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Cold Days (The Dresden Files #14)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

4.51 of 5 stars 4.51 · rating details · 17,504 ratings · 2,523 reviews

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 515 pages

Published November 27th 2012 by Penguin Group (USA)

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Dec 01, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Updated 12/1/2012
This is not really a proper review, but expanding on why I gave it 3 stars. It has spoilers, so don't bother reading if you haven't read the book.

Honestly, I enjoyed the book because I am a huge fan of The Dresden Files, but that doesn't mean I am going to be biased and just rate everything 5 stars.

I don't know if it's due to the different type of series I have been reading lately or not, but seeing Harry as the underdog yet again didn't sit well with me.

I felt like he had to re...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Leon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

By Far the best Dresden Files book since Summer Knight. A great recovery over the disappointing Ghost Story. Lots of new revelations. Can't wait for book 15 tho as Nicodemus is expected to be back

Read my full review Cold Days Review

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Dec 30, 2012 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dresden-files, 2012-reads

Fourteen books in - and with the slight nostalgic sigh I realize how much the stakes have been raised as this series flew ahead, never losing its way. We are playing with the big kids now, aren't we? And things get real.

"Power corrupts - and the people being corrupted never seem to be aware that it's happening."

And things stopped being simple somewhere along the way, and have begun to weave themselves into a complex tapestry, tucking in the loose ends throughout the series, and the storyline has...more Fourteen books in - and with the slight nostalgic sigh I realize how much the stakes have been raised as this series flew ahead, never losing its way. We are playing with the big kids now, aren't we? And things get real.

"Power corrupts - and the people being corrupted never seem to be aware that it's happening."

And things stopped being simple somewhere along the way, and have begun to weave themselves into a complex tapestry, tucking in the loose ends throughout the series, and the storyline has really shifted from the adventures of a smartass wisecracking Chicago PI who also happens to be a wizard, a small fish in a big pond, a guy who, often on pure nerve and defiance and a fair share of dumb luck, and not to forget a little help from his friends, managed to take on things and powers that were lightyears out of his league, while emerging seemingly unscathed. Remember those times?

No, now that is in the past. Harry, no longer just a wiseass small fish in a big pond, has become a power to be truly reckoned with, playing on almost equal footing with the biggest supernatural powers of Butcher's world (but still, true to his nature, remains a wiseass).

"I was Harry Dresden, Wizard of the White Council, Knight of Winter. I had faced demons and monsters, fought off fallen angels and werewolves, slugged it out with sorcerers and cults and freakish things that had no names. I had fought upon land and sea, in the skies above my city, in ancient ruins and in realms of the spirit most of humanity did not know existed. I bore scars that I'd earned in dozens of battles, made enemies out of nightmares, and laid low a dark empire for the sake of one little girl."

Fourteen books into this series - and I love Harry Dresden more than ever. Why? Because he, regardless of his ever-growing power and status, regardless of more than difficult and questionable choices that he has been making - the choices that have led to some unforeseen and often tragic consequences - firmly refuses to succumb to the temptations of power, firmly refuses to lose himself to it. And that is what this book, quite unsubtly but very satisfyingly, hammers into place.

"But you can't go around changing your definition of right and wrong (or smart and stupid) just because doing the wrong thing happens to be really convenient. Sometimes it isn't easy to be sane, smart, and responsible. Sometimes it sucks[...] But that doesn't turn wrong into right or stupid into smart."
Harry has always been a romantic, believing in justice and honor and free will. And, hells bells, he is not just going to give up his beliefs now, even though he has roped himself into the role of a hired gun to Queen Mab, the enigmatic Baddie force of nature we have met before, in the quite chilly and scary circumstances. He made a deal, and he needs to live with the consequences of it. The Mantle of Winter Knight, while giving more power than one'd think possible, comes with repercussions - it seems to draw out the worst in Harry, that has always been there but until now remained mostly under control. And Harry deals with it - at the same time as he's trying to save his hide and save the world, while he's at it. (view spoiler)

"See, that’s the tragedy of the human condition. No one wants to be corrupted by power when they set out to get it. They have good, even noble reasons for doing whatever it is they do. They don’t want to misuse it, they don’t want to abuse it, and they don’t want to become vicious monsters. Good people, decent people, set out to take the high road, to pick up power without letting it change them or push them away from their ideals.

But it keeps happening anyway.

History is full of it. As a rule, people aren’t good at handling power. And the second you start to think you’re better at controlling your power than anyone else, you’ve already taken the first step."

Power and desire to use it is what tries to take over Harry now - in a manner of true White Knight, I guess. I expected that to happen given the ending of the previous book - but I also expected this book to be about Harry figuring out a way to get out of his debt and obligation to the forces of questionable morality and principles. Well, that did not quite go just as I thought it would. Harry may wear the Mantle for a bit longer - but now I wonder if that is such a bad thing after all.

