I will refrain from comments on the story itself. I will say this however, Butcher keeps you occupied and reading. I am not much of a book reader, but I listened to the 10th book in the series, and then came back through the series reading. It took me about a week a book here in Afghanistan, considering work load and my inability to read fast this is pretty amazing. Things don't usually keep my attention, but Butcher draws you into the characters not just Dreseden, but everyone.

Great series great books.

Death Masks brings back the Red Court, McCoy, Knights of the Cross and introducing the Order of the Blackend Denarians and the Archive. As if Harry didn't have his own problems with Vampires, the council, and other assorted Characters, now he has to take on the Denarians. Great concept and perfect Enemys for the Knights of the Cross. Cant wait to see more of the Archive and the Denarians. Excellent read. Poor Harry, so many things to do and so little time

The author's writing style draws you in from the beginning and keeps a hold on you until the very last page. I wasn't able to put this book down! It flows nicely from one scene into the next and leaves you wondering what will happen. I often find myself wanting to know who is the antagonist by the time I hit the 6th chapter of the book and my husband hates telling me the ending! This particular novel didn't leave any mystery as to the antagonist like the other books in the series, though. The author revealed everyone from the beginning, but the ending is not without its surprises!

In this particular novel, Harry goes up against a scourge of demons, their leader being a man named Nicodemus, who is cunning, sly, and loves to trap his victims into making a choice that leaves them choosing between two evils. One particular example of this is when Nicodemus trapped Harry and told him to choose the coin (which would allow a demon to manipulate Harry for eternity) or death. Harry was lucky when a Knight of the Cross showed up and made Nicodemus an offer he couldn't refuse.

But it isn't all about the demons. Harry has to go up against the Red Court vampires again, one in particular named Ortega that challenges him to a duel. Harry is allowed to choose the weapon (a first choice and second choice since Ortega is allowed to decline the first choice if he so chooses, which he does). They wind up in a duel where the weapon is Will. To find out what happens, read the book! If you enjoy supernatural thrillers, you will not be disappointed.

The astonishing thing about Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series is that after 4 standout books, he just hits his stride with book 5, DEATH MASKS. The book opens with Harry Dresden nervously working a spell to suppress his magic as he waits to be interviewed on TV. Wizards and technology don't mix and Harry has to endure the TV host's scorn when he refuses to demonstrate magic. Then the host introduces the next guest. Harry recognizes the new arrival as an evil vampire lord. His concentration slips and he starts losing his temper...and accidentally trashes the TV studio. No other author could exhibit such a comic touch while putting his fictional hero in deadly peril.

As always the action is nonstop. But for the first time, Butcher allows us a glimpse of the inner Harry. Harry's ex-girlfriend is in town for the formal breakup. It's not going to work because she might give into her vampire tendencies and kill him. As Harry's character deepens, new philosophical depth creeps in to the other characters as well.

Other than that, Harry battles the full component of gangsters, vampires and deadly demons. The Vatican hires him to hunt for the stolen Shroud of Turin. The wisecracks never stop. Fabulous fantasy!

This was a well written novel by James Butcher. The plot was a little weak, but the characters were strong. I like the detail he creates about his villains. But saying that, I wonder if the chief and most powerful demon of the fallen would be willing to undertake this action. So the characters are interesting and exciting, but I question their motives and likelihood to commit the actions in this story. Additionally, the end of the novel has an interesting twist that affects the follwing novels. I liked this novel, but this series is starting to annoy me. I feel the individual strengths of the novels are declining while the overall series is very interesting.

This is the best analogy to describe how I feel about the series. These novels are like a 1 hr show on TV; they are good enough, but not great. People pay forty dollars a month for cable and don't expect anything really good to be produced. They want something entertaining and they want it to be good enough that they look forward to the next episode. That describes the majority of this series. When I read the first one, it was like a movie at a theater. People pay a premium to watch it in theaters because they expect it to be great. So these are good novels, but they don't live up to their predecessor.

