As this is my 51st book of the year (and thus I am only one book away from my goal of 52) I’m glad to have some more of The Dresden Files as I make my way to the finish line. I just checked to be sure and I read my first of the series in February of 2021, so on average I’ve done one of these a month and it’s been a non-stop smirk-filled romp with the delightful James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy) in my ears on audio.
I’m not sure I would enjoy these books as much if I read them, but the good news for me is that there is more of Marsters to be had! In fact, I started the 13th book already. Important tidbit, there are two versions of this audio floating around: originally Dresden couldn’t record in time due to a scheduling conflict so someone else took the reigns. When I started book 13 I was so let down! Luckily a short Google search told me that there WAS a Marsters version available so whew, disaster averted.
But back to what this review is supposed to be about, book 12! The vamping (vampire pun intended) in the previous paragraph was completely intentional because I have no idea how to talk about this book without it being spoiler city, so I’m going to keep it brief and just say that basically, the previous 11 books have been building up to this and the game is forever changed. Things finally come to a head between Harry and the Red Court vampires, while things are also bubbling over with the White Council, and Harry is also pursued by local law enforcement, Chicago PD, and the FBI. There are twists and turns and surprises around every corner. It was a gratifying read because the first 11 books haven’t had a lot of lasting consequences for any of the characters, but this is an entirely different rodeo. I’d love to tell you to dive in here, but you really need the context of the previous 11 but I guarantee you a good time with the audiobooks. Also, pro-tip, I highly recommend having book 13 waiting in the wings because the ending of 12 is going to make you want to pick it up ASAP.