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Ghost Story (The Dresden Files #13)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 · rating details · 25,200 ratings · 2,207 reviews

When an unknown someone shoots him and leaves him to die, Harry Dresden hopes he might be heading to a better place. Unfortunately, being dead doesn't make Harry's life any easier.
Trapped between life and death, he learns that his friends are in serious trouble. Only by finding his murderer can he save his friends and move on--a feat which would be a lot easier if he had...more

ebook, 496 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Roc

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Nov 21, 2012 Callista rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery-contemp-american, four-star-novels, read-more-than-once, werecreatures, kick-six-heroines

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Re-read: November, 2012

First read: 26-30 July, 2011.
4 ½ stars. A few unnecessary repetitions and a couple of over-the-top things kept it from being a 5-star book.
Obviously, someone who's read this far in the series is a fan. For anyone unfamiliar with Dresden, this is not the book to start with. There are lots of fascinating, cool, poignant, and funny things about this book I could go on and on about, but if you've read the book, you already know about them. I've put a spoiler-cloak on this beca...more Re-read: November, 2012

First read: 26-30 July, 2011.
4 ½ stars. A few unnecessary repetitions and a couple of over-the-top things kept it from being a 5-star book.
Obviously, someone who's read this far in the series is a fan. For anyone unfamiliar with Dresden, this is not the book to start with. There are lots of fascinating, cool, poignant, and funny things about this book I could go on and on about, but if you've read the book, you already know about them. I've put a spoiler-cloak on this because of the one major plot point I am going to mention, just in case someone who isn't up to speed yet is surfing reviews.
Butcher didn't disappoint me. While the "mostly dead" plot is a bit of a cheap shot, it's crafted well here. I kept turning the pages, eager to see how it would all turn out and sometimes wondering if Butcher really was going to sucker punch us, after all. As I (and, no doubt, tons of other fans) always suspected, Butcher could not let the plotline of Harry becoming Winter Knight go to waste. I figured either Lea or Mab would save Harry, and it turned out to be Mab. The why of Harry's shooting, however, turned out to be much more amazing than the who or the how.
It was great to see so many recurring characters again, interacting in new ways. In particular, Molly, Murphy, and Butters had me both impressed and worried.
Butcher has such a way with the narrative voice. After 13 novels, 1 book of short stories, and a graphic novel, it's almost as if Harry is someone I know, talking to me. He is one of my all-time favourite fictional characters now--flawed, noble, sweet, goofy, damaged, angry, funny, clever, complex. I really enjoyed the backstory in this one, about Harry's childhood and teenage years. All the humour and pop culture references are so much fun for us SFF geeks, too, on top of Butcher's clever use of various aspects of legend and myth.
The Dresdenverse has become a much different place since the events of Changes, and there is a lot of potential for fascinating new plots. I look forward to continuing the journey.
I'm also going to re-read Changes and Ghost Story back-to-back to look closely at how they fit together before the release of the next book.

On the second reading (6-21 November, 2012), I've decided it's a 4 star--not 4 1/2--read, due the excess of ruminations that slow the first half down a bit and a certain problem solution that doesn't make sense. Still enjoyed it overall, though, and I do think Changes and Ghost Story flow together well.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-uf, available-at-library, available-audio-library, owned-kindle, favorite-authors, requested-audio-library, favorites

I love Harry. I love Bob. I love Molly. I love the new and improved Butters. I loved seeing Daniel Carpenter. I love this series. It just is such a comfort read for me. I had forgotten how much I love this series until I started to read this book. The mystery and quest were interesting and unlike much urban fantasy, it was unique – nothing I have read before. Maybe a little of Harry Potter, but I am okay with that. One of the things that is so fantastic about this series is that there are conseq...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Six months after his death, Harry Dresden returns to Chicago to solve his own murder. Can he keep his friends safe in the process?

I've got a lot to say about this. I'll cover the good points first.

The Good: Having a ghost come back to solve his own murder isn't a new idea but Butcher did a fairly good job with it here. The supporting cast, Molly in particular, developed quite a bit in Harry's absence. The new character of Fitz has potential, as does Mortimer, who I don't particularly remember. T...more Six months after his death, Harry Dresden returns to Chicago to solve his own murder. Can he keep his friends safe in the process?

I've got a lot to say about this. I'll cover the good points first.

