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The Dresden Files #18
Twelve Months
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the Dresden Files, can he save himself?
One year. 365 days. Twelve months.
Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.
Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time.
Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.
It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?
One year. 365 days. Twelve months.
Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.
Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time.
Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.
It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?
15 pages, Audiobook
First published January 20, 2026
3563 people are currently reading
34495 people want to read
About the author
Jim Butcher
202 books51.5k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,585 reviews
Want to read
February 6, 2023how can you all be rating a book you haven't read because it has not been published yet? The date of release is still TBA. Rating and Reviews should be turned off right now for this book as it is misleading. I am impatiently awaiting the release and this was a letdown.
Want to read
September 18, 2021Well Duh I'm gearing up to read it, especially after finishing the last one. Dresden Files books and waiting for them to come out is just part of my life now.
January 22, 2026
It's hard to believe it's been nearly 6 years since Battle Ground came out. I absolutely adored the utter chaos that was that book, albeit I H-A-T-E-D a certain thing that happened and how it happened....
Twelve Months has a lot of familiar tropes and story beats that you'll expect from any Dresden novel and yet it's probably the most unique entry to the series since Ghost Story. It's hard to explain without spoilers but this book just had a different tone for most of it and was less copy/paste of the typical structure of a Dresden book.
The action is still incredibly engaging and exciting. Butcher has written so many fantastic characters and I love getting to read about each and every one of them. This book had so much heart in it that I was highlighting various quotes throughout, something that I never do for books. There were several times that I read a passage and thought "Butcher is saying this directly to the reader".
I love the dynamic between Harry and everyone around him. He's taken on a much wiser and methodical approach to overcoming obstacles that are hurled in front of him. He makes tough decisions, albeit occasionally not fully understanding the decisions he's made until it punches him in the face. Lara is great. Mab is great. Dresden is great. I adore him becoming more of a mentor/teacher in this book as well.
This was another great book in a series that let's be honest, continues to be one of my favorites. I don't know where the story will go or how wild and crazy it will become but I'm here for it.
Twelve Months has a lot of familiar tropes and story beats that you'll expect from any Dresden novel and yet it's probably the most unique entry to the series since Ghost Story. It's hard to explain without spoilers but this book just had a different tone for most of it and was less copy/paste of the typical structure of a Dresden book.
The action is still incredibly engaging and exciting. Butcher has written so many fantastic characters and I love getting to read about each and every one of them. This book had so much heart in it that I was highlighting various quotes throughout, something that I never do for books. There were several times that I read a passage and thought "Butcher is saying this directly to the reader".
I love the dynamic between Harry and everyone around him. He's taken on a much wiser and methodical approach to overcoming obstacles that are hurled in front of him. He makes tough decisions, albeit occasionally not fully understanding the decisions he's made until it punches him in the face. Lara is great. Mab is great. Dresden is great. I adore him becoming more of a mentor/teacher in this book as well.
This was another great book in a series that let's be honest, continues to be one of my favorites. I don't know where the story will go or how wild and crazy it will become but I'm here for it.
January 25, 2026
This book is honestly remarkable. I knew by the title that I was going to be reading a much different kind of Dresden book, but was still surprised by it. The book follows Harry dealing with the trauma and aftermath of everything that happened in Battle Ground. (Especially one big event that affected him personally.) Butcher portrayal of Harry's attempts to pick up the pieces of his life in this book was done with a tremendous amount of care and a high degree of nuance, and probably showed more skill by him as an author than anything that preceded it.
There were several highly emotional scenes here that seemed to hit all the right beats in the right away. The book as a whole had less of the exciting action sequences we come to love in the Dresden Files, yet still felt fast-paced and never slow. This book really impressed me, as did Butcher's writing, which I feel was at its best in this volume. Did I just read my Book of the Year in January? Perhaps.
There were several highly emotional scenes here that seemed to hit all the right beats in the right away. The book as a whole had less of the exciting action sequences we come to love in the Dresden Files, yet still felt fast-paced and never slow. This book really impressed me, as did Butcher's writing, which I feel was at its best in this volume. Did I just read my Book of the Year in January? Perhaps.
January 20, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Twelve Months by Jim Butcher. Below is my honest review.
MORE DRESDEN! FINALLY!
So it's no secret that this is one of my absolute favorite series ever, and I've been anticipating this book since the end of the last one. In 2020 we got TWO Dresden books, and I was in heaven. Until the thing happened, that is. THE THING. I can't speak it out loud, because it's spoilery and also because I still am in denial, five years later and having read the next book following THE THING where it's solidified over and over that THE THING is real. And I can't. Like seriously, I liked that character so much that I named my dog after them. I was (and still am) devastated.
But this book really felt like a tribute to that character and the impact that they had on Dresden, and that I can appreciate.
I couldn't give this one the fifth star that I usually would because it did feel kind of... filler. It was moving chess pieces to get the world ready for the next BIG STUFF, and didn't have a huge plot other that Harry and Chicago trying to heal from the huge battle of Peace Talks/Battle Ground.
But I still loved it. So much.
Overall, this got a four and a half stars from me. I couldn't bring myself to round it up to 5, and since I had to do full stars, it got rounded down to four. Still part of a masterpiece series.
Highly recommended but please, please don't start with this one if you haven't read the series. Go binge it all. It's worth it.
MORE DRESDEN! FINALLY!
So it's no secret that this is one of my absolute favorite series ever, and I've been anticipating this book since the end of the last one. In 2020 we got TWO Dresden books, and I was in heaven. Until the thing happened, that is. THE THING. I can't speak it out loud, because it's spoilery and also because I still am in denial, five years later and having read the next book following THE THING where it's solidified over and over that THE THING is real. And I can't. Like seriously, I liked that character so much that I named my dog after them. I was (and still am) devastated.
But this book really felt like a tribute to that character and the impact that they had on Dresden, and that I can appreciate.
I couldn't give this one the fifth star that I usually would because it did feel kind of... filler. It was moving chess pieces to get the world ready for the next BIG STUFF, and didn't have a huge plot other that Harry and Chicago trying to heal from the huge battle of Peace Talks/Battle Ground.
But I still loved it. So much.
Overall, this got a four and a half stars from me. I couldn't bring myself to round it up to 5, and since I had to do full stars, it got rounded down to four. Still part of a masterpiece series.
Highly recommended but please, please don't start with this one if you haven't read the series. Go binge it all. It's worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2025
HELL, YES!
After the mess that was Battle Ground, I really wanted a win from Butcher and this newest installment in the beloved Dresden Files delivered.
I completely understand and respect Butcher's decision to change up the order of the books now that I've read this one - and it's impossible to expound further without giving away spoilers - but if you're a die-hard fan of the series, then I promise you will too.
Finishing this book fired me UP. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one (a novella in May, I think?) and I might just have to kick off another reread of the series in the meantime....even though I just read them all again last year, lol
After the mess that was Battle Ground, I really wanted a win from Butcher and this newest installment in the beloved Dresden Files delivered.
I completely understand and respect Butcher's decision to change up the order of the books now that I've read this one - and it's impossible to expound further without giving away spoilers - but if you're a die-hard fan of the series, then I promise you will too.
