Forzare! While Peace Talks was tepid, Battle Ground by Jim Butcher is on fire. Literally. And the storyline in this one is excellent too.

Whenever you come into a series, but especially a fantasy series, after five books there is way too much to explain in a review. And the Dresden Files is on book seventeen, I don’t think a lot of authors can boast about that feat. So I won’t be getting into many details, besides if you’re a long time fan, you’re going to want to read it yourself with no spoilers. And if you’ve never read any of the Dresden Files before, you need to start with the first book, Storm Front. And you can thank me later!

I will say all of my complaints about Peace Talks have mostly been rectified. Harry isn’t a hormonal teen in regards to the Winter Mantle, he’s way too busy fighting for his and everyone else’s lives although I think Butcher still managed to mention it a couple of times. The repetition was not nearly as prevalent, but for the love of Cthulhu, we all get it, Butters is a small, but mighty man. And I still needed more Bob.

But, Battle Ground was so excellent, and exactly what a Dresden Files book should be.

Butcher was able to finally lay to bed a character that was problematic for where the books are heading. And I really can’t say I was sad about it, which actually shocked, since I cried a bit at various other things in the book. Cried?!? Yes, some of the things in there intersected with the actual world we’re living in right now. You can look at the deeper meaning in Battle Ground, or not look as close and just enjoy the story.

The fight scenes are epic, and I do not use epic often. I want to write so much more about them, but you really need to read all the surprises for yourself. But I will leave you with, pizza has more than paid for itself over the years. And that is just a teensy part of all the combat.

And with any good Dresden Files book we are left with new alliances and new enemies. Oh, and Harry has a lab again.

Harry Dresden has been my hero since I was 20. I am much, much older now, but I don't love and admire Harry any less. We all could use a hero like Harry Dresden right now.

While I didn't love <i>Peace Talks</i>, I thought <i>Battle Ground</i> was an improvement. I have always wished that someone else would pick up these books and develop them for TV. They're written in such a cinematic style, they really do deserve to be produced. That said, this book is one giant action scene, with lens flares and all.

It's almost incomprehensible to think about how all of these characters that we've enjoyed for a generation are together in one book, fighting together, all old grudges aside for the good of the whole. That's something I can get behind. But...

The book has some problems. *There is SO MUCH going on it's hard to focus or really be able to grasp the gravity of the situation. I feel my attention is spread too thin, and I'd really like to be able to settle on what's happening in one place and absorb it before being dragged away to another mini-crisis another character is dealt with. *I don't like how Butcher has changed Marcone's character. He's historically been the human baddie who got where he is using human characteristics; now that is changed, and I'm not a fan. *The big death was wasted. It could have been done so much better and been much more impactful. Now, I understand that Butcher may be trying to show how no one is above tragedy and that tragedy can happen at any level, but to me it seemed to be a disservice to the character. I feel like it was a little bit of a cheap shot just for shock value.

I will read every Dresden book that Butcher writes, forever and ever amen. And they're not all going to be outstanding. But I find myself really missing the more understandable bad guys - the ones with clear motives and goals - and the more contained stories.

Thunder rumbled on the horizon.
“More rain coming.” Maggie said.
“When it gets here, we’ll run out and dance in it,” I said.
“Why?” Maggie asked.
“If we don’t, life has just as much rain,” I said, “but way less dancing.”

Synopsis: The Last Titan, a force more powerful than any Harry has ever faced, has launched their attack on Chicago. To survive, factions must band together in their darkest hour and face certain death, united. Their work is certainly cut out for them, but since when has that ever stopped Harry Dresden?

Who May Enjoy This Book:

Lovers of the Urban Fantasy and Noir
People who like epic battles
People who like big explosions
Welcome back readers!

I’ve been taking some time for myself lately; admittedly, I’d been approaching burnout mode and wisely pre-empted that by taking a mini-vacation from responsibilities such as this. Then the US Presidential debates started, and everyone was discussing that. I figured, well, now’s as good a time as any to chill out a little.