"I fell back on what I'd learned then. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, reminding myself that the anger was just anger, that it was a sensation, like feeling hot or cold. It didn't mean anything by itself. It wasn't a reason to act. That's what thinking was for."

Yes, there is price that comes with power - but more than ever I trust Harry's ability to retain just enough of his old self to be, well, himself. And he will need it, given how the unexpected ending (well, I expected some of it - but the implications of it were as unexpected as they could be! (view spoiler)) sets things up to continue on a much grander scale than we have been accustomed to so far. Butcher once again shuffles the chess pieces on the chess board of his Dresden universe, and few pawns are left standing - it's the game for the big players now, as he shuffles the main conflicts into the realm of the Faerie, or so it seems.

""Bad things kept happening to me. It was high fucking time *I* started happening to *them*."

And yet despite the elevation in ranks, Harry remains the same annoyingly but endearingly wisecracking guy, thriving on the nerdy references ("I sagged in sudden, exhausted relief. The bad guys hardly ever quote 'Star Wars.'") and mouthing off to everyone, no matter how much ancient power they may possess, no matter how much they outclass him. And I love it, okay? Especially when Butcher goes ahead and references Terry Pratchett, thus making my happiness truly complete:

-----
All in all, an excellent entry into the Dresden books series, living up to all the expectations the previous books have set - and yet remembering the roots of this series, and throwing its fans a bone here and there. It finally makes the mostly stand-alone books feel a part of an overarching story - the one about power and love and choices and consequences (and, of course, the Fae and the monsters and magic and crazy amounts of lovely dorkiness!) I love it, and I'm holding my breath for the next installment in the series. 5 ice-cold Winter stars.
-------------

"It's better to know than not know," I said quietly.
"Why?" Mother Summer challenged.
"Because you can't truly make a choice without knowledge, ma'am."
"Even if it may haunt you? Harm you? Isolate you?"
I thought about it some more and then said, "Especially then. Show me."

(less)

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Dec 01, 2012 David Monroe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-paranormal, occult-detective, detective

::EDIT:: 12/01/12 -- NAILED IT!!! WowWowWowWow!

Yeah, yeah. I didn't like book #13 (Ghost Story), but I love this series and its characters. I'll give it a chance. I got some push-back that I just didn't like change. I like change. That's been one of the great things about this series. It plays out over time. It's been 12 years since the first book and it's been 12 years since those events have happened to Harry. He and most all of the main supporting cast have changed and grown. Not always for...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Rimsha Salam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bestest-books-ever, amazing-villans, amazing-covers, fey, kick-ass, kickass-heroines, made-me-scream, made-me-weep, male-leads, sci-fi-urban-fantasy, supernatural, swoon-worthy, vampires, wizards

During Reading:

How does Jim Butcher do it how HOW !!
this book is so goooooood!!

Pre-Reading:

Cover's out, cover's out, COVER'S OUT!!!
(Composing my self)
.
.
is it just me or does Harry look like Tony Stark in this?
i think Jim is trying to send us a message maybe Harry is also "IRON MAN"

but he can't be Iron Man because he can't go near machinery but maybeee... that's what he want's us to think ..

Don't mind me i am just rambling here..

Edit:
Sample chapters of coldays 1 and 2 are out!
http://www.jim-but ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Armenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series is probably my most treasured set of books. I love these books, every single one of them, but my favorites were Dead Beat and Changes.

I'm not going to hope that Jim Butcher hurries. I want him to take his time and write it how he wants. But there are times I do wish I could skip ahead to when the book is released and start reading it already! :)

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Dec 03, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, fantasy, favorites, urban-fantasy

Okay...takes deep breath...I'm feeling alright at this time so I better get this reviewed before the cravings and shakes start again. I got the latest volume in Jim Butcher's Dresden series, and finished it. Now the waiting begins, the continual search for some book that's remotely like the Dresden books, nearly as involving brain candy something to stave off withdrawal. Many of us who follow these books live in great fear for Mr. Butcher. Will he be safe? How's his health? Maybe he should be ke...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Kirsty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: definite-re-read

Hanging out for this one. I don't want JB to speed up his writing and reduce the wonder that is Harry, but really, I could read a new one every week (I'd say every day but I need to work to pay for books...).

13 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Rob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dresden-files, favorites, read-2012

Executive Summary: If you read The Dresden Files and haven't read/started this book, why not? If you're on earlier book..hurry up!

If you don't read the Dresden Files? Why are you reading this? Go get Storm Front right now, so you can start catching up!

