In true Dresden form, this installment has chills, thrills, and a maddening cliff hanger. So glad to finally know how everyone fared after the war with the red court vamps and how Harry is dealing with being a dad. Hoping we don’t have to wait long for the next book!

Netgalley ARC - As someone who has read all of the Dresden books I really loved it! Considering the gap from the last book to this I was very pleased at how it flowed, like there hadn't been a few years distance. It has the snark, humor, action, story line and characters I have come to love. There are new characters and plot twists as well to add to the series. The father experience is new. It has really impacted Harry and it shows a different side of him. It impacts the choices he makes. I loved the cliff hanger at the end. When is the next book coming out???

"Peace Talks" was another great ride in the Dresden universe. The story ends in the middle of the action, which is jarring, but it does lead to a resolution of sorts for parts of the story. Readers will love to see the return of a lot of characters, many of whom have their moments. Although there is a large cast, the story focuses on Harry Dresden and his relationship with the major characters. Yet again, Jim Butcher puts Dresden through the wringer emotionally and physically. Fans will enjoy it but might be upset by the cliff-hanger-ish ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Another great novel by Jim Butcher. He immediately pulls you into his super natural world. Dresden, in a more fatherly role, is unique from previous novels. Balancing fatherhood while protecting his city is a tall task, but using his masters of the art as well as help from potent allies makes Peace Talks a fantastic read.

It's a good Dresden Files title, as far as it goes, and has some really fun bits (notably an exciting wizard battle with a twist conclusion), but the book ends on an abrupt cliffhanger leaving the reader hanging. It's a departure from form for the series and DF fans are likely to be unsatisfied after the long wait.

OK.

It's been six years since Skin Game came out. A lot has happened since then, both to me as a reader and to Butcher as an author. And there's been one heck of a lot of anticipation and expectation for this book, which presents a challenge. So this is going to be a first pass review, I intend to read and review it again closer to it's release date, hopefully in final print and not e-galley format.

"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 applied for a review copy as soon as I read the email notification... and then spent an awkward amount of time figuring out which ebook reading app actually worked with Adobe DRM and could parse the .ascm file. That out of the way, I opened the book, went "well that's a beginning" and proceeded to devour the story. The past few weeks since have been me dying to talk about it with other people and trying to figure out how to handle this review. I don't want to spoil things, I'm not sure how much my own excitement colored my reading, and also I needed to double check there's no embargo on review dates.


Right up front I have to admit that I'm not sure how I feel about the book. I can't go into too much depth at risk of spoilers, and I'll probably get into this more when I re-read and review closer to the release date.

Everything has gone to a level again, a new stage to clear, a new boss level. That's expected. Unfortunately there's a return to a status quo that I was happy to leave behind once his Doom was cleared. It's not that Harry is overwhelmed, because it takes that for him to reach out for help. It's not that he's boxed in, because we want to see how creative he gets in worming his way out. It's that I was left with a feeling of "oh, are we really doing this again?" when presented with some of the constraints.

There's some good, some sweet, and some about damn time, but perhaps that's just more to lose for all of the characters involved. Butcher reminds us of the costs characters have paid to get to this point, and that's not lost on the reader or the weighing of action. Also one of my favorite Lovecraftian horrors is mentioned by name.

The story made me smile, made me feel.

The power levels are high enough that fights are getting a little absurd. On the other hand, Harry gets to witness what he must look like to normal people. I appreciate that as characters gain in power it becomes harder to present them with challenges and enemies that they don't blow through like tissue paper dolls , but I don't quite feel that Butcher succeeded in either balancing of the varied threats or in providing limiters that don't feel tired.

But lastly, this book isn't a complete story.

It's a preamble.

This is the book that is the set up for the next major arc. The one that takes the series as and makes a pivot. The direction isn't unexpected, particularly for those who have been following Butcher and are aware of his stated plans for the metaplot. But the book ends on page 326 and I'm left wondering where the rest of it is. The story is going somewhere, and I truly don't know how Harry and his allies are going to survive what's coming.

Advance Reader Copy courtesy of Penguin RandomHouse in exchange for an honest review; changes may exist between galley and the final edition.

I’ve been waiting for this book for a loooong time. I love the Dresden Files.

I liked the book. It was a good continuation of the plot from the last.

I wish there was more Molly in it, but I’ll take what I can get.

A few notes I have:
-there is soooo much sexism and objectifying in the book, even when there’s no White Court Vampires involved.
-there was also a lot of repetition. Explaining the same things over and over. That was kind of annoying.
-there was also a lot of glossing over information. Assuming the reader knows or doesn’t need to know the specifics.
-there are some parts of the book that are flashbacks, and it was very confusing at first.

With all of that said, I do really like the book and now can’t wait for the next one. Hopefully that’ll have more Molly.

