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    Death Masks
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    Death Masks
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    Death Masks
    Audiobook11 hours

    Death Masks

    Written by Jim Butcher

    Narrated by James Marsters

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The Dresden Files have taken the genre of paranormal mystery to a new level of action, excitement, and hard-hitting magical muscle. Now, in Death Masks, Jim Butcher's smart-guy private eye may have taken on more than he ever wanted to handle.
     
    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. Such as:
     
    A duel with the lethal champion of the Red Court, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards.
     
    Professional 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 29, 2009
    ISBN9781101145814
    Unavailable
    Death Masks
    Author

    Jim Butcher

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives mostly inside his own head so that he can write down the conversation of his imaginary friends, but his head can generally be found in Independence, Missouri. 

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    Reviews for Death Masks

    4/5

    2,353 ratings97 reviews

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    • 4/5
      [Cross-posted to Knite Writes]I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Butcher has been using the last few books to build a world where multi-mythos entities are destined to collide in an epic battle for the fate of the world. First, we got vampires. Then faeries. Now fallen angels. And not for one second does Butcher let you believe a single one of them won’t be showing up again in the future. As with Summer Knight, Butcher allows the events of the previous books to continue interfering with Harry’s life even though the current installment’s focus is an entirely different subject. Harry now has enemies coming from several directions, all of whom have different motivations, goals, and tactics. Harry has to split his attention, his time, and his energy to fight multiple enemies at once — most of whom aren’t even remotely related to each other.And that’s what making each subsequent installment so much more exciting. In Storm Front and Fool Moon, Harry only really had to worry about one major force at work. Those simple days are long gone. Butcher has added numerous dimensions to his world and consistently tied them together via his protagonist, and at this point, the potential for any number of great overarching plot lines has grown exponentially. You cannot entirely predict what will happen in any single future book or overall in the series, even if you catch the foreshadowing here and there. There is simply too much to decode, too much to predict. And really, that’s what making me like this series more and more as time goes on.I’ve spent several years bemoaning the fact that a lot of books I’ve been reading are unacceptably predictable. The Dresden Files is not. Butcher has created a world that he can pull so many different ideas from that it is quite frankly impossible to entirely predict anything that will happen in the series. It’s always, to several degrees, a mystery.Throw in his excellent characterization skills — his villains are particularly well done in this book — and omnipresent drama-balancing humor, and you’ve got a great series that gets stronger as time goes on. Which is a high step above many series, where the sequels fall flat and fizzle out.Anyway, Death Masks was great. That is all.
    • 5/5
      Another brilliant read from Jim Butcher. Although you know that Harry will survive everybody else is fair game and I spend the whole book thinking no you can't kill him or her either.
    • 4/5
      The Shroud of Turin is missing and Harry must recover it before a group of fallen angels, called Denarians, find it. He is aided by the Knights of the Cross, led by his close friend Michael. Not only that, but Harry is challenged by a high ranking Red Court vampire to a duel. Susan temporarily returns to Dresden's life, and we get to see a small glimpse of Marcone's deepy buried past. A solid book from start to finish.
    • 3/5
      I think at this point I've met the major groups for the rest of the DF if I read a forum post correctly (White Council, vamps, faerie, and now Denarians...) This one was okay- interesting, but for whatever reason didn't grab me as much as Summer Knight. Looking at the other reviews, seems I'm in the minority (maybe if I listened to the audio book instead?). Still a decent story though, and one that kept me up late finishing it.
    • 4/5
      Am I the only one who wishes Dresden would realize how awesome he is and people around him would stop keeping him in the dark and keeping him down. I'm looking at you white council. Oh Susan you're breaking my heart!
      Also boo about the coin
    • 4/5
      I can’t rememeber how I stumbled upon this series of books, but I’ve been listening to them on audio throughout the last year and have been enjoying them. They remind me of Buffy the Vanpire Slayer (read: 90s tv) but with a wizard fighting off bad guys and bad magic instead of a girl fighting off vampires. The books are read by James Marsters and that alone makes it worth the listen (and maybe explains the Buffy vibes).
