When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.
But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.
To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…
~~
This is a hard review for me to write, mostly because I'd love to just blab everything amazing and pertinent about this book all over the internets. BUT as that would most likely result in a pitchfork and torches carrying mob to come after me, I'll try to resist the urge and do this without spoilers.
If you haven't read Changes though you're about to be completely messed up because I can't talk about Ghost Story without addressing the obvious - Harry is dead and this is his ghost story. I love how Butcher maintained that the last book was not a cliffhanger, that instead it was the natural conclusion to everything that happened. Now I can't say whether I completely agree with how he's trying to spin it, but he's been very vocal that this is what Harry was fighting for; to protect his daughter even if it cost him his life - that it did was just sad.
I was a little worried about Ghost Story because I wasn't sure how Butcher was going to swing the communication from the other side angle, if there would be rule and restrictions on who he could contact and how. Luckily he proved my fears groundless pretty quickly as he has Harry search out the one person who can help him contact the friends he left behind. From there it's got the same rapid plot development, soul searching, and action that makes each Dresden better than the last. And ultimately the mystery that's always been at the heart of these books is even more important in this one: who killed Harry and why? The question haunts (hah - haunts) the whole story and it's not answer till the very end.
It's a great ending by the way, in case you were like me and concerned. Butcher definitely doesn't let you down and wraps things up so that it stays true to the series and Harry. I can't say much more without big huge spoilers, so we'll just leave it at that and I'll end by saying I think Butcher did the best thing he could with the story he has created, which is really all I can ask for.
In no way will this book will be as meaningful or amazing without the back story of the first 12 novels but it is amazing and I highly recommend it.
Overall Feeling - Thumbs up.
Series - ...11) Turn Coat 12) Changes 13) Ghost Story
