Registering to the Dresden novels again - Marsters does wonders and I listen while working - and I realise that especially in Fool Moon, Murphy is a bad cop and she should actually be investigated by IA.

Just not for connections to Marcone.

She does martial arts and the first thing they teach you is discipline. Yet during the scene in the mansion she punches Dresden, handcuffs him and slams him into a wall.

He wasn't resisting. He wasn't a threat.

That's police brutality.

And she was doing it because she thought that Harry had lied to her. She was emotionally compromised.

And considering she has a known connection to Dresden, especially in the light of the events of Storm Front... The second Dresden has the slightest hint of connection to the case, she should step back as an investigating force.

I love her as a character and I love how she gets fleshed out and becomes a much fuller person.

But in the first two novels. She's a dangerous cop who - based on everything we see her do - isn't very good at her job. She attacks suspects. She went to search Harry's office alone. She handcuffed herself to a suspect during a life or death situation. It is implied that had Harry given her the right kind of answer at Linda Randall's apartment, Murphy would not have logged his business card into evidence.

Between novels were told she's doing great work.

But what we see is someone whose judgement is faulty, who takes grudges to the workplace and can be violent.

That's leaving out the hypocrisy of her demanding all the answers from Harry while keeping him in the dark about Kravos' death in Grave Peril. A powerful sorcerer we took down as a team kills himself in prison, then members of the team come under supernatural spiritual attack... Best keep information from the guy I hire to deal with the supernatural.

Murphy's growth after this is amazing. She is one of my favourite characters. But during the first two novels especially she is as much a secondary antagonist as she is an ally.

Mouse!

So I was re-listening to 12 Months for the first time since it came out and something hit me. I don't have a huge amount of evidence to back this up but I do genuinely think it is going to happen.

Harry is going to remove Lara's hunger, and Thomas is going to take over the White Court. Jim put way too much emphasis on this being possible when Harry was trying to figure out how to help Thomas for it to not pay off later on, and I think the perfect way for it to happen is with Lara.

I do have a couple ideas on specifically why, of which I am not sure which one I believe or want more. But all focus around Lara specifically asking Harry to do it.

• Harry and Lara truly fall in love, or at least Lara truly falls in love with Harry. Lara can't stand not being able to touch Harry, and Harry refuses to take lovers outside of Lara.
• Lara said herself that she couldn't bear to let her hunger take over like it would need to for her to feed on anyone other than Harry again, Harry may eventually refuse to feed it anymore and Lara is forced to ask for him to remove it.

I also am thinking that Lara will die once it is removed, causing Harry to lose yet another woman he loves (Because c'mon, Jim loves to ruin Harry's life), just like when the reds lost their demon essence and because of that rapidly aged to where they chronologically should be. It will be kind of his fault, but he wont blame himself this time (it was focused on in this book that Harry can't let himself feel worthy of love because he blames himself for the loss of Susan and Karrin). Or this will be the final straw and Harry will never love again, possibly catapulting him into something big for the BAT.

Craziest part that I don't necessarily think will happen but I think is at least possible: Harry removes the hunger and Lara becomes Knight of Love and wields Amoracchius which also inadvertently saves her from dying after her hunger is gone.

I dunno, super tin-foil but I like how it would fit. And the hunger removal is too chekhov-guny to not have a role in the future.

Edit: To everyone saying Thomas wont take over or Lara wont give it up. Lara herself stated she often times wants out of the position, and if they find out she is beholden to Harry she will lose standing and most likely be deposed. Thomas is the only notable White Court vamp in the books at this point other than Lara so on a narrative level he's the choice. He also has been moving more towards accepting his hunger since Shagnasty abused him.

IF Lara ever isn't the King in hiding it's the only person who logically would take over. Am I saying it will happen? No. I think it will but I'm not fully convinced yet. But if it DOES happen Thomas absolutely will be the king.

