Witch Queen of Redwinter


You may recall that in my review of the third installment of The Raven's Mark trilogy, I claimed that Ed McDonald had the potential to be the next Joe Abercrombie. Sadly, I quickly realized that the Redwinter Chronicles was a totally different beast. Especially the YA style and tone, which feel ill-suited for the story the author is trying to tell. And yet, despite its flaws, I felt that Daughter of Redwinter marked the beginning of a promising new series. I was hoping that McDonald could step up to the plate and deliver like he did in the past.

Alas, Traitor of Redwinter proved that it wasn't meant to be. I don't know if it was a case of the middle book syndrome, or if there simply wasn't enough material here to warrant a full novel, but not much happens during a rather big chunk of that book. In the end, it turned out to be a slog to finish.

At the time, I was wondering if I'd read the final volume, Witch Queen of Redwinter. I've invested a lot of my time reading the first two volumes, so a part of me wanted to discover how it would end. However, another part of me couldn't even think of spending another minute reading Raine's POV. So it took a while, but ultimately I elected to give this one a shot. And though it was better than its predecessor, taken as a whole this trilogy can be nothing but a disappointment for me.

Here's the blurb:

Having been saved from execution at the hands of the Draoihn—powerful magic users Raine used to count as allies—Raine finds herself in the Fault, a vast magical wasteland, which is falling apart before her eyes.

Alongside her two closest companions, they are searching for the only person Raine believes can help them get back home: the enigmatic and infuriatingly elusive Queen of Feathers.

But what home are they trying to get back to? Ovitus LacNaithe, power-hungry traitor that he is, has taken control of the Draoihn and is unwittingly doing the bidding of a darker master. He is soon to take control of the Crown of Harranir and plunge the land into unending darkness.

The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. The stakes have never been higher. It’s going to take Raine’s dark, terrible powers, as well as the unbreakable bond of three friends, to ensure everyone lives to see the dawn.


In my review of Daughter of Redwinter, I bemoaned the fact that McDonald came up with lots of fascinating concepts and ideas, yet à la Mark Lawrence he played his cards way too close to his chest and did not elaborate much on them. He was a bit more forthcoming in Traitor of Redwinter, and those revelations are likely the only reason why I managed to reach the end of that book. We did learn a bit more about Raine's grave sight and its repercussions, and we also discovered that she's not the first person the Queen of Feathers has groomed for some nebulous objective. This third installment finally unveils the truth about Maldouen, the Crowns, the Fault, the Sarathi, the Riven Queen, Empress Song Seondeok, Empress Serranis, and the Queen of Feathers. McDonald finally provides answers to our ever-growing list of questions, yet I often felt that it was a case of too little, too late. Still, in Witch Queen of Redwinter at least, the author delivered on the worldbuilding front. Having said that, the facet which continues to sink this story is the incredibly weak political intrigue that has to do with Ovitus seizing control of the kingdom and everything that follows.

In my opinion, first-person narratives are always tricky things and can easily make or break a novel. And unfortunately, I feel that Raine's perspective could well be the most detrimental aspect of this series. Two volumes into this trilogy, she has become hard to root/care for. In my review of Traitor of Redwinter, I said that there is only so much self-loathing monologues one can take and I've reached my breaking point in that regard. There is such a thing as character development, and then there's flogging a dead horse. To his credit, Ed McDonald did something quite unexpected about that in this final installment. I'm not going to reveal what it is, because it would be a major spoiler. But it does help a little. Once again, the three-way romance between Raine and the other Draoihn apprentices is full of the teenage angst that so characterize most SFF YA works and things don't improve in that regard. Once more, I can't help but feel that multiple POVs would have given more depth to this series.

Although he failed to do so in the first two volumes, in the past Ed McDonald was known for closing the show with style and aplomb. Both Ravencry and Crowfall featured exciting endgames that led to thrilling finales which packed a surprisingly powerful emotional punch. Again, though Witch Queen of Redwinter is by no means a great read, the author came up with a gripping endgame and a totally unanticipated finale. Whether or not this is enough to save the trilogy as a whole, your mileage may vary. The open-ended conclusion may not please everyone, but I feel that it works rather well.

