I was delighted to see that this longed-for addition to this entertaining series finally made it. And no – I’m not going to join in the foot-stamping, eye-rolling chorus of angry fans who have been waiting for it. No author ever sets out to short-change their readership by making them wait for the next book. I’m sure the delay has been eating at Butcher’s soul – but sometimes Life happens and when it does, the first thing that goes is your ability to write. And it’s often the last thing that returns once Life is back on track, too. The question is, has that intervening length of time compromised this book’s quality in any way?
BLURB: 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?
REVIEW: Kudos to Butcher – this book picks up more or less from where Skin Game left off – and seamlessly takes the story onward. Not by so much as a flicker would you know that this one has been a long time coming… I read Skin Game the week before tucking into this one up, so would have immediately spotted any false notes – and there isn’t a single one. Characterisation, pacing, worldbuilding and plotting is all spot on – and I found it a solid pleasure to be immersed once more into one of the urban fantasy series that helped define the genre for me, before it turned very, very grim. I’m glad to say the overall tone of this is also a whole lot lighter than in Ghost Story and Cold Days.
Obviously, so far into the series, there isn’t much I can say about the story or plot progression before I’m in Spoiler country, but I will say that one of the strengths of these books is not just what happens to Harry, but the way Butcher weaves such strong plot points for his supporting characters. Not only do I really care about Harry, but I am also rooting for Karin, Maggie, Michael, Molly and Butters. And I find it interesting that some of those characters are tested in different way. We also see progression in the antagonists, too. Queen Mab is someone I love to hate – so it was something of a shock when I witnessed an event in this book that had me actually feeling a bit sorry for her…
All in all, once I started this book, the old magic swept me into the story once more and I didn’t want to put it down again until I reached the end. Which – just so you know – ends on something of a cliffhanger. However, Battle Ground, the next book in the series is due out in October 2020 so there isn’t going to be the same wait for the next one. In the meantime, Peace Talks comes highly recommended for Dresden fans, or anyone else who wants to take a crack at this series, though whatever you do – please go back to the beginning and start with Storm Front.
9/10
Brainfluff 