Backup

by Jim Butcher

Let's get something clear right up front.I'm not Harry Dresden.Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596061820
• ISBN13: 9781596061828
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Subterranean Press
• Length: 70 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Yet another layer for the "Dresdenverse"

I need to be up front about this: I am a complete Dresden fan. I had not even heard of the series a year ago, but I've bought and read all ten series books, all the short stories but one (and the collection it is in comes out next month in soft cover) and this novella. One of the things I love about the series is the wildly imaginative takes Butcher has on the standard elements of fantasy creatures. Who thought for example that there could be 6 different flavors of werewolves? Or, more to the point, four varieties of Vampire: Red Court (Blood-drinking demons clothed in human-appearing flesh), Black Court (the classic "Dracula" variety), Jade Court (mentioned but not yet seen--can't wait to see what Butcher has in mind), and the focus of "Backup", the White Court, vampires who feed directly from the life-force of humans, through strong emotion. "Backup" stars Harry Dresden's half-brother Thomas Raith. Since the sixth book, "Blood Rites", Thomas has become an increasingly important character, as Harry's only living family. "Backup" further fleshes out Thomas, as we get to see him from the inside dealing with the stresses and issues that come from being a predator who does not wishes kill. Like Harry, Thomas has a secret conflict to fight, one he can't let Harry know about. This is Dresden "lite", lacking the multi-layered plotting that characterizes the Dresden novels. The insight into Thomas though, is more than worth the price of admission and is a must-have for Dresden fans (though newbies are advised to read the novels first).

More about Thomas

For those familiar with the Harry Dresden series, this book provides a small but sweet taste of his half-brother Thomas, and the behind the scenes activity for his brother's cases. The prose is well written in the Butcher style, and though he could have included a bit more about Harry's case, it is a fun read and leaves the reader satisfied. We all presume Thomas is not spending his whole day in the salon, and this novelette answers some of those questions.

Fantastic, but then I knew what I was getting into

I've seen a lot of negative or ambivalent reviews for Backup and I think they are misrepresenting the demographic. I knew that it was a short 70 page novelette and a companion book to the Dresden Files, I think anyone who was confused about it could have easily learned everything they wanted to know by doing a simple google search. As for the story itself, I really liked "seeing" the DF world from a perspective other than Harry's. I think Thomas is a good narrator and while Backup gave me more confidence that Thomas wasn't going to turn on Harry, I still am unsure about the whole Oblivion War. I'm excited to learn more and I'm sure it will become important in later novels. My only complaint is that it's too short, but as a fan I think all the books are too short and want another the instant I finish. Bravo, Mr. Butcher. Keep up the good work.

From a monster's POV

I'll confess right up front that I am an unabashed fan of Thomas Raith, Harry Dresden's psy-vampire half-brother, and when I first heard about this book, I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. As short as it is, it's a great read, and it gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of a character who is far more than the mere pretty face he may pretend to be. We get a first-hand sense of Thomas's struggle to keep his literal inner demon-symbiote in check, and of his concern for his little brother. And we also get some stunning if deceptively small revelations about the world in which they both live and work and fight to keep the things that go bump in the night in check. The illustrations by legendary graphic novel artist Mike Mignola more than complete this great little book!

A very tasty tidbit

This is very good. An expansion of the Dresden Files world. As the previous review stated, it was a short but pleasant tale. I would like to read more tales of this type exploring the lives of other characters in the Dresden Files' world. Karren Murphy, even Bob, Mouse or Mister could be fun in a short tail (so to speak ;)). I enjoyed this story immensely. I can hardly wait for the next full length adventure in the main story, but this was a pleasant addition to the entire adventure.