Peace Talks: Dresden Files, Book 16

About darn time. I’ve been waiting for this one for years!    I’ve been reading Jim Butcher since book three or four was coming out. Before Peace Talks came out I went back and reread every book in the series, plus the short stories. The trailer on youtube made me eager to get my copy. It’s safe to say I’m a big Harry Dresden fan.     The opening dragged me right back into Harry’s world. Justine is pregnant, Harry’s playing daddy to Maggie, and Ebenezar shows up. From the very first chapter it’s obvious something is going to go wrong with this council meeting.     The story escalates in true Butcher style, each event piling on to what seems to be insurmountable odds for our wizard hero. It’s one of my favorite things about this series. It’s never simply one situation our hero has to confront, but a whole big steaming pile of trouble that seems to come out of the woodwork.     Part of the fun of this series is watching things blow up in Harry’s face.    And this explosion is a big one. I can’t wait to see how Harry gets out of this one.     *Potential Spoilers Ahead!*    *Stop Reading here if you don’t want to see SPOILERS!*    *Last Warning! Turn back now!*    Well, you've been warned, so here it is...    -One of the things that drove me to keep reading was the family issues. I forgot that Ebenezaer didn’t know that Thomas was Maggie’s son (and his grandson). I really want to see if and when Harry would drop that information and how Ebenezar would react. When he did, it was as climactic as I hoped.     -I have a problem with how quickly Harry’s daughter Maggie attached herself to him. Based on her history, it's safe to say she saw her adoptive family injured and probably killed, and possibly saw Harry kill a woman, (even if she didn’t realize it was her birth mother.) Throw in Maggie’s kidnapping and being held prisoner by Red Court Vampires, it seems clear that this child needs some therapy. But Maggie shows minor signs of her history and has already created a father daughter bond with Harry. This bond happened a little too easily for my taste and Maggie has no ill effects from anything that has happened to her. It’s not enough to ruin the series for me, or to change my review of the books, but I figured I’d get it off my chest.     There are issues with the story. A big one for me is Harry’s creepy description of the development of young girls. *shudders*. He comments on how his best friend's daughter's body is changing. Blame it on the Winter Knight’s mantle, or whatever-it’s still creepy that a man his age thinks that about a teenage girl.     But overall, this is a thrilling addition to the Dresden Files series. It’s a fast paced story which I couldn’t put down. I am looking forward to the next book “Battleground”. I can’t wait to see how this wraps up.

On of my personal favorite fiction writers. Ghosts, vampires, spectres, ets and a mystical sleuth. Great read

I've long been a fan of Butcher's books, and this series in particular, and this was just as fun as the previous 15 books in the series. I'm picky with my choices when it comes to modern fantasy (I'm much more of a high fantasy, swords-and-horses fan), but this series is funny, action-packed, emotional, and satisfying. Huge recommendations for fans of urban fantasy.Book 16 in the Dresden Files series finds Harry Dresden, the only publicly-advertised professional wizard in Chicago, dealing with the multiple roles he has to play: wizard of the White Council and one of its Wardens (a sort of magical cop), a position threatened by opponents among the ranks of wizards; Knight of the Winter Court in service to Queen Mab, with incredible power that threatens to overwhelm his personality with frosty cruelty and lust; landlord and warden of the island prison Demonreach, full of the world's worst magical and otherworldly prisoners and a spectral guardian spirit; half-brother to a well-meaning vampire who has gotten himself in trouble; father to a young girl, with all the attendant uncertainties and protective instincts; mentor to his trainee, Molly, who is now Winter Lady, second in line to Queen Mab; and partner -- in more ways than one -- to ex-cop Karrin Murphy. Dresden is somehow appointed to be a part of the White Council security team for an unprecedented summit of all of the parties to the Unseelie Accords, the treaty establishing the rules among all of the various magical and otherworldly peoples. Along the way, he is bound by magical oath to assist certain parties in doing things that could ruin the precarious balance of the summit, facing every possible type of threat along the way. And right when things seem to be going the right way, the end of the book sets up an even bigger set of threats to come in the next book.As with all of the rest of the books in this lengthy series, the action is so pervasive that it's hard to catch a breath while reading it. It's fun and funny, written in Harry's sarcastic first-person perspective, and laden with a veritable Who's Who of creatures of legend. There was some great emotional content, particularly in Harry's finally-declared-and-acted-upon feelings for Murphy, and in his conflict with his grandfather and former mentor, Ebenezar McCoy. There were also some great developments in the ongoing sub-plot of the Knights of the Sword (or Knights of the Cross, depending on the faith of the wielder). The setting of a summit of magical nations was really lush in its description of appearances and tensions. I do kind of wish that after 16 books, Harry would have progressed a little more in becoming a full-fledged wizard, as each book seems to point out that he still has a long way to go to match the awesome powers of those older and more experienced -- at some point, the reader might expect him to "level up" in a way other than making deals with Faerie queens -- but I understand that the idea of still having a lot to learn offers a wealth of plot points. Overall, though, I will read every book in this series as it comes out, as it's humorous, action-packed, and enjoyable to read.Normally I would have some issues with some parts of the edit -- some split infinitives or pronoun confusions like "none were" -- but as the story is written in Harry's less-than-erudite first-person perspective, I'm giving the narrative editorial blunders a bit of a pass. Going into it with the mindset of listening in on Harry's internal thoughts, I found the writing is solid and very readable.Again, huge recommendations for all the books in this series, which will please any fans of modern urban fantasy or fans of books containing tons of mythological creatures. And the cliffhanger at the end of this book nicely sets up a grand showdown of epic proportions in the next book (coming out in a month or so), and I'm greatly looking forward to that one, too.