The Good: Having a ghost come back to solve his own murder isn't a new idea but Butcher did a fairly good job with it here. The supporting cast, Molly in particular, developed quite a bit in Harry's absence. The new character of Fitz has potential, as does Mortimer, who I don't particularly remember. The intrigue with the faerie court is always a plus.

The Bad: I just can't stand Harry Dresden any more. He's like that friend you thought was hilarious in the sixth grade but wanted to strangle by the time you got out of high school. He's an unfunny smart ass with a "funny" quip for every situation. Worse yet, 70% of the characters in the series talk just like him. His Star Wars references are really tired and he's had no significant character development since the series began.

(view spoiler)

The Ugly: There comes a time in many relationships to call it quits. Harry Dresden, for us, that day is today. There was a time when the release of a new Harry Dresden book excited me like a pedophile at a pre-teen beauty pageant. I'd snap up the newest book and go after it like Amy Winehouse and a vial of crack. But those days are long gone. I've been going through the motions for the last couple of books and it just isn't working for me anymore. I keep hoping things will get better but they don't. The tediousness continues and I'm ready to move on. (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Ranting Dragon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: garrett, favorites

http://www.rantingdragon.com/ghost-st...

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has been a lot of things in his life: friend, enemy, apprentice, teacher, guardian, avenger, victim, and lover; not to mention shot, stabbed, bruised, and beaten. But dead? That’s a new one in his book.

When an unknown killer puts a bullet through Harry’s chest and leaves him to die in the cold waters of Lake Michigan, Harry thinks it’s all over. But even dead, he can’t seem to catch...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, urban-fantasy, action

Okay...so I'm a Dresden junkie. I got the book yesterday and finished it (this time LOL) at 1:30 this morning.

The book picks up pretty much as the last book ends and.....****************** NOTE: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE LAST BOOK, CHANGES. I WILL BE ASSUMING THAT IF YOU ARE READING GHOST STORY YOU HAVE READ CHANGES...........

Okay, as I was saying, the book picks up pretty much as the last book (Changes) ends, though time doesn't run in death as it does here.

Don't ask me, I don't...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Archer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, books-that-bleed-awesome, comedy, fantasy, thriller, urban-fantasy, easy-read, fiction, horror, not-bad

Well, hi there my fellow bookworms.

Let me begin by saying just one little thing about this book (hell about this series as a whole) I FUCKING LOVE THE DRESDEN FILES. Seriously, they are probably my favourite series of novels FUCKING EVER! Yes I like the Harry Potter books, hell I even enjoyed the Lincoln Rhyme novels by Jeffry Deaver, I'll even admit (because we're all readers) that I love the Narnia books, The Vampire Chronicles and the Artemis Fowl series, but none of them are as real, as enth...more Well, hi there my fellow bookworms.

Let me begin by saying just one little thing about this book (hell about this series as a whole) I FUCKING LOVE THE DRESDEN FILES. Seriously, they are probably my favourite series of novels FUCKING EVER! Yes I like the Harry Potter books, hell I even enjoyed the Lincoln Rhyme novels by Jeffry Deaver, I'll even admit (because we're all readers) that I love the Narnia books, The Vampire Chronicles and the Artemis Fowl series, but none of them are as real, as enthralling, as deeply riveting, as addictive and as stunning as Jim Butchers debut characters case files.

Ghost Story marks novel 13 of the series. Few modern series can boast that number, nor the cult following and growth of fans that Dresden has gained in the past 10 years, and now that my nerding has been completed and there is a huge mess on the floor...

Ghost Story is exactly what it sounds like, it's a ghost story... but not any ordinary one. That wouldn't be Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden’s style, oh no, this is a ghost story from the ghost’s perspective. Harry’s shade is flung into the fray once more, having to race around Chicago to find his killer and ultimately save the day.

Alas, however, Dresden finds himself with no tangible means of interacting with the physical world and without his magic to boot… but I’ll stop there for this is bordering on spoiler territory and I can’t be bothered with the effort of doing the collapsible spoiler alert coding.

Needless to say, in true Butcher style, this is a tale woven of a fast paced narrative, sarcastic tone, page turning revelations and adrenaline pumping action! (Of course this is action of a wizardly nature, but you know, adult… none of that PG rated J.K. stuff here) With plenty of fire, raw force of Will, some explosives, a P-90, a trainee warrior, a smattering of Viking, faeries, a Nazi S.S. spirit of knowledge, a veritable army of psychotic ghosts, the usual talking skull and three big assed wolves this novel has just about every base covered for geeks of every flavour.

