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Chicago’s only professional wizard is about to have a very bad day in the latest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files...As Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry Dresden never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.
Mab has traded Harry’s skills to pay off a debt. And now he must help a group of villains led by Harry’s most despised enemy, Nicodemus Archleone, to break into a high-security vault so that show more they can then access a vault in the Nevernever.
Problem is, the vault belongs to Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld. And Dresden is dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess... show less
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I always have an overwhelming urge to punch Harry Dresden. I feel like he's gotten better since the beginning, and at least now his friends always call him on his bullshit, but there are still moments when he needs punching. Like with the earring. Like whenever he thinks about some women as a sexual object. This is probably why I laughed my ass off when the whole mpreg thing came up.
Here's why I liked this book: Because I love Michael Carpenter beyond the telling of it and because this book gave Michael quite a bit to do and feel.
Also, this book was a caper. A con. A whole Harry's Eleven kind of thing except for how Harry was by no means in charge. And I do enjoy a caper.
And? That spoiler OMG!
Here's why I liked this book: Because I love Michael Carpenter beyond the telling of it and because this book gave Michael quite a bit to do and feel.
Also, this book was a caper. A con. A whole Harry's Eleven kind of thing except for how Harry was by no means in charge. And I do enjoy a caper.
And? That spoiler OMG!
I also appreciate the thoughtful way that Butcher weaves together arcane magic (i.e. Dresden as a wizard who manipulates magic through study, thought and preparation) and faith. There are Knights of the Cross who wield a kind of divine magic - based on their faith - to battle evil.
Simply excellent. It is one of the best Dresden Files books!
Either this is the best Dresden files book yet or it has been far too long since I read one. (Both is also a possibility.) About 80% of the way through, there was a revelation that made me want to go back and reread the whole thing. I resisted the urge, but I did flip back and find a scene where it was relevant and was impressed by how the signs were all there and yet I never saw it coming. I know I'll enjoy it even more when I do reread. But even more important than the twists and turns as Harry deals with the situation Mab has put him in, I love how Harry and everybody around him repeatedly puts themselves on the line for their friends. Uriel sums it up best near the end, in reference to a scene that is simultaneously one of the most show more moving and geekiest things I've ever read. I can't wait for the next one. show less
Skin Game is the fifteenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Working for Mab has its drawbacks. For example, Harry being loaned out to the Evil League of Evil for a heist to settle one of Mab's debts. Harry finds himself working with his most despised enemy to break into a high-security vault so they can steal something from the Nevernever. Harry's going to have to watch his back to survive this mess.
I love a good heist! Harry is forced to team up with his enemies as they embark on an Ocean's 11-style trip to the underworld. This makes for a hell of a good time and something I had never really considered: that even the paranormal sometimes want to store something in a vault.
There is a lot to unpack character wise in this show more installment. While not everyone has page time, I enjoyed the ones who did. I did not see that change for Butters coming at all! I love how Butters is embracing his inner nerd as part of his new role. It feels true to character. I feel a small pang of loss thatBob and Harry aren't working partners any more though it seems that Bob and Butters work well together . It is in turns frustrating that Murphy has to sit this one out and yet makes total sense so that it gives Michael an opportunity to join in. He is uniquely suited to this undertaking and helping watch Harry's back. We're also introduced to Goodman Grey this book which opens up some interesting ideas given how much of a contrast he is to the only other skinwalker we've met in the series so far.
There are so many other reveals in this one that it's hard to keep track. I'm very curious to how some of this will play out over the rest of the series. I'm also sure that's not the last we've seen of the Denarians. Thank you Mr Butcher for finally having Harry make a move on his relationship problem! show less
I love a good heist! Harry is forced to team up with his enemies as they embark on an Ocean's 11-style trip to the underworld. This makes for a hell of a good time and something I had never really considered: that even the paranormal sometimes want to store something in a vault.