When all is said and done, though the Redwinter Chronicles show some signs of brilliance from time to time, I believe that the YA style and tone are what made this series a failure to launch for me. Which is not to say that other readers might not love everything about it. It just wasn't for me. . .

The final verdict: 6.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Quote of the Day

That was the thing about the truth: it only came out when the cost of lying became too high.

- THOMAS R. WEAVER, Artificial Wisdom

Only 50 pages into this one, but it's pretty good thus far!

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Last Wish for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin.

And a cold-blooded killer.

His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good. . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

The international hit that inspired the video game: The Witcher.


You can also download George R. R. Martin's Dying of the Light for only 4.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

In this unforgettable space opera, #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin presents a chilling vision of eternal night—a volatile world where cultures clash, codes of honor do not exist, and the hunter and the hunted are often interchangeable.

A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight. Gwen needs Dirk’s protection, and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means challenging the barbaric man who has claimed her. But an impenetrable veil of secrecy surrounds them all, and it’s becoming impossible for Dirk to distinguish between his allies and his enemies. In this dangerous triangle, one is hurtling toward escape, another toward revenge, and the last toward a brutal, untimely demise.

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Martha Wells' Witch King for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

"I didn't know you were a... demon."
"You idiot. I'm the demon."

Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' WITCH KING....

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.


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You can now download Hannah Kaner's Godkiller for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes—the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows.

As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it.


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You can now download David Hair's Mage's Blood, opening chapter in The Moontide Quartet, for 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. All three subsequent installments are also on sale.

Here's the blurb:

For years the Leviathan Bridge was a boon for prosperity and culture. But when the Rondian Emperor turned his avaricious eyes toward it, peace became war. In successive crusades the Imperial legions and their mighty battle-mages plundered the East unopposed.

Now the Moontide has come again, the Bridge is rising from beneath the waves, and the Third Crusade is poised for release. The board is set and the pieces are moving. But three lowly pawns, barely regarded, threaten the game: A failed mage, a jaded mercenary and a lowly market-girl are about to be catapulted into the maelstrom. Their choices and their courage are about to change the world.

Come to Urte, where the moon covers half the sky and the tides render the seas impassable. Where windships ply the skies and magi with god-gifted powers rule the earth. Where East and West are divided by colour, creed, language and the sea, but drawn to each other irrevocably in a dance of life and death. The Moontide is coming, to sweep away all in its path.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (August 3rd)

In hardcover:

Sarah Beth Durst's The Enchanted Greenhouse debuts at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Mai Corland's Three Shattered Souls debuts at number 3. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Julie Soto's Rose in Chains is down four spots, finishing the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stephen King's Never Flinch isup two positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm is down two positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Brigitte Knightley's The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is down thirteen positions, ending the week at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is up seven positions, ending the week at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses returns at number 12. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Adam Oyebanji's Esperance for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

A whip-smart thriller in the vein of Blake Crouch, Andy Weir, and Neal Stephenson, Esperance plumbs the depths of a seemingly impossible crime rooted in racism, intergenerational trauma, and an inhuman concept of justice

Detective Ethan Krol is on the twentieth floor of a Chicago apartment building. A father and son have been found dead, their lungs full of sea water—hundreds of miles away from the ocean.

Abidemi Eniola has arrived in Bristol, England. She claims to be Nigerian, but her accent is wrong and she can do remarkable things with technology, things that her new friend, Hollie Rogers, has never seen before. Abi is in possession of a number of heirlooms that need to be returned to their rightful owners, and Hollie is more than happy to go along for the ride.

But neither Abidemi Eniola nor her heirlooms are quite what they seem. Abi is a target of Ethan Krol’s investigations, and Hollie’s life is about to become far stranger than she bargained for. In a clash of cultures, histories, and different ideas about justice, the consequences will be deadly…



You can also download Grace Curtis' Floating Hotel for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

This cozy science fiction novel tells a story of misfits, rebels, found family—and a mystery that spans the stars

Welcome to the Grand Abeona Hotel: home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. All year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury—and an absolute magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such as: Why are there love poems in the lobby inbox? How many Imperial spies are currently on board? What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference? And perhaps most pertinently—who is driving the ship?