I admit, unlike some of the other novels in the series, to fully understand it you need to read Changes (which is a genius piece of Urban Fantasy). But with the storyline essentially continuing on, in Dresden’s perspective, straight from where the previous installment left off, I’d say it is well worth finding Changes and reading that first.

I know this review is me essentially gushing over this book but IMHO it is worthy of everything I have said. It is a truly enthralling and engrossing read, it has the expected Dresden Files twist and turns and metaphysical philosophy in the guise of thought provoking and laugh out loud funny pop culture references and I recommend this entire series from Storm Front up until this, to anyone who is looking for a detective series with a difference.

Happy reading and please… don’t slip in the ectoplasm

description

Archer OUT!
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Jan 21, 2013 Jill Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I just finished Ghost Story, the latest installment in the Dresden Files – probably my favorite sci-fi/fantasy series of all time. And I have to say: wow. Yet again, wow. How on earth Butcher manages to keep coming up with long, involved, original, interconnected-yet-never-derivate plots is utterly beyond me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Harry Dresden and his fabulous world, let me start off with a few basic facts:

- Harry is the only professional wizard in Chicago
- His closest/olde...more So I just finished Ghost Story, the latest installment in the Dresden Files – probably my favorite sci-fi/fantasy series of all time. And I have to say: wow. Yet again, wow. How on earth Butcher manages to keep coming up with long, involved, original, interconnected-yet-never-derivate plots is utterly beyond me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Harry Dresden and his fabulous world, let me start off with a few basic facts:

- Harry is the only professional wizard in Chicago
- His closest/oldest friend is Bob the Skull – a spirit who lives in (wait for it) a skull
- His allies throughout the course of the series include cops and gangsters, RPG-loving werewolves, literal guardian angels, and tiny fairies who work for pizza
- Technology hates Harry even more than it hates me
- Harry is, quite often, the last man standing between the world and the Things That Go Bump In The Night

Ghost Story is the thirteenth installment in the Dresden Files – and I can honestly say that each and every book has been a thrill ride. In a true testament to Butcher’s story-telling skills, the latest book opens with his hero Harry quite well and truly dead. Or is he? With more twists and turns than a switchback mountain road, Harry’s adventures as a dead man made this an even more unusual tale than previous books in the series. This book had a slightly different feel than earlier ones; Harry is a little more introspective, there are more flashbacks and recovered memories, more lessons-learned and more rueful realizations. All of which are handled with a delicate touch – this is scalpel work, not machete chaos.

The book opens with Harry being sent on a mission from God – literally. Or, again, is he? He is set on the quest to identify his own killer, in order to save the people he loves. Along the way, he is continually redefining his own post-death self as he is forced to adapt time and again to the challenges hurtled at him by the forces of evil – and of good. Butcher’s ability to reimagine Harry’s capabilities, weaknesses, and the very structure of his world-space is truly impressive. With his protagonist dead, Butcher gets to reinvent many of the operating rules of Dresden’s world, and he manages to do so without losing an ounce of the magic that has made that world such a darkly fascinating place to visit since book one (Storm Front).

Harry always manages, despite an inherent regular-guy quality that makes him aggravating and endearing simultaneously (like so many regular guys, teehee), to rise head and shoulders above his circumstances. He faces decisions and choices that are literally world-altering, and despite his own oft-expressed doubts about his nature and ability to manage those decisions/choices, we his audience always know he will manage to walk the line between good and evil as well as anyone imaginable could. Butcher sprinkles life lessons, truisms, and startling bits of self-realization into the narrative seamlessly, letting the reader glean from Harry’s experiences what s/he may.

Many a time I found myself reading passages over again, or out loud. Not because I needed to clarify a point. Quite the contrary. Because the point was so subtly made, so intricately layered that I wanted to reread to make sure I fully appreciated all of the finesse behind it. This is writing as craft, and for those who argue that only classic literature or “serious” (translation: dull, heavy, difficult) fiction contains masters of that craft, you are woefully mistaken. Butcher is indeed a master with language. He weaves subtle messages into a narrative that is often goofy, nearly always darker than Harry would like, and as fast-paced as the best action films.

