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The Dresden Files #11
Turn Coat
Accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council, Warden Morgan goes in search of Harry Dresden in a desperate attempt to clear his name and stop the deadly punishment from taking place in this latest thrilling addition to the Dresden Files series.
420 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2009
About the author
Jim Butcher
248 books49.5k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,530 reviews
August 6, 2020
4.5/5 stars
Turn Coat is one of my favorite volume in the series so far, it’s up there with Dead Beat and White Night.
We can’t always win. That’s what life is. There are moments of glory, happiness, and there are times when we will lose, faces pain, and hopefully rises up then move on from it. Turn Coat is the eleventh volume in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and it hammered these themes into the readers incredibly well. There has always been a rumor of a traitor in the white council, and this book narrowed the focus of the story on this as it begins with Morgan asking Harry Dresden for help because he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit. There isn’t much to say on this review; this is the usual high standard of the series, Butcher utilizes murder-mystery whodunit storytelling with themes that evocatively put and relatable.
Harry Dresden may not be an encompassingly good-hearted character, but that’s what it means to be a human right? No one is perfect, after all. I do, however, found myself impressed by Harry’s decision to help Morgan. If you’ve been following the series, we know that Harry and Morgan have issues with each other; they both pretty much hated each other’s guts to the core. But Harry, despite his feelings towards Morgan, still decided to help him because he knows it’s the right thing to do, and that’s something praise-worthy; helping someone you don’t like, or hate, isn’t an easy act to do. It was so great seeing how much further Harry’s relationship with Murphy, Thomas, Molly, and of course, Mouse developed here.
I’m being repetitive again, but yeah, as always for this series, the longevity of the action sequences hurt the pacing slightly for me. Not saying it wasn’t good, my interest and concentration just wandered easily when the action scenes in any book of the series so far went on a bit too long. Thankfully, there was only one big action sequence—usually there were two—and what came after the part with Demonreach was freaking incredible. Seriously, the last two or three chapters were filled with intensity and a new level of seriousness that was missing from the previous books.
Amid the well-written murder-mystery, Turn Coat also teaches us about the necessity of pain, hardship, and moving on in our life. Eleven books in, and it terrifies me how Butcher maintained the great quality of each book in the series since the fourth installment so consistently. I haven’t rated any books in the series with a below 4-stars rating since Summer Knight. Will there be any… CHANGES (Hahahaha!) in the next book, though? The next book in the series has often been praised as the best book of the entire series so far, and I’m very much excited to find out why.
Picture: Turn Coat by Vincent Chong
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.
Turn Coat is one of my favorite volume in the series so far, it’s up there with Dead Beat and White Night.
We can’t always win. That’s what life is. There are moments of glory, happiness, and there are times when we will lose, faces pain, and hopefully rises up then move on from it. Turn Coat is the eleventh volume in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and it hammered these themes into the readers incredibly well. There has always been a rumor of a traitor in the white council, and this book narrowed the focus of the story on this as it begins with Morgan asking Harry Dresden for help because he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit. There isn’t much to say on this review; this is the usual high standard of the series, Butcher utilizes murder-mystery whodunit storytelling with themes that evocatively put and relatable.
“There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. ”
Harry Dresden may not be an encompassingly good-hearted character, but that’s what it means to be a human right? No one is perfect, after all. I do, however, found myself impressed by Harry’s decision to help Morgan. If you’ve been following the series, we know that Harry and Morgan have issues with each other; they both pretty much hated each other’s guts to the core. But Harry, despite his feelings towards Morgan, still decided to help him because he knows it’s the right thing to do, and that’s something praise-worthy; helping someone you don’t like, or hate, isn’t an easy act to do. It was so great seeing how much further Harry’s relationship with Murphy, Thomas, Molly, and of course, Mouse developed here.
“The human mind isn't a terribly logical or consistent place. Most people, given the choice to face a hideous or terrifying truth or to conveniently avoid it, choose the convenience and peace of normality. That doesn't make them strong or weak people, or good or bad people. It just makes them people.”
I’m being repetitive again, but yeah, as always for this series, the longevity of the action sequences hurt the pacing slightly for me. Not saying it wasn’t good, my interest and concentration just wandered easily when the action scenes in any book of the series so far went on a bit too long. Thankfully, there was only one big action sequence—usually there were two—and what came after the part with Demonreach was freaking incredible. Seriously, the last two or three chapters were filled with intensity and a new level of seriousness that was missing from the previous books.
“No one is an unjust villain in his own mind. Even - perhaps even especially - those who are the worst of us. Some of the cruelest tyrants in history were motivated by noble ideals, or made choices that they would call 'hard but necessary steps' for the good of their nation. We're all the hero of our own story.”
Amid the well-written murder-mystery, Turn Coat also teaches us about the necessity of pain, hardship, and moving on in our life. Eleven books in, and it terrifies me how Butcher maintained the great quality of each book in the series since the fourth installment so consistently. I haven’t rated any books in the series with a below 4-stars rating since Summer Knight. Will there be any… CHANGES (Hahahaha!) in the next book, though? The next book in the series has often been praised as the best book of the entire series so far, and I’m very much excited to find out why.
“See, here’s the thing. Morgan was right: you can’t win them all. But that doesn’t mean that you give up. Not ever.”
Picture: Turn Coat by Vincent Chong
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.
