Ghost Story (Butcher novel)
Encyclopedia
Ghost Story is the 13th book in The Dresden Files
, Jim Butcher
's continuing urban fantasy series about Chicago wizard Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden
. Initially, the story was to have been titled Dead, but this title was rejected and Butcher went with Ghost Story.
Reluctantly, Mort agrees to help Harry, and travels to Murphy’s home. After being put through a battery of tests, Molly, now a powerful illusionist and extremely disturbed, arrives and finally confirms Harry’s identity, breaking down in tears. Murphy explains that after Harry destroyed the entire Red Court, the power vacuum it left allowed a group called the Fomor to rise to power. Murphy’s house is then attacked, and Mort flees home.
Harry follows the attackers and finds they’re a group of teenagers who live in fear and under the protection of a practitioner named Aristedes, who protects them from the creatures in Chicago that have flocked to the city in Harry’s absence. Harry contacts one of them who’s sensitive to spirits, a youth named Fitz, and convinces him to meet Harry later. Harry returns to Mort to find his home destroyed and Mort abducted. Stuart passes on the last of his memories to Dresden to use as a weapon and becomes a mindless specter like the other spirits guarding Mort’s home. At his grave, Harry exchanges the story of his duel with Justin DuMorne and He Who Walks Behind with his godmother, the Leanansidhe, in exchange for the answer to 3 questions, learning he was murdered by a male he is acquainted with.
Harry tracks down Molly and finds that she operates under the pseudonym the Rag Lady and is now under the tutelage of the Leanansidhe, who uses brutal training methods to teach. Molly is now an adept spellcaster and Harry watches as she drives off a group of Fomor, although he intervenes to aid his former apprentice. Enlisting Molly’s aid, Harry tracks down Mortimer, and finds him trapped by the Corpsetaker, who is torturing Mort with Evil Bob’s help to take his body. During this, Father Forthill, who elected to help the teenagers in Aristedes' thrall, goes to reason with the practitioner and is captured. Daniel Carpenter and Butters try to rescue him and nearly succeed but are overpowered. Harry convinces the sensitive Fitz to confront Aristedes, and wrests control of the group from him, calling for aid for Forthill and Butters.
Harry enlists the Alphas, Karrin, Butters, and Molly to assault Corpsetakers hideout, along with the army of spirits from Mort’s home. Harry storms the hideout through the Nevernever, confronting Evil Bob, who overpowers Harry and nearly destroys him before being caught and held by Bob. Harry breaks into the hideout and confronts Corpsetaker, driving her away. However, while pursuing her he discovers Corpsetaker had taken Mort in order to have him summon the homicidal spirits from his home to her hideout. Seeing the army of spirits Harry summoned, Mort is dismayed. The Corpsetaker consumes the spirits, greatly increasing her power. With Harry's friends in a sleep spell, the Corpsetaker entered Butters which leads to Molly assaulting the spirit and casting her own spell which lets the Corpsetaker enter her, Dresden acts quickly grabbing the Corpsetakers ankle and enters Molly as well, leaving Butters's physical body lying on the ground and his Shade standing in disbelief and utter shock. Inside Molly’s mind, Molly uses a memory to aid in her defense after being gradually overpowered, spawning a memory from when Harry had a broken back lying in the Church, she confronts Harry with her feelings for him, as she will get to watch her entire family die of old age, and Harry is the only one whom she can feasibly love.
The memory assaults Harry. During Changes
, realizing he must become the Winter Knight to save his daughter, and that Mab would then turn him into a monster, Harry contacted Kincaid and asked him to kill Dresden after the assault in South America, and then had Molly remove the memory. Realizing he ordered his own murder, Uriel appears, congratulating Dresden, explaining that, in a moment of despair, a fallen angel whispered into Dresden's ear. His direct influence allowed Uriel to take active action as well, allowing Harry to return, although he is shocked to learn Captain Murphy lied to Dresden about his loved ones coming to harm. Uriel offers Dresden a choice to work for him or move on to What Comes Next. Dresden asks to see how his loved ones fare, to make an informed choice.
