I acquired a assessment copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my assessment and all opinions are my very own.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

Mogsy’s Ranking: 4 of 5 stars

Style: City Fantasy

Sequence: Ebook 18 of Dresden Recordsdata

Writer: Ace Books (January 20, 2026)

Size: 448 pages

Creator Data: Web site | Twitter

It’s type of wild to assume it’s been virtually six years since Battle Floor got here out, as a result of Twelve Months very a lot appears like a sequel that has been cooking quietly within the background all that point. However as a substitute of throwing readers straight again into the motion, Jim Butcher hits the brakes to deliver us a Dresden Recordsdata novel that’s way more subdued and reflective. In different phrases, this one may be very a lot an “aftermath story” that explores what occurs after the mud settles.

The final time we noticed Harry, who’s now brazenly working because the Winter Knight, Chicago burned as town grew to become the positioning of a full-scale magical assault which resulted within the deaths of 1000’s. Although the assault was ultimately thwarted and the enemy defeated, this got here at an infinite price. The supernatural world has been uncovered for all to see, and Harry additionally misplaced somebody very close to and expensive to him, solely barely containing his anger and grief earlier than he did one thing he’d remorse. Nonetheless, given his historical past and his more and more erratic and dangerous conduct, the White Council finally determined to chop ties with him, leaving our protagonist extra remoted than ever.

And so, Twelve Months mainly follows Harry throughout a yr of his life as he tries to regain some sense of management and normalcy whereas attempting to handle the crushing stress attributable to grief, guilt, and an infinite checklist of duties. That mentioned, there’s no extra saving the world for Harry Dresden, a minimum of not right now. Proper now, he’s in restoration mode, placing all his efforts into therapeutic after loss and rebuilding the help methods round him, each emotionally and bodily.

Stylistically, Twelve Months is among the extra uncommon entries within the collection. It’s actually totally different from most of the earlier sequels which noticed Harry going through down supernatural foes and coping with ever escalating threats. On this, the pacing slows down, however when you assume which means the stakes disappear or the story loses its momentum, assume once more. The conflicts are alive and nicely, they’re simply extra intimate, and the main focus turns in direction of character improvement and relationship dynamics.

Due to this, I can see this e-book receiving blended evaluations, however personally I loved the change of tempo. Having some room to breathe is an efficient factor, to not point out it’s additionally extra life like. Locations don’t simply bounce again from the brink of utter destruction, and neither do individuals. Loads occurred in Battle Floor resulting in vital repercussions which might be going to take quite a lot of pages to digest, and Twelve Months offers us the possibility to do a deep dive into the fallout, taking a look at how Chicago has modified. Persons are scared, sources are strained, and Butcher’s storytelling right here really drives house the purpose that the world of the Dresden Recordsdata is, and all the time has been, larger than simply Harry’s private sphere.

There’s additionally a noticeable shift in the way in which Harry interacts with the better world round him. He’s not the younger, brash wizard who storms into each scenario together with his weapons blazing. It’s been greater than twenty-five years because the first e-book burst onto the scene, and in that point, the books have seen Harry mature and turn into a hardened man formed by real-world experiences and fatherhood. In fact, he’s all the time been a reluctant hero, however there’s much more individuals now who look as much as him and rely on him, and he’s changing into more and more conscious that his actions have penalties nicely past the right here and now.

Ultimately, I do assume there’s worth in having a e-book like this on occasion, particularly in a long-running collection. If nothing else, it helps break up the same old sample and to stop monotony. On this case, Dresden Recordsdata followers bought a a lot calmer experience than we’re used to, however to be trustworthy, I most likely wouldn’t need too many extra installments on this related vein, and I actually wouldn’t be too heartbroken if the following one swung again in direction of a extra action-oriented method. I’ll even admit I used to be cheering inside when the tip of this e-book lastly ramped up and delivered a genuinely thrilling climax and conclusion.

Ultimately, Twelve Months feels very very like a transitional novel, nudging the overarching plot of the collection ahead, however not by an excessive amount of and never in any approach that’s too dramatic. By this level, Jim Butcher clearly is aware of his viewers and trusts each their persistence and their funding in Harry’s journey. In a approach, this additionally appears like a e-book the creator himself wanted to write down, since I’ve heard that a lot of the emotional beats within the collection are sometimes a mirrored image of what he’s going by way of and feeling in his personal life. As a sequel, this one feels mandatory, giving the story an opportunity to decompress, whereas additionally effectively laying the groundwork for what comes subsequent.