There were a few surprise twists thrown in along the way that I definitely did not see coming – especially at the end. I was starting to get nervous that Butcher was tying up loose ends as a way of signaling the end of the series. Let’s just say I’m not so nervous anymore, and can’t wait to see what kind of life- and world-altering trouble Harry will manage to find himself in next!

A review copy of Ghost Story was provided free of charge by the generous folks at Penguin Group (ROC publishes the Dresden Files books).

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Oct 23, 2011 Faith Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I wasn't married, I'd take this character home to meet mama and her sister.
Course, they might scare him off...

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Dec 05, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, highly-recommended, horror, humorous, jim-butcher, multi-dimensional, mystery-and-thrillers, nook, religion-related, reviewed, tear-jerkers, challenge-1010

I'm going to assume that if you're reading this review, you've read all of the Dresden books up to and including Ghost Story. So, if you haven't, don't complain if I spoil this for you, because I just don't think I can vague-ify this one. Here we go...

Reaction immediately after finishing Changes & Aftermath (from Side Jobs):

Reaction while reading Ghost Story:

Reaction after reading Ghost Story:

So like... if you know me, you'd know why this motherfucker right here got 5 stars. It made me c...more

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Jul 30, 2011 A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: home-library

*April 5~ moved to 7/26

Be sure to read 'Aftermath' in 'Side Jobs' after completing 'Changes'.
I hope that Demonreach plays some role in 'Ghost Story' since it has intrigued me.

Jim Butcher has yet to disappoint me. He is one sneaky bastard and I say that with utmost respect. After so many novels and shorts he STILL manages to get me. Bring on the next Dresden!

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Aug 01, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My hubby who got to this before me subtitled Ghost Story, "Harry Takes a Dirt Nap" :) Ghost Story was an oddly paced book, and without the forknowledge that there was an interesting twist(the hubby restrained himself from saying more than that), I wouldn't have given up, but I'd have probably put this down for a bit about halfway through before finishing.

There is a lot of introspection here on Harry's part as he learns how to function in his new role, because 'life' has definitely changed for H...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Fonzie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow.

After the 4 plus months Butcher needed to write this I expected something epic. So I was a little fearful of finally reading the book - I mean I usually read them in one night and then have to wait a whole year for the next one.

Not this one, though. This book is a huge disappointment. I have been trying to read it for 3 days now, and couldn't get further than half of it. I keep drifting off to wash the dishes, collect laundry, read a better book even.

Gone is the wit, the sarcasm, the spark,...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-releases, urban-fantasy, fae, vampires

Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Do you think Mab will be a little pissed? :)

August 2011
Well, well, well..... That was definitely worth the wait. I'm not going to say anything you're going to have to read it and decide for yourself what you think. Anything I say would be a spoiler and I'm sorry I don't do those :) very much worth the wait.

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Nov 14, 2012 joby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Nice, but meh.

The Good:
---------------
Rebalance: Harry's magical abilities are minimal so he has to use his brain more, which makes a better story.

Didactics: A very important lesson at the end of the novel.

The Bad
---------------
Plot: I found it very hard to be held in suspense (something Butcher usually does quite well). Although the details of the adventure were not entirely obvious, the end point is completely predictable.

Backtrack: I liked Harry going ape shit crazy in the previous book, but...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Emmett Spain rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was probably the toughest Dresden book for me to get through, and I’ve read them all multiple times.

The beginning starts with a clear premise and the promise of a new adventure for Harry, in a realm we haven’t seen him in before. Everything kicks into gear nicely... until the story falls into a sloshy mess of heavy exposition and tonal uncertainty.

Jim Butcher has never relied so heavily on “telling” rather than “showing” in any of his books to the extent that he does in Ghost Story. Part of...more This was probably the toughest Dresden book for me to get through, and I’ve read them all multiple times.

The beginning starts with a clear premise and the promise of a new adventure for Harry, in a realm we haven’t seen him in before. Everything kicks into gear nicely... until the story falls into a sloshy mess of heavy exposition and tonal uncertainty.

