Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5) by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)
Book Review: Incredibly Entertaining, Whole Series is Great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this whole series, Jim Butcher is very gifted in maintaining a great mix of humor and action.Book Review: Death Masks
Summary: 5 Stars
Very good book, I read them all, the Dresden Files, with bated breath.
Linda Sheean
Book Review: Back on track
Summary: 4 Stars
I was a bit disappointed in Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4), as it just didn't seem like an adequate follow up to the cataclysmic events of Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3). Fortunately with Death Masks Jim Butcher puts this series back on track.
Death Masks is the logical successor to Grave Peril, picking up the pieces in the aftermath of that book's events. The war between the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court of Vampires is in full swing, and may come to a conclusion when a Vampire Warlord offers to duel Harry in single combat. As if that weren't enough, the Shroud of Turin has been stolen and everyone from the mafia to fallen angels to the Knights of the Sword and of course our boy Harry are in a free-for-all to acquire it. Oh, and Susan, Harry's half-vampire beloved is back in Chicago. Just another day for everyone's favorite down on his luck wizard.
This book has a lot going for it. Fallen angels make for far more compelling villains than a bunch of faeries, and the Red Court always keep things interesting. The tension between Harry and Susan is powerful (even though I was never really convinced by their relationship), and their troubled interaction gives the book a much needed emotional core. The best part (to me anyway) is the return of Michael and the addition of two more Knights of the Sword. These characters are interesting enough that I'd almost rather read a series based on their adventures. Butcher hits just the right note with Harry's relationship to Michael, his family, and his sworn brethren, and hopefully they will continue to play an active role in Harry's future adventures.
Death Masks isn't perfect though. Like the other Dresden Files novels, its rapid-fire pace doesn't leave much room for character development. I think if Butcher devoted the word count he uses on describing everyone's clothing and food choices to more introspection and character interaction, the books would be more effective. I get it; Harry's got a cool coat. How about more of that subconscious stuff from Grave Peril? That kind of thing made Harry less of a 2-dimensional character and more like a real person.
That aside, Death Masks was a very solid entry in the Dresden Files series, second only to Grave Peril. At this point I have to take myself off the fence and declare myself a fan. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and order Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6).
Book Review: Vatican Rag
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are a fan of the Dresden Files TV series and are considering checking into the print series, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. This book is fifth in the series, preceded by, in order: :
Storm Front Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Fool Moon Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)
Grave Peril Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
Summer Knight Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4)
Also, the reality in the books is a little different than the TV series, and you won't enjoy the books if you get hung up on the TV canon. My advice is kick back and enjoy the ride, because Jim Butcher so far has not failed to disappoint. Unlike many series authors, he has sustained the quality and appeal of the series throughout.
The Dresden Files are noir detective novels in the classic vein, with a loner, wiseass private eye narrator in this case based in Chicago. Harry Dresden has an edgy relationship with the police, and between his PI practice and police consulting, is barely able to make ends meet. The twist is that the detective is also a wizard capable of calling fire and, on a good day, repelling bullets.
The writer's challenge is to provide his detective with challenges that he can't solve with a wave of his wand. These tend to be ever-increasing supernatural foes, people problems, and vexing situations that combine the two.
In "Death Masks", Dresden's challenges include an engagement to recover the Shroud of Turin, a sort-of-ex-girlfriend who is struggling with vampiric tendencies, regular human criminals, and magical duels.
Like traditional detective fiction, the Dresden Files is moralistic, with good triumphing over evil (of course, not without cost). There is character development, there is humor in many tasty flavors, and sustained enjoyment for the reader.
Book Review: On to the next challenge!
Summary: 4 Stars
It is safe to say that Harry Dresden jumps from one challenge to another. After taking on faeries and two battling councils in Summer Knight, he has to endure various new dilemmas in Death Masks. He has been given the task of finding the stolen Shroud of Turin before either drug lord Johnny Marcone or a dangerous creature get a hold of it. To make matters worse, he has been challenged to a duel with a powerful vampire in order to end the war between the Red Court and the White Council. In better news, Susan is back in Chicago, but will she and Harry get together again? There are various twists throughout the novel.
Death Masks does not have as many overwhelming, over the top action and horror scenes in this book as the previous four books. That made this book somewhat better for me. The ending was filled with the aforementioned scenes though. I also liked that Harry resolved some of his personal issues regarding his relationships with the people he cares about and his feelings for Susan. And there are more hints in this book regarding Harry's past. His family remains an enigma, one that I would love to discover in the next book. I hope Jim Butcher does not drag that secret out for much longer. I was glad that some great characters were back in this installment, like Johnny Marcone, Susan and Michael. The one bad thing was that Murphy only appeared in a few scenes this time around. The humor remains fresh and Harry is as goofy as ever. The one thing I didn't like about this offering is that there are a few inconsistencies -- things that were mentioned and then forgotten coupled with some disjointed scenes. All in all, Death Masks is another fun Dresden book. Butcher's series has not disappointed me. I look forward to reading Blood Rites.