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book! This was a re-read for me and I liked it just as much the second time around. I did remember some parts of the book from the first time I read the story but I had forgotten most of the details. It has been about a year and half since I listened to the last book in this series and I really enjoyed spending a little bit of time with Harry Dresden once again. This is the fifth book in the series and I do recommend that this series be read in order. This was a book that entertained me from beginning to end.Harry has a lot going on in this book. I don't even know how he is able to keep everything straight. He has a vampire from the Red Court that wants to duel him. A priest wants his help in finding the Shroud and a few other people would like to get their hands on it as well. An old girlfriend is in town to keep things interesting. Plus there are all the other situations that Harry seems to regularly find himself in. If you are looking for a book with a lot of action, look no further because this book really never slows down.The characters in this book almost feel real to me. One thing that I love about reading a series like this is how well you get to know each of the characters. It is almost like they are old friends and you can somewhat anticipate how they might react in certain situations. I do think it is also a lot of fun to re-read a longer series like this because the groundwork for future events is being laid. Having already read the later books, I know that some scenes will become more important later on. There are a lot of characters featured in this story that have been very important to the series. I liked seeing Michael and his family as well as the other Knights of the Cross. Thomas, John Marconi, Susan, and Karin also play important roles.James Marsters takes this book to a whole new level. I originally read this book on my kindle but if I had known how good the audiobook was, I might have went that route the first time around. I think he does a fantastic job in bringing Harry to life. I know what Harry is feeling at times because I can hear it in his voice. I think that he does a great job with all of the characters and the dialogue in the story flows very nicely. He has a very pleasant voice that was easy to listen to for hours at a time.I do recommend this series to others. I like that it is a fairly complex story with some humor worked in at just the right moments. Harry is a character that is easy to cheer for because in the end he really is a good guy. I am looking forward to continuing with my re-read of the series very soon.
    • 5/5
      I love Harry's friends! Seriously shit goes down here and they are handling it. Another one I couldn't put down. AND OMG MARCONE JUST APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE WTF?
    • 4/5
      I don't know what it is about the Dresden files books but I really enjoy them despite not really liking the main character and some real clangers in Butcher's writing.
    • 3/5
      Harry Dresden is having one hell of a day. A high ranking member of the Red Court of Vampires has challenged Harry to a duel to the death. Several of Marcone's thugs are gunning for him. A horribly mutilated corpse has turned up that the Chicago PD need assistance identifying. The Shroud of Turn has been stolen. Plus Susan is back in town and slowly losing control over her new vampiric nature. Never has there been a better recipe for disaster.Death Masks is the fifth in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. Harry is back and he has a lot on his plate. Too much I'd say. There were so many plot lines that none of them were given the time they deserved. The two main plots could have easily filled out its own book and still been great. I almost forgot about the vampire duel I was so caught up with the Denarians and the Shroud. I will say that Butcher really knows his myths and legends, giving us a nice taste of the Fallen. Can't wait to see what theses guys have in store for Harry in the future.This was another action filled entry to the series. And Butcher really knows how to write action! I'm glad to see Harry placing his trust in Murphy and the two of them working more as a team. Just wish she'd been in the story more.Unfortunately I'm not jiving with Harry's sense of humor. It was more eye roll than funny for me this time around. It almost makes me root for the bad guys. Almost.The ending is both wrapped up and open ended, a tough trick to pull. Harry has his work cut out for him in the books to come.
    • 4/5
      This series continues to be one that I turn to when I need to be distracted or need a little uplift in life. Nothing better to turn my mood around then Harry Dresden battling all the demons of Hell. If you haven't experienced this series in audio, give it a shot.
    • 4/5
      There is a point in this novel when Harry is asked why he does what he does ... it's a good question for the character and a good one for the series. Why does Harry get involved in life or death situations with no apparent reward? This, more than the action, makes the series compelling for me.
    • 3/5
      While I enjoyed the thrill ride this book offered, it suffered from the sequel-itis found in many superhero movie sequels--too many villains.