There is a lot to unpack character wise in this show more installment. While not everyone has page time, I enjoyed the ones who did. I did not see that change for Butters coming at all! I love how Butters is embracing his inner nerd as part of his new role. It feels true to character. I feel a small pang of loss that
There are so many other reveals in this one that it's hard to keep track. I'm very curious to how some of this will play out over the rest of the series. I'm also sure that's not the last we've seen of the Denarians. Thank you Mr Butcher for finally having Harry make a move on his relationship problem! show less
Skin Game is the fifteenth book in Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series. It picks up a year after the events of Cold Days. Harry has been living on the island of Demonreach that entire time, because the forces on the island are the only thing that’s keeping the parasite in his brain from killing him. Mab shows up, telling him that he only has three days left to live whether or not he stays there, and she has a job for the White Knight, to which he can’t say no. She wants to lend out his services in order to repay a debt to Nicodemus Archleone, one of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius and Harry’s sworn enemy. Nicodemus is putting together a crew to break into a secret vault belonging to Hades, God of the Underworld. One of the show more obstacles they’ll have to get past is a gate of ice, which, as the Winter Knight, Harry should have no trouble cracking. However, after Harry’s past dealings with Nicodemus, he’d rather kill the guy than work for him. He doesn’t have a choice in the matter, though, so he instead decides to bring along a friend to watch his back. He also starts plotting a way to fulfill the letter of what Mab promised so as to not sully her reputation or get himself into trouble with her, while also trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and maybe even take Nicodemus out of the equation by the time the job ends. Unfortunately he doesn’t know if there’s anyone else on the crew that he can trust to side with him when things hit the fan. Their mission turns out to be a dangerous one with many life-threatening hurdles along the way, but even if Harry can survive the heist, he still has the entity in his brain that’s about to kill him and he could piss off Nicodemus enough to make the Denarian target the people Harry loves the most.
Harry was told at the end of the previous book that he had a supernatural parasite in his brain that would kill him in short order, so as I mentioned, he’s spent the past year on Demonreach. The island’s power is the only thing keeping it at bay. Unfortunately few of his friends have come to visit and all of his messages to Molly, the only person who can deal with the entity in his head, have gone unanswered. However, while frustrating, the solitude has helped him learn more about both the island and his powers. In the previous book, Harry was learning how to use his new powers as the Winter Knight. While the mantle of Winter still sends errant thoughts into Harry’s mind, he’s starting to master them much better. I was quite happy that he seemed more his old, boy scout self in this book. He may have to do what Mab commands and work with his old enemy, Nicodemus, but he refuses to harm innocent civilians in the process. We also get to see some of the old, chivalrous Harry as he tries to reason with and protect the female members of their crew, even those who seem irredeemable. I thought it was also interesting that we get to see a more vulnerable side to Harry in this book. We begin to see him in a father role to Maggie. I don’t know what he’s going to choose with regards to fatherhood and Maggie in the future, whether he’ll take her full-time or leave her in the Carpenter’s care, but it’s obvious that he loves her and is going to be a good dad, no matter what. He’s also weakened by the entity in his brain, which allows others to step into the breach for him. All in all, I loved the Harry in this book and hope that he’ll be able to keep the evil side of Winter at bay and continue to be the Harry we know and love.
Skin Game was unique in that Harry isn’t really working with his usual Scooby Gang. Instead, he has a whole new set of characters to work alongside during the heist. Their leader, Nicodemus, is, of course, pure evil, completely controlled by the fallen angel, Anduriel. He’ll do literally anything to get what he’s after in the vault. His daughter, Deidre, a demon, is his right hand person, and an integral part of his plot. He’s also hired a Genoskwa, a big foot of a different sort than we've seen in the past; Hannah Ascher, a warlock with strong fire powers, who I don’t believe we’ve seen before; and Goodman Grey, a shape-shifter mercenary. Ascher’s partner, is a sorcerer named Binder, with whom Harry has had past dealings. To round out their little crew, there’s also Anna Valmont, a human master thief who Harry has helped in the past and whom he hopes might be an ally to him. Now that’s not to say that none of the usual suspects are present, because several are. It’s just that some are seen in lesser capacities. Molly really only comes into play at the very end and isn’t a part of the main plot. Even still, I’m a little worried about her as she seems to be keeping secrets and there was no resolution here to the events in her novella “Cold Case.” Butters is starting to lose faith in Harry because of his new title as the Winter Knight, but the ME eventually comes around, and boy, does he ever put in a great showing in this story. I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers, but I loved the way he works with Bob and how he finds his courage to do something pretty spectacular. Mouse is now Maggie’s constant companion and protector, and we get to see him a few times, including once in his warrior dog capacity. If memory serves, this is the first time we’ve gotten to see Maggie in a speaking role. She’s content with the Carpenters, but I think a part of her wants her dad. The biggest supporting players, though, are Karrin and Michael who each act as backup for Harry at different times in the story, and they both did an amazing job.
