What a ride! I was so glad I didn’t have to wait a year or more to read this after the cliffhanger ending of Peace Talks. The two books feel more like one long book, and it would have been agony to wait. I was disappointed with a couple of the plot choices, and I wish I weren’t still in the dark about some things, but overall, this was a satisfying follow-up to Peace Talks. I wasn’t sure if Peace Talks had all the Dresdeny mojo I’ve come to expect in this series, but Battle Ground did. And I think it set up future plots quite well without resorting to another cliffhanger. Keep ‘em coming, Butcher!
4.5 stars

It turns out the peace talks weren't so peaceful this time around. The city of Chicago is about to suffer an apocalypse with a little "A" and Harry and his allies are squaring up for the fight of their lives. But hey, no big deal, Harry just needs to be good enough to earn the title Titan-killer! It's not like it's gonna take everything he has to give, or anything like that....

Once again, I am blown away by how Jim Butcher writes action and emotion. This book puts the epic in fantasy, seriously. Battle Ground is all about alliances and not giving up, even in the face of unbearable odds. Harry has realized exactly how small he is compared to the big players in magical Chicago, but he doesn't let that stop his smart mouth! I laughed, I CRIED, I died a little inside. Peace Talks was definitely a build-up novel to this curb-stomp battle, and I feel like Dresden and I both deserve a vacation after this installment. There was so much magic in this book, and I love the versatility that each magic user exhibits to make it their own. The intricate plotting in this book shook me to my core, and I was thrilled I couldn't guess what was going to happen next. The chaos of Battle Ground was bloody, dramatic, and absolutely brilliant!

This is definitely the book Dresden fans have been waiting for. It's a culmination of quite a few plot points, and I would recommend reading the series before diving off this cliff of a read. That being said, if you're looking for a magical battle of titanic proportions that just doesn't quit, this book is the one for you! I was as exhausted as the characters by the end, this really is just non-stop action. I kept thinking Butcher couldn't go much higher, but congrats, ya proved me wrong over and over again. Also thanks for the tears, I hate them. And while this book tore me up, put me back together, and then ripped me apart again, I could not recommend it more. I now feel like reading the entire series again, and that's really the best praise I could possibly give.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Harrys back! Again! After the looooong multi-year wait we get a second Dresden Files book in the same year! The story literally picks up right where Peace Talks left off, and hoo boy is the Battle Ground title ever accurate. The action comes fast and furious as Harry must juggle his many responsibilities as a Wizard, and Warden, of the White Council, the current Winter Night to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Thomas's brother, Murphy's boyfriend, and maybe most important, Chicago's resident Wizard P.I. and general defender of the city, against Ethniu the last of the Titans, who is hell bent of destroying Chicago in the first step of her thirst for vengeance. You've got Wizards, vampires, gangsters, Vikings, trolls, giants, you name it, they are here, and it's a real battle royal. And when the dust settles, wow, nothing will ever be the same. I am so excited to see where Jim Butcher takes things next!

If the Harry Dresden books were a video game, Battle Ground is when Harry gets to the big boss fight. *THE* fight.

The vast majority of the book takes place within a couple of hours, tops, and is really one huge fight scene. Sure, it's exciting. But if you're a speed reader who gets bogged down by details, this will take a while to read. Every punch. Every spell. Every tumble. I got a little tired of reading after a while, which is not how I usually feel with Harry Dresden.

There are a few unexpected treats, though. Some characters really get their time to shine, and during the worst of circumstances, you really see what people are made of -- the good and the ugly.

Any book called "Battle Ground" is going to have at least one or two people die who you wish would have survived, so don't be surprised.

So, while this is my least favorite Dresden book, I still enjoyed it. I still want to talk about it with people. And that's the mark of a really great series -- even when I don't love it, I still like it.

It may feel a little bit like the end of the series, at times, but there are plenty of loose ends pointing the way to at least a few more books.

This book lives up to its title! Truly nonstop battle. Butcher wraps up a lot of plot threads and character's arcs in this one while building the narrative for future books. So many heartrending scenes.

I cried no less than six times while reading this. Screw you, Jim Butcher. You know what you did.

But what a book.

Battle Ground takes off immediately where Peace Talks ends, catapulting the reader into a 500 page battle of epic proportions. Little-a apocalypse has arrived on the shores of Chicago, and Harry and crew have one heck of a fight to put up. Butcher manages to keep the reader feeling the nitty gritty details and horrors of battle on the ground without losing the epic scope of what is going on across Chicago. I left this book emotionally exhausted but blown away by what was accomplished here.

I skipped alot. The book is pretty much fight, death, kill, suffer, snark, repeat. I'll definitely look for the next one in hopes that there will be more story and less huge, grand battle and misery.

I was happily shocked to see this title coming out within months of Peace Talks. My husband is absolutely ecstatic. It's his favorite series. He had to rage-quit and walk away from the story several times before it invariably drew him back. That says a lot about the story line and strength of characters in my opinion. There are so many potential spoilers! You hate the White Council even more by the end, if that is possible. This definitely is one of those series you have to read from the beginning.

Spoiler free review follows: This is another great installment of the Dresden Files and the reader will NOT be disappointed! It picks up just a little after the ending of the previous installment, Peace Talks, and the entire book pretty much, except for a little at the end, takes place on just one momentous night. Chicago is being invaded by the Formor led by a Titan, a combination that calls out all the forces of the NeverNever as well as the White Council and the population of Chicago. Events are both small scale and epic and it is safe to say that nothing will be the same after this book, for Harry Dresden or anyone else. Secrets will be revealed, There will be moments of triumph that will have you wanting to cheer and moments of tragedy that will have you tearing up and have you asking yourself how Jim Butcher could have done that? There will still be scattered moments of humor that will make you smile, but they seem far fewer than have occurred in other Dresden Files novels. This is war, and the tone is pretty much serious for the length of the book. And of course, at the very end the author creates a whole new batch of problems for future novels. I highly recommend this book and the whole Dresden Files series, but do yourself a favor if new to the Dresden Files and start with Stormfront, the first book and not this one as there are many characters you are expected to know by this time that will confuse you if you are new to the series.

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher, ITS HERE! Its everything we wanted, the joy, pain, hope, sadness, and laughter we needed for this year. Don't Miss Out!!!

What can I say! Another great book in the series. The whole book is filled with lots of action. Lots and lots of action. I usually am not a fan of so much as it gets confusing with everything going on and all the characters but this really works. I was able to follow everything going on. I love how it incorporated so many great characters. It has some tear jerker parts but it is so worth it. I can't believe the series is so many books and is still so good! Butcher has put out 2 books this year and they are both incredible. Can't wait for the next one. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy!