Book 16! I have loved the Dresden Files books since I first discovered them. When a series gets this long, one might start to wonder if the author will run out of ways to keep things interesting, but fear not! Jim Butcher has managed to up the magical ante without losing touch with what made the books fun in the first place - the very human Harry Dresden. Yes, he's a little more powered up than he used to be, but he's still his wise-cracking self, (if a little more cautious about saying things out loud, which shows some character growth) . I am also thankful that he's stopped worrying so much about becoming one of the monsters, as the questioning and self-doubt was getting a little old. He's still pulled in multiple directions, of course, being a Wizard, a Warden, the Winter Knight, and having family. It leads to quite the conundrum in this book, and the way it's worked out in this particular story is quite satisfying.

As I was typing up this review, I learned that this book is due out in July, and the next in late September. Two books in a year! Woohoo! This makes me feel a lot better about the ending of this book, which leaves the heroes and us looking ahead at something big coming... Yay for the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files!

All in all, I give it 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5. While the ending was not as satisfying as something that wraps up everything in a bow, it was a good pausing point before the next book, and this was a great entry in the series!

It was so very good to be back in Harry’s world….almost 6 whole years have gone by since the last book. So much has changed in our world. However, it didn’t take very long to dive back into Harry’s Chicago. Harry now has a responsibility he never had before, and he’s struggling to make sure she is safe and taken care of. But, as you know, poor Harry can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Things take a wrong turn when one of his allies does something terrible to another of his allies, and Harry is thrown in the middle of machinations upon lies upon enigmas. This latest was a build up to the next book; it had very little action which is quite different than usual. Harry also seems a little more mature than previous books. I’m anxiously looking forward to Battle Ground so I can see what happens after the huge cliffhanger in this one, and, dare I say it, a little action. Recommend! I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I never thought I would rate a Dresden Files book—or any book by Jim Butcher—less than five stars, but in this case it's unavoidable. This review is based solely on the ARC that was distributed by NetGalley, and may in fact change with the publication of the final printed version on July 14th, 2020.

Peace Talks is an amazing entry in The Dresden Files, and everything we could have hoped after a six-year hiatus from the last case file. The characters are in top form, the conflict is justifiable, and the stakes are the highest they've ever been. However, for the first time in the series, the book is missing a third act. It ends on a very real cliffhanger, not a Changes cliffhanger, due to the publisher splitting the novel in two; it fails to resolve the story question, and leaves us with a "To be continued..." feeling.

The back half of Peace Talks is now titled Battle Ground, and will be released on September 29th, 2020. Tune in next time for the rest of this review.

This book was not as joyously exciting as any of the other books, but it's not a dealbreaker for me.

There were a few times in the plot where the story seemed to hop a bit -- maybe the formatting was wonky on my ARC? Like one second they're here, then they're there, then this person is with them, then this person is gone -- I got pretty turned around.

THE GOOD: It felt good to see Harry and the crew again, and we begin to get a little bit of an explanation for why Harry is such a magical heavyweight. Plus, we learn a bit more about some characters we've known a while.

THE BAD: Nothing in this book gets resolved. You can tell that this story went long, and rather than put out an enormous book, it got cut in two. It's a good thing the next one comes out in the fall, because if I had to wait another year or few to get some resolution, I would be an unhappy camper. A main character is left in a bad way cliffhanger.

THE VERDICT: For Dresden fans, it's a must-read. How could you not? It's not as great as the others, but we're in this for the long haul, right?

For folks who haven't read Dresden, what are you even doing with your life? Go get Storm Front already and start catching up.

Well it has been along wait for this next addition to the Dresden series. I wonder if the excessive years long wait built too much anticipation because I felt vaguely let down by this book. It was enjoyable but Palestine comparison with its predecessor Skin Game, and it just did not live up to the 5 year wait. It disappointingly seemed to be the opening act of a new story arc, so nothing that is introduced in this book actually gets resolved. We don’t learn any new information, several conflicts start but none are settled so the whole book ends on multiple cliff hangers. I do t mind cliff hangers but at least one conflict needs to be concluded for it to feel ,Ike it’s own book. This did not. It felt like part1 of a story. If I had known that I wouldn’t have read it yet and would have waited fir the next book to come out before reading them together. It was disappointing.