There is always something new in this series; it keeps you fascinated. Knights of the Cross, The Shroud of Turin & a duel with a vampire are just some of things involved/happening in "Death Masks."

In my opinion, this is the best book in the series, so far. Unlike the first four books in the series, I never once found myself wondering if there weren't a better way to continue the story. Harry's life keeps getting more challenging, but he's getting better at dealing with those challenges, too. And Mr. Butcher has come up with some really interesting characters to go up against Harry that keep me wanting more.

This book is written really well, just like all the other Dresden Files books. It gets the imagination going and keeps it there!

These books are great! If you love science fiction you will love these books. The author is funny, witty and holds your interest from cover to cover. I ordered the complete set and read through it in a week! I hope they bring the television series back to SciFi. It is more entertaining a series that SciFi brought back, Dr. Who, or as I call it "the doctor's non habit forming sleep remedy"! I'm going to reread them soon since I enjoyed them so much! I'm sure there were things I missed on the first go around. I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.

Fans of Butcher, you know you'll like it. People looking at the series, this is where things really take off. Butcher excels at maintaining the pace of the various plot threads, bouncing around but still moving the story forward. The vampire war, his relationship with Susan, the ex-girlfriend turned paranormal warrior, and of course, the demonic foes that are almost invincible and plausibly appeal to Harry's darker side.

Having read thru White Night, I find that the first 4 books lay the groundwork and the subsequent entries all continue the development of Harry's character from immature rebel wizard to somebody that is going to have a major impact upon the wizard community. Along the way, Butcher has developed some great supporting characters.

Couldn't put it down from page one. Just as good as the other books. Can't wait to read the next one!

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).

Jim Butcher is a great writer. His Dresden Files series is as fresh at Book 5 as it was at Book 1. The books can stand on their own, but really flow beautifully when read in order. Death Masks contains references to religious articles (in particular, the Shroud of Turin)and religious faith, but manages to treat different ideaologies and beliefs with respect. You have to respect an author who can do that!

Death Masks (2003) is the fifth urban fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Summer Knight. In the previous volume, Elaine helped Harry reach the Table. The spell on Lily Unraveled. Meryl took out Talos and Toot-Toot had his pixies gang up on Aurora.

Dresden woke up in his own bed in a very clean apartment. The new Lady Summer had provided him with a Brownie cleaning crew and the new Summer Knight had fixed the Blue Beetle. Elaine kissed him on the cheek when she left.

In this novel, Harry is on the set of the Larry Fowler show, trying hard to suppress his magic. He had been trying to talk to Mortimer Lindquist and the psychic had insisted on meeting here. In a few minutes, they are going to be interviewed by Larry. Later two more mystery guests will join them.

Larry and the audience enjoy laughing at the guests's babble of seances and magic. During the break, Harry asks Mort about Susan and learns that she is definitely alive and has been in Peru. After the break, Larry introduces the other two guests. One of them is Duke Ortega of the Red Court vampires. Harry's control slips and his magical field takes down one of the TV cameras with a flash and smoke.

While the stage crew rolls off the defunct camera, Ortega tells Dresden that he has come to talk to him. Then the host conducts a little more discussion of the superstitious belief in magic. A second camera blows out and Ortega continues his conversation with Harry. He has come to face Harry in single combat. The suppression spell finally breaks down and the whole studio goes dark. Harry agrees to the challenge and then the emergency lights come on, but the fire alarms start whooping.

Outside the studio, the other mystery guest -- Father Vincent from the Vatican -- also wants to talk with Harry about a job. Father Forthill of Saint Mary of the Angels has referred him to Harry. As they walk toward the Blue Beetle, some gunman starts shooting at them with a silenced pistol.

Harry digs his shotgun out of the trunk and the gunman retreats, but still fires hid pistol in their direction. When that weapon runs out of shells, Harry hustles the priest into his car and putts out of the parking garage. On the way out, Harry notices several armed man and recognizes one as an enforcer for Johnny Marcone.