Jim Butcher has never relied so heavily on “telling” rather than “showing” in any of his books to the extent that he does in Ghost Story. Part of this is understandable—after the devastating events of the previous novel ‘Changes’, the status quo has been thrown to the winds, and a heavy amount of exposition is needed to establish the new world and status quo. But it wasn’t the exposition that derailed me. It was simply the merciless page after page after page of Harry’s introspection mixed with some world-establishing mixed with a few wise cracks and some poor descriptions of his sadness. It was evident that Butcher was having a really tough time trying to walk the line of having Harry the wise-cracking, likeable hero on display, and yet not forget the emotional gravitas of his situation. The throwaway lines of Harry’s sadness really took me out of the moment, which is not something I’ve ever really felt in reading a Dresden Files book before. The problem here really wasn’t what was being shown to us (so much awesome stuff and a great new status quo), nor the pace at which it was revealed... it was simply that the masterful work I’m used to from Butcher felt positively amateurish in the first half of the book, and I was sorely upset at this being a pretty hardcore fan of this series.

Thankfully, the second half of this book is a real success. There are moments where things don’t quite gel, but overall it’s the kind of wacky, dark, off-the-wall fun and mayhem I come to the Dresden Files expecting. Some parts were so far over the top in their wackiness that I laughed out loud (particularly the classic Star Trek homage). And the ending ties things off beautifully, setting a genuinely exciting new direction for the series. By the end of the book, I breathed a very welcome sigh of relief and smiled. What started off kind of as a scattershot and arduous experience had built into another excellent read.

This isn’t the greatest book in the series, but when you’ve pumped out 14 of them (I’m including Side Jobs in the count even though it’s a short story collection), you’re bound to come across one that isn’t your favourite every now and again.

Can’t wait for the next one, as always. The countdown begins!
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Dec 26, 2011 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-journal

*bibble* *flail* *wibble* [This does not reflect my review for Library Journal. This is merely a statement of how completely broken my brain is after finishing this book at about 3 am last night.]

*FLAIL*

- - -
The below review appeared in Library Journal, June 17, 2011.
- - -

Death won't stop Harry Dresden. In Changes, book 12 of Butcher's "Dresden Files" series, the title promised and Butcher produced. By the end, everything in Harry's world had changed, including his status as a living wizard of t...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Aimee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, modern-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm only giving this book a 3 because I did have moments where I laughed and teared up over old Dresdenverse humor.

It's more like a 2.

I had a big bias going into this novel because, unlike a lot of people, I actually really liked the ending of Changes. I thought that in a story about a pulp-action wizard, it was pretty much the perfect, "human" death that could befall Harry, just after he'd crossed over some dark lines from which he could never be fully redeemed. He said from the beginning that...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Ben Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, fantasy, mystery, own, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Can we take a moment to bask in how far the Dresden Files, as a series, has come? From its humble beginnings in Storm Front , this urban fantasy series about a Chicago wizard/private detective has become my golden standard for urban fantasy. Over the course of 13 books, the Dresdenverse has expanded from wizards and sorcerers to an epic mythology comprising monsters and magical beings of all kinds—and its characters, plots, and themes have all kept pace with that growth. It's safe to say that th...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels, cover-silver-white, dark-or-horror, demons, fae, fantasy-paranormal, fantasy-urban, ghosts-spirits, magic, male-pov, own, shifters, vampire, weapons-and-metal, witch-wizard-mage-sorcerer

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Some things, my friends, are worth the wait.

Ghost Story is a prime example of why I love Jim Butcher's books. They are good books. They are great books. They rock like an 80's 'big-hair' band. They are the books that everyone wishes their book could be. They are the Six Million Dollar Man of books. They are the MacGyver of books that can build a repelling harness out of a hair scrunchie, 3 earrings, and the elastic from a pair of boxer briefs. God is jealous that he forgot to create th...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Chichipio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dresden-files, urban-fantasy

Not as epic as the previous one, but I still enjoyed seeing Harry handling himself without his usual powers. At this point in the series, there's not much left to say. Butcher has stayed true to his characters and maintained a certain standard for the past several books, so anyone having problems with Harry's behavior or Butcher's style has left the boat long ago. And those who stayed don't need any convincing.

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Jul 28, 2011 Kevin Xu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is like Dead Beats. I always thought what happened in Dead Beat was out of place, but now it makes sense. Why does it always have to be the fairies? Why do they always have to get everything that they want in what ever means possible?

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Nov 17, 2012 Esya Osherovsky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read the whole series.
Very easy and interesting read. Likable main characters (especially the dog:), moderately funny , and very engaging. Perfect supernatural detective books:)

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Dec 11, 2012 Gabriel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2012 Reread
In preparation for Cold Days, I've read all the Dresden Files pretty close to back-to-back now. It's funny how, reading them as a long storyline, different aspects stand out. After all, this book - which I apparently liked a lot during my first read - is about stripping Harry Dresden down to his bare essentials. What is the man behind the anger and magic and what does the core of his being look like?

