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Why Is This Good?

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by Howdy, Sep 21, 2010.

  1. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

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    Everyone else has said this better than I can probably, but yeah. They get better.

    Personally I did enjoy the first few books, but I didn't think that they were amazing. They were just something fun to read while travelling or whatever.

    It wasn't until Book 5 that I thought they picked up. Never figured out why people liked Book 4 so much since it's one of my least favorites. From there on out though I was all about having to have the next one in the series ASAP.
     
  2. The DarIm

    The DarIm Groundskeeper

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    To be honest, I've read till book 9 and I still don't like the series. It did pick up a little after #3 but I literally couldn't bring myself to read farther than chapter 3 of White Night. I don't like Murphy, which I could ignore and read on, but I don't like Dresden either. I tried to read it again when I heard the glowing reviews for Changes here, but I couldn't.

    It's all about personal preferences. Hell I loved his Codex Alera until Book 5 and Cursor's Fury is one of my most favorite books ever, but I hated Princeps' Fury and I haven't been able to read that either.
     
  3. Othalan

    Othalan Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    Really? I actually liked that aspect of it. I certainly wouldn't want the rest of the series to imitate that style, but it seemed to me to be one gigantic climax for several major plot arcs. Of course, I'd gotten that impression from all the reviews I'd read here beforehand, which really colored my view of the book when I actually read it. Maybe approaching it from that angle, expecting it to be a wild and hectic diversion from Butcher's usual style, made it a more enjoyable read.
     
  4. DarthBill

    DarthBill The Chosen One

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    QFT

    Also, you can just imagine how frustrated he would be afterwards. One long shitty day, capped with
    Murphy and death induced blue-balls.
     
  5. Silens Cursor

    Silens Cursor The Silencer DLP Supporter

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    Maybe it was just me, but I really didn't mind the first two books at all. Dresden was a new character, he was genuinely interesting, and the story was engaging, introducing us to a vast new world. Murphy... eh, I don't understand the hate. She's not really much of a well-defined character, IMO - I'm able to ignore her pretty well. She's a hell of a lot better than Hermione, that's for damn sure - or Elaine, for that matter.

    As for the rest of the series... well, Grave Peril was really good, but I really didn't like Summer Knight at all. The entire story just annoyed the hell out of me. It wasn't until Death Masks that I started really liking the story. After that... well, Blood Rites was entertaining, Dead Beat was unbelievably awesome in so many ways, Proven Guilty was fantastic (and is also incredibly underrated, I might add - why the fuck is that?), and White Night was... well, it didn't start well, but it got good. Then after that, Small Favor and Turn Coat both rocked. Granted, I haven't read Changes yet (I'm waiting for soft-cover), and I'm more than a little concerned about the story, but it won't be terrible, I don't think...

    But yeah, Howdy, keep reading the stories. I don't blame you if you don't like Summer Knight (Elaine sucks), but the series does get good.
     
  6. Oz

    Oz For Zombie. Moderator DLP Supporter

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    Because Naruto is the pinnacle of character development and well thought out plots. :facepalm
     
  7. Howdy

    Howdy Dark Lord

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    lol

    Did I piss in your cornflakes, Oz?
     
  8. Seratin

    Seratin Proudmander –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    You pissed in everyone's cornflakes, Howdy. By creating a thread giving out about a series of books when you haven't even listened to the most common tip shouted around here. Get past the first two books.
     
  9. Lamora

    Lamora Definitely Not Batman ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Why is Dresden Files good?

    Find me one, just one other series where a wizard rides a motherfucking zombie dinosaur.

    /thread
     
  10. Perspicacity

    Perspicacity Destroyer of Worlds ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    True, though it should be noted that Mark E. Rogers's Samurai Cat series features Nazi Tyrannosaurs from Hell (literally) in Samurai Cat Goes to Hell.

    Miaowara Tomokato (Samurai Cat) is made of awesome. At one point, he defeats an entire horde of Mongol raiders using a tube of toothpaste.
     
  11. Sol

    Sol High Inquisitor

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    I was thinking the exact same thing, actually.
     
  12. Scrib

    Scrib The Chosen One

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    I didn't really mind them Murphy was a bitch but I bore through it. The series did get extremely better in the third book and just kept going.


    I think you seriously underestimate the scare factor of wizards decades to centuries your senior seizing you after you killed a supposedly strong warden blindfolding you, sentencing you a death and having a scary-ass motherfucker who must be twice your age chase you around with a magical sword. And this happened when he was sixteen and the fear just kept getting reinforced.
     
  13. Sol

    Sol High Inquisitor

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    Morgan was over 3 times Dresden's age, the strongest Warden on the Council, and zealously convinced that Dresden would go dark and needed to die. I'd be scared too.
     
  14. iLost

    iLost Minister of Magic

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    Okay Howdy, what makes the books readable, for me at least, is they all have moments of pure awesome. Harry riding the Dino being one. I read them for the man's imagination, Harry v. All the Denarians anyone? The situations he gets in, fighting off a demon while Susan wants to bone him in the first book comes to mind. All point to great moments throughout the story.

    The fact that the later books build on the world and expand it, Denarians, the Fae, the werewolves, etc. is why I keep reading.

    If the characterizations, thin plot-coupons, and average writing are your problems with the series then I don't think you'll enjoy the rest.

    However, if Harry's own character bugs you, he does change subtly throughout the stories, which, to me, is the one facet of characterization Butcher got right.
     
  15. Sokohn1

    Sokohn1 Squib

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    I love the series, but really the first two books are pretty bad. I only got through the the first book because I got it as an audiobook for a long plane ride, and I have actually never finished the second one.

    But trust me, it gets so much better once you get to the third one and keeps improving from there.
     
  16. aty

    aty Squib

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    Lmao ur doubting the stroy in Dresden when your a big fan of Naruto.
     
    Oz
  17. Red

    Red High Inquisitor DLP Supporter

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    I don't even...:facepalm
     
  18. Perspicacity

    Perspicacity Destroyer of Worlds ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Please vacate (or better, defenestrate) yourself, you illiterate mental pygmy.
     
  19. Alindrome

    Alindrome A bigger, darker mark DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Ten posts over two years. That's ten posts too many.
     
  20. Midknight

    Midknight Middy is SPAI! DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Was there ever any thread that called the first couple of books good? Hell the only reason I have them is they came bundled in an omnibus version with 3 and 4. Fuck he did book 1 and part of 2 as a class exercise, and even then it's still arguably better then a great number of books out.

    The graphic novel version of 1 is pure win though.