Death Masks

The Dresden Files, Book 5

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: James Marsters

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But he also knows that whenever things are going good, the only way left for them to go is bad. Way bad. Recent examples: A duel with the lethal champion of the Red Court, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...Hit men using Harry for target practice...The missing Shroud of Turin - and the possible involvement of Chicago's most feared mob boss...A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semi-vampiric nature - and who seems to have a new man in her life. Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging.

©2003 Jim Butcher (P)2009 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Superlative.” (Publishers Weekly [starred review])

“One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves.” (Cinescape)

Enjoyable story, fantastic characters

Any additional comments?

Well, this audiobook was another solid, excellent narration by Marsters. I adore his voices, but then again I've adored him since he was Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The story itself is also solid, and delivers all the twists and action that one expects from Dresden Files books.

**Spoilers alert:**

We see Harry Dresden's love interest Susan returns. You will find that you will root for it to work out. Harry's patient waiting for over a year for Susan to return kindles a sort of desire for their relationship working out inside me, it made me sit on the edge of my seat until the end of the book, wanting to know what will happen and if I get my way with the story. I won't spoil anything further than that, you just need to listen and learn.

Another Very Enjoyable Installment

The Dresden Files series is fun. The characters are interesting and believable, the action is well orchestrated and described, and the tension built throughout the plot keeps me--book after book--in a state of suspense. Death Masks continues this trend in Butcher's series, and Marsters continues to deliver stellar performances that keep getting better as the series goes along. His tone and pacing does a good job of evoking the noir-detective elements of the series, and his ability to do a multitude of distinct voices is improving from book to book. The series as a whole is very entertaining genre fiction, and the audiobooks are equally enjoyable.

Like harry potter? This is ten times better.

What made the experience of listening to Death Masks the most enjoyable?

James Marsters, he captures the image of Dresden better than I could have myself. He is the perfect reader for one of the best book series i have ever read. Morgan Freeman couldn't read this as well as james (sorry freeman fans, he just doesn't cut it)

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death Masks?

I dont even know... Probablt the introduction of more great characters. The other two knights of the cross, the archive, kincaid, butters.

What does James Marsters bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I cant read books in the shower. haha. but really he is the best man for the job (see the above for a better answer)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The combination of such a great story/series/great writing and james marsters.

Amazing

This was an awesome story if you love PIs and magic you will love this book and the rest of the Dresden Files. Also it has James Marsters narrating it so that is a big plus.

Adventure at a great pace. Enjoy the ride!

The balance of well developed characters you care about and a pace that allows you to be immersed in the story is hard to find elsewhere and impressively executed. If you like fantasy ground in the hard facts of everyday life. I have found very few that contend with The epics of the Dresden Files.

Great series keeps getting better

What did you love best about Death Masks?

Harry is a great detective that gets better and better.

What other book might you compare Death Masks to and why?

Any of the other dresdin series, also check out the iron druid series very similar details.

What about James Marsters’s performance did you like?

I like that he is consistant with the difference between characters, voice control is superb!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Harry seems to have an uncanny ability to absorb damage and still come out swinging.

Any additional comments?

The only down side is the time paradox, the author goes into extreme detail about things that are happening in the time of a fraction of a second. It seems to lack beliveability during these sections and becomes frustrating.

Start with book 1

This is a great series, start with book one Summer Knight. Each book in this series gets better and better. I love this series James Marsters is a great narrator for this, once you start you will be hooked. I know I am. I am now on book six.

Thanks, Mr. Butcher!

You have brought Harry to life with another rollicking tale! It is so much fun to listen to it, again!

Good Book

The book starts with the typical new case mystery that builds and builds like a snowball rolling down hill until it crashes into it's explosive ending.

While there were parts here and there that bugged me a bit, in total I really enjoyed the story. I don't know how long Butcher can balance all the story threads he either carried in here or added but I do enjoy it and I don't feel he is letting the listener down on any of them. Each book also seems to add new depth to the world which adds another level of enjoyment. I really look forward to the next books.

As always Marsters does an awesome job here and I could never imagine anyone else reading these books.

In the end this is a really a great Dresden story in both the levels of action and the detective mystery.

This is a pretty great series.

If you enjoy this series check out the iron Druid series and the Alex verus series. Both books are like this one. By that I mean wonderfully vivid storytelling and an amazing blend between a perfect story and a perfect narrator to convey that story.