nglofile's review against another edition
5.0
Truly fabulous. Yes, this is a world 15+ books in the making, but each work raises the stakes and then handily meets that challenge. I do love a great heist story, and this one is exciting and twisty beyond the telling of it. I adored the choice to heavily involve Michael Carpenter, not only as a fascinating character, but also as an opportunity to explore issues of choices/consequences, belief, and ultimately hope. There were exchanges, including speeches of Hades (!!), that stopped my breath, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
audiobook note, part one: One of the substantial reasons James Marsters is beyond reproach in voicing these books finally crystalized: he gets it. All of it. The intelligence, the humor, the internal conflict, the yearning, the nobility, the excitement, the mutual respect, the friendships, the challenges, the faith, the wit, the adrenaline, the fun, the inventiveness, the battles between light and darkness...all of it. Others could read the words, even bring drama and power, but it is the subtlety of a thousand little performance details that embody this hero and his world so perfectly.
audiobook note, part 2: The breaks in discs were tantalizingly timed. I have never heard an audiobook production make better use of the combination of tense moments and chapter divisions to enhance what was already an intoxicating listening experience.
audiobook note, part one: One of the substantial reasons James Marsters is beyond reproach in voicing these books finally crystalized: he gets it. All of it. The intelligence, the humor, the internal conflict, the yearning, the nobility, the excitement, the mutual respect, the friendships, the challenges, the faith, the wit, the adrenaline, the fun, the inventiveness, the battles between light and darkness...all of it. Others could read the words, even bring drama and power, but it is the subtlety of a thousand little performance details that embody this hero and his world so perfectly.
audiobook note, part 2: The breaks in discs were tantalizingly timed. I have never heard an audiobook production make better use of the combination of tense moments and chapter divisions to enhance what was already an intoxicating listening experience.
loxleyhall's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
theatomicpirategirl's review against another edition
5.0
oh Harry Dresden....I love you...
EEEEEECCCCKKK! HOLY BALLS!! I JUST…EEEEEEECCCCKKK!!
Okay. Fan Girl Moment done.
***FYI AND FAIR WARNING: there are some minor spoilers. I will try to keep the big ones under wrap but, there are just something’s I’m going to have to say that might give a few things away.***
For those of you folks who stumble across this blog, let me give lay down some very important information about this book series:
1. Harry Dresden is listed in the Chicago phone book under Wizard.
2. Harry Dresden always, ALWAYS, gets in way over head, but still somehow manages to make it through to the other side mostly not dead (Granted…there was Ghost Story…but are we counting that misadventure? I’m not…)
3. This latest installment of the Dresden Files, is book 15. So if you haven’t read this series yet, well, you got some catching up to do.
Also, Harry Dresden is my book boyfriend. He is broken and carries A LOT of baggage, but he’s good. So. Good.
But where do I start with this book in the aspects of a review? I mean, there is so much going on with poor Harry right now. He has a parasite threatening to burst out of his head and kill him…which we find out really isn’t a parasite but something else ENTIRELY. Mab is expecting him to play her deadly game by loaning him out to a villain we haven’t seen in a long while, Nicodemus Archleone (he’s appeared in two books, Death Masks and Small Favor. Super Baddie). And the highest security vault in the Nevernever? Oh, it just belongs to HADES, LORD OF THE GREEK UNDERWORLD! Oh, and there’s also all this other stuff…minor mention of Molly as the new Winter Lady and FINALLY something going down with Karrin Murphy and Dresden. Fifteen books in…about damn time really.
So you see my dilemma? Where do I start? How about everything and everywhere. It’s another super well-crafted and throughout adventure that pushes Harry almost beyond the limit. He has been forced to draw deep from his Winter Knight mantel for power and to survive the inevitable FUBAR and clusterf**k that has become his life (like how I censored myself there?). There is a ton of action per the course filled with magic, demons, and guns. This is just normal everyday stuff for Mr. Dresden. What was interesting was to FINALLY see him interact with his daughter Maggie, who is just like any other 4 year old in that she wants her father. Harry, who has been pushing everyone away since taking up with Mab, the Winter Queen, comes to realize that the true friends will stick by him and love him until the world comes to an end. And what I was most excited about? Michael Carpenter. Yes. That’s right. The bad ass Knight of the Cross is back in action as wing man when Karrin gets taken out. Since being horribly injured in Small Favor, he isn’t so awesome. However, with the help of an angel, Michael gets to be put back in the fight as if he was never injured. He is the moral compass for Harry. Always reminding him that he is a good person, and reminding him that there is always another way.