Father Vincent directs Harry to a motel near the airport and explains the case. The Shroud of Turin has been stolen and is probably in Chicago. Father Vincent wants Harry to find it.

In this story, Susan returns to Chicago with Martin, a coworker in the organization that Susan has joined. She has changed and is now strong enough to fight off a Red Court vampire. But she still has the Hunger and lusts after Harry. Of course, a really good wizard should be able to work around these difficulties.

Murphy calls and asks Harry to come to the Cook County Morgue. Murph introduces him to Waldo Butters and then they view a corpse without head or hands. The man had been found under a freeway overpass. Despite the horrible mutilations, he had apparently died of the Plague and other diseases. Harry examines the corpse more closely and finds a tattoo on the inside of the biceps.

As Harry is leaving the hospital, he encounters a bear-like thing and runs back toward down the alley. The thing chases him, but an old man steps out into its path and swings a katana at the beast. Then a young Russian joins the fray with a saber. Finally, a large man with a broadsword drops in and cuts off Ursiel's head.

Harry has been rescued by the Knights of the Cross, including his friend Michael Carpenter. The other two Knights -- Shiro Yoshimo and Sanya -- have come to Chicago to protect Harry from the Denarians, an order of Fallen Angels bound to thirty pieces of silver. The Denarians want Harry's soul and the Knights want him to drop the case to save himself.

This story takes Harry from the harbor to the downtown Marriott to Undertown to Wrigley Field to the O'Hare chapel. Then he gets to take a train ride. He finds himself fighting with vampires and the Fallen. Although the scenery is great, the creatures are really bad.

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of Fallen Angels, preternatural creatures, and a really stubborn wizard.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Death Masks (2003) is the fifth urban fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Summer Knight. In the previous volume, Elaine helped Harry reach the Table. The spell on Lily Unraveled. Meryl took out Talos and Toot-Toot had his pixies gang up on Aurora.



Dresden woke up in his own bed in a very clean apartment. The new Lady Summer had provided him with a Brownie cleaning crew and the new Summer Knight had fixed the Blue Beetle. Elaine kissed him on the cheek when she left.



In this novel, Harry is on the set of the Larry Fowler show, trying hard to suppress his magic. He had been trying to talk to Mortimer Lindquist and the psychic had insisted on meeting here. In a few minutes, they are going to be interviewed by Larry. Later two more mystery guests will join them.



Larry and the audience enjoy laughing at the guests's babble of seances and magic. During the break, Harry asks Mort about Susan and learns that she is definitely alive and has been in Peru. After the break, Larry introduces the other two guests. One of them is Duke Ortega of the Red Court vampires. Harry's control slips and his magical field takes down one of the TV cameras with a flash and smoke.



While the stage crew rolls off the defunct camera, Ortega tells Dresden that he has come to talk to him. Then the host conducts a little more discussion of the superstitious belief in magic. A second camera blows out and Ortega continues his conversation with Harry. He has come to face Harry in single combat. The suppression spell finally breaks down and the whole studio goes dark. Harry agrees to the challenge and then the emergency lights come on, but the fire alarms start whooping.



Outside the studio, the other mystery guest -- Father Vincent from the Vatican -- also wants to talk with Harry about a job. Father Forthill of Saint Mary of the Angels has referred him to Harry. As they walk toward the Blue Beetle, some gunman starts shooting at them with a silenced pistol.



Harry digs his shotgun out of the trunk and the gunman retreats, but still fires hid pistol in their direction. When that weapon runs out of shells, Harry hustles the priest into his car and putts out of the parking garage. On the way out, Harry notices several armed man and recognizes one as an enforcer for Johnny Marcone.



Father Vincent directs Harry to a motel near the airport and explains the case. The Shroud of Turin has been stolen and is probably in Chicago. Father Vincent wants Harry to find it.



