To say I had been anxiously awaiting this book would be an understatement. Book 14 in the series, Cold Days, ended with Harry, the Winter Knight, remaining on the creepfest island of Demonreach and Molly, his one-time apprentice and daughter of his best (only?) friend, becoming the new Winter Lady. I hoped the story would pick up where we had left off, showing us how these changes have influenced Harry and Molly, or even learning more about the coming war the Winter Court is trying to keep at bay against the Outsiders. Instead, we given a strange, yet interesting, side story that perhaps may further the war storyline in the next few books in the series.
Skin Game picks up a bit after Cold Days with Harry still living at Demonreach, completely isolated from his friends and family. Harry’s headaches are getting worse and he’s begun to cross over into creepy hermit territory. Oh, and somehow, he has discovered and become an aficionado of the parkour movement even though he never watches tv, listens to the radio, and as said before, has been completely isolated for a while now. Mab comes and summons him with a job to do and so begins the start of Nicodemus’ Nine, Butcher’s own version of Ocean’s Eleven.
Now, I love these type of stories. Unique and quirky individuals who prefer to go it alone, coming together to pull off a huge heist while learning new things and forming relationships (professional and otherwise). Yet this one fell a bit flat, mostly because you didn’t have everyone coming together. You have two groups of “people” blackmailed into working together for an unknown goal set up by the blackmailer and they just go with the flow. Sure, some are only going along with it because Harry guarantees that they will get their revenge, but still, after being so badly double-crossed by him in the past, you’d think there’d be more fire.
The book was quickly paced, though the story itself took a bit of time to unravel thanks to many detours taken to check in on secondary characters (sadly, no Thomas Raith). I enjoyed it, mostly because I do like heist storylines, but it is in no way one of the best of the series. It may, or may not, have propelled the overarching storyline forward in the series, but it does progress the character arcs of many, particularly Butters the bungling medical examiner, and leaves the reader with a dread and worry as to the possible future fate of Molly as the Winter Lady.
Obviously, if you’ve kept up with the series thus far, you’ll read this one. But don’t rush into it if you have other books on your must read list. This one can wait.