Every few books or so in this series, I seem to keep finding a new favorite, and that designation now goes to Skin Game. At it’s heart, it’s a classic heist story in the vein of Ocean’s Eleven, except with a supernatural twist. Harry and the rest of Nicodemus’s crew face a number of obstacles to breaking into Hades’s vault, each of which are handled by a different member of the crew who is a specialist in that area. But we also have the added tension of Harry’s intentions to try to take Nicodemus out before the job is over so that he can’t turn the tables on them, as well as the entity in his brain that’s weakening him. In fact, this latter subplot had a pretty intriguing twist to it. Along the way, there are action, adventure, and battles aplenty as our intrepid hero and his allies fight to save the day like always. However, one unique aspect is that it shows the hero doesn’t always have to be the strongest person in the room. Sometimes it just takes a brave heart, stepping up to do the right thing in order to win. Because of this, the climax of the story was just amazing. Chef’s kiss perfection! The story was plotted masterfully and paced beautifully. And after complaining about it bitterly for many books now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that things look like they might finally be on the right track for Harry and Karrin romantically. Yes! Now I just have to hope that Jim Butcher doesn’t ruin it for me in the next one, but for now I’m very pleased. Overall, everything came together to make this a perfect read and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. show less
Harry was told at the end of the previous book that he had a supernatural parasite in his brain that would kill him in short order, so as I mentioned, he’s spent the past year on Demonreach. The island’s power is the only thing keeping it at bay. Unfortunately few of his friends have come to visit and all of his messages to Molly, the only person who can deal with the entity in his head, have gone unanswered. However, while frustrating, the solitude has helped him learn more about both the island and his powers. In the previous book, Harry was learning how to use his new powers as the Winter Knight. While the mantle of Winter still sends errant thoughts into Harry’s mind, he’s starting to master them much better. I was quite happy that he seemed more his old, boy scout self in this book. He may have to do what Mab commands and work with his old enemy, Nicodemus, but he refuses to harm innocent civilians in the process. We also get to see some of the old, chivalrous Harry as he tries to reason with and protect the female members of their crew, even those who seem irredeemable. I thought it was also interesting that we get to see a more vulnerable side to Harry in this book. We begin to see him in a father role to Maggie. I don’t know what he’s going to choose with regards to fatherhood and Maggie in the future, whether he’ll take her full-time or leave her in the Carpenter’s care, but it’s obvious that he loves her and is going to be a good dad, no matter what. He’s also weakened by the entity in his brain, which allows others to step into the breach for him. All in all, I loved the Harry in this book and hope that he’ll be able to keep the evil side of Winter at bay and continue to be the Harry we know and love.
Skin Game was unique in that Harry isn’t really working with his usual Scooby Gang. Instead, he has a whole new set of characters to work alongside during the heist. Their leader, Nicodemus, is, of course, pure evil, completely controlled by the fallen angel, Anduriel. He’ll do literally anything to get what he’s after in the vault. His daughter, Deidre, a demon, is his right hand person, and an integral part of his plot. He’s also hired a Genoskwa, a big foot of a different sort than we've seen in the past; Hannah Ascher, a warlock with strong fire powers, who I don’t believe we’ve seen before; and Goodman Grey, a shape-shifter mercenary. Ascher’s partner, is a sorcerer named Binder, with whom Harry has had past dealings. To round out their little crew, there’s also Anna Valmont, a human master thief who Harry has helped in the past and whom he hopes might be an ally to him. Now that’s not to say that none of the usual suspects are present, because several are. It’s just that some are seen in lesser capacities. Molly really only comes into play at the very end and isn’t a part of the main plot. Even still, I’m a little worried about her as she seems to be keeping secrets and there was no resolution here to the events in her novella “Cold Case.” Butters is starting to lose faith in Harry because of his new title as the Winter Knight, but the ME eventually comes around, and boy, does he ever put in a great showing in this story. I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers, but I loved the way he works with Bob and how he finds his courage to do something pretty spectacular. Mouse is now Maggie’s constant companion and protector, and we get to see him a few times, including once in his warrior dog capacity. If memory serves, this is the first time we’ve gotten to see Maggie in a speaking role. She’s content with the Carpenters, but I think a part of her wants her dad. The biggest supporting players, though, are Karrin and Michael who each act as backup for Harry at different times in the story, and they both did an amazing job.
Every few books or so in this series, I seem to keep finding a new favorite, and that designation now goes to Skin Game. At it’s heart, it’s a classic heist story in the vein of Ocean’s Eleven, except with a supernatural twist. Harry and the rest of Nicodemus’s crew face a number of obstacles to breaking into Hades’s vault, each of which are handled by a different member of the crew who is a specialist in that area. But we also have the added tension of Harry’s intentions to try to take Nicodemus out before the job is over so that he can’t turn the tables on them, as well as the entity in his brain that’s weakening him. In fact, this latter subplot had a pretty intriguing twist to it. Along the way, there are action, adventure, and battles aplenty as our intrepid hero and his allies fight to save the day like always. However, one unique aspect is that it shows the hero doesn’t always have to be the strongest person in the room. Sometimes it just takes a brave heart, stepping up to do the right thing in order to win. Because of this, the climax of the story was just amazing. Chef’s kiss perfection! The story was plotted masterfully and paced beautifully. And after complaining about it bitterly for many books now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that things look like they might finally be on the right track for Harry and Karrin romantically. Yes! Now I just have to hope that Jim Butcher doesn’t ruin it for me in the next one, but for now I’m very pleased. Overall, everything came together to make this a perfect read and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. show less
Harry Dresden died, way back in 2010, four books ago, in "Changes - The Dresden Files #12".