I don’t want to give too much away but let it be known that Hades makes an appearance, and he is awesome. Just read the book. You’ll see. But read the other books first! Because you will have no concept of any of the characters or back story if you don’t. And trust me, they are GREAT reads. (Well, Ghost Story was a bit of a miss for me…but still good…)
Jim Butcher just makes me happy when I read his books. I got lost in the world he created. Every person and monster is relatable. The good guy is not a knight in shining armor. The bad guy is not mustache twirling villain. The shades of good and evil are muddled and confusing, nothing is clear cut. There are decisions in the world that need to be made: the lesser of two evils. And if we play our cards close to the chest, well, we must just get to place the ace up our sleeve and make it out alive.
Go forth and read Harry Dresden my fellow book nerds. I know this was not really much of a review. That this was a rambling of an over excited fan girl who just can’t get enough of my book boyfriend. But then again, isn’t that what being a fan girl is? Being over excited and passionate about the things you love? And I do love the world of The Dresden Files. Thanks, Jim Butcher, for everything. You are awesome!!!!
Until next time, remember to be yourself…unless you can be a pirate. Then ALWAYS be a pirate!
EEEEEECCCCKKK! HOLY BALLS!! I JUST…EEEEEEECCCCKKK!!
Okay. Fan Girl Moment done.
***FYI AND FAIR WARNING: there are some minor spoilers. I will try to keep the big ones under wrap but, there are just something’s I’m going to have to say that might give a few things away.***
For those of you folks who stumble across this blog, let me give lay down some very important information about this book series:
1. Harry Dresden is listed in the Chicago phone book under Wizard.
2. Harry Dresden always, ALWAYS, gets in way over head, but still somehow manages to make it through to the other side mostly not dead (Granted…there was Ghost Story…but are we counting that misadventure? I’m not…)
3. This latest installment of the Dresden Files, is book 15. So if you haven’t read this series yet, well, you got some catching up to do.
Also, Harry Dresden is my book boyfriend. He is broken and carries A LOT of baggage, but he’s good. So. Good.
But where do I start with this book in the aspects of a review? I mean, there is so much going on with poor Harry right now. He has a parasite threatening to burst out of his head and kill him…which we find out really isn’t a parasite but something else ENTIRELY. Mab is expecting him to play her deadly game by loaning him out to a villain we haven’t seen in a long while, Nicodemus Archleone (he’s appeared in two books, Death Masks and Small Favor. Super Baddie). And the highest security vault in the Nevernever? Oh, it just belongs to HADES, LORD OF THE GREEK UNDERWORLD! Oh, and there’s also all this other stuff…minor mention of Molly as the new Winter Lady and FINALLY something going down with Karrin Murphy and Dresden. Fifteen books in…about damn time really.
So you see my dilemma? Where do I start? How about everything and everywhere. It’s another super well-crafted and throughout adventure that pushes Harry almost beyond the limit. He has been forced to draw deep from his Winter Knight mantel for power and to survive the inevitable FUBAR and clusterf**k that has become his life (like how I censored myself there?). There is a ton of action per the course filled with magic, demons, and guns. This is just normal everyday stuff for Mr. Dresden. What was interesting was to FINALLY see him interact with his daughter Maggie, who is just like any other 4 year old in that she wants her father. Harry, who has been pushing everyone away since taking up with Mab, the Winter Queen, comes to realize that the true friends will stick by him and love him until the world comes to an end. And what I was most excited about? Michael Carpenter. Yes. That’s right. The bad ass Knight of the Cross is back in action as wing man when Karrin gets taken out. Since being horribly injured in Small Favor, he isn’t so awesome. However, with the help of an angel, Michael gets to be put back in the fight as if he was never injured. He is the moral compass for Harry. Always reminding him that he is a good person, and reminding him that there is always another way.
I don’t want to give too much away but let it be known that Hades makes an appearance, and he is awesome. Just read the book. You’ll see. But read the other books first! Because you will have no concept of any of the characters or back story if you don’t. And trust me, they are GREAT reads. (Well, Ghost Story was a bit of a miss for me…but still good…)
Jim Butcher just makes me happy when I read his books. I got lost in the world he created. Every person and monster is relatable. The good guy is not a knight in shining armor. The bad guy is not mustache twirling villain. The shades of good and evil are muddled and confusing, nothing is clear cut. There are decisions in the world that need to be made: the lesser of two evils. And if we play our cards close to the chest, well, we must just get to place the ace up our sleeve and make it out alive.
