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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Death Masks. Dresden Files book five is the best book in the series so far. Yes, I know there are a lot more to come. Give me a chance, I’m a slow reader.
This instalment is non-stop from start to finish, but it never feels like it's too much. Some high paced books you start to feel you don’t have time to breathe. Butcher avoids that wee pitfall here with steady speed and never frantic speed. There are plenty of action breaks, giving the characters the chance to slow down for a bit, but there is always so much going on all around and in the background that even though the action takes a rest, your brain never really gets the chance to as you're constantly mentally juggling all the constant goings on.
We got to ride along with some old favourites in this book and were introduced to some exquisitely nasty and well-developed villains. I think I’d go so far as to say that the bad guys take centre stage in Death Masks, and rightly so. The personalities of these foes are beautifully three-dimensional and the visual descriptions Butcher provides are truly beautiful and harrowing. As a result, they outshine the good guys by a great deal and even make them feel a little bland.
What disappointed me, just a little. Come on, there’s always something. Johny Marcone’s participation. I just didn’t buy it. It just didn’t sit right with me. Obviously, I don’t want to give away plot points so you’ll just have to read it and tell me if you think it unbelievable or not.
This instalment is non-stop from start to finish, but it never feels like it's too much. Some high paced books you start to feel you don’t have time to breathe. Butcher avoids that wee pitfall here with steady speed and never frantic speed. There are plenty of action breaks, giving the characters the chance to slow down for a bit, but there is always so much going on all around and in the background that even though the action takes a rest, your brain never really gets the chance to as you're constantly mentally juggling all the constant goings on.
We got to ride along with some old favourites in this book and were introduced to some exquisitely nasty and well-developed villains. I think I’d go so far as to say that the bad guys take centre stage in Death Masks, and rightly so. The personalities of these foes are beautifully three-dimensional and the visual descriptions Butcher provides are truly beautiful and harrowing. As a result, they outshine the good guys by a great deal and even make them feel a little bland.
What disappointed me, just a little. Come on, there’s always something. Johny Marcone’s participation. I just didn’t buy it. It just didn’t sit right with me. Obviously, I don’t want to give away plot points so you’ll just have to read it and tell me if you think it unbelievable or not.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Torture
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Jim Butcher is slowly adding more groups of different “beings” each which has a history of interaction with other groups. He’s now gone beyond the usual categories (vampires, werewolves, fairies), although these have original subcategories. The other characters are getting rounded out (by mentioning which characters, I might be partially spoiling the plot since certain charters have appeared in earlier books). All of these are tied together with an unpredictable and quick moving plot. In the future, I hope that the point of view for the story narration goes beyond just Harry’s. I can see only continuing to read the books in order, considering how the world continues to be built. After a slow start with the first few volumes, the series has me hooked, although I will need to pace myself as I go through it.
Harry is having a really bad time of things. He is always interesting.
I feel that I can officially say that the series does in fact get better with time. But dear lord how much more of this can I take. At least Susan is super cool in this book, even if her tight leather pants are mentioned as often as possible.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated