Battle Ground

I was afraid this would be one of those Dresden-file episodes that is just one tedious action scene after another. It is actually mostly one long action sequence but fortunately I didn't find it terribly boring (most of the time).

Battle Ground felt a bit like Marvel's Infinity War/Endgame where every character that was ever in the series makes an appearance and all are fighting a common super-powerful entity. So many characters make the experience less intense and lacking in sharp focus.

Still, I was more engaged with the battle than I thought I'd be. There were some dramatic moments and twists that were unexpected and well done.

There were also twists/drama that made no sense based on real-life logic or what we know of the characters and therefore were transparently intended to create drama and set up the conflicts for future installments.

Generally, Butcher keeps me hanging on.

SPOILERS....

This book was back to front one giant battle. I usually glaze over during battle scenes so that meant his book was definitely not for me. I was SUPER upset Karrin died after her and Dresden were only together for ONE book. That felt really cheap and contrived. I was pretty shocked by Justine being possessed by Nemesis. But overall... by no means a fave in the series.

Over the course of the Dresden Files series Jim Butchers writing ability has improved from book to book, especially when it comes to action. One of the best things about each book is the fun ways in which Harry and his friends go about beating the variety of bad guys that Butcher comes up with…..however this book is one long action scene from start to finish and no matter how good the writer is this becomes one note very quickly. Large parts of the book were a slog for me.

Positively there are a few very powerful moments in the book, a couple of which could be the best in the series, you just need to get through characters hacking through endless, faceless, henchmen to get there.

This is truly the Infinity War for Harry Dresden. A huge climactic battle that lasts an entire book. Love, loss and huge changes fill this book as much as do some of the best action I've read in fantasy. And all of it earned by the 16 preceding books.

What a world Jim Butcher has created. I cannot wait to see what happens to Harry next.

At long last caught up with the preeminent Urban Fantasy series, The Dresden Files. I love reading about worlds and characters as they change and become something more, and the world of DF from Book 1 to 17 has gone through so much. The stakes in this novel were the highest they've ever been, and felt like an Endgame for this series, bringing back almost every character throughout the series for a huge large scale battle against a Titan (that can't be a coincidence right.. this book did come out after Endgame...). I don't like reading actions scenes a lot though and this book more than any before it is just a super long action scene so it lost a star because I was just flipping through the beginning waiting for it to get to the good stuff, but the latter half was pretty epic once it got there. I would love to see where Harry could possibly go from here, fingers crossed Butcher doesn't go the way of Martin and Rothfuss like it feels like he might.

Executive Summary: After a fun but somewhat incomplete return after a 6 year wait with [b:Peace Talks 49381341 Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579336858l/49381341.SY75.jpg 40515430], this book delivers on everything that book set the stage for. Easily my favorite in the series since [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304027244l/6585201.SY75.jpg 6778696].Audiobook: I started this series in paperback, moved to hard cover, then I discovered the audiobooks. I promptly reread the whole series in audio. James Marsters is great. So great that Full ReviewI should mention upfront that I'm an unapologetic Dresden Files fanboy. Hell I'm an unapologetic [a:Jim Butcher 10746 Jim Butcher https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] fanboy. So keep that in mind when I review this book.I really enjoyed [b:Peace Talks 49381341 Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579336858l/49381341.SY75.jpg 40515430] and gave it 5 stars. Would I have given the same book in another series 5? Probably not. For me a deciding factor is always how much I go out of my way to listen/read longer.That book was hard to put down, probably in part because it had been 6 years since [b:Skin Game 19486421 Skin Game (The Dresden Files, #15) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387236318l/19486421.SX50.jpg 23811929]. Things just felt somewhat incomplete. I do feel like he got to a good stopping point but it was obvious it was just the first half of a book. [b:Battle Ground 23106013 Battle Ground (The Dresden Files, #17) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587778549l/23106013.SY75.jpg 42654036] is the other half, and boy what a half it is. It's almost non-stop action and battle. Epic fight scenes the likes of which we haven't really seen since [b:Changes 6585201 Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304027244l/6585201.SY75.jpg 6778696].I won't get into much detail, but the stakes continue to ramp up and there are some major developments that come out of this one. It partially made me consider removing a start from my rating for [b:Peace Talks 49381341 Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579336858l/49381341.SY75.jpg 40515430] because this one was clearly so much better, but I decided that I still enjoyed that one thoroughly as well.I'm really hoping that now that he's gotten some books out again, we don't have to wait so long for the next one. I can't wait to see what happens next.

All killer no filler.

This is absolutely one of the most epic books imaginable. I can think of very little I have read on the same scale, and almost nothing that had me at the same emotional stakes. There's so much stuff in this book that it's absurd. I don't understand how there can still be so many more books left in this series. Battle Ground had me jumping out of my chair seconds before it had me sobbing, only to have me shaking in fear for what would happen next, followed by making me laugh out loud, and then cheer again...at one point I was in my car waiting at a train crossing and frantically texting Dresden fans about the crazy shit that was happening. It was truly a rollercoaster. Dresden really paid off; this is in my top five books of all time.

Now I have to wait....?

