Small Favor combines my favorite parts of the Dresden Files: the Denarians and Knights of the Cross, Marcone, and the Fae in varying degrees. On top of that, where White Night tended towards mystery, Small Favor is straight up actions. The story hits the ground running and never really stops, right through several big set piece battles and one of the bigger finales we’ve seen (albeit not quite up to the level of Sue…).

On top of that, we get another of Butcher’s lovely twists which just drop the bottom out of a story. You think you know what’s going on… turns out you’ve missed the same huge clue that Dresden has. I’m always impressed with those.

There was one particular interesting thought that stuck with me even after I finished the book. Neither the Knights nor the Denarians believed that it was possible Dresden could be rid of Lash without taking up the coin. Everyone has their blind spots. It makes you think about where your own blind spots might be. And back in the Dresdenverse, given how tightly tied the Dresden Files are to Dresden’s point of view, what is he missing?

We’re also starting to see more and more power creep. Dresden may have lost the ability to sling Hellfire with Lash’s demise, but he’s got a new trick up his sleeve curtesy of a new heavy hitter on the supernatural scene. If all of the big guns show up in the promised finale to the Dresden Files another ten books down the line… It’s going to be an interesting day.

Fun quotes:

“We’re ostriches and the whole world is sand.”

“That’s the problem with you immortal types. You wouldn’t get a pop culture reference if it skittered up your neck and implanted an embryo down your esophagus.”