This installment of the Dresden Files didn't work for me. It sets up an interesting mystery as the protagonist sets out to find out who really killed one of the senior members of the wizards' council, but he never really does much investigating; instead he simply stumbled from one combat encounter to the next, eventually discovering the perpetrator as a side effect of one of these fights. There are some good character moments and I enjoyed the relationships between the supporting characters, but the plot was weak. ( )

Woof. I enjoyed it, but guessed at the real killer midway through... though tbh the REAL mastermind behind the scenes still hasn't been revealed, so I dunno. Good pacing, brought together the wizard and vampire elements, but man, does Harry need a hug after this one. ( )

Just when you think Harry Dresden has faced the biggest, baddest baddie you (or he) could imagine, here comes an even bigger baddie! This time, the supernatural shapeshifter comes after Harry in search of Harry’s White Council nemesis, Morgan, who has shown up on Harry’s doorstep, wounded and running, accused of murder. Of course Harry’s outsized sense of justice kicks in and he agrees to help his enemy, since he knows how it feels to be wrongly accused by his own kind. But, because of his commitment, he must fight—and possibly lose big, to a fearsome, virtually immortal creature. Once again, wizards and vampires engage, in a kind of uneasy alliance, as they search out the true perpetrator, and try to halt a major undermining of both of their societies and governing bodies. The politics and philosophies are getting increasingly complicated here, and the stakes for Harry have risen sharply, as his nearest and dearest are gravely threatened. The danger must eventually accelerate to maximum velocity, and then what? I wonder if this series will keep being engaging if/when all the politics come to a head. Or maybe they never will. I’ll just mention that in the climactic battle sequence, I was reminded of a Greek myth in which a god and a silly opponent get into a metamorphosis contest, which ends when his opponent changes into a fly, and the god swallows her. It didn’t quite end that way here, but that tale was clearly its inspiration, and the Dresden Files are getting seriously mythological. ( )

Right, this is the best Dresden Files book. ( )

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