This one was a heavy hitter from the start, so-so much for complete escapism. Jim Butcher starts off with fratricide the definition found on dictionary.com is: a person who kills his/her brother or the act of killing ones brother. However, murder is not new in the Dresden universe. What made it more of a heavy hitter is that he moved onto death and the announcement that one day we will all die. Jim Butcher via Harry Dresden admits: Death isnt something anyone likes to think about, but the fact is that you cant get out of it. No matter what you do, how much you exercise, how religiously you diet, or meditate, or pray, or how much money you donate to your church, there is a single hard, cold fact that faces everyone on earth: One day its going to be over. One day the sun will rise, the world will turn, people will go about their daily routinesonly you wont be in it. Youll be still. And cold. (15 16) Perhaps it is just me, but this seems to be the polar opposite of escapism! Too much reality since tentacles of every day life touch upon death and people in general just dont want to think about it.
What exactly does this mean for the Dresden Universe? Necromancers! Well, actually it starts with a threat from Mavra which turns into face-offs with Necromancers. All disciples of a guy named Kemmler a bad a$$ that started a world war and owned Bob by the way.
Along the way there is a stop at the coroners office where Waldo Butters unwillingly comes along for the ride. (Personally, I dont know if Butcher was watching Southpark when he came up with the name or if he was watching NCIS and wanted to reinvent Palmer with a side of Urkel.) Eventually things become too big and too much for Harry and he will call in the Wardens. (No spoilers here, so I wont tell you the surprise that comes from that call!)
Where is Murphy when all of this is going on you might ask? She is in Hawaii with a certain someone and only makes two tiny cameo appearances. Another cameo appearance is Gentleman Marcone. He has one of my favorite quotes in this story: What is the point of having free will if one cannot occasionally spit in the eye of destiny? (162) Then there are always the one liners to fall back on, like: Polka will never die and Earth to Dresden, Bob said. You are standing knee-deep in de Nile. (199 and 25)
However , what really put a smile on my face was Harrys use of the dinosaur, Sue. Of course, being a female, I cant rule out the description of Thomas on pg 3: [he] looked like someones painting of the forgotten Greek god of body cologne. Finally, something for the gals.
Speaking for the gals again, first time Ive heard of death referred to as a female! Death flesh adorns you even now. Nails. Hair. You tend them and caress them like any other mortal. Your women decorate them. Entice with them. Death is not a thing to be feared, boy. She is a lover who waits to take you into her arms. You can feel her, if you know what her touch is like. Cold, slow, sweet. (29)
Venturing back to death and females is simply a good segue into the character of Kumori. She embraced necromancy so that she can stop people from dying?!? Immortality is just a myth. To explain Ill have to borrow a quote from Anne Rices The Wolf Gift: Immortality as we use this word is a grant of immunity from old age and illness Fine; we dont die, but that doesnt mean we stop aging, dont get sick or dont get hurt to the point where we might beg for death!
Okay, the last thoughts for Dead Beat: The event with Lasciel was predictable, as well as Bob becoming a tool!
What exactly does this mean for the Dresden Universe? Necromancers! Well, actually it starts with a threat from Mavra which turns into face-offs with Necromancers. All disciples of a guy named Kemmler a bad a$$ that started a world war and owned Bob by the way.
Along the way there is a stop at the coroners office where Waldo Butters unwillingly comes along for the ride. (Personally, I dont know if Butcher was watching Southpark when he came up with the name or if he was watching NCIS and wanted to reinvent Palmer with a side of Urkel.) Eventually things become too big and too much for Harry and he will call in the Wardens. (No spoilers here, so I wont tell you the surprise that comes from that call!)
Where is Murphy when all of this is going on you might ask? She is in Hawaii with a certain someone and only makes two tiny cameo appearances. Another cameo appearance is Gentleman Marcone. He has one of my favorite quotes in this story: What is the point of having free will if one cannot occasionally spit in the eye of destiny? (162) Then there are always the one liners to fall back on, like: Polka will never die and Earth to Dresden, Bob said. You are standing knee-deep in de Nile. (199 and 25)
However , what really put a smile on my face was Harrys use of the dinosaur, Sue. Of course, being a female, I cant rule out the description of Thomas on pg 3: [he] looked like someones painting of the forgotten Greek god of body cologne. Finally, something for the gals.
Speaking for the gals again, first time Ive heard of death referred to as a female! Death flesh adorns you even now. Nails. Hair. You tend them and caress them like any other mortal. Your women decorate them. Entice with them. Death is not a thing to be feared, boy. She is a lover who waits to take you into her arms. You can feel her, if you know what her touch is like. Cold, slow, sweet. (29)
Venturing back to death and females is simply a good segue into the character of Kumori. She embraced necromancy so that she can stop people from dying?!? Immortality is just a myth. To explain Ill have to borrow a quote from Anne Rices The Wolf Gift: Immortality as we use this word is a grant of immunity from old age and illness Fine; we dont die, but that doesnt mean we stop aging, dont get sick or dont get hurt to the point where we might beg for death!
Okay, the last thoughts for Dead Beat: The event with Lasciel was predictable, as well as Bob becoming a tool!
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