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    Geistergeschichten: Die dunklen Fälle des Harry Dresden 13
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    Geistergeschichten: Die dunklen Fälle des Harry Dresden 13
    Unavailable
    Geistergeschichten: Die dunklen Fälle des Harry Dresden 13
    Ebook731 pages12 hours

    Geistergeschichten: Die dunklen Fälle des Harry Dresden 13

    By Jim Butcher

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Harry Dresden war schon vieles: Chicagos einziger Berufsmagier, Hüter des Weißen Rates, Gefäß der Seele eines gefallenen Engels, Bewahrer der Schwerter des Kreuzes und Verderben aller, die Unschuldigen schaden und die Welt versklaven wollen.

    Aber tot war er bislang noch nie ...

    Zu Lebzeiten hat man auf Harry geschossen und eingestochen, ihn verprügelt, geschnitten, verbrannt, gequetscht und gefoltert. Als ihm aber jemand eine Kugel in die Brust jagt und ihn im Lake Michigan zum Sterben zurücklässt, sieht es wirklich schlecht für ihn aus.

    Doch selbst gefangen in der Grauzone zwischen Leben und Tod findet Harry keine Ruhe. Er erfährt, dass drei seiner Freunde unvorstellbare Qualen erleiden müssen, wenn es ihm nicht gelingt, seinen Mörder vorher zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen. Das wäre natürlich viel leichter, wenn er einen Körper und Zugang zu seinen Kräften hätte. Doch so muss Harry als Geist zurechtkommen, ohne mit der stofflichen Welt interagieren zu können, unsichtbar und unhörbar für die meisten Menschen.
    LanguageDeutsch
    PublisherFeder & Schwert
    Release dateSep 13, 2013
    ISBN9783867621878
    Unavailable
    Geistergeschichten: Die dunklen Fälle des Harry Dresden 13

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    Reviews for Geistergeschichten

    4/5

    1,410 ratings111 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The author spent quite a bit of time filling in some of Harry's backstory, alluded to over the years but never detailed. He took the opportunity to have Harry do some soul searching while still providing plenty of the action and mayhem readers have come to expect from the series. I can see why it took the extra time to finish as it looks as though he is ready to reset the series so that it can go in some new directions. Looking forward to the next entry.
    • 2/5
      I love Jim Butcher and I love Harry Dresden but I did not love this book. Harry the ghost just did not pack the oomph needed to carry this story. the plot was lackluster and Harry spent way too much time in self reflection.
    • 4/5
      Six months after he was shot, Harry's spirit returns to Chicago to find his friends embattled. But how can he help them if he's just a ghost?Why I picked it up: It's not great literature, but always a fun summer read.Why I finished it: It was pretty enjoyable, watching Harry learn how to make things work as a ghost. I didn't really care about learning who had Harry killed, but the payoff was decent. I'm sorry Murphy, Molly, and Thomas have wound up so broken.I'd give it to: This one isn't going to attract any new fans on its own; it's too tied in with earlier series entries.
    • 3/5
      it was ok - not the best, not the worst. Don't really like where the series is going
    • 4/5
      There seems little point in writing a review of this book. If you're a Dresden fan, you'll already be addicted and won't need much persuading, and if you're not (yet!) a fan - there's no sense whatsoever starting this late in the series. But hey, I feel I should say a few words.

      Dresden is dead. But just because he's dead, doesn't mean he can rest easy. No, his troubles have only just begun. Not only does he need to check down his murderer, but he's also got to save his friends from a similar fate.

      Classic Dresden - sadonic humour, interesting plot, plenty of culture references. The big reveal caught me unawares, but once I realised, it made perfect sense. Even if it seemed a little cheap and nasty.