      Honestly, you could get a novel out of Harry fighting a duel with a 600-year-old vampire lord. Likewise, Harry finding and keeping thieves from selling the Shroud of Turin would also be a great novel.

      Slamming them both together, while making a very wild book, didn't fully do justice to either plotline (or the subplots, which were also thick in there).

      Thus, a 4-star got downgraded to a 3-star simply because the signal to noise ratio of action and plot was reduced.
    • 4/5
      Death Masks
      4 Stars

      One of the more entertaining installments in the series so far.

      The plot is comprised of two separate threads. The first focuses on Harry being challenged to a duel in order to end the ongoing war between the Red Court of vampires and the wizard's White Council. The second involves the theft of the Shroud of Turin and the various factions interested in acquiring it. While both storylines have potential, Butcher never quite manages to merge them together cohesively and it is only the second that is truly engrossing.

      The Red Court/White Council plot develops slowly in between episodes involving the shroud and the climax and resolution feel more like an afterthought than a crucial element in the novel. In contrast, the mythology surrounding the fallen angels and the Shroud of Turin is original and the development of this storyline is action packed and engrossing.

      Harry is in over his head once again but as usual manages to pull it all off with the help of his friends and allies. There are also some compelling hints regarding Harry's family history and it will be interesting to see where this goes in future books.

      In terms of the secondary characters, we are treated once again to Michael Carpenter and his vicious wife, Charity, but this time we also have their cute family (Harry's conversation with Molly Carpenter in the treehouse is THE highlight of the book), and a couple of other Knights with intriguing philosophies on life. Some of my favorite characters also make an appearance - Justin, Murphy and Marcone, all contribute to the drama that is Harry's life and we even learn something interesting about the latter. The villains are your typical baddies with megalomaniac tendencies and it is difficult to get worked up about their machinations. Finally, Harry gets some closure regarding his relationship with Susan for which I am personally grateful as she has never been a favorite of mine.

