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agreenward's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jester246's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
pivany's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
beachybookstack's review against another edition
4.0
Damn, that was a lot of bad stacked up against him. Butcher continues to make these novels unfold from impossible odds & multiple uh-ohs to great escapes & me yelling "WHAT" at my audiobook during my commute. The addition of Kringle made me laugh, it's just absurd enough. Sort of like a d&d cameo. Other past character connections felt like appropriate pulls to move the story forward, especially the Wild Hunt.
Changes are coming once again for the Dresden team. I'd still like an answer on what the hell the Mac is....
Changes are coming once again for the Dresden team. I'd still like an answer on what the hell the Mac is....
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
5.0
This review will have spoilers from last book, so make sure to be caught up before reading any further.
hirvimaki's review against another edition
5.0
Brushing up on the Dresden files in anticipation of Peace Talks! Squeeee!
wouterk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Brrrrr, Cold Days indeed! But at least he's alive again. Harry recovers from being (near) dead at Mab's place. After his recovery, as the Winter Knight, Harry gets a very hard and near impossible assignment...and of course...being from Faerie the quest is not what it seems and in the background a lot of stuff is happening that is even more dangerous.
It is absurd how Jim Butcher keeps me entertained even though the story sounds formulaic. It is not, somehow. I do not believe it myself. But the intrige in Winter Court is amazing, Mother Summer and Mother Winter make their return and we dig deeper into the mysteries that really threaten the world. We delve into the secrets of Demon Reach and we learn a lot more about the Gate Keeper, the most mysterious wizard on the Senior Council.
I can only say, enjoy the ride. By now if you're at this point in the series, you're going to read it anyway, and if you have already read it, I'm not going to tell you anything new. So this is just me gushing. I loved this book!
It is absurd how Jim Butcher keeps me entertained even though the story sounds formulaic. It is not, somehow. I do not believe it myself. But the intrige in Winter Court is amazing, Mother Summer and Mother Winter make their return and we dig deeper into the mysteries that really threaten the world. We delve into the secrets of Demon Reach and we learn a lot more about the Gate Keeper, the most mysterious wizard on the Senior Council.
I can only say, enjoy the ride. By now if you're at this point in the series, you're going to read it anyway, and if you have already read it, I'm not going to tell you anything new. So this is just me gushing. I loved this book!
varghoss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Fourteenth in the Dresden Files urban fantasy series based in Chicago and revolving around Maeve's new Winter Knight. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of The Dresden Files books on my website.
My Take
This was cold to read, and it didn't feel like Butcher's writing. Although, Harry is Mab's Winter Knight, and twelve hours in, he's already feeling the cruelty of the Winter mantle sinking into him, so perhaps the chill to the words is intended.
This one is so sad in so many ways. No one has a chance of winning. Becoming the Winter Knight has more traps than a beaver dam in the Old West as Harry discovers when his personality begins to devolve. Friends react different than he expected, and most of them are angry to some degree. His true friends are still here, but there's a reticence now.
Okay, I did appreciate Bob's story about the truth behind how we celebrate Halloween. Although the list of former Winter Knights...eeek! It is not looking good for Harry's future.
Titania's general outlook makes perfect sense, and I find it hard to condemn her for her particular anger. BUT, she needs to cut Harry more slack. As for Mab, well I never thought of her and reason, logic, and calculation as occupying the same mind.
Phew, events in Cold Days are digging Harry in deeper, making Butcher's Dresden-world even more of a nightmare than ever.
You really can't miss this installmen — it holds a number of critical changes as well as an abject lesson in adhering to Winter law.
The Story
Harry Dresden died in Changes, but he's just too hard to kill as Mab learns as she tries, on a daily basis, to kill him again while he's undergoing physical therapy in the Winter Court.
It's an impossible situation with layers upon layers of plans and traps with betrayals galore and contagion lying in wait.
The Characters
Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire as a private investigator. Well, he was. Now he's the Winter Knight for Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the Winter Lady. Lloyd Slate was the previous knight whom Harry dispatched. A very bad man. Maggie is Harry's daughter; she's living with Michael Carpenter and family these days as is Mouse, a Tibetan temple supernatural dog.
