As for the kids name, LittleChicago, the only one I've heard thus far is Babiel. But I guess it depends on whoever writes the first fic featuring the addition to the Dresden family.

As for "Dat Lash." It also needs to be said in a Russian accent.

 

Finished the book. And the person who coined the phrase: "Revenge is a dish best served cold" was certainly talking about Mab. First the Red Court and now Nic.

 

To be entirely fair, Mab couldn't possibly have orchestrated the downfall of the Red Court like she played Nicodemus. She's good, but she doesn't have the level of control/leverage over the various key players involved to get to that outcome.

At absolute most, Mab ultimately planted the seeds that convinced Martin to do what he did in order to ensure Dresden became the Winter Knight and maybe bloody the Red's collective nose, and I'm fairly confident she didn't even do that much.

 

She might not have orchestrated it, but she sure took advantage of the situation. And I'm pretty sure she's telling everyone that the RC were wiped out by her new Knight.

 

Oh fuck yea, she's all over using that to boost her status. I'm just saying that their downfall was not one of her schemes in the same way that Nicodemus' was.

 

Also in regards to Mab - so was the statue of Hecate in the vault Butcher's way of hinting at the origins of the ladies of Summer and Winter? If she, Titania, the Winter/Summer Ladies, and Mothers Winter and Summer were originally facets of Hecate, that would make her and Hades old partners-in-crime, as he himself mentioned, describing how she came up with the pomegranate seeds compromise and distracted Demeter during their honeymoon as a wedding gift. Don't know how this quite works with Mab, though, since the faerie courts and their leaders themselves are equally as ancient, right? Additionally, I wonder what significance Hecate being the goddess of the crossroads holds - perhaps something to do with the Ways? Since the Ways fall under the territory of both Winter and Summer.

 

Some of the Gods have changed shape, though. Case in point, Hecate.

 

You know, that part isn't all that clear to me. From previous books and Butcher's comments, we already know that Titania is the original Queen-Who-Is of Summer and Mab is the second of Winter (I think anyway, I can't remember the exact quote about it), and that they were both originally mortal women, twin sisters in fact, who ascended to their current power through a ritual much like the Darkhallow (most likely involving the Stone Table). So how can they also be Hecate?

Part of me wants to say that only the Mothers are Hecate rather than all 6 Fae Queens.

 

Ahem.

You may not have noticed but when Lea was giving people outfits before the battle? Harry was dressed up as a conquistador.

Susan, meanwhile, was dressed up as a human sacrifice.

Mab absolutely planned that shit out. Don't forget that ol' Kringle showed up in his other suit.

 

Perhaps they killed Hecate and stole her mantle or some such? She would've been losing power along with the other Greek pantheons. Especially since she was originally less powerful and less well known, too.

Oh wow, Ryuugi. Mab is one cold bitch. Man I love her.

 

Huh. I'd forgotten all about that. Yeah, that'd do it. I'm still not seeing how she could possibly have arranged such a thing though, given the sheer number of pieces that would have to move in exactly the right way and at exactly the right time to reach the conclusion it did. Literally any of the people even tangentially related to that final scene making even a slightly different decision in the previous couple of days would have derailed the whole thing, possibly messily.

At the same time though, that kind of foreshadowing is hard to discount.

Ah well, now I just wonder what would/will happen when Dresden figures that little tidbit out.

 

So, started re-read for coded messages.

Pg 117: "Tell me, Wizard, does it give you some sort of satisfaction to protect this man?"
"Yeah."

Pg 138: "Wizard, you know I'm telling you the truth, right?"
"Right."

Pg 272 "Do you really expect me to work with someone like this, wizard, on our side?"
"Yes."

Pg 294 "Wizard, are you sure you want to keep pushing it like this?"
"Yeah."

Pg 330 "Wizard... Do you really want everyone to fall apart right now?"
"Not yet."

Those are the ones I could find on the first pass.

 

What was Wizard code for again?

 

Anything Grey says that starts with "Wizard" is an out-of-character/serious request for information/clarification/whatever, and the first word of Dresden's response is the real answer.

 

You know, it's this kinda shit that really adds value to the experience of re-reading the story. Thanks.

 

I'm not going to read this thread. I just reached the "oh shit" point and I need to get this off my chest I'm so mad:

Spoiler

Butters is a little shit and should leave the not-being-shitty-support-staff gig to his betters.

Seriously, fuck that guy

 

Oh, this is not going to end well for you.

 

I liked the story over all. Definitely would place it in my top five of the series, as others have said. There were some annoying moments (Butters, mostly) but it was mostly good, and I didn't have a problem with the amount of Christianity present. Mostly because Uriel and Michael are awesome, and I never mind seeing them more of them.

The whole sex scene with Murphy I was expecting to be a trick of some sort, like she'd been possessed by a coin or someone was impersonating her. Just seemed out of character and out of the blue for Butcher to write it like that, so I was actually relieved when it turned out to be just a dream.

Can't wait for the first fan fic where Nicodemus recruits Harry Potter to be part of the team. There is a lot of room to work there - they're going to the land of the dead and Harry is the Master of Death after all. There would be some golden opportunities for banter between Potter, Dresden and the rest of the team. Seriously, someone please write this.

 

So i got the book Monday night at 9 PM APPLE iBook FTW, finish it in5 hrs. I decide let's stay say from the DLP and don't spoil it, I come couple of days later and you schmucks have already been doing it LOL.

I think my overall fav part was Karin finding out dresden is pregnant and the whole meeting the god scene was epic beyond reason.... Though the whole flashback Harry had on how Grey joined him was a bit too movie-sequel for me but fit right it...


I skipped most of the pages to come to the end of the thread, do t know if anyone else commented on this, but I really really detested butters in this book. He pulled some stupid shit.... And I hated how it ended with him, I wanted some,one to beat him up.. Preferably Harry himself.

 

My issue wasn't specifically with Christianity present - it's been there for most of the series. It's the preaching tone that came on so often. I detested that in the Dune series as well; which one can safely say is not a Christian themed series, or at the least not *just* that.

Anyway, what I find disturbing, on a personal level, is that I'm not rearing to go write Dresden Files fanfiction after this. Usually that is always the case after reading a book in the series. Maybe I'm losing interest.