Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

****No Spoilers**** This is a significant departure from what most fans have come to expect in regard to offering a complete story while continuing a large overarching story arc, in that: This isn't a complete story and the large overarching details are largely just re-hashed details fans already knew or suspected with a few small new pieces thrown in. I feel like Jim, the author, has had a plate full for many years. Deadlines and real life and original content didn't line-up, and I get the feeling that the publisher was like: Well the book you wrote is really long, and it's been a long time since your last book; thus, to make it seem like you didn't have problems, bloat the early parts with re-hashed details from earlier work, end on cliff-hanger, and then finish the story in the next book which will come out in just a couple of months. I'm a big fan of Jim's work, and the Dresden Files are my favorite books, and while I am happy to have another book in my favorite series, I also feel I should be honest: This book is only half the story. It's the setup to what might be finished in the book release at the end of September 2020. I purchase all of Dresden Files books in multiple formats: Hardcover, Audible and Kindle, for every book, and typically I am happy to do it; but right now I just feel robbed. There's a ton of specifics that I could get into but will not in order to not spoil it for you. Jim is typically a master at foreshadowing, but in this outing he lays the groundwork for a payoff that doesn't appear in the book. Hopefully Battle Grounds will be better, but it will also risk being the most predictable book in the series; because, the foreshadowing done in Peace Talks that has yet to play out. ***UPDATE** (A Couple Years Later) I have listened to the book several times, as—like I said—I'm a big fan. In the years since my first read/listen on audible I have gained more adoration for the book; however, my 2-star review stands. This book was a terrible let down at the time and just doesn't fit with the other books in the series as each other book has been written in a way where each case (novel) was a complete story and could stand alone. You could read all the other books out of order and enjoy them (which I recommend, as while I love books 1 & 2, they certainly aren't as engaging as books 3 through 10—but I digress), but this book, no matter how you look at it, just can't stand alone. I still love this book series, but I call it like I see it.