BOOK REVIEW: Cold Days
Title: Cold Days
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files (Book 14- Holy crap, how is this series still this good?)
This review has spoilers for previous books in The Dresden Files, especially Changes. There are no spoilers for Cold Days
In order to save his daughter's life Harry Dresden did the unthinkable. He agreed to become Winter Knight, the Faerie Queen Mab's enforcer and hit man. Mab starts off his tenure by asking him to do the impossible: kill an immortal. Harry begins to dig into this new task, but the further he does, the more he realizes that the big, dangerous world around him is much bigger and more dangerous than he has ever suspected. But perhaps out of all the villains he must face, the most surprising one will be himself, for Winter Knight's mantle may come with tremendous power, but only at a great price.
When it comes to lengthily paranormal series, there's almost a rule that the longer they go, the more likely the reader is to see a general drop in quality, or perhaps a sub-par book or two. In many ways it's to be expected. Eventually, even the best authors have a misstep. But apparently, Jim Butcher didn't get that memo because while some books have been stronger than others, The Dresden Files is still running strong after fourteen books. At first, Cold Days can read like a back-to-the-basics for the Dresden Files. Yes, we're seeing Harry in a new role as Winter Knight, but the book is a lot more lighthearted and fun then the always tense Changes, or more introspective Ghost Story. But the further you get into the book the more you realize that Cold Days is not just more of the same, but a sign that the series is going in a bigger, more epic direction.
I remember picking up Storm Front several years ago. Although it didn't blow me away, I found it to be a fun little read. At the time, the biggest strength of the series was Harry's sense of humor. This is something that remains constant at book fourteen, as Harry's voice was once more the element that really drew me in at first (although the pop culture references were piled on a little thick this time around. Butcher, Harry's been dead, how up to date is he going to be on contemporary music?). Cold Days showcases another strength of the series, which is long term plotting and character development. With Cold Days, bad guys that have been lurking behind the series since the beginning of the series start to surface, which make me really excited to see where the series is planning on going next. It's also great to see how far certain characters have grown, such Molly from the scared rebellious teen, and Thomas from the rather ridiculous vampire, to much stronger and more memorable characters that appear in Cold Days. The one thing that really surprised me about Cold Days (besides the twists and turns) was the fact that there's actually a bit more romance this time then we're used to seeing. If you dislike paranormal romance, there's nothing for you to get nervous about here. Butcher still has nothing on the majority of paranormal writers out there, but it was interesting to see the question of Harry's romantic feelings dealt with a little more directly.
Final Thoughts: Cold Days is another exciting addition to the Dresden Files series. Filled with bombastic action sequences, worthwhile humor, and a touch more romance than you'd expect to find this series, Cold Days does a great job of raising the stakes and beginning to set up what I expect will be the villains for the remainder of the series. Cold Days ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, albeit not as a dramatic one as with Changes and Ghost Story, that has me really excites to see where the series is heading next. Four and a Half Stars
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files (Book 14- Holy crap, how is this series still this good?)
This review has spoilers for previous books in The Dresden Files, especially Changes. There are no spoilers for Cold Days
In order to save his daughter's life Harry Dresden did the unthinkable. He agreed to become Winter Knight, the Faerie Queen Mab's enforcer and hit man. Mab starts off his tenure by asking him to do the impossible: kill an immortal. Harry begins to dig into this new task, but the further he does, the more he realizes that the big, dangerous world around him is much bigger and more dangerous than he has ever suspected. But perhaps out of all the villains he must face, the most surprising one will be himself, for Winter Knight's mantle may come with tremendous power, but only at a great price.
When it comes to lengthily paranormal series, there's almost a rule that the longer they go, the more likely the reader is to see a general drop in quality, or perhaps a sub-par book or two. In many ways it's to be expected. Eventually, even the best authors have a misstep. But apparently, Jim Butcher didn't get that memo because while some books have been stronger than others, The Dresden Files is still running strong after fourteen books. At first, Cold Days can read like a back-to-the-basics for the Dresden Files. Yes, we're seeing Harry in a new role as Winter Knight, but the book is a lot more lighthearted and fun then the always tense Changes, or more introspective Ghost Story. But the further you get into the book the more you realize that Cold Days is not just more of the same, but a sign that the series is going in a bigger, more epic direction.
I remember picking up Storm Front several years ago. Although it didn't blow me away, I found it to be a fun little read. At the time, the biggest strength of the series was Harry's sense of humor. This is something that remains constant at book fourteen, as Harry's voice was once more the element that really drew me in at first (although the pop culture references were piled on a little thick this time around. Butcher, Harry's been dead, how up to date is he going to be on contemporary music?). Cold Days showcases another strength of the series, which is long term plotting and character development. With Cold Days, bad guys that have been lurking behind the series since the beginning of the series start to surface, which make me really excited to see where the series is planning on going next. It's also great to see how far certain characters have grown, such Molly from the scared rebellious teen, and Thomas from the rather ridiculous vampire, to much stronger and more memorable characters that appear in Cold Days. The one thing that really surprised me about Cold Days (besides the twists and turns) was the fact that there's actually a bit more romance this time then we're used to seeing. If you dislike paranormal romance, there's nothing for you to get nervous about here. Butcher still has nothing on the majority of paranormal writers out there, but it was interesting to see the question of Harry's romantic feelings dealt with a little more directly.
Final Thoughts: Cold Days is another exciting addition to the Dresden Files series. Filled with bombastic action sequences, worthwhile humor, and a touch more romance than you'd expect to find this series, Cold Days does a great job of raising the stakes and beginning to set up what I expect will be the villains for the remainder of the series. Cold Days ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, albeit not as a dramatic one as with Changes and Ghost Story, that has me really excites to see where the series is heading next. Four and a Half Stars