That was tough book. Probably the best book in the Dresden Files.
Harry Dresden had no good choices left. He executed the woman he loved knowing that, through this act, he would destroy thousands of people (fairly nasty vampires for the most part) in an instant.
He had good reasons. He saved good people. But all actions have consequences. I assumed, at the end of "Changes" that one of the consequences was no more Harry Dresden.
I should have remembered, long-term Stephen King fan that I am, that sometimes they come back.
Dresden came back as a literal shadow of his former self in "Ghost Story" and then all the way back in "Cold Days" when he show more transformed fully into "The Winter Knight", a role that he'd previously protected people from.
I started to dislike Dresden in those two books. I admired Jim Butcher for following through on the storyline and the character progression, not just of Dresden but of his friends and his enemies. Dresden's actions in "Changes" had consequences for them all. That didn't prevent me from both disliking the broken Harry Dresden I was being presented with and from mourning the Harry we all used to have: the wizard for hire. the monster killer, the White Council rebel, the man who always tried to do the right thing - which somehow always meant blowing a LOT of stuff up.
Like many of the people around him, I almost walked away from Harry Dresden at the end of "Cold Days".
Then, eighteen months later, "Skin Game" came out and I decided to give it at try as an audiobook.
Good decision.
Dresden is back. Or at least, he's moving in the right direction.
In "Skin Game" Jim Butcher gives us the traditional heroic quest but with a twist: he turns the quest into a heist and heroes into villains, with Harry working with them.
The quest format gives Harry some wonderful set-piece duels against various configurations of bad guys, all described with a vim and gusto that made me smile.
The plotting is truly Byzantine with constantly shifting perspectives on who the good guys are and what the bad guys want and how any of it is going to work out.
Woven into this, sometimes a little heavy-handedly (seriously - let's have a discussion on whether Harry is a monster or not which he over-hears because no one notices that he's no longer unconscious?) are discussions about who Harry has become and what his options are. The usual themes on the possibility of redemption, the need for hope, the opportunity for corruption and the reality of loss are all there. They're also a little more grown-up and a lot darker than they used to be. At one point Dresden says something like: "I used to think I knew a lot about many things but then I got older and I realized that, most of the time, I haven't got a clue about what's going on." Dresden isn't a boy scout any more.
The pace is fairly rapid, accelerating nicely towards the end without becoming hurried. The characters continue to develop in believable ways. The good may win a round or two but the fight doesn't stop. And there are always those decisions to make. The ones with consequences attached.
This time, Harry makes some interesting ones: to start to forgive himself, to allow himself to spend time with his daughter, to let his next steps be guided by hope for the future rather than a need to survive the present.
He's still not the man he was, but I think there's hope for him yet. I've rejoined Team Dresden. I'll be there for The Dresden Files #16 whenever Jim Butcher feels ready to deliver it.
I'll probably also stick the audiobook format. James Marsters does a great job of the narration. He gets Dresden^s dry humour perfectly and provides credible voices for all the characters. And hey, I now know how to say: "Forzare" and "Parkour". True, it's not knowledge I'll ever get the chance to use in public but sometimes it's the knowing that counts. show less
That was tough book. Probably the best book in the Dresden Files.
Harry Dresden had no good choices left. He executed the woman he loved knowing that, through this act, he would destroy thousands of people (fairly nasty vampires for the most part) in an instant.
He had good reasons. He saved good people. But all actions have consequences. I assumed, at the end of "Changes" that one of the consequences was no more Harry Dresden.
I should have remembered, long-term Stephen King fan that I am, that sometimes they come back.
Dresden came back as a literal shadow of his former self in "Ghost Story" and then all the way back in "Cold Days" when he show more transformed fully into "The Winter Knight", a role that he'd previously protected people from.
I started to dislike Dresden in those two books. I admired Jim Butcher for following through on the storyline and the character progression, not just of Dresden but of his friends and his enemies. Dresden's actions in "Changes" had consequences for them all. That didn't prevent me from both disliking the broken Harry Dresden I was being presented with and from mourning the Harry we all used to have: the wizard for hire. the monster killer, the White Council rebel, the man who always tried to do the right thing - which somehow always meant blowing a LOT of stuff up.
