Ghost Story

Ghost Story was a cut above the rest of the series for me, at least so far. Dresden is in a situation where he has to learn all new rules of how the world operates for him in his “condition” and how he can effect any change upon it. It's good to see a powerful character reduced and have to struggle as though they were back at their humble beginnings. I was much more invested in his successes and failures because I felt he was really up against some obstacles.

Many scenes were memories of Harry's past, revealing things we didn't know before, because they took place before the events of the first book or because Harry didn't know them either. These were all well integrated into the story and set up well to move the plot along.

This series is hit-or-miss for me but this is one of the “hits.” Ghost Story was uncommonly satisfying in terms of character development, compelling drama, and adventure.

8/10

Of course I (along with all [a:Jim Butcher 10746 Jim Butcher https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg]'s other fans) have been absolutely dying to read this book ever since finishing [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304027244l/6585201.SY75.jpg 6778696]. [a:Sam Chupp 11847 Sam Chupp https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219698183p2/11847.jpg] and I have been talking about how there could possibly be another book that occurs after Dresden's death. Of course, the novella included in [b:Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files 7779059 Side Jobs (The Dresden Files, #12.5) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1269115846l/7779059.SY75.jpg 10351697] was very good and got along quite well without Dresden, but that probably wasn't going to work for an entire novel.Sam hasn't even started Ghost Story yet, so I can't gloat at home. I was actually right in some of my speculation! I'm being non-specific so as to not give too much away, even though I am hiding this review behind spoiler warnings on GoodReads in case he does read it and remember what I had said (which is highly doubtful). But I feel like bragging somewhere, so you, dear readers, have to put up with it.Jim Butcher deserves major praise. Ghost Story is amazing. Dresden has become such a powerful wizard that few enemies are truly a challenge, and wiping out the entire Red Court with one spell was an amazing feat. What do you do for an encore to that? Having Dresden immaterial and operating without magic does seriously push him, and that makes for a fascinating tale. Being able to keep a series fresh in its thirteenth volume says a lot for Butcher's talent. I think Ghost Story is the best Dresden Files book yet, and I'm looking forward to book fourteen even more!

Ok first off Dresden Files books are by far the best urban fantasy I have ever read just awesome.

If you have read the first 12 books then you know that Harry was killed and the end of the last book changes, if you are reading this now and have not read this far, I marked it spoilers so no complaining lol

I knew going into the Dresden files after reading changes Harry was not really dead because with how changes ended and the next book being Ghost Story I knew that it had to do with Harry being a ghost so no surprise there. But in any case Harry is sent back as a ghost to the mortal realm to save his friends, or so he thinks anyway but finds himself unable to use his magical powers and he must re-learn how to use magic in his ghost form and spends his time running from the sun and haunting his friends.

Like so many Dresden books this is a non stop read that kept my interested constantly through the book. From demented insane wraiths, to canabalistic ghost, to soul eating our nemesis corpsetaker a demonic ghost that possesses wizards to gain power.

at one point the book did hint at Harry getting his body back so I expected that to happen but honestly not the way it actually did, I thought that he would somehow find his body, perhaps his friends retrieved it and he was put in cold storage or something and he basically repossesses his body and comes back to life, but that is not how it happened, after all he is the winter knight so it could not be that simple right?

anyway how it happens is awesome and I just loved this book all around, anything Dresden at this point is awesome! I look forward to the next one

good airplane reading

It's been quite a while since I had a true 'page turner'. Something you want to pick up, something you ignore all other obligations to get the last 30 pages done.

.

I really enjoyed “Ghost Story.” Butcher flipped so many elements of the series in this novel. My favorite part is that Harry had to consider how his actions affected the world he lives in. Many series lose traction after a while but not this one. Looking forward to the 14th Dresden File.

Really interesting twist in this book.

Things only came together for me at the last few chapters.

I am obsessed with the Dresden novels, and while I thought this book to be a unique continuation on the prior books in the series, I didn't feel like it had as much depth.

The beginning and ending of the book are what kept me from rating Ghost Stories even lower down the ranks. The simplicity with which the Corpsetaker was dealt away with was very surprising, given the amount of detail given such things. I only anticipate that it/she/him will be brought back later, but I wish there had been more closure to it's ending in this book. My favorite characters were all there (except for the minimal and lacking-depth mention of Thomas. Boo.), so I can't really hate on this book, just say it left me wanting more–and not in the typical way.

Jim Butcher is one of the very few authors writing actual consequences into their characters. If Dresden gets burned with fire, he deals with the scars emotionally and physically from there on. It adds a unique depth and interest to the books.

This book is all about consequences of decisions and the impacts on friends and families. Usually a soul searching book in a series is to be skipped, but this only adds to this one. Dresden finds himself as a ghost tasked with finding his killer. This takes him through all his friends and family and their damaged psyches.

Would recommend it for any fan of the series.

Did a re-read of this to remind myself of all the game changing events of this book before Cold Days. Wow. So devastating – both in plot and character.

Butcher's quipped in the past about how each book is about how much he can beat up Dresden – but honestly, he comes out of this one pretty unscathed – healthier (mentally/psychologically/spiritually and physically) than he's been in awhile. Meanwhile, Murphy, Butters, the Alphas..everyone is torn apart in almost every way possible. And Molly? Ack, that poor, poor, poor girl. Thomas? Almost impossible to get through that part of the book.