April 10, 2009
I often have a difficult time reviewing books in a series, so I'll just say this one thing: I'm continually thrilled by the fact that every event in the Dresden Files series is relevant to the struggle in Turn Coat. So many authors miss the "why?" - why start a series at a certain point in time? Why is the main character the focal point, how are they special? Why does anything happen? Jim Butcher has an answer for each question and I want to hug him for it. Once again, he serves up sacrifices and tough blows along with the victories, and it's become clear to me that Butcher and Joss Whedon have a lot in common.
Okay, when's the next book coming out? :)
Okay, when's the next book coming out? :)
July 24, 2018
"“There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. ”
February 21, 2016
[4.5 Stars]
February 24, 2020
Harry Dresden, Atticus O’Sullivan and Jane Yellowrock sit in the Three Broomsticks restaurant in the Harry Potter section of Orlando’s Universal Studios theme park, sipping on Butter Beer and discussing Jim Butcher’s 11th Dresden novel, Turn Coat.
Jane: So if we take the train over to the other side we can see Diagon Alley and they’ve got the Leaky Cauldron over there too.
Atticus: There’s also a Knockturn Alley over there so we can check out the dark arts sights. You know Pottermore said I was a Slytherin.
Harry and Jane together: WE KNOW!
Atticus: You’re both jealous. Pottermore said you were a Ravenclaw Harry and Jane you’re a …
Jane: Hufflepuff, yes. So, Harry, Turn Coat, did Butcher accurately reflect the events you experienced in real life?
Harry: Well, I mean, real in the sense that I’m a fictional character in Butcher’s world building …
Atticus: What???
Jane: Oh for God’s sake, Dresden, you know what I mean.
Harry: Ok, having established that, yes, Butcher fairly well nailed it. We worked on the mystery of the traitor in the White Council, the “black council” members and purpose, as well as reconnecting with Billy, er Will, and his werewolf buddies, and of course more dealings with the White Court vampires.
Atticus: Kevin Hearne’s magic rules for vampires are better, I can unbind their unnatural lives in accordance with elemental magic.
Harry: Yes, well, that would be handy, except I cannot …
Jane: And of course don’t forget the most delectable part of the story, a Navajo skin changer, though Butcher only got that partially right.
Harry: You’d know …
Jane: AND, way cool Native American wizard Listens to Wind.
Atticus: There was A LOT of action in this one too, some of your books are pensive and thoughtful with action building to the end, but this one was a fight from start to finish.
Harry: Yes. Try living it. And I can be introspective and thoughtful!
Jane: At Mac’s place or sitting on the couch with Mister.
Atticus: Mouse and Oberon have got to get together, those two …
Jane: Oberon gets all the best lines –
Atticus: Zip it, Hufflepuff!
Wade Wilson arrives wearing a Naming Hat and The Mummy ride merchandise: This place is AWESOME!!!!
Jane: So if we take the train over to the other side we can see Diagon Alley and they’ve got the Leaky Cauldron over there too.
Atticus: There’s also a Knockturn Alley over there so we can check out the dark arts sights. You know Pottermore said I was a Slytherin.
Harry and Jane together: WE KNOW!
Atticus: You’re both jealous. Pottermore said you were a Ravenclaw Harry and Jane you’re a …
Jane: Hufflepuff, yes. So, Harry, Turn Coat, did Butcher accurately reflect the events you experienced in real life?
Harry: Well, I mean, real in the sense that I’m a fictional character in Butcher’s world building …
Atticus: What???
Jane: Oh for God’s sake, Dresden, you know what I mean.
Harry: Ok, having established that, yes, Butcher fairly well nailed it. We worked on the mystery of the traitor in the White Council, the “black council” members and purpose, as well as reconnecting with Billy, er Will, and his werewolf buddies, and of course more dealings with the White Court vampires.
Atticus: Kevin Hearne’s magic rules for vampires are better, I can unbind their unnatural lives in accordance with elemental magic.
Harry: Yes, well, that would be handy, except I cannot …
Jane: And of course don’t forget the most delectable part of the story, a Navajo skin changer, though Butcher only got that partially right.
Harry: You’d know …
Jane: AND, way cool Native American wizard Listens to Wind.
Atticus: There was A LOT of action in this one too, some of your books are pensive and thoughtful with action building to the end, but this one was a fight from start to finish.
Harry: Yes. Try living it. And I can be introspective and thoughtful!
Jane: At Mac’s place or sitting on the couch with Mister.
Atticus: Mouse and Oberon have got to get together, those two …
Jane: Oberon gets all the best lines –
Atticus: Zip it, Hufflepuff!
Wade Wilson arrives wearing a Naming Hat and The Mummy ride merchandise: This place is AWESOME!!!!
November 17, 2020
4.5 stars
November 12, 2018
For once, Harry Dresden was minding his own business when trouble showed up at his doorstep. Morgan, one of the wardens of the White Council who has hounded Harry for nearly his entire life, needs saving... from the wardens of the White Council. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Why would Harry stick his neck out for one of the few men on the planet who has never liked him?
"Because Morgan wouldn't break the Laws of Magic," I said quietly. "Not even if it cost him his life." pg 19, ebook.
Something strange is going on and, as usual, Harry's going to get to the bottom of it. But, this time, the solution comes at great personal cost and Harry's life may never be the same.
Excellent entry in the Dresden Files which, despite concerns that after 11 books it may have become repetitive or go off the rails, continues to impress. Jim Butcher seems to have found a sweet spot between bringing in old characters and plot lines while introducing new twists. It is an urban fantasy reader's treat.
