Twelve Months. Fifty-five chapters. Empty Night, this was such a good one. There's a lot to unpack here. Twelve Months is like ogres and onions, it has layers, and some of them make you cry.

Pain is a fire. Four little words start us on Harry's year-long journey through grief and recovery, against a backdrop of Chicago's recovery as a whole, all while he has promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps. Neither Harry nor Chicago came out of the Battle of Chicago unscathed, and there are reminders everywhere. Skyscrapers reduced to rubble, families with no homes, ghouls roaming the streets after dark picking off the weak, and Harry in no condition to deal with things as he usually might.

This isn't the worst weekend of Harry's year anymore, this is the worst year he's had in the last couple decades. Murphy is dead. He's engaged to Lara Raith to seal the alliance between the Winter Court of the Sidhe and the White Court of Vampires, carrying out monthly public "dates" to show the supernatural world they stand together, with poor Molly responsible for coordinating the events. Thomas is still in stasis on Demonreach, and Harry needs to do something about it before it's too late. The wardens are checking in on Harry because black magic is being done in Chicago. The normies are tired and scared after the supernatural blew up their town, and they're not afraid to protest outside Castle Dresden. Meanwhile, Harry is trying to be a good father to Maggie, and take care of the people under his care within the castle.

How does one man fix a city while trying to fix himself?