Jim Butcher: Death Masks

Hi

Death Masks is the fifth novel in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
My copy has 413 pages and I got it from Bol.

                                *   SPOILERS   *

This is my favorite novel in The Dresden Files so far.

The premise is absolutely stupid and ridiculous, but somehow, Butcher makes it work.
The book is very fast paced and filled to the brim with action; there’s not a breather in the whole novel. It’s suspenseful from start to finish and a lot happens.

I like how every new novel is grounded into the events of previous novels; events from other stories continue interfering with events in this novel, making every new novel that much more exciting because on top of all those previous interfering events there’s always something new, some new catastrophe or threat. This book has so many more layers then the first one and I expect the series will go on this way.

Butcher’s characterization is amazing. Every character feels very real and they grow so much throughout the series. His villains are especially well done in this book.
And I love Shiro and and Sanya. Sanya especially is my favorite.
Susan is back and she has grown into quite a badass character with more depth, coming from being merely a romantic interest for Harry.
Harry himself is better fleshed out too. For the first time he gets really fed up with events, he is tired, vulnerable, he can’t take it anymore and he is hurting mind and body. The scene with the baseball bat was very understandable and so satisfying.

Butcher made some very clever new additions too. The Archive and The Denarians are great, interesting, different and very unique characters. He also offers new rules to make it all work in a believable framework.

Death Masks is a rather dark novel but Harry Dresden is the same witty wizard he always was and that makes the novel not altogether dark and bleak. I loved the duck for example. Laughed so much with that.

Very enjoyable novel, best one yet.

4 STARS

Happy reading.
Helena