help - Dresden Files fans

[inulro]

Does it matter if you read the books in order?

I started with Proven Guilty, even though it's quite far into the series, because it was the only one available at a branch of the library I could get to. I just wanted to read one to see if I was interested in the series or not. I thought it stood on its own really well.

I've since read the first three and just bought Summer Knight yesterday. I have also ordered Side Jobs from Amazon and pre-ordered the new one from Waterstones, which is out on the 28th.

Should I sit on Side Jobs and the new one, or can I dive in right after I finish Summer Knight?

For reference, I'm generally not hung up on reading things in the right order. I've spent most of my life depending on libraries, and it's only with the advent of online ordering that reading series in the correct order has even been possible. Unless there's great huge relevant gaps of plot missing, I really don't care about the minor stuff like characters' ages etc.

While I'm at it, same question re: Lindsey Davis' Falco series - my library has a lot of the later ones, and it's easier to get those first and then start ordering the rest.

Comments

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Do NOT read the new one before the others. You can read the earlier ones out of sequence, but you're massively spoiling recent books for yourself if you read Changes or the brand new one first.

I haven't got round to getting Side Jobs yet, so I don't know if it would spoil the others or not.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Agree on leaving Changes for last - the series is seemingly going to take a major turn in the book coming out in a couple of weeks, and Changes ties up loose ends and sets up the change. There are enough continuity things in the series as a whole (relationships, characters and how much you know about them) that it would definitely be _preferable_ to read it in order, or at least in any earlier then later split, but probably not mandatory. Side Jobs is fairly standalone; there are several stories scattered throughout the chronology and none of them has crucial overarcing plot points.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

Side Jobs is short stories; you can probably get away with reading that at any time. I'd definitely read the others in sequence, though, or you'll get spoilers galore.

The Falco novels are fine read in any order, imo, apart from the latest one which really needs to be left to last - a couple of the later ones are a bit weak but the latest one is a blinder. They're about to start Shadows in Bronze in the 8 o'clock slot on 4Extra tonight if you like radio versions.