Down Town by Jim Butcher

Falling between White Night and Small Favor, this story features Harry, Molly, and Marcone fighting a psychotic denizen of Undertown. It’s good to watch Apprentice Molly really flex her magical muscles!

Title:  Down Town
Author:  Jim Butcher
Series: Dresden Files Book 09.5
Publish Date:  September 30, 2015
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased

Publisher’s Description: Chicago wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden and his new apprentice, Molly Carpenter, intend to end the havoc caused by a mad sorcerer – one whose ambitions would have the Windy City streets carved out as his own private kingdom. But when the magical upstart enters into an alliance with the notorious mob boss “Gentleman Johnnie” Marcone, will the fast-and-loose Dresden and his young charge survive unscathed?

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Percy Procrastinator says…

Things I didn’t like: The drawing of Gard didn’t work for me. I didn’t see her as wearing a mini skirt and being a warrior Pants! I also wasn’t fond of the team up with Marcone. It didn’t work for me, probably because I think it felt forced. How short it was. This one felt short or maybe it would have been nice to get a bit more background on the bad guy.

Things I liked: I did like the adventure itself. I like seeing Harry and Molly in action, along with Mouse. I did like them going into Undercity again to explore that more. I liked the monster that was used as well and it forced Harry to think not just blast away.

While I liked this, and give it a solid three, I could have used a bit more. I think the villain was a bit cookie cutter and not developed enough. I also thought it was too forced for Marcone to go along. He’s not a young man anymore and I don’t think he should have been able to keep up with Harry as well as he did. Even with this nitpicks, though, a fine story and a fun, if quick, adventure to read.

Invested Ivana says…

So, here I am, reading another graphic novel. I keep saying I don’t care much for them, but yet I keep reading them. This one happens to be a unique story in the Dresden Files series (as opposed to a graphic version of an existing novel).

What I liked:

• Molly’s rainbow colored tips.
• Mouse and Mister’s teamwork.
• Ms. Gard’s battle axe.
• The banter and Star Wars references between Harry and Molly.

What I didn’t like:

• We don’t get much information about the antagonist. Who is he? Where did he come from? Has he been in Chicago all this time? What riled him up? How come we haven’t seen him before? Considering his own justification for his actions, it seems like he’d be someone Harry or Marcone would have encountered previously if he’d been around a while.
• The “golem” was faceless and only vaguely humanoid. Made it hard to identify what it was at first.
• Ms. Gard’s mini-skirt. I can’t remember if her outfits have been described in any of the books, but I picture her fighting in sensible clothes — meaning pants. But, she’s a Valkyrie; I guess she can fight in anything she wants.

Overall, a fun story in the Dresden Files universe. Fun to see Molly get her fight on. Based on what I know at the moment, not a critical part of the series story arc, though.

Other reviews…

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• Game Fiends
• Goodreads

If you like this book…

…you might try the other unique graphic novels in the Dresden Files series: Welcome to the Jungle, Ghoul Goblin, and War Cry.