I was immediately drawn back into the world of Harry Dresden! Hooked from line one. Peace Talks is a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series, a definite must read.

Well, it’s a Dresden book, so it only takes a few pages for everything to be (literally) on fire.

Seriously. Harry Dresden is the epitome of that one meme. You know the one. With the cartoon dog sitting in the middle of a room that’s on fire and saying “it’s fine” with a wide, wooden gaze into the middle distance. That’s it. That’s Harry. And I love Harry—and Jim Butcher—for it.

There’s a lot going on in Peace Talks, including a peace convention of all sorts of monsters and beasties which, surprisingly, doesn’t become the actual focus until near the end. There are a lot of cogs being set in place and starting to turn in preparation of opening a curtain on the big finale, a lot of plot threads being sewn in and left hanging, pick your metaphor. But that’s background to the central theme of family—specifically the family ties between Harry, Thomas, and McCoy, but also the ties of Harry’s found family. It’s not a unicorn-framed outlook on family but is set in a sort of reality that the rest of Dresden’s world is not. Harry, who has been craving family all of his life, really confronts the fact that family can hurt precisely because he loves them—and they love him—more than anything. I think this was a good choice in what is essentially an action-packed set-up for a finale of an arc or maybe even the series (yes, it leaves off on a cliffhanger, but we survived the one in Changes and we can survive this one, I have faith). The theme of family really grounds the characters, makes them human and relatable, before they are pitted against mythical enemies that are (or seem) entirely unrelatable.

I liked Peace Talks and welcomed the tumultuous, action-packed adventures of Human Disaster Harry Dresden with glee. And I returned to old fictional friends with deep satisfaction. I will always recommend this series to action-junkies and fantasy enthusiasts. I will always recommend this series to someone who hasn’t read fantasy a day in their life—because the humor and grit Harry brings to the (sometimes very) dark times he experiences will always be something really important and special.

It was very action packed and very true to the series. We see Dresden in a different light and there is a ton of buildup for the next phase of the series.

The Dresden Files, as a whole, is a must-read for any Urban fantasy fan. Peace Talks was well worth the 6 year wait. Jim Butcher sculpts his story and characters with precision and heart. This 16th installment of the series will have you on the edge of your seat.

It’s good to have Harry Dresden back. The action scenes were fantastic, in the Jim Butcher style I’ve come to know and love. There was good relationship biz in this one too, both family and romance. I could have done with less of one of the side characters, because Harry’s descriptions of her are always so lustful, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.

It's been six years since the last Dresden Files novel, and while I enjoy Jim Butcher's writing style and characters, this book does not really deliver on six years of waiting. If anything, this feels more like the prequel/setup for the next book.. This is spoiler free.

So I enjoyed catching up with old characters, and not going to lie I had forgotten about some or at least the latest developments in their character arcs (did I mention six years have passed? Maybe it slipped my mind). Jim Butcher is a fun writer, I enjoy his books. But this I was screaming my frustration at my cousin while reading this one.

My biggest peeve? "I have an important thing to tell you, but I don't think you'll handle it well, so I'm keeping it a secret. But it's REALLY important." It's that, times two. Mollie hasn't told her family about her "promotion." And Harry hasn't told his two living family members "oh by the way, we're all related," and that's causing a lot of friction in his interpersonal relationships. That hemming and hawing around a fundamental truth that would change the dynamic (along with the dramatic and poorly-timed reveal) is a trope I can't stand. And it's a large subplot in this book that ends up overshadowing the important plot parts.

So, overall, yes, you need to read this book, because I'm betting the next one will deliver a better story. But it's kind of a liminal piece. You, as the reader, know this is the setup for the next book. Unfortunately, that detracts from this book, and honestly? It could have been a lot better. Adjust your expectations accordingly. I went in thinking "six years, it should be amazing!" Really it's more "six years, and he's planning to resolve the whole series....just not in this book."

On the one hand I want to be mad at this book. We've waited four years for the next Dresden Files book it's entirely a set-up for what's probably going to be the climax of the series, or at least the end of this plot arc. On the other hand it's a perfectly fine Dresden Files adventure and the last fifth is a real roller-coaster, totally worth the read. Good job I guess but I hope Mr. Butcher doesn't take four years to write the next one.