There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt." pg 45, ebook.
The lines between good and evil are truly becoming blurred as the White Council continues to be assaulted from the outside. As a reader, I thought of the wizards of the highest council as unassailable gods, but in Turn Coat, they are revealed to be as human as the next person. They can be confused, manipulated and used for other ends.
Harry's sardonic humor is in evidence throughout this tale, delivering his one-liners with his usual flair: "They always have good coffee here," Ebenezar said a few moments later. "And they don't call it funny names," I said. "It's just coffee. Not frappalattegrandechino." pg 138
But as the story lines get darker, I can't help but wonder how much more Harry can take before he snaps. Or the bad guys finally win the day.
"Everyone dies, honey," I said, very quietly. "Everyone. There's no 'if.' There's only 'when.'... When you die, do you want to feel ashamed of what you've done with your life? Feel ashamed of what your life meant?" pg 338, ebook.
Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
Why would Harry stick his neck out for one of the few men on the planet who has never liked him?
"Because Morgan wouldn't break the Laws of Magic," I said quietly. "Not even if it cost him his life." pg 19, ebook.
Something strange is going on and, as usual, Harry's going to get to the bottom of it. But, this time, the solution comes at great personal cost and Harry's life may never be the same.
Excellent entry in the Dresden Files which, despite concerns that after 11 books it may have become repetitive or go off the rails, continues to impress. Jim Butcher seems to have found a sweet spot between bringing in old characters and plot lines while introducing new twists. It is an urban fantasy reader's treat.
There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt." pg 45, ebook.
The lines between good and evil are truly becoming blurred as the White Council continues to be assaulted from the outside. As a reader, I thought of the wizards of the highest council as unassailable gods, but in Turn Coat, they are revealed to be as human as the next person. They can be confused, manipulated and used for other ends.
Harry's sardonic humor is in evidence throughout this tale, delivering his one-liners with his usual flair: "They always have good coffee here," Ebenezar said a few moments later. "And they don't call it funny names," I said. "It's just coffee. Not frappalattegrandechino." pg 138
But as the story lines get darker, I can't help but wonder how much more Harry can take before he snaps. Or the bad guys finally win the day.
"Everyone dies, honey," I said, very quietly. "Everyone. There's no 'if.' There's only 'when.'... When you die, do you want to feel ashamed of what you've done with your life? Feel ashamed of what your life meant?" pg 338, ebook.
Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
November 1, 2014
In absolute fairness my reading of this novel suffered from two things.
First and foremost this is the only Harry Dresden novel I have ever read. While enjoyable I am certain that I would have benefitted greatly in knowing more about Dresden’s world from the earlier novels in the series.
Secondly, I started this right on the heels of having read On South Mountain: The Dark Secrets Of The Goler Clan a vile true account of what life was like for the children of the Goler Clan of Nova Scotia. It has seeped into my pores and wreaks havoc on my soul even now.
That said, it seems to me that Jim Butcher has a winning series going on here and some day I hope to visit the earliest novel in the series and gain some much warranted background.
My favourite sequence in this offering was the battle between Injun Joe and the naagloshii. Loved it, oh and Toot-toot too.
3.5 stars which I am sure would be a certain 4 for a seasoned Dresden reader.
First and foremost this is the only Harry Dresden novel I have ever read. While enjoyable I am certain that I would have benefitted greatly in knowing more about Dresden’s world from the earlier novels in the series.
Secondly, I started this right on the heels of having read On South Mountain: The Dark Secrets Of The Goler Clan a vile true account of what life was like for the children of the Goler Clan of Nova Scotia. It has seeped into my pores and wreaks havoc on my soul even now.
That said, it seems to me that Jim Butcher has a winning series going on here and some day I hope to visit the earliest novel in the series and gain some much warranted background.
My favourite sequence in this offering was the battle between Injun Joe and the naagloshii. Loved it, oh and Toot-toot too.
3.5 stars which I am sure would be a certain 4 for a seasoned Dresden reader.
September 1, 2016
I KNEW IT! Well... part of it at least.
I never guess the bad guy and I guessed it here! *pats self on back* Though the simple solution is never the entire answer, thanks to the brilliant mind of Jim Butcher.
What can I say that I haven't said before? This was another expertly narrated audiobook by one of my all time faves, James Marsters, who was in fine form.
Brilliant, moving, twisty and turny... just another excellent addition to the Dresden Files series, which has become one of my all time favorites.
I hope this series stretches on and on so I can get older with Harry Dresden by my side.
July 15, 2015
Another question for my non-southern friends: is it really a problem for you if a man opens a door for you? Because Harry keeps saying that he's a chauvinist for doing things like opening doors for women, and that Murphy gets mad when he does it for her, but that's just crazy talk to me. Crazy talk! Because, here in Texas, where I live, a man is expected to open a door for a woman. It doesn't matter what age either the male or female is, or the health of either. If you have a penis, you are the designated door-opener. I don't care if the guy is blind with only one leg. He'd better hobble on over to where he thinks that door is if he smells the scent of a woman's perfume. It's his duty. I haven't opened a door for myself in 18 years. I don't think I know how to do it anymore. If I'm out alone, I have to just stand there in front of an establishment until a nice man comes along and opens it for me. Thank the good Lord for strong men! Bless their hearts!