First off-- THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE NOVEL.

The publishers decided to SPLIT the story--which I get, it's long. But that leaves this book feeling like a part one...and it's unfair to rate part one without having read part two.

That said, I'm going to try to give a good overview of this one.

It's fairly classic Dresden--but it's doesn't quite have the same allure or feel that most Dresden Files have for me. I think this is partially that it's not a complete story, and partly because SPOILER--Harry and Murphy are now an item. I've never felt these two belonged as an actual item (romantic tension, yes, very good friends, of course, but not an item...it just feels forced and wrong and I don't like it.

Second, we have characters I do love in danger. But we also have characters that I love that are kinda in danger but slip to the side. I don't know if this is because the cast is just too big, or if these are things that will be resolved in the second half of the story, but either way, at this point, I have mixed feelings about it and I can't settle because the story isn't done.

I'm very curious to see where this story goes--we keep getting bigger and grander and putting more at stake, and it always feels like it can't resolve and then it does. So...

Without it being complete, I can't tell you how much I do or don't like it. So for now, it gets 3 stars--that may go up depending on the next book and the resolution. I rarely do that, but I feel it's only fair since I don't have a complete picture to judge on yet.

Peace Talks was everything I hoped it would be and more. Totally worth the wait! ^_^ Especially because we’re getting TWO Dresden novels this year (Battle Ground is currently slated for release September 29th!).

The last few Dresden novels have been hit or miss. Ghost Story and Cold Days were by-far my least favorite books in the series. I briefly considered abandoning it, but then Skin Game (possibly the best of the series - PARKOUR!!) came along and fuego! - total re-ignition. I didn’t know what to expect after so much time between books, but luckily Peace Talks was more of all the things that make this series great: good characters, funny dialogue, supernatural politics, lots of magic, and stakes that keep getting higher and higher. It’s a relief because I wasn’t sure I liked the direction the story has been heading in the last few books. Butcher jumped the shark at some point and I was afraid it was going to get too far from the original essence of the story while dealing with the multidimensional shit. It didn’t. Instead it struck a nice balance between the familiar and the new concepts.

The book did take a bit of time for gentle reintroductions to the characters, but it wasn’t distracting. Frankly I could’ve used more reminders on the differences between the white court, the red court, the winter court, the summer court, etc. I’ve got most of it straight, but still get lost on occasion with anything to do with the fae. That’s more of an attention span thing though - early on in the series, all the evil beings sounded and acted the same so I never bothered to get them straight. Now I’m paying for being lazy because they’ve stuck around. Anyway, Peace Talks wasn’t as action-packed as Skin game, but it more than made up for it with political intrigue and plot-advancements between key characters. There were definitely a few “omg!” moments. The story arc didn’t feel as robust as some of his other books, but that’s probably why we’re getting another novel this year. I’m ready for that one to knock me on my ass.

Really, the only thing that would’ve made my reading experience of Peace Talks better is James Marsters crooning to me on the audio version. Other than that, it was awesome!

Recommendations: Dresden continues to be an absolute joy to read, and seems to embrace its flaws to the point where it wouldn’t be a satisfying Dresden novel without them (they’re not so much flaws anymore as trademark Dresden-isms). If you haven’t read this series yet and are even mildly interested in the genre, it’s a great pick (give it until at least book 4). Oh! And if you haven’t had a chance to read the novellas yet, now would be a good time to pick up the Bigfoot ones before diving into Peace Talks. ;)

*I'd like to thank Berkley Publishing Group, Netgalley, and Jim Butcher for providing an early review copy of Peace Talks - you made my year!

Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller

This was enjoyable but it felt like it was missing something. The first part felt rushed and there was something missing with the character and plot development that Butcher is normally amazing at but that did even out and became a really solid story. It was a little jarring compared to the previous books but overall I am glad that this is coming out so soon.

I tried, really, REALLY hard to pace myself through this book. After all, it had been so long since the last Dresden Files instalment, and well.....to be frank, the book seemed....rather small, given the length of time fans had been waiting for it. The book did not disappoint - except for its length - and that was explained by the author's announcement that his original manuscript had become so big that it was divided into TWO books, the next one to appear later this year. The writing was wonderful, the reunion with favourite characters was gratifying, and despite my best intentions, I was not able to make the book last more than a few days. An excellent read, highly recommended!

I’ve been holding off on writing a review partly because I didn’t quite know what to make of this one. It felt like Butcher was setting up all the chess pieces of an epic plot and then the book abruptly stopped with a cliffhanger. It made sense once I saw this book was going to be released in July, with the next, Battle Ground, coming out in September. After a long wait, we’re getting an extra long book that was split in two, without a huge wait for the conclusion.

There’s a strong theme about family, by blood or by choice, and how far people will go to protect their family, even if it’s from other family. Harry has a lot of secrets with various family members, and it’s sometimes hard to keep track of who knows what. Harry’s family or lack thereof is a lot of what makes him tick, and Peace Talks is no exception.

I’ve always been interested in the relationship between Harry and Thomas, and how both try to have a normal life, or as normal as a wizard and a vampire can get, especially when they’re secretly half-brothers. There’s a nice brother moment at the start, then out of nowhere, Thomas kills someone for no apparent reason. There’s so much going on, including the titular peace talks, that Harry’s investigation into the case of why Thomas killed someone is pushed to the side for much of the book. It’s still a driving force behind a lot of Harry’s actions, including a showdown with his only other known living family member, yet we won’t get the story of what really happened until the second half.

Butcher has said he has 22 “case” books planned, capped off by an “apocalyptic trilogy”, for a total of 25 books. Peace Talks and Battle Ground make up books 16 and 17, so we’re moving into the final phase of the case books, setting the ground work for the finale trilogy. I’m glad to see Butcher getting back on track with this series, and hope we can get a book a year after these two.

Spoiler free review follows. I am a long time fan of the Dresden Files series. If you are just starting out, I recommend you start with the first book of the series, "Stormfront". "Peace Talks" continues the series in grand fashion. It is exciting, with well placed humor, action and characters who have "heart". The dialog is everything you could wish it to be. The book, in short, is everything you have come to expect from a Dresden File novel. Many of the characters you have met in previous installments of the series play a roll as the supernatural world gathers for a major meeting of the Unselie Accords. As is often the case with Harry Dresden, he is forced to deal with several personal as well as potentially world shattering problems during the course of the novel. His relationship with family plays a big role during the course of the book, often leaving Harry with tough decisions and sacrifices to make. The book ends on a somewhat unsatisfying note, unfortunately, as the final part of the book builds to a momentous turning point that will apparently not be dealt with until the next book. I read the book eagerly in just a couple of days, but felt disappointment that what will happen next may not reach my bookshelf for another six years. I hope and pray that will not be the case. The book itself rates five stars, even with the cliffhanger ending. Adding this on April 12, 2020: I just saw the next book, titled Battle Ground, is set to be released in September, 2020! I am ecstatic and, if accurate, this totally takes the sting out of the cliffhanger ending of Peace Talks!

When I say I have been waiting anxiously for this book, I was not kidding. The last book in this series, Skin Game, was published in 2014. This book was supposed to be published several years ago, but circumstances pushed that date halfway through 2020.

Truly I had (after 6 years) kind of forgotten the plot lines in this series, which I have been reading since the early 2000s. That’s kind of the problem with reading a series as it’s written, instead of in one fell swoop after it’s finished. But I quickly found myself reimmersed in Dresden’s world and caught up quickly.

Harry is on the outs with the Wizard Council (shocking), makes allies of enemies of said Council (of course), fights bad guys and wins by the skin of his teeth (duh) and makes morally questionable choices based on his ideas of honor (surprising no one). So, basically it’s like every other Dresden book. This is not a bad thing! We love our deeply flawed wizard. Anyway…

Harry is still the Winter Knight and Mab instructs him to aid Lara Raith of the White Court with 2 favors. Of course this leads to major complications, considering that Harry’s half brother, Thomas, a member of the White Court and a Vampire, tries to assassinate the king of one of the magical groups. Meanwhile, the magical world is holding a summit, having agreed to accords that create an alliance. The Fomor, the big bad from one of the previous books, is invited to join. Obviously the Fomor does not want to play nice, and instead beats the ever-loving crap out of Mab, then gives the magical beings until midnight to agree to their terms, or the Fomor will destroy Chicago and ultimately the world. Meanwhile, Harry and Lara are breaking Thomas out of prison and spirit him away to Demonreach, until they can figure out how to heal him.

