The Dreden Files, Death Masks

Sometimes, I feel Jim Butcher ruined me for other stories tellers. If you ever want a good study in character development and voice, pick up this series. Book one is called Storm Front.

To give a brief background before I jump into my reason for this post, (I know, I always deviate) Harry Dresden is a professional wizard. In fact, he's the only one listed in Chicago's yellow pages. (Go figure right?) To put the feel of the books mildly, your main ingredient will be horror fantasy. (Vampires, demons, the fey) add a touch of suspense, a pinch of private investigative mystery, and a sprinkling of magic theory, and you have what Jim Butcher deemed, the Dresden Files. That all being said, the man does his research. I mean if you've ever studied occult, worked with energy (or felt the world n the same spiritual sense that I have) you'll be quick to pick up on it.

Now, Death Masks is book five of the series, and some of my favorite characters start to come into this one. It delves more in the knights of the cross (Brought up in book three) And the Denarius- the Fallen. To put it briefly, Harry is hired to find the Shroud of Turin, and gets caught up in a tangle of a mess. Believe me, it's not uncommon for this poor man. But the heart of the book, the ending, is what I wish to talk about.

"After a while, I picked up Shiro's cane and stared down at the smooth old wood. Fidelacchius's power whispered against my fingertips. There was a single character carved into the sheath. When I asked Bob, he told me that it read, simply, Faith.

It isn't good to hold on too hard to the past. You can't spend your whole life looking back. Not even when you can't see what lies ahead. All you can do is keep on keeping on, and try to believe that tomorrow will be what it should be- even if it isn't what you expected.

I took Susan's picture down. I put the postcards in a brown envelope. I picked up the jewel box that held the dinky engagement ring I'd offered her, and that she's turned down. Then I put them all away in my closet.

I laid the old man's cane on my fireplace mantel
Maybe some things just aren't meant to go together.
Things like oil and water. Orange juice and toothpaste.
Me and Susan.
But tomorrow was another day."

I get a little sad when I read this. You see, Harry went through a lot. For those of you who might want to read the books, I won't spoil it, but in this book, you finally see him heal from something.

Moveing on is a big part of life, and I feel it's something a lot of people have a hard time doing. I know I do. We get so caught up looking over our shoulders at what's done and over, what can't be changed. Instead of healing and learning from it, we hold onto it and continue to suffer.

There's a quote that goes, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."

You see, no matter what you're going to get hurt. But you, only you, have the power to let it go.

This book is packed with a lot of action, a lot oh humor, and a lot of sadness. But it's heart is beating in those last few paragraphs.

I have a lot to move on from as well.
Maybe that's why I cry a little every time I read it.