I’d like to thank Ace, the Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for providing me with a free review ARC in exchange for an honest review. It’s a privilege to review a series I’ve been following for almost 2 decades, and now that I type that I am feeling very, very old indeed. For those of you who are not familiar with Jim Butcher, he writes a series known as The Dresden Files, an Urban Fantasy which borrows from hardboiled detective fiction and adds a few shakes of absurdity for good measure. Harry Dresden’s journey has been fraught with perils and hardship, and “Battle Ground” is the 17th volume in this whirlwind of a tale. If you have yet to take the plunge into Butcher’s mythos, I would suggest you cease reading here for the moment; do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of Storm Front (Book 1).

You’ll be back.

We begin In Medias Res, immediately after the events of “Peace Talks” (the preceding volume); Harry and friends are still reeling from the attack of the Titan Ethniu, wherein she demonstrated just how big a fish she was in the little pond of Chicago. The city is set reeling, and Harry rushes off to plan a defense. “Battle Ground” is definitely a Part 2 companion of “Peace Talks”, and I would strongly suggest reading the two one after the other for the best experience. I didn’t have a long wait between the two, but even that short wait felt like a distraction. Butcher released them only a few months apart and, while I found this strange initially, it rapidly became clear that this was the correct move; this is one story, split into two books. So yes, don’t take a big break after reading the first one.

If you’re familiar with The Dresden Files series, I’ll simply say that yes, this book certainly follows the tried and true Jim Butcher formula. This isn’t a bad thing, of course. The true charm of the series is the cast of characters, with its femme fatales, mustache-twirling villains, and paragons of justice. Then there are the more nuanced ones, and Butcher can still catch a reader off guard from time to time. The important thing is that the formula, while predictable, works with these characters. At its core, it’s a story about overcoming incredible odds and devastating evil, and it’s just what we need in 2020. Frankly, this story felt like an Avengers Endgame mashup by the end, as just about every awesome character you can think of makes an appearance at one point or another. Was it shlocky at times? Oh hell yes; these books always are. I LOVE that about them: they are unapologetic, and over the top in such a glorious way. No matter who your favorite character is, I am certain you’ll find something here.

The plot itself, while extremely simple (Harry spends the majority of the book shoring up Chicago’s defenses), still manages to deliver some quality entertainment. There are humorous moments aplenty, despite the grim nature of the scenario, and there are incredible battles all over the place. It’s pretty much a non-stop ride, and I will warn you: there are a couple of tear-jerkers in this one. I’m not going to lie, things will get incredibly heavy. Consider yourself warned! The final battle for Chicago is worth the wait, and I fully expect a few fist-pumps out of you all by the end. It just ticks all the boxes! Action, Romance, Tragedy, Mystery, Horror… the 5 year gap between “Skin Game” and “Peace Talks” was worth it in my opinion.

As per usual for this series, we end the story with perhaps more questions than answers, but it certainly left me hopeful for the next book. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where this series goes next, and what fresh revelations we’ll be privy to in the next installment. If you’re a fan, don’t you dare skip out on these last 2 books.

Happy reading!

Order “Battle Ground”

Check out Jim Butcher at his website, jim-butcher.com

The wonderful surprise announcement of Jim Butcher's Battle Ground, the latest in the long-running Dresden Files series, was a wonderful surprise earlier in 2020. The released volume, continuing quickly on from Peace Talks a few months ago, and the fact that volume ended on quite a cliffhanger only heightened the desire for Battle Ground. The arrived volume is a stunning book which alters the setting noticeably, and moves,the nareative forward in unexpected ways.

As happens so often with Dresden Files volumes, a strong semse of humor pushes through. There is a Ghostbusters reference in chapter 11 that will have any fan giggling with glee, and yet is technically situationally appropriate. Another comes in chapter 32. A bigfoot wearing a tuxedo appears, and proves the immense dangerous and yet thoughtful. An old friend and much loved character from the framchise appears once again.

The well known gangster Marcone proves to be exceptionally skilled in unexpected ways, and while he remains a corrupt gangster he proves to be an impressive man in his way. The reader experiences him using a variety of resources, from feeding and arming the general populace of Chicago to fights enemy forces all the way to using stolen and aquired artifacts to

Characters who have not been seen in quite some time play their part, leaving the promises of Peace Talks fulfilled. Indeed, the antagonist setup in that particular story proves not only formidable temper characters, but narratively interesting in her actions. Further, seeing an entire city Under Siege when the majority of it is unaware is fascinating. She is a mythical Titan, and the various mystical characters discuss just how seemingly immune to harm this might make her. Further, her alliance with current antagonists the Formics is a dangerous one, and had been consodered the new primary antagonists prior to Peace Talks, and the impression characters have of them alters steadily as the book continues. They seem increasingly less competent, working out in the level of henchmen when previously they had been treated as terrors. This is not a problem for Battle Ground in and of itself, however it may have concequences in later books.

There is a short story included after the novel proper. It is much more lighthearted than the text of the rest of the novel, and is desperately needed in light of what happens. It addresses one of the major changes the franchise has undergone, although not all of them.

Once again particularly bad cops represent as much of a problem on a personal level as the supernatural does on a citywide one. It works fairly well, and is appreciated in a world dealing with police corruption and brutality in a more obvious form.

In the whirling maelstrom of the battle that happens over the course of a night in Chicago, the actions of a bad cop named Rudolph can barely be noticed, for many people. And yet, for those who have felt the horrors of the police doing the wrong thing, they remain a shining beacon of understanding from the author. Everything changes, and not for the better. Because of one cowardly, angry, bastard with a badge and a gun.

Battle Ground is one of the better Dresden Files books in a long time. It is easy to recommend, heart-wrenching and exciting and at times giggle inducing. Do not start at the Dresden Files with Battle Ground, or even the previous volume Peace Talks, but do read them.

(Ace 2020)

3.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/10/16/battle-ground-by-jim-butcher-review/

This breaks the mold of typical Dresden Files entries, by featuring little to no mystery in needs of solving and no investigation using magic or, well, anything whatsoever. Moreover, Butcher used it a bit like Changes—a time to thank the previous cast for their service, dedication before ushering them into the void. Not that everyone dies in Battle Ground, but… well, in battle, you ought to expect SOMEONE to die. Butcher just expands this “someone” to be “anyone”.

I’ll skip over much of the recap seeing as how Peace Talks leads right into Battle Ground, and if you haven’t read the latest one, the blurb for this is going to look strange if not completely ridiculous. Sufficient to say: there’s a war on, and Chicago is the battleground.

Once again Harry squares off against powerful supernatural opponents, only this time they’re bigger and stronger than anything he’s ever fought—even anything he can imagine. All his allies are along for the ride, and Dresden’s even got a few new tricks up his sleeve, but it still may not be enough. And with all his loved ones lives—not to mention the lives of everyone in Chicago—in the balance, the stakes are higher than ever.

And so it begins. For how does one even fight a Titan?

When I first read the blurb for Battle Ground (back before I read Peace Talks), I rolled my eyes. It didn’t seem wise. It didn’t seem likely. It seemed ridiculous. But going into it having read Peace Talks—yeah, okay. But how does one take a detective, urban fantasy series heavy on planning, mystery, and the unknown and adapt it into an entire sequence of back-to-back fight-scenes? The answer is… one writes all fight scenes and goes from there.

If you were expecting another Dresden mystery—full of summoning, magic, patience and dramatic tension—this ain’t it. There were still a couple parts that wowed me, a few that captivated me, and enough of the same-old, same-old to keep me invested in the story—but mostly I was a bit disappointed. I went in feeling that this was going to be an EPIC BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF MANKIND AND BEYOND! And it was… for a time. The problem was that all battles have lulls, and those that write war fiction or high fantasy know to include a bit of change, difference, twists, turns to keep everything interesting. And while I’m sure Butcher tried to do this. It didn’t work (for me). It was an good read, fairly good even, yet it doesn’t live up to the hype. About halfway through I was sick of the fight-fight-fight format, but even though there’s plenty going on, eventually every battle of the war starts to feel indistinguishable from the last. Even the boss fight (in many ways ESPECIALLY the boss fight) itself was more of the same. I was expecting an epic build to a fight like Goku v. Frieza; something that went on FOREVER and included more twists and turns than seemed worthwhile. Instead, it was a carbon copy of the rest, only somewhat longer.

