PEACE TALKS by Jim Butcher

 

A Novel of the Dresden Files Book 16

ACE

July 14^th, 2020

978-0-451-46441-5

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Action Adventure, Thriller, Fantasy, Mystery

Hardcover

Reviewed by Dawn Roberto

Obtained by Self-Purchase

5 Stars

 

For Wizard Harry Dresden, Chicago is his home and he is determined to protect it. He has battled countless enemies, faced danger beyond compare and always has come out alive and a bit broken at times as he continues his quest to keep Chicago and the world safe from the paranormal creatures that hide in the shadows. But after facing demons, the fae courts and more, Harry has become the Winter Knight to Queen Mab of the Fae Winter Court as well as a White Council wizard. Harry is tasked to make sure the peace talks between the supernatural nations of the world meet in Chicago and now the trouble begins. First you got his brother is in trouble, his grandfather, Wizard McCoy tells Harry there is faction determined to kick him out of the council and now the accords between everyone is on the verge of collapse. Harry just can not get a break. But he continues in his duties as he investigates a multipronged attack that will leave Harry, his city and the world on the brink of a war they did not see coming……

 

PEACE TALKS is finally here after a five year long drought, Jim Butcher delivers the first of two books this 2020 in his acclaimed and beloved Harry Dresden Files series and I got to say this one just had me on the edge of the seat right off the bat. I love this author’s world building and he completely enamored me with Harry Dresden from the first book, Storm Front. The last few books in the series have led to PEACE TALKS and we finally find out who has been in the shadows, covertly aiding and abetting events that have left Harry, his friends and family and allies battered and bruised from all te constant attacks. Now with the peace talks about to begin, the author amps up the danger and suspense as he delivers a wild ride from start to finish.

 

If you haven’t read this series before I highly urge you to start right from the beginning because each book delivers character growth as well as subtly delivers clues on where Jim Butcher is leading Harry and by extension, the readers. PEACE TALKS is no mere story, it’s a wild edge of the seat ride with so many twists and turns, I had to keep flipping the pages to figure things out and once I did, the author would flip the script and there went my hypothesis. The characters continue to grow with each book and even though Harry is my favorite main character, I still enjoy the secondary characters as well, including Butters (Polka Never Dies!!!), Bob the skull and more. Each character plays an important part in PEACE TALKS and the ending, which I won’t go into so I don’t spoil it for any who haven’t read this one yet, is one I sure didn’t see coming. The minute I put PEACE TALKS down, I immediately had to preorder Battle Ground, the next book in the series, so I can see where this author is leading us to. If you enjoy high octane stories filled with supernatural nations, characters that deliver wonderful quips, puns and adventure that will keep you on your toes, then RUN-DON’T Walk-to grab this series and be prepared to fall in love with harry and the gang. Now it is time to get ready for battle. Are you ready?

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

COLD DAYS by Jim Butcher

A Novel of the Dresden Files
ROC/ACE
December 2012
978-0-451-46440-8
Urban Fantasy
Hardcover
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
5 Hearts


Harry Dresden has beaten countless foes as the only wizard in Chicago but he never anticipated being dead. To be brought back to the mortal world, Harry made a deal with Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness and took the mantle of her Winter Knight. Now as Harry navigates Mab’s ‘training’, reconnect with his friends and allies, he has to figure out how to make peace with the fact his choices and decisions have left him in a world of trouble even he wasn’t anticipating. But when Mab orders him to assassinate an immortal, well let’s just say Harry’s day went from bad to worse. Because you can’t kill an immortal…or can you? Old and new enemies abound as Harry navigates the worlds of the Winter Sidhe, humans and magic abound. The question isn’t can Harry do Mab’s bidding but will he still be the Harry everyone knows and loves in the end?

Author Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series is a world full of monsters (good and evil), allies and friends and more all rolled up with a bow with each book. With COLD DAYS, the game changes for Harry as he deals with the fall out from the battle in South America with the Red Court Vampires and his decisions that lead to that significant battle. I got to admit I was sucked in from the first page and frankly, I could not put this book down. The story arc continues where it left off in Changes and Ghost Story and continues to deliver an action packed wild ride from start to finish. With each page I turned, Mr. Butcher delivered a one-two punch of epic proportions with storyline twists that left my jaw agape and I was feverishly turning the pages trying to see where he was taking the reader next. COLD DAYS is a game changer story in the series in my opinion and the reader will be highly entertained even as they swear a blue streak at the author over some reveals at the end that will leave you going ‘OH.MY.GOD!’ With each Dresden Files story, the author has cleverly revealed little by little his plan for Harry in the series as his battles fairies, angels, demons and more foes we can shake a stick at. With each book, the characters we first met in Storm Front (Book One in series), they have grown as close as friends and family as we ever could imagine and as they all grapple with events that have happened to them and others, the reader is taken on a thrill ride from the very first page to the very last one in COLD DAYS.