In this story, Susan returns to Chicago with Martin, a coworker in the organization that Susan has joined. She has changed and is now strong enough to fight off a Red Court vampire. But she still has the Hunger and lusts after Harry. Of course, a really good wizard should be able to work around these difficulties.



Murphy calls and asks Harry to come to the Cook County Morgue. Murph introduces him to Waldo Butters and then they view a corpse without head or hands. The man had been found under a freeway overpass. Despite the horrible mutilations, he had apparently died of the Plague and other diseases. Harry examines the corpse more closely and finds a tattoo on the inside of the biceps.



As Harry is leaving the hospital, he encounters a bear-like thing and runs back toward down the alley. The thing chases him, but an old man steps out into its path and swings a katana at the beast. Then a young Russian joins the fray with a saber. Finally, a large man with a broadsword drops in and cuts off Ursiel's head.



Harry has been rescued by the Knights of the Cross, including his friend Michael Carpenter. The other two Knights -- Shiro Yoshimo and Sanya -- have come to Chicago to protect Harry from the Denarians, an order of Fallen Angels bound to thirty pieces of silver. The Denarians want Harry's soul and the Knights want him to drop the case to save himself.



This story takes Harry from the harbor to the downtown Marriott to Undertown to Wrigley Field to the O'Hare chapel. Then he gets to take a train ride. He finds himself fighting with vampires and the Fallen. Although the scenery is great, the creatures are really bad.



Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of Fallen Angels, preternatural creatures, and a really stubborn wizard.



-Arthur W. Jordin

Death Masks (2003) is the fifth urban fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Summer Knight. In the previous volume, Elaine helped Harry reach the Table. The spell on Lily Unraveled. Meryl took out Talos and Toot-Toot had his pixies gang up on Aurora.

Dresden woke up in his own bed in a very clean apartment. The new Lady Summer had provided him with a Brownie cleaning crew and the new Summer Knight had fixed the Blue Beetle. Elaine kissed him on the cheek when she left.

In this novel, Harry is on the set of the Larry Fowler show, trying hard to suppress his magic. He had been trying to talk to Mortimer Lindquist and the psychic had insisted on meeting here. In a few minutes, they are going to be interviewed by Larry. Later two more mystery guests will join them.

Larry and the audience enjoy laughing at the guests's babble of seances and magic. During the break, Harry asks Mort about Susan and learns that she is definitely alive and has been in Peru. After the break, Larry introduces the other two guests. One of them is Duke Ortega of the Red Court vampires. Harry's control slips and his magical field takes down one of the TV cameras with a flash and smoke.

While the stage crew rolls off the defunct camera, Ortega tells Dresden that he has come to talk to him. Then the host conducts a little more discussion of the superstitious belief in magic. A second camera blows out and Ortega continues his conversation with Harry. He has come to face Harry in single combat. The suppression spell finally breaks down and the whole studio goes dark. Harry agrees to the challenge and then the emergency lights come on, but the fire alarms start whooping.

Outside the studio, the other mystery guest -- Father Vincent from the Vatican -- also wants to talk with Harry about a job. Father Forthill of Saint Mary of the Angels has referred him to Harry. As they walk toward the Blue Beetle, some gunman starts shooting at them with a silenced pistol.

Harry digs his shotgun out of the trunk and the gunman retreats, but still fires hid pistol in their direction. When that weapon runs out of shells, Harry hustles the priest into his car and putts out of the parking garage. On the way out, Harry notices several armed man and recognizes one as an enforcer for Johnny Marcone.

Father Vincent directs Harry to a motel near the airport and explains the case. The Shroud of Turin has been stolen and is probably in Chicago. Father Vincent wants Harry to find it.

In this story, Susan returns to Chicago with Martin, a coworker in the organization that Susan has joined. She has changed and is now strong enough to fight off a Red Court vampire. But she still has the Hunger and lusts after Harry. Of course, a really good wizard should be able to work around these difficulties.

