Book 5 of The Dresden
Files
Another Harry Dresden adventure. And another reading
experience with complete and total lack of disappointment! These books are so
much fun to read!
I’m beginning to expect a somewhat reliable pattern to the
novels in The Dresden Files: Harry takes on a job that turns out to be much more
important than he realizes; he gets himself into big, big trouble in the course
of the job itself and/or with any number of the other enemies he has made
throughout the series; he makes some new friends/enemies/frenemies; he gets
beat up or tortured, almost killed, exhausted, as do most of his allies; he
finds some way to keep from losing hope, usually by being more stubborn than
anyone could have guessed. This formula is far from boring, and, for a formula,
isn’t all that predictable, really. And I love to see Harry get buried up to
his neck, and how he’s going to get out of it this time.
Harry turns out to be an inferior hero in Death Masks, inferior to both his
friends and his enemies. His allies, very serious soldiers of God and his old
girlfriend, Susan, who now has some new talents of her own, are stronger and
more dedicated to their personal missions than Harry could ever be. Harry’s slight unscrupulousness and inability to
take orders (or sometimes even listen to reason) allow him to break through the
seriously hard-core situation threatening, well, all of humanity. Where the
others would back off, he soldiers on. He cannot do it on his own, of course,
and his friends’ sacrifices must save him. He also must make some difficult
decisions and it remains to be seen what kind of trouble that slight unscrupulousness of his will lead
to in future stories.
There’s nothing less than the Shroud of Turin, fallen angels
and their followers, a plague curse, and a wickedly powerful vampire to contend
with in Death Masks. There’s also
plenty of sword fighting, fiery explosions, sexual tension, and Harry’s special
brand of wizarding magic. It’s exhausting being Harry Dresden, but very
entertaining to read Butcher’s accounts of his unusual life.
A Year of Books I Should Have Read by Now
