Skin Game

[schneefink]

I finally got Skin Game today!

When I was thinking about whether or not to buy the hardcover version I asked sholio for advice and she told me that this book is more hopeful than the last ones. So when Michael offered to sacrifice himself I was clenching my teeth and going "are you kidding me, you can't be serious, nononono-" Michael! But Uriel saved him, because Michael is his friend! At great personal risk (and risk to the universe, really), but he knew he could trust Michael! <3

Every time when I get to the end of a book I think I should have known there was some other kind of plan/conspiracy behind it - not necessarily what, just that there was, but somehow I never think about it. Mab, Marcone (!), and Hades (!, nice guest appearance) - Nicodemus never really had a chance. Well, he did, Harry could've screwed up, but Marcone also knows first hand how stubborn and hard to kill Harry is, and of course Mab does.
I did know Harry had to have another card in his sleeve, but I didn't see Goodman Grey coming. And they were joking about it, even! Rereading all the scenes with that in mind was fun. There aren't many instances where Grey uses the code: I found when he asks if Harvey should be asked alive, when he asks if Harry believes him that he didn't kill Harvey, and one near the end where they frigging joke about his "betrayal." When he only asked for one dollar at first I thought his Rent is some kind of penance, but it can't be if he doesn't care who hires him. Hm. Looking forward to seeing him again.

Murphy! Being awesome as usual. And Butters - a Knight of the Cross with Bob? That's going to be interesting *g* There is no try, indeed. I never would've suspected him, but better him than Charity, who has a family and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want a Sword.

Anduriel can listen/watch to/from any shadow? Ouch. That's a good reason why Harry didn't bring in more people. (Though I was surprised he didn't call more backup, like Thomas, to defend the Carpenters' house against physical attacks while Michael was gone.)

Harry was pregnant. Murphy's reaction was very appropriate. Now he has a tiny spirit of intellect daughter, awww. Is she going to become best friends with Maggie, please? Maggie and Mouse are also adorable, and I like that Maggie is present instead of just hidden away somewhere now that she's done being a plot device (for now.)

So where is Harry going to live now? My guess is part-time in both Chicago and Demonreach. He'll have time to build a new lab, not sure where that's going to be. He can't only live in Chicago, Alfred Demonreach would get lonely.

Overall I enjoyed it a lot, I'm glad it ended more positively than the last few, and I'm very much looking forward to the next one :)

In less pleasant news, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is only coming out in Austria at the end of July *sigh*

Comments

[sholio]

The sequence with Michael's sacrifice and then Uriel's sacrifice for Michael was my favorite part of the book. I was reading it in an airport while waiting for my flight to be called, and I ended up bursting into a silly grin and bouncing and probably making everyone around me think there was something wrong with me. Because, yeah, I genuinely believed that Michael was going to die (.... AGAIN; I think this makes the third time I've been convinced Butcher's killed him off) and then the reality was so much better, all the more so because Uriel did it out of friendship, which was really the best thing ever.

Okay, now I have to go back and check for other instances of Grey using the code! I didn't even think of that earlier; I just noticed where he used it at the end! NICE. I really loved Grey and I hope he comes back in the future, although I expect he probably will since the "Rent" hasn't been explained yet.

I really appreciate the more optimistic turn the series seems to be taking, and I'm looking forward to the next book a lot more than I looked forward to this one, after the "downer" mood of the last few.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

My guess is we get a few more more optimistic books, and then it goes downhill again. There aren't many characters that I'm convinced will survive until the end: Harry, of course, Mab, probably Marcone, Maggie, but who else...

I also found it worrisome that Nicodemus managed to convince Deirdre he was trying to save the world. He might have been lying, but it would have to be a convincing lie...

[saphirablue]

*closes eyes for the Harry stuff* :D

I just hope that they'll show How to train your Dragon 2 in one of the english cinemas... *hopes a lot*

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

I hope so, but I haven't seen it yet :( Waiting over a month is cruel.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

I think I need to pick up the Dresden files books again.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Waiting until the series is finished to read it all in one go would eliminate the annoying wait between books, but I don't have the patience for that.