#jimbutcher — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #jimbutcher, aggregated by home.social.
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Season 2 (part 1): #katherineaddison #kellysuedeconnick #sachakraborty #jimbutcher #davestevens #jimbernheimer #sterlinglainer #genevievecogman #robertjacksonbennet #marjorielui #scottlynch #elizabethbear #monoquillblackgoose #trishawooldridge #romiescott #levgrossman #gailcarriger https://www.k-squareproductions.com/gmbc
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Hoedspruit predators and pretties
In this post: Of friend and foe in Hoedspruit, South Africa. Be aware: they’re not what you might think. Unless you’re a worm like yours truly.
This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).
Today’s travel notes
Me and the TC (bless her fearless heart) have just spent a few days in Hoedspruit, South Africa. A land where the wild things roam outside your door. Where sleep comes only to those who love wildlife. Where beauty is all round, and so is the bare, sometimes ugly, necessity of nature.
The book I’m in
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. A funny, heart warming, creepy tale of a lone urban wizard pitted against a bewildering variety of werewolves, hexenwolves, lycanthropes, and loups garous. This book is the second in the series dubbed the Dresden files. Well worth a read.
Travel tips
Don’t go out at night. Predators roam the streets. Yes, really. Expect a leopard. Watch for wild dogs. No werewolves, but Ooo those owls!
The photos
Me taking a walk on the wild side:
Our accommodation lay in the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate, where human abodes nestle among the thorn trees and wild flowers. At dusk, doors close firmly, children and dogs are hurried inside, and the wild creatures own the turf.
Who’s the friend, who the foe?
Your experience may differ! Here follows a worm’s eye view of friend and foe.
First the foe. Birds are not my favourite things. Too much beak and claw, not good for soft small bodies like yours truly’s. Take for example this creature, fierce of eye, sharp of beak and claw:
It’s called a Grey Go-away-bird, because of the noise it makes. The name applies equally to my sentiment when I saw this specimen. Go away, bird!
It’s clear that the designers of the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate share my wariness. (Birds of a feather, them and me, you might say? Rather not, thank you kindly!) The estate provides a neat little hut where you can hide from the birds. This is the serene scene from one of the windows in the bird hide:
If you’re like the TC and fancy the odd bird or two, take a look at her blog post: Birds in Hoedspruit, South Africa.
Still on the theme of foes, this large gecko might give me a run for my money:
Moving on from the foe, what about the friend? I spotted two of my kith and kin. Both have adopted a more elaborate approach to wardrobe than yours truly. Self adornment as a defence mechanism.
First, a Lappet moth caterpillar. This little dude will shoot its hairs at anything that touches it. I’m now looking into acquiring a face shield such as this:
My next little buddy goes to wardrobe extremes. A good defence, no doubt, against the neighbourhood pterodactyls. Meet the Inquisitive Monkey caterpillar:
Birds aside, are there other animals around?
The other inhabitants of the area are mostly friendly. Take Warty the Warthog for instance, who greeted us kindly when we arrived:
One of Warty’s brood decided to prove a road sign correct. Useful, in the time of misinformation that we all endure:
Later, Warty brought his family round to visit. They found our company so agreeable that they decided to spend the night under the household car. This video shows the fond farewell that the TC’s brother gave the warthog family the next morning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMbp5st6jww
Several types of buck peer out from among the thorns. This one is surely one of the prettiest — a spiral-horned antelope called a Nyala:
A zebra, a symphony of stripes:
Game drive at Khaya Ndlovu
The TC, bless her sturdy boots, decided to take us all on a game drive. We set out for to Khaya Ndlovu on the Rietspruit Big 5 Game Reserve, a private reserve close to the Kruger National Park. The name “Khaya Ndlovu” means “home of the elephants”.
Predictably perhaps, we took a wrong turn and ended up on a dirt road running alongside the outside fence of the reserve. It was early in the morning, because evidently the early worm catches the game.
Trouble is, it’s unwise to get out of the vehicle in the dark, because, remember, predators are about! We couldn’t turn around without having someone outside to guide the driver. Instead, we bashed on.
After a hoary few minutes, we arrived at the Khaya Ndlovu guest lodge. Hot coffee was on offer to fortify the nerves, then we set out in an open game vehicle just as dawn was breaking:
The drive was an experience to remember. The TC was in her element, jolting along dirt roads, some of them with nicely (her word, not mine) washed out ruts, and a few river crossings for good measure.
