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The Dresden Files Omnibus #2
Wizard by Trade
Fantasy: For Harry Dresden, the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, when it rains, it pours. In fact, it pours toads, always a sign something bad is about to happen, But Harry takes such omens in stride, given that his rattletrap VW Bug needs constant upkeep, and his 30 pound guard cat wants regular meals.
598 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Jim Butcher
253 books49.3k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 13, 2021
As I mentioned, this is how I read the Dresden books...the first time. I've read them many times since and these remain on my shelf. I bought the (first) four omnibus editions from Science Fiction Book Club and read them back to back. If you have (as mentioned in my review of the first omnibus edition) read my individual reviews, you know I really like these books.
This volume contains Summer Knight and Death Masks. The books are getting longer a bit and we have only 2 in this omnibus.
In Summer Knight again we're getting more early information atop more details about the situations and characters we have already been introduced to. There's little I can say without it being "spoilerish" at least for earlier volumes. Vampires and Fairies can make life exciting and interesting. Ask harry.
In Death Masks we get to meet one the most interesting characters in the series (my opinion throughout of course LOL). Actually we meet 2 but for me there is one I find a fascinating idea and the way it gets developed is also good. Things are starting to move here that "may have" come to a climax in the last book. (Mysterious enough...no spoilers? Good.) Harry faces more trouble here, as always. A major Vamp nasty challenges Harry to a duel and of course since it seems that the White Council might be willing to simply throw Harry to the wolves (or Vamps) in exchange for a peace treaty anyway...
Well anymore and we're in spoiler territory...again.
Recommended, enjoy.
This volume contains Summer Knight and Death Masks. The books are getting longer a bit and we have only 2 in this omnibus.
In Summer Knight again we're getting more early information atop more details about the situations and characters we have already been introduced to. There's little I can say without it being "spoilerish" at least for earlier volumes. Vampires and Fairies can make life exciting and interesting. Ask harry.
In Death Masks we get to meet one the most interesting characters in the series (my opinion throughout of course LOL). Actually we meet 2 but for me there is one I find a fascinating idea and the way it gets developed is also good. Things are starting to move here that "may have" come to a climax in the last book. (Mysterious enough...no spoilers? Good.) Harry faces more trouble here, as always. A major Vamp nasty challenges Harry to a duel and of course since it seems that the White Council might be willing to simply throw Harry to the wolves (or Vamps) in exchange for a peace treaty anyway...
Well anymore and we're in spoiler territory...again.
Recommended, enjoy.
January 1, 2020
(2012 re-read)
Set-up novels.
That's what these are.
Set-up more characters (the Fae are fully introduced with the courts in Summer Knight and the Denarians are introduced in Death Masks), set-up more White Council intrigue (mainly in Summer Knight, but a little in Death Masks), set-up through lots of causes that have effects in later books. Basically, that's what these two are.
Not that they aren't enjoyable on their own. I slammed through Summer Knight; I really enjoy the politics involved there and almost every trip to the NeverNever is full of fun and politics. Death Masks felt like the first formulaic Dresden Novel (Dresden down on luck, mysterious happenings start up around him, build up as he discovers who's really behind it, and big finish ... maybe this was more Summer Knight than Death Masks, but the formula feel was stronger in DM), but even that had some really fun parts. And knowing how that thread of the storyline plays out also adds to the enjoyment.
But I think these two books are where Jim Butcher fell behind. These are really placeholders. Sure, there's important info and the like in these two (the introduction of the Fairy Court ... the introduction of the Denarians), but the Susan-Red Court War was relegated to second place in these. Sure, that story does move forward a bit, but not nearly as much as it could have.
And that's the most frustrating thing about the Dresden Novels. I really enjoy the fun and pulpy (and very D&D feel ... man, that influences so much of the writing in here) stories and characters, otherwise I would have stopped at book 1 or 2. But Butcher has a way of just dragging things out FOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR. Even with looking at the books as [1 & 2 introduce characters] [3 - 12 Red Court War] [13 - ? set up new situation] still makes it a bit of a drag. Oh well, it's part of the experience, no doubt. To bring back the D&D feel, he's gotta level up Harry Dresden enough to deal with book 12, so he's put through the paces with the equivalent of the level 1 - 3 goblins and goblin kings. It's like watching someone hacking boars to level up in Diablo II or WoW. When they first are fought, it's kinda cool. After a while, it's like, "Dude, just move on."
All that said, there is something fun and exciting about revisiting the older novels. You know, before Harry Dresden had a referenced comeback for everything (the first Star Wars reference isn't until book 3 or 4 and it isn't until Death Masks that he starts really quipping a lot). Before the pummeling he takes got to ridiculous levels (with some suspension of disbelief, I can still believe that he could survive and be powerful enough through the beatings he went through in these books, especially given his training). Before the formula became overwhelming to the books.
