Battle Ground

Dresden Files, Book 17

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: James Marsters

Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Things are about to get serious for Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, in the next entry in the number-one New York Times best-selling Dresden Files. 

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders. 

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way. 

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

©2020 Jim Butcher (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Repetitive and too long

Repetitive. All battles and no heart. Wow, I'm really disappointed in these last two books. It's like he had a little too much for one book and just kept adding more filler to make it two books. One part (no spoilers) did make me cry, but other than that don't look for much character development. The relationships are what keep these books interesting, and there's not much of that here. Just a little at the very end. Oh, and how many times can he use the phrase "order of magnitude" in one book? Where is his editor?

It was good while it lasted....

First of all, thanks Jim for +/- 15 great books, most of which I have read and listened to multiple times.

However, Books #16 and #17 do not even add up to one whole book: weak story and some tired characters who have little to contribute.

If not for James Marsters, I doubt I would have even gotten through this one.

I feel I should add that I remain hopeful that Jim will return to form as the series draws to a close.

Killed me with description

Jim Brewer has managed to kill me with long passages of nothing but meaningless description. I don’t remember the earlier books being filled with so much description and internal ramblings, certainly not like the past two books. If my hair wasn’t already cut to the length of a #1 guide, I would have ripped it out in clumps. When you get to the action and suddenly have to wait because Jim goes into a 30 minute diatribe about what Dresden is thinking, I just can’t take it. Not sure if I’ll listen to another one of his books, which is sad because I’ve listened to the entire series so far.

I’m still waiting for his second entry to the Cinder Spires series, maybe it will be better.

greatness continues

wow what a ride. so much here. books awesome. ending is great. its like avengers endgame but really good. the ending leaves the story at a great "new beginning" point. really worth the credit.

Dear God buy kleenex before listening to this

this book had me in tears so damn many times it became a running joke in my house. there are tines you want to put a contract out on Butcher and you will be right to want to do so. this is perhaps his best work i have experienced, and yes this is not just a book or just a story it really is an all encompassing experience.

Delivers on the promise!

After the massively disappointing Peace Talks, Battle Ground really delivers and makes the 6 year wait between installments really worthwhile! I know that Jim split the two books in half since he'd written too much, but I still kind of wish they were still stuck together. But as someone who's favorite book - ever - is book 12, Changes, this really scratched that itch. In fact there's more series-altering changes in Battle Ground than there were in Changes! Very, very good.

Too much of the same filler descriptions

To me, one thing about Dresden Files is how descriptive it can be. Jim can REALLY detail a scene or character. The thing about it is that he spend SO MUCH time describing everyone and place in EVERY book. I love Mac''s, I am getting my own Neutral Grounds sign made. But, Hell's Bell if I have to hear Harry describe the old wood, 13 fans, 13 posts, 13 tables, feng shui, I am gonna flip out. And my God, how times do I have to hear about Murphy's size and look. We get it in extreme detail, down to the last eyelash upon her first appearance(as with all characters in EVERY book) and in every confrontation. Confrontation descriptions are understandable.But the rest, I don't know if this is for new readers or just to fill. But damn it this is 17 books with a very dedicated fan base. I think we know the established characters at this point. Since book 2 even.
If you take away the redundancies, this and the last book barely make a book. It is almost like his publisher was going for a rush job and cash grab. I say publisher because I can't believe Jim would willingly do something like that.

Maybe Jim is too busy with life, burnt out, or his success grew past his vision and he doesn't know where else to go. I dunno, but this book as with the last is an okay ride. Still some good meat in there, some gut wrenches, and maybe some needless heartache, but it falls a little short of a touchdown.

James Marsters...well, he is James Marsters. The audio books would not what they are without him.

Best Dresden tale yet

James Masters was great as usual. glad to hear the original voices for some characters after some unexpected deviation in Peace Talks. Haven't felt tension and emotion like this from a story since Changes, Butcher delivered better than I had ever dared hope he would.

AHHHHHHH!!!!!

Jim Butcher is an evil genius. No. Actually, just Evil. I love him so much I hate him. No. I just hate him. Its come full circle. I loved this book right up to the point that I hate this book. I don't know what to do now...

Starts good....

About half way thru all the rules switch good guys start helping bad guys. All the sudden knights of the cross are defending a killer from Harry. 🤷‍♂️ No. That’s too much. With friends like that who needs enemies. Prepare to be really disappointed. There was a solid 3 hours after that where I couldn’t give a crap what happens. Then near the ending it’s a lot of this guy hurt her worse than anything ever had then she kills him this girl hurts her worse than anything ever has and she is killed repeat repeat repeat with each remaining character. I changed my review from 1 star back to 5 because it does get better. Gotta say if there are things that can happen that could ruin this series for you it probably happens. If there is nothing that could do that for you you’ll love it.