Murphy calls and asks Harry to come to the Cook County Morgue. Murph introduces him to Waldo Butters and then they view a corpse without head or hands. The man had been found under a freeway overpass. Despite the horrible mutilations, he had apparently died of the Plague and other diseases. Harry examines the corpse more closely and finds a tattoo on the inside of the biceps.

As Harry is leaving the hospital, he encounters a bear-like thing and runs back toward down the alley. The thing chases him, but an old man steps out into its path and swings a katana at the beast. Then a young Russian joins the fray with a saber. Finally, a large man with a broadsword drops in and cuts off Ursiel's head.

Harry has been rescued by the Knights of the Cross, including his friend Michael Carpenter. The other two Knights -- Shiro Yoshimo and Sanya -- have come to Chicago to protect Harry from the Denarians, an order of Fallen Angels bound to thirty pieces of silver. The Denarians want Harry's soul and the Knights want him to drop the case to save himself.

This story takes Harry from the harbor to the downtown Marriott to Undertown to Wrigley Field to the O'Hare chapel. Then he gets to take a train ride. He finds himself fighting with vampires and the Fallen. Although the scenery is great, the creatures are really bad.

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of Fallen Angels, preternatural creatures, and a really stubborn wizard.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Faster paced than Book 4 of "The Dresden Files", "Death Masks" seems to set Harry on a darker path. With the return of some favored characters from past books (Both Thomas and Michael appear), the plot moves along quickly as the mythology of the series as a whole develops a new facet.

The series as a whole seems to be more confident in its footing and to have greater direction in those earlier in the series...and it's still a fun ride.

It's been a long time since I've read a book this amazing. To be more specific, it was when I first read "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." That was seven years ago.

I forgot how good it feels to fall in love with a book.

Jim Butcher has managed to weave together everything I could possibly want from a story. His plot is well-paced, his hero is astoundingly witty, and his action scenes make me grip the pages of the book with sweaty fingers. There's beauty in every paragraph.

In "Death Masks," many of my favorite characters make a return, such as Michael (*finally*, a Christian character who is neither evil nor insane) and Thomas (how can anyone *not* love an ambiguous vampire?). We're also introduced to several new characters who are every bit as delightful as the protagonist himself. I even enjoyed the presense of some returning characters I did not like in previous books.

When I finally put "Death Masks" down, I sat in silence for several minutes, just thinking about what a great story I'd finished. Thank you, Jim Butcher.

Very good book, I read them all, the Dresden Files, with bated breath.
Linda Sheean

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.

This is Book # 5 from the Dresden Files series. This time out, Harry is up to his eyeballs in treachery, hidden agendas and those who hide their true identities.

He is hired to find the Shroud of Turin, which has been stolen from Italy and brought to the United States to be sold to a collector. Of course the collector is not a friend of Harry's, Mob Boss Marcone. Harry is being involved from several areas : The Red Court challenges him to a duel with one of their best Vampires, Susan is back in town to help out in any way she can, Three Knights get involved to help stop the sale of the Shroud. And there are those who want the Shroud for devious purposes, for personal gain, and for personal reasons.

Harry is torn from all directions; it's hard to tell the bad guys from the worse guys in this one. But our hero prevails, with a lot of help from his friends, and we find him tempted by a coin of the Denarians, and ancient group of bad souls who can wreck havoc everywhere they wish to go.

The Archive, herself a formable character, looks deceivingly like a child, but wields much knowledge and power over many groups of Good and Evil. I am hoping that she will make future appearances since she has so much to give to the stories.

In the end everyone goes their own way to lick their wounds and plot and plan for future mayhem coming to Chicago. The only winner this time out is Harry, who manages to hang onto his life, though the temptation of the Denarians will sit and stew for a time.