Finishing this book fired me UP. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one (a novella in May, I think?) and I might just have to kick off another reread of the series in the meantime....even though I just read them all again last year, lol
February 25, 2026
Finally!
The wait is over after Battle Ground was published in 2020!
As a huge fan of this series, I was thrilled to get my hands on Twelve Months.
Twelve Months is all about Harry’s year after the battle, a time when he sustained devastating personal losses. At first, Harry has no motivation to do much beyond some exercise. People are still dying or getting into trouble, and little by little, he begins to emerge from his grief. Eventually, he also has to deal with Mab, the Winter Queen of the Fae, who has ordered him—as her Knight of Winter—to marry the White Court vampire Lara Raith.
Harry is forced to take Lara on a monthly public date, with plenty of Winter Court fae and White Court vampires present to witness it. Over time, I think Lara starts to see who Harry really is, and he begins to look beyond her facade. One of their shared goals is to bring Thomas back without him dying. Spells and deals are made to plan for it. It’s not easy, but Harry will never give up.
As always, listening to James Marsters narrate the audiobook is the best! He does so many voices, and every single one sounds perfect. No one else could do this job.
I’m already excited for Mirror, Mirror, which is coming out in 2027… hoping it’s true.
Cliffhanger: No
4.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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maybe
March 5, 2022I'm going to be waiting for reviews on this one before I waste any more time on this series. Whenever it eventually gets published.
August 5, 2025
My (nonspoiler) Twelve Months review.
(If you don’t want to read it, look away)
xxx
xxx
xxx
Cumulative storytelling.
Fantasy readers especially have come to expect that the stories in series within the genre build upon one another. JKR shows this in seeding clues in early books that do not bloom until later books. Names are dropped with a casualty that masks their later importance. Robin Hobb, too, is a classic master of this art and skill. This type of dynamic world-building and plot accumulation is not a skill everyone has; we’ve all read books that can be read as standalones even in a series that spans tens of novels. This isn’t terrible writing, just different.
However, every once in a while, we get a series like Harry Potter, October Daye, and the Dresden Files. The cumulative storytelling anchors us into the world; the changes the characters go through from book to book give them a sort of Velveteen Rabbit-esque reality. Their pain and joy, trials and triumphs, their dynamic internal narration turn them into friends.
And in Twelve Months, our friend Harry is experiencing his lowest year. I had complete faith in Butcher’s ability to change the formula from “worst weekend of Harry’s year” to an entire year of riding along in Harry’s head. I was curious how this would be managed — would it be split into essentially twelve novellettes for each month? Would it be split into four novellas for each season? In reality, I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been).
Having the novel take place over the course of the year gave Butcher the opportunity to flex his dynamic world-building muscles in several different ways: we get callbacks from earlier books, we see slow, realistic change, we get carefully laid foundations of new alliances. The sheer expanse of time available allows for 1) callbacks to several past cases, 2) refamiliarization with characters long off-page, and 3) for Harry to take a deep breath and divine. He needed more time.
As much as I am dying to read Mirror, Mirror, Twelve Months is so very necessary to both the series and us, the reader. After the events of Peace Ground and Battle Talks, we needed something just a little quieter. It’s possible that Butcher pulled everything in Twelve Months out of the Sea of Stories, but I don’t think he did. At least, not all of it. I think we would have gotten a lot of off-screen information told to us in the beginning chapters of Mirror Mirror to tell us How We Got Here, but by allowing himself to write this unplanned book, the series is so much richer than two gym socks full of diamonds.
My only questions are: Will book 20 still be a Denarian book? Did Butcher nix some future books we don’t know about in favor of limiting the series to 25 books? Will we get that professional wrestling book, the dragon book, another Halloween book?
I guess we’ll know in a few years. 🙂
We just need more time.
Harry’s non-existent hat off to Mr Butcher, who has created something wonderful… again.
(If you don’t want to read it, look away)
xxx
xxx
xxx
Cumulative storytelling.
Fantasy readers especially have come to expect that the stories in series within the genre build upon one another. JKR shows this in seeding clues in early books that do not bloom until later books. Names are dropped with a casualty that masks their later importance. Robin Hobb, too, is a classic master of this art and skill. This type of dynamic world-building and plot accumulation is not a skill everyone has; we’ve all read books that can be read as standalones even in a series that spans tens of novels. This isn’t terrible writing, just different.
However, every once in a while, we get a series like Harry Potter, October Daye, and the Dresden Files. The cumulative storytelling anchors us into the world; the changes the characters go through from book to book give them a sort of Velveteen Rabbit-esque reality. Their pain and joy, trials and triumphs, their dynamic internal narration turn them into friends.
And in Twelve Months, our friend Harry is experiencing his lowest year. I had complete faith in Butcher’s ability to change the formula from “worst weekend of Harry’s year” to an entire year of riding along in Harry’s head. I was curious how this would be managed — would it be split into essentially twelve novellettes for each month? Would it be split into four novellas for each season? In reality, I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been).
Having the novel take place over the course of the year gave Butcher the opportunity to flex his dynamic world-building muscles in several different ways: we get callbacks from earlier books, we see slow, realistic change, we get carefully laid foundations of new alliances. The sheer expanse of time available allows for 1) callbacks to several past cases, 2) refamiliarization with characters long off-page, and 3) for Harry to take a deep breath and divine. He needed more time.
As much as I am dying to read Mirror, Mirror, Twelve Months is so very necessary to both the series and us, the reader. After the events of Peace Ground and Battle Talks, we needed something just a little quieter. It’s possible that Butcher pulled everything in Twelve Months out of the Sea of Stories, but I don’t think he did. At least, not all of it. I think we would have gotten a lot of off-screen information told to us in the beginning chapters of Mirror Mirror to tell us How We Got Here, but by allowing himself to write this unplanned book, the series is so much richer than two gym socks full of diamonds.
My only questions are: Will book 20 still be a Denarian book? Did Butcher nix some future books we don’t know about in favor of limiting the series to 25 books? Will we get that professional wrestling book, the dragon book, another Halloween book?
I guess we’ll know in a few years. 🙂
We just need more time.
Harry’s non-existent hat off to Mr Butcher, who has created something wonderful… again.
February 2, 2026
after the release of the previous Dresden novel "Battleground" it was quiet on the next installment "Twelve months" which finally arrived this year. Another one is planned in May which based upon the strength of this book I already pre-ordered.
After the Battle for Chicago Harry Copperfield Dresden needs time to heal physically and mentally. His loss was major both in love and family.
Harry finds himself drawing closer to Maggie his daughter, has been told to get married to Lara Raith of the white vampire clan. Which is the last thing he expected but Mab's word is very demanding. Harry has his brother who is mortally wounded in a safe place but hé owns a debt of honor.
These 12 months Harry recovers and becomes a different wizard even if hé remains as annoying as ever for the world around him, also very humble as well as a person.
Before the book is over you will encounter very emotional scènes, magical scènes and a brilliant confrontation in which we recognize that Harry Dresden wizard for hire, has become Harry Dresden defender of people, father, teacher and to be married.
