I use the CDs from the library if the books are not available from the Library for the Blind and Dyslexic. Actually, I listen to the books that I get from the state Library for the Blind.
I put a book in and listen to it with my state government provided digital talking book player. I download the books from the website that are zipped. I unzip them and add them to a special flash drive that is inserted into a cartridge. I listen while I am working on crafts. So I am actually multi-tasking. Book 15, Skin Game was released May 27, After a 7 month wait time on the waiting list, I was able to get the CD from the library right after Christmas It has 13 CDs and I finished it in less than 2 weeks.
A book that is intense with violence I have to listen to just 2 hours at a time. Jim Butcher has another set of book series he started in the later part of the Dresden series called the Codex Alera. I will be reading those 3 books as well and doing a review on them if I like them. Once in a while I read books that I do not care for even from the same author. I love the style that Jim Butcher writes in this series and Dresden is quite the character. There is a fair amount of dialog with in Dresden that he verbalizes like he is telling you a story about what is going on while it is happening.
When the situation becomes tense Dresden throws out some very funny lines which many are major references to real life characters or from movies and books. Of course they all fit in to the situation at hand. He usually uses these references to explain how he feels or a comparison to the situation. Similar to the television series Quantum Leap when Dr. If you love private eye novels, action, tough scrapes, vampires and werewolves; shape shifters and monsters; the occult, magic and evil characters; fairies and the fae then you will love this book series.
The books were used as a basis for a TV series that had 13 episodes and was canceled. It is NOT available on Netflix streaming.
I have watched half of the series so far and I did enjoy it and the actors were good who played the main characters. Proven Guilty Dresden Files 8 White Night Dresden Files 9 Small Favor Dresden Files 10 Turn Coat Dresden Files 11 Changes Dresden Files 12 Ghost Story Dresden Files 13 Cold Days Dresden Files 14 Skin Game Dresden Files 15 Peace Talks Dresden Files 16 Battle Ground Dresden Files 17 I wanted more of that type of story.
I thought to myself, if I want more, maybe a lot of other people want more. That was one of the reasons why I started writing urban fantasy. A lot of people didn't like what becoming the Winter Knight was doing to Dresden. There are some places in this book where it really seems like blatant damage control to soothe those fans who were upset over it.
Where people council Dresden, and make his situation out to be less terrible as it seemed in the previous book. In my opinion it somewhat cheapens his growth as a character through this patch of darkness in his life, but hey, the publishing industry is a business, and a chapter or three to reassure fans that everything will turn out all right in the end is better than Butcher losing a goodly portion of his readers, I guess.
So eh, whatever. It wasn't too bad, but it really did feel as though Butcher chickened out a little, rather than plunging in deeper like I thought he was going to.
We'll see what happens next, I suppose. In conclusion, this book is highly entertaining. It is well written, and even after fifteen books, Butcher finds new and interesting things for Dresden to do and face.
Many writers just can't do that. They try and they fail, but Butcher has certainly succeeded. A lot of the rifts between Harry and the supporting cast are repaired to some extent, and he finally begins to heal after some of the terrible things he's chosen to do in the past.
This one is a definite must for any Dresden fans. Anyone who has been complaining about the downward spiral into darkness that the series has been taking can rest assured that it appears as though good old Harry Dresden is finally pulling through it, as he always does in the end. I can't wait for the next one. Check out my other reviews. View all 20 comments. I don't think I cried reading it first time but this time around Michael you made me cry! His kindness, forgiving nature, sacrifices, and his faith, it was just too much to read and not have tears in my eyes.
He was remarkable in every book that he has appeared so far but for he outshines Harry here. View all 5 comments. My love for this series is now almost unprecedented, and quite irrational. My objectivity makes a mad dash for the nearest exit any time Harry Dresden is concerned. Because Harry and I? We have been through some tough shit together, and that is the friendship that's truly unbreakable.
The savior complex. The not-so-rare deus-ex- My love for this series is now almost unprecedented, and quite irrational. The not-so-rare deus-ex-machina. The neverending wiseass banter at the least appropriate times. The 'great power, great responsibility' repetitions.
The pure entertainment quality of these stories. Yeah, I know, I know. But guess what - to me, despite all, they are still near damn perfect.
Jim Butcher has set up a series that fifteen books in is still going strong, is still gathering steam. The small pseudo-noir series about a wisecracking and goofy and ultimately good to the bone Chicago wizard detective has expanded in scope tremendously, gave us some major character growth and managed to build up an impressive overall arc while never failing to deliver a satisfying complete storyline in each installment.