Seriously, I'm just amazed at the way Mr. Butcher has evolved this series over the years, still going incredibly strong with the 14th book in the series. This has easily been my favorite series since I discovered it a few years ago.

Full Review
I've...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Drakonflight rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A very scary thought just occurred to me: what if Jim Butcher gets it into his head to make Harry Dresden a TIME TRAVELER. Plot-wise, Butcher is more than capable; some of his latest plots have been so crazy and convoluted (especially Cold Days), that throwing time travel into them wouldn't add much to the what-the-freakin'-heck-is-going-on feeling of a Dresden book.

My guess, if Butcher were to send our heroes into the streams of time, would be that he would send them back to when Harry's parent...more A very scary thought just occurred to me: what if Jim Butcher gets it into his head to make Harry Dresden a TIME TRAVELER. Plot-wise, Butcher is more than capable; some of his latest plots have been so crazy and convoluted (especially Cold Days), that throwing time travel into them wouldn't add much to the what-the-freakin'-heck-is-going-on feeling of a Dresden book.

My guess, if Butcher were to send our heroes into the streams of time, would be that he would send them back to when Harry's parents were still alive, though of course the excuse would probably something like:

MAB: Those evil Outsiders have gotten their Black Council b****es to send them back in time. You, my dear Knight, have to deal with it.

How likely do people think this may be? I could totally see it happening (just because, after 14 books, Butcher doesn't have that many loops left to throw at us), but that's just me. Any thoughts?

And now my review:

From my initial predictions:

"However, you know the Summer Court isn't going to be happy that the new Winter Knight is a Council-level wizard whose specialty is BATTLE MAGIC. I predict assassination attempts with a chance of intimidation."

Reading my pre-review, I am amazed at how right my (admittedly general) predictions were. Yes, Murphy&co were surprised when Harry appeared - but what really makes me happy is that Butcher included those moments in the book.

And running from my quote above, the Summer Court does play a large role in this book. I was happy to see them again, since they haven't played a large role recently, and it would have been slightly unrealistic (at least in this world) for them NOT to get involved with the new Winter Knight. This story also pushes the overarching series plot of the Black Council forward with some extremely startling revelations. Spoiler alert: the Black Council is only one facet of a disease which turns humans, fairies, magical creatures, etc. against their own and forces them to side with the Outsiders. Remember that mysterious bunch? They've shown up a few times throughout the series. But in this book we learn that the Winter Court is fighting a never-ending war to keep the Outsiders from overrunning the Nevernever and eventually earth, with the endgame of DESTROYING IT ALL *cue evil music and creepy laughter*.

And of course the first thing our darling Harry Dresden wants to know after learning this all is how he can help. But all that aside, all of this information sets up the scene for a fantastic finale, which has even more repercussions for the next book. So while this book is fantastic, what truly makes me excited is how this book will affect following ones.

(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Karen marked it as to-read

Shelves: urban-fantasy

so come on with the book the last one Ghost story left me hanging as did the book before that so we know he will be the Winter Knight lets get on with it JIM release the book already.............. quit larping and write/release so we can enjoy and read..... a fan... KD

OK so Jim released the book a friend of mine says its great I have gotten my pre ordered book but have not read it.... I have a list of books to read and this one is in line.

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Jun 16, 2013 J4n3 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesomeness, read-in-2012, urban-fantasy, read-in-2013

I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! This is probably the book I am most stoked for this year! I'll re-read the rest of the series until it comes out. JUST.BECAUSE.IT'S.THAT.GOOD!

And besides Harry being Harry, I wanna see how Molly evolves in this book.

----------------------------------

Finished it last night. What can I say? AWESOME! It was a long wait but Jim Butcher did not disappoint. This book has everything: breathtaking action, lore, lore, lore, revelations, twists and turns, and my favorite characters.