There was a very heavy, constant theme of family and love. (Blood family and found family.) Not the cliché “Love concurs all”. There are a lot of different family dynamics throughout the whole book. They are all very unique and interesting. The theme seems more akin to “is family worth starting a war over?”

I enjoyed the imagery a lot. (Though a lot of it was a bit over-descriptive... and sexual in nature.) Butcher’s use of flowery language helps immerse the reader in the fiction. And his usage of so many different mythological creatures. Sometimes it can seem a bit convoluted, but the interactions between, and relationships of, the different preternatural/supernatural entities is fun to witness. And educating, somewhat. I had to look up a few words, and was sent down Wikipedia holes, but it was all very interesting.

Jim Butcher is one of my favorite authors. The Dresden Files series is one of my favorites and one I recommend often for those who like fantasy and unsure what to read next. I was beyond excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. As usual, the author hit it out of the park on this one. I wasn't sure where he would go with this series and fans are going to love this one and be excited for the next one.

The night is dark and full of terrors... or so it would seem for our favorite Winter Knight. Hell’s bells it’s been a long time since we got to join Harry and Team on an adventure battling the forces of good and evil. Jim Butcher wastes no time immediately immersing us back into the world of magic, chaos and the never ending fight to overcome all odds.

It’s good to see Harry step up to more responsibility in the latest edition of The Dresden Files and finally have some luck break his way. We are introduced to some great new characters which are added to the mix but more importantly we get to spend more time with all our favorite heroes and villains.

The action is fast paced as Harry once again finds himself in appearingly unwinnable situations and weighing what is right against what might have to happen to live and fight another day. We’ve seen Harry progress over the course of 16+ books and one could potentially conclude that Harry has reached the pinnacle of his magical prowess and abilities but as we see the story progress and familiar foes and allies appear, we quickly see that Harry still has more to learn and overcome.

Jim Butcher continues to wield and demonstrate his expertise of weaving in pop culture throughout the book. He instantly makes you feel as though you are slipping on your most comfortable pair of slippers.

However, grant the rank of Master Jedi we do not. While this is one of the most entertaining books I have read this year, it falls a little short of some of his better books. The conclusion of Peace Talks feels like the intermission of what should have been a longer book. While spending time with new characters was great, the absence of the usual banter and dialogue between Bob, Toot Toot, and others was apparent.

Despite the minimal shortcomings of the book and finally reaching the oasis after crossing the dessert, it doesn’t fail to remind us all of what we have grown to love about this series. I am hopeful that Jim falls back to his previous writing cadence and, star and stones, I hope we get to see Harry face off against the ultimate evil sooner than six hundred and sixty six years but However long it takes, we will be there to enjoy every thing that goes bump in the night.

You'll want to set aside time for this book. It's nonstop from the opening run to the end. Of course, this is what faithful readers of the Dresden Files have come to expect. You won't be disappointed.

Harry is at it again. Someone he cares about is neck deep, or really hairline deep, in trouble. That means Harry is neck deep in trouble, too. With all the powers pulling on his strings, particularly the mantle of the Winter Knight, he has a very narrow path to walk without the Accords coming tumbling down on his head -- and everyone else's. From the beginning, Harry seems to skirt around one very vital question, but that's Harry's way. He seems to barely contemplate the why for anything. Unlike previous books in the series, though, he does seem to pause before jumping into the next catastrophe.

Are some of Harry's comebacks and snark a little tired? Yeah, they are, but if he didn't do that, he wouldn't be Harry Dresden. The thing to appreciate about this story, beyond how Butcher managed to raise the stakes again (which I was really wondering how he'd do that), is to see how Harry has changed and grown as a character as a subtle work. He and those around him acknowledge the changes, what hasn't changed -- the whole world is grounded and true to itself.

While the perpetual gazing upon the dangerously beautiful characters that inhabit this world is a bit tedious, the humor, action, and heart of the story help carry it right along. It fits in the larger puzzle. Remember, set aside time. I wasn't able to and hated each time I had to set it down.

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I love Harry Dresden and the side characters that make up his world. I can never get enough of Butters in particular. We got to catch glimpses at least of a lot of familiar characters. I really enjoyed seeing Harry try to balance fatherhood with all his other responsibilities. He is a single father trying to raise and protect a traumatized daughter in world in which he has a lot of enemies and a lot of weight on his shoulders. This book is very family-centric for sure. Everything in this book is driven by the relationships Harry is trying to balance between his daughter, his brother and his grandfather. As always, there is humor written in to even the direst of circumstances. I particularly enjoyed the conjuritits.

