With eleven titles in the series, one might think Butcher would be running out of ideas for his popular wizard Harry Dresden but thankfully, that is not the case. Harry is surprised one evening when his nemesis Morgan, a wizard on the Senior Council and his outspoken critic appeared on the doorstep covered in blood, asking for help. Morgan stands accused of killing a fellow council member and is now the subject of a concerted manhunt by the wardens. If Harry is discovered hiding the accused, his life will be forfeit as well but for all the conflicts he has had with Morgan, knows beyond a shadow of a doubt the wizard would not be capable of murdering a council member.
Morgan has built a spell to keep the wardens off his trail but it will only last forty-eight hours, not much time for Harry to find the murderer especially when there is something older, far deadlier on the prowl. Native American legends speak of a naagloshii, a skinwalker so powerful just saying the name gives it power. It feeds on fear and the power of those it kills and Harry suspects he might be next on the menu in order to save his brother Thomas. Harry must seek assistance from Injun Joe, rely upon his young apprentice Molly and giant Foo dog Mouse to keep Morgan alive while learning about the creature stalking him and flushing out the real murderer.
Arguably, the best of the series, this fleshes out the White Council and the Merlin while setting up the premise for more exciting installments that take the series in a new direction. Nonstop action is matched by quick, dry humor such as the description of Club Zero with tantalizing hints about ice cubes and concealed objects. We learn more about Molly’s troubled past, Thomas’s heartbreaking inner turmoil, the dynamics within the Council and gain new appreciation for Injun Joe. Butcher has raised the bar on the urban fantasy genre with this one.
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