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I have read the 1st 7 books and this is one of my favorites. The ending could have been a little better but the rest of the book was outstanding. Jim Butcher builds the characters so well that you identify with them to the point where it extracts emotions while reading. Just a great book.
Dresden tackles necromancy in this one. I am, perhaps, unfairly expecting a winner every time. The bad guys are each worse and stronger than the last, and Dresden's attempts to come up with ways to defeat them grow tiresome, as do the last second outside interventions in hopeless situations.
There is a lot going on throughout this book, and the plot was perhaps a bit too busy to allow for much character emphasis. My two favorite entries in this series have both been followed by very average books, like this one. He is blackmailed by Mavra, and forced to accept her offer to locate an artifact valuable to the world of necromancers.
There's a lot of action, but it is pretty standard stuff, and not very memorable. An annoying mortician is introduced, and he is one dimensional throughout. Unfortunately, he is a central character to the story.
The book is not a waste of time, and it won't keep me from moving on the next one. That expectation is built upon the overall quality of this series.
that's right T-effin-Rex. Harry taking a more vested role in the council, coming to terms with the Wardens, HUGE.But what knocks this one out of the park.
I'll just say why I thought this book rocked.Harry as a character just gets better and better each time out. Ok, other reviewers have gone over the fine points of plot and whatnot in their review, I won't rehash.
Murphy wasn't in the book, but it didn't lack for that, because it seemed that through her absence, Harry figured some things out with regards to her. He's got a lot on his plate before the zombie apacolypse lands in his lap, but his character is solid.
Harry seems to feel more like Harry as the series goes on. T-Rex.
Read it.
Harry uncovers depths in himself that should worry any attentive reader, and which certainly discomfit himself.If I may intrude my own prejudices, the sexual tension with Murphy is not a thread that can be sustained forever. Jim Butcher continues the pulse-pounding thriller action and epic fantasy scope that have made this such a popular, readable series. Problem is, the wizard world has been decimated by the vampire war. He finds a willingness to disregard what he once thought holy, and an ability to make compromises that even he knows are bad ideas. He never takes the easy road, and he makes us want to follow along on his journey. And Harry has reason to believe he can't trust his own power anymore.In ways, this book points up how the series has shifted from investigation-oriented detective fiction to more action-driven muscle, in the Raymond Chandler style.
But that tension, like all such devices, can overwhelm readers until we burn out. Once again, all of earth is at stake and, for the once, Harry Dresden can't handle it without calling for help. Though I know that withholding what a character wants and deserves is a common narrative device, and serves many writers well. Blackmail, hidden secrets, sex, gunplay, and massive physical conflicts are the order of the day. But Butcher doesn't lose sight of the epic fantasy mix that has won the loyalty of readers far longer than most series survive these days.Once again, Harry discovers new and dreadful secrets. Lest he risk losing our loyalty, Harry needs to get off the stick, one way or another.Butcher's direct, powerful fantasy does not just continue unabated, but actually gets bigger and more muscular.
This goes beyond a worthy addition to the series; it's a gift and a treasure.
While the series is driven more by a blazing and far-sweeping plot than by characters, the characters, too, are multifaceted individuals (for the most part) who learn (or not) from real mistakes. Paced for thrills with no slow spots. His tongue-in-cheek neo-noir narration is just lots of fun to read. If you're new to the Dresden File series, Harry Dresden is the only wizard in the Chicago Yellow Pages, a supernatural gumshoe who lives in his rundown Chicago apartment. In this book some seriously powerful necromancers come to town seeking the Word of Kemmler. The series is best enjoyed by starting with the first novel, Storm Front. Outstanding writing. The list goes on.Great fun.
Magical, colorful characters. A sex-feeder who has sworn off sex. and Harry refuses to move out of their way and let them duke it out. Darkly urban, contemporary setting. And seriously, who doesn't love a polka-playing Medical Examiner. A fairy godmother who wants to turn you into a pet dog and love and take care of you forever. What's not to like. Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
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