Mort, taking control of the wraith swarm in Corpsetaker’s lair in her absence, comes upon Molly, who holds Corpsetaker in place, and the tortured souls Corpsetaker once held in thrall devour her spirit ending the battle. Mort not being able to find Harry standing around the aftermath finds Murphy who is crushed by confirmation of his death, but Mort surprises Harry by being genuinely comforting and wishing he had been bright enough to have known this side of Mort while he was alive, giving Murphy one last look, turns and walks to Uriel and asks to see his brother. Thomas, who Harry had not thought of since becoming a Spirit realizes how he couldn't have thought of Thomas without remembering the truth and shame of his own murder. Destroyed and bitter over Harry’s death, is elated when he realizes Justine has devised a method by which she and Thomas can be intimate once more. Before asking Uriel to show his next loved one, Uriel understands and takes Harry to see his daughter Maggie, which has been adopted by the Carpenters, who love her dearly, with the protection of Mouse, whom Harry embraces one last time. Happy that Michael is under the protection of a squad of angels, realizes those he loves are safe as they can be, Harry elects to move on.
He then awakens on Demonreach, under the care of Queen Mab, who saved Harry the moment he fell into the darkness of the lake, her own domain, and the island, which kept him alive. Distrusting of Harry, Mab informs Harry that she knew he would have tried to create a plan to end the contract of becoming the Winter Knight, and that it had backfired. Annoyed at Uriel's influence, tells Harry to prepare himself for her to turn him into her creature, and Uriel uses his opportunity to tell Harry only he can choose who he is, while Mab cannot. Harry tells Mab he won’t be her creature, enraging her, but tells her he will be her devoted Knight, the greatest she has ever had, but that he shall do it his way, else Mab can turn him into another mindless, and worthless, thug. Mab, still enraged but also ecstatic, tells Harry to prepare himself, and pulls them into the Winter Court.
In a release on Jim Butcher's website on June 27th, 2011, he reported that, due to personal reasons, James Marsters
, who had voiced all the previous Dresden Files novels in audiobook form, would be unable to voice "Ghost Story". Instead, Glover, the actor who portrays Lionel Luthor
on Smallville
, recorded the book.
The Dresden Files
The Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
, Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
's continuing urban fantasy series about Chicago wizard Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden
Harry Dresden
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a fictional detective and wizard. He was created by Jim Butcher and is the protagonist of the contemporary fantasy series The Dresden Files. The series blends magic and hardboiled detective fiction...
. Initially, the story was to have been titled Dead, but this title was rejected and Butcher went with Ghost Story.
Synopsis
Following the end of Changes, Harry finds himself on a set of train tracks, where he is saved by Carmichael. Taken to a police station, Harry encounters Captain Murphy, Karrin’s father, who tells him he must return to Earth and solve his murder, else those he loves will come to harm, or he can stay and work in Murphy’s department. Electing to return, Harry travels to Mortimer Lindquist's house, which is under siege by wraiths, spirits who have given into despair and rage, led by a powerful spirit, who is aided by Evil Bob, the remnant of Bob that Harry ordered him to excise that contained Kemmler’s knowledge and teachings. Led by Sir Stuart, the mass of spirits that protect Mort’s home drive the attackers away.Reluctantly, Mort agrees to help Harry, and travels to Murphy’s home. After being put through a battery of tests, Molly, now a powerful illusionist and extremely disturbed, arrives and finally confirms Harry’s identity, breaking down in tears. Murphy explains that after Harry destroyed the entire Red Court, the power vacuum it left allowed a group called the Fomor to rise to power. Murphy’s house is then attacked, and Mort flees home.
Harry follows the attackers and finds they’re a group of teenagers who live in fear and under the protection of a practitioner named Aristedes, who protects them from the creatures in Chicago that have flocked to the city in Harry’s absence. Harry contacts one of them who’s sensitive to spirits, a youth named Fitz, and convinces him to meet Harry later. Harry returns to Mort to find his home destroyed and Mort abducted. Stuart passes on the last of his memories to Dresden to use as a weapon and becomes a mindless specter like the other spirits guarding Mort’s home. At his grave, Harry exchanges the story of his duel with Justin DuMorne and He Who Walks Behind with his godmother, the Leanansidhe, in exchange for the answer to 3 questions, learning he was murdered by a male he is acquainted with.
Harry tracks down Molly and finds that she operates under the pseudonym the Rag Lady and is now under the tutelage of the Leanansidhe, who uses brutal training methods to teach. Molly is now an adept spellcaster and Harry watches as she drives off a group of Fomor, although he intervenes to aid his former apprentice. Enlisting Molly’s aid, Harry tracks down Mortimer, and finds him trapped by the Corpsetaker, who is torturing Mort with Evil Bob’s help to take his body. During this, Father Forthill, who elected to help the teenagers in Aristedes' thrall, goes to reason with the practitioner and is captured. Daniel Carpenter and Butters try to rescue him and nearly succeed but are overpowered. Harry convinces the sensitive Fitz to confront Aristedes, and wrests control of the group from him, calling for aid for Forthill and Butters.