      In sum, an enjoyable story and Harry is growing on me like a fungus. He's such a dweeb, you can't help but love him.
    • 5/5
      Challenged to a duel to the death by a vampire of the Red Court, Harry is also trying to deal with some of the most dangerous opponents of his career and trying to save the world (again) while facing the impossibility of his love for Susan Rodriguez.
    • 5/5
      What a ride! This series just keeps getting better. This book starts with a bang and keeps on building the mystery and the action. Some characters from earlier books return and have vital (and surprising) roles. Add in the Shroud of Turin and this book has another layer of mysticism. This one was a page turner; I look forward to reading the next book.
    • 3/5
      Six-word review: Magical monster chase featuring religious McGuffin.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 adventure in the realm of magical and mythical beings, this time on the trail of a stolen religious relic. Some of those beings are agents of evil, and not just ordinary human Adolf-Hitler-type evil but capital-E Evil right out of the bowels of Hell.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.
    • 4/5
      Not necessarily my favorite in the series so far, but still a damn good read! The cast of characters introduced in this one are amazing, we get to meet Michael's fellow Knights, a bunch of the fallen, some nasty vampires from the red court, and Susan finally shows up again (reunited? or not, duh duh duh...)! When the shroud (the blanket that cloaked Jesus on his death) is stolen from Rome, Dresden is approached by a foreign priest to help get it back. When he signs on for the job he has no idea how much danger he has put himself in, demons from hell (way cooler description in the book than I can accurately summarize here) are intent on retrieving it first. As if that's not enough to worry about, Susan is back in town (with a man!), and Dresden has been challenged to a duel by a warlord in the red court. Soo many things going on and Dresden has to somehow keep it all straight and not get killed. Wickedly funny, sexy, and adventurous, it's another great installment in the series.
    • 4/5
      The series do get better and better, BUT please tell me that Harry will give in to the dark side at some point! A dark, spiraling, out-of-control Harry would be so much fun! As to the other characters, Susan has become so much more fun, a little backstory of Marcone's evilness was really called for, Ivy has got to be the cutest thing ever, and the bad guys get more evil with every passing day! Behold the excitement! And the subtle hints about Harry having a sibling makes me think whether all this will turn out Supernatual-style - two siblings hunting monsters. Awesome and light read, as always!
    • 5/5
      I wasn't sold on the direction the love thread was taking, but after listening to this installment, I'm ALL IN. Same goes for the Knights; their holier-than-thou attitude would have tested my patience eventually, however in DEATH MASKS they demonstrate that they aren't 100% black or white either. The Archive was some freaky deaky sh*t which leads me to believe that Butcher has only dipped his big toe in this universe's scope. The punches kept on coming in book 5, and with so many secondary plots intertwining, the story left me reeling in the best kind of way. I don't know if I'll be able to focus on anything else until BLOOD RITES is on my iPhone, locked & loaded. Goodbye weekend! ~ 4.5 stars
    • 3/5
      it was the weakest of these I have read so far. Some of the imagery is getting a bit tired. I think I need to take a break from these (had the same issue with the discworld novels).
    • 5/5
      They are getting a lot better, this one is one of my favorites. Such awesome characters.
    • 4/5
      Borrowed this from the library as part of my re-read. In this one Harry is engaged to find out who stole the shroud of Turin while also trying to stay alive while the Vampire Red Court try to kill him, and he's also being chased by demons. His life is busy and his ex-girlfriend is back in town, just to complicate matters.It's a bit of a romp, I enjoy it, though there are moments I wish it was a little better, still I found it a good read and I'm now looking forward to reading the rest of the series. This re-read was encouraged by seeing the series on TV again. There are pretty major differences between the TV series and the books but overall the feel is the same and Harry is a good solid character who is trying to live a good life. His choices at the end are going to bite him later...
    • 5/5
      Oh this installment has been so awesome that there are few words that could describe. I had no clue that Harry was going to be chasing after The effing Shroud of Turin!
      This book is where you meet the other two Knights of the Cross, and the Denarians. The Denarians are people who have Fallen to the temptation of the 30 pieces of silver from the traitor Judas.
      The reappearance of Susan was a bit of a let down, and her reasoning was a tad bit annoying. If you can't tell I'm rooting for Murphy. Bob the skull is just as interesting and hysterical as always. Always love reading the parts he's included. I wonder how the next book is going to turn out?
    • 3/5
      Light and silly. I mean really, the Shroud of Turin is stolen and there isn't a huge international uproar about it? Oy. The plot is predictable, the characters are only a step above two dimensional - so why am I on book five? I don't know exactly. Except when I'm tired and just want something light - this series seems to fit the bill at the moment. The plot: shroud of Turin is stolen, there are red vampires after Harry, he must somehow find the shroud, avoid being killed by the reds - oh and there are some new bad guys added into the mix - like we didn't have enough already. It all works out - miraculously - but it was a light and enjoyable ride.
    • 2/5
      In one of the weaker efforts in the Harry Dresden series, Harry Dresden is challenged to a duel to the death by the vampire, Ortega, one in which Harry is likely to lose. Ortega claims that this duel will end the war between the wizards and vampires, so Harry doesn't have much of an option but to accept. Harry has also been taken into a quest to find the Shroud of Turin, which has been stolen, at the request of his friend Father Vincent. The investigation leads him to Chicago, where demons are also trying to get the Shroud.I don't typically find Harry Dresden to be a compelling character, and he comes off as being especially weak in this novel. The mystery involved in this story is not remotely impressive, as is the overall plot line. I found it hard to get into this novel, and there was not a whole lot to like about it. Unless you are tied into reading every Harry Dresden novel, this is one you may want to skip.Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
    • 3/5
      Where the Dresden files excels is in really solid worldbuilding and continuity. Even side characters keep developing, and keep turning up, and it gives the world a feeling of solidity and realism that many other authors can't keep up even this many books in.

      Otherwise, this was more of the same, which is equally much why these are a fun read, and why they aren't precisely great literature: You know what you're in for, and it'll be a quick, fun, sarcastic ride.

