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Battle Ground (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
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Battle Ground (Dresden Files) (edition 2020)

by Jim Butcher (Author)

Series: The Dresden Files (17)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,2404815,509 (4.14)66
The direct sequel to Peace Talks so do not read this without reading it first. The action starts as Harry leaves the island to head back to city. It is constant fight from start to finish. The few people that hadn’t shown up in the previous book make an appearance here. I can’t really talk about what happens since there are so many surprises and at the end there is an ending that certainly will have fans discussing it and how it will affect the rest of the series. There is still new stuff for Harry to figure out by the end of the book and promises of new information to be revealed in later books. Hopefully we will not have to wait a long time for a new Harry Dresden story.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
( )
  Glennis.LeBlanc | Jan 4, 2023 |
English (47)  German (1)  All languages (48)
Showing 1-25 of 47 (next | show all)
More than made up for my disappointment in Peace Talks ( )
  corliss12000 | Mar 16, 2024 |
Well, this just hit the ground running and never stopped, didn't it. Jesus Christ, Jim Butcher. You're breaking my heart here. ( )
  ardaiel | Mar 4, 2024 |
Unfortunately, this one lost the humanity that the rest of the series has had. It’s a superheroes vs supervillains comic book without the pictures ( )
  danielskatz | Dec 26, 2023 |
First, note that this follows immediately after and depends heavily on its predecessor, Peace Talks. Unlike most The Dresden Files novels, which contain enough re-introduction of people and concepts that one can more or less slip in anywhere and mostly understand what's going on, that might be more difficult with this one. Read Peace Talks (and preferably the series up to this point) first. That said...

Readers of The Dresden Files novels are likely familiar with how each novel's last 50-100 pages tends toward an increasingly intense rollercoaster of progressively of twisty chaos and peril, stubbornly difficult to put aside for pesky little interruptions like sleep.

Nearly all 500+ pages of Battle Ground is like that. 😮

Remember to breathe.

Because, seriously, "no one expects an orbital-drop grizzly." ( )
  Thogek | Dec 19, 2023 |
"Speak for yourself," Murphy said. "I just gave my last grenade to a Valkyrie and ordered her to blow up a kraken. I'm having a ball."

Battle Ground is the seventeenth entry in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The title of the book is literal. If you don't enjoy action and battle scenes, you're going to hate this book. Luckily I'm an action junkie and enjoyed every minute of it.

So much happens in this installment that I'm assuming is to set up for the remainder of the series. And I thought Changes changed everything! This is even more fundamental of a shift in the story now that humanity, at least in Chicago, knows some of the truth. The story was also was one heck of an emotional roller coaster beginning to end. I think just about every secondary character, and many of the bad guys, make an appearance in this book. I still can't believe Butcher did that to Muprhy. At least she got to have some fun first. Nor did have any clue as to Marcone and all he's been up to. And Butters being MVP in the battle. Who would've ever expected that from where Butters started? Also, Harry has had the Winter mantle long enough that he's starting to think a little like a fae.

My copy also contained a short story titled Christmas Eve about Harry and Maggie on their first Christmas together. It was heartwarming and adorable.

It feels odd to be caught up on the series after taking my time reading it. Yet now that I'm caught up, it's going to be fun to start speculating and see if I can guess anything that's heading Harry's way next correctly. ( )
1 vote Narilka | Nov 26, 2023 |
It was a definite improvement over book 16 (Peace Talk), in the sense that I actually wanted to know what happened next. This book still had a bit of the whole, "Dresden is misunderstood by the White Council", but it was a little less annoying than in book 16, maybe because it was kept in the background and didn't actually rear its head until right at the end of the story.

The whole fight against Ethniu was interesting and they managed to keep a nice pace, with all the required downtime for the reader/listener to breathe.

Obviously, the death of certain characters was surprising but was effective.

I'm not sure where Jim Butcher wants to go with Harry's love life, but it's starting to look a little harem-y.

I like the development of Thomas and Justine's storyline, and I look forward to where it will go from here.

Marcone, as usual, was great. His development was also *chef's kiss*.

To be honest, there are a lot of good character developments here and a lot of story plots opened to be explored. My only concern is the speed (or lack thereof) at which new Dresden books are being written. Butcher seems to have lost a lot of steam with this series; there was a 6-year hiatus between book 15 and 16, and book 16 and 17 is essentially just one book that's been split into two for (possibly) money-grabbing reasons.

Battle Ground seems to have breathed a little bit of life back into the series, and I hope this reflects a renewed interest in the series by the author.