Each guest has a secret, every member of staff a universe unto themselves. At the center of these interweaving lives and interlocking mysteries stands Carl, one time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final question: when is it time to let go?


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download David Hair's Map's Edge for only 0.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Follow a renegade sorcerer off the edge of the map, in a thrilling adventure perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien de Castell

'A page-turning adventure filled with excitement and intriguing characters. For those loving an epic fantasy with plenty of sword-fights, gun-play, bare-fisted combat and battles between sorcerers, this book's for you' Amazing Stories

Soldier, sorcerer and exiled nobleman Raythe Vyre has run out of places to hide. When the all-conquering Bolgravian Empire invaded, Raythe grabbed his daughter Zar and after taking part in a disastrous rebellion, they washed up on the edge of the continent.

Now he's found a chance of redemption for himself and the precociously talented Zar: a map showing a hitherto unknown place that's rich in istariol, the rare mineral that fuels sorcery. Mining it will need people, but luckily there are plenty of outcasts, ne'er-do-wells and loners desperate enough to brave haunted roads through the ruins of an ancient, long-dead civilisation, to seek wealth and freedom.

But the Bolgravian Empire is not about to let anyone defy it - and even out here, at the edge of the map, implacable imperial agent Toran Zorne has caught Raythe's scent.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Kristen Britain's Green Rider, first volume in the NYT bestselling Green Rider series, for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. The second volume, First Rider's Call, is also on sale.

Here's the blurb:

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by a galloping horse bursting from the woods, its rider impaled by two black-shafted arrows.

As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of King Zachary. Before he dies, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the "life and death" message he’s carrying and to complete his mission "for love of her country." The man gives her his green coat, with the symbolic brooch of his office, bestowing upon Karigan the title of Green Rider and changing her life forever. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

Green Rider is the first installment of the acclaimed Green Rider series.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Patrick Rothfuss' The Narrow Road Between Desires for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Number 1 New York Times-bestselling phenomenon Patrick Rothfuss returns to the wildly popular Kingkiller Chronicle universe with a stunning reimagining of "The Lightning Tree." Expanded to twice its previous length and lavishly illustrated by Nate Taylor, this touching stand-alone story is sure to please new readers and veteran Rothfuss fans alike.

Bast knows how to bargain. The give-and-take of a negotiation is as familiar to him as the in-and-out of breathing; to watch him trade is to watch an artist at work. But even a master's brush can slip. When he accepts a gift, taking something for nothing, Bast's whole world is knocked askew, for he knows how to bargain—but not how to owe.

From dawn to midnight over the course of a single day, follow the Kingkiller Chronicle's most charming fae as he schemes and sneaks, dancing into trouble and back out again with uncanny grace.

The Narrow Road Between Desires is Bast's story. In it he traces the old ways of making and breaking, following his heart even when doing so goes against his better judgement.

After all, what good is caution if it keeps him from danger and delight?



You can also download T. Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince.

It's the one where she kills him.

Marra — a shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter — is relieved not to be married off for the sake of her parents’ throne. Her older sister wasn’t so fortunate though, and her royal husband is as abusive as he is powerful. From the safety of the convent, Marra wonders who will come to her sister’s rescue and put a stop to this. But after years of watching their families and kingdoms pretend all is well, Marra realizes if any hero is coming, it will have to be Marra herself.

If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, a witch will grant her the tools she needs. But, as is the way in stories of princes and the impossible, these tasks are only the beginning of Marra’s strange and enchanting journey to save her sister and topple a throne.



You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Cassandra Clare's Sword Catcher for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Two outcasts find themselves at the center of world-altering change in the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword-Catcher—the body-double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are close as brothers, but Kel knows he has one destiny: to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community who still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls in the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend Mariam without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will Lin and Kel’s discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?


More inexpensive ebook goodies!



You can now download Joe Abercrombie's The Wisdom of Crowds for 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now the Breakers have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.

Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age. Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke runs out of allies . . . while Black Calder plots his vengeance.

The banks fall, the sun of the Union is torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are drawn together . . .