This book is a resting place. A stopping point. A resetting of everything. And really,...more 2012 Reread
In preparation for Cold Days, I've read all the Dresden Files pretty close to back-to-back now. It's funny how, reading them as a long storyline, different aspects stand out. After all, this book - which I apparently liked a lot during my first read - is about stripping Harry Dresden down to his bare essentials. What is the man behind the anger and magic and what does the core of his being look like?

This book is a resting place. A stopping point. A resetting of everything. And really, after Changes, that's what Harry Dresden needed. A reexamination of what his life had become. And it allowed the reader a reexamination of where he had been driven and what drove him there.

The thing is, in a long series like this is shaping up to be, I don't think the readers need a stopping point. It's awesome to get background and see Harry's past and get glimpses of where he's going ... but really, I don't care so much. Like in D&D (the reference is fitting), a Paladin may have to realign his/herself if swayed away from their lawful good alignment, but the actual act of perdition does not need to take up an entire gaming session. This book is the equivalent of that, only it takes up about five gaming sessions. And maybe that's why some comments and reviews are negative on this one. Maybe that's why it seems to be the letdown novel.

However, if it allowed Butcher to reset himself and remind himself of who Harry Dresden is, who Molly Carpenter is, and who all the remaining characters have become ... all I can say is, number 14 better deliver.

Whining and complaining aside, yeah, this is still a stinking good book and Butcher knows how to handle Urban Fantasy and his world building is simply amazing. Rereading all 13 (well, and Side Jobs) only highlights how incredibly cohesive this entire series is. Give me another 5 books and who knows, maybe this will become my favorite (though I doubt it).

--Original Review--
After quite a few books where I waded through (good) prose for ages, I get to read this one. It doesn't take me long to remember why I liked The Dresden Files.

It's quick paced. Exciting. Chock-full of nerd jokes (though not nearly as overwhelming as the last few books have been, which is a plus). So totally invested in the mythology and world that has been created that I don't doubt its reality in the least.

Of course, this book is meant to tie up some loose ends from the one previous, while leaving the loose ends from earlier books relatively untouched. I may have gotten over my anger and frustration of the lack of the giant story arc ... mainly because I found myself so excited with the stories of Harry's youth, the revelations at the end and the promise of where the story CAN go next.

Sometime this summer, I will be rereading all 13 just to see if they are all as fun and good as I remembered. For a quick, brainless read, you really can't do much better than Dresden. Especially with such well developed characters.(less)

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Oct 07, 2011 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2012-reads

Overall, Ghost Story is a good follow-up to the Changes cliffhanger. Harry, as usual, finds himself pointed at a mystery and told to solve it under significant disadvantages – in this case, being a ghost. It’s even more noir-ish than usual, since he can operate only at night (ghosts are destroyed in the sunlight, so he has to spend the days in a sanctuary), and Chicago is experiencing some unseasonably cold and blustery weather. Harry eventually solves the mystery, although the book winds up wit...more Overall, Ghost Story is a good follow-up to the Changes cliffhanger. Harry, as usual, finds himself pointed at a mystery and told to solve it under significant disadvantages – in this case, being a ghost. It’s even more noir-ish than usual, since he can operate only at night (ghosts are destroyed in the sunlight, so he has to spend the days in a sanctuary), and Chicago is experiencing some unseasonably cold and blustery weather. Harry eventually solves the mystery, although the book winds up with another cliffhanger of sorts, as he has, as usual, made some extremely powerful beings extremely angry with him.

I think my biggest complaint with this story was that Harry seemed much more slow than usual. For example, I mentioned the unseasonably cold weather in Chicago – snowstorms during the summer. Obviously that means Queen Mab is in town, but Harry didn’t catch on for a ridiculously long time. Harry also seemed to frequently lose the thread of what mystery he was trying to solve, and often acted seemingly at random, performing acts that (apparently) had nothing to do with solving any mysteries. One could argue, however, that this behavior was intentional on Butcher’s part, given that Harry was not entirely himself, so to speak.

