[flea]

Any idea about how many more books are planned?

[pat5150]

Originally, there was supposed to be 20 case books and one final trilogy to wrap everything up. But with Peace Talks split into 2 volumes and Twelve Months added to the mix, we're now looking at 25 installments in total.

[pat5150]

Just finished Twelve Months.

Given how slow-moving the book turned out to be, what with it mostly focusing on Harry as he copes with grief and slowly heals as Chicago is gradually being rebuilt, I was wondering if Butcher would somehow end it all with a bang. As much as Harry needs the break, I wasn't sure if fans who've been waiting for years for the next book would fully appreciate this unplanned Dresden Files title.

The answer is yes! The last 20% of the novel really delivers and sets the stage for so much more. I don't know at which point these plotlines were meant to occur and whether or not it will screw up Butcher's timeline for the next few books, but it brings Twelve Months to a satisfying close.

I have a feeling you guys will like it.

[pat5150]

My review is up if you want to read it:

https://fantasyhotli...lve-months.html

[Tsundoku]

pat5150, on 31 August 2025 - 09:05 PM, said:

My review is up if you want to read it:

https://fantasyhotli...lve-months.html

*hate reads review*

OK fine, you live. For now.

[Tiste Simeon]

Do you know what? I'm glad Pat did this. It gave me a nice nostalgic blast when the collective rage rose up amongst the Malazan forums because Pat had been reading stuff before us. So thank you Pat for the memories, and I hate you in a loving way.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 01 September 2025 - 08:08 AM, said:

Do you know what? I'm glad Pat did this. It gave me a nice nostalgic blast when the collective rage rose up amongst the Malazan forums because Pat had been reading stuff before us. So thank you Pat for the memories, and I hate you in a loving way.

NOSTALGIC
BRAINZEZZZZZZZ

[Abyss]

pat5150, on 31 August 2025 - 09:05 PM, said:

My review is up if you want to read it:

https://fantasyhotli...lve-months.html

great review Pat
SO MUCH THE EATING
OF THE BRAINZEZZZZZ

[Cause]

I reread peace talks and battle grounds in preparation. God I love this series.

In so many ways Dresden is just popcorn fantasy. Nothing too deep, just good fun. However with 15 books and countless side cases it’s actually amazing to see how Dresden has grown. The action and payoff in battle grounds feels earned. We have gone from chasing down second rate warlocks to battling with demigods and saving reality.

Having read Pats review though one thing that I noticed wasn’t mentioned was being starboard. In battle grounds 12 months or rather 1 year is the timeline listens to winds asks for before explaining its importance to Harry.

Also I do look forward to seeing Drakul get what’s coming to him but suspect it won’t be this book.

The black council has been quiet for too long as well and I hope they become more active/important soon. Hopefully 5 years between books is also not going to become the norm. I don’t have that long to live. Does anyone?

I can’t think who the new apprentice will be. Maggie? The warlock from the zoo? Also seems like this would violate white council rules but I guess Harry is too protected to mess with directly now.

Speaking of, I really hope we get an explanation for why Dresden was such in ass in the last two books. Given the stakes and everyone’s justified fears about Dresden him just brushing off Ramirez and the wardens and his blowout with Ebenezar seem too crazy to just play it straight? Would it have killed him to say he had sex with Murphy that night and not Lara? Also letting Lara playing a hologram of them having sex… he was under a lot of pressure sure but come on Harry!

Is Molly going to be the end game for Harry now? It seems too much to change to that direction now but Molly still clearly carries a torch (bonfire) and well I could see Harry somehow getting Murphy back I also don’t know if that would be a good direction either.

[Abyss]

Cause, on 07 December 2025 - 08:37 PM, said:

I reread peace talks and battle grounds in preparation. God I love this series.

In so many ways Dresden is just popcorn fantasy. Nothing too deep, just good fun. However with 15 books and countless side cases it's actually amazing to see how Dresden has grown. The action and payoff in battle grounds feels earned. We have gone from chasing down second rate warlocks to battling with demigods and saving reality.