One of the best books in the series. Painful time for Harry but excellent read for us. A couple loose ends from prior books wrapped up and a nice new path for future books set up. Exciting page turner. I dont think I got more than four hours sleep any night I was reading this book as I could not put it down at night to go to bed.

Harry Dresden is an inspired character. Intelligent, humorous and sexy. One liners in this series will make you laugh until you wet yourself. Guaranteed! Even when you think of them a week later you will giggle madly.

Series keeps to rules of it's own world. Book after book, adventure after adventure it stays true. Each book stands beautifully on it's own and fits into series without flaw. Extremely well written and imaginative.
Fun, fun, fun.

Also check out the first three in series as audio books narrated by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Summer Knight is due as audio book soon as well.

If you have seen TV show but not yet read the books BRACE YOURSELF as you are in for a treat. Books are a million times better than the show.

Mr Butcher's _Harry Dresden_ books are like popcorn. You can't put it down and you can't get enough. See my review for the first one.

If you're a Dresden Files fan you'll like this book. The characters just keep becoming better developed as the books progress. I felt it kept my attention really well.

I was nerver really much into this type of book, till my good friend read one and recommended them. She liked them so much I read one and enjoyed the story line so well, I got the idea to buy her the set so I could borrow them to read! The set came in perfect conditon, quick deliver and on time for my friends birthday. Will check you out for future purchases!

Happy New Year!

Harry is pretty much the same in this episode of "The Dresden Files" -- in some ways very unlucky but manages to survive some very nasty characters primarily with the help of his good guy friend.

The Denarians are a great plot device and an introduction to a very interesting "bad guy".

Harry is very predictable but entertaining. It would be nice for Harry to not be complete thick when it comes to women. It would really help develop his character and make more sense for someone who is a fairly intelligent person.

Susan's development is quite interesting.

Characters: 3 of 5
Story: 4 of 5
Pacing: 4 of 5

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.

Well, this is the fifth book of the series and it still perfect. It is fantastic how Jim Butcher is able to keep the series on a so high level. He made only a mistake, in the book you are lead to believe that the language spoken in Brazil is Spanish. It is not, We speak Portuguese here, Spanish is not even our second language. Apart from that mistake, the book is flawless. I can't wait for the next book and I really hope Jim Butcher will keep the series as it is.

Shroud Remarks

I only recently noticed that I had missed the release of the latest in Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, and quickly moved to correct my error. Dresden is a wizard after my own heart - trying to make a living in modern Chicago, and a bit too honest to do anything but scrape by. Armed with a wand, a few special charms, and a flower covered ancient Volkswagen Beetle, Harry is always ready to take on a task completely beyond his capabilities.

This time he has his choice of menaces. Having triggered a war between the Wizard's Council and the vampire's Red Court in the last volume, Harry continues to be in desperate straights. Duke Ortega of the Red Court has proposed a way to end the war - a duel between him and Harry. Needless to say, Ortega has no intention of losing, and Harry will need more that a few incantations to survive.

More of a surprise, though, is the appearance of Father Vincent, a papal agent with an assignment for Harry. The Shroud of Turin has vanished - stolen and brought to the USA and, while they have more than an inkling of who the thief was, it will take Harry to track it down. The bad news is that the Shroud attracts all kind of attention, from everyone from mafia bosses to fallen angels. And they all want Harry's skin. The good news is that Harry will get paid for the work, and the rent is due. Or he will die in the attempt and won't need to pay rent ever again.

There is more. Harry's ex-girlfriend and recovering vampire snack Susan is back in town, the police are looking for a murderer who collects parts, and the Knights of the Cross are there to lend a hand. Total madness wherever you look, and Harry is in the middle of it, bad attitude and all.

Butcher has created a series that is a refreshing change from the usual pseudo-medieval magick tale. Harry is up to date, listens to good music, and, when he can afford it, even dresses fairly well. Or he would if people would stop stealing his clothes. He alternates between wisecracks, a love for money, and a set of ethics that keep getting in his way. And you can't help but like a guy whose closest friend lives in a skull.