It gave us the neverending moments of sheer hilarity, the awesome quotable moments, the fun and well-written action scenes, and even quite a few slightly-choked-up 'I'm not crying; I've just been cutting onions' moments. It saw Harry Dresden grow and mature, gain everything and lose everything, build up amazing powers and yet never fail to remember where he comes from and who - always 'who' and never 'what' - is truly important to him.
While, of course, consistently remaining a wisecracking guy who can never quite keep his mouth shut while accidentally or on purpose blowing up buildings with his magical thuggishness. And people who really need it. And when it suits me to be so.
Karrin Murphy, Waldo Butters, and Michael Carpenter - all of them make a strong reappearance, in their humanity serving as Harry's ties to the human world, the place with which he worries his connection may become too tenuous at times, given that he's now a substantial force in the world of the supernatural.
Your ghost showed up claiming you had died, and got us all to do things. You were here for a day before Molly was gone, with freaky Winter faerie powers of her own. Not the you we all know. And comes with a boss you'd never want to offend - Mab, the Winter Queen, who defies the simple characterization of good or bad. Mab, who gives Harry a task that seems near impossible to complete - and who always appears to have her own coldly calculated hidden motives.
The question remains, however, - how much is it going to cost him and his friends, and how much mental strain, self-doubting and always keeping himself in check against the never-ending temptation of power he can take before the cracks begin to show. Restating his humanity and refocusing - that's what this book seems to have at its core. And Harry deals with it - as before, with a little help from his friends, because despite this best and often misguided intentions, he's not alone.
But the danger of seductive power remains, and it's hanging over him even in the happiest moments. What happens if she does it? What happens if she turns me into her personal monster? What is she going to do with me then? He looked at me, his face serious, even worried. To me, you are perfect. Pick your favorite way to read a book, E- Okay Pick your favorite way to read a book, E-book, print book, audio book and go immediately to your favorite bookstore or download sight and buy them Right now.
Do it I'll wait Now start with the first Storm Front which is a good to excellent book. You have one of the most enjoyable reading experiences imaginable before you and you can't imagine how much I envy you the chance to read them all for the first time.
The books hit their stride somewhere in the first few a lot of us disagree whether they cross into the exceptional range in book 3 or 4 and they just get better.
This one is I think the best yet This book may just set the standard for popular fiction. I love this book! We have often discussed the failings of our 5 star system here wishing for half stars or a 10 star system. A friend of mine suggested that we might assign the stars Gold and Silver ratings so you could have a 5 silver stars as opposed to a 5 gold stars rate.
Here I'd have to go 5 Platinum stars. From the first humorous lines to the last touching yet foreshadowing scene the book never once falters or gives a false note. For me and others who have read all these books this is a visit to friends we've made over years.
We know Harry will inevitably say something he just shouldn't when being a wise-ass can only make things worse. We know that Karen has depths she's been holding in Butcher brings my favorite supporting character back into the fray here and does it as close to perfectly as I think any writer could.
Reading this book I was brought to tears no less than 3 times And really, I'm a macho manly man I drink sippin' whisky note spelling straight, I can shoot out a fly's eye at yards I cried like I would at a good steak. If you haven't read the Dresden books get them all.
This book gets my highest recommendation The story here picks up with Harry in the situation where we left him. Something is trying to get out of his head. Demon Reach and Mab have told him it will blow his head apart. He's been living on the Island unable to leave it as Demon Reach is keeping the thing in his head at bay.
Then Mab shows up I have one other thing to say but I'll put it under a spoiler warning: view spoiler [ The character who comes back "into play" here is Michael. I won't say how as it's not necessary for what I want to talk about and I want you to have the pleasure of reading all you can as it comes. That said I'm a Christian Don't come here for theology or something like that. The relationship with angels and the way Grace works as well as God's plan aren't what you come here for.
Study that on your own. All that said Mr. Butcher treats Christianity with respect and dignity you often don't see. I'm a Pastor and I just wanted to say thanks Mr. Update, Jan. Jim, it's come to our attention that you're working on a new series.
Could be good news, but sheesh, I'm 62 years old update Aug. How long can I have to wait on the rest of the series Jim. I mean do you really need to take vacations? View all 49 comments. Apr 12, Luffy rated it it was amazing Shelves: dresden , 5-star , fantasy , page-turner , best-of , superb-characterization. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the first time I've read Skin Game. I think the world of it. I think it should be taught in schools.