      Love the way Butcher insists on trying to introduce his readers to his other series by putting an advertisement in the back of every book. His heart might be more in the Codex Alera - but there are plenty of fantasy novels out there. And there's only one Dresden files. Sorry mate, but my loyalties lie in Chicago.
    • 3/5
      So what's it like being dead? This is what Harry Dresden is about to find out but before moving on he's given the option of returning to find his killer. If he doesn't, he's informed, 3 of his friends will come to great harm. So for Harry that isn't really a choice and so his spirit is returned to Chicago to see what he can do. Unable to physically interact with the world, Harry will have to come up with something different this time around. No blundering into situations and then just blasting away until all the bad guys are dead. Time has moved on since his departure and now that Chicago had lost a protector it seems some big nasty's have moved in. Molly, Harry's former apprentice, has tried to stem the tide but at what cost to her? Murphy, the werewolves and the Para-net have joined forces to also hinder the evil tide but things are so bad that they're even forced to ask Marcone for help on occasions. Harry turns to the one person he knows that will be able to at least offer interaction with his current incorporeal self but it seems that Mortimer Lindquist, the ectomancer, has problems of his own. Can Harry work out a deal to get Mort to help him out or will he have to go it alone and try and find his killer by himself?This didn't feel quite up to par with a lot of the previous books in this series. Because he can't generally interact with his friends this one seems less fun this go around and gets quite bleak at times and perhaps because of this the pacing seemed a little off as well. It was also fairly predictable and the ending was certainly no shock. But having said all that, it was still a Harry Dresden novel and not everything is as bad as I've seemed to describe up until now. It gets quite touching in parts and there are signs that Harry may develop more as the series continues because of his actions in this instalment. Is Harry actually growing up? I'll certainly be carrying on with the series when I get around to it.
    • 5/5
      I’ve been looking forward to the release of the thirteenth Dresden Files book for months, and I’m happy to say that it lived up to my very high expectations! Ghost Story is undoubtedly the most different novel in the series because it’s much more introspective. Being dead gives Harry a lot of time to think, reflect on his recent choices, and remember the distant past. In some ways, Ghost Story is just as much of a transitional novel as Changes in that Harry finally has a chance to slow down, consider the events of the last book, and decide what to do next.It’s awesome to watch Harry becoming wiser, his character growing more and more with each new challenge or trauma he must face. As a ghost, Harry’s powerlessness to affect the physical world heightens the story’s suspense. You can truly feel his frustration and despair at not being able to aid his friends or prevent the chaos that threatens to engulf his city. However, Harry is still as stubborn as ever, and he refuses to give up, leading to moments of hope and triumph that had me punching the air and shouting, “Yes!”In addition to lots of little clues about particular characters and ongoing mysteries, Ghost Story also has a major twist that I did not see coming. It makes perfect sense, yet it completely surprised me! The story ends on a high note - I actually cheered out loud - and leaves the reader desperate for more. In short, I’ve come to expect brilliance from each new installment in The Dresden Files series, and Ghost Story did not disappoint. I laughed, I cried, I was glued to the edge of my seat, and I enjoyed every moment of it. This is storytelling at its absolute finest.
    • 5/5
      Since this is part of an ongoing series it does present reviewing problems! I will say I really enjoyed this story, particularly the last five chapters or so. Also, despite some of my favorite characters being MIA it all turned out okay and I was pretty understanding of it all at the end. One other thing...I really enjoyed Molly's internal psyche...'nuff said.
    • 5/5
      The last book ended with a shocker. This book picks up six months later, following Harry Dresden as he deals with his changes. There are things he doesn't know, can't be told, and needs to figure out. There is also a big crisis as more bad guys seek to fill the vacuum created by the demise of the Big Evil in the previous book. This is a more introspective book - Harry learns more about himself, and by extension, so do we. It is an excellent book for those who have been following the series.
    • 4/5
      //HIDING BEHIND SPOILER CUT JUST IN CASE//

      Ghost Story picks up ‘right after’ the cliffhanger of sorts Butcher gives us at the end of Changes. Harry really is dead. Well, probably. Possibly… Maybe? The possibilities are endless as Harry tries to answer these questions while simultaneously looking after his loved ones and solve his own murder.

      A typical Dresden Files book, we see most of the regular characters and how their lives have unravelled after Chichen Itza. We also see Harry coming to terms with his apparent death and the consequences to his actions; how the choices he made to protect his daughter cost him more than his life, and cost his friends greater than he had supposed at the time.

