28%!

Nice!

Top 5

1. Changes
2. Skin Game
3. Turncoat
4. Small Favor
5. Dead Beat
6. Cold Days (added because I somehow forgot about Dead Beat.

I like the Denarian Collection of #s 5, 10, and 15. Taken as a collection, they're pretty cool.
Also, there are scenes in several books I absolutely love. In Changes when Dresden and crew first take the field against the Red Court and he uses Earth magic to change gravity! Bam. Love it. Also, when he and Carlos duel the White Court baddies. Good stuff. And the introduction of Goodman Grey in Skin Game and he and Dresden's game against Nic.

Maybe we need a top 5 scenes along with top 5 characters other than Dresden.

Cheers all---Have a good one.

Brien

Regarding Marcone without Namshiel----I think he wouldn't really have any power. Previously, he hadn't shown any predisposition to having any magical capability, but rather, surrounded himself with those with knowledge and power--specifically Gard. If anything, I think he's probably like Butters in that he has a capacity to put things together with guidance from Namshiel in the same way Butters does with Bob. He's a vanilla mortal with the power he's acquired as a powerful human (mob boss and more) that recognized he needed to power up to hold his position as one who signed on as a Baron on the Accords---possibly as a reaction to Harry's ever-increasing power--knowing that one day, Dresden would be coming for him. This doesn't preclude the possibility that he'll eventually learn enough or put enough goodies together to be a passable sorcerer, but on his own, never a WC level capital W Wizard. I think as a plot device, it keeps things interesting for Dresden because Marcone figures into the BAT or something. He's kinda like Batman--Ultimately a badass, but still human. (Extra super scary with Namshiel.)

Anyway--Just my 2 cents.

Cheers and Best!

B

Agreed. I didn't connect well with the subplot and as powerful as Bob(s) are, it all felt kinda meh. Almost like we've seen too many explosions in movies and they don't carry the same weight anymore.

I would like to address the original OP.

First, I agree with Talby16's explanation of why Harry didn't have anything like Winter Knight powers in the ghostly realm.  Harry had to draw on his memories to power his ghost spells.  That was a very smart explanation.  Besides what could Harry do with the few memories he had of using Winter Knight powers at Chichen Itza.  I doubt Harry could make other ghosts or spirits slip and fall by putting ghost ice underneath them.

I also felt that Ghost Story felt disconnected from the earlier novels, but that wasn't my main complaint against it.  I felt; and still do feel, the novel's B story about Fix and the second rate sorcerer Aristedes was the Ghost Story's weak link.  I didn't care about those characters then and still don't now.  I won't be surprised or disappointed if we never see Fix again. 

There were also a couple of times in the story where I felt Jim had become sloppy in his writing, which I won't recount, because it would take too long to dig them up and explain their flaws.  Those were more annoyances than anything else.

While I'm being nitpicky, I should add the confrontation between Bob and Evil Bob felt to me at least, somewhat lackluster.  Evil Bob could play an important to the continuing story, but that section of the novel; despite its brutal action, didn't hit home with me for some reason.

My final complaint is similar to one I have about Cold Days.  It took an awfully long time to get to the meat of the story.  It felt meandering, but more so than Cold Days even though Cold Days has a longer word count. 

All of those negatives aside, in rereading Ghost Story, I developed a greater appreciation for the main story in the novel.  Harry working through his feelings, his memories and eventually discovering that he was his own killer by proxy of Molly and Kincade; that was really good.  Plus, Harry's conversation with Lea and his memory of his first encounter with HWWB was also excellent.

So, all in all, I did like Ghost Story much more the second time through, despite its weaknesses.

The green crystals are on Deamonreach. Also, remember when Lara and Mab show up in the backseat of his car and his magic is tinged with green? Mab (I think) says something about his connection with the Island.

Rereading Skin Game.

I had a thought. (Stop the presses!  ) In SG, when asked about his whereabouts by Murphy, Harry (getting his arm fixed) refers to Michael as a Good Man. We've heard Ebenezer refer to Malcolm in the same way. So, I wonder if Malcolm may've been a Knight of the Cross--even if only a short time--like Murphy and her use of the sword--Not the right full-time job for her, but right for a particular one. So...wouldn't that be something?

That's all I have.

Off to reread a little more.

Cheers and best to all!

B

When Harry wasn't quite dead...Would Papa Wraith have been able to feed? Or feel twinges of his former self?

Can you imagine? He's like...Ummm...that's a familiar feeling...Could it be? Maybe? .....crap. Nope.

Also, I wonder if it cold be tied to Harry's habit of naming things and people. Just look at Toot and how he's grown as Harry has given him more responsibility along with the different titles. Word-O-Mancy?