W...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Callista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery-contemp-american, four-star-novels, magic-slingers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I haven't gone off Harry Dresden yet. He's still one of my favourite fictional characters. And, yes, I like the goofy puns and pop culture references--including Whatsup Dock.
But this one did have me feeling a bit queasy at times and left me reeling as I finished it.
While the action was detailed in typical Dresden Technicolour fashion, I couldn't help feeling some déjà vu. We've seen the Wild Hunt before, we've had a smackdown on the spooky isle of Demonreach, we've seen a crazed Faerie queen...more I haven't gone off Harry Dresden yet. He's still one of my favourite fictional characters. And, yes, I like the goofy puns and pop culture references--including Whatsup Dock.
But this one did have me feeling a bit queasy at times and left me reeling as I finished it.
While the action was detailed in typical Dresden Technicolour fashion, I couldn't help feeling some déjà vu. We've seen the Wild Hunt before, we've had a smackdown on the spooky isle of Demonreach, we've seen a crazed Faerie queen in action. Granted, these elements help tie the series together and show some dots getting connected. But I also found myself thinking of The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Matrix, and even a little bit about Pirates of the Caribbean during some of the action sequences.
I liked the early chapters about Harry's recovery/rehab after being in a coma-like state, and what happened there was definitely preparing him for more. The effect of the Winter Knight mantle is definitely cause for concern. While Harry has wizardly recovery potential, it seems possible he may never be free from Winter's power if he's paralysed again when he rejects it. The violent impulses of Winter made for some pretty queasy moments, even if Harry came back to his senses before he crossed the line (with the exception of killing a Sidhe just to make an example of him, even though he was not a direct threat, which didn't seem like something Harry would've done before).
The monologues on free will were overdoing it a bit, unless you make the presumption that a person could never be forced to do something that wasn't somewhere within his or her nature. I guess Butcher's going for the idea that you may not be able to control the hand you're dealt, but it's up to you what you do with it. But when there's a powerful "contagion" happening, directed by an unknown evil force (LOL when Butters termed it "a phantom menace"), it sure seems to limit people's free will. …We'll see how that plays out in future books.
Seeing Harry and Thomas working together again was a delight and also led to some poignant moments. It was good that Thomas didn't let Harry get away with rationalising certain choices he made in Changes. In terms of story structure, the cute bits between the two of them probably went on a bit too long--Butcher probably wouldn't have been allowed to get away with them early in the series--but I really liked them, anyway. I love the way those two talk to each other.
I also enjoyed the way Bob and Mouse were worked into the story. Those two are priceless.
While they're supposed to be new parents, I still wondered where Will and Georgia were, especially since Will played a major role in Ghost Story.
Both Molly and Murphy had some really good sequences, and it was good to see both of them take charge at times. Without them, Harry would've been done for.
I liked seeing Murphy's ambivalence about Harry's situation. It made sense for her to insist that Bob remain with Butters and that the Swords stay hidden from Harry, given the team Harry has joined. Sometime around book 8, I decided I didn't want Harry and Murphy to get together for a number of reasons, so some of their interactions in this book made me squirm. But I like how things have been left for now.
While it's probably about time Butters got a girlfriend, did it have to be Andi? Talk about a typical fanboy fantasy there. Sure, Butters has proven his mettle; but he's still a polka-loving gamer nerd…and she's a bombshell werewolf who seems to end up naked an awful lot. (I loved the observation Molly delivered on Mouse's behalf that Andi should be locked in the garage until she learns how not to get kidnapped.)
This was the Dresden book that finally squeezed a couple of tears out of me. I'd figured it would happen someday, but I'd also figured it would be the death of a major character. Molly becoming the Winter Lady was something I never saw coming, and right now it seems like a fate crueler than death (even if it does save her from the White Council). She and Harry got played by Mab and Lea, and the way Mab told Harry he'd set Molly up for it and was as bad as Justin DuMorne in his own way--ouch, ouch, ouch!
And now I just have to put it all in a corner of my mind somewhere for a year or two until the next book comes out.
(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, wizards-and-mages, vampires, fave-series, awesome-author, signed

Just assembling some thoughts:

There was something missing from these later books that I had trouble putting my finger on until I went back and listened to some of the earlier ones. The qualities about Harry that really made me love him as a character aren't present anymore. I agree with some critics of the latest books that he's too over-powered. He almost doesn't even need to think before he destroys something. Even though he was careless, he at least had to brain himself out of more than a few...more Just assembling some thoughts:

There was something missing from these later books that I had trouble putting my finger on until I went back and listened to some of the earlier ones. The qualities about Harry that really made me love him as a character aren't present anymore. I agree with some critics of the latest books that he's too over-powered. He almost doesn't even need to think before he destroys something. Even though he was careless, he at least had to brain himself out of more than a few tight spots in the earlier books. The noir detective feel has evaporated as Harry's power has grown.

The pop culture references are getting too numerous. They went from being Butcher's nod to his fans, to something I feel hurts the plot and tension. Those random little comic episodes undercut the tension in a few key spots, and those scenes would have been better without them.

(view spoiler)

The pace was dizzying with its intensity. Remember, all of this happens in about twelve hours. Do any of these people sleep, pee, or go to the grocery store? Thomas' life seems the most normal compared to the rest of these people, and he's a vampire. The little side quest when (view spoiler)

Nevertheless, the world Butcher created continues to expand and complicate in new and interesting ways. I'm too invested in this series to ever stop reading the books or loving the characters. (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 ☠The Dread Pirate Grant☠ rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I'm a flighty reviewer at best. I like to say that it's because I'm a busy professional but the truth of the matter is that I'm just lazy. I've read a couple hundred books this year and I'm pretty sure this the first I've bothered to add to my "read" list.

