I didn't bother spoiler tagging, so this entire review is hidden for spoilers.

This is an odd entry into the series, but I suppose with the stakes Butcher has raised, it needed more than just a one and done book. It makes sense that he'd split this story across two books, but that is a detriment to Peace Talks, which just simply does not stand on its own merit. Splitting the story just let Peace Talks go into a lot of side story meandering and overly long scenes with side characters. Yes, I love Butters, but was that scene and the tee hee you're in a threesome reveal necessary? What came out of the scene with Butters and Sanya -- I'm assuming the payoff from learning about the changes in the Sword of Faith comes in the next book?

To talk about this book and NOT to talk about Ebenezer McCoy and Lara Raith is difficult. They're two characters Harry spends the most relationship-development time with, and not all of it is good. McCoy was basically one note this entire time, though I suppose he served as a way for Harry to firmly define his own boundaries and just how set in stone his morals are in terms of taking care of his family -- even if it means bombing his relationships with others.

And then there's Lara Raith. LARA FUCKING RAITH. Yes, she's a White Court vampire and yes that means she's a succubus, but did it have to be so unrepentantly horny? Did we have to spend a good 30% of this novel inside Harry's head as he talks about how hot Lara is and how horny he is for her and how devastatingly sexy she is and how naked she is and how his Winter Mantle HOOOWWWLLLS for her jfkdsja;lfjal;f oh my god I'm getting mad just thinking about all my time wasted on this shit. SHE LITERALLY FUCKS A GUARD TO FEED WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PRISON BREAK. GODDAMIT, BUTCHER. WHY.

The worst part is that Lara has the potential to be incredibly interesting. She's the flip side of the same coin Harry is when it comes to Thomas. They both love their brother and will do anything for him, but to have her reduced to almost nothing more than a Sexy Succubus Vampire ruins any and all credibility this Thomas plot had. There are only three times Lara is actually interesting and engaging as a fully realized character outside of her sexiness: when she explains to Harry how she can't diplomatically save Thomas, when she forces Harry's assistance by using Mab's Favor, and when she thinks Harry has betrayed her in the end. There were tons of ways to really play that up and have Sexy Succubus be a PART of her character, not THE WHOLE OF IT.

I'm not even going to fucking touch the bits where Harry has inappropriate thoughts about two different girls he knew as children. Doesn't matter if he knows he shouldn't be thinking those thoughts, Butcher, IT'S STILL GROSS.

Going back to the stakes that have been raised by the Fomor and a literal Titan Goddess showing up to wreak havoc...I have no idea where Butcher can go with this. And if he does pull it off tremendously in the next book, then he's going to have a very difficult time increasing the stakes and getting Harry in and out of various trouble. He's already a Super Wizard Fairy Knight Demon Jail Warden at this point.

I just remembered all the Star Born, once in 666 years, Chosen One stuff that was hinted at and dropped in this. Soooo Harry was born special in a way that makes him mentally powerful enough to resist the Outsiders, and the end of the book asks if Harry is powerful enough to trap a Titan in Deamonreach...yeah, I can kinda see where this story is going to go.

I originally gave this 3 stars, but then I started writing this review and kept writing and realized that I'm way more disappointed and angry about it than I thought and dropped it down to 2. Because the actual good plot part makes it more than just "it was okay," but I'm not sure I can bring myself all the way up to "liked it." The series has had books that were so much better than this, honestly.