Battle Ground
There aren’t many books series that I know of that have reached the milestone number that the Dresden Files have and still be going strong. (At least not that I’ve read) In my opinion it’s quite an accomplishment to reach such a milestone number of books and still be going strong. The Dresden Files is doing just that. I find it funny that the first Dresden Files book, Storm Front, was written to prove to his college professor that all the stuff she’d been teaching about following a formula was totally wrong. Jim Butcher wrote a book that followed all those precepts the teacher had been teaching just to show her that it was crap. It only led to a best selling novel and book series.
I’m a huge Dresden Files fan. I can’t pinpoint where I first heard of the Dresden Files. Whether coming across the first book and liking the concept. Or if it was coming to the books through the short-lived TV show and then looking into the series. Needless to say I was hooked. I’m normally a reader of fantasy type novels. Magic, strange creatures, fantastic events, magic, it usually piques my interest. But, to a lesser extent, I’m also a fan of detective stories. Those types of mysteries taken from the first person perspective of a hard boiled gumshoe trying to solve a case that’s got him way in over his head. There’s something about those stories that draw me in. Combine the two and I’m sold! So you can see why Dresden Files would be one of my favorite, if not my favorite, book series.
As far in the series as Battle Ground is there’s a lot of history that, this being a new blog, hasn’t been covered by my book reviews. All three of them at this point. I’ll try to keep the review as spoiler free as I can and, if you haven’t read the previous books (trust me, you should) not divulge too big of plot points from them.
Battle Ground is unique in the series in that most of the books in Dresden Files, although going along a bigger story, have self-contained plots. Yes elements from previous books are discussed and Harry is dealing with them, but each case is started and solved within each book. There are lingering plot points that play a factor later on, but I think you could pick up a random book in the series and get a fairly good idea what’s been going on previously. Battle Ground on the other hand is a direct sequel to the previous book Peace Talks. Also it’s a book long battle. Of course there are slower spots, I only use that term for lack of a better one, where there is discussion between characters and plot advancement. It’s not fighting from start to finish, but it’s pretty close.
Dealing with the fall out from the end of Peace Talks, Harry now has to deal with an attack on his city of Chicago by one of the magical races that normal people of the city don’t see, but that’s not all. They’re being led by something bigger and scarier than Harry and his allies have ever faced. But, of course, it’s up to Harry to defeat.
Likes
Like I said, I’m a Dresden Files fan. I like all of it. I especially liked the change of format to this book. I always felt that the plot advanced in each Dresden book pretty well, but this one amps it up quite a bit. Yes there are slower points, but even then there’s a sense of urgency that makes for an even faster paced book. It was also interesting to me that, even though it's a different format to the hardboiled detective novel the Dresden Files usually is, you still have the same feel as the previous books. Seeing this huge, world changing battle unfold from Harry’s point of view. And there is a shocking mystery novel type reveal. And with the way the novel was up to that point I didn’t see coming.
Like the previous books, this continues to build on what came before. It’s not a one off battle that won’t have repercussions on the next books in the series. This is a major event that changes things for Harry and the cast of characters around him. There’s been a major behind the scenes big bad that’s been pulling strings in the Dresden Files since the beginning and that’s furthered here This time this big bad’s plan takes leaps forward and has an even bigger effect on Harry.
Dislikes
I’m going to preface this by saying that my “dislikes” aren’t dislikes per se. They’re more things that made me mad at the time, but after digesting what I read really made sense. That doesn’t mean I still don’t think they sucked.
Jim Butcher really likes to put Harry through the ringer. He’s even admitted it. In Battle Ground I think he decided he wanted to see how much he could put Harry through it and still have Harry be Harry. As big of a war that happened in Battle Ground, things change. There are casualties and fall out. Battle Ground was no different. Harry’s life and position in Chicago changes drastically and there’s no going back. He’s always been on the fringes when it comes to his place with the wizards, but Battle Ground changes that position and I wasn’t happy with it. I knew it was coming. It makes sense with how Harry’s been viewed by the white council of wizards in the past, but it doesn’t mean I had to like it. But you can’t have an even like this and put everything back in the bottle, so it made sense.
I finished the book way too soon. I know this doesn’t have anything to do with the book itself, but I enjoy this series so much and after waiting so long since the last one, and having two books come out within months of each other, the end came way too fast.
Conclusion
I always thought by this point, I would have tired of this series. I’ve read a few series that have gone on as long or close to as long as the Dresden Files that I’ve given up on. The authors just haven’t been as invested towards the later books. And ss great as the Dresden Files books are I figured by book 17 I’d just want it to be done, but Butcher has a way of building on what’s come before with Dresden and making you want to find out what happens next. No matter how much crap he piles on Chicago’s only resident wizard. And when that “next” comes Butcher doesn’t disappoint in my opinion.
I’ve listened to an interview where Jim has said that he always envisioned the series ending at book 25. I know that book 25 is still a ways away, but I’m already sad to see it come. I realize that is putting the cart before the horse. That by the time that book 25 comes out I may be ready for that end I’ve wanted with other book series. But Dresden has been filled with everything I love. Action, humor, magic, all set to a hard, gritty detective novel. I think it will be hard when it does come.
The plus side is that Butcher has also said in that same interview that he’d like to make spin off books with characters we’ve previously met. Will they be as good? I can’t say. I just don’t think they’ll have the same place in my heart as Harry Dresden.
Comments
Post a Comment