The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

James Butcher

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Mira:

--- Quote from: Snark Knight on March 21, 2025, 03:37:27 AM ---I think he's pretty clearly going for an arc like Tavi in Codex Alera, where the MC isn't actually the crippled weakling he initially appears.  But, yeah, he's overcooked the setup by a good 20-30%.

What has me in some doubt whether to keep following the series is actually something quite a bit more specific.  Pretty much the central plot twist of James' second book struck me as being *far* too similar to something from TDF, and rather unsubtly executed besides.  He was clue-batting it so heavily I actually thought there was going to be some squirrelly twist within the twist coming to mess with his dad's fans who'd come to his series through TDF, but nope, he basically just did (click to show/hide)Sheila from Dead Beat straight up with one of his POV characters.

I don't want to beat up on a beginning writer *too* much, but you can't be crossing the line of repeating your father's plot twists if substantially the same set of customers are supposed to be paying good money for your writing.

--- End quote ---

Yup

KurtinStGeorge:
Getting back to the subject of James Butcher.  How to put this?  I am a baseball fan.  Every year during the Spring Training period there are young players who are thought to have the potential to play in the major leagues and maybe become a star players.  Sometimes they make it, sometimes they don't and sometimes they eventually make the big leagues and even become star players, but they aren't ready just yet.

Reading James Butcher's first novel Dead Man's Hand, I had the feeling the writer isn't big league material, at least not yet.  He's a prospect.  Maybe he will improve, maybe not.  His third book was just released.  If I hear he took a major step forward with this book, because I didn't hear that happened with the second one, then I will read books two and three in his relatively new series.

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