Cold Days Gets Heated Up

There are a handful of authors who I follow religiously.  In fact, I have this mental image I am holding a whip, urging them to write faster and more.  So when the latest in the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher came out in November, I held off, savoring the moment and ordered it for my Christmas vacation.  For you see, as anxious as I am to get to the next book, I also want to cherish the experience. Reading a new book by one of your favorite authors is like eating Godiva chocolates versus a handful of M&M's.  They're both chocolate, but in completely different leagues.

Like being presented with a box of fine chocolates, I couldn't sit down and just gorge myself in one sitting.  I got the book on Tuesday, started it on Wednesday and finished it last night.  So four days to revel in Harry Dresden again, who is back from the dead.  And once again he has to save the world from all the things that go bump in the night.  It almost makes me afraid to finish Chicago at times. 

This time he is working under the orders of an old foe, Queen Mab (who saved his life in the last book) and must battle not only her foes, but as it turns out, the term "Warden" isn't just an empty title and there is a new set of bumpy in the night things to battle.

But Harry not only has a few new tricks up his sleeves, but he also has a cast of friends he can call on.  His brother, Thomas, Molly, Karrin, Mouse, Butters and Toot and the pizza-eating pixie army all rally behind him as they battle their way from one side of Chicago to another.  You want to  pull on your leather duster and fight right along side them. Jim Butcher does not disappoint.  This is not some Godiva-wanna be, this is the real deal - enough magical tastiness you are left sated and yet craving more.  

One thing I particularly like about the Dresden series is that while Harry is a wizard and can fight the bad 'things' right and left, he is still human, with human failings and questions just like the rest of us.  He has doubts and concerns, but still gets in there despite the odds.

The worse thing about reading Cold Days is that now I want to go back and re-read the 13 books which came before it.  I need more chocolate!