As I have said before, Harry would fit in well here. Hmm, except for the godless thing. We'd all have to pray for his pagan soul. But, other than that...
On to the book!
So, I have been hoping that things would change a little in the Harry Dresden formula. You know, the "Harry gets a case, Harry fights the scary monsters and wins, Harry solves the case" thing? Like Scooby Doo. And, it looks like we might be heading that way. Because things didn't go so well for Harry this time. There are also some things that could be foreshadows of future bad things.
They'd been a problem, the past several months - increasingly painful migraines.
it doesn't just mean he needs more aspirin!
Harry's main goal in this book is to find the killer of one of the members of the White Council, which is the wizard's senate. And, yes, they are about as effective, corrupt, and out-of-touch as our politicians. Oh, and hundreds of years old - like our politicians.
The main suspect in the murder is Harry's old nemesis, Morgan - the guy who has wanted to kill him since he was 16. It is Harry's perfect chance for revenge! Now, Morgan has the death sentence. Harry can sit back and let heads roll (Morgan's head, that is). But, Harry is a boy scout and can't let Morgan take the fall because he's innocent. What a softie! So, he is helping Morgan and trying to find the real killer.
Things get complicated real fast. And, surprisingly, things get dark in this book. People die - people that we have gotten to know and like. And, things don't end well. At all.
I'm glad to see this departure from the usual Harry Dresden formula, although there were some sad moments. I can't wait to find out where this goes next.
As I have said before, Harry would fit in well here. Hmm, except for the godless thing. We'd all have to pray for his pagan soul. But, other than that...
On to the book!
So, I have been hoping that things would change a little in the Harry Dresden formula. You know, the "Harry gets a case, Harry fights the scary monsters and wins, Harry solves the case" thing? Like Scooby Doo. And, it looks like we might be heading that way. Because things didn't go so well for Harry this time. There are also some things that could be foreshadows of future bad things.
They'd been a problem, the past several months - increasingly painful migraines.
it doesn't just mean he needs more aspirin!
Harry's main goal in this book is to find the killer of one of the members of the White Council, which is the wizard's senate. And, yes, they are about as effective, corrupt, and out-of-touch as our politicians. Oh, and hundreds of years old - like our politicians.
The main suspect in the murder is Harry's old nemesis, Morgan - the guy who has wanted to kill him since he was 16. It is Harry's perfect chance for revenge! Now, Morgan has the death sentence. Harry can sit back and let heads roll (Morgan's head, that is). But, Harry is a boy scout and can't let Morgan take the fall because he's innocent. What a softie! So, he is helping Morgan and trying to find the real killer.
Things get complicated real fast. And, surprisingly, things get dark in this book. People die - people that we have gotten to know and like. And, things don't end well. At all.
I'm glad to see this departure from the usual Harry Dresden formula, although there were some sad moments. I can't wait to find out where this goes next.
April 2, 2021
Another thrilling installment in The Dresden Files! Turn Coat had a slightly different feel and pace than the previous book, but it didn't diminish the overall entertainment it provided me while reading it. Full RTC!
Actual Rating: 4 stars ****
Actual Rating: 4 stars ****
September 20, 2019
Ok that bit on Demonreach was epic.
November 16, 2020
4.5 stars.
The last several books in The Dresden Files had been really, really good. Turn Coat has got to be one of the more emotional instalments of the series so far. The only way this could have been achieved was due to the fantastic character development of the main cast which to me started somewhere around the fifth book, which was my favourite title up till then. Someone whom I used to dislike, and still did for pretty much a large part of this book, completely took me by surprise in a most poignant manner which resulted in an emotionally powerful ending. Finally, the second to last scene left me in a world of hurt. I'm worried for my heart as I progress to the next book, Changes, in the near future.
The last several books in The Dresden Files had been really, really good. Turn Coat has got to be one of the more emotional instalments of the series so far. The only way this could have been achieved was due to the fantastic character development of the main cast which to me started somewhere around the fifth book, which was my favourite title up till then. Someone whom I used to dislike, and still did for pretty much a large part of this book, completely took me by surprise in a most poignant manner which resulted in an emotionally powerful ending. Finally, the second to last scene left me in a world of hurt. I'm worried for my heart as I progress to the next book, Changes, in the near future.
August 13, 2022
Absolutely tremendous
April 27, 2023
9/10
Another excellent installment in The Dresden Files! I'm not sure yet if I enjoyed this one more or less than Small Favor, but the plot was extremely engaging and came together very well and the character work with Harry was some of the best in the series so far. Also, I feel like quite a number of threads were established in this book that could have massive implications on future books.
Now, let's see what all of the fuss is about with the next entry...
Another excellent installment in The Dresden Files! I'm not sure yet if I enjoyed this one more or less than Small Favor, but the plot was extremely engaging and came together very well and the character work with Harry was some of the best in the series so far. Also, I feel like quite a number of threads were established in this book that could have massive implications on future books.
Now, let's see what all of the fuss is about with the next entry...
December 1, 2016
God, it was great reading about Harry Dresden again! This one was spectacular... Lots of magic and Harry's humor. It also kept me in the dark for quite a while.
The hunt for the Black Council continues so it seems, and I will certainly be reading all about it!
"I closed the door behind me, while life went on."
The hunt for the Black Council continues so it seems, and I will certainly be reading all about it!
"I closed the door behind me, while life went on."
June 15, 2023
Wow. Just ...
We've known for a while that there was a traitor within the White Council.