WTF again!?!


You may recall that the Hotlist beat its previous record last July with 69,895 page views in a single day. That was more than three times the previous daily record!

Well, not sure how it's even possible, but we recently blew that record right out of the water with an unbelievable 106,300 pages views in 24 hours!!!

Whoever you are and wherever you come from, I hope you find something to like around these parts. =)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (July 27th)

In hardcover:

Julie Soto's Rose in Chains debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Brigitte Knightley's The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy debuts at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm is up two positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stephen King's Never Flinch is down six positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rachel Gillig's The Knight and the Moth is down one position, ending the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl debuts at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

V. E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is down nine spots, finishing the week at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is down three positions, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download David Drake's The Legions of Fire for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

In this novel of magical menace to the survival of all humanity, David Drake introduces a new fantasy world, Carce, based on Europe during the later Roman Empire.

Far in the north, a group of magicians perform a strange dance on a volcanic island. They intend to open a gateway for supernatural creatures that will allow them to devastate the planet and destroy all life. Not knowing the cause, two young men, Corylus and Varus, and two women, Hedia and Alphena, each separately pursue the answer to mysterious and threatening happenings that prefigure disaster in the great city of Carce, the center of civilization. Through magical voyages in other realities where fantastic creatures, and even gods, help or hinder them, each of them must succeed or not just the city but the world will end in fire.

The Legions of Fire is the first of a fantasy quartet set in the world of the city of Carce.


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You can now download TJ Klune's Somewhere Beyond the Sea for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade.

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of George R. R. Martin's excellent Fevre Dream for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Abner Marsh, a struggling riverboat captain, suspects that something’s amiss when he is approached by a wealthy aristocrat with a lucrative offer. The hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet; nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York’s reasons for traversing the powerful Mississippi are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious York’s actions may prove. Not until the maiden voyage of Fevre Dream does Marsh realize that he has joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare—and humankind’s most impossible dream.

Twelve Months


As you know, the next Dresden Files installment was meant to be Mirror, Mirror. But following the catastrophic events of Peace Talks and Battle Ground, Jim Butcher felt that Harry needed to "become a human being again" by providing time to recover and cope with his losses, moving beyond the typical "worst weekend of Harry's year" format of previous novels. The author realized that throwing Harry directly into the next major arc without any recuperation time would be too much for the character, making Twelve Months essential for his journey.

Be that as it may, my main concern was that such a long interlude, unplanned in Butcher's timeline to boot, wouldn't sit well with fans who will have been waiting for more than five years for their next Dresden fix once this book is released. Sure, Harry needs time to recover. But would readers be happy with such a work coming so many years after the last Dresden Files book? Well, this reader was!

Given the nature of the story, Twelve Months is a very slow-moving work. It is mostly about Harry coping with grief and loss in the aftermath of the Battle of Chicago. The destruction is widespread and whole swaths of the metropolis are now Gaza-like, and relief and rebuilding efforts are slow in coming. The magical conflict acted as a giant EMP burst that fried electronic devices and power systems throughout the entire city. And though locals know the truth, or at least a measure of it, the government is trying to keep the supernatural elements secret and the official word is that this was a terrorist attack. It looks as though this is sort of a transition work that will bridge what transpired before and what will come next. Harry is hurting bad and Murphy's death made him an emotional wreck. The only wizard in the phonebook has been through a lot since Storm Front and he has now hit rock bottom.

Here's the blurb:

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 to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time.

But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out 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 Harry Dresden the man to rise to the challenge?


Though crippled physically, psychologically, and emotionally, as a matter of course shit continues to happen around him. And do-gooder that he is, Harry tries to help every way he can. Parts of Chicago lie in ruins and Harry does his best to shelter and feed the survivors who lost their homes and loved ones. But there is chaos on the streets and the police forces are spread too thin to make a difference. The Council is keeping an eye on Harry, ready to send in a death squad should they feel it necessary. Harry's brother is in stasis on Demonreach and not getting better and Justine's been sighted in Europe. To make matters worse, Thomas is wanted for murder and Etri, king of the Svartalves, will accept no compromise but his head to settle the matter. Drakul has given Harry and the White Council leave to come after him, if they so choose, without having to worry about breaking the Accords. Moreover, Harry now has a new apprentice to worry about, just another thing that would put him even higher up on the Council's shitlist. And to make matters even more awkward, to help prepare for their marriage, Mab forces Harry to go on a date with Lara every month. Long story short, Harry is in no shape to deal with any of this shit. Trouble is, he has no choice but to try, for too many people depend on him.