An excellent novel that can be enjoyed best if you start reading book 1 and not book 18. And just for the record I am envious on anybody starting that journey right now.
After the Battle for Chicago Harry Copperfield Dresden needs time to heal physically and mentally. His loss was major both in love and family.
Harry finds himself drawing closer to Maggie his daughter, has been told to get married to Lara Raith of the white vampire clan. Which is the last thing he expected but Mab's word is very demanding. Harry has his brother who is mortally wounded in a safe place but hé owns a debt of honor.
These 12 months Harry recovers and becomes a different wizard even if hé remains as annoying as ever for the world around him, also very humble as well as a person.
Before the book is over you will encounter very emotional scènes, magical scènes and a brilliant confrontation in which we recognize that Harry Dresden wizard for hire, has become Harry Dresden defender of people, father, teacher and to be married.
An excellent novel that can be enjoyed best if you start reading book 1 and not book 18. And just for the record I am envious on anybody starting that journey right now.
January 25, 2026
Without spoiling the story, at one point it is revealed that Queen Mab has the power to slow time.
That is an interesting coincidence because while reading Twelve Months it felt like Jim Butcher also had the power to slow time.
I can't really put it any other way, TM was an absolute chore to read. The main theme? Harry Dresden is BIG SAD. Harry dealing with grief was of course going to be part of the story in the aftermath of the Battle but most of the book is him wallowing in grief. The level of angst and the writing style is what you would expect from a middle school girl writing Twilight fan fiction. There were ways to integrate Harry's grief balanced with his responsibility to the people of Chicago but instead we get endless self-flagellation.
When he wasn't weeping we were treated to endless paragraphs of internal exposition where I guess Butcher was trying to work out personal issues or something because all they did was slow the already glacial pace of the story. Adding to the already bloated story were some new characters that I absolutely didn't care about.
It is a shame because there were the makings of a good story in TM but it was lost in the ennui made all the worse because Butcher tried to cram a bunch of storylines into a book that didn't have room to deal with any of them properly. I said in my review of Battle Ground...
...and if anything that was even more on display in TM.
Sure, I don't have to read the ongoing Harry Dresden series but I have some investment in what was once a fun storyline that has lost the plot by trying to do too much.
That is an interesting coincidence because while reading Twelve Months it felt like Jim Butcher also had the power to slow time.
I can't really put it any other way, TM was an absolute chore to read. The main theme? Harry Dresden is BIG SAD. Harry dealing with grief was of course going to be part of the story in the aftermath of the Battle but most of the book is him wallowing in grief. The level of angst and the writing style is what you would expect from a middle school girl writing Twilight fan fiction. There were ways to integrate Harry's grief balanced with his responsibility to the people of Chicago but instead we get endless self-flagellation.
When he wasn't weeping we were treated to endless paragraphs of internal exposition where I guess Butcher was trying to work out personal issues or something because all they did was slow the already glacial pace of the story. Adding to the already bloated story were some new characters that I absolutely didn't care about.
It is a shame because there were the makings of a good story in TM but it was lost in the ennui made all the worse because Butcher tried to cram a bunch of storylines into a book that didn't have room to deal with any of them properly. I said in my review of Battle Ground...
Harry Dresden was fun as the struggling PI/wizard. Now as the Winter Knight, that charm is mostly gone.
...and if anything that was even more on display in TM.
Sure, I don't have to read the ongoing Harry Dresden series but I have some investment in what was once a fun storyline that has lost the plot by trying to do too much.
July 29, 2025
It must have been at least 15 years ago that I started reading The Dresden Files books, so it was a big treat to get to read this book before publication-- a big thank you to Ace Books and Penguin Random House for sending me the ARC of 'Twelve Months"!
This book is about hurt, healing, heart, and happiness. And it was just what I wanted and Harry needed (and I perhaps needed as well).
Starting off immediately where book 17 left off, Chicago is left in ruins. As is Harry's life. He and his are being tested from all sides, all the while dealing with the rebuilding of the city.
All in all, I had a great time hanging out with Harry, Mouse, Mab, and many more that I do not want to name because of spoilers (some of my favs were introduced in this book!), as well as their friends, loved ones, and of course enemies.
The jokes and one-liners were A+ as well (spice, *that* mountain, hell, stuttering, the Irish, pearls, cars, French, hot chocolate), and I must find a way to export my highlights because the writing was just fabulous.
Also, I want to be at that one party with the oldies for sure, sounds so fun! Only if, of course, the hosts can promise I am safe the whole time
At times I did feel the story was a bit slow, but the final 10% of this book had all the action I could have wished for. Still, I would have preferred a better balance. As well as all the answers to all the questions I am now left with!!!! What do you mean citadel, what do you mean dreaming?!
A solid 4 stars.
It might take a few years, but looking forward to the next one.
And do not forget: do not show weakness to the Winter Fae. They get ideas.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
This book is about hurt, healing, heart, and happiness. And it was just what I wanted and Harry needed (and I perhaps needed as well).
Starting off immediately where book 17 left off, Chicago is left in ruins. As is Harry's life. He and his are being tested from all sides, all the while dealing with the rebuilding of the city.
All in all, I had a great time hanging out with Harry, Mouse, Mab, and many more that I do not want to name because of spoilers (some of my favs were introduced in this book!), as well as their friends, loved ones, and of course enemies.
The jokes and one-liners were A+ as well (spice, *that* mountain, hell, stuttering, the Irish, pearls, cars, French, hot chocolate), and I must find a way to export my highlights because the writing was just fabulous.
Also, I want to be at that one party with the oldies for sure, sounds so fun! Only if, of course, the hosts can promise I am safe the whole time
At times I did feel the story was a bit slow, but the final 10% of this book had all the action I could have wished for. Still, I would have preferred a better balance. As well as all the answers to all the questions I am now left with!!!! What do you mean citadel, what do you mean dreaming?!
A solid 4 stars.
It might take a few years, but looking forward to the next one.
And do not forget: do not show weakness to the Winter Fae. They get ideas.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
January 23, 2026
Wow as a mega fan of the series this book was a real treat -- a deep breath and exhalation after the craziness of Battle Ground. Some of my favorite parts of all the books are the quiet moments when things slow down for a bit amidst the insane tension of high-stakes events. And this time we almost have a whole book of just those kinds of moments, and Butcher delivered quite the emotional experience with it.
Harry and Jim have been getting older alongside each other, and it feels like Butcher imbued this one with a lot of hard-earned wisdom, grief, and healing of his own. There was a lot of internal processing of emotions going on but it was done in an elegant way that felt organic and not repetitive, and with the quick passing of time we also got to experience all sorts of new changes and characters emerging around Harry to keep things fresh and vibrant and prevent this from ever feeling too grim in tone.
There's always been a strong backbone of hope, love, and heroism running through the series and through the core of our dear Harry, and this book just has all of those things coalescing ever stronger, producing scenes of extreme depth and power throughout. And it's not all of the quiet variety, I mean we are in a Dresden novel, and the climactic scenes ratcheted up the tension to a level we're all used to with a typically gripping Butcher-lanche.
