When you blow up the world there's an aftermath. And this book is Twelve Months of aftermath. Emotional sometimes but mostly just not great. Coulda done anything, didn't. Almost nothing really. Oof.

Rating: 2/5

notes

0%

Been a while since the last entry which was a one two punch double book in one year way back. Didn't really like it. Feel like the tropes are almost played out and the power levels are sky high. Not expecting to be wowed but cautiously optimistic about this one.

15%

Playing all the hits, but clearly trying to wind the series down too. Slow start with a lot of fan service. Lot of film noir hard-boiled detective vibes.

Bear

One of Zeus'(?) Valkyrie, Bear, who was at THE crucifiction, is going to be Dresden's body guard. Shes been set up as some sort of "eating" friend ("don't let her get hungry") that is uber.

Fitz

Dresden very suddenly has picked up a new apprentice Fitz after we checked in on the Raith siblings and got threatened by the Queen of the Winter faeries (Mab).

Sounds like Fitz's power level is already extreme and between the bodyguard and the apprentice I'm expecting some bodies. Too many likable characters too late in the series.

16%

What will be, will be. ~Carryx

The mission is clear; find the vampires girlfriend. Well. Thomas's possessed baby momma. Whichever.

20%

Bear is hilarious. Dresden is super sad. About to get ugly. Ooooh and now he's impotent. His fire spell totally whiffed. Oh man.

Time for Bear to shine right away I guess.

Bear... face fixed in a psychotic grin... smashing through (them) like they were so many pinatas

Badass 🤩 OMFG HES SOUL GAZING WITH HER WOW

27%

all three of us flinched. ...except Molly and Lara.

😂

Dracul is... not impressed with Dresden's Titan takedown.

38%

Mab dropping some serious ice on Dresden for daring to question her. Rightly so. Guys being a bit of a baby. Deserved it.

I make such choices because no one else is cold enough and no one else is hard enough.

Get over yourself. (Karrin) died. You survived. That's the whole of it.

If it happens again, wizard, your suffering will be drawn from the darkest caverns of our imagination.

41%

November

Hard to imagine being hit as hard by the emotional slop back when this series started.

Dresden/Butcher has matured and lived and lost alongside me over the last couple decades.

Slow and somber start but I can forgive it just because I'm on the same ride. Hoping we can ramp it up before we're halfway through though.

42%

December

Mab tended to manipulate me with all the subtlety of a swinging axe

If true, it put me several... well years behind her in my thinking.

... a part of me that wanted to take my power and crush my enemies... Not today.

43%

NYE

...shadows darker than Morticia Adams' lingerie drawer.

51%

(Bear)'d been driving since... Well... cars.

57%

Dresden finally let's go of Karrin. We can get started with the action now thanks please.

68%

Oof Molly set up this whole marriage for Mab to manipulate Harry wow.

70%

You expect me to believe you'd start a war... Over a handful of petty warlocks?

I've started a war over one soul. You think I won't fight for half a dozen?

80%

Dogs bark, scorpions sting, and my knight pursues his folly.

91%

So it's a filler book. After the kaboom of the last two books we get this slow burning gaze at the aftermath. I get it in the grand scheme of things I guess, for the kids being born today who'll get to read the series all in a piece instead of waiting six years for a sort of ret-con-ny(?)-zero-story-progression-character-study-bridge-book.

Oof for me. Shoulda waited twelve years.