I'm a huge fan of the Dresden Files series. I've read and re-read them several times. Before starting Peace Talks, I knew that Jim Butcher had written one book that was too big, so he and the publisher split it into two books. The Second part, Battleground, will be for sale later this year.So, knowing that, I was able to enjoy Peace Talks as the set up for the big fight coming in the second book. There's still some good action, great characters, big mysteries, call backs to previous books in the series. Harry is still a snarky wise-ass with a heart of gold and huge b ---s. And he is again, so far outclassed that it is hard to see how he's gonna get through this one -- again.The hard part is that the major conflicts are not yet resolved. We get a few long-time mysteries solved, and a few new ones added. Poor Harry and his allies keep getting slammed around, but the worse is yet to come. Dresden fans are used to ending the book with the major issues resolved while there remain a few untied ends. But THIS book ends with what appears to be a big battle on the verge. This makes it a bit unsatisfying, but builds the tension for the next book.

Como mais um título da série, este agrega com mudança na escalabilidade do cenário sobrenatural. Como dizem: "Dresden não resolve os problemas, mas encontra problemas maiores que cancelam os anteriores."

Once again we're drawn into Supernatural Chicago. An amazing, tense ride, with plenty of twists and turns to keep us entertained. Thoroughly enjoyable.

So after waiting for 6-8 months (pre-order): I receive a message from Amazon... your book is being delivered. I'm like a kid at Christmas all excited! My top 3 favourite authors along with Pratchet and David Eddings! Have been waiting for this new release for years!And finally it arrives and the box is in my hands!!So I open the box. Youhou!! The box lays careful rapped inside it!! And then... I just had to put it down on the ground inside the box to go get something in my car... (after thought: WHY?!!)... I come back inside and... my huge 8 months puppy ate the book!!! OMG my dog ate the book! Argue!!Seriously! So after happily wait this long for the book, I never got to read it! I am convinced that it is great. How disappointing!*Sigh* I can't buy it again. *sigh*. Just lost my job (Covid) and I am choosing to cut my expenses. I'll buy it again once I get a new job.If you don't know this author, I highly recommend him. I am an avid reader, friends and people call me to ask me for suggestions on what to read. If you are into Fantasy, Jim Butcher books are an excellent read. Humorous, witty, captivating. A real page turner. Enjoy!

Compré la edición de Kindle, y debo confesar que cuando llegué al final del libro, sentí que solo había descargado la mitad, e incluso busqué si en verdad era eso todo. En cada una de las novelas se respeta el inicio, desenlace, y un cierre. En este no se siente así. No hay una resolución, y me hace sentir decepcionada.Sigo siendo fan (ya perdí la cuenta de cuántas veces los he releído, me parecen bastante divertidos), pero en particular este libro sí me dejó decepcionada.

The saga goes on and I'm still eager to see how it will unfold next.