So yeah. Lazy.

With that in mind tho, it should really say something about this book that I actually dragged myself out of my daily coca cola induced stupor to post a review.

This book is amazing.

I've read the Dresden Files three times now,...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ebooks, fantasy

This was certainly a Dresden novel. It was entertaining, up to a point.

I feel like Butcher has lost control of the Dresden Files. This latest novel was overburdened with self-reference and pop-culture references. It creaks under the weight of established continuity.

It's been clear for a few books that Butcher is attempting a sort of sleight-of-hand stasis for Harry, and with this book it goes into the deep end. Harry is no longer the plucky underdog fighting the good fight. He's now one of the m...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, favorite-authors, series-to-continue, urban-fantasy-uf, owned-kindle, favorite-series, will-continue-series

Yes yes yes!!!

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Mar 28, 2013 Clouds - (¿head-in-the?) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dresden-files, fantasy, reviewed, read-in-2013

A man cannot live on award winning Sci-Fi alone!

Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my SERIES list.

I loves me a good series! But I'm terrible for starting a new series before finishing my last - so this reading list is all about trying to close out those series I've got on the go.

My wife and I go...more A man cannot live on award winning Sci-Fi alone!

Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my SERIES list.

I loves me a good series! But I'm terrible for starting a new series before finishing my last - so this reading list is all about trying to close out those series I've got on the go.

My wife and I got to know each other by chatting over books on our lunch breaks. Once we’d established that we had similar tastes, we started lending each other books and then meeting up for after work drinks to discuss them. Then I stole her away from her fiancé and (exactly two years later) married her myself.

Shortly after she moved in with me, I started a new job with a film company in London, with an hourly train commute each way. She started lending me the Dresden Files and I devoured them on those train rides. Because she already owned the lot, I didn’t have to wait between each delicious fantasy-detective morsel and fully immersed myself in Harry’s adventures, one after the next.

The first few books of the series are about Harry establishing himself and Butcher establishing the wider magical world he inhabits. Then we get a stronger series thread weaving in with the war against the Red Court, leading up to the epic, dramatic climax of book twelve, Changes .

The follow-up to that, book thirteen, Ghost Story , left a fair amount of fans cold but I was prepared to be a little more forgiving. For the series to keep going and growing, Butcher needed to hit the reset button and boot-up with a fresh campaign. He laid the groundwork for that in Ghost Story , showing that the world as we knew it would go-on without Harry, leaving him free to step up to the next stage.

In Cold Days , Dresden’s new campaign really gets up and running. In the previous books Harry was an impetuous youngster, often underestimated by his more powerful and experienced opponents. Nobody will make that mistake again! Harry is now a real power-player, able to go toe-to-toe with the big boys, and welcomed into the inner circle of a secret war.

It’s not a perfect book – because there are a lot of new developments to work through we end up with more condensed plot advancement and exposition than rests easily within the Dresden Files standard framework (it feels a touch like it’s bursting at the seams). And in a way, it’s a kind of sad development – Harry has now outgrown his allies – which means some of the wonderful cast we’ve come to love don’t have much to offer (except moral support).

But Cold Days is still a tremendously fun book! Anyone who’s made it this far in the series isn’t going to stop any time soon – and it’s such a beloved, familiar world that dipping back into the series is like coming home from a long trip, or relaxing into a warm bath – comfortable and cosy and delightful.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 forestsprite rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy

First off, since when did "training bra" become one of Molly's tags? Because eww, gross, stop it. I get that this is supposed to convey how Harry still sees Molly as the child he first knew her as, but could we vary how he expresses this sentiment a little, please? And maybe stop dragging Molly through the mud while we're at it.

This novel was okay. I wouldn't say this series jumped the shark yet, but it's veering precipitously on the edge. Here is everything I found wrong with this book. Spoiler...more First off, since when did "training bra" become one of Molly's tags? Because eww, gross, stop it. I get that this is supposed to convey how Harry still sees Molly as the child he first knew her as, but could we vary how he expresses this sentiment a little, please? And maybe stop dragging Molly through the mud while we're at it.

This novel was okay. I wouldn't say this series jumped the shark yet, but it's veering precipitously on the edge. Here is everything I found wrong with this book. Spoilers galore. And this review ended up being kind of long. I have a lot of feelings, okay?

(view spoiler)[Actually, maybe my first thought kind of sums a lot of it up. This novel got a lot more sleazy, with a lot of "women as objects" narrative throughout the book. I get that Harry is well into his own personal downward spiral and parts of this books were trying to show that, but it just didn't work for me.