And at the very least, these are much better written than the Codex Alera books ... which I will finish reading sometime, I swear.
Set-up novels.
That's what these are.
Set-up more characters (the Fae are fully introduced with the courts in Summer Knight and the Denarians are introduced in Death Masks), set-up more White Council intrigue (mainly in Summer Knight, but a little in Death Masks), set-up through lots of causes that have effects in later books. Basically, that's what these two are.
Not that they aren't enjoyable on their own. I slammed through Summer Knight; I really enjoy the politics involved there and almost every trip to the NeverNever is full of fun and politics. Death Masks felt like the first formulaic Dresden Novel (Dresden down on luck, mysterious happenings start up around him, build up as he discovers who's really behind it, and big finish ... maybe this was more Summer Knight than Death Masks, but the formula feel was stronger in DM), but even that had some really fun parts. And knowing how that thread of the storyline plays out also adds to the enjoyment.
But I think these two books are where Jim Butcher fell behind. These are really placeholders. Sure, there's important info and the like in these two (the introduction of the Fairy Court ... the introduction of the Denarians), but the Susan-Red Court War was relegated to second place in these. Sure, that story does move forward a bit, but not nearly as much as it could have.
And that's the most frustrating thing about the Dresden Novels. I really enjoy the fun and pulpy (and very D&D feel ... man, that influences so much of the writing in here) stories and characters, otherwise I would have stopped at book 1 or 2. But Butcher has a way of just dragging things out FOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR. Even with looking at the books as [1 & 2 introduce characters] [3 - 12 Red Court War] [13 - ? set up new situation] still makes it a bit of a drag. Oh well, it's part of the experience, no doubt. To bring back the D&D feel, he's gotta level up Harry Dresden enough to deal with book 12, so he's put through the paces with the equivalent of the level 1 - 3 goblins and goblin kings. It's like watching someone hacking boars to level up in Diablo II or WoW. When they first are fought, it's kinda cool. After a while, it's like, "Dude, just move on."
All that said, there is something fun and exciting about revisiting the older novels. You know, before Harry Dresden had a referenced comeback for everything (the first Star Wars reference isn't until book 3 or 4 and it isn't until Death Masks that he starts really quipping a lot). Before the pummeling he takes got to ridiculous levels (with some suspension of disbelief, I can still believe that he could survive and be powerful enough through the beatings he went through in these books, especially given his training). Before the formula became overwhelming to the books.
And at the very least, these are much better written than the Codex Alera books ... which I will finish reading sometime, I swear.
Read
April 7, 2009[I haven't actually read this book (though I did read the two it's a compendium of), but Goodreads accidentally added it instead of the one I meant to click, and there oddly appears to be no way to remove a book once you've added it.:]
February 8, 2017
Books reviewed individually.
August 21, 2019
This book is actually a collection of two older Harry Dresden books, "Summer Night" and "Death Masks." Summer Night is one of my favorite Harry Dresden books so that was an enjoyable read. After multiple reads of this book, I recognize that parts of the book are superfluous (boy, I sure got sick of the Susan character since I don't recall their passionate beginnings) but I liked the fae parts a lot. Death Masks, the other book, was less interesting to me. After multiple readings, this book is a rather sad yarn.
June 2, 2019
I actually only rated this book 4 stars because of Summer Knight. I LOVED that book. It was so mythical and amazing. The second one was still very good, but it didn't draw me in like Summer Knight did.
February 3, 2022
My husband & I read the Dresden Files several years ago and loved them. Reading them again and find them just as wonderful. Very creative, great grammar and vocabulary, well edited. I definitely recommend reading them,
February 10, 2018
Simply amazing.
March 23, 2018
rainy day at the library reading session.
June 19, 2018
Always a fun read.
April 29, 2015
Bad things are happening in the world of wizards, vampires and faeries -- and Harry Dresden is right in the thick of it.
And "Wizard By Trade (Summer Knight & Death Masks)" brings together two more gritty urban fantasies, from the point in the series when Butcher's series really took off. There are vampires, werewolves, faeries, demons, holy knights and a wisecracking wizard stuck in the middle of it all, as well as some strong plot arcs in the wizard world.
In "Summer Knight," the wizard council is considering handing Harry over to the vampires as a peace offering, and his only chance is to solve a mystery for Queen Mab. Someone killed the Summer Knight and stole his power. Soon Harry is neck-deep in nasty faerie creatures from the Nevernever, and a conspiracy that lies at the very heart of the faerie realm.
