Blood Rites by Jim Butcher is the sixth book in the Dresden Files series. This book follows Harry Dresden as he is contacted by the producer of adult films who is worried that someone is attacking his crew with magic and wants Harry to protect him and his crew. Harry is doing this as a favor to Thomas, a White Court vampire that Harry has a friendly relationship with. However, Thomas has some secreats that will change Harry’s life forever.

I’ve heard from different people that the Dresden Files really gets good around book five or six and you just need to power through the first couple of books. I was starting to question if I wanted to finish this series as I just wasn’t really enjoying the books. However, those who said to read though book six I now understand why. This book started out and I thought that I would hate it. Harry as a character can be a bit misogynistic and very opinionated about protecting women but as the book continued I felt that either I’m use to it now or its being toned down. When you get to the half way point and the reveals on who Thomas is Harry comes out and other secrets are brought to light everything clicked for me.

If you are trying to get into this series and having trouble I would say to skip to book four and start from there as I feel like the series just keeps getting better at that point.

Death Masks is the fifth book in the Dresden Files an urban fantasy series following Harry Dresden a wizard working in Chicago who helps those that get involved in the supernatural. Death Masks sees Harry being contacted by a vampire of the Red Court for a duel to end the war between wizards and vampires while also being contacted by a priest to find the stolen Shroud of Turin.

At this point in my reviews of this series I feel like I have to talk about major plot points was which will include spoilers so if you don’t want spoilers just know that I like the Dresden Files books and each one is better than the last.

This story has multiple plots but all of them connect and have consequences for the future of the series I feel. At the beginning of the book Dresden is contacted by a vampire for a duel which could end the war at the same time the Shroud of Turin has been stolen and Harry agrees to find it. While all of this is going on the police have found a body missing its head and hands but contains some of the worst diseases know to man.

The Shroud is the main plot with the duel working as extra conflict for the story. The Knights of the Cross are attempting to find the Shroud while fighting different groups of daemons who also want it. But they also don’t want Dresden involved at all.

Harry ends up wining the duel but the vampires attempt to kill him anyways say they were just trying to make things work more in their favor. The main plot comes to a head when Harry realizes that the priest that contacted him to find the Shroud is really a demon that has taken on the priest form and the plan is to use the Shroud to spread multiple diseases across the would using modern transportation. They end up getting the Shroud back but the demons disappear. Though one shows up at the very end to hint that they will be back and are watching Harry.

Personally, I like the Dresden Files but I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the series. I read these as audio book and James Marsters is an amazing narrator. However, I often find myself bored for about the first third to half of the book in the set of each books plot and then loving it when everything stars to come together. I do plan to continue with the series and I hope they will just get better from here.