Even tho' this was a re-read, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, I kept boggling at just how far Butcher was willing to go to reshape this series (the subatomic level), and the emotional gut punches were as solid as they were the first time.

I was eagerly waiting for Cold Days, before, now? I'm tempted to camp out at UPS' front door rather than wait for delivery.

Executive Summary: After [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304027244s/6585201.jpg 6778696] this book almost had to be a let down. It's still enjoyable but not nearly as much. It does offer you some insights into the supporting cast that we haven't had until this point however.James Marsters Audio book: All is now right with the world. Or at least the Dresdenverse. They are “retiring” the John Glover version and releasing a new version read by James Marsters. I was lucky to get an early review copy.As expected it was waaay better. Anyone who was upset at the change can now get this new version and be content. This 3rd reread of the book was easily my favorite, and I'm sure that's largely thanks to James Marsters.John Glover Audio book: I sort of feel bad. John Glover seems like he could be a decent Narrator. He does a few voices. He's got a reasonable voice for Harry. But he's just not James Marsters. He doesn't put in the same passion. He doesn't yell out when Harry's casting magic. His voices all sound wrong. I wouldn't mind listening to him read another series, but not this one.Full ReviewThis book is pretty much impossible to review without major spoilers from [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304027244s/6585201.jpg 6778696], so if you're not up to this point of the series my review may not make a whole lot of sense. :)NOTE: All spoilers are for previous books in the series, not THIS one. I hate reviews that spoil the book and normally avoid spoilers of any kind in all of my reviews.So at the end of [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304027244s/6585201.jpg 6778696] Harry is dead. Or is he? I spent an agonizing year wondering just what the hell was going to happen next in the series.The result was a book that could be both frustrating and fun. I liked to see what everyone does with Harry out of the picture..It's also frustrating because Harry's been accumulating power as the series goes on but with him being dead, all of his powers are gone and we have to sit by with him and watch things go to hell without him being able to do anything.This does offer a chance for everyone to step up their games, and we learn a lot more about Mort whose only been a very minor and rarely used character to this point.The pace of the plot is still pretty fast, and the second half of the book is really good, but I found the first half to be be a bit slow/frustrating.Overall I think this is one of the weakest of the later book, but still much better than a few of the early ones. The main problem is, it really feels more like a transitional book after all the changes of well, [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304027244s/6585201.jpg 6778696].It's 3.5 for me, rounded up because I love this series.

funny. Dead detective (and magician) attempts to track down who killed him in Chicago. Is it silly? Don't ask that. Just read it.

This series just gets better and better with each book. Don't know how Butcher does it!

Exceptional. I had forgotten how good the Dresden Files could be, and didn't start this for a few days after its release. That was a mistake.

Surprises and Spoilers Contained Within



It's a story about a ghost.

SURPRISE!

The ghost of Harry Dresden.

SURPRISE!

You thought he would survive the assassin's bullet, didn't you?

SURPRISE!

You thought because he'd beaten the loup-garou and the skinwalker, battled the legions of heaven and hell, walked the paths of the Nevernever, annihilated the entire Red Court with a single spell, backtalked/sassed/gave lip and generally pissed off gods, goddesses, wizards, creepy little girls with vast amounts of knowledge, FBI agents, necromancers, the entire Chicago police department, hellhounds, mob bosses, queens, knights, priests, fairy godmothers, werewolves, medical examiners, wardens, valkyries, tv show hosts, enforcers, ectomancers, pub owners, and homicidal ex-girlfriends that he was somehow invincible?

Yeah. Me too.

Bummer.

“Here Lies Harry Dresden. He Died Doing the Right Thing.”

But a wizard's work is never done, not even after death. Harry couldn't get that lucky. After death, things really start to get interesting. That's part of Harry's curse; he lives (and dies, apparently) in interesting times.

I thought it would be impossible to top Changes, the previous novel in the Dresden Files series; it was just that good. So Jim Butcher didn't try. Instead of throwing punches and fists full of fire (Fuego!) to beat his last book, Butcher bobbed, he weaved, he faded out to the incorporeal. Topping Changes became a non-issue. A moot point. A ghost.

“He dodged it,” as my friend and fellow Dresden fan, Clint, so aptly put it.

He went in a totally different direction.

Awesome.

In order to get the most out of Ghost Story, I highly recommend reading Side Jobs, the collection of Dresden short stories published between Changes and Ghost Story. The last chapter, Aftermath, helps explain the developments since Harry's death and the appearance of the Formor. It's not a must, but it definitely clarifies a few things and sets up Ghost Story nicely. Plus the short stories are good, clean (except for “Love Hurts”, but it's a good kind of naughty) fun.

In Ghost Story, readers learn more about characters introduced in earlier novels, meet a few new characters, and explore the wounded depths of Harry's friends and frenemies after his death. Harry realizes the enormous impact his life, death, and afterlife has had on everyone around him, as well as the city that he calls home.

Harry may be dead, but don't write him off yet. It ain't over ‘til the valkyrie sings.

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Only Jim Butcher could kill his main character, bring him back as a ghost and still make him kick ass. I'm blown away every time; each book is better than the one before. AMAZING!