It's starting to genuinely feel like the series is racing toward the home stretch, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Harry and Jim have been getting older alongside each other, and it feels like Butcher imbued this one with a lot of hard-earned wisdom, grief, and healing of his own. There was a lot of internal processing of emotions going on but it was done in an elegant way that felt organic and not repetitive, and with the quick passing of time we also got to experience all sorts of new changes and characters emerging around Harry to keep things fresh and vibrant and prevent this from ever feeling too grim in tone.
There's always been a strong backbone of hope, love, and heroism running through the series and through the core of our dear Harry, and this book just has all of those things coalescing ever stronger, producing scenes of extreme depth and power throughout. And it's not all of the quiet variety, I mean we are in a Dresden novel, and the climactic scenes ratcheted up the tension to a level we're all used to with a typically gripping Butcher-lanche.
It's starting to genuinely feel like the series is racing toward the home stretch, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
January 26, 2026
A great Dresden book. Definitely kind of a bridge book after Battle Ground, but it works so well. The best character relationships and writing when it comes to emotional scenes and dialogue. A wonderful exploration of healing from trauma. Not the most action packed Dresden book, but it is the one with most heart and it's exactly what was needed. Can't see this not being in my 2026 Top 10.
February 25, 2026
This series just keeps going so well.
longer review to come
longer review to come
February 12, 2026
Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
This book is quite the break in the series.
After the previous book, which for me was very heavy on constant fighting and escalation, this feels like the complete opposite. The last two books felt like one giant battle split into two parts. This one is about the aftermath, and the cost of surviving something like that.
Harry, and really all of Chicago, is dealing with the fallout of a horrendous battle that left many people dead and the city barely functioning. Food is scarce. Dead cars block streets. Mortals have seen the magical world, and unrest between normal people and the supernatural feels like a very natural consequence.
The biggest change here is Harry himself. He goes from his usual reckless confidence and refusal to back down from anything to someone who is emotionally hollowed out and broken. He struggles to eat. He struggles to sleep. The world feels muted and distant, like he is moving through it instead of truly living in it. He is at a point where the future feels blank and unreachable, where he keeps going more out of obligation than hope. He keeps moving forward mostly for his daughter. He hides away, trains until he pushes himself into numbness, and focuses on simply getting through one moment, then the next, because looking any further ahead feels impossible.
The grief in this book is slow, and that feels very intentional. You do not get past something this horrible and just go back to normal. It takes time. The book allows that time. It is uncomfortable at times, but in a very real and grounded way. I honestly did not expect that level of rawness here, but it worked extremely well.
After finishing the book, I looked up the author and learned that he has spoken about going through severe depression and even a suicide attempt. Knowing that afterwards made a lot of that emotional authenticity make sense, because the portrayal of grief and emotional collapse felt painfully real on the page.
It felt less like watching wounds close and more like watching raw, angry wounds slowly form scabs that might eventually become scars. Some are still red and painful. Some are starting to fade by the end. There is progress, but it is slow and messy and very human.
There are still battles, including one that feels very much like Harry fighting himself before he can really fight anything else again. Compared to the previous book, the action felt much more meaningful to me again. Less endless escalation, more personal stakes. The previous massive city-level destruction was so huge it almost became abstract. Here, things feel closer, more personal, more grounded. The difference between hearing about dozens dying somewhere, and feeling the loss of someone specific and real.
There is hope, though. Friends are there for him. People still need help. And the book slowly moves Harry from the absolute pit of despair toward something fragile but real. Not healed. Not fixed. But moving forward, step by step.
This feels less like a return to old Dresden and more like a recalibration. Harry is not the unstoppable force here. He is someone who has been broken and is slowly rebuilding, and by the end you start to see small glimpses of that old survival instinct and stubborn will again.
For me, this feels like the series finding its emotional footing again. After going bigger and bigger, this book pulls things back, resets the emotional core, and reminds you why you cared in the first place.
This is not a victory lap. It is survival. Slow, painful, stubborn survival. And sometimes that is the bravest kind there is.
This book is quite the break in the series.
After the previous book, which for me was very heavy on constant fighting and escalation, this feels like the complete opposite. The last two books felt like one giant battle split into two parts. This one is about the aftermath, and the cost of surviving something like that.
Harry, and really all of Chicago, is dealing with the fallout of a horrendous battle that left many people dead and the city barely functioning. Food is scarce. Dead cars block streets. Mortals have seen the magical world, and unrest between normal people and the supernatural feels like a very natural consequence.
The biggest change here is Harry himself. He goes from his usual reckless confidence and refusal to back down from anything to someone who is emotionally hollowed out and broken. He struggles to eat. He struggles to sleep. The world feels muted and distant, like he is moving through it instead of truly living in it. He is at a point where the future feels blank and unreachable, where he keeps going more out of obligation than hope. He keeps moving forward mostly for his daughter. He hides away, trains until he pushes himself into numbness, and focuses on simply getting through one moment, then the next, because looking any further ahead feels impossible.
“There was this empty pit inside me where all my recent pain and loss lived, and I felt an urge to hurl myself into it, but I held off. That was the point of all the meditation I’d been doing—to give me some measure of ability to keep functioning even when my body and my heart wanted me to collapse screaming. Sometimes that happened to me at night, late. I’d just start screaming. I’d scream and I wouldn’t be able to stop until I’d screamed myself out. Until I was breathing too hard to keep doing it, until my throat hurt, until my jaws ached from forcing my mouth open too wide."
The grief in this book is slow, and that feels very intentional. You do not get past something this horrible and just go back to normal. It takes time. The book allows that time. It is uncomfortable at times, but in a very real and grounded way. I honestly did not expect that level of rawness here, but it worked extremely well.
After finishing the book, I looked up the author and learned that he has spoken about going through severe depression and even a suicide attempt. Knowing that afterwards made a lot of that emotional authenticity make sense, because the portrayal of grief and emotional collapse felt painfully real on the page.
It felt less like watching wounds close and more like watching raw, angry wounds slowly form scabs that might eventually become scars. Some are still red and painful. Some are starting to fade by the end. There is progress, but it is slow and messy and very human.
There are still battles, including one that feels very much like Harry fighting himself before he can really fight anything else again. Compared to the previous book, the action felt much more meaningful to me again. Less endless escalation, more personal stakes. The previous massive city-level destruction was so huge it almost became abstract. Here, things feel closer, more personal, more grounded. The difference between hearing about dozens dying somewhere, and feeling the loss of someone specific and real.
There is hope, though. Friends are there for him. People still need help. And the book slowly moves Harry from the absolute pit of despair toward something fragile but real. Not healed. Not fixed. But moving forward, step by step.
“Peace and happiness aren't the same thing. Not at all.
Happiness is peace in action.
And peace is happiness at rest.
And neither one has to be perfect to be real.”
This feels less like a return to old Dresden and more like a recalibration. Harry is not the unstoppable force here. He is someone who has been broken and is slowly rebuilding, and by the end you start to see small glimpses of that old survival instinct and stubborn will again.
For me, this feels like the series finding its emotional footing again. After going bigger and bigger, this book pulls things back, resets the emotional core, and reminds you why you cared in the first place.