I think it should be adapted onscreen by the best of the best. It should have won a Hugo award at least. In comparison all the subsequent books I've tried to read pale in comparison. So, Harry Dresden's latest adventure - until Peace Talks comes out on July the 14th - has more twists than a slinky. It has more drama than Hamlet, and more revelations than The Book of Three. I was voluntaril This is the first time I've read Skin Game.
I was voluntarily spoiled regarding the story because I thought I'll never read it. I was deterred by the first chapter Parkour! The book picks up from the point where Harry has resided on Demonreach island for a long time.
Mab comes roiling by and offers Harry a mission. From then on it's wall-to-wall thrills. There are a few references to movie lines the ones onscreen not those waiting to gain entry and the one I like the most is from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I cried when Butters became a Knight of the Cross.
I was told about the resuscitating Sword. But I still shed tears of wonder and excitement when the event occurred. And the event occurred at the right time. I feared Butters would accomplish this feat when chased by Dresden and co. But this story was tighter than super glue on a bullet wound. I was happy that Dresden did not really tap Murphy when we thought he had.
That too showed remarkable restraint by Jim Butcher. A plot device that has been on since the first book. It has been 20 years since that book got printed. It shows stamina. Creativity under duress. Frankly, I don't see any other book besting Skin Game this year. The author can write the odd putrid story, and I'm first to criticize him when I think he deserves it.
But this book is the best of the series so far and from now the only way is down. Especially for us fans waiting for Peace Talks. Since the book after the latter will be called Battle Ground, it presupposes that the peace talks will have been in vain.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Toodle-oo for now. View all 10 comments. Mar 11, Gene rated it liked it Shelves: fantasy.
Mab a fairy Winter Queen gives Harry Dresden as assignment he cannot refuse for numerous reasons. Not only it is highly dangerous, but poor Harry has to work with one of his worst enemies helping the latter.
If you read the blurb for this book, you might as well skip reading the real thing altogether as it gives away practically everything - who the heck wrote it???
I thought it would be fun to make a short quiz about the book instead of forcing people who will be unlucky enough to read this revi Mab a fairy Winter Queen gives Harry Dresden as assignment he cannot refuse for numerous reasons.
I thought it would be fun to make a short quiz about the book instead of forcing people who will be unlucky enough to read this review to see my boring thoughts about it. Answer: view spoiler [A hide spoiler ] a quiz spoiler only Question 2: Who gets to have more sex: A or C?
Answer: view spoiler [C hide spoiler ] a quiz spoiler only To continue the theme of sex in the series here is another question: Who is this? Remember, your answer must be related to the series. Answer: view spoiler [The ugliest woman in the world of Harry Dresden. I tried to find a single plain-looking woman in the whole series, not to mention an ugly one. I failed miserably: there is none in all 15 books, period.
This combined with Harry's complete inability to get laid despite the fact that quite a few drop-dead gorgeous women literally throw themselves at him in every story makes the series look like it was written by a sexually frustrated teen boy I am talking about a very young teen here.
Every single book follows the same tried-and-true formula please do not hate me for spoiling all fifteen books of the series. Harry gets beaten up again and again and again and again Final showdown comes up; Harry gets beaten practically to death, but he pulls up a hidden reserve from his ass at the very last moment, so he survives.
The task is done; the bad guy is put to shame and escapes. Did you notice the part about escaping villain? They are quite happy for come back to another round of kicking Harry around. One more complaint about this book in particular: Harry became unreliable narrator. This is the first time he did, and it is a little late in the series for him to become such.
The only reason for this was to pull yet another last-minute escape from out of nowhere and this really looked lame. There is an overall plot in the series, but I feel like it went south a couple of books ago. I still insist that book 12 Changes would be a really good place to stop.
Anything that came up after it seemed like the author painted himself in the corner and has no clue what to do next. Case in point: the big plot only gets briefly mentioned in this book, so do not expect any development in here. Speaking about development: Harry Dresden is still the same as he was in the very first book; he gets exactly zero development. On the other hand, Butters develops here, but I would rather he stayed the same: Butters the action hero really does not work and looks completely artificial.
