Cold Days: Dresden Files 14

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Average customer rating 4.9 (18 comments)

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Dresden is back, and the dangers are bigger, the monsters badder, the threats to society greater, and the global implications ever-more scary and universal. If Ghost Story didn’t grab you, don’t give up--Cold Days is stronger, faster, darker and far more intriguing. But it’s not a return to the life, story, or Dresden of earlier volumes. This Dresden is bleaker and more powerful, gradually learning his place in a much bigger world, still as tortured by human loyalty and as faithful to those he holds dear, but battling larger issues and more willing to risk those he loves. This Dresden still has far to go, but his path has changed, and his future’s deeply in question. While many threads seem missing from earlier story arcs, it’s easy to see Cold Days as a step to greater things, and there’s an intriguing feeling that even all this magic and mystery is only one more facet of what lies beyond. I’m looking forward to enjoying more of the series and learning more of the overall story arc as the tales progress. Disclosure: We waited for the paperback, but it was hard!

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It may not be high lit. or prose to swoon over, but this latest installment in the Dresden series kept me glued to my overly-cozy reading chair from the opening sentence to the last. In a year of uber-heavy reality, I found the page-turning, hilarious-familiar character-unbelievably non-stop now what?! creative conundrum the perfect anodyne... Grin restored. Grateful reader.

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Another excellent Harry Dresden story! Can't wait for the next one . . .

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Jim Butcher just keeps getting better and better - especially at twisting up the life of his primary character, Harry Dresden. Having just recovered from being a ghost and the special "recovery" assassination attempts from Mab, Harry gets his first assignment as the Winter Knight - kill one of the deathless fae. How he manages the political twists of the Winter Court and revealing his resurrection to his friends and family makes up the bulk of the book. The ending was totally unexpected to me, although in looking back over the last two books, it made perfect sense, but again completely complicated Harry's world. And is Harry doomed never to get together with Karrin - seems totally unfair to me, but Harry has come to expect that anyone he loves can be used as a hostage against him (although Karrin is perfectly capable of taking care of herself). I can't wait until the next year for the next book - this is one of my favorite series and authors!

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Any of Jim Butcher's HARRY DRESDEN series is a good read. Most of the time, the anticipation of the release of a book is more exciting than actually reading the book. Not so with Jim Butcher. His books are always worth the wait. It's difficult to be specific about this particular book without spoiling any plot lines, though. His characters are well rounded, and always developing and changing. His plots are well written and keeps this reader on her toes. I love how he tosses in references to movies (not just star wars or star trek), video games and other books - especially when I 'get' the references. I've introduced a lot of people to his books, and they love them - and for different reasons. One man is from Chicago, and can relate to the locations, one man is a video games player, and enjoys the references to his favorite video games. I myself like the character of Harry Dresden, and the people he surrounds himself with. The humor, wit and integrity of these characters always makes me want to never stop reading about them.

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This book was amazing, and I could not put it down. Jim Butcher has once again done it, with this amazing edition to the series. Waiting for the next book is going to be brutal. Unfortunately this is not the series in which you can jump in at any book so I recommend starting at Storm Front, which is also an amazing book.

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Dresden is back! Not even death can keep Dresden from saving the world once again. Or near death in this case. I love Jim Butcher's books and I love his latest addition to the Dresden Files! Its like this great action-packed movie running in my head for the whole time I'm reading it. Its also smart, funny and full of wisecracks. I love those kind of books. Very hard to put down. Sleep? Who needs sleep? Read it!

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Mr. Butcher never fails to suck me into Harry Dresden's world and leave me hanging until the next installment.

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At the beginning of Harry’s story, all the way back in Storm Front, Harry wasn’t all that much. He was a wizard-for-hire. A private investigator. And hanging on to his life and freedom by his fingernails, because the White Council was pretty damn sure that he was much too loose of a cannon. Well, Harry has always been a loose cannon, but he’s acquired one hell of a lot more firepower. Some of it literally from hell. But he’s not small potatoes any longer. Harry Dresden is one of the Great Powers, now, whether or not he remains the Winter Knight (that’s not a spoiler, that’s this reviewer speculating on Harry’s ultimate future). Magic is often written of as “the will and the word”. In Cold Days, it’s about Harry’s will and Mab’s word. Mab tells Harry to kill an immortal; her daughter Maeve, the Winter Lady. While Harry is required, as the Winter Knight, to obey, Harry never meekly obeys. Ever. Harry’s magic is all about mastering the force of his will. His will, no one else’s. And even though the mantle of the Winter Knight raises, often literally, every base instinct Harry, or any man, every had, he knows how to suppress those instincts. Even if it hurts. No matter how tempted he might be to give in. Molly is very pretty, and very willing. But taking her is the first step to becoming a bastard like the last Winter Knight, and Harry will not give in. Besides, Karrin is still there. Even if she has to come find him. And even if they are both afraid of the monsters that live inside them. There are too many monsters, and too many games being played. The Winter Court has always been a place where things go down their natural cycle to die, but that is not the game being played now. Too many people, too many agencies, too many beings have changed their behavior all out of recognition because someone, or something, on the outside has changed the game. And Harry has been made the Winter Knight to stop them. No matter what, or who it costs. Escape Rating A+: Cold Days lived up to every scrap of shivery anticipation that I had invested in it. I lost myself in this story at every opportunity, no matter what insanity was going on around me, and there was plenty of insanity. The stakes of Harry’s world have gotten so incredibly high, but it has happened so naturally, that it feels natural and not forced. It’s marvelous and awesome, in the original meaning of the word awesome, full of awe. Harry started out small-time, and now he consorts with gods and legends, and he has become a legend himself. Yet he’s still afraid to see his daughter again. He’s still the same guy inside. That’s why we love him, and that’s why we keep following his story. I can’t wait for Harry’s next adventure. I’ll say this right now, I wonder how long before he finds a way out from under Mab. We’ll see.