Now, they have moved and killed a senior member - pinning it on Morgan, of all people.
He runs and asks Harry, of all people, for help. And Harry, sucker for the truth that he is, helps him. *sighs* Which also makes Molly cross paths with the judgemental asshole warden who would love nothing more than kill her outright. That had a seriously impactful altercation follow.
The problem is that all kinds of parties are after Morgan now (wardens for the Council, vampires of the White Court, the Black Council and some possibly independent parties). And after Harry. There is a shapeshifter and other nasties that eventually even manage to endanger Thomas! How Harry solved that conundrum, was rather wonderful.
There were a lot of hilarious moments thanks to constantly idiotically acting people and Mouse having to force them to "see reason". But there was also quite a lot of heartbreak. We lost a few. The hardest hitting, for me, was . That had me tear up. While the character progression had been nice, I didn't mind Morgan dying as he was too rigid to be anything but a charicature from here on out. And then there was the actual heartbreak on account of .
You can tell by the amount of spoiler tags that A LOT happened here. Important stuff with sometimes immediate consequences and sometimes really dark foreshadowing (I expect it to all start coming crashing down in the next novel). And yet this was not the hardest-hitting book overall. Not to me, at least. Maybe because of the humour/tragedy ratio.
I had my suspicions what kind of wizard would qualify for being the traitor and after meeting them at the beginning of this book, it was clear to me. Nevertheless, seeing the set-up being taken down by Harry - and not just by employing magic - was very interesting.
All in all a wonderfully suspenseful entry in the series. Though I HATED the politics.
We've known for a while that there was a traitor within the White Council.
Now, they have moved and killed a senior member - pinning it on Morgan, of all people.
He runs and asks Harry, of all people, for help. And Harry, sucker for the truth that he is, helps him. *sighs* Which also makes Molly cross paths with the judgemental asshole warden who would love nothing more than kill her outright. That had a seriously impactful altercation follow.
The problem is that all kinds of parties are after Morgan now (wardens for the Council, vampires of the White Court, the Black Council and some possibly independent parties). And after Harry. There is a shapeshifter and other nasties that eventually even manage to endanger Thomas! How Harry solved that conundrum, was rather wonderful.
There were a lot of hilarious moments thanks to constantly idiotically acting people and Mouse having to force them to "see reason". But there was also quite a lot of heartbreak. We lost a few. The hardest hitting, for me, was . That had me tear up. While the character progression had been nice, I didn't mind Morgan dying as he was too rigid to be anything but a charicature from here on out. And then there was the actual heartbreak on account of .
You can tell by the amount of spoiler tags that A LOT happened here. Important stuff with sometimes immediate consequences and sometimes really dark foreshadowing (I expect it to all start coming crashing down in the next novel). And yet this was not the hardest-hitting book overall. Not to me, at least. Maybe because of the humour/tragedy ratio.
I had my suspicions what kind of wizard would qualify for being the traitor and after meeting them at the beginning of this book, it was clear to me. Nevertheless, seeing the set-up being taken down by Harry - and not just by employing magic - was very interesting.
All in all a wonderfully suspenseful entry in the series. Though I HATED the politics.
April 16, 2018
Things are getting pretty serious in the Dresden Files as Harry hunts down a traitor in the White Council of wizards. When Morgan, the warden who once wanted to kill Harry, turns up on his doorstep hurt and on the run from the White Council Harry knows something is seriously wrong as Morgan has been accused of a crime Harry knows he would never commit. The White Court of vampires have also been set up by someone in their ranks and form an uneasy truce with Harry and the wardens to flush out the traitors.
Still plenty of fun and wisecracks from Harry in this episode as he sets about looking for the dark forces at work. He is also being hunted by a large, scary shapeshifter from Indian mythology and must use some ingenious magic to escape and protect those around him. No significant new characters in this one, although we do get to learn a lot more about some of the other wardens and their magical talents and get to see their headquarters in Edinburgh. Harry not only takes some heavy physical hits in this episode but also some heavy personal ones. An entertaining episode moving the plot along to the war that is sure to resume between the wizards and the red vampires.
Still plenty of fun and wisecracks from Harry in this episode as he sets about looking for the dark forces at work. He is also being hunted by a large, scary shapeshifter from Indian mythology and must use some ingenious magic to escape and protect those around him. No significant new characters in this one, although we do get to learn a lot more about some of the other wardens and their magical talents and get to see their headquarters in Edinburgh. Harry not only takes some heavy physical hits in this episode but also some heavy personal ones. An entertaining episode moving the plot along to the war that is sure to resume between the wizards and the red vampires.
November 26, 2021
“There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. ”
“The human mind isn't a terribly logical or consistent place. Most people, given the choice to face a hideous or terrifying truth or to conveniently avoid it, choose the convenience and peace of normality. That doesn't make them strong or weak people, or good or bad people. It just makes them people.”
Introduction
Jim Butcher has hit another home run again. Not sure if the novel exceeds expectations because my people have consistently talked about how much they love this novel. However, I would say I didn’t expect this novel to be the grimmest in the series (so far). Are they Jokes still, yes of course it is still a Dresden Files book, but I just didn’t expect certain plot elements to go in that direction. What I knew of this book going in, it’s the novel before Changes, which is commonly associated as the game-changer. So, it does come as a surprise where this entry, feels like it has the heaviest implication for the future of the series (so far). Butcher is an author who is so incredible at building upon prior plot points, setting up new plot threads, while making the individual book feel conclusive and satisfying enough. Just from how Butcher structures a novel and series, you honestly just have to respect him.
