Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 4 August 2011)
Series: Dresden Files – Book 13
Length: 17 hours and 36 minutes
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
So by this point in my explosion of Throwback Thursday articles I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I have been really enjoying the epic Dresden Files series lately. This amazing series has so much going for it, and after listening to and reviewing Small Favour, Turncoat and Changes, I honestly had no choice but to dive into the 13th entry in the series, Ghost Story, especially as it continued on from a great cliffhanger at the end of Changes, and boy am I glad that I did.
Harry Dresden is dead. Brutally and suddenly gunned down following his victory over the Red Court of vampires and his decision to sell his soul to Queen Mab, Dresden’s life is over, and his body is lost to the murky depths of Lake Michigan. However, nothing is ever simple for Chicago’s only professional wizard and supernatural protector, and even his own death proves to be far too complicated for his own good.
Waking up in spiritual realm between life and death, Dresden is given an option to travel back to Chicago as ghost to clear up his irregular death. If he manages to find out who killed him, he may save the lives of the friends he left behind, but if he fails, he will be wiped from existence completely. Determined to save those he loved, Dresden elects to return home and finds himself back in his city, but in the six months he has been away, everything has changed.
Without his protection, Chicago has become a target of deadly dark powers wishing to capitalise on the destruction of the Red Court. Worse, his allies have each been affected by his death, and their attempts to keep Chicago safe in his absence have led many of them upon a dark path. Determined to save who he can, Dresden calls upon the services of ectomancer Mortimer Lindquist. However, Mortimer is facing his own difficulties as a sinister force seeks to capture him using an army of dark spirits. To help Mortimer and his friends, and to discover who has behind his death, Dresden will need to master his new ghostly abilities and face down some of the deadliest creatures stalking the afterlife of Chicago. But even if he succeeds, is the remnants of Dresden’s soul ready for the dark truths and hidden secrets lurking just around the corner?
Well damn, the further I get in this series the more I appreciate just how good an author Jim Butcher is. Ghost Story is another exceptional and epic Dresden Files book, and it might be one of the very best things he has ever written. A dark and complex character-focused tale that places its protagonist is his most unique situation yet, Ghost Story has so much going for it, and I loved every second I spent reading it.
Ghost Story probably has one of the most unique and memorable narratives in the entire Dresden Files series, primarily because the protagonist and narrator is dead. Cleverly following on from the intense cliffhanger of Changes, in which Dresden gets shot and killed in the final scene of the book, Ghost Story sees Dresden’s shade sent back to Chicago six months later to solve his own murder. The initial scenes of Ghost Story are pretty interesting, and I quite liked how Butcher set up the scenario and reinforced it with the book’s first major action sequence at Mortimer Lindquist’s house, where the protagonist learns some of the rules about being a spirit and has his first encounter with the book’s antagonist. The story really takes off when Dresden meets up with all his old friends and sees how much things have changed since his death. The emotional damage his murder has caused is pretty damn moving, and the unintended consequences of his victory against the Red Court serve as a good set-up for some new long-running storylines.
The narrative from here continues at a brisk pace as Dresden attempts to simultaneously solve his murder, aid his lost apprentice, help a bunch of street kids being controlled by a minor sorcerer, and save Mortimer from a dangerous entity. The last one proves to be the major storyline of the book, especially as it involves an old foe of Dresden’s, and the protagonist is forced to use all his limited ghost powers to save him. This leads to several intense and distinctively dark set pieces, including a memorable storming of the beaches, an invisible ghost duel, and some major sacrifices. The final confrontation of the book is very impressive, especially as it helps to reveal the full truth behind Dresden’s murder. Butcher was really clever in setting this up big reveal, and I thought it was very fitting and complex, especially as it ties nicely to some events in Changes and hints at some great evils yet to come. The scenes that follow are some of the best and most emotionally charged, as many of the characters get closure, and you get to see just how important Dresden is to his friends and family. In some ways I kind of wish that Butcher ended series here, as there was a certain finality to some of the storylines that I really appreciated. However, I’m also not upset that Butcher chose to continue the Dresden Files even further, and the inevitable scene returning Dresden to life was handled extremely well, setting up a whole new course for the protagonist.