Fortunately, the book doesn’t end here. The conclusion actually goes on for a while and includes some wind-down that helps assuage the disappointment, and giving the reader more time to think about what has happened over the course of these two books. This brings back a bit of the mystery, a bit of the tension that felt absent from the rest of the text. It felt like a breath of fresh air; a good note to end on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fix the mistakes made along the way. And it doesn’t make up for them, either. It just makes everything a bit easier to swallow.

TL;DR

Battle Ground is a swipe of the slate for the Dresden Files. Out with the old, in with the new, if you will. Like Changes, it marks a turning point in the series—one marked by an epic fight scene that just won’t end. And like that epic fight scene, it carries on even after you’ve kinda gotten sick of it and are starting to wonder what else is on. The sameness culminates in a final battle, one that felt so much like the rest of the book before it that it almost felt like a middle-finger to those fans who’ve stuck around to this point. While the conclusion lasts for maybe fifty pages more and in part helps assuage this feeling, one thing is certain moving forward. The Dresden Files will never be the same.

This book took me way longer than expected to read, and I'm not sure why. I think I knew that there would be losses in this book, and I didn't want it, so I struggled to get through it!

The reader is thrown directly into the action, and it just doesn't stop! As many have said, this is obviously a continuation from Peace Talks, and picks up the story immediately after the completion of that book.

As usual Butcher has presented us with an epic read! I'm not sure where he can go from this, but I am certainly interested to see what he writes next.

Battle Ground was massive at well over a thousand pages. I finished it in two days because I needed to put the book down after 800 odd pages just to breath. Jim Butcher has long been a favorite author of mine but this time he has outdone himself and proven that he is one of the fore runners of superb modern fantasy. This book will evoke every emotion you've ever known and then some. There are no holds barred in this novel, no one is safe, nothing sacred. We will be faced with situations that we knew would happen but don't be fooled. Dresden and Butcher have plenty of surprises up their sleeves and some of them are going to blow you away. Putting this book down left me grief stricken, heart pounding, sweaty palmed and rearing to go for the next installment. The monsters in this book are grotesque but the real darkness is just beginning and Chicago is the epicenter of impending doom. At its very core is the wizard Harry Dresden and whether he stands as a beacon of hope or the darkness itself, I'd follow him in a heartbeat. Pick this book up and be prepared to agonize until his next release. Whole series reread until that time!

This and Peace Talks really should have been one book. It felt like Butcher just split the manuscript because of its length. Once I had a few chapters to get my brain caught up again, I enjoyed the conclusion.

A thrilling, action-packed resolution to the situation presented in _Peace Talks_. This book may represent the biggest paradigm-shift in Harry Dresden's life since _Changes_. Also, no spoilers, but Jim Butcher, you know what you did, you bad man.

It seems like Jim Butcher is back and has hit the ground running. With BATTLE GROUND, the seventeenth book in the Harry Dresden series, Harry must battle it out with a titan to save the world.

As always, you can expect a lot of the same hilarious banter, intense action scenes and different types of paranormal creatures. This series doesn’t seem to be slowing down. There are so many different aspects to this story that Butcher pays a lot of detail to, so it really feels rich and well-developed. I think loyal fans of the series will be ecstatic with this latest installment. I certainly was blown away.

I would recommend this series to all Urban Fantasy readers, especially ones that love a Sci Fi twist. It’s good for men and women alike, so I feel like a large range of readers will find this series entertaining. You don’t necessarily need to read this series in order to understand it, but it’s always nice to know where things start, so I would recommend reading in order. Definitely put this on your must-read list! I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Battle Ground is an apt title for the latest book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher and it is a continuation of the previous book (Peace Talks) that was released just a few months ago. As the title implies, the attempts to keep the peace have broken down and now the battles will begin. And, of course, Harry Dresden, an extraordinary wizard, will be in the middle of it all.

This is an entertaining book, with non-stop action and the fate of the world hanging in the balance – not to mention Chicago, Harry’s hometown. The writing is superb and the various characters that move in and out of the story makes it a very enjoyable, albeit somewhat dark, book.

