Review: Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher

Rating:

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

First Response:

i’m not ok.

One Sentence Summary:

Harry and ALL his friends, enemies, and everyone else gather to take down an apocalyptic titan.

Tell Me More:

This book was worse than Changes when it came to emotional trauma. Harry lost so much, and honestly, it kinda broke me. I thought losing Susan was bad; but it had nothing on this book. Susan was off screen for most of the series, and while her loss was particularly devastating for Harry, I didn’t really feel the loss as hard as I felt the losses in this book. And I think that’s kinda the point.

The layout of this book is similar to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, in that the entire book is one big battle. The first half of the book takes place mostly behind the battle lines, with a few minor skirmishes to take out possible tactical vulnerabilities. The back half takes place on the battlefield, and ER’REBODY throws down. We get to see all the supernatural forces we’ve gotten to know over the course of the series unleash their full power, and operate at levels that have only been hinted at.

This book takes us from the realm of wizards and fairies to the realm of gods and Gods. The Knights of the Cross and the Knights of the Blackened Denarius are about the only individuals capable of putting up a real fight in the showdown with Ethniu (the titan).

Since this is the last book available in the series until January, I think now would be a good time to give my overall opinions and predictions for future books. I expect the series to end with a big battle at the outer gates. Harry will become the Knight of Love. Thomas will get free of his demon and live happily ever after with Justine (<spoiler> and his kid). Demonreach will be breached, and everything in it will get free right before the final battle. I’m not sure what will become of Lara Rathe, but she might turn out to be Harry’s big love interest.

Overall, I’m excited to be caught up on the series, and I can’t wait for the next book! I’m a little worried about whether the series will be finished before Butcher dies. If my math is mathing, we might have another 30 years before the end of the series. I’ve accepted that A Song of Ice and Fire will probably never be finished, but Dresden doesn’t have an adaptation to fall back on if it’s unfinished. If Butcher doesn’t give us an ending, I don’t know if we’ll get it!