Peace Talks (The Dresden Files)

Last updated
Peace Talks
Peace Talks (The Dresden Files) Cover.jpg
Author Jim Butcher
Cover artist Christian McGrath
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series The Dresden Files
Genre Detective
Contemporary fantasy
Urban fantasy
Published Ace Books
Publication date
July 14, 2020
Media typeHardcover
Pages340
ISBN 978-0-451-46441-5
813/.6
LC Class PS3602.U85 P43 2020
Preceded by Skin Game  
Followed by Battle Ground  

Peace Talks is a novel in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is the 16th novel in the series. [1] It follows the protagonist, Harry Dresden as he attempts to navigate a convoluted peace negotiation between various supernatural powers.

Contents

Plot

Harry Dresden, now torn between his White Council wizard duties, his obligatory Winter Knight duties, and being a father to his daughter Maggie, is contacted by the Winter Queen Mab to serve as emissary for Winter at upcoming peace negotiations between the Fomor and the various other signatories of the Accords. Even as he does, he discovers that forces in the mortal world are moving against him and Karrin Murphy, the White Council may be meeting to expel him, something in collusion with Outsiders is trying to kill him, and his grandfather, Ebenezar McCoy, wants to take Maggie away from him to someplace safe until she can grow into her magic.

Harry's brother, Thomas Raith, attacks the King of the Svartalfar at the cusp of the negotiations, fails, and is imprisoned. Lara Raith uses favors from Mab to force Harry into springing him, and they do so right during the middle of the peace talks for the Fomor to join the Accords.

Arriving just as Harry and Lara are escaping, King Corb of the Fomor declares open war on the surface and humanity, and introduces the last Titan, Ethniu, who is in possession of the Eye of Balor and effortlessly humiliates Mab and intimidates almost all other present parties. Corb declares that in a few hours, the Fomor will rise from Lake Michigan and sack Chicago. The Accorded representatives realize this would almost certainly mean a genocidal war against the supernatural and would likely result in their extinction while the Fomor are safe in their underwater cities.

Harry flees to Demonreach with Thomas, who is dying from his Hunger. He has to outwit his grandfather McCoy; after a fierce duel, Harry finally reveals that Thomas is his brother, much to the older wizard's utter disgust and rage. Harry escapes and traps Thomas in a Warden crystal, imprisoning him in Demonreach, to keep him alive.

Lara attacks Harry in a rage, thinking he has effectively trapped Thomas as a future pawn. Harry easily overpowers her with the aid of the island's spirit, and the two agree to an uneasy truce to face the greater threat, not having the resources to save Thomas on hand anyway.

Introduced characters

Reception

Publishers Weekly wrote that it seems like the book is a prologue to the next book in the series, and had a lot of background information that serves new readers well, but may be tedious for fans. [2] Other publications reviewed the novel positively. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Dresden Files</i> (TV series) Canadian/American television series

The Dresden Files is a dark fantasy television series based on the fantasy book series of the same name by Jim Butcher. The series follows private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden as portrayed by Paul Blackthorne, and recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago. It premiered on January 21, 2007, on Sci Fi Channel in the United States and on Space in Canada. It was picked up by Sky One in the UK and began airing on February 14 the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Butcher</span> American fantasy author (born 1971)

Jim Butcher is an American author. He has written the contemporary fantasy The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Cinder Spires book series.

The Dresden Files, a contemporary fantasy/mystery novel series written by American author Jim Butcher, features a wide cast of characters. The book series was also made into a live-action television series which ran in 2007.

<i>Storm Front (The Dresden Files)</i> Novel by Jim Butcher

Storm Front is a 2000 fantasy novel by American writer Jim Butcher. It is the first novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series, and it follows the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard. The novel was later adapted into a pilot for a SyFy channel television series, though Jim Butcher felt the writers were not attempting to recreate the novel on a "chapter by chapter or even story by story basis".

<i>Grave Peril (The Dresden Files)</i> 2001 novel by Jim Butcher

Grave Peril is a 2001 urban fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the third novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only professional wizard.

<i>Death Masks</i> 2003 urban fantsy novel by Jim Butcher

Death Masks is a 2003 novel by science fiction and fantasy author Jim Butcher. It is the fifth novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series that follows the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard.

<i>Small Favor</i> 2008 book by Jim Butcher

Small Favor is the tenth book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. The book stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 3 weeks following its release, attaining the number 2 spot during its first week. Small Favor is available as an eBook and an audio CD (ISBN 0-14-314339-5).

<i>Summer Knight</i> 2002 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

Summer Knight is a 2002 New York Times Bestselling contemporary fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the fourth novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only professional wizard.

<i>Blood Rites (The Dresden Files)</i> Book by Jim Butcher

Blood Rites is the 6th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.

<i>Dead Beat (The Dresden Files)</i> 2005 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

Dead Beat is the 7th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Dresden. It is available in print and e-book.

<i>Proven Guilty</i> Novel by Jim Butcher

Proven Guilty is the 8th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. It had a release date of May 2, 2006.

<i>White Night</i> (<i>The Dresden Files</i>) 2007 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

White Night is the 9th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.

<i>Turn Coat</i> 2009 novel by Jim Butcher

Turn Coat is the 11th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Dresden. It debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction.

<i>Changes (The Dresden Files)</i> 2010 novel by Jim Butcher

Changes is the 12th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Changes was released on April 6, 2010, and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Fiction, dropping to #3 in its second week on the list.

<i>Ghost Story</i> (The Dresden Files) 2011 urban fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

Ghost Story is the 13th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing urban fantasy series about Chicago wizard Harry Dresden.

The Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, Storm Front—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books.

<i>Cold Days</i> 2012 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

Cold Days is a 2012 bestselling novel by Jim Butcher and the 14th book in the ongoing The Dresden Files series. The book was first published on November 27, 2012 through Roc Hardcover and continues the adventures of wizard detective Harry Dresden.

<i>Skin Game (The Dresden Files)</i> 2014 fantasy novel by Jim Butcher

Skin Game is a novel in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is the 15th novel in the series. It follows the protagonist, Harry Dresden as he teams up with former enemies to rob a vault belonging to Hades, lord of the Underworld.

Besides the novels of The Dresden Files, author Jim Butcher has written several shorter works appearing in the same universe. Most are told from the point of view of Harry Dresden, as are the novels, but some take the point of view of other characters.

<i>Battle Ground</i> (The Dresden Files) 2020 novel by Jim Butcher

Battle Ground is a novel by Jim Butcher and is the 17th novel in The Dresden Files. Battle Ground was published on September 29, 2020 by Little, Brown Book Group. In it Harry Dresden, the protagonist, attempts to stop the Titan Ethniu from destroying Chicago.

References

  1. ↑ Cordova, Randy (June 6, 2014). "Author Jim Butcher embraces nerd following". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Book Review: Peace Talks by Jim Butcher. Ace, $28 (352p) ISBN 978-0-451-46441-5". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. ↑ Galvan, Terry (2020-07-16). "Book Review: Peace Talks, the Latest Installment of Dresden Files Holds Up, Even for Latecomers". Third Coast Review. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. ↑ Collins, Adrian (2020-07-22). "REVIEW: Peace Talks by Jim Butcher". Grimdark Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.