Plot
In terms of the plot, this is the second best in the series. So much interesting threads are loose
They more to be said but those are the major highlights.
Theme
This novel isn’t thematically strong as SmF but they some aspects I can extract.
Firstly, the natural exploration of power corrupts. Like Frank Herbert states “It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible”. This is always an inevitable theme that is tackled within fantasy. This mainly from two specific characters, was interesting how butcher delve into it. Another one besides the two is Harry Dresden. All of this is leading towards a backfire not sure how specifically, but I really feel it.
Justice, Equality and Law has been a reoccurring aspect since Stormfront. They a certain debate within the novel, why doesn’t council influence human affairs. Why isn’t there more Safeguards for being a wizard? I found a lot of enjoyment in how it was explored and debated, it's a reoccurring aspect, just here it's more prominent.
Characters
To not reiterate this review or prior reviews assessment. Here it’s a net positive. To be honest, from how much shit Dresden goes through I am surprised he can still smile in his situation. Its something that you can admire. I will list some characters that stole the show for me:
Lara:
They aren’t much too be said besides I don’t want to go on her bad side haha. But for real seeing more of the White Court is not what I expected and this being arguably they best novel. You would that would be White Night or Blood rite but honestly here addition level of depth is so needed. I really enjoy her briefly govern the White Court. But here you just a lot more insight into her perspective which was needed.
Thomas:
I explained above but yeah, what an arc.
Toot:
Well, he is not a fantastic character or anything (I don’t know if I say he a good character). But I never really understood the fan base endearing love for this character. He had a small moment in SmF but yeah nothing exceptional. But here you honestly have to respect what he did for Za Lord. It’s a common trope, but it’s a trope for a reason just a very good moment. Though looking even back, they stopped only looking at Dresden as a supply for Pizza. But Dresden represents something different for these folks especially Toot. In SmF his brief appearance showcased that. But here that relationship tested.
Molly:
Talked about it prior but yeah, I think this is the book where she really shines. Besides PG this is her best novel.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, I thought this novel was great, I am very excited to read Changes, to see all the hype. I have very few criticisms it's primarily Pros >> Cons. As a whole, it’s a super well-executed novel and obviously worth the read. I am excited to continue with the series. I am still not sure if this is the second or 3rd best Dresden book but yeah, it's an incredible ride.
8/10 or 8.5/10 one of these. Don’t want to edit this review later to decide which one so I am having both.
May 5, 2022
So what would YOU do if your archenemy, who tried to have you put to death, not once but a few different times, showed up at your front door? Asking you to hide HIS ass so that he doesn’t get HIS head lopped off ……. 🙈😬!
That is basically the main plot line of Turn Coat - my latest Harry Dresden encounter. IT IS SO GOOD! 😎
Once again, if you haven’t listened to a Harry Dresden book on audible and you are a HD fan then get your ass in gear and listen to one! James Marstens narrates these and the dude is genius. He just brings the characters to life and effortlessly moves from one voice to the other.
Some of my favorites include Ebenezer, Molly, Toot (Marstens channeling his inner Andy Serkis on this one), the naagloshi, Warden Listens-To-Wind and of course our favorite wizard of all - Harry - and I’m not talkin’ about that Potter kid! 😀 Since we don’t have any Dresden quality films as of yet, for now James Marstens is Harry Dresden. He plays him perfectly.
Lastly, some pretty intense and brilliant politics are injected into this one and the lines start to become grey as to who are the good guys and who are the bad ones - setting up some intense books to follow.
Five stars for me and now onwards and upwards to the next book of the series - Changes. Which I hear is where the series really starts to get phenomenal…. And that is hard for me to imagine. It’s already at that level for me. This series has been my eye candy/comfort food for some time now ❤️.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
That is basically the main plot line of Turn Coat - my latest Harry Dresden encounter. IT IS SO GOOD! 😎
Once again, if you haven’t listened to a Harry Dresden book on audible and you are a HD fan then get your ass in gear and listen to one! James Marstens narrates these and the dude is genius. He just brings the characters to life and effortlessly moves from one voice to the other.
Some of my favorites include Ebenezer, Molly, Toot (Marstens channeling his inner Andy Serkis on this one), the naagloshi, Warden Listens-To-Wind and of course our favorite wizard of all - Harry - and I’m not talkin’ about that Potter kid! 😀 Since we don’t have any Dresden quality films as of yet, for now James Marstens is Harry Dresden. He plays him perfectly.
Lastly, some pretty intense and brilliant politics are injected into this one and the lines start to become grey as to who are the good guys and who are the bad ones - setting up some intense books to follow.
Five stars for me and now onwards and upwards to the next book of the series - Changes. Which I hear is where the series really starts to get phenomenal…. And that is hard for me to imagine. It’s already at that level for me. This series has been my eye candy/comfort food for some time now ❤️.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 24, 2020
Full Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/f20fYDLyvhI
What I knew about Turn Coat before I started is that it was the book that came before Changes. That's it. But it turned out to be so much more than that. Like Small Favor, this one continued the hiccup I had with White Night. With one of the best baddies in the series so far in the Skinwalker as well as an unlikely alliance, the fun never stops even when the stakes are high as ever.