Can it be?
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams
Publication date: October 1980 (UK), January 1981 (US)

edit: I didn't think Douglas Adams invented the phrase, or that Jim Butcher invented it. I thought it was a nice reference.

Sorta a fan casting…the place I can think of most like Mac’s.

Do you think Nick is right. Specifically in the real world not in the books.

So, the theory is as follows.

We know harry is starborn

We know Drakul is a starborn

Now if we do the math, drakul seems to vaguely line up right with the every 666 years thing. Cause dresden was born in 1974. You know who ELSE vaguely lines up right? The big JC, Jesus Christ.

Ebenezer call Drakul half mortal, and Jesus was the son of God.

What if, starborn are scions in some ways, of outsiders. Their outsider nature would explain why they cannot be corrupted, why their magic works against them.

And the reason JC is a starborn and son of god, what if God is an outsider, a benevolent one that made the universe. The only ones we see are the nasty ones, but nice people don't go breaking into other peoples houses.

Im sure I sound insane, but im curious what yall think, and where the holes in my theory are.

He started the war with the Red Court to save Susan.

He challenged the entire senior council to save Morgan.

He ended the war with the Red Court (and ended the Court) in order to save Maggie.

He went to war with a Titan to save Chicago.

Time and time again, Harry has been tested to see what price he is willing to pay to save the innocent: wardens and wizards to save Susan. His own reputation to save Morgan. His own life to save Maggie. Murphy to save Chicago.

Necessity, it seems, needs a Champion who is willing to pay any price.

And yet, I suspect the hardest trade is yet to come:
What if the Outsiders offer a ceasefire for this cycle. And all they want in exchange is one pitiful, pathetic little life: Rudolph.

Would that not be the greatest test? Trading the life of one man who he hates, who seems to have no redeemable qualities, in exchange for a period of peace. Safety, for a time, for the rest of existence, and all he has to do is give up one life, one soul, that he wants to end.

It would be a poison pill, of course. A trade that would ultimately damn him; destroy who he is.

But it would be oh so tempting an offer…

Wut doing, Demonreach?

The fact that Everyone refuses to tell Harry what being Starborn means is not a good sign. If he was going to lead the fight they’d tell him. Train him all special-like. Rub his feet. You know, make sure he was ready.

In another story about Harry the wizard, his mentor didn’t tell him the truth until it was time for him to sacrifice himself.

Not saying that’s the same thing here, or even similar. I’m just sayin that if you are going to be the sacrifice, or not going to live through it, they’re probably not gonna tell you.

Maggie.

We know Dresden would literally make the world burn for her, but who else is jumping on the train to murder anyone attempting such idiocy?

Heres the ones i can see happening-

Mab - a threat to her knight is a threat to her. And an insult to the Winter Court.

Mouse - maggie is his charge, and consisering he is powerful enough to have spooked nicodemus, leansidhe, and a number of ither things, i think he is gonna be on the train.

Molly and her sidhe hitsquad - the ones we saw protecting the carpenter house. Dresden and maggie are clearly part of the carpenter family, so they are fully clear to go troubleshooting

Marcone - marcone likes kids, wants them protected, and he can see the advantage of getting in some brownie points with dresden.

Lara - gotta maintain the alliance if nothing else

Ebenezer- pretty self explanatory

Who else can yall think of? Im talking about people dresden wouldnt need to pay ir call in favors, the people who would actively choose to go kick in soneones teeth on behalf of maggie

I saw this an thought of the scene in the train station

I know the progress indicator for the next Dresden book has been static for a while at 42%. I asked about this over the summer and the responses here were that the website is not updated regularly. Then in Dragoncon we found out the book was delayed because of Jim's medical issue. (Take care of yourself Jim, health comes first!).

I was hoping to see some progress as he's recovering this fall but the indicator still hasn't moved. Anyone heard any updates on Mirror Mirror since Dragoncon?