This is not a victory lap. It is survival. Slow, painful, stubborn survival. And sometimes that is the bravest kind there is.
February 14, 2026
4.5/5
I’ve been reading The Dresden Files for a long time now. It’s one of the very few long-running series I’ve stuck with. It’s had highs and lows, but Twelve Months shows Jim Butcher in excellent form again.
After the relentless escalation of Peace Talks and Battle Ground, this book slows down. It basically follows a year of Harry’s grief, fallout, and rebuilding.
Harry is hollowed out. Chicago is barely functioning after the Titan’s assault. Food is scarce. Infrastructure is wrecked. The supernatural world has been exposed, and fear is spreading. On top of that, Harry is juggling Thomas’s looming death sentence, training a new apprentice, navigating White Council politics (again), and preparing for an arranged marriage to Lara Raith under Mab’s orders.
The real conflict here is internal. For once, the greatest enemy in the book is grief. Harry struggles to eat. To sleep. To focus. His magic wavers because his control wavers. This is a far more introspective Dresden novel than we’re used to, and it works.
That doesn’t mean it’s dull. There are fights. There are ghouls prowling Chicago. There are political landmines, tense confrontations, and a climax that absolutely delivers. But the action feels more personal this time.
The biggest surprise for me was how well Butcher handled the relationships. Harry and Lara could easily have fallen into forced tension or cheap drama. Instead, their dynamic is layered and unexpectedly thoughtful. There’s distrust, yes, but also honesty and even vulnerability. It feels like growth.
Old allies step up too. Molly. Michael. Maggie. Even Mab, in her own severe way. The book reminds you how deep this cast is after eighteen installments.
Some readers will call this a transitional novel, and they’re not wrong. It’s a recalibration. A pause before the Outsider endgame looms closer. But it doesn’t feel like filler. After years of escalating power and misery, Butcher pulls the story back to its roots: Harry Dresden the man, not just the wizard.
For me, it might be some of the best writing in the series. More mature and more controlled. Less snark-for-snark’s-sake. The humor is still there, but it shares space with reflection and wisdom.
If the series needed a reset, this was the right way to do it.
I’ve been reading The Dresden Files for a long time now. It’s one of the very few long-running series I’ve stuck with. It’s had highs and lows, but Twelve Months shows Jim Butcher in excellent form again.
After the relentless escalation of Peace Talks and Battle Ground, this book slows down. It basically follows a year of Harry’s grief, fallout, and rebuilding.
Harry is hollowed out. Chicago is barely functioning after the Titan’s assault. Food is scarce. Infrastructure is wrecked. The supernatural world has been exposed, and fear is spreading. On top of that, Harry is juggling Thomas’s looming death sentence, training a new apprentice, navigating White Council politics (again), and preparing for an arranged marriage to Lara Raith under Mab’s orders.
The real conflict here is internal. For once, the greatest enemy in the book is grief. Harry struggles to eat. To sleep. To focus. His magic wavers because his control wavers. This is a far more introspective Dresden novel than we’re used to, and it works.
That doesn’t mean it’s dull. There are fights. There are ghouls prowling Chicago. There are political landmines, tense confrontations, and a climax that absolutely delivers. But the action feels more personal this time.
The biggest surprise for me was how well Butcher handled the relationships. Harry and Lara could easily have fallen into forced tension or cheap drama. Instead, their dynamic is layered and unexpectedly thoughtful. There’s distrust, yes, but also honesty and even vulnerability. It feels like growth.
Old allies step up too. Molly. Michael. Maggie. Even Mab, in her own severe way. The book reminds you how deep this cast is after eighteen installments.
Some readers will call this a transitional novel, and they’re not wrong. It’s a recalibration. A pause before the Outsider endgame looms closer. But it doesn’t feel like filler. After years of escalating power and misery, Butcher pulls the story back to its roots: Harry Dresden the man, not just the wizard.
For me, it might be some of the best writing in the series. More mature and more controlled. Less snark-for-snark’s-sake. The humor is still there, but it shares space with reflection and wisdom.
If the series needed a reset, this was the right way to do it.
February 14, 2026
It's been a year, more or less, since the big battle in Chicago and a year is nothing when you're grieving. Harry Dresden knows all about it, as he stews in his sorrow and guilt over the death of Murphy. He's driving himself pretty hard and trying to take care of those people he feels responsible for. But life doesn't quit happening just because he doesn't want to deal with it.
Winter Queen Mab has betrothed him to Lara Raith of the White Court vampires. His brother Thomas is in stasis on Daemonreach Island. A pregnant Justine, Thomas' partner, is missing. Separately, they could maybe be dealt with, but combined? It's going to be one helluva task. Will the pressure make or break Wizard Dresden?
Butcher is allowing Harry to grow as a person. He gets acknowledged for his kindness frequently in this volume. He navigates his relationships with Mab and Lara with more grace than before. He and Lara seem to have forged a partnership that bodes well for their marriage. Harry is spending more time with his daughter and it is doing them both good. Many of Harry's old friends are present and being supportive. He is learning to accept help.
There are plenty of problems to be solved and Harry uses his brain as much as his powers. His adulting is getting much better. Nevertheless, there are still narrative strands left to dangle at the book's conclusion. The next book is supposed to be published next year, a pleasant prospect as we've waited six years for this one.
Winter Queen Mab has betrothed him to Lara Raith of the White Court vampires. His brother Thomas is in stasis on Daemonreach Island. A pregnant Justine, Thomas' partner, is missing. Separately, they could maybe be dealt with, but combined? It's going to be one helluva task. Will the pressure make or break Wizard Dresden?
Butcher is allowing Harry to grow as a person. He gets acknowledged for his kindness frequently in this volume. He navigates his relationships with Mab and Lara with more grace than before. He and Lara seem to have forged a partnership that bodes well for their marriage. Harry is spending more time with his daughter and it is doing them both good. Many of Harry's old friends are present and being supportive. He is learning to accept help.
There are plenty of problems to be solved and Harry uses his brain as much as his powers. His adulting is getting much better. Nevertheless, there are still narrative strands left to dangle at the book's conclusion. The next book is supposed to be published next year, a pleasant prospect as we've waited six years for this one.
January 23, 2026
Peak Dresden
February 23, 2026
”You walk in a world of shadows, Harry, but you’ve always carried your own light.”
The Battle of Chicago nearly destroyed the city, and the devastating loss that Harry suffered in that epic fight left him effectively broken. He barely sleeps. His magic is failing him. He’s in mourning and blaming himself. Yet in the aftermath Harry can’t simply go to ground to heal. So many people need help. His brother Thomas remains in hiding in an induced magical coma. Many of his neighbors were left homeless and traumatized. And as much of a mess as Harry is, he can’t not help.
And what would a Dresden novel be without ridiculous complications. The Winter Queen has demanded that Harry marry Lara Raith, head of the White Court vampires. Ghouls are attacking the city. A humorless White Council warden is itching to bust him for black magic. And, oh yeah, a mysterious person or persons has been making deadly black magic attacks. Harry has to sort it all out while he can barely function with his grief.