Twice we have women pretty well throwing themselves at Harry, and neither in a flattering way. Harry is alone with them, he starts thinking rape-y thoughts at them (which is a whole 'nother thing I'll get to in a sec), and instead of being alarmed or afraid or assuming some kind of defense or calling him out on it, we have both Sarissa and Molly, in pretty much the same manner, being okay with it. Sarissa doesn't necessarily want it, but she's passively accepted that it's her lot to get raped on occasion. Molly, on the other hand, basically tells him that hey, it's okay, it's not rape if I want you to. She actually says that he can think of it as a gift she's offering him. HE WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT RAPING HER. Without consent or logic, or any kind of concern for her safety or volition, let alone her pleasure. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

Many, many times throughout the book Harry has a thought process that goes something like: "if I wanted to, I could totally rape Sarissa/Andi/Lily/Molly/random Sidhe right now and NOTHING THEY COULD DO WOULD STOP ME." With Karrin it's violence, and he rather casually considers how easy it'd be to kill her after slamming his hand into the door six inches from her face (she doesn't flinch at all, and is totally cool knowing that Dresden is thinking violent thoughts toward her and loves him anyway). When he doesn't start raping and killing women, we're supposed to think, what, exactly? That Harry is such a good person? What control he has? And is this supposed to apply to all men - that the only reason they don't go around raping all the women is because it's not politically correct? It's almost like Nice Guy Syndrome™ gone mad - Harry has been so good and suffered so much, surely he deserves to go raping all the women as payback for everything he's gone through, but of course he's such a good martyr he won't do it, though he'd really like to.

You could go and blame all this on the mantle of Winter, except that Harry goes to greats pains to say it's not just the mantle of Winter: that every person has both good and bad in their hearts, and what matters is how you act on those notions. I'll grant that thinking about raping someone is not the same as raping them. Thoughts are not actions, nor do they bear the same weight as actions. But it was so gratuitous throughout the book and treated in such a blasé fashion that it was really nearly a deal-breaker for me, especially given the reactions of the recipients of these sorts of thoughts.

The treatment of Molly. Good god. As if she needed another reason for Harry not to fuck her. And that's really all that comes down to. It's gotten to the point where I wonder if in the author's past there was a girl that he really wanted that he couldn't have and now he's punishing Molly for it. And I know, usually the point in the review where the reviewer starts attacking the author's character is where I stop reading, but it's become so blatant for me that it really does take me out of the book. It does seem really overly explicit by this point that the only thing Molly has going for her is her ability to be humiliated for wanting so badly to be with Harry and his refusing her, over and over, while everyone else knows it. Give the girl a break. I'm not exactly a Harry/Molly shipper either, but the book goes out of it's way to show how theoretically compatible they'd be if not for Harry being such a good person or whatever (because he very clearly is attracted to her, training bra or not, and they have a ridiculous amount in common now). Making her the Winter Lady to his Winter Knight knowing he's still going to refuse her is just another slap in the face.

Issues I had with this book not relating specifically to it's treatment of women:

a) Everyone glossing over not only Harry's death, but his suicide. Coming back from the dead should be a pretty big deal, but when Harry shows up and there's hardly any fall-out - the only person that has any kind of reaction is Thomas, but that only lasts a few pages and then he's pretty much over it. He's also the only one who explicitly figured out that it was suicide in the first place. Molly knows, obviously, as well as Kincaid since he was the one who shot him, but I'm not sure if everyone else has pieced that together and how that would affect their relationship with Dresden.

And what the hell is going on with Murphy, anyway? That was totally a cop-out (har har), and none of it rang true with me at all. Her reaction on his being alive (there wasn't really one), them again not dealing with anything, and having them not hook up after all that? I've been waiting since the massive cock-block at the end of Changes, and I'm not even a huge Harry/Karrin shipper. As much as I'm against all the rape-y aspects of this book (of which there were many), I don't think sex is inherently bad or evil, and I think it could have been used as a means of healing for both these characters, something to restore them back to some semblance of normal rather than something to damage them further with (though I'd need both Karrin and Harry to acknowledge/resolve his violence issues and know that she could and would freely kick his ass if it was required).

b) Harry as an underdog. How is this still happening with all his massive powers as we sit here at book 14? He should be taking ass and kicking names by this point, but he's still made out to be this underdog at the whims of beings greater than he when in fact he really is a power player by now. And yet, he gets his ass kicked multiple times by people that he shouldn't be. Ace is a prime example. He was a bit player way back in "Summer Knight", and I'll grant that if Harry can level up over the series so can his enemies, but Ace is ultimately the same guy he was back then whose rage has just been simmering a really long time. That does not power make. Harry should have been able to take him out. Same goes for the Redcap, really. At Harry's party we got this first taste of Harry really flexing his new muscle when he obliterates an ogre and then a random Sidhe, and then we don't see that for the rest of the book.

