The Jim Butcher Files: Dresden . Codex Alera . Cinder Spires & More

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

If there was only one quote out of The Aeronaut's Windlass which is your favourite, which one would it be?

As I just created this game I go first, obviously.

My quote I picked from chapter 56 (Kindle loc 6475):

Spoiler:

Each creature had something it excelled at, he supposed. Humans could manage knots easily, and cats could do everything else.

from Chapter 10:

“The heart of democracy is violence, Miss Tagwynn,” Esterbrook said. “In order to decide what to do, we take a count of everyone for and against it, and then do whatever the larger side wishes to do. We’re having a symbolic battle, its outcome decided by simple numbers. It saves us time and no end of trouble counting actual bodies—but don’t mistake it for anything but ritualized violence. And every few years, if the person we elected doesn’t do the job we wanted, we vote him out of office—we symbolically behead him and replace him with someone else. Again, without the actual pain and bloodshed, but acting out the ritual of violence nonetheless. It’s actually a very practical way of getting things done.”

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

from Chapter 10:

Very interesting - that is the one you posted when you got to it. Interesting that it remained best through the rest of the book. There is so much fun in all the talking in this book. Jim had to have a blast with something like: (don't think these need spoilers, they don't make sense out of context if you haven't read. But they are instantly clear on who is talking by someone who already read the book):

“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Really? And why is that?”
“Because you are an ass, sir.”

“Please excuse me for my rudeness. It’s very seldom I get to be impolite for fun— and I’m afraid I have a rather depressingly low sense of humor. I trust you will forgive me.”

“I am disturbed by the presence of inordinate levels of coincidence”

Just shows how strong the dialogue is throughout the book. I sometimes felt I would want to skip over the "boring" fight scenes just so I could get back to someone talking. Don't quite remember a book like this - usually it is the other way around. To be honest, the background maybe dry at times, but the way it is presented brings a whole new interesting to the table. And the world building is strooooong (e.g. the concept of certain guilds and their purpose in life).

(Edit: Dresden has good dialogue as well, but not quite this blunt as most all of this. And Harry never shops talking during the fights.)

[red_phoenix]

I agree...the first couple books of a new series have to, by necessity, describe the world where the characters live.

Jim manages to do this in a very entertaining way without the flow of the book bogging down in any way.

I knew I had to get this book after reading the sample chapters which do not do the book any justice...some of the best parts come later.

[alansplace]

Q&A with Jim Butcher
Oct 7, 2015
Written By: David Hill

A few weeks ago, I contacted Jim Butcher’s assistant in the hopes of getting to interview Jim ahead of the release of his latest book, The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass. Much to my surprise, his assistant got back to me and we scheduled the interview. He’s one of my favorite authors, so I was incredibly excited to have a chance to interview him.

Sadly, the day before the interview was scheduled to happen Jim’s dog, Frostbite Doomreaver McBane Butcher, passed away after a long battle with cancer. As you might expect, the interview was canceled.

But since I live one town over from where Jim lives, it’s a pretty safe bet that whenever he has a new book coming out that there will be some kind of book signing event somewhere in the area. Sure enough there was. And for an hour ahead of actually signing the books, Jim answered all kinds of questions that we in the audience threw at him.

Here is my transcript of the Q&A session from that event: Read the entire interview here

[FizzyWater]

Thanks, Alan, that was a fun interview to read. Loved the comments about Murphy wanting to take over in Fool Moon, and how he had to give her a fear of dogs to back her off.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Thanks, Alan, that was a fun interview to read. Loved the comments about Murphy wanting to take over in Fool Moon, and how he had to give her a fear of dogs to back her off.

,

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Thanks, Alan, that was a fun interview to read. Loved the comments about Murphy wanting to take over in Fool Moon, and how he had to give her a fear of dogs to back her off.

Except for:

But that’s all under-the-table stuff that I can’t write about because Murphy is not going to go up to Dresden and say, “I’m terrified of big dogs.” Because Dresden would make fun of her for being short and it’s not going to happen.

Wouldn't happen? But it just did. Wonder when. I will act like it is a total surprise. Eh, yeah, and the dragon vs. wizard fight. Because the one dragon thought Harry was less powerful - and at the time he might have been.

[red_phoenix]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Except for:




Wouldn't happen? But it just did. Wonder when. I will act like it is a total surprise. Eh, yeah, and the dragon vs. wizard fight. Because the one dragon thought Harry was less powerful - and at the time he might have been.

At that time he was...but with Harry it isn't necessarily about power but using what he has to his advantage.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by red_phoenix

At that time he was...but with Harry it isn't necessarily about power but using what he has to his advantage.

You are right. It still requires greater power (not only raw power, but also luck and knowledge) to overpower anything, even for Harry. Knowing how to use what one got is one thing Harry probably didn't have at the time. And he probamly didn't have what it took AND didn't know what he would need. He rarely decides to go up against bigger things, it is always quite necessary

For all we know luck may not neccessary be a random feature if you have magic.

[alansplace]

Harry discovering his brother working as a gay stylist...

[BuyMore]

^ Ooh, I love this pic. I think it's a great illustration of them both. Toe-moss and Ah-ri...

[red_phoenix]

I agree...it is a great pic...Harry laughing and Thomas rather indignant about it.

[alansplace]

[alansplace]

Book Review: The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s
Windlass By Jim Butcher By Empress Eve

The Aeronaut’s Windlass
Book 1 of The Cinder Spires
Hardcover | Kindle | Paperback | Audible Audiobook | Audio CD
by Jim Butcher
Roc | Penguin Random House
Release date: September 29, 2015

Jim Butcher‘s long-running supernatural hard-boiled detective series The Dresden Files has had fans clamoring for more, while his more traditional fantasy books of Codex Alera have been well-received over the past decade. Now the best-selling author is launching a new series called The Cinder Spires, which combines fantasy and steampunk for a high-flying adventure, starting with the first book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass . . . Read the review here!

[alansplace]

Quoted from jimbutchersrighteyebrow

Anonymous asked:
My husband is a huge Dresden Files fan and he says you should refuse to sleep with Jim until he gives us a release date for Peace Talks.

kittykrell answered:

Screw that. I’m not giving up sex for that long. Not to mention, he has no control over the actual release date, that’s all on the publishers.

Not to mention! The Aeronaut’s Windlass comes out in September, and it is freaking amazeballs. Be excited. Talking cats. Airships. Talking cats. Explosions. Talking cats. Gorgeous costumes. Talking cats. Amazing world. AND DID I MENTION TALKING CATS???????????????????????

kittykrell:

xserpx:

winterqueenmab:

I’d paraphrase Dresden on “Don’t mess with a wizard when he’s wizarding” with a Don’t mess with a writer when he’s writing but it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

I think “don’t mess with a wizard when he’s wizarding” applies to Jim too tbh… Between the eyebrow and the writing, that guy clearly has some kind of preternatural ability XD.

True story.

You rang? But yes, kittykrell is right, authors, no matter how AMAZING their eyebrow writing is, they do not have the ultimate say-so in when their books are published, unless they own the publishing company, which Mr. Butcher does not. Have patience, anonymous eyebrow admirer. A watched book never publishes.