Meet Chicago’s only wizard in the phone book, Harry Dresden. He has beaten back the Red Court, battled immortal foes alike and more but no one ever told him coming back from the dead was going to be his hardest problem to solve. This time things have changed for Harry, for his friends and for the world at large. This time, Harry can’t save the day because as the Winter Knight, he is now the champion for Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness. A man, who can be forever changed…if he can’t get a handle on his new powers and try to figure out the puzzle that the world has become since his ‘death’. Jim Butcher has created a series with unforgettable characters and storylines that literally explode with revelations and intriguing story arcs. I was captivated the moment I opened the first book and continue to marvel at this author’s world building, his character development and storytelling. This is an author who knows where he is leading the reader and his few twists in COLD DAYS will leave you gasping in shock and in awe. The characters are well written, completely captivating and the writing is top notch. As I plowed through each book in the series leading up to COLD DAYS, I found myself falling under this author’s spell, determined to see where he would lead the reader even as he moved the characters through each storyline like chess pieces, showing us pieces of a story that eventually would lead up to COLD DAYS story arc.

COLD DAYS delivers, in my opinion, the game changer story in the series. Mr. Butcher completely changes the world as we know it in the Dresden Files Series and makes it into something more; a story that will leave you wondering just what trouble Harry will get into now that he is the Winter Knight as well as a wizard. With each book in this iconic and yes, addicting series, this author continues to keep his readers spellbound, eager for more adventures of Harry and all his friends. I know I am not the only reader going, ‘more please’ to this author. I do recommend reading this series in order as each book leads up to COLD DAYS storyline.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

FIRST LORD’S FURY Book 6 of the Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher

Publisher: ACE Books
Date published: November 24th, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-441-01769-0
Fantasy
Hardcover
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Library




Gaius Octavian, the rightful First Lord of Alera, has to battle the deadly Vord who have come back to claim Alera and beyond for their own. By forging new alliances with past enemies, Gaius is running out of time as the Vord continue their deadly reign to world dominance. Can the legions Gaius has put together along with his allies and friends beat the Vord back so they may live free or will Alera fall to the deadliest enemy the world has seen?

Jim Butcher is a masterful storyteller who sucks the reader in with his complex characters, action packed storyline and lots of wonderful twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the edge of their seat. I am one of this author’s biggest fans in his Codex Alera Series and frankly, this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. FIRST LORD’S FURY is the swan song to a series that will keep you utterly enchanted, even as the last page is read. We have politics, romance, action and enemies plus many returning characters continue to keep the reader flipping pages, just to see what happens next.

I have to say this series is very unique in that it is told in first-person format by a few different characters. The reader is given a glimpse into four to six or more main characters telling the story yet Mr. Butcher does an amazing job keeping it all tied together with a big red bow. This is an author who delivers every emotion you ever felt- hopelessness, love, fear, and more within these pages and in his other Codex Alera books. What we get in FIRST LORD’S FURY is something that will make you laugh; cry and cheer as Tavi, Isana and their friends and allies find a way to beat the Vord before it is too late. I don’t want to give much away if you haven’t read this series yet.

FIRST LORD’S FURY is the sixth and final book in this wonderful fantasy series. I highly recommend reading the series in order as each book compounds on the last and you get a sense of who is who throughout Alera (Furies of Calderon, Acedem’s Fury, Cursor’s Fury & Princep’s Fury). I read this book within two days and now I am back to reading the entire series again as it was so enjoyable. I can highly recommend this entire series for those who enjoy complex characters, riveting drama and lots of action-adventure as well as some surprising twists that keep you coming back for more. I am sad to see this series end but hope in the future that Mr. Butcher delves back into Alera so we can see how our beloved characters are doing.



THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

CAPTAIN’S FURY – Book Four of the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher

Book one – Furies of Calderon
Book two – Academ’s Fury
Book three – Cursor’s Fury

Publisher ACE
Date published December 2007
ISBN 978-0-441-01527-6
High Fantasy
Hardcover
Reviewed by Val






Tavi is now captain of the First Aleran Legion and after two years of conflict with the invading Canim warriors, he realises that there is a greater danger. The Vord. The Vord had driven the Canim from their homeland. Tavi now sees that the best way to end the war and unite against the Vord is to make an alliance with the Canim. He tries to warn the Alerans, but his warnings go unheeded. Senator Arnos wants to thoroughly scourge the Canim and the Aleran slaves who have decided to fight with the Canim. Arnos would also like to get rid of Tavi. Tavi must now defy his country’s laws, plan a daring feat and lead his legion against friend and foe in order to over come the prejudices and animosities and prepare for the coming of the Vord. He is also trying to gain some control over his furycraft, the elemental magic of the land. He will need all the help he can get.

Jim Butcher, of The Dresden Files fame, proves that he can cunningly weave a high fantasy tale of the highest caliber. His characters are well rounded, the world-building is great, descriptions are vivid and there is not too much of it. The dialogue moves the story along and it is fast moving. There is never a dull moment as the reader follows the different adventures of various characters. The magical elements are well done too, and come over naturally. I experienced a variety of emotions while reading this story and after I had gotten all the characters sorted out enjoyed the political and military elements too. I must say that this is the first book of this series that I read. I don’t usually start a series in the middle, but I was lucky to get this book for review and it is stunning! The previous books are now on my wishlist and the following books will be bought and gobbled up.