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{{Short description|2007 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher}} |
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{{Infobox |
{{Infobox book |
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| name = White Night |
| name = White Night |
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| title_orig = |
| title_orig = |
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| translator = |
| translator = |
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| image = |
| image = White Night - Jim Butcher.jpg |
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| ⚫ | |||
| image_caption = White Night |
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| author = [[Jim Butcher]] |
| author = [[Jim Butcher]] |
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| illustrator = |
| illustrator = |
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| cover_artist = [[Christian McGrath]] |
| cover_artist = [[Christian McGrath]] |
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| country = |
| country = United States |
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| language = |
| language = English |
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| series = [[The Dresden Files]] |
| series = ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' |
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| subject = |
| subject = |
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| genre = [[ |
| genre = [[Detective fiction|Detective]], [[Contemporary fantasy]], [[Urban fantasy]] |
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| publisher = Roc Hardcover |
| publisher = [[Roc Books|Roc Hardcover]] |
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| pub_date = April 2007 |
| pub_date = April 3, 2007 |
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| media_type = Print (hardcover) |
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| english_pub_date = April 2007 |
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| pages = 416 |
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| isbn = 0-451-46155-X |
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| oclc = 176919800 |
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| isbn = 045146155X |
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| preceded_by = [[Proven Guilty]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
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| followed_by = [[Small Favor]] |
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| followed_by = [[Small Favor (novel)]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''White Night''''' is the 9th book in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', [[Jim Butcher]]'s continuing series about wizard detective [[Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden]]. |
'''''White Night''''' is the 9th book in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', [[Jim Butcher]]'s continuing series about wizard detective [[Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden]]. |
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The cover art by illustrator [[Christian McGrath]] depicts Harry walking down a snowy street with his glowing staff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1197597+1|access-date=2023-10-27|title=White Night}}</ref> |
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''Someone is targeting the city's magic practitioners, the members of the supernatural underclass who don't possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Many have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But the murderer has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes--a message for Harry Dresden, referencing the book of Exodus and the killing of witches.'' |
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==Plot summary== |
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''Harry sets out to find the killer before he can strike again, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half brother, Thomas. Determined to bring the real murderer to justice and clear his brother's name, Harry attracts the attention of the White Court of vampires, becoming embroiled in a power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation.'' |
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A year after the events in ''[[Proven Guilty (novel)|Proven Guilty]]'', Dresden is called by Murphy to the scene of an apparent suicide, and senses the victim is a magical practitioner. After investigating another victim, Dresden realizes a serial killer of magical practitioners is loose in Chicago. Investigating, he meets with a group of practitioners who've banded together and hired Elaine, Harry's former lover, for protection. He finds that his brother, Thomas, had apparently been following most of the women who've vanished, but also comes across another suspect, "Grey Cloak", whom he tracks to Undertown, a warren under Chicago, and spies on him meeting with Cowl, who didn't die during the Darkhallow (in ''[[Dead Beat (novel)|Dead Beat]]''), also learning that vampires of House Skavis—who feed on despair—are responsible for the suicides. Cowl detects Dresden and blasts his psychic thread. Dresden wakes up next to his melted model of Chicago, which absorbed most of the blast. |
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After incorrectly singling out a practitioner, Helen Beckitt, as an accomplice, Harry tracks Thomas to his boat, where they learn that Thomas has been smuggling magically talented women out of the city to protect them. Before Thomas can finish explaining, Madrigal Raith and his ghouls attack, and the group flees. Following more deaths and investigation, Harry figures out the Skavis is one of the women in time to save Elaine from its attack. Elaine is hospitalized, so Dresden calls Carlos Ramirez to help him fight Grey Cloak and Madrigal. |
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''Harry knows that if he screws this one up, a lot of people will die--and one of them will be his brother. '' |
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Dresden, Ramirez, Molly and Mouse head to the Raith estate for the White Court conclave. Lara Raith escorts Dresden and Ramirez into the Deeps, a cavern, where they wait until the right moment to challenge Vittorio "Grey Cloak" Malvora and Madrigal to combat for violation of the Unseelie Accords. Vittorio and Madrigal accept the duel to the death. They all fight with a combination of physical and magical weaponry and defenses. Dresden kills Madrigal. Vittorio calls Cowl, who opens a gate from Nevernever, ushering in an army of ghouls. While the ghouls rampage, Dresden opens another gate. Thomas, Murphy, Marcone, and his mercenaries arrive with automatic weapons and high explosives. They escort Lord Raith, Lara, and their entourage to Dresden's gate. Vittorio casts a spell that crushes Dresden, Lara, Thomas, and Marcone to the floor. Inside a time warp bubble, Dresden and Lash, the demonic shadow possessing Dresden, discuss free will and Lasciel's coin. Dresden refuses to accept the coin to defeat the vampires. Tortured by self-awareness, Lash sacrifices herself to protect Dresden's mind from Vittorio's spell. Suddenly free, Dresden blasts Vittorio with Marcone's shotgun, breaking the spell on the others. As Thomas hauls Marcone through the gate, Cowl closes it, stranding Lara and Dresden. Marcone's explosives go off and the cavern collapses. Dresden folds his shield into a bubble around Lara and himself. They ride the explosion of fire out of the tunnel to safety. |
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The [http://www.christianmcgrath.com/mainpages/proven-guilty.html cover art] by illustrator [[Christian McGrath]] depicts Harry on a street corner with his glowing staff. On Butcher's website, the first 3 chapters may be previewed. |
