Death Masks

This book came in great condition, no spotting at all. Just wear and tear from normal reading.

The Dresden Files series just gets better and better with every entry. Both Michael and Susan return for this one.

Shroud RemarksI only recently noticed that I had missed the release of the latest in Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, and quickly moved to correct my error. Dresden is a wizard after my own heart - trying to make a living in modern Chicago, and a bit too honest to do anything but scrape by. Armed with a wand, a few special charms, and a flower covered ancient Volkswagen Beetle, Harry is always ready to take on a task completely beyond his capabilities.This time he has his choice of menaces. Having triggered a war between the Wizard's Council and the vampire's Red Court in the last volume, Harry continues to be in desperate straights. Duke Ortega of the Red Court has proposed a way to end the war - a duel between him and Harry. Needless to say, Ortega has no intention of losing, and Harry will need more that a few incantations to survive.More of a surprise, though, is the appearance of Father Vincent, a papal agent with an assignment for Harry. The Shroud of Turin has vanished - stolen and brought to the USA and, while they have more than an inkling of who the thief was, it will take Harry to track it down. The bad news is that the Shroud attracts all kind of attention, from everyone from mafia bosses to fallen angels. And they all want Harry's skin. The good news is that Harry will get paid for the work, and the rent is due. Or he will die in the attempt and won't need to pay rent ever again.There is more. Harry's ex-girlfriend and recovering vampire snack Susan is back in town, the police are looking for a murderer who collects parts, and the Knights of the Cross are there to lend a hand. Total madness wherever you look, and Harry is in the middle of it, bad attitude and all.Butcher has created a series that is a refreshing change from the usual pseudo-medieval magick tale. Harry is up to date, listens to good music, and, when he can afford it, even dresses fairly well. Or he would if people would stop stealing his clothes. He alternates between wisecracks, a love for money, and a set of ethics that keep getting in his way. And you can't help but like a guy whose closest friend lives in a skull.Even though there is continuity between the five books in the series, each still can stand on its own. It you like fantasy but are tired of the usual enchanted princess genre try a dip in the Dresden files. You won't be disappointed.

I consider myself quite lucky, in retrospect, that there were already five books available in this series by the time I started reading. I cannot remember the last time I devoured a series as quickly or with as much enjoyment as this one. Butcher has really done an exceptional job in creating this world and these characters. He started off with one of the best first novels I've read and has only gotten better with each installment. I have literally laughed, cried, and cheered while reading these books, and that is something that is not entirely common with me (though I'll admit to being a sap and something of an easy target for the tearjerk effect).One reader commented that this installment left many things unresolved, and this is true to a point. Actually, the majority of the major plot points were dealt with quite nicely (far more neatly, in fact, than any writer so new to the craft has any right being able to accomplish). There were a number of threads left dangling, but only insomuch as was necessary in order to bring these elements into play in later episodes. Also, the reviewer who noted that there was a statement about the Jews being responsible for Jesus' death was not entirely accurate. There is a referrence to Barrabus who was freed by the Jews despite the fact that Pilate had wanted them to free Jesus. If Butcher deserves to have all but one star stripped from a rating for accurately reporting an event that was already written of in a much more widely published book (I don't have to explain that one, do I?), then we have a problem here. This was in no way intended as anti-semitic, and I thought it was actually rather neatly in keeping with the rest of the storyline. By the way, just for the record I am not Jewish but I am not Christian either. Frankly I think both sides of this particular debate ("The Jews killed Jesus!", "No they didn't!") are rather silly. But that's just me...Anyway, as for this book I was more than pleased. Somehow Butcher keeps making each one better than the last, and I'm keen to see if he can keep up the trend. Only problem is that I've run out of books and now have to wait for him to publish the next one. Either I'll have to slow down my reading speed, or else Jim has to start typing a hell of a lot faster. In the meanwhile, get Peter Jackson on the phone. I've got an idea for his next big movie series... :)

I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series, I just wish it had taken me longer to read this one, now I have months to wait for more.And I need to point out...only one 1-star review...a person who enjoyed the book and the series except for one comment at the end of this book...do not let that stop you from reading them all!Anyone who picks this series up and starts reading, with an open mind and an active imagination, is going to be hooked. The details are wonderful, and the book(s) are full of humor, romance, drama, fantasy, and action. What more can you ask for?

I read this book the fastest of all the books so far. There is a little recovering of last books information that kind of tiring but for a new reader it will get you more interested in the past (the Susan issue, Alphas and Marcone.) I have enjoyed the whole series but for some reason this one hit the spot. All the way to the last page there is something new and interesting.

Superb! Jim Butcher has brought Harry Dresden back with a vengeance. At the end of the fourth book, "Summer Knight," Harry's world was a tad askew. His girlfriend was half-way to becoming a vampire, he'd started a war between the Wizard's Council and one of the Vampire clans. Also, he'd been on the "list" with a Chicago mob-boss for quite a while now. He did, however, manage to play some fun D & D with a group of werewolf vigilantes. Hey, you take your victories where you can. So, when a priest asks him to recover a stolen relic (sort of like a big white cloth, taken from Turin... uh... yeah, that one), and demons start popping up everywhere trying to pop Harry off, things are tense. Toss in a suprise visit from his Girlfriend, three holy knights with very holy swords (one of whom has a very bitter wife), and you see why Harry's day is just about as bad as any he's had. The mystery in this one threw me for a loop (I thought I had it right, only to learn I had it way wrong), and the tone of the book was dark and fun in equal measure. The pithy one-liners are always well done, and there's enough insider-geek references to make you swell with geeky pride. Enjoy it, enjoy 'em all, and if you've never read any of Butcher's work, you owe yourself a copy of 'Storm Front,' a hot cuppa tea, and some quiet time you'll soon fill with laughter. 'Nathan