      Death seems to suit Harry as his inability to interact or be seen and heard by anyone around him, as well as the difficulty/impossibility of using magic forces him to mature. Instead of shooting first and asking questions later, Dresden is forced to slow down, think things through, and use brains over brawn. When his friends are attacked and bystanders injured, Harry listens to the culprits, tries to understand why they did what they did, then attempts to help them. Murphy herself is shocked to see the change in him, once she starts to accept it really is him.

      Meanwhile, his friends are dealing with the aftermath of Chichen Itza in their own ways, and it’s interesting to see the changes Dresden’s death inspire. Bob is under new ownership, which has proven beneficial to both Bob and his new owner. Murphy finds herself struggling to stay afloat after being forced out of the police department while also attempting to fill in for Dresden in the protector of Chicago role. Molly is on the verge of joining the dark side under a new tutor. Thomas…. well where is Thomas? Older brother is only worth a visit as an afterthought towards the end of the book, but we can see just how hard Harry’s death affected him.

      Overall, the book is quite good and a typical Dresden book, even if Dresden himself is far from his typical self. The only gripe I have with it is how confusing the reveal over Dresden’s killer was. I didn’t get it when I first read it. Perhaps I rushed through it and should reread it for clarification, but when I was done with the book, I still hadn’t figured out who had done it. It wasn’t until I googled it that I realised what had happened, which I didn’t really care for. On one hand, I liked how the effect of earlier happenings are still in play, but on the other, I felt duped.

      If you’ve made it up to this book in the series, you should seriously read it and continue on. 8/10 stars
    • 3/5
      Rating: 3 of 5 Ghost Story was okay. The pace and plot were slow-going, and the last three chapters ... awfully convenient. The book probably could've been about 150 pages shorter and still accomplished its goal. I definitely could've done without all the time spent on memories as well as Molly's Star Trek world.Perhaps I just need to take a break from Harry Dresden for a couple years in order to renew my appreciation for his charm and chaos. Too much of a good thing and all that.So, overall, not my fave novel of the Dresden Files, but I'll still pick up the next one.
    • 4/5
      I won a copy from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Another excellent book by a terrific author. Love his sense of humor and he really has a talent for bringing his stories and characters to life. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 3/5
      Love the Dresden series, but this one seemed to be lacking it's usual wit.
    • 3/5
      I love me some Dresden Files. I really do. And after getting over the overt sexism/chauvinism that I just don't appreciate (right about the time Butcher was toning it down), I really enjoyed Dresden. The whole series stays solid, it's not crap writing, it doesn't suffer from stagnation like so many long series tend to, the pacing is usually awesome, and I like that it's a story with complicated tie-ins to the whole Harry-verse (although lately, there are no stand alone novels, you've really got to know your Dresden-stuff). Until now.

      This book was such a disappointment.

      It wasn't bad. It just wasn't up to what the series has been (for the most part).

      Main issues I had with it:

      1. Enough with the exposition. By the time you are on Dresden Files #13, you don't have to explain the little stuff. No one (sane) picks up at book 13. I do appreciate the reminder when you're bringing up a character/act from a few books ago, but some of the stuff is brought up in every single novel and you get tired of it. Very tired of it. And not "omg, that character from book 2" but "omg, fire is hot. still hot. did you know fire is hot?" There isn't enough exposition in the world to make this a stand alone, so stop it already with the basic stuff.

      2. OMG, it was so Dark. Not dark. I like dark. But DARK and depressing. I get it. Life without Harry sucks. Dealing with the void sucks, but there was so much depressing Darkness that I almost stopped reading the book.

      3. Predictable. There was very little in this book that was unpredictable. You knew at the beginning how it would end. You knew in the middle what would come next. It was boring (add boring dark and we almost had a did not finish on this one out of boredom).

      It sounds like I hated the book, but I didn't. It's still a decent book, just somewhat disappointed from the really good stuff.