Like many of the people around him, I almost walked away from Harry Dresden at the end of "Cold Days".
Then, eighteen months later, "Skin Game" came out and I decided to give it at try as an audiobook.
Good decision.
Dresden is back. Or at least, he's moving in the right direction.
In "Skin Game" Jim Butcher gives us the traditional heroic quest but with a twist: he turns the quest into a heist and heroes into villains, with Harry working with them.
The quest format gives Harry some wonderful set-piece duels against various configurations of bad guys, all described with a vim and gusto that made me smile.
The plotting is truly Byzantine with constantly shifting perspectives on who the good guys are and what the bad guys want and how any of it is going to work out.
Woven into this, sometimes a little heavy-handedly (seriously - let's have a discussion on whether Harry is a monster or not which he over-hears because no one notices that he's no longer unconscious?) are discussions about who Harry has become and what his options are. The usual themes on the possibility of redemption, the need for hope, the opportunity for corruption and the reality of loss are all there. They're also a little more grown-up and a lot darker than they used to be. At one point Dresden says something like: "I used to think I knew a lot about many things but then I got older and I realized that, most of the time, I haven't got a clue about what's going on." Dresden isn't a boy scout any more.
The pace is fairly rapid, accelerating nicely towards the end without becoming hurried. The characters continue to develop in believable ways. The good may win a round or two but the fight doesn't stop. And there are always those decisions to make. The ones with consequences attached.
This time, Harry makes some interesting ones: to start to forgive himself, to allow himself to spend time with his daughter, to let his next steps be guided by hope for the future rather than a need to survive the present.
He's still not the man he was, but I think there's hope for him yet. I've rejoined Team Dresden. I'll be there for The Dresden Files #16 whenever Jim Butcher feels ready to deliver it.
I'll probably also stick the audiobook format. James Marsters does a great job of the narration. He gets Dresden^s dry humour perfectly and provides credible voices for all the characters. And hey, I now know how to say: "Forzare" and "Parkour". True, it's not knowledge I'll ever get the chance to use in public but sometimes it's the knowing that counts. show less
Possibly my favorite Dresden, so far.
Dresden is loaned out by Mab to help one of his many nemeses break into the Underworld and steal an artifact. The conversation with Hades (yes, /that/ Hades) was easily my favorite part of this story. Well, that or the emergence of Dresden’s spirit-child (rich possibilities for the future). Cap these two bits off with a reveal about one of Dresden’s fellow burglars; and I can’t wait to read the next books.
Dresden is loaned out by Mab to help one of his many nemeses break into the Underworld and steal an artifact. The conversation with Hades (yes, /that/ Hades) was easily my favorite part of this story. Well, that or the emergence of Dresden’s spirit-child (rich possibilities for the future). Cap these two bits off with a reveal about one of Dresden’s fellow burglars; and I can’t wait to read the next books.
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Author Information
166+ Works 160,427 Members
Jim Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri on October 26, 1971. He is the author of The Dresden Files series, the Codex Alera series, Side Jobs, Ghost Story, and the Cinder Spires series. He has also written a Spider-Man novel entitled The Darkest Hours and a novelette entitled Backup. He has contributed to numerous anthologies including My show more Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, Blood Lite, and Many Bloody Returns. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Awards
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- Canonical title
- Skin Game
- Original title
- Skin Game
- Original publication date
- 2014-05-27
- People/Characters
- Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden; Hannah Ascher; Mab; Karrin Murphy; Anna Valmont; Nicodemus Archleone (show all 21); Goodman Grey; Michael Carpenter; Waldo Butters; Hades; Binder; Dierdre Archeleone; Charity Carpenter; Molly Carpenter; Harvey Morrison; Polonius Lartessa; Uriel, the Angel; Ursiel; Lasciel; Donar Vadderung; Kringle
- Important places
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Dedication
- For Lori, Julie, and Mom. You guys really came through for me. Thank you.
- First words
- There was a ticking time bomb inside my head and the one person I trusted to go in and get it out hadn't shown up or spoken to me for more than a year.
- Quotations
- But they were doughnuts of darkness. Evil, damned doughnuts, tainted by the spawn of darkness . . . . . . which could obviously be redeemed only by passing through the fiery, cleansing inferno of a wizardly digestive tract.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Without a word, I took Amoracchius and settled it where I could reach it easily when it was time to stand up.
- Original language
- English
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- 149
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- (4.34)
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- English, German, Polish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 24
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- 14