Summer Knight

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: James Marsters

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a very powerful wizard and a dedicated private eye. He is also a wise cracking trouble magnet. Fueled by a tempest of guilt, sleep deprivation, malnutrition, bad temper and frankly awful personal grooming. Harry is hurtling toward oblivion. According to Harry that is nobody's business but his own.

The Winter Queen of Faerie manipulates him into accepting a case to solve a murder and stop a war between the courts of Summer and Winter that could have literally earth shattering consequences. His own soul is up for grabs. Dresden must dig deep to discover that at time a willingness to accept a little help from your friends, be they a cub pack of werewolves, old loves in sheep's clothing, or a battalion of pizza loving dewdrop fairies, is a very good thing.

©2002 Jim Butcher (P)2006 Buzzy Multimedia

Harry & James are one.

Anyone who has made it this far LISTENING to the Harry Dresden series has to feel that James Marsters is the perfect Harry and one of the best overall narrators out there.

Jim Dale move over! James Marsters is the new leader in town...(at least Chicago). His tone, pitch, inflections and a host of different character voices make it seem like he is actually telling HIS story.

I have been listening to recorded books for decades & i can tell you a bad narration can ruin the experience; a great narration can make it hard to stop listening.
You probably could not go wrong with Jim Butchers story lines but then i wouldn't be going through them as fast as i am without Marsters.
The story in Summer Knight is extrodinary. Just when you think Butcher can't be more inventive, he comes up with more spells & monsters to make your pulse fly!

40 of 41 people found this review helpful

A 'Harry' Situation

I'm a fan of urban fantasy and I also love a good a detective story, so people have been telling me to read Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series for years. Since I find myself with very little time for reading at this particular moment in my life, I decided to check out the audio books. I'm glad I did.

James Marsters does a magnificent job giving a voice to Harry. I had read several of the short stories before I began reading the series, so I had an idea of what I thought Harry sounded like --- but now I can't picture Harry sounding any other way. James Marsters skillfully breathes life & emotion into Harry and the gang. I enjoy the various vocal nuances he brings to ALL the characters, and in this book there are MANY.

As for the story, Harry finds himself in some truly hairy situations in this book. (I suppose that is normal, but it seemed like more than usual.) We get a closer look at Wizard Dresden and what makes him tick. I haven't read all the books yet, but I didn't truly become invested until the last book, Grave Peril. I feel as though the series has hit its stride with the 4th installment, Summer Knight, in which we continue to see the measure of the man. I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series --- I can't imagine experiencing the books in any other fashion now.

Narration --- 5/5
Story --- 4/5

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Love these books!

We have the print versions and took them to jamaica with us, they go very easy with rum. We have bought the audible books available but really want Books 5, 6 & 7! It leaves a big gap in the story line.
James Marsters is a very good narrator, he handles the characters very well. Jim Butcher has done a very good job with The Dresden Books! I am very cheap, so I really have to love a book to buy it in print and Audible!

15 of 17 people found this review helpful

Dizzy Dresden

Harry is in the middle of it again, this time he has it coming at him from all sides. The White Council is considering turning him over to the Vampire Council for a fire storm massacre, that Harry used, to save he and his cohorts in the last book. Mavv the head Winter Fairy is calling in a favor that Harry owes her, which is complicated, and not at all helping his case with the White Council. Susan, his estranged girlfriend, may become a Vampire at any moment, because of a situation that Harry feels guilty for putting her in. All in all a typical day in Harry's Dresden's wizarding life.

Harry turns to the only ones that will help him and the only ones he can trust, his police officer friend Murphy and a pack of young, but formidable werewolves. My favorite character, Bob, just had a brief cameo, but there is a fun appearance by the crazy fairies who love pizza. The Dresden files are great, paranormal, fun reads that are always amusing adventures. Starting at the beginning of the series is essential in order to understand Harry's complicated, discombobulated life.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Stunning performance by Mr. Marsters!

