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Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But he also knows that whenever things are going good, the only way left for them to go is bad. Way bad. Recent examples: A duel with the lethal champion of the Red Court, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...Hit men using Harry for target practice...The missing Shroud of Turin�??and the possible involvement of Chicago's most feared mob boss...A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semi-vampiric nature�??and who seems to have a new man in her life. Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging… (more)
User reviews
It has been quite a while since I read my last Dresden story so some of the details are a little hazy. Luckily this book does a good job of re-capping without seeming too redundant all the while moving forward with the well paced plot. There were a few different things going on in the book and I have to say I completely forgot about one plot thread (the duel) in the midst of the other so, I was surprised when it came up again in the middle of everything. It was nice to have the unexpected twists and turns. I was also happy with the appearance of White Court vampire, Thomas Raith, who I have a particular interest in after reading (completely out of order) the novelette, Backup, in which Thomas featured.
I really do enjoy this urban fantasy series. It is a lot of fun, very exciting and Harry is a very catchy character with his mixture of humility, confidence, bad jokes and kick-butt supernatural powers. A very highly recommended set of books thus far.
Extended review:
I went straight from the preceding book of the Dresden Files series to this one with nary a pause for breath.
Death Masks launches Harry Dresden on yet another dependably fast-moving, action-packed investigative
Evil forces notwithstanding, this Dresden yarn is not quite on the epic scale of Summer Knight. Still, the plot is layered deep in the fallout from that conflict while introducing new villains and enlarging the dimensions of Harry's life. Harry remains likeable in a naughty-boy-but-charming sort of way, making us shake our heads even as we consistently root for him. He's not so different from us, especially on our off days: He wears old clothes. He skips showers. He eats junk food. Another character, an ambiguously bad guy fighting by his side, suggests that they disregard knightly standards of combat and shoot a really, really bad guy in the back, and he says, "Okay" (page 321).
So might we, right? We can identify.
And that's part of what makes Butcher's handling of his material so appealing.
The same character who wants to shoot true villains in the back also says this of our hero: "Mister Dresden is a diplomatically challenged individual. He should be in a shelter for the tactless" (page 309). Just because there are times when we don't feel like upholding the standards of Miss Manners, never mind turning the other cheek, we cheer silently for Harry when he tells it like it is.
Invited to imagine that we might speak and behave (or want to speak and behave) in Harry's characteristic down-to-earth, take-no-shit fashion, we find it easy to forget that he is a formidable foe even to powerful supernatural beings. He has a strong code of honor, short on tact though it may be: he lays his life on the line almost routinely and offhandedly, both to defend a principle and to protect someone he cares about--or even just someone he's sworn to protect, whether he likes her or not. And when he goes all out--well, we know he's going to make it through at least fifteen books.
So there's a nice thrill of vicarious power in relating to Harry, letting the surge of magic that courses through him roar through us as well, delivering well-deserved thrashings right where they're needed most.
Good job, Jim Butcher.
One of the things I liked most about this novel was seeing Gentleman Johnny Marcone--a rather interesting foil for Dresden--move into a moral gray area. The shift might have been a little heavy on the sentimental side, but it does set us up for some potential dramatic conflicts as the series progresses.
I noted some of the usual defects, such as word repetition and little failures of fact checking (it's Joseph of Arimathea, not Aramathea), alongside choice bits such as the Wagner allusion and various inventive explanations of how magic works. I think they pretty much balance out, so I won't enumerate instances. When it comes to entertainment that doesn't insult our intelligence, the score is still well up on the plus side.
That's five. Time for a breather. But I will be back for more.
All the while Harry has to deal with the Duel from Duke Palo Ortega of the Red Court. And deal with some fallen demons called the Order of the Blackened Denarius. There are 30 of them to co-inside with 30 pieces of silver Judas was paid. Their goal is to bring about destruction by tempting human's to join them. Nicodemus is the leader of this plot to use a spell that brings about every disease. He needs the Shroud to do it. Also John Marcone wants the Shroud of Turin and no one knows why!
This is a more straight forward plot. There are a few twists and turns but not as many as Fool Moon or Summer Knight. Harry is really starting to work better as a team and rely on other people aside from himself. Butcher also really turns up the humor on this one. Even in the most serious battles Harry and company are making jokes. Marcone even has one or two 1-liners.
By now the series is really starting to come together. Though the reader and Harry still don't see the over reaching arch yet. Soon though! Keep reading and enjoy this. Nicodemus is probably one of the best villains in the series. And he will be back.
The Dresden Files are a fine example of a series which manages to include both absolute good and evil and a realistic amount of moral ambiguity in between them.
We meet Butters for the first time, but little of Murphy this time.
The story is strong, and mixes some detective work with the supernatural goings-on in a stronger way than some of the recent ones as Harry tries to find the Turin Shroud.
Harry works much better with a girlfriend it turns out - even at times when it's being pointed out just how inhuman he might be, that touch of the feminine and the relationship serves to make him much more three dimensional.
Harry must fight a duel with a vampire, find the Shroud of Turin, break a spell causing people to catch the Black Death, and face a possible new boyfriend of Susan's.
Entertaining and a fast-read.
Recommended!
With the arrival of his ex girlfriend Susan, Harry is torn in even more directions than usual. He gets help from Michael and some new Knights of the Cross as they encounter some of the Fallen. These are fallen angels who are working in tandem with humans that have been tempted by the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for betraying Christ. There is a lot of Christian symbolism, but Butcher still maintains that faith is the way rather than following a strict religion. Plus Detective Murphy is still on the scene, although in a diminished capacity in this book.
Fast-paced and witty as always, this is a great addition to the series. I really enjoyed the story and meeting some new characters. The ending was particualrly interesting and I am looking forward to see where the series goes next.
One of my all time favorite series.
I can't believe he makes it past the dreaded 3rd book syndrome where most series dies off, and his are just as strong, and you wonder why he isn't in a wheel chair yet? This book explains!