Philosophical Musings of a Book Nerd

I was planning on making this the last Dresden Files book that I would read, not because they were necessarily bad, but rather because I have so many other books to read that I am wondering how I am ever going to get through the lot of them (in reality I won't). However, as I started getting drawn into the story I found myself sending a text to my friend who has been buying them as soon as they hit the shelves requesting the next two (and he threw in Side Jobs as a bonus). So, I guess my book collection of 'too read' books has now increased by another three, but at least I have reduced it by more than that, so I am getting through them.

Anyway, Dresden's nemesis Morgan rocks up at his door severely injured, and instead of telling him politely to go away (though I am sure he would not be all that polite, considering that it is Harry Dresden) he decides that he will help him out because, well, it is Harry Dresden and he does like a good old fashioned mystery, even if these mysteries do involve some really nasty creatures than can be almost impossible to kill.

It turns out that somebody set Morgan up, though the thing is that they found him in the room, holding the murder weapon, and standing over the corpse. Normally that would pretty much be a guilty verdict, but in a world where wizards, demons, and other mythological creatures, run around the streets of Chicago anything is possible – just not where the wizards are concerned because manipulating people through the use of magic is a very big no, no, and anybody who does that is generally hunted down and killed (unless of course somebody intervenes and manages to convince the ruling council of wizards to give that person a second chance – especially if they have only just discovered that they have magical abilities and nobody actually told them that doing such things usually results in your head getting separated from your body).

The White Court vampires also turn up again, though it does get a little confusing at times where you have two major organisations that begin with the word White and the second word begins with the letter 'c'. Maybe Butcher could have thought a little harder to create a better distinction between the vampires and the wizards, but that is only a minor quibble. We also discover that Thomas, who, if you remember, turned out to be Dresden's brother, now runs a high end beauty clinic, which made me suddenly realise that this guy is probably a metro-sexual (I never considered that before, but it would make an awful lot of sense).

Anyway, as can be expected, Harry Dresden gets into a lot of trouble, especially since he is hiding some guy suspected of murder – but then again everybody knows how much Harry hates this guy so why would be end up sheltering him? We also get to travel to Edinburgh in Scotland where the White Council (the wizards, not the vampires, because the vampires are the White Court) have their headquarters. It also sounds as if the war with the Red Court (the blood sucking vampires, the White Court feed on pleasurable emotions) is over, or at least that is what is suggested. Oh, and behind all of that you have this really nasty, almost impossible to kill, Native American spirit running around trying to tear Harry a new one.

Well, I guess it is on to the next one, but not quite yet – I have a few other books that I wish to read in the meantime (such as Terry Pratchett).