It's understandable that authors can get bored of their own creations (especially after 20 years), but if that's the case I only hope that the author would try to end the series respectfully and not let it just linger and die. ( )
  vishae | Sep 28, 2023 |
This book emotionally devastated me on more than one occasion. I'm really interested to hear some answers to some of the questions asked and how things are going to go - we know it won't be simple or easy though! ( )
1 vote Fatula | Sep 25, 2023 |
As the last book was a whole lot of buildup, this was a whole lot of battle. I'm reminded more than ever that I read (listen to) these despite myself, out of enjoyment of Chicago and James Marsters. Worth it with the requisite suspension of critical thought. ( )
  Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |
Searing losses. ( )
  2wonderY | Apr 2, 2023 |
2765
  freixas | Mar 31, 2023 |
Another Harry Dresden apocalyptical romp through Chicago and environs. One wonders, considering all the pop culture references, when Harry has time to go to the movies! He's so busy saving himself, or his friends, or his neighborhood, or, this time, the entire city. One of the best things about this time is all the references to Celtic mythology. Actually prompted me to do some research. Ok. It was Google and Wikipedia. (Which, according to Robert Langdon, isn't research.) Buckle up, buckaroos, it's a wild ride (if a long drawn out wild ride) with lots of surprises and some shocks. And, in true Butcher fashion, the denouement sets up the next novel in the series. What a cliffhanger! ( )
  berniean | Feb 14, 2023 |
Mixed feelings here. On the one hand, it was a non-stop action-packed novel full of exciting showdowns and major powerplays. On the other hand, it was a non-stop action-packed novel. There was almost zero down-time and almost none of the twisty detective work that is usually my favorite part of the Dresden Files. It truly was a battle start to finish. I think it was intended to balance out Peace Talks, which had less action than normal, but frankly neither is up to par with Butcher's normal quality. That said, still a ton of fun to read and still way better than book #17 of any other series I know of. ( )
  jhellar | Jan 14, 2023 |
The direct sequel to Peace Talks so do not read this without reading it first. The action starts as Harry leaves the island to head back to city. It is constant fight from start to finish. The few people that hadn’t shown up in the previous book make an appearance here. I can’t really talk about what happens since there are so many surprises and at the end there is an ending that certainly will have fans discussing it and how it will affect the rest of the series. There is still new stuff for Harry to figure out by the end of the book and promises of new information to be revealed in later books. Hopefully we will not have to wait a long time for a new Harry Dresden story.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
( )
  Glennis.LeBlanc | Jan 4, 2023 |
4.5 stars

Advance copy from NetGalley

I’m so grateful to have been able to read the two (two!) Dresden Files books coming out this year. Although no one will probably follow my advice (I know I wouldn’t), I suggest waiting until both come out and reading them back to back. They really are more like one large book, and waiting will save you the vexation I experienced at the cliffhanger ending of Peace Talks.

Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Go nuts.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was quite a ride. Dresden books are always full of magical battles, but this one tops them all. It’s nonstop action for almost the entire book. It was exciting, but honestly, also a little exhausting. But Butcher writes great battles, and his imagination here was at its best, with lots of characters getting a chance to strut their stuff. The stakes were so high, and there were so many players, it reminded me a lot of the end of Avengers Endgame.

I’ll probably have to revisit this review to throw in some spoilers (protected by spoiler tags, of course), because there’s not a lot I feel like I can comment on without them. I can’t wait to be able to discuss it with people.

Some parts made me cheer, and some made me howl, and although I disagreed with a few plot choices and what they may mean for future books, I really felt Butcher was back to full Dresden strength with this one. The next one can’t come too soon. ( )
  Harks | Dec 17, 2022 |
DNF so hard. 6% into the seventeenth book, Jim Butcher lost me. I've been trying to read this book since October. I was bored too often in the previous one, but I expected more in this one, and it... It's flat. There is no urgency when by all rights I should have been on the edge of my seat. It's a serious fail, and I resent needing to drop the series at this point, when it's supposed to end at #20, but I just don't have time for a story in which the author seems to have had no passion. ( )
  terriaminute | Dec 4, 2022 |
My feelings about this book are rather mixed. If you have been following my reviews for any amount of time, you probably already know that I am a huge fan of The Dresden Files. Over the course of 17 books, I have fallen in love with Harry Dresden and all of the other characters that make up this series. There was a lot that I liked about this book but there were things that I didn’t care for.

The title of this book is Battle Ground which is probably the perfect title since almost the entire book is a battle. I am all for action but as much as it pains me to say it, this book may have had too much of it. It became almost repetitive at a point and ceased to be as exciting as it might have been if the battle scenes were broken up by some more character-focused scenes. I hate to say that there were times that I was a bit bored by the story.

The biggest issue that I had with this book was how a character’s death was handled. I have been with these characters for a very long time and losing one of them at this point is hard. I did not feel that this character’s death was necessary and the way it was handled didn’t do the character justice. I know that the author probably has a master plan for the series that made this death an essential part of the puzzle but as a reader, I am more than a little upset by the whole thing.