As for the primary mystery, the shooter was exactly who I suspected, but I hadn’t in the least guessed the reason. And regarding the ending, I can see where people might think Butcher was cheating a bit, but c’mon, this is a series with wizards, archangels, fae, Valkyries, etc., etc. Conventional physics gets thrown out the window, and there’s no way Butcher was going to really kill off Harry.

I do still have to deduct a point from the rating, though; a reader shouldn’t have to invent flimsy arguments to defend an author’s choices. I did enjoy Ghost Story, but I feel it could have been stronger if Butcher had handled things a little differently. (I might change my mind if, upon rereading Changes at some point, I notice that there are a bunch of clues to events in Ghost Story!)

Edit: Upon rereading in 2012, I still agree with everything I said here. Ghost Story was fun but nowhere near the strongest entry in the Dresden Files series.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Siobhan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, urban-fantasy

I lucked out and got this one a bit early. Moral of this story: Preorder from your local indie store!

I was a latecomer to this series, having finished all 12 in the past year or so. As such, I was able to read Turn Coat and Changes immediately after, but had already been spoiled for the ending. I think reading the two most epic of the series so far did affect my opinion of Ghost Story, which, while definitely good, was decidedly less epic in comparison.

What also may affect the reader's opinion i...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Harry has his "It's a Wonderful Life" moment as he returns to Chicago as a ghost and sees how the Scooby Gang has been faring for six months without him. It doesn't look good and he of course generally blames himself.

Luckily Jim Butcher doesn't dwell on the observation side and kicks Harry into some ghostly action pretty early on. Much experimentation with spirit-world powers and the nature of magic when dead ensue.

This is definitely not the book to start this series on. Connections and loose en...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Wicked rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really a 4.5 and that is hard since this is my favorite urban fantasy series ever. I understand that this story needed to be told, it's like a bridge I suppose, I just think I wanted more. I should have held off longer and waited until the next was available to read, maybe then I wouldn't feel the way I do. I'm very interested in the characters, I'm also annoyed (even if I understand why they are the way they are)that they are in the place they are in. I want some peace for Murphy, Molly, Thomas...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-vampires, series, fantasy-urban

Not what I expected, and that's a good thing. Based on how the previous in the series ended, I thought I could see what was coming. And while I wasn't completely wrong, Butcher threw in quite a few twists.

He still occasionally talks too much. He had Dresden spending a few paragraphs pondering what style of dwelling he might want while at the same time the guy was rushing into battle. Not too likely, but I don't really expect five-star quality.

The mere fact that this series got so much better aft...more

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Jul 31, 2011 David Monroe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, occult-detective, urban-paranormal

Disappointing! This was a waste of time and a manipulative mind-jerk. This entire book except for the final chapter should have been a short story or just the opening chapter of this book. Yes, we did learn some of Harry's back-story. But you know what? This Harry, I didn't really care about. OK, maybe it was because he was a shade and it "wasn't really Harry" or maybe it was just lazy writing and a lack of respect for one's audience? The main thing I came away with from this book is that if But...more

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view all 4 comments

Brooke It WASN'T a shade who "wasn't really Harry" though. That first becomes obvious during the conversation Harry has with Bob while they're inside Bob's s...more
Aug 06, 2011 10:05am

Christine I didn't think the shade wasn't really Harry. And I understood what Butcher was trying to do -- take us on a trip down memory lane because shades are...more
Aug 12, 2011 09:15am

Nov 30, 2011 Whittney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Perfect.

Simply and purely perfect. If you're a fan of the Butcher series, this book is exactly what it needs to be, exactly what it should be. Butcher's prose has become even cleaner and more evocative, the plot moves along crisply, and being - you know - doesn't stop Dresden from being Dresden, in all the best and worst ways. This book feels like Butcher has distilled the spirit of the series, what all the previous Dresden books were meant to be, and has brought it to life more precisely than e...more

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About Jim Butcher

A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog.

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Quotes from Ghost Story

“Star Trek?” I asked her. “Really?”
“What?” she demanded, bending unnaturally black eyebrows together.
“There are two kinds of people in the universe, Molly,” I said. “Star Trek fans and Star Wars fans. This is shocking.”
She sniffed. “This is the post-nerd-closet world, Harry. It’s okay to like both.”
“Blasphemy and lies,” I said.” — 96 people liked it

“I sometimes give myself excellent advice. Occasionally, I even listen to it.” — 61 people liked it

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Ghost Story (The Dresden Files #13)

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