Personally, I've been waiting for Morgan to have a bigger part in these books and it happens here. We also have growth for recurring characters that is much needed. But not just the big ones; yes Molly and Thomas get even more depth here, but smaller characters like Billy and Toot-Toot get good moments and character development.
The amazing thing is that Butcher has been able to keep this series so fresh through 11 books. I'm not in the "each book is better than the last one" camp that many Dresdenphiles are, but I can see why they say that because after this many books almost none of it seems filler.
If you want the punchin', it's there. If you want character moments, they're there. If you need levity in the face of all the high stakes, yes, it is there. Butcher is just showing off at this point and I'm so glad to be along for the ride.
What I knew about Turn Coat before I started is that it was the book that came before Changes. That's it. But it turned out to be so much more than that. Like Small Favor, this one continued the hiccup I had with White Night. With one of the best baddies in the series so far in the Skinwalker as well as an unlikely alliance, the fun never stops even when the stakes are high as ever.
Personally, I've been waiting for Morgan to have a bigger part in these books and it happens here. We also have growth for recurring characters that is much needed. But not just the big ones; yes Molly and Thomas get even more depth here, but smaller characters like Billy and Toot-Toot get good moments and character development.
The amazing thing is that Butcher has been able to keep this series so fresh through 11 books. I'm not in the "each book is better than the last one" camp that many Dresdenphiles are, but I can see why they say that because after this many books almost none of it seems filler.
If you want the punchin', it's there. If you want character moments, they're there. If you need levity in the face of all the high stakes, yes, it is there. Butcher is just showing off at this point and I'm so glad to be along for the ride.
June 15, 2023
I always love a re-read. I'm almost always extremely careful and I know I'll love the books all over again. It kinda comes with the territory.
Same is true for Turn Coat. The funniest parts are very, very funny. I'm looking at you, Morgan. The scary parts are rather nasty. I'm looking at you, Skinwalker. And the nicely complex plot with way too many powers trying to get a piece of Harry is wonderfully chaotic.
Best of all, Butcher has a real talent for drawing all these threads together for one hell of a fantastic climax. Again. Fortunately, the slight re-do of certain elements make very good sense and it's mightily encouraging when it comes to a certain wizard's survivability.
Let's face it. Harry should have died a hundred times over by now.
Same is true for Turn Coat. The funniest parts are very, very funny. I'm looking at you, Morgan. The scary parts are rather nasty. I'm looking at you, Skinwalker. And the nicely complex plot with way too many powers trying to get a piece of Harry is wonderfully chaotic.
Best of all, Butcher has a real talent for drawing all these threads together for one hell of a fantastic climax. Again. Fortunately, the slight re-do of certain elements make very good sense and it's mightily encouraging when it comes to a certain wizard's survivability.
Let's face it. Harry should have died a hundred times over by now.
January 11, 2023
Oh wow what a shocking twist. I could have never guessed who the bad guy was. SAID NO ONE EVER.
Except painfully obvious twist this was a pretty good Dresden files book. I had one of the best fights int he series, one of reoccurring story threads takes central stage and finally starts unrevealing further. I don't really like that state of Harry's life and relationships has be reset but I'm not annoyed by it since I have feel that series is building something big since lot of characters have been moved off the stage on way or the other.
Except painfully obvious twist this was a pretty good Dresden files book. I had one of the best fights int he series, one of reoccurring story threads takes central stage and finally starts unrevealing further. I don't really like that state of Harry's life and relationships has be reset but I'm not annoyed by it since I have feel that series is building something big since lot of characters have been moved off the stage on way or the other.
May 20, 2023
Hells bells, these books are great.
April 10, 2009
This time Harry Dresden, Wizard detective, is trying to find the traitor in the White Council, after Morgan shows up on his doorstep on the lam for a crime he didn't commit and Harry realized that hes got to either turn Morgan in or help him out (and get blamed for helping a criminal).
The good things:
-- We get to see more of the White Council, find out more about Morgan, Luccio and Listen-to-Wind. We also see a bit of why the Council thinks about Harry the way they do, and some awesome magic.
-- I once read a maxim about how authors are willing to make characters struggle for what they need (read: plot) but are willing to give in on things that the characters want but don't need. Not to spoil things, but Jim Butcher doesn't do that in this book. Harry might solve the mystery, but he gets dealt several nasty punches for it -- it's definitely bittersweet.
-- The banter is good, and I always appreciate that most characters can keep up with Harry verbally. It's nice to see that Harry doesn't get all the good lines.
The bad things:
-- The traitor's plot is clever, but the identity of the traitor was a bit of a let down. A friend compared it to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when a giant deal was made about a character dying, when you find out that the character was only a minor character until that book. That and I kind of pegged it -- partly because my friend told me this beforehand, maybe.
Plus, Mouse totally stole the show. Mouse is awesome.
The good things:
-- We get to see more of the White Council, find out more about Morgan, Luccio and Listen-to-Wind. We also see a bit of why the Council thinks about Harry the way they do, and some awesome magic.
-- I once read a maxim about how authors are willing to make characters struggle for what they need (read: plot) but are willing to give in on things that the characters want but don't need. Not to spoil things, but Jim Butcher doesn't do that in this book. Harry might solve the mystery, but he gets dealt several nasty punches for it -- it's definitely bittersweet.
-- The banter is good, and I always appreciate that most characters can keep up with Harry verbally. It's nice to see that Harry doesn't get all the good lines.
