Twelve Months

Butcher shifts gears in his emotional 18th urban fantasy featuring professional wizard Harry Dresden (after 2020’s Battle Ground), focusing on the character’s struggles, over the course of one year, to come to terms with recent devastating events. These include the deaths of tens of thousands of Chicagoans, massive infrastructure damage, Dresden’s expulsion from the White Council of Wizardry, and the murder of his significant other, Karrin Murphy. Unfortunately, the threats to his city and those dear to him haven’t stopped just because Dresden is processing so much trauma; the corpses of the fallen attract ghouls who hunger for human flesh, and the damage to the city’s streets makes supplying its residents with food and other necessities extremely difficult. If that wasn’t enough, Dresden finds that he has another loved one at risk: his half brother Thomas, who is battling a malevolent possessing spirit. The high-stakes plotlines keep the pages turning as rapidly as ever, but this installment’s greatest strength lies in its exploration of Dresden’s mental state as his resilience is tested as never before. It’s not the ideal jumping-in place for newcomers, but those invested will appreciate this more intimate, and ultimately more optimistic, outing for Dresden. (Jan.)