Now, this is where this book diverges from previous books in the series. Usually, events are mostly wrapped up by the end of the book. Butcher is not much for cliffhangers. But this book abruptly ends before a battle with the tome’s big bad. As I was reading, I kept thinking that I was running out of pages to wrap up these events. I thought that maybe the big battle scene was left out of advanced reader copies. But I saw on Good Reads that the next book in the series, #17, is called Battle Ground and is set for publication on September 29, 2020. I suspect that the battle of the Fomor was so vast that it was actually too much to fit into one book, so the events were split into two. That’s fine with me, because at least I don’t have to wait another 6 years for the next one!

All in all, Harry fans will find a lot to like in this book and it will keep them on the edge of their seats until the conclusion of this storyline in the fall.

We've been waiting for this one it seems like forever! I hope the next one won't take years to arrive. Don't start with this one if you've never read the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

Harry Dresden is back in a new novel, and it's just as good as ever. It's been six years since the previous book in this series (the author had some serious life events get in the way, so please give him a break), and this one picks up not too many weeks after the events of the previous book. We see quite a number of Harry's supporting cast show up with major roles, including Karrin, Thomas, Lara (Thomas' sister), Maggie, Mouse, Waldo, Molly, Ebenezar, and even a sasquatch. Lots of conflict, lots of humor, and lots of fun. The only thing you won't like about this book is that it sets the stage for a huge battle in Chicago... but then leaves that for the next book. Like all of Butcher's books, this one is hugely entertaining, and just leaves me wanting more.

Peace Talks is (will be?) a solid entry in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, but even if it wasn't the sixteenth novel, it wouldn't stand well on its own. It concentrates on setting up big-picture conflicts, and it ends on a chapter-break cliffhanger of epic proportions. That said, the book is a satisfying read despite the lack-of-ending.

It's been five years since the last book, and at least two since I did a series re-read, but I was immersed from page one, like settling into my comfy chair after a long trip away from home.  Peace talks has all the fun elements I've come to expect from a Dresden Files novel: Harry demonstrates the self-awareness of a kumquat but is shepherded to A Revelation;  scenes bounce from snarky dialogue to tender affection to outrageous hijinks; and conflicts of duty, honor and heart-ties abound.

A sense of Impending Events hangs over every small moment, and the plot was a typical Dresden Files rollercoaster, careening from one disaster and/or painful, no-win decision to the next. By the end, when some elements resolved, it felt like reaching the eye of a hurricane: a welcome breather for characters and reader alike. 

I think that's the main reason the cliffhanger didn't bother me. I was ready to set down the book and take a break from the intensity. One of the things about the series that keeps me going is that it doesn't shy away from moral conflict, but that doesn't make it comfortable, especially when the murkiness is presented in deep first person POV. Things are getting darker and darker, and Harry's choices are getting...iffier and iffier. So. Break good.

And here's a third reason the cliffhanger didn't bother me: events in this series have been heading toward a cliff for several books now, so I'm more inclined to forgive it reaching one it had to jump off. Despite all the action, the plot of Peace Talks was mainly setup. All the various characters who've been introduced (over what, sixteen books?) are shifting into new ( and final?) configurations.  It isn't a short book, but to break out yet another analogy, it only had enough pages to show the opening moves in a chess match that may take the rest of the series to resolve.

This book is a long awaited sequel in a long running series. Dresden fans will be hooked from the first line. The fast paced story had me on the edge of my seat from very early chapters.
This book picks up after the events of the last book have died down, and Harry has settled into a new routine. This routine however is shattered early on.
There are appearances from most major characters, some only cameos, and several new characters, one of which quickly became a new favorite.
In true Dresden form, Harry finds himself pitted against people and monsters who far outmatch him in terms of power, and its up to him to figure out how to maneuver his way around the obstacles set in his path. This book teases at the answers to several long standing questions, while leaving you asking just as many new ones.