I really liked how effectively Butcher wrote Ghost Story so that it had a different feel to most of the other Dresden Files books. Thanks to the protagonist’s ghostly form, there is less traditional action and adventure, although Dresden compensates for this by bringing in a lot more world building and a lot of emotional character moments. Thanks to the situation of the protagonist and the general gloomy atmosphere of the current setting, this is a much more subdued and grimmer Dresden Files novel than you might be used to. Luckily, Butcher does try to break through this darker content with Dresden’s usual humour, which helped to lighten up some of the other characters in the book. The usual investigative elements are still strongly represented here, especially as Dresden has to find his own killer, and I really enjoyed how the protagonist’s new limitations forced him to think about the case in new ways. The main mystery is set up extremely well throughout this book, with clues hidden both in Ghost Story and Changes. I particularly appreciated how the subtle absence or mention of a recurring character ended up being a clue, and it’s a brilliant bit of writing once you understand it. Butcher really got the right blend of story elements here in Ghost Story, and I liked how he made the book a bit darker while still allowing established readers the sense of familiarity to keep them going. These excellent writing decisions really enhanced the overall impact of the book, especially when combined with the exceptional character work and intriguing new fantasy elements.
Ghost Story is honestly one of the most significant entries in the entire Dresden Files series, not only because it resolves the cliffhanger from the previous novel but because it starts to change the status quo of the series’ wider world. A lot of major ongoing storylines start in Ghost Story, and the six-month gap between Changes and Ghost Story also results in some intriguing changes to the main setting and supporting cast. These changes are pretty jarring for established fans but are really clever, and I liked the darker picture of the world they painted. Unlike most of the books in the Dresden Files series, Ghost Story really should not be read as a standalone novel or an entry into the series. While Butcher does do his usual excellent recaps, there are just too many big story elements going on in Ghost Story for it to be an effective launchpad for new readers. The emotional impact of the character interactions will also be reduced for those unfamiliar with the characters, and the big reveal at the end also loses a lot of punch if you haven’t read Changes.
One of the things that I really enjoyed about Ghost Story was the way in which Butcher worked some cool new fantasy elements into the story. The spiritual world and the undead aren’t unfamiliar concepts to the series, especially with previous entries like Grave Peril and Dead Beat, but Ghost Story takes it in a whole new fascinating direction with Dresden’s death and return as a spirt. This transformation forces Dresden to learn about spirits and ghosts extremely quickly, especially when he needs to utilise all his new abilities to save his friends. This proves to be an excellent and complex inclusion, and Butcher does an amazing job of completely changing the abilities of his protagonist for an entire book. The resultant changes and new talents are very cool, and I loved the dive into what ghosts are and how they can affect the world around them. It also allows for some impressive scenes, and it was a lot of fun seeing pitched battles between ghostly magical practitioners while the mortals are completely unaware. Throw in some intriguing new long-term baddies, the Fomor, and some new abilities for established characters, and Ghost Stories proves to be a book where Butcher was at his most inventive.
As with all the Dresden Files novels, one of the key highlights of Ghost Story is the excellent characters and the elaborate personal stories that Butcher weaves around them. The characters arcs in Ghost Story are particularly poignant and moving, even compared to Butcher’s usual high emotional standard, as the lingering impacts of the protagonist’s death drive many of them to do things they would never expect.
Naturally, most of the focus returns to protagonist Harry Dresden, who experiences some major life changes after dying. Despite losing his physical body, Dresden maintains much of his usual drive, humour and general disrespect for all the dangerous and scary creatures out there, and if there were ever a character who would excel as a nosey and noble ghost, it would be Dresden. However, despite his outer façade of good cheer and comedic charm, Dresden is experiencing a great deal of emotional turmoil, because of both the events of the previous books and his regrets of leaving those close to him behind. There are some brilliant examinations of the pure guilt he feels, especially around his destructive choices in Changes and their impact on his friends. Despite all this, Dresden is still his usual bold and determined self, and I had an excellent time watching him come to terms with his spiritual nature and his new abilities. Dresden had to be a lot more passive in this book, which honestly drove him a little crazy at times, and it was an interesting change of pace to see him so helpless. Butcher also used this book to dive back into Dresden’s past, providing us with some intriguing looks at his early adventures, including his first traumatic apprenticeship, which has been mentioned but not fully explored until now. I really enjoyed how Dresden was portrayed in this book, especially as Butcher wrote some particularly emotional and hard-hitting scenes for him, and this was one of his most unique adventures. I look forward to seeing what happens to him next, especially as he comes to terms with certain new facts of his life in the rest of the series.
