COLD IRON TASK - James J. Butcher

Grimshaw Grimsby is a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs and Huntsman Mayflower is his mentor. Grimsby has been struggling to find his way within the department and has made more than his fair share of mistakes along the way.  His gruff mentor, whom he looks up to, hasn't been as forthcoming as Grimsby has hoped. In fact, Grimsby is sure that Mayflower is holding back on something.

Mayflower leaves Grimsby alone to go to Boston to help another Huntsman - there being plenty of complications with Mayflower being in Beantown.

Grimsby is on his own then to help the imp Wudge; hoping it will result in Wudge leaving Grimsby alone (he can fail on his own without any help thank you very much). Rayne needs to be saved but the biggest issue facing the you Mr. Grimsby is the day-to-day work necessary in the department office - meaning he'll have to skirt the rules and push the boundaries of the laws to complete his other tasks.

There's plenty of action here - it's almost non-stop, keeping us turning pages rapidly. That's definitely a plus in this urban fantasy.

Because I've read the previous two books in the series it's hard to say for sure, but I would be concerned that you might need to have read the previous books in order to really understand and appreciate what's happening here.

I found Grimsby to be a character of some growth over the course of the three books int he series. Oddly (or perhaps not), the young author James J. Butcher also seems to be growing as a writer - mirroring Grimbsy's growth as an auditor.

Mayflower stands out more for me in this book. The gruff older mentor stereotype is becoming less a stereotype and more of a unique individual. His confronting of his past is helping to flesh out his character.

It's a pretty quick read, despite its page count, and for those of us who miss 'father' Butcher's Dresden series, this is becoming an acceptable stand-in.

Looking for a good book? Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher, the third book in the Unorthodox Chronicles, is fast-paced urban fantasy with characters who are becoming much more clear and interesting.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3-1/2 stars

* * * * * *

Cold Iron Task

author: James J. Butcher

series: The Unorthodox Chronicles #3

publisher: Ace

ISBN: 9780593440452

hardcover, 480 pages

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