I have always enjoyed the Dresden Files series and the latest book (#17) is a must-read. Once again, the author is on top of his game and Harry and the rest of the gang will lead the reader on a rollercoaster ride, filled with twists and surprises. I can only wonder what Mr Butcher has in store for his next book in the Dresden Files series.

Battle Ground deserves 4.5 *s and I will happily bump it up to 5 *s.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Spoiler-Free Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/GdKfGpJszfU
Spoiler Talk Video Here: https://youtu.be/4N5gNjUoX00

Being relatively new to the series (I started last December), I didn't seem to have the disdain for Peace Talks some of the longtime fans did. I didn't have the long wait and I went into it expecting it to be a part 1 of 2 and that maybe had my expectations a little more checked. I said I would grade it as a whole after I saw if Mr. Butcher stuck the landing or not.

So did he? Like a fireball cutting through the bullshit.

Battle Ground is more than just a fancy name, it's the meat of this book. For those missing the usual "predictable chaos" that Butcher is so well known for in a Dresden book with Peace Talks will get a second and third helping in Battle Ground. This is the battle I had been waiting the whole series for. In what seems like his "Avengers: Endgame moment," in which his entire universe seems to be together for the first time, things don't lack for action or big moments at all.

But the emotional punch(es) in this adventure are some of the hardest to cope with in the series. There are great victories, but even greater losses that are just soul crushing. An extremely invested fan, which if you aren't by book 17 I wonder why you're still reading, is going to have a few "there's something in my eye" moments with this one.

In the end, it's another satisfying adventure with Harry and co. even if it leaves a huge scar on your heart and leaves you ready for what comes next. Let the wait begin.

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Words nearly fail me.

Even as I read this book, I was stunned into silence. (You know, one of those deep, inner-monologue silences that radiate deeply inward so much that I could hear a mental pin drop from forty mental yards.)

I knew, from the prior book, that we were preparing for WAR. The outsiders were coming. All supernaturals, gods, Fae, and even normal folk were being called to battle. It is ALL of Chicago on the line.

What I didn't expect was for Jim Butcher to pull an all-out Epic Fantasy battle against a freaking Titan, including massive damage to the city, the allies, or to Harry, himself. You know what came to mind? Butcher's Caldera novels. Huge scope, fantastic action, magic, and glory. Now blend that in with ALL our most beloved characters from the Dresden Files. Put EVERYONE on the field of battle.

I mean, it's only the fabric of reality that's at stake. The stakes aren't THAT high.

And then expect a novel that doesn't let up. At all.

And even when the main battle is done, that inner silence remains.


Let me be honest here: I cried like a little baby during this book. Many times. I was too shocked. Too... well... maybe words do fail me, after all.

Even now, I'm crying as I write this review.

I know that I probably start off every review I do of the Dresden Files talking about how big of a fan I am of the series and how I always think Butcher can't surprise me anymore, only to then go on about how much he managed to surprise me with whatever Dresden Files book I'm reviewing. Well, Hot damn but this was such a good book, and boy did Jim manage to surprise me over and over again with it. Battle Ground was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride that I was unable to put down fro the very first page. I actually read it twice in a row and both times it somehow managed to keep me up reading until like 4 AM because I needed to see how everything ended, despite knowing exactly how it ended on the second read!

While I really enjoyed Peace Talks and haven't really understood the complaints about it that I saw that it didn't feel like its own book, because it did to me, but man did Battle Ground manage to just completely blow it out of the water. I don't know how he managed it but Butcher took pretty much every major character and concept from the series and somehow managed to cram them into a single amazing story. Peace Talks made it clear that the stakes for Harry and the supernatural community were extremely high but Battle Ground really did a fantastic job both showing how high and really making us (or at least me!) feel the stress, fear, and anxiety of those stakes. I honestly don't think I could have turned the pages any faster in my attempt to figure out how everything was going to end. 

There is so much that I enjoyed about this book that I want to talk about and discuss but I don't think I can really do so because it's all fairly huge spoilers that I think will have a huge impact on the series going forward and I don't want to chance ruining it for anyone. Let's suffice it to say that Battle Ground has changed the world for Harry and the supernatural community that makes what Changes did completely pale in comparison. This was probably one of the few books I've read in a long time that made me laugh, cry, cheer, and yell at certain characters in anger in a long time. It's been a few weeks since I finished it and I still can't get everything that happened out of my head.