Harry enlists the Alphas, Karrin, Butters, and Molly to assault Corpsetakers hideout, along with the army of spirits from Mort’s home. Harry storms the hideout through the Nevernever, confronting Evil Bob, who overpowers Harry and nearly destroys him before being caught and held by Bob. Harry breaks into the hideout and confronts Corpsetaker, driving her away. However, while pursuing her he discovers Corpsetaker had taken Mort in order to have him summon the homicidal spirits from his home to her hideout. Seeing the army of spirits Harry summoned, Mort is dismayed. The Corpsetaker consumes the spirits, greatly increasing her power. With Harry's friends in a sleep spell, the Corpsetaker entered Butters which leads to Molly assaulting the spirit and casting her own spell which lets the Corpsetaker enter her, Dresden acts quickly grabbing the Corpsetakers ankle and enters Molly as well, leaving Butters's physical body lying on the ground and his Shade standing in disbelief and utter shock. Inside Molly’s mind, Molly uses a memory to aid in her defense after being gradually overpowered, spawning a memory from when Harry had a broken back lying in the Church, she confronts Harry with her feelings for him, as she will get to watch her entire family die of old age, and Harry is the only one whom she can feasibly love.
The memory assaults Harry. During Changes
Changes (novel)
Changes is the 12th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden...
, realizing he must become the Winter Knight to save his daughter, and that Mab would then turn him into a monster, Harry contacted Kincaid and asked him to kill Dresden after the assault in South America, and then had Molly remove the memory. Realizing he ordered his own murder, Uriel appears, congratulating Dresden, explaining that, in a moment of despair, a fallen angel whispered into Dresden's ear. His direct influence allowed Uriel to take active action as well, allowing Harry to return, although he is shocked to learn Captain Murphy lied to Dresden about his loved ones coming to harm. Uriel offers Dresden a choice to work for him or move on to What Comes Next. Dresden asks to see how his loved ones fare, to make an informed choice.
Mort, taking control of the wraith swarm in Corpsetaker’s lair in her absence, comes upon Molly, who holds Corpsetaker in place, and the tortured souls Corpsetaker once held in thrall devour her spirit ending the battle. Mort not being able to find Harry standing around the aftermath finds Murphy who is crushed by confirmation of his death, but Mort surprises Harry by being genuinely comforting and wishing he had been bright enough to have known this side of Mort while he was alive, giving Murphy one last look, turns and walks to Uriel and asks to see his brother. Thomas, who Harry had not thought of since becoming a Spirit realizes how he couldn't have thought of Thomas without remembering the truth and shame of his own murder. Destroyed and bitter over Harry’s death, is elated when he realizes Justine has devised a method by which she and Thomas can be intimate once more. Before asking Uriel to show his next loved one, Uriel understands and takes Harry to see his daughter Maggie, which has been adopted by the Carpenters, who love her dearly, with the protection of Mouse, whom Harry embraces one last time. Happy that Michael is under the protection of a squad of angels, realizes those he loves are safe as they can be, Harry elects to move on.
He then awakens on Demonreach, under the care of Queen Mab, who saved Harry the moment he fell into the darkness of the lake, her own domain, and the island, which kept him alive. Distrusting of Harry, Mab informs Harry that she knew he would have tried to create a plan to end the contract of becoming the Winter Knight, and that it had backfired. Annoyed at Uriel's influence, tells Harry to prepare himself for her to turn him into her creature, and Uriel uses his opportunity to tell Harry only he can choose who he is, while Mab cannot. Harry tells Mab he won’t be her creature, enraging her, but tells her he will be her devoted Knight, the greatest she has ever had, but that he shall do it his way, else Mab can turn him into another mindless, and worthless, thug. Mab, still enraged but also ecstatic, tells Harry to prepare himself, and pulls them into the Winter Court.
Summary of changes in Harry's life/Dresdenverse
- Going on deck of the Water Beetle, Dresden is shot, falls off the boat into Lake Michigan, and dies. He returns to Chicago as a ghost on May 9th--six months after he was shot.
- Spirits use memories as weapons, though this eventually drains them until they first lose all self-identity, then turn into wraiths.
- As a ghost, Harry can no longer use magic that will affect the mortal world.
- Harry's former home has been converted into a castle-like building, the headquarters for Murphy's "Justice League" of Chicago, built with money from Marcone and staffed by Harry's allies.
- Molly confronts Harry with the fact that she loves him, and that he is the only being with which she can feasibly have a relationship, as her entire family will eventually die of old age without her.
- Demonreach is revealed to be highly protective of Harry, keeping Harry's body alive while his soul performs its tasks.
