just psychologically coping. I love character development. Also the ending of this one is SUPER messed up. I wonder if it will be addressed in any future books.

“Jury Duty” Post Book 15. Pov Harry.
Harry has Jury Duty and freaks out about like a Drama Queen. But then it turns out something is not quite right with the case and his supernatural expertise is needed. This one was a fun read. Has the same thing I loved about Skin Game-- brings back a little levity after such a serious story arc for Changes-Cold Days.

“Day One” Post Book 15. POv Butters.
I love Butters!! (Who doesn't?) His first mission/call. I love how everything is translated through his particular nerd pov, instead of Michael's religious one. Yaaaaaas! Butters. You can do this!!

"Zoo Day" Post Book 15. Pov Harry/Maggie/Mouse
Kind of a Rashomon thing with the same scene being retold from 3 povs. Harry takes Maggie and Mouse to the zoo. We get to see Harry trying to be a parent. Mouse really sums it up. Harry and Maggie are talking but what they are really saying is Love Me. I love this bit of character development in Harry. He is going through all this crazy stuff in his wizard life but he has this beautiful precious daughter and he is building a relationship with her. I'm so excited for this in the coming books.

Maggies pov is all about how there are ways that kids see the world differently than grownups. There are all these different "creeps" like Haunts and bagerlies that kids are aware of but grown ups aren't. And sometimes it's up to the kids to deal with them.

Why this is important: At Phoenix Comicon last year, I attended a Jim Butcher panel where he talked about a YA series he is co-authoring starring Maggie. It's a Magic School book with kids dealing with the creeps. I'm SO SO excited to read it if this is a taste of it.

Because Maggie is pretty BA just like her parents.

And Mouse. He is also getting up to shenanigans. He is awesome. I love his pov and general mentality. But he has this story arc that could be very INTERESTING in the greater scheme of things.

!!!! I can't wait for PEACE TALKS, but totally no pressure Jim Butcher, but also PLEASE HURRY UP!! But also deliver us a great book even if it needs more time!! But I can't wait!!

Excellent collection of short stories that have not been available before in one volume. Eases the yearning for a new Dresden novel a bit while reading.

Although there is only one new story (the final one) in this collection, I nonetheless recommend it. These are stories that I either somehow missed (or have forgotten reading!) and enjoyed, or read before but still enjoyed re-reading. I particularly liked the author's introduction to each story, placing it in the Dresden Files timeline.

I would recommend this book to fans of Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files. Wonderful glimpses of happenings between the books for those who know and appreciate the characters. Not really for those new to the series. Harry and his friends know that power has to be paid for in one way or another and are willing to pay the price. Love the fact that when possible, logic solves problems without magic. There's always something bigger and harder than you around. Watching the characters grow and change has been a really fun trip.

I have a soft spot for the Dresden Files.

Heaven knows that there are certainly issues with the series, the portrayal of women being first and foremost. However, in my opinion, they still manage to be dang enjoyable.

<i>Brief Cases</i> is a collection of Dresden Files-adjacent stories that have appeared over the past couple of years. In a lot of ways the collection hearkens back to the good ol' days of the Dresden Files, before they got all serious and extra murdery. The trilogy of stories about the young Bigfoot were some of the best, in my opinion. All in all, these stories are just FUN, enjoyable reads, and while they don't continue the larger arc of the main series, they provide a great glimpse into the lives of some of the side characters: Molly, Butters and Mouse for instance.

If you are a Dresden Files fan, I would 100% recommend that you go out and read it. On shelves June 5th.