Skin Game picks up where we left our hero, living at Demonreach and struggling to keep the mantle of Winter Knight under control. He is still in service to Mab, with Molly as her new Winter Lady. Harry is assigned a task from Mab. He needs to help Nicodemus Archleone steal something that is heavily guarded and supernatural in nature. As Harry has faced off against Nicodemus before, and decidedly depises him, you can see where this would be a problem.
I really enjoyed Skin Game for a variety of reasons. It seems like Butcher is taking the story back to its origins. There are appearances from Michael Carpenter, and his family. Karin Murphy also plays a prominent role in this book, as does Butters. Those are all characters that began this journey with Harry and in the case of Michael Carpenter, haven't been used much in an adventury sense recently. Nicodemus is also one of the better Dresden villains, and is stronger than Harry, so he's always a challenge. His single-minded quest for power at any cost makes him a fantastic adversary.
In addition to one fabulous adversary there are also some great ancillary characters including Hanna Ascher, a wizard who is extremely well-versed in fire magic. There is also the Genoskwa, a giant bigfoot-like creature that eats goats whole and hates Harry at first sight. Finally there is Goodman Grey, a shapeshifter who can change into people and animals of all sizes.
Skin Game is a wonderful addition to the Dresden Files pantheon, with interesting main and complementary characters. The story line is tight, and there's a nice twist at the end that you won't see coming. You can buy the first book in the Dresden Files new from us for $8.99+ tax, or Skin Game new for $22.95+tax. All of the other volumes are available new and used from us at various prices. I can't think of a better way to spend the summer than reading the Dresden Files.
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