After deciding to re-visit this series I read “Storm Front” and then realized that James Marsters was narrating the series and thought I would give it a try for “Fool Moon” and unfortunately by the end I was a little disappointed Marsters reading was a bit breathy and seemed to take a lot out of the action of some of the scenes as I recalled them. After that I decided to read “Grave Peril” as opposed to continuing the audio series but during that time I saw several reviews that said Marsters performance, or the direction he was given was markedly improved in the later books so I decided to give him another try for “Summer Knight” and he did not fail! Mr. Marsters delivered an amazing performance! The drawn out hesitations on lines was gone and the breathy deliveries was markedly dialed back so that there impact was much more prominent when needed, and I am sure that I was grinning like an idiot from sheer joy for the entirety of the final action scene!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I know I run the risk of public scourge but

I can't listen to James Marsters make mouth/swallowing noises again. I don't care how much I love him as an actor or how much I might enjoy the book I can't NOT hear the smacking and saliva noises of his mouth. Ok feel free to rip me a new one I'm good with it. Go.

37 of 45 people found this review helpful

Brilliant series but where is the next book ?!

Why, Audible, WHY CAN I NOT HAVE MORE DRESDEN BOOKS ON AUDIO? Please tell me there are more coming! I find it difficult to get time to read physical books but I can get through a lot of audio books while I'm working and I would love to listen to the entire series if it was available.

This is a fantastic series, and each book so far has been better than the last. I love all the detail about the Faerie courts and it's interesting to see a bit more of the White Council in this book.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

FANTASTIC!

I read alot and I almost always read non-fiction. I normally do not care to read fiction and I do not care to much for fantasy BUT... O.M.G!!! This was a fantastic story that kept you going. There was never a dull moment and oh what a sense of humor the author has! So Bravo Mr. Butcher and Bravo Mr. Masters for such a great narration. This is a book I will recommend to everyone.

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

Pleasant entertainment :)

Not deep at all. Comfort food in so many ways. The hard boiled detective who's a sucker for a damsel in distress. The guy who is ALWAYS taking a beating. An interesting compliment of companions (take Bob the Skull for example). Magnum PI... but with witches and vampires, etc. The story DOES progress book-to-book, but each story is complete in itself. I agree with others, the narrator is PERFECT for the job. LOL.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Harry is much beloved in this household

*Book source ~ Purchased at Audible

Harry Dresden, Wizard Extraordinaire and Private Investigator is in the dumps because his girlfriend has left town to deal with the after effects of being bitten by a Red Court vampire. He needs to get his act together because he needs money for rent and everyday living, but instead the Winter Queen walks into his office and offers him a job he can’t refuse. He has to find the real killer of the Summer Queen’s Summer Knight and clear her name or the two Faerie Courts will go to war. In exchange for doing this one little (yeah, right) thing for her she will grant the White Council passage through her realm while they fight their own war with the Red Court. Oh, and she has taken over his debt to his godmother which means he now owes Mab the debt. Harry has to find a killer, prevent a war that would destroy most of mankind, win safe passage for the White Council and pay off his new debt with the Winter Queen. All in a days work for Chicago’s only wizard.

Guest Reviewers:
A: my 16-yr-old daughter
T: my 14-yr-old son
K: my 13-yr-old son

This series continues to entertain the kids (and me). We all love Harry. The humor is a big hit still, the magic is always interesting and the mystery keeps us guessing.

Many favorite characters are back such as Bob, Murphy, the Alphas, Thomas, Michael and Toot-Toot. In addition to meeting many of the Fae and some Changelings we met Elaine, Harry’s very first love and who he thought was dead. Surprise! We also got to meet many of the White Council and more importantly the wizards of the Senior Council including Ebenezer McCoy who took Harry in when he was a teenager and was his mentor.

Everyone liked the battle with the troll and the Chlorofiend at Walmart and it was unanimous that the big battle at the end was awesome. Everyone enjoyed all of the information pertaining to the Faerie Courts. They did not like many of the Fae, but then who does? The loved meeting the Senior Council. They were very surprised at who killed the Summer Knight.

Favorite quote: “I stretched out my hand, adrenaline and pain giving me plenty of fuel for the magic, and called, 'Ventas servitas!' Wind leapt out in a sudden spurt, seizing the Unraveling and tearing it from Aurora's fingers, sending it spinning through the air toward me. I caught it, stuck my tongue out at Aurora, yelled, 'Meep, meep!' and ran like hell.”

Narration: Marsters is improving as the series goes along. He’s done a much better job in this one than in previous ones though his pronunciations sometimes aren’t quite right.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

An excellent audiobook

This is the fourth book in the \"Dresden Files\" series and it is right up to the high standard of the first three. New characters are introduced, existing characters developed in an interesting way and the fantasy background is widened very imaginatively. And the story simply hurtles along with unstoppable momentum, building to a terrific climax. All narrated superbly by James Marsters. Brilliant stuff and strongly recommended. Let's hope that Audible UK acquires the other books in the series, which are available to US readers on theAudible.com site.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Best of writing with best narration = awesome!