      Incidentally, this is also the first Harry Dresden that I've actually read. I have audiobooks for all of the other 12, but I hated the sample I heard of not-Marsters that recorded this one. I have to say that either Marsters's reading has very much affected how I see the Dresden files (totally possible) or he just does a great job, because when I read this one, it felt the same as the audiobooks.
    • 4/5
      Butcher really needed to take drastic steps to bring Harry back from the brink of despair and making deals with the devil to the chivalrous hero who quotes Yoda. And for the most part, Ghost story succeeds in doing so – Harry pulls a George Bailey. This book had a lot of good stuff that kept me turning the pages. First, this book felt a lot more like the earlier entries where Dresden spent more time cracking wise than getting his skull cracked. There is a lot more humor, and Harry investigates and plans his course of action. He didn't come across so beaten down (literally and figuratively), and despite being "dead," felt more alive than he has for the last few books. The plot was also very well done. It was cool to see the fallout of the Red Court's demise, the power vacuum it created and how Harry's allies are handling it. And, the evolution of Molly is fantastic. She has truly come into her own, and it will be nice for Harry to have an actual, even powerful, wizard ally for once. And, with Harry gone, Murphy stepped into a leadership role for the new Scooby gang. All these events were a natural evolution.On the other hand, I was as disappointed as many other reviewers at the return of a prior villain who just should’ve stayed dead. I didn't like her the first time, or the second time, and the third time was most certainly not the charm. Plus, while Harry was bouncing back, all his allies were descending into their own pits of despair - especially Murphy. She’s now making deals with the devil. *sigh* And I thought that the revelation of Harry's killer, while absolutely, unequivocally clever, was also utter bull. Perfectly plotted, no doubt about it. Yet, it still felt contrived. And, this book had WAY too much introspection. Harry's inner dialog is usually witty and fun, interspersed among the action. Half a book of it? Not so much. It threw the pacing off. There'd be lots of action, then page after page of Harry "remembering" his life. The ending left me with hope that the Harry I knew and loved may well be back, but it also left things hanging (like what happened to Bob after Harry left the NeverNever?) Overall, this book didn’t leave me completely satisfied, but I did enjoy it far more than the last two. I wasn’t sure if I would continue this series after “Changes.” But, I think this hooked me for one more book. It had better be a doozy – and in a good way.
    • 4/5
      Another enjoyable addition to the Dresden files. While not as good as the first few novels, it is one of the best books as of late in the series. Here we have Harry Dresden at his weakest - he was shot at the end of the previous book, and in this one, comes back as a ghost. This time, we see a more introspective Harry. He is contemplating his past, worried about the future. His war with the vampire red court has left holes in the power structure, leaving his friends to deal with the aftermath and the incoming evil. Everybody who Harry dragged to South America has changed, and not for the better. His apprentice might be crazy, his best friend is making decisions that go against her nature, and all the minor powers are afraid.This book, with a bit of change to the end, would have make an excellent series ender. I will continue with the series, but Harry is getting a bit old.
    • 5/5
      While I was dissapointed, in April when the anouncement came out, that "Ghost Story"would be delayed thill the end of July, it was worth the wait. Butcher has done it again. The Dresder rolercoster roles on to a new peek and look as if it will keep going.
    • 5/5
      Painfully slow beginning, traditionally intricate middle part and fast-paced, impossible-to-stop-reading, exciting ending - that's Ghost Story for you.After solid 6 or 7 books, Murphy started really bugging me again. Crazy Molly is awesome and I kind of fangirly-ly ship her and Harry now. No Thomas was a bit disappointing, though I am happy to have had a glimpse of his life towards the end. Harry's killer revelation should not have surprised me - after reading the series for so long, I should have known better. But nice twist, Jim Butcher!Old villains, angels, ghosts, conspiracies, lies, disinformation - oh, I am getting chills just writing about it. The story is awesome, captivating, and better and better with every book.
    • 4/5
      Ghost Story
      3.5 Stars

      Harry is sent back as a ghost to solve his murder and is confronted with the reality of his friends’ grief and suffering in the aftermath of his death.

      Unfortunately, this is one of the weaker additions in the series. There is very little plot or character development (in fact, Murphy and Molly seem to have regressed) and some sections are drawn out unnecessarily feeling more like filler than any meaningful contribution to the story. Nevertheless, there are some strong points such as the new and improved Butters, the hints at Daniel Carpenter’s future and the subplot involving Fitz and company.