"Death Masks" sees Harry enmeshed in three different problems -- a vampire nobleman has challenged him to a duel, a Vatican priest is asking him to find the stolen Shroud of Turin, and his demi-vampire ex-girlfriend Susan has returned to Chicago. As Harry tries to stay alive and solve the case, he finds that a gang of ancient demons called the Denarians are after the Shroud -- and possibly his soul.
Jim Butcher's got the hard-boiled noir thing down, even in modern Chicago -- dark rainy streets, femme fatales (some literally!), and some literally fiery climaxes to Harry's adventures. This is where the series really took off after a round of fun but not brilliant urban fantasies, introducing new layers to the character and a massive Wizards Vs. Vampires war.
His writing strikes a nice balance between stripped-down, snappy prose ("I don't believe in fairies!"), and moments of haunting horror (the death of one of the holy knights). But Butcher also knows how to inject some dark humor and action, such as Thomas Raith showing up drunk to a duel, wearing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer T-shirt. Just find THAT in most other vampire books.
And Harry goes through some massive growing pains in these books -- he has a guilt-inspired meltdown, encounters two ex-girlfriends, and finds himself being blamed for an entire WAR. We also learn more about the wizard society, Michael Carpenter and his fellow Holy Knights (especially sweet Shiro), and the cast is rounded out nicely by pervy skull-spirit Bob, feisty cop Murphy, and the ethereally amoral fairies.
"Wizard By Trade (Summer Knight & Death Masks)" collects the books where the Dresden Files really starts getting brilliant -- a solid, complex double dose of noir-fantasy. Hell's bells!
And "Wizard By Trade (Summer Knight & Death Masks)" brings together two more gritty urban fantasies, from the point in the series when Butcher's series really took off. There are vampires, werewolves, faeries, demons, holy knights and a wisecracking wizard stuck in the middle of it all, as well as some strong plot arcs in the wizard world.
In "Summer Knight," the wizard council is considering handing Harry over to the vampires as a peace offering, and his only chance is to solve a mystery for Queen Mab. Someone killed the Summer Knight and stole his power. Soon Harry is neck-deep in nasty faerie creatures from the Nevernever, and a conspiracy that lies at the very heart of the faerie realm.
"Death Masks" sees Harry enmeshed in three different problems -- a vampire nobleman has challenged him to a duel, a Vatican priest is asking him to find the stolen Shroud of Turin, and his demi-vampire ex-girlfriend Susan has returned to Chicago. As Harry tries to stay alive and solve the case, he finds that a gang of ancient demons called the Denarians are after the Shroud -- and possibly his soul.
Jim Butcher's got the hard-boiled noir thing down, even in modern Chicago -- dark rainy streets, femme fatales (some literally!), and some literally fiery climaxes to Harry's adventures. This is where the series really took off after a round of fun but not brilliant urban fantasies, introducing new layers to the character and a massive Wizards Vs. Vampires war.
His writing strikes a nice balance between stripped-down, snappy prose ("I don't believe in fairies!"), and moments of haunting horror (the death of one of the holy knights). But Butcher also knows how to inject some dark humor and action, such as Thomas Raith showing up drunk to a duel, wearing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer T-shirt. Just find THAT in most other vampire books.
And Harry goes through some massive growing pains in these books -- he has a guilt-inspired meltdown, encounters two ex-girlfriends, and finds himself being blamed for an entire WAR. We also learn more about the wizard society, Michael Carpenter and his fellow Holy Knights (especially sweet Shiro), and the cast is rounded out nicely by pervy skull-spirit Bob, feisty cop Murphy, and the ethereally amoral fairies.
"Wizard By Trade (Summer Knight & Death Masks)" collects the books where the Dresden Files really starts getting brilliant -- a solid, complex double dose of noir-fantasy. Hell's bells!
November 23, 2019
SUMMER KNIGHT: 5 Stars - This book was fantastic! I absolutely loved this Dresden story! I'm not a fan of books with faerie, but this is really good. Dresden is put on trial for starting the war with the Red Court. He is ordered by Mab to find out who murdered the Summer Knight. He is having a real bad time with this because he is really messed up from Susan becoming a vampire and has been looking for a cure. Dresden's first love is back, too. He gets mixed up in all kinds of faerie politics, with ogres and monsters trying to kill him at every turn. At one point, it was all very confusing to me, but by the end of the story, it all started to make sense. If you like magic, wizards and magical creatures, then this book is a must read!