Combine Jim Butcher's great writing with James Marsters' unmatched narration and you end up with a great book in a fantastic series - if you like books set in what is close to our world, but with the fantasy elements of magic, fairies, vampires & other monsters, then this is the series for you!

Jim Butcher's is brilliant at writing characters, setting the scenes and action, giving a fabulous book series, his descriptions come to life on the page, but the way that they're read in these books is just amazing

I can't imagine a better narrator than James Marsters, the variety of characterisations he brings to the characters, plus the pacing of the way he reads the variety from romantic scenes to action, he is truly the best narrator that I've ever heard in the decades that I've listened to audio books!

If only all books on here were written as well, and read as well, then we would be spoiled, but alas, most are nowhere near this good - I'm surprised that authors aren't clamoring to get James to read their books - after his work on Buffy & Angel brought him to the public's knowledge, plus his other work on stage & screen, he is a chameleon, and it comes through in his readings - you have to listen to his audio renditions to understand how amazing he is, and how bad a lot of the others are!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

thundering good story

This is part of a really addictive series of tales about Harry Dresden, the lone Chicago wizard.I check periodically for more additions to the series, but they seem a long time coming. James Marsters is a terrific narrator and keeps a lively pace. I think these are great and wish there were more.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Jim Butcher and James Marsters Are Amazing

I already loved Jim Butcher's works, I've read everything he's written. But his stories come even more alive with the brilliant readings down by James Martsters. Marsters does a wonderful job of giving each character their own, unique voice, as well as making Harry sound like the genre-savvy, wise-cracking wizard he is. This isn't the first Dresden Files audiobook I've listened to, and it certainly won't be the last.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Harry Dresden is at it again!

I am a big fan of the Dresden Files and have read them all over the years. A few years ago I bought Storm Front in audio format and I was not disappointed, James Marsters is a great narrator. As soon as I got my Audible membership I bought Fool Moon and Grave Peril soon after. It's been a few years and I intermittently check if the rest of the series has become available on audio. Lo and Behold! A few weeks ago I found that they were now all available! I used up the credits I'd stashed for a rainy day and got Summer Knight and Death Masks for listening.



Private detective/wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden is suckered into tangling in the affairs of Faerie, where the fate of the entire world-and his soul-are at stake, again.



The greatest thing about audio books is being able to multi task... playing with toddler, washing up, housework [Yuk] and knitting are all things I can do while listening to these great books.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Easy to listen to, easy to enjoy!

Any additional comments?

I love everything about this series of books. I love the characters and how they are developing, just enough to keep you interested, but not quite enough, so you want to read the next book.

James Marsters is genius in reading them. Most unusual. It takes a little while to get used to it, but not long. It makes you feel really involved in the story. I have just listened to three Dresden stories in a row and am steeling myself to download the next one as I feel I should take a break and give other authors a chance!

I highly recommend this series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Awesome

Really good story and plot with great twists made me buy the next book as soon as I finished this book

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

book 4

i really enjoy these books. all are well written with a continuing story line. characters are well conceived and fit the story. looking forward to the next one.

Midsummer Night's Mayhem

The fourth book of the Dresden Files brings the two courts of the Faerie to the forefront with Dresden being tasked to solve a mystery on behalf of Winter in order to secure his status as a wizard and aid the White Council in their war with the Red Court, that he was responsible for starting in the previous book.

Beyond the basic storyline, this book again serves to further expand the reader's knowledge of the supernatural world in which Dresden lives with a more complete introduction to the Faerie Courts and a much clearer picture of the make-up of the White Council of Wizards, who had most only been alluded to in previous books or represented by Morgan.

James Marsters does another great job and if they ever do another tv series of the Dresden Files I hope it is animated since he is the voice of Dresden for me now, but wouldn't have the height etc to be the ideal physical match.

Overall, another strong installment in the series and well worth it for anyone who liked any of the previous ones.

It's gone from murder mystery to fantasy adventure

Not enjoying this as much as the earlier works but then I prefered the murder mystery aspect to the lone hero in a fantasy world aspect.

I also think the Susan got what was coming to her in the last book by turning up to vampire home uninvited despite Harry's warnings. His guilt for her was so misplaced that I couldn't really empathise with the main character at all.