(Note: This is book thirteen of The Dresden Files novels, which form a continuous story. Read no further, on peril of receiving spoilers for previous installments of the series.)

Readers of The Dresden Files will not be disappointed with the addition of Ghost Story to the narrative. Being dead has taken neither sarcastic wit nor snarky attitude from Harry Dresden. The story is filled with familiar faces that fans likely love…or possibly hate, and each is characteristically well-developed. The shadier side of Chicago beyond the land of the living is as painstakingly imagined as the more common realm the book is usually set in, and this gives the book an immersive, realistic feel even through what is a dark fantasy setting. The story has several related yet distinct plotlines, each of which is engaging. This book is interesting from start to finish, and leaves the reader eager for the next installment.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 43 religious exclamations; 197 mild obscenities; 2 religious profanities; 24 derogatory names; 7 scatological words; 33 anatomical terms; 10 f-word derivatives; one use of the British “bloody”; “hell” is used to refer to a place. A character considers “flipping the bird” to someone.

Violence/Gore: Several verbal threats; a few reports a fights; characters threaten each other with weapons a few times; several reports of murders; several reports of people and monsters killed; a few reports of suicide; report of someone killed by a monster; fight with minor injury; a few fights in which monsters are killed; several fights with major injury with blood and/or gore described; a few reports of arson; a character minorly injures himself to draw blood; a few instances of property damage to buildings and vehicles; report of a rape; report of deaths in war; report of torture; characters spar with injury; report of an adult punching a child; a character considers suicide; report of an accident with injury. Though much of the violence in this novel involves fantasy, magic, and monsters, some of it is at times graphic.

Sex/Nudity: A man briefly notices a woman’s clothed breasts; a joke which uses a crude term about women’s breasts ; a few reports of a man and a woman having a sexual relationship; a few mentions of sex; report of a rape; mention of prostitution; report of a woman having a crush on a man; mention of teens being attracted to each other; a few reports of teens making out; a joke about scandal involving physically inappropriate relationships between clergy and children; a joke objectifying pretty women; a man makes a joke about a pretty woman who is naked (though she is naked for a non-sexual circumstance); mention that a facial expression is similar to one made during sexual pleasure; two women kiss, and it is implied that sex follows; a man considers how pretty a woman is; a woman wears lingerie to try to tempt a man; a man kisses a woman’s hand; mention of a teen girl stripping after her clothes were soiled; mention of pornography; mention of males’ genital sizes being compared; a character is naked while receiving treatment for injuries; report of a man and woman kissing.

Mature Subject Matter:

Suicide (reported, considered); murder (reported); rape (reported); prostitution (mentioned); torture; child abuse (reported); robbery; kidnapping; war (reported); mental illness; PTSD; death of a loved one; pornography (mentioned); same-sex relationship; bribery.

Drug/Alcohol Use:

Mention of the use of marijuana and other unspecified illegal drugs; mention of cigarettes; adults drink liquor.