When I saw a new Jim Butcher book I became very excited. I have missed the world of Dresden! Harry Dresden is one of my all time favorite fantasy characters and his supporting crew are all interesting. Harry is slightly more subdued than he used to be (understandable) and his friends have new positions in the supernatural world. The Supernatural nations meet up in Chicago to form peaceful alliances and Harry has been put it charge of Security. Something bad is clearly going to happen. At the same time Harry's vampire brother does something hideous and gets caught, now its basically death row for him. Can Harry save his brother, his city and the supernatural nations? He can and will toss out some snarky humor on the way. The only thing that bothered me was that this book is obviously a set up for another novel. So, while I was disappointed to be left hanging I'm only to happy to know more Dresden books are on the way!

Harry Dresden is FINALLY back! In this harrowing installment of the popular Harry Dresden series, Harry is figuring out how to navigate his duties as a wizard, parent, and unpopular Warden. While juggling all of these things, more and ,more gets heaped upon him. Can he help keep the peace, save his half-brother, and make Queen Mab happy?

I've been waiting what feels like ages to reach this book and it did not miss a beat with its level of satisfaction. I will always love the bumbling, heartfelt, sarcastic way that Harry goes about saving the world. I go back to these books again and again for the humor and the heart and I look forward to the next one.

Where to start? After a near six year hiatus, Butcher and Dresden are back! Harry continues to juggle fatherhood while continuing his duties as wizard, Warden and Winter Knight. Plots and villains of previous novels coalesce toward essential 'peace talks.' However, can everyone convene and get along or will chaos ensue? Harry does his best to balance duty and romance but some unforeseen new obstacles place himself and those he loves in jeopardy.

Not gonna lie, I requested this title because it is my husband's FAVORITE series. When he finished it in the same day and asked me "why didn't you request the whole book," I laughed. I think that is one of the best compliments you can give a book: to be so engrossed and involved in a story and characters that you don't realize you read a 350 page novel in one sitting. He was so excited and thrilled with the 16th installment in the Dresden Files; however, beware the cliffhanger...

After a 6 year hiatus, Jim Butcher has finally brought readers back to the world of Wizard for Hire, Harry Dresden, and boy was it worth the wait. There are moments in this book that readers have been waiting for since the early days, and they deliver.

Peace Talks centers around the gathering of all of the supernatural forces to (what else) talk peace. Harry is once again faced with challenges from multiple angles and Mr. Butcher executes them brilliantly. As with most of the Dresden books, loose ends from previous books come to a head in explosive fashion. Harry has to deal with protecting his daughter, saving his brother, fending off both his grandfather and the mantle of the Winter Knight, and more, all while filling his role as a Warden.

But through all of that, there are amazing moments of humor and light and love. One particularly memorable scene features Butters with his new (and improved?) sword. Not only do we get a couple of hilarious inside jokes, but we also get a greater understanding of the history of the swords.

I also get a clear sense of direction from this book, which leads me to hope that the next few books will not take nearly as long to release.

All in all, Peace Talks will not only fill the void from these past 6 years, but leave readers clamoring for the next volume.

Jim Butcher's long awaited next book in his Dresden series is top notch and while it fills the hole left in our need for more Dresden it winds up leaving a bigger hole for more. I cannot wait for his next book, it can't come soon enough!

Worth the wait! This is Harry Dresden at his best, running full speed through a world-ending crisis and dealing with the fallout from his last adventure. I'm already counting down to the next book.

I had the pleasure to read Peace Talks as a prepub reviewer 's copy.
The man writes a dang good book.
All of our fears are out there in the dark and Harry could handle any of them,one or two at a time. But when he has most all of them at once.
Family, lover, liege, and leader, and everything that goes bump in the dark are in conflict with each other and most of them are gunning for Harry Dresden, wizard, Warden, Winter Knight and father.

Our patience has been rewarded and it is glorious. It's possible that I may die of suspense waiting for the next book, but I'm pretty sure it's worth it.
Oh Karen, you are marvelous.
You go Butters!