      This time around: Fallen Angels, a duel with the red court, Susan, a club for half vampires, the Knights, the Swords, Murphy, Marcone, and pretty much everything but a kitchen sink and the werewolf pack. I got a little lost in the middle, and found the duel storyline a bit of overkill (and then an anticlimax.)

      Susan back was nice, and the outcome couldn't really go any other way (but Mister Butcher, please don't write any more sex scenes. Really. Please.)
    • 5/5
      I first picked up this series because I watched the TV show which is based on the books and wanted more of Harry Dresden and his supernatural adventures. Sadly the show only lasted for one season, which is not that surprising if you consider that cool shows get canceled sooner than they should be and we end up with naked people covered in bodily fluids prancing around on the screen. But I digress. I read the first three books and could tell that they were a promise of better things to come. I was right. Book 4, Summer Knight, finished setting up the world and established the over-arching conflicts for the future installments (the wizard-vampire war and Harry's troubled personal life) as well as the mystery of Harry's parents' lives and deaths. At that point I felt that Butcher was done flexing his writerly muscles and was finally getting to the meat of things, while at the same time the day-to-day wizardly detective work was not going anywhere. I really like this about these books, by the way, there's always a more short-term problem to solve while the big-deal problem demands attention at the same time. Back to the book at hand though. I was right about the meat of things. Death Masks builds on the conflicts, with some steamy and deadly consequences, and feeds us a pellet of information about Harry's mom. He is either too busy or too reluctant to pursue this tidbit, conceivably because he is afraid of what he might discover. Yes, I'm talking about feelings while discussing a high-action urban fantasy with death waiting at almost every page. There's quite a bit of that in this book, actually. Soul-searching, self-analysis, reflection, Harry does all that, and it balances the near-constant action. It provides for some down time while still allowing for things to happen, as it does perfectly when Harry has a heart-to-heart with Michael's wife. This is one of my favorite scenes in the book, by the way. Another means of tension relief is the humor which permeates this book and the rest of the series. Harry is a really self-deprecatingly witty guy! I chuckled on so many occasions that my husband started raising his eyebrows in my direction. I ignored the eyebrows and kept reading. We've already met all the key players of the series so Butcher's main task here is to develop their character arcs. I really liked that Susan didn't just move to the beach to suppress her vampiric tendencies, she is no damsel in distress and in this book we really get to see her in action. It doesn't hurt that she has an ace up her sleeve either. Gentleman Johnny Marcone (I love how Harry always refers to him in this way, no exceptions) is a very interesting guy and I look forward to seeing where Butcher takes his character. I didn't expect any surprises in this book but there was one: by now I'm used to Harry getting pummeled into hamburger in the course of the novel and then having to go fight The Fight severely sleep-deprived and broken. Not in this novel. I won't go into details but the way things worked out was very refreshing and satisfying. I wonder what Butcher will do in the next novel. Maybe if I can stop taking on commitments like I have something against sleep I'll even find out, soonish.
    • 4/5
      Harry Dresden's pockets are emptier than usual--to the point where he agrees to go on The Larry Fowler Show for a bit of cash. As it turns out, however, all three of the other guests on the show are there to see him: his old acquaintance to update him on the disappearance of his girlfriend, Susan, a priest from the Vatican to hire him to find a precious stolen artefact,...and a warlord of the Red Court of vampires has come to kill him.

      Dresden's life is about to turn upside down again. Duke Ortega of the Red Court forces him to agree to a duel by threatening the lives of his friends. Lt. Karrin Murphy, Harry's friend on the police force, has a corpse on her hands that has apparently died of every plague in existence. The Denarians, a bunch of baddies with fallen angels whispering in their ears, are in town and want to add Harry to their gang. Harry's part-vampire ex-girlfriend is back--and with a man, the monotonous Martin, in tow. And if that is not enough, the artefact his client has hired Harry to find is the Shroud of Turin.