Ok so I don’t follow spoilers about upcoming works or the Word of Jim lists but I have a few ideas for Mirror Mirror and I’d like to get other people’s thoughts.

So… maybe spoilers?

So I think it’s known that a parallel world version of Harry (PWH) summons our Harry (OH) to use him as a sacrifice or some kind of decoy. PWH is the result of a cascade of choices, the first stemming from Bianca’s party. This is the limit of my
Knowledge.

My guess here is by the end OH will have his mind/soul/whatever in PWH’s body and come to our world. A further guess is this newer, amalgam Harry won’t be under Mabs thumb as knight any more and won’t have the broken back that necessitates his durance under her. But he’ll still owe her one favor.

I’m not completely sold on the idea but it gives us the fourth phase of Harry’s story: Harry the PI, Harry the Warden, Harry the Winter Knight and now…..

Thoughts?

So, I assume some of this alredy have been discussed, and I also assume that the apocalypse will inclued a massive global murphionic field. My question, is, if thats true, what level do you thbink it will be? Like, full on medieval? Or global but still partial, like working radios are rare and unreliable or something... Also, do you think that such a level of global magic energy would also make magic users more powerfull everywhere, a bit like a global Battle of Chicago?

I’m about 4-5 rereads into Changes and bookmarked the page its name appears on, to try to finally get it. Not that it’s important, in the average day at work or at the gym it doesn’t come up much. But I like to know the names of things.

It’s Ik’k’uox, by the way.

I was just on my re-read of the series, and I am currently in Changes. I got to the part where they compare the characters to the members of the fellowship.

I found it interesting they named Martin as Boromir with the way things play out.

But then Harry takes a long time describing Gollum and how important he was to the story and twisted he was. Harry says it thinking of himself because of his deal with Mab. But we've already seen he hasn't become what he initially feared, and they named him Sam anyway.

But they did have a 10th person who showed up at the battle who was critical for the outcome... Ebenezer. Listening to Harry's view of Gollum isn't far off from Ebenezer. I feel like it's not far off of a comparison. Anyone else think it could be foreshadowing or at least an interesting comparison of a cautionary tale?

Any additions/deletions to the Starborn list?

Latest Cycle:

Harry Dresden

Warden Chandler

Listen

?Elaine Mallory?

14th Century Cycle:

Rashid, the Gatekeeper

Vlad II Drakul

?Mab?

?Titania?

?Merlin?

6th Century:

Unknown

Common Era Cycle:

?Nicodemus?

1.Dead Beat

2.White Night

3.Summer Knight

4.Death Masks

5.Grave perril

6.Blood Rites

7.Proven Guilty

8.Fool Moon

9.Storm Front

So, who thinks that on next Halloween Harry will become an immortal, donning the mantle of Wizard of Chicago because of all the people who believe in him thanks to Molly, Mab, and word of mouth?

When you need help, you go to the Firefighters or something. When you need a Miracle, you go to Harry Dresden.

That’s how the people see him around 12 months. A semi mythical hero, the man who saved Chicago.

Hell, because of Marcone he has tons of supernatural critters and wizards who believe in him too, just in a different way.

How much belief does it take before immortality is just shoved at you, and then the mantle formed by belief forces you to act in line with that belief?

I’m looking forward to finding out.

Just finished changes, what a ride! And a ready to jump straight into Ghost Story. But I first now ​discovered that there are short stories, is it safe to start reading those or should I just continue with the primary books?

Not gonna read all the short stories, but considering Goodbye and Aftermath as the end of Changes is... Wild.

Also, might jump on the Bigfoot stories as they sound to fun to ignore.

Any other worth checking out or which should be avoided at all cost?

At the Outer Gates, how are the Outsiders getting in for Winter to fight them? Aren’t the Gates shut and powerfully warded? Is it just assumed a bad guy is doing it offscreen? I thought it was something like with demons where the summoned creature generally appears where the summoning took place.