Having read Pats review though one thing that I noticed wasn't mentioned was being starboard. In battle grounds 12 months or rather 1 year is the timeline listens to winds asks for before explaining its importance to Harry.

Also I do look forward to seeing Drakul get what's coming to him but suspect it won't be this book.

The black council has been quiet for too long as well and I hope they become more active/important soon. Hopefully 5 years between books is also not going to become the norm. I don't have that long to live. Does anyone?

I can't think who the new apprentice will be. Maggie? The warlock from the zoo? Also seems like this would violate white council rules but I guess Harry is too protected to mess with directly now.

Speaking of, I really hope we get an explanation for why Dresden was such in ass in the last two books. Given the stakes and everyone's justified fears about Dresden him just brushing off Ramirez and the wardens and his blowout with Ebenezar seem too crazy to just play it straight? Would it have killed him to say he had sex with Murphy that night and not Lara? Also letting Lara playing a hologram of them having sex… he was under a lot of pressure sure but come on Harry!

Is Molly going to be the end game for Harry now? It seems too much to change to that direction now but Molly still clearly carries a torch (bonfire) and well I could see Harry somehow getting Murphy back I also don't know if that would be a good direction either.

Drakul... we're due for a vampire story, and there have been hints we're looking at a new sneakier variation of the Black Court rising up. Also the Jade Court remains near untouched.


The starborne thing almost certainly ties back to the conflict with the Outsiders so we're probably looking at payoff during the final trilogy. Same for the Black Council.

As a new apprentice Maggie seems possible but i kind of hope not, i like her in the frame as a point of vulnerability and motivation and Mouse's sidekick.

The White Council, Ramirez, and other almost/past allies, the point was made that Harry is just sick of their shit and not willing to compromise/wait/risk to make them feel better when most of their problems relate to something he did a decade ago as a scared kid. He's proven himself multiple times to them and they've done the opposite for him.

Re the video etc, Harry was trying, badly, probably stupidly, to protect Murphy.

Molly as Harry's ultimate romantic pairing is gross and wrong and not out of the question but maybe just maybe Butcher won't live down to that particular expectation.

He definitely left paths open for Murphy's return. I'm split whether that would be a cop-out or acceptable happy ending.

[Cause]

Someone recently used the term fridge on the forum. I don’t quite think that fits for Murphy but also maybe in some ways it’s perfect. She died, she was removed from play but she is also up in Valhalla if Butcher decides she should come back. If she does come back I suspect it won’t be till the apocalypse trilogy or just before. It could be a cop out or well deserved depending on how it plays out but not sure I like it either.

This wedding to Lara and Mollys crush while she is the winter lady could be a great plot line or a disaster. Butchers writing of woman and Dresdens male gaze is painful at times. He tried hard the last two books to humanize Lara and possibly show she has a genuine attraction to Dresden but then again that’s a white court vampires MO. Ebenezsr is not wrong, the scorpion has to sting especially if it’s a 300 year old scorpion who is the defacto ruler of the court. She can’t be a serious contender.

Also the fact Murph supposedly can’t come back while people remember her when her boyfriend is a wizard with a potential lifespan of centuries is cruel to her too. Also Gard loves Hendricks? I mean she is immortal too? Maybe rules are different in that case. I can’t remember if it was ever hinted they were in a relationship though.

[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 09 December 2025 - 04:40 PM, said:

Someone recently used the term fridge on the forum. I don’t quite think that fits for Murphy but also maybe in some ways it’s perfect. She died, she was removed from play but she is also up in Valhalla if Butcher decides she should come back. If she does come back I suspect it won’t be till the apocalypse trilogy or just before. It could be a cop out or well deserved depending on how it plays out but not sure I like it either.