This novel of the devastating aftermath of the epic battle hits a little differently. Amid all the obligations and difficult tasks, Harry has to learn to forgive himself, to deal with his grief and rage, and to heal while never getting a break from the necessity of helping others. There are surprises, and goofy humor, and satisfying fights, but this one is all about Harry healing while he learns to accept that he is a good man.
The Battle of Chicago nearly destroyed the city, and the devastating loss that Harry suffered in that epic fight left him effectively broken. He barely sleeps. His magic is failing him. He’s in mourning and blaming himself. Yet in the aftermath Harry can’t simply go to ground to heal. So many people need help. His brother Thomas remains in hiding in an induced magical coma. Many of his neighbors were left homeless and traumatized. And as much of a mess as Harry is, he can’t not help.
And what would a Dresden novel be without ridiculous complications. The Winter Queen has demanded that Harry marry Lara Raith, head of the White Court vampires. Ghouls are attacking the city. A humorless White Council warden is itching to bust him for black magic. And, oh yeah, a mysterious person or persons has been making deadly black magic attacks. Harry has to sort it all out while he can barely function with his grief.
This novel of the devastating aftermath of the epic battle hits a little differently. Amid all the obligations and difficult tasks, Harry has to learn to forgive himself, to deal with his grief and rage, and to heal while never getting a break from the necessity of helping others. There are surprises, and goofy humor, and satisfying fights, but this one is all about Harry healing while he learns to accept that he is a good man.
January 21, 2026
This book is a fucking masterpiece. Like genuinely, it's fucking perfect. It's content is so well-placed within the series and especially the context of the last few books, but simultaneously, you can tell that Jim was also going through some serious shit when he was writing this. His experience, his struggle, his progress, his healing, it all permeates through every sentence in this book, and it's just the perfect lens to read this book through, considering Dresden's journey in this book.
The character relationships and interactions are also well-fucking-done. Without getting into spoilers, the core relationships and side characters of this book needed to be handled delicately, as authorial missteps within this regard would threaten to undermine what Jim has worked so hard towards building in this story. But he handles and writes these relationships and characters in a way that remains so true to who the characters fundamentally are, while moving them forward in their relationships and selves through the story and through them simply talking and learning more about each other. In a book like this it is easy to get preachy through side characters, but this series has gone through 17 books up to this point, so every message just feels earned, and not corny.
This book is far from a typical Dresden Files book. There isn't really a case to solve. There isn't really a big bad that Dresden needs to stop before time runs out (in this book, at least). There isn't really a lot of action. But nonetheless, and somehow, it might just be the best written book in the series. The Dresden Files is fundamentally about Harry Dresden, and this book is just such a good reminder of who he is, and all that he has done and earned up to this point of the story, and that weight carries itself through the book.
This is a 15/5 type book. Genuinely. Holy shit.
The character relationships and interactions are also well-fucking-done. Without getting into spoilers, the core relationships and side characters of this book needed to be handled delicately, as authorial missteps within this regard would threaten to undermine what Jim has worked so hard towards building in this story. But he handles and writes these relationships and characters in a way that remains so true to who the characters fundamentally are, while moving them forward in their relationships and selves through the story and through them simply talking and learning more about each other. In a book like this it is easy to get preachy through side characters, but this series has gone through 17 books up to this point, so every message just feels earned, and not corny.
This book is far from a typical Dresden Files book. There isn't really a case to solve. There isn't really a big bad that Dresden needs to stop before time runs out (in this book, at least). There isn't really a lot of action. But nonetheless, and somehow, it might just be the best written book in the series. The Dresden Files is fundamentally about Harry Dresden, and this book is just such a good reminder of who he is, and all that he has done and earned up to this point of the story, and that weight carries itself through the book.
This is a 15/5 type book. Genuinely. Holy shit.
February 23, 2026
RTC - Hell’s Bell’s, Butcher did it again!
January 29, 2026
It not often I find myself on the 18th book in a series and still think this series gets better with each book. But here I am telling you this was a great read. After the destructio and death in the last book Battle Ground Dresden is recovering from both physical and mental injuries. As is Chicago. Main theme of this book is you can get by with a little help form your friends. Kind of book we kind of need now.
January 23, 2026
This book feels like the culmination of everything that the Dresden Files can be. Stakes may be lower, but they feel more intimate. Harry is truly one of my favorite fantasy protagonists of all time. Jim, please keep the books coming.
January 27, 2026
prob my least favorite in the series. I was distracted by how many times things were repeated and people said things quietly. and I am a huge Dresden fan so this was kind of a disappointment.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Full disclosure, this is a series that I own both in audio and Kindle format. As with any urban fantasy, it is essential to read/listen to this series in the order of its release. I always listen first and read second with the voice of Marsters still in my head. I also make it a point to read all short stories from this world.
It’s been almost a year since the events of Battle Ground. Harry is healing physically, but emotionally he is mourning a loss. It’s deep and raw, but Harry also knows the city has suffered and has opened up his home to some of the displaced.
Demands from Mab, the Winter Queen of Fae, who has formed an alliance with the White Court of vampires, see Harry as her knight betrothed to Lara Raith. He’ll need to go on three dates with her. We have Ghouls attacking in the streets of Chicago, and then there is Harry’s brother Thomas. Toss in a bodyguard and a new apprentice, and there is no time for Harry to be tired, and mentally he is exhausted.
Butcher pulled me in, and it was great seeing characters I am so familiar with. Despite what has happened, life goes on and needs need to be met. The situation with Thomas is time sensitive and Harry will need to figure out how to save him. It was interesting seeing him and Lara work together to save him, even if their ideas don’t always align. Meanwhile, Mab has made her demands clear. She is scary, and Harry pushed with his interactions with her.
In signature style, Butcher weaved in humor and terrific one-liners that made me chuckle even as a wiped a tear. The pace was slower, but I think we all needed it after the events of Battle Ground. It helped me reconnect with Harry and others and showed us the devastation caused. The last three-fourths were intense and more action-packed and left me craving the next installment.
I don’t think I will ever tire of this world and characters. James Marsters has become the voice of these characters and does an exceptional job of showing this side of Harry.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
It’s been almost a year since the events of Battle Ground. Harry is healing physically, but emotionally he is mourning a loss. It’s deep and raw, but Harry also knows the city has suffered and has opened up his home to some of the displaced.
Demands from Mab, the Winter Queen of Fae, who has formed an alliance with the White Court of vampires, see Harry as her knight betrothed to Lara Raith. He’ll need to go on three dates with her. We have Ghouls attacking in the streets of Chicago, and then there is Harry’s brother Thomas. Toss in a bodyguard and a new apprentice, and there is no time for Harry to be tired, and mentally he is exhausted.
Butcher pulled me in, and it was great seeing characters I am so familiar with. Despite what has happened, life goes on and needs need to be met. The situation with Thomas is time sensitive and Harry will need to figure out how to save him. It was interesting seeing him and Lara work together to save him, even if their ideas don’t always align. Meanwhile, Mab has made her demands clear. She is scary, and Harry pushed with his interactions with her.