We finally came to my biggest problem with the series. I see every single book as a proof that Harry Dresden gets severely punished for choosing to be a good guy. His life would be so much easier if he succumbed to the Dark Side. It seems like every installment in the series is a case study of how much shit the main character can be put up with for remaining a good guy; sometimes this looks outright sadistic.
Can somebody name a single reward Harry ever got? I am sorry for giving the book such a low rating, but I am done with Dresden Files. I would be the first to admit the series had its moments and that one scene in book 7 Dead Beat beats everything else I saw in urban fantasy in terms of epic-ness view spoiler [Sue hide spoiler ] , but I can read about Harry getting beat up only for so long.
My actual rating for the series is 2. View all 42 comments. New book this year!! Update: 13 Nov , uh, what?! It's not going to be released Dec 3rd? So I've been lied to for months now?!!!
Someone's gonna have to die for this treachery! Update: 6 Jan Official release date May 27th. Well, well, well. What a game. Mab, you wicked faerie. This book was very good, plenty of action, development for the series, and for Harry in particular.
It made it me cry at least twice, maybe three times. Hard to do. My only c New book this year!! Five stars. View all 12 comments.
Apr 21, Adrienne rated it it was amazing. Anyone else really looking forward to Dresden's next encounter with Kincaid? I think as moments go, 'priceless' would be an understatement : Anyone else really looking forward to Dresden's next encounter with Kincaid?
I think as moments go, 'priceless' would be an understatement View 2 comments. What a delightful surprise when Skin Game turned out to be one of, if not my favorite Dresden book so far. It had a strong plot complete with an interesting bad guy , a good integration of the many fantastic side characters, and, of course, a ton of that snarky humor.
Skin Game reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the series and I am genuinely excited to see where the story goes next. May 27, Anne rated it really liked it Shelves: read-in , paranormal , kindle , jim-butcher , urban-fantasy. Also reveiwed for Addicted2Heroines Wow. Book 15, already? Well I guess since I've been reading these books for years now, that sort of makes sense.
How did Skin Game hold up to scrutiny? It was classic Dresden. And you can take that whichever way you want. If you're a die-hard fan of this series, and you still enjoy Butcher's books about the wacky but lovable wizard, who can't help getting himself in over his head However, if you were hoping for something differ Also reveiwed for Addicted2Heroines Wow. However, if you were hoping for something different this time around?
What it was is what it still is. Skin Game is the same high-octane novel that I've come to expect from this author, and from this series. And, just like all the other novels, the action never lets up enough for you to catch your breath.
Also, if you were hoping there was some resolution to Harry's multiple problems? Forget it! Looks like book 16 will hit the stores sometime in , but I'm not counting on that one laying anything to rest, either. If you've ever read a book from the Dresden Files, then you know there's not really a way to coherently explain everything that goes on in the story. Too much! However, I can say that it involves robbing Hades of the Holy Grail, a parasite that may explode from Harry's head, a hilarious sex scene with Murphy, Butters and Bob's skull on a magically powered skateboard, Michael with the power of an archangel, an Honest-To- God lightsaber, and Santa Clause vetting for a mercenary.
And really, that just scratches the surface Sound like your cuppa tea? If so, then I suggest you go grab a copy. However, be warned that this is not a series that you can plunk down in the middle of, and hope to catch up. If you're serious about starting this one, you've got a whole lotta reading to catch up on! View all 11 comments. Jun 30, Jitter, Devourer of Tomes rated it liked it Shelves: , , urban-fantasy , books-i-own.
May 28 HOLY. I knew this book was going to be good but I never expected it to go to that level of epic. God, I love them. They're the creepiest, nastiest villains I've come across in literature lately bar the Naagloshi.
The only thing that I was a bit disappointed at was the lack of Toe-mas. Be prepared for loads of feels btw. Might be the best book in the series so far.
And now I'm sad cause I have years ahead of me until the next one. Time to read the rest of the series again. May 27 This is moi today: May 22 I can't. What else do you need world? So I'll listen to James reading it to me and then when the physical copy arrives I'll admire it on my bookshelf.
View all 8 comments. May 10, Brandt rated it really liked it. In it, we find out that Mab has various debts which she has incurred over the years and Mab is very keen on getting her debts paid, and when one of the people she owes shows up and asks for a favour, she loans him Harry Dresden in order to help him. View all 7 comments. Jan 13, Experiment BL rated it liked it Shelves: reviewed , paranormal-mystery , recently-reviewed. Book 15 was enjoyable but it was not one of the best books of the series.
I had several issues with the characters.
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