Battle Ground / Jim Butcher

 

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How in the world to rate this? It was awful and it was awesome. I never thought I would say this, but this book was too long. It began with the flurry of a battle already joined, with Harry confronting the released kraken. In many ways, this book and the previous one (Peace Talks) should have been one volume, but then I would really be whining about the length. We usually get a bit of gentler prologue, if you will, to ease us into the action. There were no such pleasantries here. I felt abruptly yanked into the maelstrom.

Be aware also that important people are killed in this installment. I cried on more than one occasion, mostly for one significant loss. It didn't feel fair, but then life isn't fair, is it? So I'm chalking this situation up to Butcher writing reality. You can't go into the heart of the apocalypse and expect everyone to come out unscathed. It sucks, but it's realistic.

When I was about at the 40% mark when I started to realize that Harry's Chicago will never be the same again. It was a chilling realization. Would there even be another book? And I'm still not sure. Butcher left some loose threads that he could pick up again and resume weaving, but where is there for him to take things? Each book has seen Harry learn a little bit more, gain a little more power, gain friends and allies, and each book has him facing a bigger threat than the last one. There's nowhere for that progression to go anymore. Once you've fought a Titan, a demigod, are there bigger threats? If Butcher is to continue on, he will have to find a way to make smaller foes seem more interesting. No small feat. In many ways, if this turned out to the last volume, it would be a reasonable ending point.

So, the unanswered questions include: what the heck is this “starborn" stuff? Can Thomas be saved and his little family made safe and sound? What will the humans of Chicago do in the aftermath? Plus several other matters that are too spoilery to mention. All worthy questions, but nothing like fighting a Titan and an army of the Formor.

Now that I've worked my way through this turmoil of thought, I think I am willing to give this book 4 stars. Because it is consistent with what we know of Harry Dresden and with what I have come to expect from Jim Butcher.


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