Major General Toot-toot of the Sir Za Winter Lord Knight's Guard and his troops are driving the hearse that Sith arranges for Harry. Little Folk bribed with pizza. Hey, it'd work for me!
Sarissa is Harry's "nurse" and Maeve's twin. Sith is a malk and the Cat Sith, a very powerful, albeit snarky, one, assigned by Mab to aid Harry. Maeve, a.k.a., Darth Barbie, is Mab's daughter and suddenly friendly with Lily, the Summer Queen (Titania is the Summer Lady of Faerie). Leanansidhe is fey and Harry's godmother. She still has to be paid... She's also been working with Molly. Fix is the Summer Knight. Mother Winter shares a house with Mother Summer, night and day in terms of temperament.
The attendees at Harry's birthday part include Eldest Gruff, a powerful goat; the Erlking, a.k.a., Lord Herne; Kringle; the Redcap, who is one of Maeve's and wears a Cincinnati cap; and, a rawhead and an ogre, allies of the Redcap. Ace is part of their little team. Hook, a.k.a., Lacuna, is one of the tough enemy small fey who attack.
Molly Carpenter, a.k.a., Grasshopper, was Harry's apprentice when he was alive. Now, she has a snazzy new apartment in a very secure building. Thomas is Harry's brother, a vampire of the White Court. Justine is still with him. Karrin Murphy was a cop with the Chicago PD. Waldo Butters is another friend of Harry's, and the keeper of Bob the Skull. Andi, one of the werewolves, appears to be living with Butters. Ebenezar is Harry's grandfather; Maggie LeFey had been Harry's mother. Mike Atagi is the mechanic Mr. Etri, the svartalve who owns Molly's building, uses; he's also Harry's old mechanic.
Lara is Thomas' half-sister, a vampire, and the power behind the throne of the White Court. John Marcone is the crime lord of Chicago who built a castle over Harry's old building. He's "also the first mortal to sign on to the Unseelie Accords...and he's the baron of Chicago". Donar Vadderung is CEO of Monoc Securities. Mac owns McAnally's pub, a neutral territory for the fey.
Demonreach is an unfindable island in Lake Michigan off Chicago's shores. It's where Harry did his initial recovery. Turns out it's a lot more than a simple island no one can see, but its overseer as well, and it confirms Harry is a warden.
The White Council is supposed to be the good wizards. Ramirez is one of the wizards Harry likes and who should be hunting down Molly. Rashid is "a member of the Senior Council of the White Council of the Wizards", and the Gatekeeper of the Outer Gates on the outer boundaries of Winter.
The Paranet is still operating, keeping everyone informed of Fomorian moves. Outsiders are, well, from outside our dimension, using psychic powers to attack.
The Cover
The cover is as chilly as the story with snow swirling around a be-hatted, full-length-coat-wearing wizard/knight cocking a Winchester as he stands in the midst of swirling snow on a spooky city street. It's all blues, greys, and black — it's enough to chill out your heart.
The title is the truth. These are some Cold Days in so many ways for Harry Dresden.
My Take
This was cold to read, and it didn't feel like Butcher's writing. Although, Harry is Mab's Winter Knight, and twelve hours in, he's already feeling the cruelty of the Winter mantle sinking into him, so perhaps the chill to the words is intended.
This one is so sad in so many ways. No one has a chance of winning. Becoming the Winter Knight has more traps than a beaver dam in the Old West as Harry discovers when his personality begins to devolve. Friends react different than he expected, and most of them are angry to some degree. His true friends are still here, but there's a reticence now.
Okay, I did appreciate Bob's story about the truth behind how we celebrate Halloween. Although the list of former Winter Knights...eeek! It is not looking good for Harry's future.
Ooh, I want one of those Raith contingency cards..!In typical Dresden-fashion, there's all the bantering and snark — you'll crack up to Charlie Brown and Lucy, Star Wars, Ming the Merciless, Santa, Norse mythical beings, Girl Scouts, James Bond, a nod to Scotty of Star Trek… Bright bits of laughter in between the seeming hopelessness of it all. It always amazes me how deeply in trouble Harry can sink, and yet, he always manages to come out on top. That Butcher is just twisted!
