Thank you to Netgalley and Ace for an ARC.
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What can I say? Dresden is probably my favorite series of all time--the perfect blend of urban fantasy, amazing worldbuilding, memorable characters and humor.

In the aftermath of Battle Ground, Harry Dresden is just as broken as his beloved city of Chicago. He's suffered unbelievable losses but despite the fatigue and pain, he is still standing and refuses to forget his city and those closest to him in their time of need.

Twelve Months is a slow burn but its pacing is meaningful for the narrative and Dresden's character growth.

I loved every word and am hopeful for the next book.

Spending time in a Jim Butcher book is like hanging out with an old friend and this is no disappoint. The other Dresden novels take place over a few days or weeks and there is always some sort of running clock. This book is a nice change and having it place over a year gives the time to let characters grow and heal. Can’t wait for the next one.

Jim Butcher is an amazing story teller and Dresden Files is my favorite book series. This book was a great addition to the Dresden Files family. Full of action and suspense mixed with Harry Dresden's sense of humor.

Twelve Months is, essentially, Harry Dresden's year of recovery after the Battle of Chicago. Our favorite wizard named Harry is trying to overcome his PTSD after untold losses, and it's slow going. Luckily, he has some excellent friends looking out for him, both mortal and otherwise (looking at you, angels). As always with Harry, troubles abound and multiply in his presence. But he has a new apprentice, a fun magic castle to play with, and a new relationship in the works...so really things couldn't be better, right?!! Thus commences Harry's year of rest and relaxation. Self-care is the name of the game in this installment, and while it makes for a slower pace, I think we all need a break after the last two books in the series. Things will soon be ramping up for Harry and I'm so excited to see what happens next!

I will be posting this review on Goodreads and The Storygraph a week before publication. Looking forward to the official release date!

Its been a long wait six year wait for this novel, I was apprehensive about the fallout of the previous book. That apprehension lasted maybe two chapters. It was everything I wanted and more. I crave more of this world as always. Hey Jim, maybe don't make me wait this long again.

Jim Butcher delivers his most emotionally grounded Dresden novel yet. Twelve Months steps back from epic battles to explore grief, identity, and quiet recovery. It works.

Harry Dresden is broken. Not just bruised or tired, but genuinely grieving. The events of Battle Ground have left scars that don’t fade with time or magic. Butcher leans into that. Instead of rushing to the next crisis, he lets Harry sit with the consequences. That choice gives the novel weight and honesty.

This book is about survival. Not survival in the face of monsters, but survival in the day-to-day. Waking up. Getting dressed. Choosing not to collapse. Butcher captures the shape of depression without turning Harry into a shell. He’s still stubborn, still sharp, still Harry. He just hurts now, and that hurt feels real.

Lara Raith’s expanded role adds intrigue. Their scenes together feel like chess matches. She’s seductive, dangerous, and complex. Butcher resists easy answers in their dynamic. There’s no simple push or pull. Just tension, history, and obligation.

New characters like Bear, a towering Valkyrie bodyguard, inject fresh energy. She’s funny and warm but also clearly capable of violence. Supporting characters return with purpose. Molly, Will, Michael, and even Bob the Skull contribute without cluttering the story.

The setting reflects the tone. Chicago is devastated, trying to rebuild. That backdrop mirrors Harry’s emotional state. Broken systems, temporary shelters, frayed nerves. But also small victories. Shared meals. New alliances. Routine.

Butcher’s writing has matured. The pace is slower, more intentional. He gives space for reflection, memory, and silence. There’s action, but it’s not the focus. That restraint makes the emotional moments land harder.

Twelve Months is not flashy. It doesn’t try to top the last book in size or spectacle. It turns inward instead. That pivot feels earned. It shows a writer who trusts his readers to care more about the man than the magic.

This is a quiet, confident novel. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t need to.

It reminds us why we started following Harry Dresden in the first place.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace.

Finally! After five looooooong years, the next entry in the long running Dresden Files UF series is here! Similar to the earlier entry Ghost Story, Twelve Months is a bit of a change of pace for the series, with Harry dealing with the aftermath of the events in Battle Gound, especially emotionally. Each chapter roughly equates to one month in the year following the epic battle with the Titan Ethniu, with Harry still dealing with the devastating loss he suffered, while trying to do the best he can for the citizens of Chicago, attempting to figure out how to help his brother Thomas, and navigate the tricky engagement to Lara Raith forced on him by Mab as a means to cement an alliance with the White Court. It was good to catch up with all of Harry's friends and cohorts and just get lost in the Dresden Files world again. Can't wait to see what the author has in store for Harry next!

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity. In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time.

But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

This was a really great book. It was a good return to form, if still a bit hurried in the final act of the book. The whole story is a bit of a tribute to grief and the healing process and I thought it was a very solid book. Great job!

I've been waiting and waiting for this follow-up to the tumultuous events of Battleground. This is the first time we get to see Dresden for an extended period of time rather than short bursts of activity and I enjoyed the change. Harry is still dealing with the fallout from the Battle of Chicago and reeling from grief. I look forward to future books in the series and watching Harry grow!

I feel like this book doesn't need much of a review - as the 18th book in the Dresden Files series, readers will already be familiar with the characters, the highs and lows, and the overarching plot line. This entry serves as a follow-up to the monumental events in 2020's "Battle Ground"; the "Twelve Months" of this title refer to the twelve months of Harry Dresden's life that happen in that book's aftermath. If you loved that book, you're probably eager to find out what happens to Harry, and you'll enjoy this one. Personally, I preferred the earlier Dresden Files entries - when Harry was just Chicago's friendly neighborhood wizard. As Harry has gained wizardly powers and become more involved in world-spanning events, I feel the series has lost its charm. The way some of the minor characters have been dumped off or minimized lately - especially in the last book - has really bothered me, and made me lose interest.

Case in point - and this is a major SPOILER (but how else to review the latest entry in an 18 book series?) - Harry suffered a devastating loss in the last book, and is constantly grieving throughout this novel. But Harry also became engaged to vampire Lara Raith. Their relationship evolves over the course of this book, and - due to Lara being a succubus/vampire - Harry is constantly pointing out how attracted he is to her. This leads to some very weird vibes and tone switches - "I miss her so much / wow, that vampire is hot / I'm afraid I'll never get over this / OMG look at those legs / I'll never love again / I want to sleep with Lara so bad". It's very off-putting, especially for a series that many feel objectivizes women far too often.

In summary, I think this will be the last Dresden Files book for me. If the author keeps to his current schedule, there are supposed to be 3-4 more "Case Files" books followed by a concluding trilogy; at the author's current rate of 2-6 years between books, it's probably going to be another 12-42 years until he finishes it. I might check back in if/when that happens.

While Dresden is always a fun and funny read, this book felt a little bit that Butcher was working through some stuff. I get it, there was massive trauma to be had in Battle Ground, but it wasn't always super-easy to read. In addition, I wish to God Butcher would be a bit less... lascivious in how he writes women. But I did like the ongoing narrative of how Harry's recovery paralleled that of his city, and I think it was an interesting choice to bring in some events that felt somewhat real-world.

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?