Rhinos nestled up to the vehicle, unaware that we were there until they bumped their noses on the truck:
Giraffes loomed with wary disdain:
We stopped for a break at a waterhole. The person in the distance is wearing a warm jacket provided by the game drive hosts:
Vervet monkeys looked on:
The last word is from a bird
“Really? You need a photo at this time of day? Just go away, do!”
That’s all for today, folks.
#bookmark #bookworm #gameDrive #Hoedspruit #JimButcher #KhayaNdlovu #SouthAfrica #travel #travellingWorm #travelog #travelogue #werewolves #wildlife -
Harry Dresden is back, and wiser than ever. Outlaw by Jim Butcher delivers heart, humor, and chaos in equal measure. Fans of urban fantasy, #TheDresdenFiles #UrbanFantasy #BookReview #JimButcher #ViewsSheWrites
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Harry Dresden fans understand this truth.
#JimButcher
#BookReference -
Jim Butcher – THE DRESDEN FILES: TWELVE MONTHS
Der letzte Harry Dresden-Roman BATTLE GROUND war dann doch schon länger her, als ich gedacht hätte, der erschien bereits 2021.
https://phantanews.de/wp/aartikel/jim-butcher-the-dresden-files-twelve-months/
#DresdenFiles #HarryDesden #JimButcher #TwelveMonths #UrbanFantasy
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@bookstodon
#BooksIn2026 #Bookstodon7. Grave Peril (the Dresden Files, book 3) - Jim Butcher
🔗 to the Fandom wiki page: https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Grave_Peril
The third book in the Dresed Files series, which has just seen the release of book 18 on January 20 2026. I've never read them all... I have several in paperback versions, and I think I have read the first 5... 🤔 But due to brain fogs, I can't really recall... 😔 So, after I chatted with a sweet friend about the series, I converted my old epubs to kepubs, for better support, and I started reading the series again, from the start.
Most reviews I have seen in this series say that, after book 3, things changed a bit in the way the stories were being told... So, I guess I'll find out, as I start book 4, Summer Knight. :blobcatbook:
Some info found online:
The Story: "Grave Peril"
In this third installment, the world of Harry Dresden expands from urban detective work into high-stakes supernatural politics.The Hook: The spirit world in Chicago has "gone postal". Ghosts are appearing with much more regularity than they should and are becoming increasingly violent and deadly.
The Stakes: Harry teams up with Michael Carpenter, a Knight of the Cross, to investigate a ghost haunting newborns at a hospital. Soon, Harry finds himself invited to a reception hosted by Bianca, a powerful Red Court vampire, where a simple invitation turns out to be a deadly trap.
The Vibe: This book leans more heavily into horror and high fantasy. It moves away from pure crime investigation as Harry deals with vengeful spirits and ancient vampire courts.
The Series: The Great Turning Point
Most fans and critics consider "Grave Peril" the point where the series truly begins its "epic" arc.World Building: The story explores the "Nevernever" (the spirit world) more deeply and introduces the complex politics of different vampire courts.
Lasting Consequences: Unlike the first two books, which were largely self-contained, the events of this novel set off a massive global conflict that ripples through the rest of the 17-book series.
Expanding Cast: This book introduces Michael Carpenter, a fan-favorite character who wields a magical blade and serves as a moral anchor for Harry.
Fun Fact: This is the first cover where the "Harry’s hat" trend became a permanent fixture of the series' branding, despite Harry famously hating hats in the actual text.
Onwards with Summer Knight!
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@bookstodon
#BooksIn2026 #Bookstodon6. Fool Moon (the Dresden Files, book 2) - Jim Butcher
Link 🔗 to the Fandom wiki page: https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Fool_Moon
The second book is all about werewolves, all sorts, shapes and sizes... It was a good read, although it took me a little longer due to having less time to read, unfortunately. But, it was a good read, even though I've read it before (albeit a long time ago!).
Some info found online:
After the introduction to the world of Harry Dresden in "Storm Front", , "Fool Moon" is where things start to get a lot hairier—literally. This second installment dives deeper into the supernatural underbelly of Chicago.
The Story: "Fool Moon"
While the first book dealt with a rogue sorcerer, this novel pivots into the world of lycanthropy.The Hook: A series of exceptionally brutal murders occurs during the full moon. The bodies are so badly mangled that the police initially suspect escaped zoo animals, but the nature of the wounds points to something much more ancient and hungry.
The Stakes: Harry is once again caught between a rock and a hard place. The police are under pressure to solve the case, a group of "Wolf-Slayers" has arrived in town looking for trouble, and Harry discovers that there isn't just one type of werewolf—there are several, and some are much harder to kill than others.
The Vibe: This book leans more into the "horror" side of urban fantasy. It’s faster-paced than the first, with a heavy emphasis on the physical danger Harry faces when his magic isn't enough to stop a 400-pound predator.
The Series: Expanding the World
Jim Butcher uses this book to show that the supernatural world is far more complex than just "wizards and monsters."The Lore: You learn that the "Nevernever" (the spirit world) is connected to our reality and that various supernatural entities have their own laws and territories within Chicago.
Character Growth: This is where we see Harry’s relationship with the police department, specifically Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, start to experience real friction. As the "weird" cases pile up, the secrecy of the magical world becomes harder for Harry to maintain without losing the trust of his friends.
Escalation: If Storm Front proved Harry could survive a magical duel, Fool Moon proves he can survive a war. It sets the stage for the massive power shifts that define the later books in the series.
The "Hat" Update: Just like the first cover, Harry is wearing a hat here. In the text of this book, he actually spends a fair amount of time complaining about how much he dislikes wearing headwear!
Next up on the Dresden Files: Grave Peril!
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Nearly 𝟯𝟱𝟬 new book releases are hitting the shelves January 19th - 25th
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 :
🔗 https://www.booknotification.com/news/new-book-releases-january-19th-to-january-25th-2026/#newbooks #bookreleases #bookstodon
Here are our featured five:
🔖 Accidentally Yours by #ChristinaLauren
🔖 The Case of the Guilded Alchemist by #DaisyLandish
🔖 The Friend of the Family by #DeanKoontz
🔖 Twelve Months by #JimButcher
🔖 How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by
#NinaMcConigley -
@bookstodon
#BooksIn2026 #Bookstodon5. Storm Front (The Dresden Files 1) - Jim Butcher
Link 🔗 to the Fandom wiki page:
https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Storm_FrontLink 🔗 to the original author site:
https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresdenMany years ago, when bookstores were still a "thing", I always browsed the English books section. At some point, I stumbled on this book. It sounded interesting, so I bought it. And since then, I've collected a few of the books. 😊 I lent the first one to a "friend", but they ditched me, and never bothered to return my book. Anyway... Yay for ebooks. I started to re-read the Dresden Files, and in a few days, the 18th book in the series is being released: Twelve Months (Jan 20 2026).
Some info found online:
Storm Front, the book that kicked off one of the most popular urban fantasy series of the last few decades.If you’re thinking about diving in, here is a breakdown of what to expect from the book and the world it builds.
The Story: "Storm Front"
In this first novel, we meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only "wizard-for-hire." Harry isn't hiding in a castle; he’s in the Yellow Pages under "Wizards," right between Window Cleaners and Women’s Apparel.The Hook: Harry is struggling to pay his rent when the Chicago P.D. calls him in to consult on a gruesome double murder. The victims were killed using powerful black magic—their hearts literally exploded.
The Stakes: Because Harry is a wizard, he’s already under the watchful (and suspicious) eye of the "White Council," the ruling body of magic. If he can’t find the real killer, the Council might decide he’s the one responsible and execute him.
The Vibe: It feels like a classic 1940s noir detective story but set in modern-day Chicago with vampires, gangsters, and lightning bolts.
The Series: "The Dresden Files"
Jim Butcher has written 17 novels (and counting) in this series, plus several short story collections.
While it starts as a "monster-of-the-week" detective series, it eventually evolves into an epic, high-stakes saga.The World: Magic is real, but the "normal" world chooses not to see it. Harry lives in a basement apartment, drives a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle (the "Blue Beetle"), and can’t use modern technology because his magical aura causes electronics to short-circuit.
The Supporting Cast: You’ll meet a cast of recurring characters, including Karrin Murphy (the tough-as-nails police lieutenant), Bob (a spirit of intellect who lives in a skull), and various factions of vampires and faeries.
Progression: Many fans agree that while the first two books are fun, the series truly "levels up" starting with book 3 (Grave Peril), where the world-building expands significantly and the consequences of Harry’s actions start to ripple across the entire globe.
Fun Fact: If you notice the hat on the cover, it’s a long-running joke among fans. Harry almost never wears a hat in the actual books, but the cover artists keep giving him one!
Next book in the series is: Fool Moon.