      Despite my problems with the book, Harry’s story is exceedingly engaging and the resolution to his quest is a real shocker. It will be interesting to see what happens next now that Harry is the Winter Knight and in the service of Queen Mab.

      A final note on the narration: John Glover is a fantastic actor and narrator but to me James Marsters IS Harry Dresden and he was sorely missed in this installment. So glad he will be back in Cold Days
    • 4/5
      I guess author felt that something has to change after 12 novels and so we are dealing with Harry Dresden's ghost here. This somehow didn't hit the right note with me. In addition, it was quite slow sometimes, especially when it got into Harry's philosophical musings (right and wrong, etc,). It's not bad at all - Jim Butcher knows how to write fantasy - and I will not go again over all positives of the book. It's just a little not as good as before. I hope that we will be able to get back to the level in the following books in this series.
    • 3/5
      Someone’s out of their weight class
      We open up in Ghost Story with Harry being in shall we say not quite the after life, ok let’s call it limbo instead. He’s told he must go back to Chicago as a ghost to find out who killed him otherwise 3 people close to him will be seriously hurt. Of course he goes back, who wouldn’t go back if they were told that? Unfortunately for him, he’s used to being a heavy weight and now he literally has no weight to throw around. It’s like watching a guppie get thrown in with a pack of piranhas. Entertaining as it may have been to watch Harry be powerless for once I think this effected some of the mojo in the book.

      Because he is powerless we get to see other characters step up to the plate that normally Harry would have dominated. This was quite a refreshing change and I loved seeing how these characters handled things. It was especially nice having Harry stop and think about things. After all what more could he do other than mull over his circumstances, the people from his life and his own past actions. Indeed, Harry undergoes a lot of personally eye opening moments, given that he’s finally stopping to think about things instead of rushing headlong into the fray. He’s able to reflect and catch details about his past that he never noticed before and he sees just how much he has effected the lives of the people he cares about.

      Bedazzle you with the Smoke and Mirrors
      Any magician worth his salt knows about misdirection but only an effective one can put it to you the way Jim Butcher can. It’s likely why I’ve always returned to his books again and again because I can always expect to be strung along by my nose, not being able to guess at where we might be going next. Ghost Story delivers that here with a punch. I’m tootling along thinking in one direction and then I’m thrown for a loop with an altogether different kind of revelation. I was a bit peeved towards the end with a few things that felt tacked on like ‘afterthoughts’ but that might just be me personally and who knows others might think its totally normal for them to have been included. I can see why they would have been given the circumstances but I couldn’t help feeling the way I did.

      I can see right through you!
      So sometimes Harry never ceases to gobsmack me with how daft he can be in certain areas. Of course that particular trait is also part of what I find so appealing about him. He SEES things, or just knows them about people, but by golly there is so much he really doesn’t know – or just doesn’t get. In a way I kind of compare him to my husband that way, it’s endearing how his clueless tendencies can make me both want to throttle him and hug him. Yeah, so what that’s my oddball contradictive fangirl moment.

