First let me say I am a big fan of this series. Harry Dresden is a marvelously drawn protagonist who is magnificently flawed and also capable of mythic heroics. Additionally, Butcher's writing draws you in, keeps you on the edge and all told from Harry's point of view. Few authors manage the style with such grace and grit.
In this installment "Cold Days" (ROC division of Penguin Books, 2012) we see Harry Dresden dealing with a command from Queen Mab, who is not someone you would mess with, that is not only dangerous, but doesn't really make sense to him. He has been commanded to kill the Winter Lady, Mab's daughter! Almost from the beginning you wonder how can Dresden follow this command and keep his humanity. (For those who don't know Harry Dresden is a wizard and now the Winter Knight owing allegiance to the Winter Queen, Mab)
Dresden calls upon his many friends, family and enemies to try to stop what my be the end of the world. In the hands of Butcher you totally believe these events and actions, even though you know this is fiction. Such is the power of the storytelling.
Butcher also has kept Dresden growing and changing throughout the whole series. This may be part of the continued success of these tales. Even if you think you know how it will end, Butcher makes sure you don't see it coming. I continue to be surprised and I read the end of the book first. I still get kicked in the head.
There are books in the series that I like better than others. This one, while not at the top, is in the top five. If you want to know the truth, my favorite is still "Dead Beat" the seventh in the series.
For those who haven't tried this series, and each book can stand on its own, give it a try. It is so much fun watching Dresden make mistakes, fall on his face and still get up and get it done, that I recommend starting at the beginning and read through all of them.
The opinions are that of the author of this post.