In signature style, Butcher weaved in humor and terrific one-liners that made me chuckle even as a wiped a tear. The pace was slower, but I think we all needed it after the events of Battle Ground. It helped me reconnect with Harry and others and showed us the devastation caused. The last three-fourths were intense and more action-packed and left me craving the next installment.
I don’t think I will ever tire of this world and characters. James Marsters has become the voice of these characters and does an exceptional job of showing this side of Harry.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
October 5, 2025
I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
All in all, a pretty solid return to form for the series. Twelve Months is all about Dresden recovering from the events of Peace Talks and Battle Ground. He knows (and repeatedly mentions — these are arc words) that he just needs time — to grieve, to heal, to figure things out. His stack of urgent to-do items does nothing grow as his myriad obligations pull his attention multiple directions, and of course the stakes are high… perhaps not as high as a titan attacking a mortal city, thankfully, but high enough.
It’s at least 6 months before the city really starts having any feeling of normalcy after the attacks. Streets are blocked, food supplies are irregular, and everyone is fearful and on edge, especially about magic-using weirdos who live in castles (and the magic-users in turn are increasingly on edge about harassment from the normals). And then (not a spoiler, it’s in the summary), ghouls are feasting like mad, which doesn’t help.
Fortunately, Harry’s not alone. He hasn’t been the lone wizard for a long, long time now, but the true motif of this book is the importance of social ties. He has his Knights of the Bean to help keep some peace and protect the home front; he has family he builds new connections with; he has friends around him, like Michael Carpenter, Billy, Molly; he even has Lara Raith who you can’t really call a love interest but is definitely a strong ally. There’s some *interesting* developments in that quarter that will definitely impact how they interact with each other moving forward, but We see a lot of supporting characters this book! Some are practically just cameos, but their time is meaningful. Harry even picks up some new strays.
Harry lets go, and lets go again. One of the subplot resolutions demands a very steep price, and for once, Harry isn’t the one to pay it (at least not directly). (I actually wish that had been left dangling longer, but I suppose Butcher wanted to give us some proper resolution and relatively lighter fare!)
All in all, a pretty solid return to form for the series. Twelve Months is all about Dresden recovering from the events of Peace Talks and Battle Ground. He knows (and repeatedly mentions — these are arc words) that he just needs time — to grieve, to heal, to figure things out. His stack of urgent to-do items does nothing grow as his myriad obligations pull his attention multiple directions, and of course the stakes are high… perhaps not as high as a titan attacking a mortal city, thankfully, but high enough.
It’s at least 6 months before the city really starts having any feeling of normalcy after the attacks. Streets are blocked, food supplies are irregular, and everyone is fearful and on edge, especially about magic-using weirdos who live in castles (and the magic-users in turn are increasingly on edge about harassment from the normals). And then (not a spoiler, it’s in the summary), ghouls are feasting like mad, which doesn’t help.
Fortunately, Harry’s not alone. He hasn’t been the lone wizard for a long, long time now, but the true motif of this book is the importance of social ties. He has his Knights of the Bean to help keep some peace and protect the home front; he has family he builds new connections with; he has friends around him, like Michael Carpenter, Billy, Molly; he even has Lara Raith who you can’t really call a love interest but is definitely a strong ally. There’s some *interesting* developments in that quarter that will definitely impact how they interact with each other moving forward, but We see a lot of supporting characters this book! Some are practically just cameos, but their time is meaningful. Harry even picks up some new strays.
Harry lets go, and lets go again. One of the subplot resolutions demands a very steep price, and for once, Harry isn’t the one to pay it (at least not directly). (I actually wish that had been left dangling longer, but I suppose Butcher wanted to give us some proper resolution and relatively lighter fare!)
January 23, 2026
The book where Harry Dresden becomes a Gym Bro
January 30, 2026
Inevitable Disclosure Warning: This is book 18 in the series. While I will venture not to spoil anything, simply reading about characters still being alive could spoil story lines in the preceding 17 books.
Second disclaimer: my review is likely to contain many unpopular opinions.
It has been several years since Battle Ground. Our titular character Harry Dresden is inconsolable following significant losses and he is teetering on the edge of insanity. Something that most of us on Goodreads already know is that writing is an art form that imparts some of the author into his or her art. I know that Butcher went through some difficult times in his own personal life (and he makes mention of this in his brief foreword). I am reminded of something I heard about the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Some commentators applauded the writing to a couple of the endings, saying that it emotionally impacted them due to the realism. They stated that it was clear the writer had experienced depression because only someone who has gone through it could express the emotion of it so well...
For the first quarter of the book, it is inescapable that Butcher wrote his heart and soul onto the page through Dresden. Reading on Audible, James Marsters provided an Emmy-worthy performance. (More on narration at the end.) This was a powerful book when it dealt with human emotions, and at its heart, Twelve Months is a story about healing and recovery. Even when things seem the bleakest, that is when the light begins to shine.
I will wholeheartedly applaud this side of the book. My issue with a substantial part of the book is that it rehashed problems I have seen perhaps since Storm Front (book 1). If you happen upon this review, you likely are a fan of the series so the issue to which I refer is probably something that doesn't bother you. Even I picked up on it but kind of ignored it (although I have mentioned it in other reviews of his work) because I enjoyed the story. You see, Harry Dresden is perhaps my least favorite character in the entire series. He is misogynistic at worst, and paternalistic at best. He is a bully. And as I noted in the first substantive paragraph, Butcher expresses himself through Dresden. It feels like Dresden is Butcher cosplaying the white knight. I don't mind Butcher having those thoughts, but so much of this book was just, yucky. Let me try to explain:
Dresden cannot introduce a female character in this series without first rating her on a sexiness scale, then list all of her attractive features. A man is described in a sentence but a woman is described down to her toe nail color. Dresden simply treats women differently than men. Dresden views women as potential mates and therefore will bend-over-backwards to help them...unless it is clear that he won't have sex with them in which case he doesn't care about them anymore.
I also feel like Butcher had Dresden retain the winter mantle simply so that Dresden has an excuse to say the word "primal". My god. If I have to read the word 'primal' one more time I will puke. I think he talks about how "no no no. It isn't me. It's the Winter Mantel making me go primal and wanting to have sex with you." at least two dozen times in this book. Which is really also odd considering where Harry is in his life right now. Where the hell did all this lusting over a sexy vampire come from?
Lastly, I've reached my limit with Harry's world view that either he gets his way or he fights you. There were a half-dozen or so times where this literally happened. He literally just threatened to kill someone or fight them unless he got his way. While it is more understandable in a time where Harry is depressed, this is not new from him. I think it just became more clear as Harry has become more powerful that he is kind of an asshole who just so happens to do good things too.
Why does all the above bother me? I don't think I can put it into words so I'm going to try something different. There are a lot of people who believe that the book 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov is a story about a 12-year old nymphet who seduces an older man and the fallout from all of it. If you are reading this and believe that also to be the case, I would recommend considering whether the book, narrated through the eyes of the pedophile, Humbert Humbert, is really a reliable retelling. Someone with such proclivities will certainly do everything they can to justify their behavior. So instead of calling it what it is, he has spun this entire narrative where he was the white knight, hoping to save a child, but this child seduced him despite all his best efforts. And Nabokov shows us how these people justify it within their minds.