This wedding to Lara and Mollys crush while she is the winter lady could be a great plot line or a disaster. Butchers writing of woman and Dresdens male gaze is painful at times. He tried hard the last two books to humanize Lara and possibly show she has a genuine attraction to Dresden but then again that’s a white court vampires MO. Ebenezsr is not wrong, the scorpion has to sting especially if it’s a 300 year old scorpion who is the defacto ruler of the court. She can’t be a serious contender.

Also the fact Murph supposedly can’t come back while people remember her when her boyfriend is a wizard with a potential lifespan of centuries is cruel to her too. Also Gard loves Hendricks? I mean she is immortal too? Maybe rules are different in that case. I can’t remember if it was ever hinted they were in a relationship though.

Murphy existed WAY too long in the narrative to ever be considered a fridge. A Fridge is someone who is introduced largely to be fridged to push the protagonist forward....if a character suffers a fate like hers after what? 14 books....that's just a character death, not a fridging.

Spoiler

Eo

in RED RISING...that was a fridge (as much as I loved that book)...

Spoiler

because she literally exists to die to get Darrow to where he needs to be to kick off the story...she may as well be called "Inciting Incident: The Woman"

[Tiste Simeon]

I don't remember any of these books! I definitely don't have time for a full Dresden reread though. Maybe just Peace Talks & Battleground...

[worry]

I get what Cause is saying though -- he's not using "fridge" in the same way as that critical lens, but is talking about removing the person from action and then (at least potentially) plopping them back in at a later date. I think -- at least among other things -- that might be called putting someone in the icebox! Which is kinda funny -- an almost identical term to fridging for a completely different phenomenon.

[Cause]

worry, on 09 December 2025 - 06:37 PM, said:

I get what Cause is saying though -- he's not using "fridge" in the same way as that critical lens, but is talking about removing the person from action and then (at least potentially) plopping them back in at a later date. I think -- at least among other things -- that might be called putting someone in the icebox! Which is kinda funny -- an almost identical term to fridging for a completely different phenomenon.

Yes thats what I was thinking. She is removed to motivate Dresden, provide tension, create the lara marraige plot but Butcher has clearly left the option for her return.

I wonder if the Lara marraige plot was always an idea he wanted to pursue but Butcher realised that there was no way to do it while Murphy was alive. Mab would be in character in not caring that Harry has a girlfriend but Harry could never have even played along with Murph in the picture.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 09 December 2025 - 06:37 PM, said:

I get what Cause is saying though -- he's not using "fridge" in the same way as that critical lens, but is talking about removing the person from action and then (at least potentially) plopping them back in at a later date. I think -- at least among other things -- that might be called putting someone in the icebox! Which is kinda funny -- an almost identical term to fridging for a completely different phenomenon.

Icebox! Yes. Let's make that one fly....fridging has a VERY bad reputation on social media to use in this fashion.

[Abyss]

Cause, on 09 December 2025 - 07:12 PM, said:

worry, on 09 December 2025 - 06:37 PM, said:

I get what Cause is saying though -- he's not using "fridge" in the same way as that critical lens, but is talking about removing the person from action and then (at least potentially) plopping them back in at a later date. I think -- at least among other things -- that might be called putting someone in the icebox! Which is kinda funny -- an almost identical term to fridging for a completely different phenomenon.

Yes thats what I was thinking. She is removed to motivate Dresden, provide tension, create the lara marraige plot but Butcher has clearly left the option for her return.

I wonder if the Lara marraige plot was always an idea he wanted to pursue but Butcher realised that there was no way to do it while Murphy was alive. Mab would be in character in not caring that Harry has a girlfriend but Harry could never have even played along with Murph in the picture.

Not to mention he's supposed to be marrying his half brother's half sister by a different mother.

[pat5150]

Cause, on 07 December 2025 - 08:37 PM, said:

Having read Pats review though one thing that I noticed wasn’t mentioned was being starboard. In battle grounds 12 months or rather 1 year is the timeline listens to winds asks for before explaining its importance to Harry.

It does have something to do with the Outsiders. That is confirmed but little else. Ultimately, I have a feeling that this will come into play in the final trilogy, or more toward the end.