Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Finally Finished It!)

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Dang, Jim Butcher!  Take us on a ride, why doncha?  I finally found time amidst all that’s going on around here to finish Cold Days.  I read until 2:00am last night, determined not to stop until I knew how it all turned out.  Holy guacamole!  This book is what Cecil B. DeMille would write if he were an Urban Fantasy author instead of a long-deceased director of big-budget Hollywood spectacles from decades ago.

Action! Adventure! Romance (sort of)! And starring a cast of THOUSANDS!  Butcher has outdone himself on a grand scale, and Harry is rapidly approaching some sort of transformation which could make him way more than your most powerful wizard could ever be.  I can’t even imagine what lies ahead.  

SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT!

As for the romance, well I can’t say my heart is satisfied, by any means.  But at least the possibility of it happening…some day…IF we are ready for it…maybe it will happen…has been spoken out loud.  For myself, I could use a little less delayed gratification on that front.  I mean FOURTEEN books already, and we are still left hanging?  Come on, Jim Butcher!  Can’t they even have one night together to tide them over until that Someday arrives?  And it WILL arrive…won’t it?  GAH.  You do know they belong together, right?  And that Harry deserves some happiness, right? And that your life could be in danger if this doesn’t play out that way, right?

So, other than me not getting my long wished for Harry & Karrin Murphy moment, the book is a solidly written, wildly imaginative romp with monsters of every ilk, some of which are pretty much indestructible and will be back as the war continues in future books.  And make no mistake.  This IS a war.  For everything.  Humanity, the Planet, and life as we know it are at stake, with Harry leading his cohorts into ever-bigger battles to save the day.  Even the Realm of the Fae is in peril.  Anything and everything connected to earth, pretty much, could be destroyed, starting with  Harry’s home city of Chicago.  And Harry’s role as Mab’s Winter Knight is growing by leaps and bounds, as is his power. 

Where will it all end?  I have no idea.  But I do have a question?  What exactly is a “Starborn?” And why is Harry now being referred to as that, by several creatures who should know?  And why hasn’t he asked himself what that means, yet? I guess I have to wait for book number fifteen to find that out.  *sigh*  It seems a long time away, when you love this world as much as I do.

As I have mentioned many times, The Dresden Files is without a doubt my Number One All Time Favorite Urban Fantasy series.  Hands down.  Bar none. Unlike some reviewers, I even loved Ghost Story, though it broke my heart at the same time. But nothing…NOTHING…beats a new Dresden Files book in my hot little hands, and now I have to wait another year for my next fix!!  Urk.

My recommendation to those of you who have followed this series?  Pick up a copy of Cold Days immediately. And for those of you who haven’t, grab the first book Storm Front (which pales in comparison to those that follow), and find out what all the fuss is about.  Writing that gets stronger and better with every book, characters that learn, and age, and grow in power and commitment, and some of the funniest one-liners, ever, including this shout-out to a writer I haven’t read yet (though I do plan to change that):

 “Tao of Pratchett. I live by it.”

Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files

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