Nothing better than a Harry Dresden novel narrated by Jim Marsters. Well, there are better things, but as audio books go, this is the top end. Love that man’s voice. And Dresden Files stories – well – Jim Butcher just keeps hitting them out of the park.
Ok so first things first : if you have never read a Harry Dresden book before, well this is probably not where you want to start. There are like…15 of them. Seriously …go get Storm Front. That’s the first book in the HD series and you should start there. Go now, we will still be here when you get back. These are really not standalone books. Yeah I guess they could be, but you would miss out on so much of the world that Jim Butcher has created that you would be cheating yourself of some serious fun. So don’t do that.
This one, to be fair, started a little slow. I haven’t been so crazy about Harry’s latest incarnation as “Mab’s Winter Knight”, so it took me a while to warm up to the plot. However, once I did (only a couple of very short chapters in) it was full throttle, let’s get this baby going, I can’t put you down (ok it’s an audio book so the reality is that I kept finding excuses to listen, long drives, working out at the gym, etc).
“Skin Game” is basically a heist story – bunch of semi-disreputable characters pulled together by the excessively evil “Nicodemus the Denarian” (posessed by a fallen Angel) with the job of breaking into the vault of Hades and stealing….well should I tell you what they are going to steal? Would that be a Spoiler? Don’t want those. So you are going to have to find out for yourself. Harry is part of the gang because Mab owes Nic a favor and Harry gets to pay it back and …well …shenanigans ensue.
Murphy is back, so is the “good man” Michael Carpenter and… Butters! and Molly! and Mouse! and Johnny Marcone with his “eyes the color of old dollar bills”….and even Bob the Skull.
The book is definitely a rollercoaster – a bit slow to start up but….whoa! There is that first scary drop and you are off! Lots of twists and turns and rolls and …I was sad when it ended as I always am with Harry Dresden Books .
When’s the next one Mr Butcher?
I am sure this is a great book to read, but listening to James Marsters do the voices…especially the Cockney Brits (Oh Spike, it’s you!) is such a treasure. James Marsters IS Harry Dresden .
I absolutely agree. Harry Dresden and James Marsters are now inextricably linked in my head. I must admit, I started this in audio, and then had to get a copy and read ahead, because even at 1.5 speed in my Audible app, it wasn’t moving fast enough. But I’m already looking forward to going back and re-listening to the whole thing. Because Marsters is so good! I think I love him more for this than for Spike, and that’s saying something.