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Jim Butcher continues to hone his skills in story telling and Harry gets himself deeper and deeper into more complicated situations that force him to examine and face the consequences of his choices, good and bad.

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Harry Dresden is back, and snarky as ever. Jim Butcher has hit his stride with this latest installment in the Dresden Files. Great read, highly recommended.

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This book is an amazing example of urban fantasy and fantasy in general. Jim Butcher is an amazing author and this book is an excellent follow up to his previous work. I wouldn't read it unless you have read the books preceding it, but the dresden files continue to amaze me. If you like high adrenaline fantasy then this is the book for you.

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This series just gets better and better. Jim Butcher is a master story teller who creates the most amazing characters. It's almost impossible to put the book down at the end of a chapter. You just have to know what happens next! This book ends with some truly unexpected twists. Dresden fans will not want to miss it!

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Another great continuation story to the Dresden saga.

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Harry Dresden, Chicago wizard detective, seems to have at least one really tough day a year. If you’ve kept up with this series, you know that each book is about one of those days. Book 14 is no exception. Book 12, Changes, ended in a tough way for Harry. Book 13, Ghost Story, found Harry defeating that tough ending, only to jump from the fire into the frying pan. Book 14, Cold Days, we get to find out what Harry does with the frying pan. And he handles it masterfully, grabbing that frying pan with both hands and slamming it into anyone who tries to manipulate him. Once again, Jim Butcher kept me well entertained. Even as Harry fights for the good of our world, he is tormented by a newly given power which threatens to turn him into a less honorable man. Coupled with this, a fight on the Large Universe level is revealed to him, adding urgency to his quest to fulfill his Winter Court orders and yet maintain his humanity. Each time I read one of these books, I think, that’s as big as it can get; it just can’t get any worse than this. Ha! I’m always delightedly wrong. Because the characters continue to grow and change throughout this series, it never, ever gets old. Each book isn’t a rerun of the last, nor are there simply 4-6 tropes that Butcher recycles. People change, allegiances change, the scope changes. Book 14 is not an exception. If I have any complaints about this book, it is that some of the banter fell a little short, didn’t make me chuckle as much as in previous books. In part, this may be due to conscious decision by Butcher, as things are a little strained between Harry and some of his Chicago friends, so the conversations and banter would be a little off, a little strained themselves. However, such a minor complaint did not keep me from experiencing a large sense of fulfillment at the end of the novel. Foolishly, at Page 99, I thought I had glimpsed the ending; I was wrong, because the ending was so much more than I anticipated.

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Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson: THE DRESDEN FILES is one of my absolute favorites and I don't wait long to read the installments when they're released, so to say that I was a bit giddy after receiving an ARC from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review would be an understatement. I settled in as soon as I could with it, and 100 pages in I was already saying: "The brilliance of Jim Butcher & the fantastical world of Harry Dresden never cease to amaze me! 20 pages in I had counted no less than 3 pop culture reference, laughed audibly at least a handful of times, shook my head with wonder & wanted nothing more than to call in sick & read for the next 18+ hours straight" Upon completion of the book 2 days later, my exact words were: "5 stars isn't nearly enough for a book that had me laughing, crying, gasping, and so much more. And only Jim Butcher could give me 515 pages of so much goodness that it was almost overwhelming, yet leave me desperately wanting more after the last page was turned. Just...wow!" This release had it all and then some! This review isn't even going to begin to do it justice... One statement could sum up this book: Harry's back - bigger and better than ever! The reference humor was stellar, the action, as always, was intense and mystifying, the intrigue and mystery were compelling and gripping and every last page left me wanting more and there were more than enough surprises to go around. In true Jim Butcher fashion, Cold Days starts quick, builds steadily, grows to an almost combustible crescendo and then closes with a sequence of events that literally had my heart racing and me screaming out loud in outrage, shock, and frustration. Well over 10 books ago I would have said that I didn't think it could get any better. I'd have been wrong. It has, it does, and I have a feeling it will continue to do so. LITERAL ADDICTION gives Cold Days a WELL deserved 5 Skulls and strongly urges anyone who hasn't read The Dresden files to start, and soon. This series is epic and will continue to be an easy favorite and an automatic auto-buy for me.

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Oh Gosh, I hope this doesn't come off badly, but I'm sorry Dale, you're incorrect. This story is picking up where Ghost Story left off, which was Dresden finding his body being kept "alive" by Mab and he is now full-time Mab's knight. Enter: cold Days, in which Dresden will have to work hard to keep his version of morality whilst performing his duties as the Winter Knight.

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The story/snopsis loaded by Powells are completely wrong- these are for another Dresden story- Ghost story. Come on Powells!!!