hardcover, 352 pages
Published July 13, 2020 by Ace.
HARRY DRESDEN IS BACK AND READY FOR ACTION, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files.
When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago--and all he holds dear?
I know this book is supposed to be primarily setup for Battleground, and it was evident.
I finished this almost a month ago. I just haven’t had time to post anything. Here’s the short and sweet: if you like Dresden, you’ll love this. It’s pure, unadulterated Harry. Maybe a tad softer than usual, but close. Having family will do that to you. It’s lots of fun and it’s a fast read. I know I’ll probably get some hate for this, but I (so far) do not see the point of splitting this novel in two. We shall see when I get to the second half.
I feel like something changed for Butcher about halfway through this book. The front half is 100% typical Dresden: wise-cracking cavelier attitude with a liberal dose of sexism. The back half though? Everything shifted and Harry actually dealt with emotions and softened up a little, in a way that was much more convincing than usual. I loved the last half of this book and am actually looking forward to the next one.
Some of this is my fault, I should have gone back and refreshed myself on Dresden before I read this. I should have re-read the last book.
The book jumps right in to the story and gets going. The little jokes and "human" feeling to Dresden is present and really why I love his books. One thing that was rough is that it does have conclusion, but the relief comes when you realize the next book is already coming! It's another turn in the Dresden universe and I am excited to see where it goes
