Another banger, a few hiccups, but still amazing!
5
By Eleazar Hernandez
By the ninth Dresden Files novel, Jim Butcher has moved past setting the table and is now feasting on the banquet he’s laid out. White Night is a continuity-heavy installment, the kind you can’t hand to a newcomer, but for readers who’ve stuck with Harry since Storm Front, this one delivers a rich, layered story with both action and payoff.
The hook is strong: minor practitioners across Chicago are being killed, their deaths staged as suicides. Murphy pulls Harry in off the books, and all signs point toward Thomas Raith, Harry’s half-brother and occasional partner in chaos. Of course, Harry doesn’t buy it, which drags him deep into the politics of the White Court, where Houses feed not just on lust, but also fear and despair. It’s a perfect backdrop for a story that mixes murder mystery, family loyalty, and supernatural intrigue.
The highlights are many. Ramirez continues to be one of the best supporting characters, snarky and clever, with a magical style that contrasts Harry’s brute force in all the right ways. Elaine’s return is handled well, Molly begins to emerge as more than a sulky apprentice, and Mouse shows he’s much more than “just the dog.” The duel sequence is a standout—creative, tense, and showing off the diversity of magical combat. And the Lashiel subplot, which has been simmering for several books, comes to a surprisingly emotional conclusion, even if quieter than expected.
But it’s not all sunshine and butterflies. The antagonists feel underdeveloped, especially compared to the vibrant supporting cast. The Lashiel resolution, while satisfying, lands with less impact than the long buildup deserved. Harry’s habit of describing women entirely in terms of his attraction to them (or his insistence that he’s not attracted) gets repetitive, and his maneuver with Lara to save the day veers into hyper-sexual even when the prose itself isn’t graphic. It’s not malicious, but after nine books it’s noticeable. And the ongoing Murphy/Harry tension is stretched further than it needs to be.
That said, White Night still delivers more highs than lows. It builds out the White Court mythology, gives space for beloved side characters to shine, and keeps the action exciting without feeling like a retread. For me, this one was impossible to put down, and even with its flaws, it’s one of the stronger installments in the middle stretch of the series.
Bottom line: White Night isn’t perfect, but that’s part of its charm. Like Harry himself, it’s messy, intense, a little frustrating at times, and completely addictive. Four and a half stars rounded up, because when this series hits its stride, it’s still some of the most entertaining urban fantasy out there.
