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Dead beat

a novel of the Dresden files

Jim Butcher

576 pages

A ticking-clock supernatural thriller that balances gritty noir desperation with moments of wildly triumphant, geeky spectacle.

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What it feels like

Reading this installment feels like strapping into a roller coaster that plunges through a haunted house before launching into the stratosphere. The atmosphere is steeped in autumnal dread and ticking-clock tension, as the narrative hurtles toward a Halloween deadline with breathless momentum. The first-person narration remains wry and self-deprecating, grounding the escalating supernatural chaos in a deeply human sense of exhaustion and fierce loyalty. It is a story about being backed into a corner and choosing to fight your way out with whatever ridiculous, awe-inspiring tools you have at hand. Fans of gritty, action-packed urban fantasy will devour the punchy prose and revel in the sheer, fist-pumping spectacle of its climax, making it a standout experience of unapologetic fun.

Mood
  • adrenaline-fueled
  • spooky
  • gritty
  • triumphant
Tone
  • wry
  • sarcastic
  • desperate
  • heroic
Pace
propulsive
Themes
the burden of power · loyalty and sacrifice · choosing the lesser evil · overcoming impossible odds
The writing
Punchy, first-person noir infused with geeky pop-culture references and cinematic, hard-hitting action beats.
The arc
The journey begins in a state of weary dread and domestic frustration, escalating into desperate, back-to-the-wall survival before exploding into a wildly triumphant, fist-pumping climax.
Who it's for
Readers who crave fast-paced urban fantasy featuring a wise-cracking underdog, escalating magical brawls, and moments of sheer, unapologetic spectacle.
Content notes
  • fantasy violence
  • gore
  • necromancy and undead imagery
  • peril to loved ones

About the book

Harry Dresden's first hardcover adventure finds Chicago's preeminent wizard coping with his new roommate--vampire half-brother Thomas. Harry soon has problems bigger than Thomas' clutter to deal with. Marva, one of Harry's vampire foes, summons him with a threat to his police-lieutenant friend, Karrin Murphy. Marva demands Harry get the Word of Kemmler for her, or she'll frame Murphy for murder. Harry doesn't even know what the Word is, but while he's trying to find out, and also what damage Marva will be able to do with it, several necromancers descend on Chicago. When Harry learns that the newcomers are students of Kemmler, an evil wizard who mastered ancient spirits in a way no one has since, he discovers that they are seeking the Word, too, in hopes of seizing the powerful knowledge within it and calling forth a powerful creature known as the Erlking. Butcher's latest maintains the momentum of previous Dresden outings and builds the suspense right up to a rousing conclusion. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

After reading the original story, I was blown away once again by Butcher's ability to write a tight, suspenseful story with a twisting turning ending. Love his work!

Description from Open Library.

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