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Harry Dresden forgot his own golden rule: magic - it can get a guy killed. Which didn't help when he clashed with unknown assailants intent on his murder. And though Harry's continued existence is now in some doubt, this doesn't mean Chicago's resident professional wizard can rest in peace.... read more

Summary edit see section history

When we last left the intrepid wizard-detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well.

In fact, he had been possibly murdered by an unknown assassin, but being dead doesn't cramp his style if his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

When we last left the intrepid wizard-detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well.

In fact, he had been possibly murdered by an unknown assassin, but being dead doesn't cramp his style if his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, 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 must make the choice to return to the scene of the crime and solve his own murder to save someone he loves from great danger. Piece of cake, right?

Characters edit see section history

  • Mortimer Lindquist: Mortimer Lindquist, speaks with ghosts
  • Evil Bob: The evil part of Bob the Skull, removed from original Bob
  • Harry Dresden: Tall, lanky fellow usually with at least a day's growth of stubble. He isn't model material but has a rugged sort of appeal. He has made the choice to use his wizardry to help people. He does this in part because of feelings of guilt for having dabbled in the darker side of magic but he does it, even more so, because he is a self-admitted Don Quixote tilting at windmills. In his case, these means dealing with demons, gods, and worse to save the "damsel in distress" from evildoers. He loves D&D, pizza, sarcasm, and his friends. He hates bullies, idiots, and most kinds of formal authority. He's always been his own man and tries hard to keep to his own moral code. In the past 12 novels, he's had some hard knocks to his philosophy and view of life but still manages to be the good guy.
  • Karrin Murphy: Former Sergeant of the Chicago Police Department.
  • Molly Carpenter: Dresden's Apprentice and daughter of Michael and Charity Carpenter.
  • Waldo Butters: Assistant Medical Examiner for Chicago, and a believer in the things that can't be explained by medicine or science.
  • Justine: Lover to Harry's 1/2 brother Thomas of the White Court vampires
  • Jack Murphy: Karrin's deceased father
  • Mortimer: see Morty
  • Stuart Winchester: Mort's house guardian
  • Corpsetaker: Necromancer who jumped from body-to-body that Harry defeated (killed)
  • Nick Christian: Add a description of this character.
  • Baron John Marcone: Gentleman Johny Marcone, mobster who controls most of Chicago's criminal activities
  • Father Forthill: Priest
  • Kemmler: Evil wizard.
  • Will: werewolf friend of Harry's
  • Joshua
  • Elaine Mallory
  • Susan Rodriguez: Harry's love interest, mother of Maggie, deceased.
  • Mr. Childs
  • Bob the Skull: An air spirit of intellect who resides in a human skull.
  • Leanansidhe: Noble in the Winter Court of the Sidhe, also Harry's Godmother
  • Queen Mab: Queen of the Winter Sidhe
  • Fitz: Runway teenager living on the streets of Chicago
  • Mouse: Harry's dog. He is a temple or Foo dog, a descendant of a divine guardian spirit and a mortal canine.
  • Ron Carmichael: Detective with CPD, Murphy's former partner
  • Justin DuMorne: Former Warden, Master to Dresden and Elaine, Black Mage, Warlock, deceased
  • Father Anthony Forthill: Pastor of St. Mary of the Angels
  • Mister: Harry's large gray cat
  • He Who Walks Behind: Outsider
  • Uriel: Archangel, the mysterious spy of the angels.
  • Margaret Angelica Mendoza Dresden: Harry's daughter
  • Thomas Raith: White Court Vampire, also Harry's half-brother
  • Marci: Werewolf
  • Andi: Werewolf
  • William Borden: Werewolf
  • Jared Kincaid: Mercenary, Guardian of the Archive
  • Felicia Raith: White Court Vampire, also Thomas's half-sister
  • Daniel Carpenter: Molly's younger brother, son of Michael and Charity Carpenter.
Show all 39 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “There are no words. It was like The Lord of the Rings and All My Children made a baby with the Macho Man Randy Savage and a Whac-a-Mole machine.”
    Bob the Skull
  • “You're dead, son, cheer is contraindicated.”
    Jack
  • “That's right --you heard me: dead again already. <...> How screwed up is your life (after-or otherwise ) when you find yourself needing phrases like that?”
    Harry Dresden
  • “This is a crossroads. This is where your life takes form. Here. Now. This moment.”
    Harry Dresden
  • “Pain isn't a lot of fun, at least not for most folks, but it is utterly unique to life. Pain--physical, emotional, or otherwise--is the shadow cast by everything you want out of life, the alternative to the result you were hoping for, and the inevitable creator of strength. From the pain of our failures we learn to be better, stronger, greater than what we were before. Pain is there to tell us when we've done something badly--it's a teacher, a guide, one that is always there to warn us of oh limitations and challenge us to overcome them.For something nobody likes, pain does us a whole lot of good.”
  • “Be.”
    Harry Dresden
  • “Death should be a learning experience, after all, or what’s the point?”
    Leanansidhe

Organizations edit see section history

  • White Council: The council of white wizards who follow a strict code of conduct. It is administrated by the "Merlin" and has a ruling council that is their Supreme Court and Law Enforcement etc.
  • Paranet: A network of people with special abilities different than normal people. They work together to help each other understand their abilities, and to stay informed as a group when bad things start happening to members of the group.

First Sentence edit see section history

Living is hard, dying is easy.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapters 1 - 51

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Death and loss: The story explores how people, including the deceased, deal with death and loss.
  • Friendship: In working through dealing with the death of the main character, the book also offers ways in which frienship can survive death.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 13 of 15 in The Dresden Files. (standard series)

Preceded by Changes, and followed by Cold Days.

This book is in 2011 Published Books. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Jim Butcher (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Roc
Country: USA
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0451463791
Page Count: 432

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: Not Filed
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

Adult content and situations

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Midnight Riot
  • Midnight Riot
  • Moon Over Soho
  • Hexed

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Storm Front
  • Fool Moon
  • Grave Peril

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