On the other hand, I feel like this book maybe fell a little short for the six year wait. There were a lot of scenarios/conflicts/balls thrown up in the air in this installment, yet I feel like only one of them is somewhat resolved. The rest of the balls are all still up in the air and we have to wait to see where they will fall. There are a lot of unresolved plot points in this one. Hopefully it won't be a long wait again until the next one. I feel like after waiting six years for this book, there should have been a little more to it. This book is a lot more character driven than plot driven, in my opinion. I just wanted a little bit more plot movement, I guess. I am definitely interested to find out what will happen next. Harry seems to have more enemies than friends at this point, so there are some promising showdowns in his future. We'll have to wait and see, though.

The latest in the Dresden files brings us together with Harry, our favorite wizard. Harry faces challenges from the supernatural world that threaten his brother and daughter, and many of those he loves. This was a fun addition to the story of one of my favorite magical characters.

Man, I'm angry at Butcher for leaving me like this. I got this one as an advanced reader copy, and it took me a good week to work up the nerve to start it. We're 16 books in, we're headed towards the end, where are we going?? And then I started. It took me 3 days to finish, but I dragged the last few chapters out in a desperate attempt to make it last longer. And then, the end came. There may have been some swearing. Cliff hanger BOOM.

As far as the actual book, it really seems like a lot of it is buildup. We get some reminder introductions to many of our favorite characters (it's been a really long time, we may have forgotten some details by now), there's a couple of really heart wrenching emotional scenes with a few different people, the whole process of getting Harry (and company) into position for the Peace Talks takes up the first half. And then about 80% in, we start getting surprises. Or, if not surprises, at least we finally get an idea of what the Big Bad Problem actually is for this round of Harry's life. As you can imagine, being 80% through, there's not a lot of room left to dive into that information, so the cliff hanger ending left me very much hoping for at least another chapter or two. Not sure what would be in them, the actual plot line cut off is a really good place for it, but still. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

There's a bit more heart wrenching, the seeds of some more conflict sewn, and I am left desperately waiting for the next book to be released. I'll just have to read the whole series again while I wait (which would've been smart to do before reading this one, I'd completely forgotten some information that seems super obvious upon reading Peace Talks.)

Its been SIX YEARS JIM!! Six LOOOOOOOOOOOONG agonizing years.......... and let me tell you, ALL IS FORGIVEN!!

Folks - first off, go back - seriously - go back and re-read at least the last two books, because I guarantee you'll have forgotten necessary things (Dont say you weren't warned......!). This book literally starts with a WHAAAAAAAAAAT? moment, and doesn't let up. This is an absolutely fantastic venture back into the world of Harry Dresden, and I didn't really realize HOW much I'd missed Jim until I picked this up. Read it slowly. Savor it. Its truly THAT good a return to Harry's Chicago!

It's a Dresden Files book! I loved what was here. I love seeing Harry grow and seeing how his relationships have changed over time. The action is fast and furious and the revelations stunning. Dresden fans will likely be pleased with new additions to Harry's life.

They will be less pleased with how the novel ends without resolving a major plot point introduced in Chapter 29. Previous entries in this series typically have gaps in their timelines between novels (anywhere from months to years) if Peace Talks truly ends how this ARC ends then this will be first Dresden Files book whose follow-up does not. I am left wondering if Ace/Berkley didn't give us the whole novel. Fair play to them if they didn't but some notice would be appreciated. Netgalley forces me to choose a star rating and unfortunately, given the ambiguous ending, this really clocks in at around 3.5 stars.

A nice follow-up to the last Dresden book. However, I did find myself skipping over some of the description because sometimes it felt like it went on too long. I also felt that some things took too long to be explained or weren't explained yet but supposedly will be in the next book. I was also surprised by how abruptly the book ended.

Harry Dresden Returns.
With Peace Talks Jim Butcher weaves an unexpected tale that is both satisfying and leaves the reader with as many questions as answers.
Peace feels like one if the shorter books in the series but also one with the most repercussions going forward. Peace Talks delivers in a way that hasn't happened since Changes.

Jim Butcher does not disappoint in "Peace Talks", his latest Harry Dresden novel. It has been a few years since the last book, "Skin Game" was published so I was a bit nervous taking up the series again because I wasn't sure I would remember enough about what happened in previous books. I was pleasantly surprised to be caught up almost immediately in the story. I didn't remember everything that had happened previously in the series, but being the excellent author that Jim Butcher is, he cleverly writes in reminders of what has happened in the past books. The only thing I am disappointed with is that I'll have to wait now to find out what happens next!

I think this would be a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. This book has been highly anticipated for me, and maybe that had something to do with my expectations. Of course, it’s always fun to be in this universe, and the jokes are always good. But, especially given the massive cliffhanger, the whole thing had an odd sort of “filler material” feeling to it. Sure, there were some very important overall and relationship developments, but it still kind of felt that a bunch of things happened without anything actually happening. I did enjoy it, though!

Truly enjoyed the book but, like others, I am wondering if this is the entire book or just a portion of it. All I know is that I can not wait to see what happens next!