Go forth and read Harry Dresden my fellow book nerds. I know this was not really much of a review. That this was a rambling of an over excited fan girl who just can’t get enough of my book boyfriend. But then again, isn’t that what being a fan girl is? Being over excited and passionate about the things you love? And I do love the world of The Dresden Files. Thanks, Jim Butcher, for everything. You are awesome!!!!
Until next time, remember to be yourself…unless you can be a pirate. Then ALWAYS be a pirate!
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing installment in the Dresden Files series! Harry has several epiphanies thanks to his friends, and there are lots of bad guys to fight, while protecting the innocent.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
randerson107's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Skin Game
4 Stars
***Warning*** - This review may contain spoilers
As the Winter Knight, Harry is once again roped into an assignment by Mab. This time he is forced to help Nicodemus pull off the heist of the century.
Butcher’s writing is as engrossing as ever, and the twists and turns of the story make for enjoyable reading. That said, there are still some elements in the Dresdenverse that have me rubbing my head in confusion or gritting my teeth in annoyance.
The Indiana Jones style quest is very entertaining as are the updates on Harry’s friends and foes. The Carpenters put in an appearance and Michael’s conversations with Harry are one of the highlights of the book as are Harry's tender moments with little Maggie. My affection for Butters is put to the test in this one, but he comes through in the end and it is both surprising and interesting that he is the now a
Harry and Murphy finally seem to be coming to their senses, which is fantastic but Butcher really knows how to throw cold water on his readers. I have to say that the hints of a potential romance with are troubling and this would be a deal breaker for me...
Mab is as manipulative as ever but you gotta admire her style. It is exceedingly irritating that and I have to ask why the villains in this series never seem to get what’s coming to them. One of the most annoying aspects of Dresden’s world are the Christian overtones of forgiveness and redemption. I'm all for turning the other cheek and forgiving when it is deserved, but true Evil must be fought with every weapon at ones disposal!
On a final note, I haven’t made up my mind about the whole thing. On the one hand, it is too ridiculous for words, but on the other it has tremendous potential for future books. I'm also wondering if it won't be connected to how Harry finally finds a way out of his debt to Mab…
In sum, Skin Game definitely lives up to expectations and there are some compelling developments on the horizon that will make the wait for the next chapter of Harry’s adventures particularly difficult.
4 Stars
***Warning*** - This review may contain spoilers
As the Winter Knight, Harry is once again roped into an assignment by Mab. This time he is forced to help Nicodemus pull off the heist of the century.
Butcher’s writing is as engrossing as ever, and the twists and turns of the story make for enjoyable reading. That said, there are still some elements in the Dresdenverse that have me rubbing my head in confusion or gritting my teeth in annoyance.
The Indiana Jones style quest is very entertaining as are the updates on Harry’s friends and foes. The Carpenters put in an appearance and Michael’s conversations with Harry are one of the highlights of the book as are Harry's tender moments with little Maggie. My affection for Butters is put to the test in this one, but he comes through in the end and it is both surprising and interesting that he is the now a
Spoiler
Knight of the Cross.Harry and Murphy finally seem to be coming to their senses, which is fantastic but Butcher really knows how to throw cold water on his readers. I have to say that the hints of a potential romance with
Spoiler
MollyMab is as manipulative as ever but you gotta admire her style. It is exceedingly irritating that
Spoiler
Nicodemus and Tessa manage to escapeOn a final note, I haven’t made up my mind about the whole
Spoiler
parasite/spirit of intellect/Harry's spiritual child with LashIn sum, Skin Game definitely lives up to expectations and there are some compelling developments on the horizon that will make the wait for the next chapter of Harry’s adventures particularly difficult.
serenity81's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
maddox22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lvh's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
saoki's review against another edition
3.0
Oh gods, this series is ending. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.
Other than that, well, this is a freaking good book. Jim Butcher's style has matured nicely, and he manages one of those rare things: a sequel book that could be read and "gotten" by a reader new to the series.
So, yeah, 5 stars. <3
Edit: it was a bad idea to try and re-read this one.
Other than that, well, this is a freaking good book. Jim Butcher's style has matured nicely, and he manages one of those rare things: a sequel book that could be read and "gotten" by a reader new to the series.
Edit: it was a bad idea to try and re-read this one.