While Dresden does get a lot of compelling and emotionally rich development in Ghost Story, I really need to highlight how exceptionally well Butcher featured several of his key supporting characters in this novel. Many of the characters the reader has grown to know and love throughout the course of this series really change in Ghost Story, especially as they have all had to spend six months dealing with the death of Dresden and the crazy world that developed in his absence. There is some outstanding and brilliant development here as a result, and I really appreciated how effectively Butcher examined the impacts of grief, anger and guilt.
This excellent development can be particularly seen in the character of Karrin Murphey, who, after losing her position in the police and her potential romantic partner in Dresden, was forced into a dangerous war to keep Chicago safe from supernatural threats. The resulting fights made her a lot more dangerous and unforgiving than we’ve previously seen, especially as she barely manages to keep her grief and anger contained. The always fun Waldo Butters also grows up a lot for Ghost Story, especially now he is the holder of Bob the Skull. Butters honestly becomes a better character with each appearance in the series, and it was great to see him being a more determined and bold figure here to try and live up to Dresden’s example. I also really loved how well Butcher featured the character of Mortimer Lindquist in Ghost Story, as he had a sizeable role here. A somewhat minor figure from several of the previous Dresden Files novels, Mortimer has been slowly growing into a better person with each appearance, something attributed to Dresden’s influence. However, Ghost Story is the book were he finally shines, as you get some real insights into his abilities and heart. While he might not be a traditional heroic figure, he does his best in this book, especially when it comes to helping the lost spirits of Chicago, and I really enjoyed how Butcher featured him, and his ghostly companions, in this novel.
While I loved all the work for the characters above, the most impactful and tragic character development revolves around the fascinating character of Molly Carpenter, Dresden’s wizard apprentice. Molly has always been a potentially dangerous figure due to her talent for mental magic. However, the loss of Dresden drives her off the deep end as her guilt and sorrow turn her into something a lot more dangerous and unhinged. Molly ends up becoming the murderous, magical vigilante, the Rag Lady, to scare sinister creatures away from Chicago, and begins living on the streets, untrusted by her former friends. This is such a powerful and surprising transformation from her previous appearances, although it’s not too surprising considering some of the darker things she’s done in the past. Butcher does an exceptional job of diving into her grief, her growing power, and the reasons behind her actions, and it is very heartbreaking to see Molly go down such a dark path. The full extent of her mental issues is a major part of the book’s plot, and I think that Molly had some of the best development in this whole emotionally charged novel.
As with all the other Dresden Files novels I enjoyed, I made sure to check out Ghost Story on audiobook, which frankly never fails to impress me. Coming in with a runtime of just over 17 and a half hours, Ghost Story is one of the longer Dresden Files audiobooks, but you really don’t mind as Butcher packed so much awesome moments into this complex story. Interestingly enough, Ghost Story is the only Dresden Files audiobook that has two separate versions to it, as actor John Glover provided the narration for the first version before James Marsters narrated a second edition a few years later. While I did love John Glover in Smallville, I decided to listen to the Marsters version, mainly because I have gotten so used to him over the previous 12 Dresden Files audiobooks. Marsters of course was exceptional here, and his particularly emotional and heartfelt performance in Ghost Story really highlights why he is one of my favourite audiobook narrators at the moment. There is honestly no better way to enjoy a Dresden Files novel than by having it read out by James Marsters, and this format comes very highly recommended.
Overall, the fourth and final Dresden Files novel I review here today, Ghost Story, was an impressive and highly captivating read, especially when it comes to powerful characters and intriguing fantasy changes as Jim Butcher really showcased his writing skills here. Exciting, emotionally charged and featuring a very different story than fans are used to, Ghost Story is one of the strongest books Butcher has ever written, and I was hooked the entire way through. I honestly cannot express just how epic and awesome this series is at times, and I look forward to getting through the last few Dresden Files novels in the coming months.
The Unseen Library 