The future of Chicago is at stake and the only hope to save the city and its inhabitants is if all the supernatural community joins together to fight. The Last Titan is headed towards Chicago with total annihilation on her agenda. Harry has his hands full already dealing with the situation with his half-brother, but he first has to cope with the deadliest opponent he’s faced yet. Is Harry up to the task? And will anything or anyone in Chicago still be standing once the supernatural war has ended?

BATTLE GROUND is the 17th book in the Dresden Files series and definitely not a book to begin the series. BATTLE GROUND is almost more of a second half of the story of the prior book, PEACE TALKS. It’s also the culmination of an ongoing story arc and knowing the various characters and their relationships are imperative to fully understanding and enjoying the storyline.

Harry Dresden is my favorite urban fantasy hero, and oh boy was BATTLE GROUND a painful experience for him! Harry has been in some tough spots before but this time I cried right along with him. I have to admit I was a little anxious about the story before I read it as I knew it was going to be a tearjerker--and I’m not a huge fan of tearjerkers. As the title indicates, BATTLE GROUND is one heck of a nasty battle (in fact, most of the book is the battle, or the various battles within the big battle) and the losses are numerous. Healing from the losses in the aftermath of such a vicious battle is going to be difficult and it’s going to be interesting to see how this trauma changes the characters we know and love, or in some cases, despise (LOL).

BATTLE GROUND is an explosive, action-packed tale from start to finish. Jim Butcher doesn’t give Harry a moment to relax but instead throws him headlong into one of the darkest and bloodiest battles of Harry’s life. Luckily, as the reader, I could stop and take a moment to catch my breath as Jim Butcher takes readers on a relentless journey into an apocalypse. For fans of the Dresden Files, BATTLE GROUND is the book we all knew was coming, and wow, what a punch to the gut! I look forward to the next installment, as I hope to see some healing for the characters left standing.