      But oh, Ghost Story after that cliffhanger of an ending in Changes I had expected all sorts of crazy fireworks and hell raising that I didn’t quite get. There was just so Muchy-Muchness to Changes that in a way I felt a little let down by the action level in Ghost Story. Ultimately, it was still a vastly enjoyable read even though it didn’t grab me as much as the preceding novels. Another great addition to the Dresden Files.
    • 1/5
      I don't think Harry Dresden is at his best when slingling spells. It's his interaction with the varied and very strange citizens of Butcher's Chicago that has made him endearing. Since that is almost absent in this novel, I doubt I'll reread it, which is a first for me with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I haven't been this disappointed in an author in almost a decade, although there have been many who wrote books that I didn't care for in that time. I will probably read the next book in the Dresden Files to see if Mr. Butcher is able to recover from this one. I believe he's lost interest in this series since he is now able to publish the Codex Alera - which I don't believe has the sales figures that the Dresden Files do, but sounds like it's more in line with his first love - but has to finish his publisher's contract for this series. I wish he could do so with the same grace that I've seen other authors finish a contract when they're emotionally and intellectually finished with a character.
    • 5/5
      Best yet in the series.
    • 5/5
      I just reread this one. Okay I reread all of Jim Butcher's quite often but this one was so much fun. Harry dealing with a lack of his body and his magic is a fun ride. I loved meeting Karrin's dad in the ghostly realm and the Eternal Voice was a very interesting character. I am still mostly patiently waiting for the next book. Harry is one of my all time favorite characters. Seeing how he will get around being the Winter Knight will be very interesting.
    • 4/5
      One of the most eagerly awaited books of all time, given the horrendous nature of the ending of the previous volume changes . I've certainly never pre-ordered a book before, but the intensity of changes was such that I really really wanted to know what came next. Ghost Story does a good but not brilliant job of the follow-up. It is essential to have read all of the previous works in the series beforehand, there is a lot of reference to prior events. This is also not a self-contained tale, unlike nearly all of the others, this does very much leave more to be explained and a good hook for the next book.Changes ended with Harry Dresden being assassinated by a long range sniper bullet, previously discussed in the series as one of the few effective ways of killing a wizard such as he. Ghost Story opens with Harry, well not quite flailing around in the ether, but very much a new ghost unsure of the rules, or how things work, and not really where he expected to be, which was either in Heaven or Hell. Instead he is offered a choice, a chance to save his friends from the trouble he left behind. DeadHarry hasn't changed in this respect, of course he takes it. But he finds 'life' as ghost very difficult, especially given the situation in Chicago six months after he died. It is now May, but snow still lies deep on the ground. Harry's effective defeat of one of the major supernatural world powers has left a lot of space for new powers to rise, and without Harry to scare them off,Chicago is a prime target. This has made Harry's friends' lives very hard - and his apprentice Molly, the only one with magical talent, has had it hardest.Already in just that short summary of the opening chapter, the main themes of the book have become apparent: freedom of choice, consequences of actions - and especially the long term consequences that might not be predictable, can Harry save Molly from herself? and of course who killed Harry and why? - the Who is easy, I was right with my guess at the conclusion of Changes, the why shows just how good a storyteller Jim Butcher is! It is completely obviously the only possible explanation - but you won't guess it until it's been explained to you.Given such praise why is this only a 4* book? The opening third is slow as Harry gets to grips with his un-existence, the middle third is almost dull as Harry discovers he has to fight one of his previous enemies again. The palpable sense of disappointment as you realise you could be reading another 6 books about Harry getting more and more powerful again, fighting the same people again in this new arena, is only offset by the relief from the final third that this will not be the case. Most but not all of the details are tidied up. The main exception is what happens to Bob?Other than that though it is pure wisecracking Harry all the way through, with the clever use of magic, some just in time deductions and a twisty plot sure to enthral everyone who has followed the series thus far. Nowhere near as intense as some of the series, nor the most innovative, it is still a very enjoyable read.
    • 5/5
      Easily one of the most unique and creative entries in an ongoing series in the genre and genres like it, I'm sure. And even more than that, it's the 13th book in the series. Jim Butcher gets bold with the twelfth and brings it all back in a wildly inventive fashion for lucky number thirteen. Really looking forward to being caught up with the Dresden Files series. A great read for almost anyone even though it's urban fantasy, which obviously isn't everyone's favorite but it's just so accessible and well-written.
    • 4/5