For the most part, Twelve Months does indeed read like one long interlude. As such, it's a bit discordant when compared to the pace of the rest of the series. And yet, though it is indeed slow-moving, it is never dull. Understandably, Harry needed the time to heal and deal with the guilt that breaks him on a daily basis. No matter how uber badass he has become, it's nice to see that he's human afterall. But now that I've read the novel, I feel that the series also needed that breather. Indeed, this unplanned book allows Butcher to bring back a lot of plot threads, many of them from long past installments, which helps readers get refamiliarized with certain storylines and characters without breaking the momentum of the novel. A lot of groundwork has been laid out in the previous seventeen Dresden Files installments and Butcher's newest weaves some of them back together to prepare us of the big apocalypse trilogy to come. Such unhurried rhythm also provides some poignant moments with Molly, Maggie, Michael, and even Harry's grandfather. These were, for me at least, particularly moving.

For a long time, I was wondering if the pace would pick up at some point, or if Twelve Months was all about Harry and Chicago somehow getting back on track over the course of a year and setting the stage for what comes next. Ye of little faith, I should have known that Jim Butcher would have a few surprises up his sleeve. And indeed, the last 20% of the book delivers on basically all fronts. The relationship between Harry and Lara Raith takes an unexpected turn when they agree to work together to find a way to save Thomas from his Hunger. This will take both of them down an unanticipated path, one that will even surprise Mab. The resolution of Thomas' plotline would have made for a satisfying ending, in and of itself. But Harry has made a lot of enemies over the years and they have decided to mount an attack on the crippled wizard's castle. Relying on the help of allies, both old and new (Harry's got a Valkyrie bodyguard named Bear and some new supporters Bob's not too thrilled about), Harry must protect his daughter and those refugees housed in his home from those dark forces that also plan to use those Chicago residents who are afraid of paranormal powers and who have begun to protest in front of Harry's castle as cannon fodder. There is no margin for error and yet Harry must find a way to save the day. Sure it may be a far cry from the endgames of both Peace Talks and Battle Ground, but Butcher nonetheless caps off Twelve Months with a bang. The final scene is also quite touching.

In the end, Twelve Months is indeed a transition book that focuses on Harry's physical, mental, and emotional recovery following the Battle of Chicago. And though it is indeed slow-moving for the better part of the novel, there are enough poignant scenes to keep you hooked until Harry gets better and decides to try to save Thomas. From then on, Butcher takes us on a wild ride that ends with panache. 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 does brings Twelve Months to a satisfying close.

So we didn't get Mirror, Mirror. But I have a feeling that fans of the Dresden Files will nevertheless find a lot to like about Twelve Months. Here's to hoping we won't have to wait another five years for the next volume!

The final verdict: 8/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Horns comes this award-winning collection of short fiction.

Imogene is young, beautiful . . . and dead, waiting in the Rosebud Theater one afternoon in 1945. . . .

Francis was human once, but now he's an eight-foot-tall locust, and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . .

John is locked in a basement stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children, and an antique telephone, long since disconnected, rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .

Nolan knows but can never tell what really happened in the summer of '77, when his idiot savant younger brother built a vast cardboard fort with secret doors leading into other worlds. . . .

The past isn't dead. It isn't even past. . . .

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (July 20th)

In hardcover:

Stephen King's Never Flinch is up one position, ending the week at number 3. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Thea Guanzon's Tusk Love debuts at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stacey McEwan's A Forbidden Alchemy debuts at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

V. E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is down one spot, finishing the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm maintains its position at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rachel Gillig's The Knight and the Moth is up three positions, ending the week at number 12. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary returns at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.



Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is down three positions, ending the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down three positions, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.