That's right - Jim Butcher. He's been integral to my enjoyment of paranormal romance/urban fantasy/fantasy-science-fiction/whatever. I don't care what you call it, without his books the genre would not be the same. Harry Dresden, to me, stands alone as a great character who is the heart of a great series.
Things are not easy for Dresden; being the first and pretty much only paranormal detective listed in the phone books can do that. Butcher has created an incredibly deep and real world in which Dresden operates. The laws of magic and science co-exist and bounce off each other. Happily Ever Afters have to be looked at with side glances and suspicion, because almost no one is exactly what they seem.
With the latest book in the series, Changes, Butcher knocked me off my feet. Terribly bad and terribly good things happen and the cliffhanger ending made me want to throw my book at the wall.
Which if you know me, you know this doesn't happen often.
I think it can be hard for an author to take a series to a dark place. It can alienate and frighten readers, make them worried about the livelihood of the men and women they consider integral to the work, but Butcher does it like a pro. I've never regretted starting this series and even when I want to cry I HAVE to know what's going to happen next. To get the chance to see him in person, to listen to him speak about this series I love, is going to be unforgettable.