For the longest time I would say that Proven Guilt was my favorite book in the series, and while that may still be true, Battle Ground is definitely giving it a run for its money. I can never stress enough how much I've loved the Dresden Files over the years and would recommend it to anyone looking for something amazing to read. It has some of the best worldbuilding and foreshadowing in the entire genre. 

I received a copy of Battle Ground in exchange for an honest review.

Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher

What an emotional ride! Battle Ground starts out, where Peace Talks leaves off, with the Fomor and their allies ready to attack Chicago. Every one in the Harry Dresden universe shows up for this battle. Many are heroes, Butters is amazing! Even our favorite mobster frenemy, Marcone, has his heroic moments. I cried when a couple long term favorites did not survive the battle. I will say that Harry does survive, so, thankfully, the series will continue. We even find out that not every one is the persons, we thought they were. Again, the book is a very emotional ride, and I highly recommend it for fans of the series. Anyone who has not yet read the series needs to start back near the beginning, this would be a bad place to start!

Peace Talks marked the beginning of the end for life as we know it in Chicago. When a Titan announces she is bringing a doom to the city (and humanity), without any care for secrecy, things are going to get messy. What's left is what do you do about it? Do you fight, do you run, do you hide?

Battle Ground is Dresden's Endgame, Ethniu cast as Thanos with the Eye of Balor in place of the Infinity Gauntlet. Representatives across the Accorded races and factions are present, standing against the Fomor, and there is an 11th hour rally around reinforcements. Credit where credit is due, Butcher manages to keep the pace going strong in a novel that is 80% combat. This is not an easy battle, nor one that any of the defenders could safely count on winning, there's too much at stake, too much power in use, and too many lives on the line.

If you've read my review of Peace Talks, I was open that it was a let down. Battle Grounds is an improvement, with the payoffs that the previous book deliberately withheld. Like the movie adaptation of the final Hunger Games book, we have the story of a single book morphed into two installments. Plot elements I disliked in Peace Talks, I remain dissatisfied with. Additionally, some of what I struggle with is a sign of the world we live in now vs the world the book was conceived in, and quite frankly it's kind of difficult to share in the comfort of re-entering a Chicago in ruins and seeing cops out at every street corner.

My biggest upset I honestly cannot talk about without giving anything away. Let us just leave it at, at one point in the story, a Thing Happens that I don't think any reader will be happy with.

As for the ending, there are perhaps a whole handful of endings. Some of them wonderful and of hope, letting us know the light has not gone out. Others are abrupt and hint at bigger changes yet to come.

Advance Reader Copy courtesy of Penguin RandomHouse in exchange for an honest review; changes may exist between galley and the final edition.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/09/29/audio-battle-ground-by-jim-butcher/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I own the entire  <strong><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40346-the-dresden-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dresden Files</a></em></strong> series on audio, including the novella collections,  and pre-ordered <strong>Battle Ground</strong>.  It's amazing on audio.

<blockquote>Urban Fantasy is my favorite genre and this series is definitely in my top 5 series <em>ever</em>.  Harry has all the things I love in UF. He has collected a group of allies of all types. He shows compassion for others and some intelligent strategy.  He puts others before himself, often risking his life, pushing himself to his limits.  And I love the humor.</blockquote>

We knew this would have battles from both the title and the way <strong>Peace Talks</strong> ends.  There is a lot of action. We get to see many characters from many different groups that we know from past books, but so many of them come out to "play" here.

Usually Harry has so many different things he is juggling but he has to remain focused this time.  Here he is leading the defense and attacks. He is certainly a primary force in trying to keep humans safe and he insists the other supernaturals do that too.   I love that he has some long-time allies like Butters and a new friend in River Shoulders. I love his major general, Toot, who does incredible work.

Of course, he has old enemies too but most everyone is on the same side against the Fomor and the Titan.  I don't really understand how even though he is supposed to do the final part against the Titan to send her to DemonReach, his grandfather keeps throwing him at various monsters as if he is the only one who can take them.  Harry gets hurt often and a lot, which isn't anything new. It makes me angry he is always the fodder, and also the one who in the end saves the world, and he never gets any credit with anyone but some friends and family.

