Harry Dresden returns with a vengeance in
Small Favor, the 10th book in the Dresden Files series. If you haven't read any of this series ? start now! Jim Butcher sits at the top of the ever-growing list of Urban Fantasy authors. Harry Dresden is the perfect reluctant hero, and Butcher has created one of the most interesting yet believable alternate realities of the genre.
In Small Favor, Harry finds himself caught in a conflict between the winter fairy queen, Mab, and the summer queen, Tatiana. When Harry is forced to repay a favor from Mab by embarking on a mission to save Chicago crime boss Johnny Marcone (even though Harry would sooner see him left alone for his demon kidnappers to torture and kill), he finds himself pursued by all manner of magical creatures, including a group of Billy Goat Gruffs and Hobs. Harry enlists the help of his friends, and all our favorite characters are back on the scene, struggling to stay alive long enough to save the world.
Butcher's plotting is intricate but fast-paced. There are interesting turns of events for some of the regular characters, including Harry, that will please long-term fans. The best quality of this series is that the author always seems to know where he is going with each character in every book, leaving the reader not only entertained, but secure in the knowledge that there is more to Harry's story.