      I have mixed feelings about Death Masks--not as in lukewarm feelings, but as in intense enjoyment and intense dislike of various portions of the book. My partitioned feelings match the book itself pretty well. The two separate plot threads, the vampire duel and the Denarian-shroud-debacle, intersect but remain distinct. Both parts swing into quite a bit of James Bond spoofing--Dresden even wears a tux at one point, although he spends time wolfing down snacks rather than drinking, he does end up both shaken and stirred. I really like Ortega as a baddie. He's complex--he wants to protect his people, and is willing to put his life on the line to do it. Machiavellian at heart, he believes that the ends justify any means, and his motivations are complex enough that I still don't completely understand them. The Denarians, on the other hand, are straightforward evil-for-the-giggles types. I find those characters to be superficial and irritating. I also don't find them to be particularly scary--evil girls with steel knives instead of hair, bears with horns and four eyes, and half-snake-half men just don't do it for me--they sound too much like something faked up with a bit of plasticine on the front page of the National Enquirer. Only Nicodemus, a smooth, affable (and, of course, British) gentleman whose shadow can jump out and grab you, struck me as even mildly frightening. The Denarians' motives seem forced to me. Who, in real life, does evil just for the fun of it? People have motives--power, etc--and twist them in their minds until they believe they are doing the right thing. However, even if the Denarians feel unrealistic, they provide extremely fun and altogether random interjections of gratuitous stock villain moments.

      I like Susan better in this book than in her last appearance, Grave Peril, where she ditsily, selfishly, and stupidly wandered into a vampire fest and got bitten, leading to events that threw the whole world in chaos. Although she's not my favorite character, at least she's got guts and knowledge now, and is willing to assist Harry rather than just be an obnoxious whiner who complains about him missing their dates to save lives. I really, really don't like...um...a particularly explicit and rather (to me) disturbing BDSM scene that occurs in this book, but your mileage may vary. If you like romances and can tolerate Shades of Grey style scenes, you'll find this part fun. As with most of the Dresden Files books, there are some cringeworthy moments; in this case, although kudos to Mr. Butcher for having a Hispanic character, the descriptions of Susan always "exoticize" her by racial type. In addition, it turns out that in the Dresdenverse, South America is full of backwards people ruled by red court vampires.

      I also enjoyed the reappearance of Michael Carpenter, with the addition of his compatriots, the other Knights of the Sword. The bunch, Michael, Shiro, and Sanya, are generally enjoyable characters and reassuringly straightforward, although a bit stereotyped (along with rather strong racial stereotypes, which grated on me) for my liking. A new character--the scarily intelligent child Archive--adds additional laughs. There's also a totally amoral blonde British cat-burglar who manages to twist Harry around her little finger, leading to completely hilarious scenes.

      The writing style is workmanlike, although I do propose the following:
      The Dresden Files Drinking Game!
      Take a drink every time one of the following is used:
      -"arched an eyebrow"
      -"shambled"
      -"basso"
      -"confirmed"

      Overall, the book has its fair share of totally awesome moments--cabbage patch homunculi, holdup via plastic duck, and more. Dresden continues to grow on me as a character and a narrator, and although I found myself wincing at times and agreeing with Marcone that he is "diplomatically challenged" and "should be in a shelter for the tactless," I found several of his quips genuinely funny, such as, "The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the morgue. This, all by itself, is enough to really ruin your day." The book also contains a few minor details that, in retrospect, I think were positively brilliant. hover for spoiler It might have what I thought were some rather uncomfortably icky scenes, and some of the characters were rather flat, but even if not the same quality as some of the other books, it's still a fun read.
      Oh, one last repetition of my constant refrain: these books are better on audio. In this book, Marsters has really started to get into the swing of audiobook narration and has started to have a little fun with it. James Marsters is a brilliant narrator; he so captures the character that he is the voice of Harry for me even for the books that I read in print. So, as I say, these books are better on audio.
    • 3/5
      Another fun romp through the streets of Chicago. Harry is a bit less masochistic & the action was great. Such an interesting world that Butcher has come up with. On to the next.