Book Review - The Dresden Files: Peace Talks


Plot: 6/10

Character sketch: 7/10

World creation: 9/10

Presentation: 6/10

Compelling: 5/10

Overall: 6.6/10

Opinion: Kind of a letdown after all the hype and wait! Maybe it’s the expectation.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Jim Butcher is back with the badass, fire-wielding, smart mouth, totally unrealistic wizard PI turned supernatural henchman, Harry Dresden, after what feels like bazillion years. Don’t get me wrong, I have been, and still am, an ardent advocate and perpetrator of The Dresden Files series, but this book…… what do I say? Disappointing.

Again, don’t get me wrong, everything I have come to adore about the Dresden series is all there in the book, only in little too much of excess I would say. The characters have become their own stereotypes, the story and power escalation are beyond ridiculous and the plot meandered to a slow death. Few of the character motivations and logic were outright comic and make you go, heyyyyy… come on!

Not that there is nothing good about the book. The writing, as usual. Is excellent and dialogues, just wow. Tell what may, the man knows how to pace a story. The pacing is appropriate for the kind of story that he had told. But they alone, at least for me, couldn’t save the book.

So many references to the previous books in the series alone was a big turn off. Power escalations and situations felt forced, which I have not felt until now in this series. Maybe because this book doesn’t tell the complete story. Seriously, I have no clue as to why anyone does anything in the story anymore. The story demands it, so, sure… why not… make it a character trait (I’m looking at you, Mr McCoy). Everything in the book felt half baked (hurts to tell this about my favourite author! Really!) and forced.

Everything said and done, everyone has a bad day, right? I’m sure Jim has a sucker punch coming our way. The set up for the next book looks highly promising. So, no harm done. Hope for the best. Fingers crossed and eagerly waiting for the next book, ‘Battle Grounds’.

Storyline (Spoilers): Thomas, Harry’s half-brother, who also is half-vampire tries to kill the king of one of the most powerful beings (but who the hell is a wimp in this series!) just before the commencement of the accord (which is nothing but a fancy supernatural tea party). Their common grandfather hates vampires, who also happens to be the most feared wizard. Harry’s is the emissary for both white council and the winter court in the accord and mutual friends with the being his brother tried to kill. He owes his half-brother’s half-sister due to the debt that he owes to the Queen of the winter court, the organizer of the accord. All his frenemies from the past are in one place. His brother is beaten to a pulp and held captive in the same place as the accords. And now he has to save his half-brother. What could possibly go wrong, right?!

Read to find out.

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