James Marsters continues to do an excellent job with the series. I love the voices that he uses for Harry and the rest of the characters. He added just the right amount of excitement and emotion into his voice to really help to bring the story to life. I am certain that his narration added to my enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend this book to others. I am curious to see where the series will go from here. This book was filled to the brim with excitement and heartache. I look forward to reading more of this series in the future. ( )
  Carolesrandomlife | Jun 1, 2022 |
Battleground by Jim Butcher
This book should have been honestly named as Part II of…or the rest of Peace Talks. After reading that one I, and many other readers, felt ripped off for getting only part of the story and being left with a cliff hanger that was obviously a marketing ploy to get two books worth of profits out of one actual story. (Shame on the publisher and the author, again, for abusing loyal reading fans this way.) Battleground is a sweeping novel; it conveniently starts right where Peace Talks ended. There is non-stop action in the book, and it approaches overkill because each villain was bigger and badder than the last one mentioned. Let’s face it, Harry always gets beat up in these books, so that was nothing new. After Peace Talks, I was almost expecting to be disappointed with the ending of the Dresden Files, of which I have read them all, more than once, and all the corresponding stories as well. Battleground was, nevertheless, a satisfying conclusion to the series. There are lots of gritty battle scenes and it is sometimes repetitive, but it filled the big hole I felt after being dropped like a hot rock after reading and being disappointed by Peace Talks. (No spoilers included.) (5 stars for them both being one book without the extra fluff.) ( )
  kaida46 | May 27, 2022 |
Thank you for not leaving us hanging, Jim Butcher, but also AAAAAAARGH, you crush me with this book. I can't bear some of the things that happen (and am crossing my fingers that there is some hidden reversal coming). I don't know what to make of some of the developments -- where does this leave Harry? Where can it go next? But I pretty much couldn't put it down, so there's that. Don't wait so long for the next installment, we missed Harry, and even though this book lived up to it's explosive promise, I hope we hear more more soon.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )
  jennybeast | Apr 14, 2022 |
Holy. F*ck. He shook the bottle and exploded everything. All within the larger framework of the series.

I hope we don't have to wait six years for the next installment. ( )
  tsmom1219 | Feb 24, 2022 |
This is another excellent installment of the Dresden Files. Harry once again finds himself over his head and in a huge boss battle. Regular readers of the series will enjoy this new book. ( )
  MKLahiri | Feb 9, 2022 |
I waited a few days after finishing the book before posting to give my thoughts a chance to settle. My rating may really be more of a 3.5.
This many books in, I clearly like the series. This book needed stronger editing. I know there is a cohort of the fandom that loves the fight scenes, and so do I when they are integrated into the overall story; but in this book battle after battle after battle with nothing in between was repetitious and monotonous. But it’s Harry’s interactions with others which are the true gems of these stories.
I think editing out some of Peace Talks and pruning some of Battle Ground and keeping them as one book would have resulted in a better novel. ( )
  jimgosailing | Nov 18, 2021 |
This novel follows immediately after /Peace Talks/ and covers the day of battle against Ethniu, a titan of the sidhe. Harry shares the spotlight quite significantly with Butters, the Knight of Faith. Some old friends leave, new twists are introduced, and some threads are left dangling for future tales. I will admit to being skeptical about a book this length dealing almost entirely with a single battle, but Jim Butcher pulled it off. It was so well done that I finished the audiobook in two days.

Unlike most series that continue far beyond their “sell by” novel, the Dresden tale keeps going with cunningly placed breadcrumbs, drawing us further into the wizard’s world in Chicago.

The audio version I listened to included a short story taking place on Christmas Eve and after the Battle for Chicago. It provided a heart-warming break from the high tension of the novels to help settle down to await the next Dresden file. ( )
  AMKitty | Sep 18, 2021 |
This one got tears out of me. 5 stars. ( )
  jamestomasino | Sep 11, 2021 |
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.


That right there. [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] That is the second half of [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]. They should have been one book, and are best read back to back like that. But so it goes.

Man that's just one big battle. There are a few chances to breathe, but they're few and far between. For the most part, Dresden pulls out one crazy solution after another to problems no one decades (or centuries) his senior should have to deal with.

And man. There are a few big changes in the book. It will be crazy to see what will happen in the next year/book. We'll just have to wait and see. And may be Jim Butcher be in such a state where the wait for the next book isn't quite so long.

I think the main problem I had with the book was just how often Dresden seems able to successfully hit well above his weight class. There are literally gods and protogods, powers of all sorts, duking it out. And Dresden is the one that has to save him? Stretching it a bit there.

Well worth the read and I look forward to seeing what's next. ( )
  jpv0 | Jul 21, 2021 |
Just. Wow. Butcher is back! I don't dare say much more as I'd hate to spoil anything for die-hard Harry fans. The long wait for new Dresden books has been worth it. ( )
  MrsMich02 | Jun 14, 2021 |
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