Major Spoiler Alert – If you’re a fan of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, and didn’t yet read Battle Ground, don’t read this review. While I don’t name the names of those that Harry Dresden lost in the most recent war, it is a spoiler to know that. I warned you before my review of the novella, The Law.
A month after the terrible war that destroyed parts of Chicago, Harry Dresden is still suffering. He lost one of his best friends, who died in his arms. He’s feeling sorry for himself. “You just soak in the pain.” He faces each day by faking “being a functional human”.
When a client shows up, Maya isn’t looking for a wizard; she’s looking for a private investigator. She was a sex worker who took advantage of an opportunity when her pimp went to prison for eight years. She started a tutoring business, Sunflower, and she now has thirty-nine franchises. But, it’s not a high-profit business, and when Tripp Gregory, her former pimp, sues her, she can’t afford a lawyer. He wants a quarter of a million dollars, saying that’s what he’s owed for the business over the eight years. Maya doesn’t have that kind of money.
When Gregory doesn’t react at all to Harry’s supernatural powers, he realizes he might have to resort to something more human, the actual justice system.
My favorite Dresden Files books were the early ones in the series when Harry worked as a wizard helping people, rather than the later ones involved Faerie wars, vampires, and destructive magic. The Law is a novella, just ninety-nine pages, but it manages to bring back some of the characters, such as Bob, the skull, and a little bit of humor in the midst of the pain. It will be interesting to see what happens in the eighteenth book in the series, Twelve Months. Publication date is not yet determined.
In the meantime, if you’re a fan, check out The Law. Available in Kindle or AudioBook format.
Jim Butcher’s website is https://www.jim-butcher.com/
The Law: A Dresden Files Novella by Jim Butcher. Imaginary Empire LLC, 2022.
FTC Full Disclosure – I downloaded a copy from Amazon.
Wow, it’s been a long time since I read one of these. I agree with uyou about preferring the early ones. 100 pages might be doable. I just read a short Ian Rankin novella that was less than that.