I finally got around to reading Dresden Files: Battle Ground. This is the 17th book in this series! I actually read Peace Talks and this book back to back and it is crazy how little I remember from this series. I started the Dresden Files maybe 3 or 4 years ago so I read about 14 books in the span of 2 months. I think one book came out a year or two ago and then these two books came out this year.

While reading the latest two books I would regularly need to check the Dresden Files Fandom Wiki since I would regularly forget key events or details. Peace Talks as a book also just felt very unnecessary. So much of the book was just nonsense. If you combine it with Battle Grounds, which I believe was Butcher's intent, then the combined book is incredibly long.

I love this franchise too much so obviously I still enjoyed the books but I am at a point where I just want this epic to end. Having to read wiki's while reading a book just to remind myself of key events is not fun. Considering the number of random open threads this is only going to get more and more complicated before things start to really come together.

If you have reached this point in the post the remainder is just me ranting about various events in the book. From here on out expect a crap ton spoilers. You have been warned.

Last chance. Spoilers below

Some of the things I forgot

• I had no idea who Bonea was. I then proceeded to look up who Lasciel is
• No idea who Goodman Grey is and where he came from
• I forgot why there are only two knights of the cross
• Why Titania hates Dresden
• Why Murphy's body is broken
• Why Dresden hates Ghouls
• What the frack is Soulfire
• Who the hell is Listen

Things I didn't like about the recent books

Obviously my biggest complaint is that Murphy dies in such a lackluster way. Not sure if the goal was just to let Dresden go berserk and be stopped by Butters. Overall, not a fan.

The entirety of Battle Ground was basically a bunch of people throwing around magic and fire power, building up to Dresden sealing Ethniu. I feel like the villains in these books are getting stronger and stronger but the length of time these battles take are also increasing at a disproportionate pace. It shouldn't take 80% of the book to conclude this fight. I understand the importance of showing the impact to the human world, but still, 80% of the book is kind of nuts. All of the fights don't really tell us much either. Everyone is getting wrecked by Ethniu.

Harry getting kicked out of the White Council is also kind of annoying. Eric explained to me though that the intent of that might be just to have Harry's life mirror his mom's life which actually sounds sort of interesting. I still don't like the way Ramirez and Dresden leave things.

Harry and Lara being force engaged was also a bit weird. I do love Lara, especially since she is constantly described as this perfect thing of beauty. She is also just a fun character to read. Still kind of crazy that Harry is forced into this.

There is probably a bunch of other stuff but this is enough to get my point across. I really hope this series ends soon. I don't want to have to re-read wikis to finish books.