Tuesday 22 January 2013

Cold Days - Jim Butcher

I have loved this series since I started reading it. It didn't start off too deep and it was not particularly hard to tell where the story is going, now though, holy moly has that changed!  Harry Dresden is a wizard and has run afoul of many things bigger, stronger and more powerful then he is, many a times. Cold Days is the 14th books in the Dresden Files. I am conscious of people hyper aware of spoilers so I'll walk carefully.

Harry Dresden is a bad arse, wise cracking, female form loving bad day for the evil things in his city and the things that threaten it. It helps that the books are all written in first person, you feel like you really get to know Harry. He is a such a great character, he has an iron will and a willingness to help everyone that I find so appealing. I think most people like to think there could be someone like him out to protect us from the things we can't handle or don't see.

The magic system and the use of magic is really fun and Harry does some pretty kick arse things with it. If you think magic wielding cowboy, you kind of get the gist. There is so much magic used constantly that it does mean a bit of 'lesson time' in each of the books. I can tell you how a locator spell works in the Dresden universe and why another wizard having the shavings from your beard is ok, but a hair from your head is not. I don't mind the sort trips down lesson lane, as long as they are that, short. In Cold Days, Harry is using a different kind of magic, and it is very different. The readers are learning along with Dresden what it can and can't do, and what kind of damage and havoc he can cause wielding it. I had just as much fun reading about it as Dresden had heart pounding moments creating it.

Butcher did really well with this novel. There were surprises, things I didn't see coming. For the last few books there has been an over arching big bad messing with Dresden and all he holds dear and in this book there is another. So once again Butcher is amping the series up and just keeps piling on things for Harry to eventually deal with.  There are new power players and people around Dresden have been called on to do some 'didn't see that coming' kind of jobs. It leaves me with so much hope for this series. Butcher just keeps writing really good Dresden novels, and so I eagerly await the next one!

On a final note, Cold Days was fast paced, action packed and funny as hell. Everything you have come to expect from a Dresden Files novel. The constant admiring of the 'female form' was there too and as a female myself it still managed to make me a little annoyed and self conscious. It was a really great book and for those of you who have followed Dresden's adventure it is a must read, but i'm sure you have already read it. For those of you who have yet to experience this world, go get on it!

Cold Days - 4 out of 5 kick arse cold chills :P


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