      Ghost Story is the thirteenth installment of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels. I read somewhere that Butcher wanted to call the novel Dead but this was flatly rejected by the publishers. The title itself leaves absolutely no room for question. Implicit in the title is the spoiler: harry Dresden is, as of the twelfth novel, Changes, dead. That's right: some jerk--some lousy irredeemably stupid schmuck--killed the hero of the series. It's Harry's job to figure out whodunnit.I admit at the outset that I'm a fan of the series. I've read each of the first ten books two, sometimes three times. I got turned on to the existence of his work, like many people did, when the SciFi Network aired its one-season The Dresden Files program, which took considerable license, but turned me on to the hardboiled magic detective. Many people have lauded Dresden as Harry Potter, all-grown-up. I guess there's some merit to that analogy.But in this novel, Harry is dead. It's been almost two years since the last Dresden Novel was released, so I've been anxiously awaiting Changes for several months, to find out who killed him. Somebody shot the poor guy, and he fell right into Lake Michigan and bled to death.Part of the strength of Butcher's writing is the core magical world. The strength of the The Summer and Winter Fae courts, He Who Walks Behind (an otherworld creature, a la Chthulu), demons, angels, potions, the vampire courts--Black, Red, and White--and, of course, the White Council of wizards itself. There is a (literally) underworld Chicago where all sorts of trolls and ghosts and ghouls and other nasty beasties live.What I wanted to know, of course, is how Harry's friends reacted. His vampire half-brother Thomas, his favorite former-Cop Karrin Murphy, his apprentice Molly, Bob the air spirit who inhabits a skull in his workroom; his pets; even his godmother Leanansidhe. We wonder who will see him, and how he will reach out to the world to the living.Of course, there is Morty the ectomancer, who might give him a leg up on his own death; and a few allies who come from surprising places.All that said, the book was a bit of a letdown. I was hoping for something more; and when I think back, I'm not sure what that "something" is. There was plenty of exposition: we learned a lot about ghosts and spirits, and how they navigate Dresden's world. We learn more about threshholds. But I guess my bother is the story didn't move forward much. Other than Harry uncovering his murderer, very little changed between Changes and Butcher's newest novel.A few quick nods to character growth and change in this novel:Murphy is more badass than ever. Don't cross this woman, ever.Butters is becoming quite knowledgeable about magic loreMolly is very bitter over Harry's death, and is on the cusp of losing herself to the lure dark magic.Mister is amazing. The damn cat made me cry.OK. An urban supernatual novel shouldn't evoke that kind of response. But Butcher knows how to write characters and create a world. He's become a role model to me, in terms of writing style and exposition. His first-person narrative voice limits us to Harry's perspective only; I would certainly like to see m0re from the perspective of Ebenezar McCoy, or Molly Carpenter, even minor characters such as Hendricks.Sometimes Butcher tries a bit too hard at being funny or ironic in Dresden's voice. When Butcher's narrative is good, he is truly brilliant, and each novel has laugh-out-loud moments. This one was a bit pale in comparison to some of his earlier novels. It's my fear that Harry, in a few more books will become a caricature of himself.In all, the book was good, but left me feeling a bit empty. I anxiously await book 12 which, I'd bet, is already completed, but I hope it's a slightly better showing than Ghost Story. I want Butcher's brilliant talespinning to go somewhere, and not spin its wheels for 400+ pages.Four of Five Stars
    • 3/5
      And we're back to Harry Dresden being a detective and trying to solve mysteries, except this Dresden is very different from the Dresden in the previous books, in more ways than one.Ghost Story doesn't read like any of the other titles in the series. It's hard to explain without spoiling anything, so I'll just say there's a good reason for that and it's also probably why I wasn't all that crazy about the direction of this book. I felt there was too much internal dialogue and not enough action, and it took much longer than I expected to get through this.
    • 5/5
      What happens when you have a series that has followed it's recipe for success each and every time a new novel appeared? Loyal followers pick them up rapidly and wait for the next book to follow, at the same time they are reading along with other series that they enjoy.

      Now what happens when the author throws a monkey wrench into the works? And say this monkey wrench has been set to let loose a couple of books prior without us realizing it? And this said monkey wrench is so mind blowing that your initial reactions range from WTF, OMG, awesome, I can't picture this happening, has this been done before?, wow this is cool, etc, etc. All these thoughts streak through your head in a matter of seconds.

      What happens afterwords, you consume the book. You blab about it to everyone. You find yourself devoting time to find more books, short stories, parts that you have missed before this one. Then your finding yourself reading more by the author that you previously didn't think you were interested in. And on top of that similar novels that match this type of story by other authors. To sum it up finally in three words, YOU BECOME OBSESSED!

      Now of course that's just me, but do you see yourself doing any of this now for this book or any book you've read? So when a writer has a loyal following, but is seeking total fan glorydom? Throw in that monkey wrench.
    • 2/5
      Because I so enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was really looking forward to this. Somehow it left me disappointed. Perhaps Butcher is running out of steam. I think it was the interactions with the other cast of characters that I missed. This novel seemed out of place.