The bad things:
-- The traitor's plot is clever, but the identity of the traitor was a bit of a let down. A friend compared it to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when a giant deal was made about a character dying, when you find out that the character was only a minor character until that book. That and I kind of pegged it -- partly because my friend told me this beforehand, maybe.
Plus, Mouse totally stole the show. Mouse is awesome.
May 14, 2019
Turn Coat is book eleven in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.
Hot Dame what a start. Warden Morgan is in trouble; suspected of treason against the Wizarding Council and he turns to Harry for help.
If you’ve been reading this series you know Harry and Morgan don’t get along and also that Morgan is dedicated to the White Council, his job as a Warden, and a stickler for the rules. Harry would love to turn him in, but he knows that Morgan would never break the Laws of Magic.
Things just got more harry… He’s got two days to find the traitor in the White Council. After that Morgan and anyone that helped him goes down for the crime. Things get complicated fast. Friends and family get hurt and no one will be the same after it’s all done.
I enjoyed seeing Waldo Butters the medical examiner again. I adore and love Harry’s dog Mouse. Then we have Molly, Murphy, and Thomas. Each character grows on you and to see something happen to them that will change things; is good and also sad. Things with Thomas after this installment won’t be the same and we don’t know where Harry and him stand. I cried a little and was proud that Harry still says he’s his brother no mater what.
Turn Coat has no shortage of suspense, surprises, lose, and more. The Dresden Files is an extraordinary Urban Fantasy series. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Harry and the gang.
Rated: 5 Stars
Hot Dame what a start. Warden Morgan is in trouble; suspected of treason against the Wizarding Council and he turns to Harry for help.
If you’ve been reading this series you know Harry and Morgan don’t get along and also that Morgan is dedicated to the White Council, his job as a Warden, and a stickler for the rules. Harry would love to turn him in, but he knows that Morgan would never break the Laws of Magic.
Things just got more harry… He’s got two days to find the traitor in the White Council. After that Morgan and anyone that helped him goes down for the crime. Things get complicated fast. Friends and family get hurt and no one will be the same after it’s all done.
I enjoyed seeing Waldo Butters the medical examiner again. I adore and love Harry’s dog Mouse. Then we have Molly, Murphy, and Thomas. Each character grows on you and to see something happen to them that will change things; is good and also sad. Things with Thomas after this installment won’t be the same and we don’t know where Harry and him stand. I cried a little and was proud that Harry still says he’s his brother no mater what.
Turn Coat has no shortage of suspense, surprises, lose, and more. The Dresden Files is an extraordinary Urban Fantasy series. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Harry and the gang.
Rated: 5 Stars
July 26, 2023
That was great!
October 14, 2009
I was planning on quitting this series if this one didn't measure up. Looks like I'm sticking around.
Morgan shows up at Harry's house with the Wardens on his trail, framed for murder. Harry goes about trying to clear Morgan's name, all the while dealing with a summoner named Binder and a demon called the Skinwalker. Meanwhile, the Wardens are coming to Chicago and it looks like the White Court of the vampires is linked to the mysterious Black Circle of wizards Harry is sure exists.
Why am I sticking around? Lots of things happen in this one. People die. Harry accumulates more scars. Harry's relationships with the other wizards and Thomas change. New characters are introduced. The plot advances.
I can't imagine how anyone who has stuck out the series so far would find anything wrong with this one. It wraps up some old plot threads and introduces others.
Morgan shows up at Harry's house with the Wardens on his trail, framed for murder. Harry goes about trying to clear Morgan's name, all the while dealing with a summoner named Binder and a demon called the Skinwalker. Meanwhile, the Wardens are coming to Chicago and it looks like the White Court of the vampires is linked to the mysterious Black Circle of wizards Harry is sure exists.
Why am I sticking around? Lots of things happen in this one. People die. Harry accumulates more scars. Harry's relationships with the other wizards and Thomas change. New characters are introduced. The plot advances.
I can't imagine how anyone who has stuck out the series so far would find anything wrong with this one. It wraps up some old plot threads and introduces others.
November 19, 2023
Favorite one so far.
April 8, 2024
“The human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place.”
In the 11th episode of The Dresden Files Harry plays around with an ancient Native American creature, cracks a funny joke and probably pisses off a lot of people. It picks up the pace perfectly from Small Favor and continues the hot streak for Dresden Files. I was particularly surprised by this entry because it often gets overlooked due to it being "The one before Changes". I went in not really knowing what to expect of it and it turned out to be one of the strongest entries in the series so far. Once again Butcher knocks it out of the park and provides a deeply enjoyable novel. In particular he should receive a big commendation for his approach to writing a certain central character that subverts the expectations of the reader. Fantastic read overall and strongly recommended!
Next up -- the one everyone is really waiting for.
“There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. ”
In the 11th episode of The Dresden Files Harry plays around with an ancient Native American creature, cracks a funny joke and probably pisses off a lot of people. It picks up the pace perfectly from Small Favor and continues the hot streak for Dresden Files. I was particularly surprised by this entry because it often gets overlooked due to it being "The one before Changes". I went in not really knowing what to expect of it and it turned out to be one of the strongest entries in the series so far. Once again Butcher knocks it out of the park and provides a deeply enjoyable novel. In particular he should receive a big commendation for his approach to writing a certain central character that subverts the expectations of the reader. Fantastic read overall and strongly recommended!
Next up -- the one everyone is really waiting for.
“There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. ”
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