Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard PI. Turns out the 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. But he's forgotten his own golden rule: magic - it can get a guy killed. Which didn't help when he clashed with unknown assailants with his murder in mind. And though Harry's continued existence is now in some doubt, this doesn't mean he can rest in peace. Trapped in a realm that's not quite here, yet not quite anywhere else, Harry learns that three of his loved ones are in danger. Only by discovering his assailant's identity can he save his friends, bring criminal elements to justice, and move on himself. It would just be easier if he knew who was at risk. And had a (working) crystal ball. And access to magic. Instead, he is unable to interact with the physical world - invisible to all but a select magical few. He's also not the only silent presence roaming Chicago's alleys. Hell, he put some there himself. Now, they're looking for payback.
The previous book in the series was called Changes, and Ghost Story really was a continuation of that theme. While Changes threw us a bunch of external changes (hello, daughter and potential relationship with Murphy; goodbye Blue Beetle and Harry's house), Ghost Story brought the focus to changes happening internally. Since Harry is incorporeal after the events of the previous book, he spends a lot of time thinking about how he makes his choices and what effect those choices have on others. What he observes in the aftermath of the destruction of the Red Court stuns him, especially the part where it's all a result of his headstrong, reckless desire to do the right thing. I liked this introspection and I expect that his M.O. for approaching threats will change in future books. The gauntlet that he throws down at the end of the book also suggests he's serious about making wiser choices, and it will be interesting to see how he balances his new obligations with this.
One of the things that I liked was that Harry refers back to events that were from several different short stories included in [b:Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files|7779059|Side Jobs Stories From the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, #12.5)|Jim Butcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269115846s/7779059.jpg|10351697], which made those short stories important to the series rather than just filler fluff. Once again, Jim Butcher's world building and continuity is top shelf quality.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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6 August, 2011:
Finished reading
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6 August, 2011:
Reviewed