Titania's general outlook makes perfect sense, and I find it hard to condemn her for her particular anger. BUT, she needs to cut Harry more slack. As for Mab, well I never thought of her and reason, logic, and calculation as occupying the same mind.
Phew, events in Cold Days are digging Harry in deeper, making Butcher's Dresden-world even more of a nightmare than ever.
You really can't miss this installmen — it holds a number of critical changes as well as an abject lesson in adhering to Winter law.
The Story
Harry Dresden died in Changes, but he's just too hard to kill as Mab learns as she tries, on a daily basis, to kill him again while he's undergoing physical therapy in the Winter Court.
It's an impossible situation with layers upon layers of plans and traps with betrayals galore and contagion lying in wait.
The Characters
Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire as a private investigator. Well, he was. Now he's the Winter Knight for Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the Winter Lady. Lloyd Slate was the previous knight whom Harry dispatched. A very bad man. Maggie is Harry's daughter; she's living with Michael Carpenter and family these days as is Mouse, a Tibetan temple supernatural dog.
Major General Toot-toot of the Sir Za Winter Lord Knight's Guard and his troops are driving the hearse that Sith arranges for Harry. Little Folk bribed with pizza. Hey, it'd work for me!
Sarissa is Harry's "nurse" and Maeve's twin. Sith is a malk and the Cat Sith, a very powerful, albeit snarky, one, assigned by Mab to aid Harry. Maeve, a.k.a., Darth Barbie, is Mab's daughter and suddenly friendly with Lily, the Summer Queen (Titania is the Summer Lady of Faerie). Leanansidhe is fey and Harry's godmother. She still has to be paid... She's also been working with Molly. Fix is the Summer Knight. Mother Winter shares a house with Mother Summer, night and day in terms of temperament.
The attendees at Harry's birthday part include Eldest Gruff, a powerful goat; the Erlking, a.k.a., Lord Herne; Kringle; the Redcap, who is one of Maeve's and wears a Cincinnati cap; and, a rawhead and an ogre, allies of the Redcap. Ace is part of their little team. Hook, a.k.a., Lacuna, is one of the tough enemy small fey who attack.
Molly Carpenter, a.k.a., Grasshopper, was Harry's apprentice when he was alive. Now, she has a snazzy new apartment in a very secure building. Thomas is Harry's brother, a vampire of the White Court. Justine is still with him. Karrin Murphy was a cop with the Chicago PD. Waldo Butters is another friend of Harry's, and the keeper of Bob the Skull. Andi, one of the werewolves, appears to be living with Butters. Ebenezar is Harry's grandfather; Maggie LeFey had been Harry's mother. Mike Atagi is the mechanic Mr. Etri, the svartalve who owns Molly's building, uses; he's also Harry's old mechanic.
Lara is Thomas' half-sister, a vampire, and the power behind the throne of the White Court. John Marcone is the crime lord of Chicago who built a castle over Harry's old building. He's "also the first mortal to sign on to the Unseelie Accords...and he's the baron of Chicago". Donar Vadderung is CEO of Monoc Securities. Mac owns McAnally's pub, a neutral territory for the fey.
Demonreach is an unfindable island in Lake Michigan off Chicago's shores. It's where Harry did his initial recovery. Turns out it's a lot more than a simple island no one can see, but its overseer as well, and it confirms Harry is a warden.
The White Council is supposed to be the good wizards. Ramirez is one of the wizards Harry likes and who should be hunting down Molly. Rashid is "a member of the Senior Council of the White Council of the Wizards", and the Gatekeeper of the Outer Gates on the outer boundaries of Winter.
The Paranet is still operating, keeping everyone informed of Fomorian moves. Outsiders are, well, from outside our dimension, using psychic powers to attack.
The Cover
The cover is as chilly as the story with snow swirling around a be-hatted, full-length-coat-wearing wizard/knight cocking a Winchester as he stands in the midst of swirling snow on a spooky city street. It's all blues, greys, and black — it's enough to chill out your heart.
The title is the truth. These are some Cold Days in so many ways for Harry Dresden.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 scary ass bitches (fine, there are more than that...)