After being mostly dead, Harry Dresden is pulled back to the mortal world by Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. As her new Winter Knight, Harry has no choice but to swear his loyalty to her. No matter what she asks of him, and she's asked the near impossible: kill an immortal. To make matters worse, Harry must also stop his island Demonreach from exploding and taking all of Chicago with it. Gathering his friends and allies close, Harry must fulfill his duty to Mab, save millions of innocent lives, and find a way to keep the only thing he can still call his own...his soul.

COLD DAYS, A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher is the fourteenth Harry Dresden novel. As a newbie to the series, I have to say that I really loved this novel. I was expecting a more PI/detective feel because of what I'd heard about the series and COLD DAYS doesn't fall easily into that category. There is plenty of action, plenty of lies and half-truths flying around but the nuts and bolts of a good PI investigation weren't there. What COLD DAYS does have is a sharp sense of humor, a spectacular world and an epic adventure.

Butcher takes everything I love about Epic Fantasy and Urban Fantasy and combines them into one fantastic story. While there is the quintessential battle between good and evil Butcher deftly blurs the lines between them so no character falls into a cliché of good guy/bad guy. Mab's complexity is a perfect example of this shading.

Harry's struggle with his new role as the Winter Knight further smudges the line. As the Winter Knight, Harry isn't so much a detective any longer but an assassin and this new role doesn't sit easily with him. Harry's desperate attempt to retain his humanity and the core of his beliefs drives his actions. All the powers of the Winter Knight are darkly seductive. I love Harry's fight to use the power but not fall prey to the corruption.

COLD DAYS by Jim Butcher is a fantastic story. If you've never read a Dresden File, you can jump right in and enjoy this story immensely. As for me, I'm already searching out the previous stories! The characters are sharp, witty, and complex. The world is unique and perfectly detailed. COLD DAYS will keep you on the edge of your seat with suspense, laughter, and heart-thumping action.