If the Harry Dresden books were a video game, Battle Ground is when Harry gets to the big boss fight. *THE* fight.

The vast majority of the book takes place within a couple of hours, tops, and is really one huge fight scene. Sure, it's exciting. But if you're a speed reader who gets bogged down by details, this will take a while to read. Every punch. Every spell. Every tumble. I got a little tired of reading after a while, which is not how I usually feel with Harry Dresden.

There are a few unexpected treats, though. Some characters really get their time to shine, and during the worst of circumstances, you really see what people are made of -- the good and the ugly.

Any book called "Battle Ground" is going to have at least one or two people die who you wish would have survived, so don't be surprised.

So, while this is my least favorite Dresden book, I still enjoyed it. I still want to talk about it with people. And that's the mark of a really great series -- even when I don't love it, I still like it.

It may feel a little bit like the end of the series, at times, but there are plenty of loose ends pointing the way to at least a few more books.

arc received from the publisher for review