 | |
| Author | Jim Butcher |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Christian McGrath |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Dresden Files |
| Genre | Detective, Contemporary fantasy, Urban fantasy |
| Publisher | Roc Hardcover |
Publication date | July 26, 2011 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 432 |
| ISBN | 0-451-46379-X |
| Preceded by | Changes |
| Followed by | Cold Days [1] |
Ghost Story is the 13th book in The Dresden Files , Jim Butcher's continuing urban fantasy series about Chicago wizard Harry Dresden. [2]
Immediately following the events of Changes , Harry finds himself between life and the afterlife, where he is informed that there has been an "irregularity" with his death and is given the option to return to Chicago as a spirit and find his killer. He elects to return and heads to the house of an ectomancer who can communicate with ghosts, Mortimer Lindquist, whom Harry had maneuvered into helping him in the past. Harry finds out that he has been dead for six months, and as a spirit, both his access to his magical powers and his ability to interact with the normal world are greatly compromised. Mort initially refuses to aid Harry, but after Harry helps to defend the house against an assault led by a powerful spirit-like entity, Mort reluctantly agrees. Mort and Harry go to Murphy's house, and Harry is subjected to intense questioning by many of his friends and colleagues to verify his identity. Once satisfied, Murphy explains to Harry that the destruction of the Red Court created a worldwide power vacuum, allowing a group called the Fomor to rise to power. He is aided by Waldo Butters, who has built a radio through which Harry can make himself heard and who has also made a "ghost light," powered by Bob the Skull, that renders Harry visible.
The next night, Harry returns to Mort's house to find it destroyed and him gone. Harry tracks down Mort and finds him being tortured by a gang led by the spirit of the Corpsetaker, a necromancer Harry had killed years earlier. She is trying to force Mort's soul out of his body and replace it with her own. Harry summons an army of spirits that had sheltered at Mort's house, storms the hideout through the Nevernever, and takes down its protective wards, allowing his allies to mount a physical assault. Harry returns to confront the Corpsetaker only to discover that she has consumed all of the spirits involved in the strike, increasing her power and giving her the ability to physically manifest - and the ability to steal a body, which she promptly does in the form of Butters. Molly attacks the Corpsetaker, who responds by entering her mind in an attempt to steal her body instead. Harry is quick to follow.
Molly and the Corpsetaker wage a pitched battle for Molly's mind as Harry seeks out Molly's mental command center. He finds it, and in the process unlocks a memory of his own. During Changes, Harry realized not only that he would have to become the Winter Knight in order to save his daughter, but also that Mab would then turn him into a monster. To prevent this from happening, Harry contacted Kincaid and arranged for his own assassination. In order to prevent Mab from discovering this plan, he then had Molly remove the memory of it.
With Harry having remembered the true events that he arranged, Uriel appears and explains that a fallen angel interfered with Harry's death by whispering a lie to him at a critical moment, which motivated Harry to carry out his planned suicide. The fallen angel's direct influence permitted Uriel to respond in kind, allowing Harry to come back and learn the truth. Uriel then offers Harry the choice to come to work for him, or continue on to "What Comes Next." Harry demands to see how his loved ones fare in order to make an informed choice. Uriel complies, showing Harry that Molly has successfully defeated the Corpsetaker with Mort's help, that Maggie has been lovingly adopted by the Carpenters, and that Harry's other loved ones are safe and well. Satisfied by what he sees, Harry elects to move on.
He awakens on Demonreach Island, where his body has lain in the care of Queen Mab and the spirit of Demonreach for the past six months. Mab is simultaneously angry and pleased by Harry's attempt to shirk her service, and tells Harry to prepare himself for her turning him into her creature. Uriel takes this opportunity to officially balance the scales, whispering seven crucial words to Harry as he had promised: "Lies. Mab cannot change who you are." Harry realizes the truth of this and tells Mab that he will be her devoted knight, but will carry out her orders in his own way and not permit her to turn him into her monster.
The Dresden Files is a dark fantasy television series based on the fantasy book series of the same name by Jim Butcher. The series follows private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden as portrayed by Paul Blackthorne, and recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago. It premiered on January 21, 2007, on Sci Fi Channel in the United States and on Space in Canada. It was picked up by Sky One in the UK and began airing on February 14 the same year.
Jim Butcher is an American author. He has written the contemporary fantasy The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Cinder Spires book series.
The Dresden Files, a contemporary fantasy/mystery novel series written by American author Jim Butcher, features a wide cast of characters. The book series was also made into a live-action television series which ran in 2007.
Furies of Calderon is the first novel in the high fantasy series Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. The novel was first released by Ace Books in the United States as a Hardcover edition on October 5, 2004, followed by a Paperback edition on June 26, 2005. Orbit Books released a paperback edition in the United Kingdom in December 2009. It tells the story of a young boy named Tavi who is the only one without any fury-crafting abilities.
Storm Front is a 2000 fantasy novel by American writer Jim Butcher. It is the first novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series, and it follows the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard. The novel was later adapted into a pilot for a SyFy channel television series, though Jim Butcher felt the writers were not attempting to recreate the novel on a "chapter by chapter or even story by story basis".
Fool Moon is a 2001 contemporary fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the second novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only advertising professional wizard.
Grave Peril is a 2001 urban fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the third novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only professional wizard.
Death Masks is a 2003 novel by science fiction and fantasy author Jim Butcher. It is the fifth novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series that follows the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard.
Small Favor is the tenth book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. The book stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 3 weeks following its release, attaining the number 2 spot during its first week. Small Favor is available as an eBook and an audio CD (ISBN 0-14-314339-5).
Summer Knight is a 2002 New York Times Bestselling contemporary fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the fourth novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only professional wizard.
Proven Guilty is the 8th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. It had a release date of May 2, 2006.
White Night is the 9th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.
Turn Coat is the 11th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Dresden. It debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction.
Changes is the 12th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Changes was released on April 6, 2010, and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Fiction, dropping to #3 in its second week on the list.
The Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, Storm Front—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books.
Cold Days is a 2012 bestselling novel by Jim Butcher and the 14th book in the ongoing The Dresden Files series. The book was first published on November 27, 2012 through Roc Hardcover and continues the adventures of wizard detective Harry Dresden.
Skin Game is a novel in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is the 15th novel in the series. It follows the protagonist, Harry Dresden as he teams up with former enemies to rob a vault belonging to Hades, lord of the Underworld.
Besides the novels of The Dresden Files, author Jim Butcher has written several shorter works appearing in the same universe. Most are told from the point of view of Harry Dresden, as are the novels, but some take the point of view of other characters.
Peace Talks is a novel in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is the 16th novel in the series. It follows the protagonist, Harry Dresden as he attempts to navigate a convoluted peace negotiation between various supernatural powers.
Battle Ground is a novel by Jim Butcher and is the 17th novel in The Dresden Files. Battle Ground was published on September 29, 2020 by Little, Brown Book Group. In it Harry Dresden, the protagonist, attempts to stop the Titan Ethniu from destroying Chicago.
