Skin Game

Jim Butcher
Aug 10, 2014

The newest book in The Dresden Files picks up about a year after Cold Days, and Mab is calling in her Knight once again.  This time he's being blackmailed into helping Nicodemus break into a secure vault, all the while upholding the good name of Winter, watching his back against a Fallen with a grudge, and hopefully managing to sabotage the project to keep old Nick from getting his ancient paws on an insanely powerful magical artifact.

Unlike previous novels, where there are usually multiple plot threads that are intertwined, this is a fairly straight-forward action-adventure novel with a single non-linear twist.  The usual cadre of Dresden supporters is a little trimmed down this time, heavily featuring Karrin Murphy, Waldo Butters, and Michael Carpenter, with only cameos from and oblique references to a handful of others.  This is not a bad thing.  The reduced cast and less convoluted plot make for a fast, exciting read, and showcase some serious moments of awesome for everybody involved.  Harry spends a good deal of time worrying about whether his increased powers have made him into a monster, and almost equal time working hard to remain a good man.  A good man with a lot of terrible movie references.  So, yes, he's still 100% Harry.

This is the fifteenth book in the series, not counting the numerous short stories and novellas that have cropped up over the years, so it's not really recommended for new readers, but if you're looking for excellent urban fantasy with a good blend of action, humor, and despair, check out the first book in the series and work your way up.

Reviewed by Library Staff