#PeaceTalks #NetGalley

Hell's bells. You know what the real problem with getting a galley copy of Peace Talks to review is? You only have to wait from July 14th to September 29th... I have to wait from April 2nd to the end of September. An entire half year. I'm going to develop a nervous twitch. In all seriousness, when I got my review copy yesterday morning it was the best morning I've had in a very long time. I had three other excellent fantasy novels started and I dropped them all like hot rocks to read this. The only reason it took me two whole days to finish it is I am working from home...
Now my presumption is that anyone reading this review is more than familiar with the series. New readers don't tend to pick up a book 16... You will not be disappointed for your long wait. I don't think spoilers are kind so I'm going to try to give you a feel for the book without spoilers.
This is a visit with old friends (and old foes too of course). You know by now that Butcher does torture his hero just a bit... But there's happy, sweet, touching moments as well. I have, for example, never been quite so happy to see a character get a bit of a contact burn. That might be a bit of a spoiler if you're quite familiar with the Dresden world. Also, Mouse remains a very good boy.
There's plenty of dark things too. This book takes place over a very short time period and quite a lot happens. Remember, Harry knows quite a lot of people and a good half of them are literal monsters and most of the rest of them can set you on fire or have quite the arsenal.
I do hope it's darkest before the dawn. Happy reading.

After five years without a new Harry Dresden novel, it was so good to be back in that world and Butcher's writing is as good as ever with fully developed characters, great dialogue (especially Harry's one liners and inner monologue), and an intricate plot built on each of the previous 15 novels. However, as I finished the last chapter of this book it became immediately evident why Peace Talks is being released in July and Battle Ground is coming in late September.
Peace Talks sets the stage and builds toward the biggest battle we've yet seen with all of the various supernatural signatories of the Unseelie Accords defending Chicago (and the greater mortal world) against a Titan out of Irish mythology, Ethniu, daughter of Balor. This novel ends with a big old cliff-hanger just as Harry is racing back to Chicago from the island of Demonreach to join up with everyone else in an epic battle against Ethniu and the evil Fomor. So, this is part one of a big two-part story split over two novels

*Review of eARC for NetGalley*

Well, I can definitely see why this one has to be split in two. That’s not a criticism, just an observation.

After all the craziness of the last few books and everyone having to adjust to the new paradigms in this series, the beginning of this almost feels like a return to form. But the excrement hits the fan over and over and over and, just like that, Dresden has the whole world and then some to contend with. And he has little help from anyone.

At some point, you would think these supernatural forces would find one more chore boy to drop their problems on. I mean, is Harry Dresden really the only guy in the universe who can get the job done? I get that this is the point of the series, but part of me thinks that someone needs to hire another person to do the grunt work. It’d be more efficient that way.

Regardless, Harry is called on to be the liaison between Winter and the Wizard Council during the eponymous peace talks, then Mab rents him out to the White Court vampires, then Thomas gets into huge trouble... and Harry has to clean up all the messes. Because that’s what Harry does.

If you’ve read the Dresden Files to this point, you pretty much know what you’re in for and you will likely enjoy it. This is Harry Dresden doing Harry Dresden things with the requisite amount of snark and sass - but also a fair helping of heart. The wait has definitely been worth it.

Also, be ready for a cliffhanger. Not a terrible one, but enough of one that you will be counting down the weeks and days until “Battle Ground.” Thankfully, there is a release date for that one, so you won’t go crazy for too long.

Butcher knocks it out of the park once again with his balance of familial love vs. obligation, duty vs. betrayal, suspense vs. humor and as always, the delicate political balance of a world run and overrun by supernatural beings. Revelations, twists and oh the emotional roller coaster that is a Dresden file, this is a book that you read well into the witching hour. I found myself tearing my eyes away only when I could no longer keep them open.

Also, this is the first book of the series that I have "read", all the previous were listened to as the marvelous James Marsters narrated audiobooks. And I'll admit that even in reading this one, he is still the voice of Harry Dresden.

My only real gripe is that I was left feeling incomplete- though it does stand on its own; it may have been my own selfish desire for the story to continue when I had no more pages to flip through.