See, this is why we need half stars. This book right here.
This is not a five star book for me, but I liked it better than four stars, also, and feel weird rating it the same as other books I’ve rated four stars and enjoyed less. It is a perfect encapsulation of the 4.5 star book. So round up or down? Up or down? It is a terrible decision.
Don’t read on if you haven’t read through book twelve. Spoilers ahoy.
A little bit of the luster wore off this on re-read, so I’m feeling like maybe I should demote it down to four stars. A lot of my five star rounding up enthusiasm was the novelty of it. and that was still fun! I really like the perspective being dead gives Harry on his life and on the people in it. He does a lot of soul-searching here, and the book is actually a stealth flashback story, as Butcher’s idea of ghosts is that they are made of memories, and thus Harry has access to memories in a much more vivid and real way than he did in life. The focus on consequences here is also very satisfying. Not only for Harry, and the big decisions he’s made, but the little ones as well, how one small choice can ripple out, and with enough time passing, change things in a large way.
Some major character development on the Molly front, and Butters gets some nice action as well. Murphy doesn’t have a great time this book, as Harry’s death and the part she believes she played in it (as well as everything that happened before) are really messing with her head. It’s character development, but this book is Murphy’s dark night of the soul, just as Harry’s is, though we don’t get as clear a picture of her coming out of it as we do with him. Harry comes out of this book very clear on who he is, and who he’s not going to let Mab or anyone else make him be.
Actually, now that I’m typing it all out like that, I am going to leave the five stars. (ETA: Now that I’m posting this on CBR from Goodreads I’m lowering it down to four again). (But it’s still really 4.5.)
I totally agree on the half stars! This is probably a 4.5 for me too. I read it out of order, so probably good to re-read before the next book comes out. Whenever the heck that will be!
How did you read it out of order? I bet that was weird!
I worry for Jim Butcher. He hasn’t released a book in three years. That’s like ten years in normal people time. I visit the ispeacetalksoutyet.com website frequently. It is disheartening. I was vaguely hoping my decision to finally re-read this would push the universe into giving us a release date, but I fear my plan is failing. I only have two more books to re-read.
It seems to have worked with JK Rowling, though. I started re-reading Cormoran Strike in the hopes of the fourth one, and she finished it and it’ll probably be out later this year.
Come on, Jim Butcher! You can do it! I believe in you!
Yeah, it is worrying that the only thing coming out by him this year is a Harry Dresden short story collection – not exactly new material. He’s apparently doing a Reddit AMA on Friday the 1st of June to promote it – maybe more info will come out then?
Yeah, he was so reliable with new material for so long, it’s odd. It would be one thing if he got bored with Harry and was releasing in the new series but this silence was been weird.
I always think it’s worrying when prolific writers go silent. Hope he’s okay! Rothfuss and Lynch have both publically admitted their writing blocks have a lot to do with anxiety and depression. It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s is anxiety as well.
I didn’t know about that AMA, gonna have to check it out. Thanks, Malin! :)
@narfna I bought Cold Days without reading Side Jobs, which I had on mys shelf. Then, Skin Game came out and I hadn’t read anything after Changes. I read what I owned and ended with Side Jobs and THEN Ghost Story. LOL.
I thought Butcher got married and was taking a break from Harry? But did promise to return soon-ish. I hope he’s ramping up for more!
Well that seems like a good reason, but he’s been productive through marriage and a new baby before. Hope he’s okay!