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Dresden finds out Lara was behind the plot to kill the female practitioners, and extracts a restitution and bond against future killings. Discussing the future with Elaine, he encourages her plan to develop and spread a safety net for practitioners. In exchange for his help, Marcone becomes a freeholding baron under the Unseelie Accords. Discovering that the scar of Lasciel's sigil has faded from his palm, Dresden digs up her coin and turns it over to Father Forthill. He learns that Thomas is now working as a hairstylist and safely feeding on the emotions of his female customers, and that Justine is secretly passing him information about the war from within House Raith. |
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==Other Information== |
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The first three chapters of the book may be found on the [http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/10/fullpreview.php author's official site]. |
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==Introduced characters== |
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{{Dresden Files}} |
{{main|The Dresden Files characters}} |
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* '''Anna Ash''': head of the Ordo Lebes, an organization of minor female practitioners. |
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* '''Priscilla''': member of the Ordo Lebes and a disguised Skavis (White Court vampire who feeds on despair). |
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* '''Vittorio Malvora''': White Court vampire working with Madrigal Raith. |
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== References == |
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<references /> |
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==External links== |
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{{fantasy-novel-stub}} |
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{{Wikiquote}} |
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* {{ISFDB title}} |
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* [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/298910/white-night-by-jim-butcher/audio/ Link to Audiobook] |
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{{Jim Butcher}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:American fantasy novels]] |
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[[Category:Low fantasy novels]] |
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[[Category:Novels by Jim Butcher]] |
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[[Category:Speculative crime and thriller fiction]] |
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[[Category:Roc Books books]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Urban fantasy novels]] |
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Latest revision as of 11:58, 17 December 2024
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| Author | Jim Butcher |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Christian McGrath |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Dresden Files |
| Genre | Detective, Contemporary fantasy, Urban fantasy |
| Publisher | Roc Hardcover |
Publication date | April 3, 2007 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | 0-451-46155-X |
| OCLC | 176919800 |
| Preceded by | Proven Guilty |
| Followed by | Small Favor |
White Night is the 9th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.
The cover art by illustrator Christian McGrath depicts Harry walking down a snowy street with his glowing staff.[1]
Plot summary
[edit]A year after the events in Proven Guilty, Dresden is called by Murphy to the scene of an apparent suicide, and senses the victim is a magical practitioner. After investigating another victim, Dresden realizes a serial killer of magical practitioners is loose in Chicago. Investigating, he meets with a group of practitioners who've banded together and hired Elaine, Harry's former lover, for protection. He finds that his brother, Thomas, had apparently been following most of the women who've vanished, but also comes across another suspect, "Grey Cloak", whom he tracks to Undertown, a warren under Chicago, and spies on him meeting with Cowl, who didn't die during the Darkhallow (in Dead Beat), also learning that vampires of House Skavis—who feed on despair—are responsible for the suicides. Cowl detects Dresden and blasts his psychic thread. Dresden wakes up next to his melted model of Chicago, which absorbed most of the blast.
After incorrectly singling out a practitioner, Helen Beckitt, as an accomplice, Harry tracks Thomas to his boat, where they learn that Thomas has been smuggling magically talented women out of the city to protect them. Before Thomas can finish explaining, Madrigal Raith and his ghouls attack, and the group flees. Following more deaths and investigation, Harry figures out the Skavis is one of the women in time to save Elaine from its attack. Elaine is hospitalized, so Dresden calls Carlos Ramirez to help him fight Grey Cloak and Madrigal.
Dresden, Ramirez, Molly and Mouse head to the Raith estate for the White Court conclave. Lara Raith escorts Dresden and Ramirez into the Deeps, a cavern, where they wait until the right moment to challenge Vittorio "Grey Cloak" Malvora and Madrigal to combat for violation of the Unseelie Accords. Vittorio and Madrigal accept the duel to the death. They all fight with a combination of physical and magical weaponry and defenses. Dresden kills Madrigal. Vittorio calls Cowl, who opens a gate from Nevernever, ushering in an army of ghouls. While the ghouls rampage, Dresden opens another gate. Thomas, Murphy, Marcone, and his mercenaries arrive with automatic weapons and high explosives. They escort Lord Raith, Lara, and their entourage to Dresden's gate. Vittorio casts a spell that crushes Dresden, Lara, Thomas, and Marcone to the floor. Inside a time warp bubble, Dresden and Lash, the demonic shadow possessing Dresden, discuss free will and Lasciel's coin. Dresden refuses to accept the coin to defeat the vampires. Tortured by self-awareness, Lash sacrifices herself to protect Dresden's mind from Vittorio's spell. Suddenly free, Dresden blasts Vittorio with Marcone's shotgun, breaking the spell on the others. As Thomas hauls Marcone through the gate, Cowl closes it, stranding Lara and Dresden. Marcone's explosives go off and the cavern collapses. Dresden folds his shield into a bubble around Lara and himself. They ride the explosion of fire out of the tunnel to safety.
Dresden finds out Lara was behind the plot to kill the female practitioners, and extracts a restitution and bond against future killings. Discussing the future with Elaine, he encourages her plan to develop and spread a safety net for practitioners. In exchange for his help, Marcone becomes a freeholding baron under the Unseelie Accords. Discovering that the scar of Lasciel's sigil has faded from his palm, Dresden digs up her coin and turns it over to Father Forthill. He learns that Thomas is now working as a hairstylist and safely feeding on the emotions of his female customers, and that Justine is secretly passing him information about the war from within House Raith.
Introduced characters
[edit]- Anna Ash: head of the Ordo Lebes, an organization of minor female practitioners.
- Priscilla: member of the Ordo Lebes and a disguised Skavis (White Court vampire who feeds on despair).
- Vittorio Malvora: White Court vampire working with Madrigal Raith.
References
[edit]- ^ "White Night". Retrieved 2023-10-27.
External links
[edit]
- White Night title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Link to Audiobook