- Uriel gives Harry much more information than usual, including how he died, and why his death was irregular.
- Mab reveals Harry's "death" did not allow him out of his contract with her to be the Winter Knight, because his soul was only 'separated' from his body which was still alive, but Harry realizes he does not have to end up like his predecessor and can remain his own man despite being beholden to Mab.
Returning characters
Many major characters who have appeared in a Dresden Book have at least a cameo appearance here--back from the dead, so to speak.- Harry DresdenHarry DresdenHarry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a fictional detective and wizard. He was created by Jim Butcher and is the protagonist of the contemporary fantasy series The Dresden Files. The series blends magic and hardboiled detective fiction...
: The protagonist and a professional wizard. After losing his office, home, car and his lady in Changes, he loses his life. His ghostly left hand is completely healed. He acquires the ghost of his black leather duster. - Bob: An intelligent air spirit who resides within his skull. Owned by Harry, but currently held by Butters.
- Sergeant Ron Carmichael: An old acquaintance, formerly of the Chicago PD's Special Investigations division. More than ten years ago, he'd been Karrin Murphy’s partner. Carmichael had given his life to save her from a rampaging loup-garou. Dresden had seen him die. He appears as a spirit.
- Mortimer Lindquist: An old acquaintance of Dresden's. He is the most powerful ectomancer Dresden knows. Morty has given up the hokey Halloween decor and gone respectable. Morty has developed a considerable talent for bonsai.
- Karrin MurphyKarrin MurphyKarrin Murphy is a major character in Jim Butcher's contemporary fantasy series, The Dresden Files. The character also appears as Connie Murphy in the television series based on the novels.- Background :...
: A former police officer, and the leader of a ragtag alliance of local powers. - Molly Carpenter: Dresden's former apprentice, who has become a deranged, magical vigilante.
- Dr. Waldo Butters: Night shift coroner (medical examiner) at the Cook County morgue (Forensic Institute). He's part of Murphy's alliance and the current owner of Bob.
- Father Forthill: A very kind priest with a positive, but realistic outlook. He seems extremely fond of Dresden.
- Uriel: An archangel, who gave Dresden the gift of soulfire.
- Corpsetaker: A body-hopping necromancer who was killed by Dresden in Dead Beat, her spirit now returns as The Grey Ghost seeking revenge and a new body.
- Eternal Silence: An ancient being posing as a statue in Graceland CemeteryEternal Silence (sculpture)Eternal Silence, alternatively known as the Dexter Graves Monument or the Statue of Death, is a monument in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery. It is a bronze sculpture set on and backdropped by black granite...
, his normal pattern of speech almost obliterates Harry. It is hinted that he may be the sanctuary spirit of Demonreach. - Lash: Shadow of the Fallen Angel "Lasciel" (only exists in Harry's mind) "Spoiler Alert" During a Q & A session at the Tribeca NYC book signing Jim Butcher revealed that "Lash" does make an appearance in "Ghost Story"; however, not under the name "Lash". When ask directly who this character was? He would not reveal the character's name.
New characters
- Captain Jack Murphy: Karrin's father and the informal head of Chicago PD's in "between" squad.
- Sir Stuart Winchester: A captain in the Colonial Marines. Stu guards Mort's house out of friendship and respect. He has standing orders to deny entry to any uninvited ghost(s). Stu and his allies have been defending Mort's home from nightly attacks by wraiths and lemurs.
- Evil Bob: Revealed later in the book to be the part of Bob that Harry ordered him to lock away in Dead Beat - to Bob, lock away forever apparently equates with amputation, which is exactly what he did; Evil Bob is the knowledge that Bob removed.
Ghost Story in other media
- Ghost Story has been recorded as an audio book, narrated by John GloverJohn Glover (actor)John Soursby Glover Jr. is an American actor, perhaps best known for a range of villainous roles in films and television, including Lionel Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.-Personal life:...
. - This book is available as an e-book in kindle and Nook formats.
In a release on Jim Butcher's website on June 27th, 2011, he reported that, due to personal reasons, James Marsters
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters is an American actor and musician. Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel from 1997 to 2004...
, who had voiced all the previous Dresden Files novels in audiobook form, would be unable to voice "Ghost Story". Instead, Glover, the actor who portrays Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character in the television series Smallville, portrayed continuously by John Glover. Initially a recurring guest in season one, the character became a series regular in season two and continued with that status until he was written out of the show in the seventh season...
on Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, recorded the book.
External links
- The first five chapters of the book are found on the author's official website.
- The Butcher Block: A podcast about Jim and his books.
- The official Jim Butcher Site