c) Too much exposition. This has always been a problem with the Dresden books, with Harry breaking up a scene for several pages to explain the metaphysics of how magic works or how love conquers all or blah blah blah. It slows down the place like whoa and is majorly boring. These areas need more red pen. The pacing of this book was awkward in general.

d) This may be a small thing, but I hated all the swearing in this book. I always thought it was kind of cute how all the swearing in the other books was alluded to rather than explicitly stated. It was part of how Harry operated, to a point, his world-view, and now he's dropping f-bombs and waving his middle finger all over the place. I know he died and more or less sold his soul and has enough baggage to pack the Titanic, but I'm not sure that this change really makes sense to me. And I have no issue with swearing in general, but it doesn't fit the previous books or with Harry's character in general. But then, neither do all the rape thoughts. Maybe that's the point, but if you want Harry to become this horrible person so that he can redeem himself later I can't help feeling it could have been done better. (hide spoiler)]

Now, there were things I did like about this book (Toot, Lacuna, Cat Sith, Thomas in general), but I'll leave this here. Will still be reading the next one.(less)

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forestsprite I love Mouse, don't get me wrong, but I found it strange that he would just abandon his post protecting Dresden's kid. I mean yeah, the Carpenters hav...more
Feb 20, 2013 04:28am

David Mouse was originally ordered by Harry to look after Maggie. His loyalty is to Harry not Maggie. Besides it is obvious he wasn't essential to Maggie's...more
Feb 20, 2013 10:05am

May 30, 2013 Sadie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cannot.wait. I really wasn't that into Ghost Story at the beginning, it was so..bleak...until I got to the "eat your heart out, Crombie" line (xanth reference), at which point I had a good giggle and from then on it was good, then it was better, then it was awesome, then it was..over? nooo! I love/hate the cliffhangers that Mr.Butcher loves to leave us with, I just wish he would hurry up! I just spent the last month of 2 re-reading the Southern Vampire books in anticipation for Deadlocked, but I...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2012 Rebecca Sheehy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Put it on the short list....The Dresden Files as a whole are so good that I read all 13 in ridiculously short order (mostly by loading them onto my phone and hiding from my kids by ducking into closets, spending long moments "doing laundry" and just plain staying up at night to read while everyone else slept. I can not wait!

Update: true to form I finished it by hiding in the kitchen "doing dishes" or going in basement to "do laundry". Loved it! Harry Dressen does not disappoint

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Yodamom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-jackson, cliffhanger-light, crack-a-smile, demons, fantasy, favorite, favorite-author, favorites, vampires, urban-fantasy, wizards, yummy-men

This was the best book of 2012 for me. It had stiff competition but it won, big ! There was not one page, one paragraph that did not hold me glued with intense trepidation and excitement. The intensity was relieved by bits of humor, that had me giggling off the adrenaline rush at just the perfect moment. The one before I started getting another grey hair. LOL I thank you Mr. Butcher, it was one hell of a ride !
Short take- Harry conquers his inner Darth.

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Jacob Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I was looking forward to Harry getting back to the real world and finally connecting with his friends. I was a bit anxious that Butcher might botch the emotional payoff and/or that the next challenge Harry faces might extract (finally) too high a toll. I was right to be anxious, though for the most part the book was a great ride.

The power arc for these novels continues to rise. Butcher introduces a lot more mythology and part of that is going to be Harry's challenge in the next chapters of his l...more I was looking forward to Harry getting back to the real world and finally connecting with his friends. I was a bit anxious that Butcher might botch the emotional payoff and/or that the next challenge Harry faces might extract (finally) too high a toll. I was right to be anxious, though for the most part the book was a great ride.

The power arc for these novels continues to rise. Butcher introduces a lot more mythology and part of that is going to be Harry's challenge in the next chapters of his life. For the record, I'm not sure what I think of this new big-bad. They seem kind of nebulous and a bit overpowered for us to first be meeting them now. If they were such a big deal, why are we just now hearing about them? I don't get why it's such a big ole secret, for one (and yeah, hand-waving and all. I just don’t buy the justification). If you roll with that aspect, however, the challenge is certainly epic enough, and it totally makes sense why Harry is needed and why he'd get involved.

I'm also not a fan of Butcher making Harry's winter aspect be so overtly corrupting. That power corrupts has been a central theme of this series from the beginning, and Harry's steps to prevent or avoid that corruption has been a wonderful element of the story so far. This new aspect of Winter actively having such a degenerative effect on his moral and emotional compass seems both unnecessary and kind of heavy handed.