Even though there is continuity between the five books in the series, each still can stand on its own. It you like fantasy but are tired of the usual enchanted princess genre try a dip in the Dresden files. You won't be disappointed.

I consider myself quite lucky, in retrospect, that there were already five books available in this series by the time I started reading. I cannot remember the last time I devoured a series as quickly or with as much enjoyment as this one. Butcher has really done an exceptional job in creating this world and these characters. He started off with one of the best first novels I've read and has only gotten better with each installment. I have literally laughed, cried, and cheered while reading these books, and that is something that is not entirely common with me (though I'll admit to being a sap and something of an easy target for the tearjerk effect).

One reader commented that this installment left many things unresolved, and this is true to a point. Actually, the majority of the major plot points were dealt with quite nicely (far more neatly, in fact, than any writer so new to the craft has any right being able to accomplish). There were a number of threads left dangling, but only insomuch as was necessary in order to bring these elements into play in later episodes. Also, the reviewer who noted that there was a statement about the Jews being responsible for Jesus' death was not entirely accurate. There is a referrence to Barrabus who was freed by the Jews despite the fact that Pilate had wanted them to free Jesus. If Butcher deserves to have all but one star stripped from a rating for accurately reporting an event that was already written of in a much more widely published book (I don't have to explain that one, do I?), then we have a problem here. This was in no way intended as anti-semitic, and I thought it was actually rather neatly in keeping with the rest of the storyline. By the way, just for the record I am not Jewish but I am not Christian either. Frankly I think both sides of this particular debate ("The Jews killed Jesus!", "No they didn't!") are rather silly. But that's just me...

Anyway, as for this book I was more than pleased. Somehow Butcher keeps making each one better than the last, and I'm keen to see if he can keep up the trend. Only problem is that I've run out of books and now have to wait for him to publish the next one. Either I'll have to slow down my reading speed, or else Jim has to start typing a hell of a lot faster. In the meanwhile, get Peter Jackson on the phone. I've got an idea for his next big movie series... :)

Harry Dresden's latest adventure builds upon the previous for books in Jim Butcher's series about Chicago's only practicing wizard.
In Death Masks, Harry must duel the vampire Ortega, find the missing Shroud of Turin, battle against foes both supernatural and mortal, and deal with the return of his girlfriend Susan. The fact that she's now a half-vampire and part of a secret Brotherhood makes things complicated. Butcher introduces some new nasties in the Denarians, associates of the Fallen, who gain power and corruption by possessing the thirty coins of Judas. The main thrust of the story is the search for the stolen Shroud of Turin, and trying to figure out the purpose of its theft. Butcher also throws in Gentleman John Marcone, Chicago's crime boss for good measure. Luckily Harry has help from the Holy Knights and his friend, Michael Carpenter, plus Susan with her newly suped up powers.

The story is well-paced, the action well-orchestrated, and the threads of the plot are laced together deftly. Butcher obviously takes time to piece together his stories, drawing on twists of religious history and the occult, and building on events from the previous books. Harry's world is increasingly complex, and he continues to grow as a character. I like the storyline remains interesting, and the author is having fun creating this universe.

I still find it tough to swallow when Harry always seems to be at the center of all things, as if the entire supernatural world revolves around him. Why do all of these creatures seek him out? Where the heck are all of the other wizards all of the time? There was an interesting moment toward the end with Marcone as less than adversary, but Harry seems to try to irritate people.
Finally, I didn't get a feeling of resolution with very many of the plot points. This was just a bridge to the next story in the series. But hey, I'm still hooked.

I've enjoyed Harry Dresden from the first, and with this book the series just keeps getting better.

Harry has to fight his way through a world filled with magic wonder and dark, dark demons. His power is in his magic, but also in his heart.

Great mix of fun, excitement, danger, lots of narrow escapes, a little romance, plot twists, and FUEGO shooting out of Harry's blasting rod.