Wow, this was a huge let-down for me. I've never been the greatest Dresden fan but with Harry being a character one can relate to, I always found something to actually really like. Not so in this book.Basically, we're reading about a huge battle during which everyone and (sometimes literally) their dog makes an appearance - oftentimes just for the sake of appearing and showing that, yes, they still exist and Butcher hasn't forgotten about them.Unfortunately, as pitched as the battle must be, I never really “connected” with the story. Yes, all of Chicago and its inhabitants are at risk but I was rather indifferent about that.I was even repelled by some aspects of the way the story is told, e. g. There are many places during which it gets overly gory for no reason at all. I actually tried to find a somewhat moderate part to quote here as an example but, alas, I failed. There is no example I could quote here with a clean conscience towards younger readers.Fortunately, though, the good-natured trademark humour is still around, though:»“Guys!” I said. “The pizza—all the pizza—is in danger!” That got their attention.«So, yes, the small folks are around as well but even they - who sometimes played rather prominent roles in earlier books - feel like they only get a few “honourable mentions”. They're not really in any way integrated into the story albeit the potential for that existed.Yes, it's still the Dresden Files but it feels like Butcher wrote himself into a corner from which he couldn't really escape. The path he chose feels like that of a pubescent boy in a frenzy - because Butcher can rest assured I don't care about Harry's scrotum or the gore I mentioned before.Over-the-top battles, feverishly written about and bringing in everyone doesn't really endear the book to me either.Nevertheless, Dresden Files - if you liked them so far, you might grind your teeth a bit while reading this book but you'll probably still like it to some extent, like I do.If you didn't like Harry Dresden by now, after 16 books (“Battle Ground” being no. 17), this instalment won't change your mind and you should probably abstain.Let's just hope that Jim Butcher will find his way back from epic megapolis-scale wars to what he did early on: Portraying the foremost wizard of Chicago, a deeply mixed character who tries to do “the right thing” to the best of his abilities. That's what makes Harry relatable (despite the urban fantasy setting); that's what makes Harry Harry.»The real battle for your own soul isn't about falling from a great height; it's about descending, or not, one choice at a time.«This holds true not “just” for souls but books as well...Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Of the many fantasy series I have tried to read, none has struck me the way the Dresden Files have. It is witty, expansive in its universe, and dark with its villains. I also liked seeing the change in the main character, Harry Dresden as the series continued. I just recently began reading the first book and found Harry in the first novel markedly different between both these installments, and not always for the better in terms of his outlook on the world.

It was with this in mind that I went into Battle Ground, the 17th, and so far final, book in the Dresden files series. And while I liked this book overall, I will say that there were some issues with this text which made me feel worried for the series as a whole.

But let's begin with the good stuff. This book is an excellent battle for a major city. It reminds me a bit of The Last Olympian, the final book in a series by Rick Riordan. There, the main character and his friends battle the titan Kronos in New York City. The book feels expansive and exhausting as we see our character, barely more than teenagers, try and hold off an army nearly three times its size. Battle Ground is much the same as it is action-packed from nearly the first page to the last. This can make for an excellent journey seeing how Harry deals with the many different threats in his universe. He doesn't come out of this battle unscathed either, as we see friend and foe alike die at the hands of an all-powerful Titan. This lends the battle a gravity as we understand how actions have consequences.

Yet, this book may not be for everyone. There are going to be people who want more character-driven books in the series, and they may not appreciate this all-out action installment.

Also, there are some issues that I have with this series as a whole. Especially after reading the first book, I missed the mysteries that now seem to take a backseat to the world of the Faye that Dresden finds himself working in. As for the general complaints of this book, I would say that the power level of Dresden seems to be gaining to the point where I feel more fear for the people who aren't him getting hurt than Harry himself. He just seems so powerful at times, it can almost be to much to be believed.

But, overall, I am excited about the next book, as we see several plot threads are left hanging, as usual. I think that you should not do as I did, and make sure to read this right after you read Peace Talks, the previous installment. I left about a year gap between this book and Peace Talks, so I think that this bothered me in terms of how much I enjoyed this book, which is essentially two books in one: peace talks and the battle to come. Overall, I give this book a four out of five, It is very well done and works well within the canon of the Dresden Files. I cannot wait to read more.

Compulsively readable, utterly infuriating.

I like to think writing can broadly be divided into two area: the creative decisions the writer makes and the skill in which they portray their vision the reader. Butcher's skill is as excellent as ever, and the pacing is a nonstop roller coaster from start to finish. But I have major issues with his creative decisions.

Dresden is as misogynistic as ever, though his growth has at least helped him to see that. But the misogyny baked into the story is just too much. When's the last time Harry encountered a beautiful woman he didn't a) bang b) think about banging or c) tip his fedora to m'lady? I sure can't remember. For a series that goes on and on and on about how powerful a wizard's death curse can be, they are nowhere near as deadly as the curse of sleeping with Harry.

It's very telling who lives and who dies in this book, even more so when those deaths only serve to make Harry angry. Great power is great responsibility and all that. After this book Harry is more powerful than ever, but the Dresden Files has the responsibility to do better.