DEATH MASKS: 4 Stars - Harry Dresden must avoid a war between the Red Court vampires and the White Council, by a duel with the Red Court vampire warlord Ortega. And, he must find and return the stolen Shroud of Turin to his client, so he can pay his bills. And, he must deal with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend Susan, who has returned with a friend, Martin. And, he must survive the Denarians, demons from the Fallen, who want Dresden in their number. And, he must avoid getting arrested by the police, because he was seen leaving the scene of a murder. While ultimately discovering what is truly in his heart. Why does he do what he does for mankind?
DEATH MASKS: 4 Stars - Harry Dresden must avoid a war between the Red Court vampires and the White Council, by a duel with the Red Court vampire warlord Ortega. And, he must find and return the stolen Shroud of Turin to his client, so he can pay his bills. And, he must deal with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend Susan, who has returned with a friend, Martin. And, he must survive the Denarians, demons from the Fallen, who want Dresden in their number. And, he must avoid getting arrested by the police, because he was seen leaving the scene of a murder. While ultimately discovering what is truly in his heart. Why does he do what he does for mankind?
May 5, 2017
I have to be completely honest, if I judge books by their covers, The Dresden Files wouldn't interest me at all lmao. The 4 Omnibus Volumes published by Science Fiction Book Club Fantasy, however, have book covers much more appealing imo. So yeah, if I were to physically own books from this series, this edition is the most ideal... So sad they didn't continue publishing the remaining series (as of now.)
Updates: My view changed lol. ATM I think the earlier UK paperbacks published by Orbit, upon closer inspection, look great when the set is put together. Unfortunately the publisher also stopped matching the said set and switched in favor of the US ones, which imo look all too similar each volume.
Usually I don't prefer paperbacks, but I realized TDF is on the thinner side, so PB wouldn't be that bad. I'm actually really considering getting the Orbit books secondhand up until it stopped matching lmao. BTW, I also got this particular edition secondhand, that was when I realized I probably won't have to worry about PB being fragile.
My reviews for individual books included in this volume:
November 26, 2016
I picked this up because I hadn't read Death Masks yet and this was the only version my library had.
After spending several months not reading about Harry Dresden, this was a fun, fast-paced romp through the underbelly of Chicago. Dresden remains the serio-comic wizard detective, and the characters that have surrounded him return, with Michael and Marcone taking prominent turns.
The plot, involving the theft of the Shroud of Turin, is as improbable a plot line as ever, but a good reader puts that aside and just enjoys the ride. This one actually made more sense, plot-wise, than some of the others, so it gets four stars.
If you've read the others, you should read this.
After spending several months not reading about Harry Dresden, this was a fun, fast-paced romp through the underbelly of Chicago. Dresden remains the serio-comic wizard detective, and the characters that have surrounded him return, with Michael and Marcone taking prominent turns.
The plot, involving the theft of the Shroud of Turin, is as improbable a plot line as ever, but a good reader puts that aside and just enjoys the ride. This one actually made more sense, plot-wise, than some of the others, so it gets four stars.
If you've read the others, you should read this.
July 29, 2011
After rereading Summer Knight and Death Masks again. I can see where our beloved hero is moving in a different way than the last time I read these books. Summer Knight showcases how Dresden's relationship with Karrin Murphy takes a drastic turn for the better and will continue to build in future novels. Death Masks shows us the ends in which Harry will go to for friendship and what is right for the greater good even if it involves shades of gray that other characters like Shiro cannot follow.
May 18, 2012
Every book I read in this series just gets better and better. I love how Butcher's writing develops and how the character of Dresden mirrors that in the stories. Both of the stories in the book kept me on edge, but 'Death Masks', especially, was filled with just the right amount of action/romance/death/sacrifice and all the other things that make a good adventure. I read it through in one sitting. If you haven't checked out the series yet, I highly recommend it.
Want to read
August 1, 2008I just finished the first book in this 2 book compilation. So far I am interested enough to start the second book and will give a more completer review at that time. Dang, I just realized that this is not the first books in the series...stupid me. I will go back to the other ones and try to catch up.
December 3, 2010
The 4th and 5th books of the series, Wizard by Trade moves beyond the early stumbling and world building of the first few books and delivers a pair of solid stories of wizard Harry Dresden and his battle to do what is right in the face of adversity.
December 24, 2009
I am on Chapter 3 of Book 4. I am re-reading it, because I know I missed something on the first round!
May 10, 2013
Read both books now. They were both pretty good.
April 1, 2013
Second time around, still loved them!
June 30, 2014
The Dresden Files Books 4-5
September 23, 2013
I've reviewed these separately at FanLit: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fant...
January 2, 2024
An amazing and quick read, the detailing in the story and the plots were amazing. I recommend this book highly.
June 23, 2021
The scenes is really terrific but its fantastic.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews