For once, Harry Dresden was minding his own business when trouble showed up at his doorstep. Morgan, one of the wardens of the White Council who has hounded Harry for nearly his entire life, needs saving… from the wardens of the White Council. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Why would Harry stick his neck out for one of the few men on the planet who has never liked him?
“Because Morgan wouldn’t break the Laws of Magic,” I said quietly. “Not even if it cost him his life.” pg 19, ebook.
Something strange is going on and, as usual, Harry’s going to get to the bottom of it. But, this time, the solution comes at great personal cost and Harry’s life may never be the same.
Excellent entry in the Dresden Files which, despite concerns that after 11 books it may have become repetitive or go off the rails, continues to impress. Jim Butcher seems to have found a sweet spot between bringing in old characters and plot lines while introducing new twists. It is an urban fantasy reader’s treat.
There are bad things in the world. There’s no getting away from that. But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done about them. You can’t abandon life just because it’s scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt.” pg 45, ebook.
The lines between good and evil are truly becoming blurred as the White Council continues to be assaulted from the outside. As a reader, I thought of the wizards of the highest council as unassailable gods, but in Turn Coat, they are revealed to be as human as the next person. They can be confused, manipulated and used for other ends.
Harry’s sardonic humor is in evidence throughout this tale, delivering his one-liners with his usual flair: “They always have good coffee here,” Ebenezar said a few moments later. “And they don’t call it funny names,” I said. “It’s just coffee. Not frappalattegrandechino.” pg 138
But as the story lines get darker, I can’t help but wonder how much more Harry can take before he snaps. Or the bad guys finally win the day.
“Everyone dies, honey,” I said, very quietly. “Everyone. There’s no ‘if.’ There’s only ‘when.’… When you die, do you want to feel ashamed of what you’ve done with your life? Feel ashamed of what your life meant?” pg 338, ebook.
Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
Thanks for reading!
- The Ballad of a Small Player: a Metaphysical Movie Review
- Otherwhere: A Field Guide to Nonphysical Reality for the Out-Of-Body Traveler by Kurt Leland
- Psychic Dreamwalking: Explorations at the Edge of Self by Michelle Belanger
- Archetypes on the Tree of Life: The Tarot as Pathwork by Madonna Compton
- The Goddess and the Shaman: The Art & Science of Magical Healing by J.A. Kent
The Help Desk Book Blog 