Apparently there are things the wizards and the fae know about Harry which he doesn't know about himself.  No one is telling him either. It sounds like they are all using him.

There are many loved characters who get hurt or die.  The supernaturals have a bit better chance of recovering from serious wounds.  It's brutal.   Keen strategy kept it less horrible than it could have been.  Between the deaths and the way Harry was treated after coming though for them, I was crushed.

There is much more for us to learn in this great series.  Thomas and Justine are still in trouble.  Marcone and Harry will have a showdown at some point.  Mab has plans for him.   The wizards are all watching him closely with plans to take him down at the slightest misstep.

At the end, there is a nice little Christmas vignette which happens six months after the battle.  It shows the family and friends Harry has.

Anyone who reads my blog knows that while I enjoyed Peace Talks, I wrote that I wasn’t as enamored by it as I wanted to be because it was half a book. It was the pitch but not the swing. It was toss of a tennis serve, but the ball remained suspended in the air. In other words, it was the set up.

It was the set up for Battleground.

Battleground is everything you wanted. So much so that I’m going to tell you to buy the book if you can. As much as I love libraries, and I ADORE them, you might want to spend some of your hard-earned cash on this one if you are a Dresedenfile because you’re going to read this more than once. There are so many details you won’t get it all the first time. If you can’t afford to do that, I totally understand. Borrow it, and then put yourself back on the list.

Here’s the set up: A Titan comes to town with a heck of a sty in her left eye and instead of seeing an ophthalmologist, she gets hangry. All the signers of the Accords must work together to defeat her and times of trouble make unholy alliances possible. As always, things are waaaaaay more complex than they seem, and just when you think you know what’s going on, you don’t.

One of the great games you can play while reading is wondering which character Jim is going to bring onto the chessboard next. Every chapter brings in a new player and I kept trying to imagine who was going to show up, and when. I only guessed right some of the time. Jim’s developed such a huge cast of characters over all of the books that he has so many to play with it is hard to remember them all. He’s the cackling madman moving his toy soldiers around the battlefield laughing hysterically while we wince in pain.

And we love him for it.

The key here is this: The entire city is the Battleground, and we are seeing it from a very particular point of view—Harry’s. Harry’s point of view is narrow, because he is one individual. He’s the key player and central to the action so this is his story, but keep in mind as you are reading that every single person in Chicago is fighting in this war. Every character that we’ve ever met is doing something, even if we don’t know what that is. They’re all—paranormal and plain vanilla human—fighting for their lives and protecting their loved ones.

In a private chat, Jim indicated that he may visit some of these stories in the future, such as Goodman Grey’s and Paranoid Gary’s, since they all have stories to tell but couldn’t take center stage in Battleground. (And yes, I received permission to share that.)

There are ups and downs, revelations and confirmations. Have your favorite drink handy. Read it fast and then re-read it. You are in for one wild ride. 5 stars. 6 if there was such a thing.

If you haven’t seen the book trailer by incomparable Priscilla Spencer, watch it before you read the book, and then watch it again after. Totally different perspectives.

ARC From Netgalley.

I can not accurately convey how absolutely amazing this book is. Moments that made me cry, moments that made me cheer, and so many times did my jaw drop.
Most of the reviews I write are very spoiler heavy and much more like a summary. With the book out very soon... I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone.

I will be coming back after release date to update this review.

If you are a Dresden fan, get this DAY ONE.... and read it in ONE SITTING.

I’ve been a fan of this series since almost the beginning. I started it when book 3 came out so many years ago, and I worked at a now defunct bookstore Waldenbooks. Fast forward to this book, and I started reading with much anticipation. After a little bit of a slow start, the action started and never really let up. As the title states, this is a book about the battle for Chicago with the Winter Knight and friends leading the charge to save it. With my reading style of reading fast (I’ve tried to slow down but I then tend to ignore what I’m reading), it’s very difficult to read this type of book. However, I think others will find they don’t have a struggle. The author does a great job with descriptions, keeping characters true themselves, and most notably, bringing our emotions to the forefront. Prepare for losses. Big ones. I’m looking forward to the next one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.