The biggest disappointment of the book, however, was the emotional payoff of Harry's return. Or, rather, one specific aspect of that payoff: Karrin Murphy. We get some of what we need/expect with Thomas, Molly, and even Mouse, but the reunion with Karrin felt... perfunctory. It's not just that she didn't really react. You can expect that from someone as stoic as Karrin and, as they say, "still waters run deep." But her reaction, as it continued, seemed to undermine the deep connection she and Harry have been forging in the last couple books—as did Harry's. That they'd both have more or less the same stand-offish reaction to their reunion was deeply disappointing to me. This was a good time for fireworks and their lack was telling.

While I felt that Butcher skimped on aspects of the novel, what he didn't skimp on was the action. Harry has a lot of adjustments to make, not least coming to terms with his role as Winter Knight. Having to do so under pressure is how Harry does things best. We meet a ton of new characters (Santa!) and get at the heart of the faerie courts like we never have before. I loved Harry's interactions there and am anxious to see where Butcher takes this in future novels.

It may seem from all the nitpicks that I didn't like the book, but that's just not the case. It was a great read, just not a perfect one. Some of the earlier books remain my favorites, with this one falling on the high-side of middle grounds. It's a high-quality canon, though, so that's not at all a bad thing.
(less)

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May 27, 2013 Evgeny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Harry Dresden is back in action. This time, as the Winter Knight he needs to kill an immortal: the being who by definition cannot be killed. It turns out, this is the least of his problems and he only has less than 24 hours to solve all of them, which gives non-stop fast-paced action through the whole book.

I debated about the rating between 4 and 5 stars. There were some minor annoyances which prevented me from giving 5 stars to this book. First, I did not feel this book has any connection with...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2013 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, detectives-private-investigators, 2013

OY! I both loved and hated this book! I mean Harry is now the winter night and I all I want is for him to find a loop hole out of. And man Harry and Murphy have a conversation that makes me cry. And Thomas and Harry have a conversation that gave me the chills. (I admit to being overly emotional while reading this as well). But it was all so good, and at the same timeI hated every second of it. I worry about all that is to come and most importantly what Harry is going to do! I feel very dramatic...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Karlo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, own, ebook

I feel like this is the first Dresden book in a while that was actually satisfying. To wit:

1- Harry doesn't do stupid things throughout the book.
2- The book actually moves Dresden's character forward; he's not doing the same old thing anymore: it's very refreshing.
3- We find out new and relevant things about the world (yay!).
4- Harry actually thinks like a PI at times (a corollary to 1).

Sadly, there are some things that still haven't progressed:

1- Harry's still celibate and can't seem to vocaliz...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 The Flooze rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, owned, vanquished_2013

Holy crap, that was good...
_______________________

Let me first express extreme distress:

I'm all caught up.

MEANING I HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR FOR MORE HARRY?!

Well...fuck.

The depth of that distress should tell you something. Butcher has created a world I do not want to be away from, characters whose lives are important and thrumming with excitement and appeal. He can make me go from laughter to tears to triumphant bellows within a scant few pages. I love it.

One of the reasons this series continue...more

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe I did it, but I actually shopped at the Evil Empire (Barnes and Noble) for this. I wanted so badly to give my money to indie-bound, but my local bought zero - yes, ZERO copies of it. (And, here we are, a bit more than a week later, and they have still not called me to tell me my copy came in.)

I still hate B&N, because I remember the glory days of Borders here in A2, and the folks who work at B&N, nice as they may be, still know jack shit about their product. Hell, I'm a c...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Jeremiah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cold days takes Harry Dresden in another direction, and I believe introduces many more changes than "Changes" did two books ago. He's now a minion of Mab and is forced to deal with the brutality and backstabbing of Winter courtiers, the new mistrust and opposition of his former friends in the Summer court, and even the suspicion and in some cases outright hostility of those who had been his closest friends.

There is a slight step backward from the hard character-driven momentum of Ghost Story an...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Holly marked it as to-read

OMG!!!

We have a cover!!! And a release date! November 2012!

8 likes · like · see review

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Dresden Files: Harry and Molly?	10	36	May 27, 2013 09:43am
Dresden Files: Cold Days	109	149	May 23, 2013 06:49pm
Series to Read While Waiting for the Next Dresden Files Book	36	405	May 22, 2013 10:55am
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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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“I know it's not thematically in tune with my new job and all, but I find it effective. Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day," I say. "But set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. Tao of Pratchett. I live by it.” — 49 people liked it

“Everything was perfectly healthy and normal here in Denial Land.” — 32 people liked it

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Cold Days (The Dresden Files #14)

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