Death Masks

The Dresden files just keep getting better and better! Highly recommend it! If you like fantasy in a modern world, you should start reading the series.

Even if you predict where things are going to go, Dresden is constantly faced with plenty of fun and outrageous problems to make even a predictable story engaging and entertaining. As always, worth the read.

Loved it! These Dresden books are so much fun! Love the story arcs, characters, humor, even the villains are very worthy!

Finally finished this one. I had trouble keeping the people and their motivations in order in this book. There are some things that happened that will come back to bite him in future books. I do have one more to read. Maybe I'll start it tomorrow.

These remain entertaining and fun for me without ever reaching thrilling and compelling.

The series is kind of like old episodic television shows, where they'd have a “monster of the week” plotline. There would be some really great character actor guest stars. In this case, they'd play Shiro and Sanya and recurring character Johnny Marcone. The world-building and some of the supporting characters are good.

As for the overall series arc so far, the conflict of the Red vs. White Court is missing any real stakes to make it interesting, and as for Harry's romance with Susan, I'm not feeling it. Sex scenes aren't enough to tell a story of their connection.

I did enjoy the Archive, though and I hope she returns.

This series has failed to grab my attention to the point that I have DNF'd this book around 80%. I will not continue this series, at least for now.

Boek vijf, en het is ongeveer van dezelfde kwaliteit als boek vier, 't is te zeggen: niet afgrijselijk slecht, maar ook verre van goed. Deze keer gaat het over onder meer de Lijkwade van Turijn, maar voor de rest is het maar een aflevering in een soapverhaal.

Jim Butcher slaagt er boek na boek in om alsmaar nieuwe voorheen nooit vermoede of zelfs maar half vermelde stukken wereld uit te vinden (een mens vraagt zicht af hoe lang dát kan blijven duren, alsmaar nieuwe enorm belangrijke geheime organisaties ten tonele rbengen), en tot nog toe is het nooit echt helemaal belachelijk.

Wat daarentegen wél belachelijk blijft, is “Harry Dresden en de vrouwtjes”. Het begin een béétje tegen te steken dat hij na vijf boeken altijd maar blijft herhalen hoe hij “chivalrous” is of “old-fashioned” of “chauvinist” omdat hij geen nee kan zeggen tegen vrouwen in nood.

Ook tegenstekelijk: dat Dresden altijd flauwe grappen maakt. Gelijk, zijn leven kan in de waagschaal liggen, de wereld kan de volgende minuut om zeep gaan, nog blijft hij domme opmerkingen maken. Pseudo-edgy, pseudo-in-crowd, pseudo-grappige opmerkingen. Er is sowieso al redelijk weinig suspension of disbelief, maar als hij zo in een spannend moment weer eens een idiote referentie naar iets dat we allemaal kennen maakt, is die disbelief totaal niet meer suspended.

En ook: er blijven alsmaar meer draaiende borden in de lucht gehouden worden: zijn vriendin die een halve vampier is geworden, de oorlog tussen de vampieren en de tovenaars, en nu ook nog eens de vampieren onderling.

Ik hoop dat er één dezer boeken toch een aantal van die dingen opgelost gaan geraken, want het begint een beetje vermoeiend te worden.

8/10

I'm just losing interest in this story... I'm not sure what it is, but perhaps I just need more about characters than Harry– even the background of him is barely moving to the point I don't care anymore :/ I'll give the next one a try, but I'm not in any hurry to get to it.

The end use of the shroud just takes the cake. I had all but forgotten about the ending of this book and the second reading makes me sit up and notice many things with a fresh perspective. Damn is he good or what!

another good one in the wonderful Dresden series.

Book Review: Death Masks by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #5) - as good as any of the rest of the series I have read so far. This time Dresden has to find the Shroud of Turin and avoid getting killed by everyone that is out to get him.

full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/death-masks-jim-butcher/

Executive Summary: To me this is where the series stops being so formulaic and starts to get really intersting. I really enjoyed re-visiting this one.

Audio book: James Marsters gets better with each book. His Russian and Japanese accents are enjoyable in this one.

Full Review
While the book still follows the format of Harry gets a case and mayhem ensues, we at least break from the mysterious attractive female bit.

Someone has stolen the Shroud of Turin, and apparently fled to Chicago with it. The Vatican has hired Harry to help track it down.

In this book we get to meet the remaining Knights of the Cross Shiro the accidental Baptist (thank you Elvis Presley), and Sayno the Russian Atheist.

We also meet some of my favorite baddies in the series, Order of the Blackened Denarius.

I've seen complaints that this book suffers from the dual plot lines, but I don't find it an issue. I equate this to what many TV shows do. You have your on-going season story arc mingled in with story for that particular episode. Things are continuing to build and Dresden's focus is split.

It's hard to talk more about the book without getting into spoilers, but like most books in the series, it's a quick and fun read.

Dialogue's still witty, or cheesy, depending on your mood. Still plenty of action, although it's a bit lacking in focus with the war between wizard and vampire still in the background, and the introduction of battles between knights of the cross and demons.

They are getting a lot better, this one is one of my favorites. Such awesome characters.

Another great Dresden story from Butcher, as usual. My only complaint is that this story had TOO much stuff going on, but I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in urban fantasy.

This was a great addition to the Dresden series. I love the fact that Susan was back and the scene with Harry was hot. I never thought Harry would get out of the situations he was in but of course he did LOL with help from unexpected sources too.

Off to a good start. Picks up right where the last book left off, give or take. Another page turner...


Finished. Great book. Builds squarely upon characters that have been introduced throughout the series.