This is a pretty wild take, but unfortunately, I feel like Butcher is, unconsciously, doing this with Dresden, in a similar way. While the situation is very different in that we are not talking about sex crimes, I feel like Dresden is an unreliable narrator. (Although I have not forgotten the plot line Butcher penned involving a young Molly Carpenter - Dresden's best friend's daughter no less - and Dresden doing his best not to succumb to the seductions of this teenage nymphet!) And it is worse when I consider that this really feels a lot like Butcher imagining himself as the hero in a fantasy world. (Can anyone recall a female character described as anything other than a near-world class beauty? Murphy is the closest and she is still objectified in detail. Again, the entire world Butcher created here feels like his own personal wet dream where every woman is beautiful.) Perhaps the biggest example of this is how he is now treating Dresden's love life. Out with the old model in with the super sexy young model? If Butcher went through a divorce recently this is almost like him talking about getting a younger and hotter wife!
Almost all of my complaints about this book are things that have persisted in the series for a very long time. As I stand here today, I think the reason why I felt so disappointed with them in this book is because it overshadowed some amazing writing and storytelling by Butcher.
With most of the venom out, let me build off of that last sentence. As I noted at the start, Marsters gave a masterful performance. I first saw Marsters when he debuted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His character, Spike, became an instant fan favorite; and for good reason. Marsters' performance for this novel saw him pour all of the emotions from the page into his delivery. While he perhaps does not quite have the range as some other popular narrators, I cannot think of anyone doing this series besides him.
Well if you've made it this far, wow. Thanks for reading. I found this book to be very frustrating, as you no doubt saw, but there are many positives as well. Not a whole lot happens except for positioning the bigger plot issues. But we get to see an emotional side that feels organic and not contrived. If you enjoy more of the somber books in the series, this one might be for you.
Second disclaimer: my review is likely to contain many unpopular opinions.
It has been several years since Battle Ground. Our titular character Harry Dresden is inconsolable following significant losses and he is teetering on the edge of insanity. Something that most of us on Goodreads already know is that writing is an art form that imparts some of the author into his or her art. I know that Butcher went through some difficult times in his own personal life (and he makes mention of this in his brief foreword). I am reminded of something I heard about the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Some commentators applauded the writing to a couple of the endings, saying that it emotionally impacted them due to the realism. They stated that it was clear the writer had experienced depression because only someone who has gone through it could express the emotion of it so well...
For the first quarter of the book, it is inescapable that Butcher wrote his heart and soul onto the page through Dresden. Reading on Audible, James Marsters provided an Emmy-worthy performance. (More on narration at the end.) This was a powerful book when it dealt with human emotions, and at its heart, Twelve Months is a story about healing and recovery. Even when things seem the bleakest, that is when the light begins to shine.
I will wholeheartedly applaud this side of the book. My issue with a substantial part of the book is that it rehashed problems I have seen perhaps since Storm Front (book 1). If you happen upon this review, you likely are a fan of the series so the issue to which I refer is probably something that doesn't bother you. Even I picked up on it but kind of ignored it (although I have mentioned it in other reviews of his work) because I enjoyed the story. You see, Harry Dresden is perhaps my least favorite character in the entire series. He is misogynistic at worst, and paternalistic at best. He is a bully. And as I noted in the first substantive paragraph, Butcher expresses himself through Dresden. It feels like Dresden is Butcher cosplaying the white knight. I don't mind Butcher having those thoughts, but so much of this book was just, yucky. Let me try to explain:
Dresden cannot introduce a female character in this series without first rating her on a sexiness scale, then list all of her attractive features. A man is described in a sentence but a woman is described down to her toe nail color. Dresden simply treats women differently than men. Dresden views women as potential mates and therefore will bend-over-backwards to help them...unless it is clear that he won't have sex with them in which case he doesn't care about them anymore.
I also feel like Butcher had Dresden retain the winter mantle simply so that Dresden has an excuse to say the word "primal". My god. If I have to read the word 'primal' one more time I will puke. I think he talks about how "no no no. It isn't me. It's the Winter Mantel making me go primal and wanting to have sex with you." at least two dozen times in this book. Which is really also odd considering where Harry is in his life right now. Where the hell did all this lusting over a sexy vampire come from?
Lastly, I've reached my limit with Harry's world view that either he gets his way or he fights you. There were a half-dozen or so times where this literally happened. He literally just threatened to kill someone or fight them unless he got his way. While it is more understandable in a time where Harry is depressed, this is not new from him. I think it just became more clear as Harry has become more powerful that he is kind of an asshole who just so happens to do good things too.
Why does all the above bother me? I don't think I can put it into words so I'm going to try something different. There are a lot of people who believe that the book 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov is a story about a 12-year old nymphet who seduces an older man and the fallout from all of it. If you are reading this and believe that also to be the case, I would recommend considering whether the book, narrated through the eyes of the pedophile, Humbert Humbert, is really a reliable retelling. Someone with such proclivities will certainly do everything they can to justify their behavior. So instead of calling it what it is, he has spun this entire narrative where he was the white knight, hoping to save a child, but this child seduced him despite all his best efforts. And Nabokov shows us how these people justify it within their minds.
This is a pretty wild take, but unfortunately, I feel like Butcher is, unconsciously, doing this with Dresden, in a similar way. While the situation is very different in that we are not talking about sex crimes, I feel like Dresden is an unreliable narrator. (Although I have not forgotten the plot line Butcher penned involving a young Molly Carpenter - Dresden's best friend's daughter no less - and Dresden doing his best not to succumb to the seductions of this teenage nymphet!) And it is worse when I consider that this really feels a lot like Butcher imagining himself as the hero in a fantasy world. (Can anyone recall a female character described as anything other than a near-world class beauty? Murphy is the closest and she is still objectified in detail. Again, the entire world Butcher created here feels like his own personal wet dream where every woman is beautiful.) Perhaps the biggest example of this is how he is now treating Dresden's love life. Out with the old model in with the super sexy young model? If Butcher went through a divorce recently this is almost like him talking about getting a younger and hotter wife!
Almost all of my complaints about this book are things that have persisted in the series for a very long time. As I stand here today, I think the reason why I felt so disappointed with them in this book is because it overshadowed some amazing writing and storytelling by Butcher.
With most of the venom out, let me build off of that last sentence. As I noted at the start, Marsters gave a masterful performance. I first saw Marsters when he debuted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His character, Spike, became an instant fan favorite; and for good reason. Marsters' performance for this novel saw him pour all of the emotions from the page into his delivery. While he perhaps does not quite have the range as some other popular narrators, I cannot think of anyone doing this series besides him.
Well if you've made it this far, wow. Thanks for reading. I found this book to be very frustrating, as you no doubt saw, but there are many positives as well. Not a whole lot happens except for positioning the bigger plot issues. But we get to see an emotional side that feels organic and not contrived. If you enjoy more of the somber books in the series, this one might be for you.
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