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Guys...

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Guys

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Guys

m-fucking-preg

All right whatever but Dresden did say "I'm pregnant?" so it counts. That was incredibly unexpected. I was hoping that Lash would make a return. I don't see where the plot with this new spirit is going to go. I suppose Bob is now permanently with Butters?

I don't understand why Lasciel knew what happened between Lash & Dresden. I thought that Lash wasn't in any kind of communication with the actual Denarian.

Everyone's hating Butters. But his actions were so fucking close to getting Karrin killed. So close... I was almost crying when she didn't die outright. But hey, at least she got kicked out of the rest of the book. To be honest, I did like her until we started getting romance between Dresden and her. The sex scene was also incredibly unexpected, I was just going "WTF". (I sincerely hope this and everything else between them is a sign of her impending death.)

This was also one of the clues about Lasciel & Ascher I'm assuming. His subconscious or something was warning him with those messages, but I don't understand how anyone knew. One of them was at the start of chapter 13: "Open your eyes, you fool. Shes right in front of..." but whoever that was, how did they know?

Once again I loved the character interactions and their dialogue, but almost skimmed over the fight scenes especially towards the end (somewhat because it was sunrise). Somehow (but completely explained by the plot) the story essentially entirely avoided Molly yet again. It seems like Dresden & Molly haven't had a chance to just openly talk ever since he died. I can't wait to see how the revelation to Michael will go.

Butters becoming a Knight was pretty cool and I think it really reflects his growth as a person throughout several books as he has become more and more involved. I really want to see more of Maggie. I was surprised that Dresden actually went near her, and the one thing he feared (someone finding out about her) actually happened with Nicodemus already!

Did anyone else think it was weird that Tessa was standing next to Nicodemus at the end, when she had spent the book trying to stop him and further seemed emotional about 1500 years of work (her daughter) being put to an end?

I liked the whole coded conversation thing with Grey and Ascher turning out to be a Denarian. It creates reread value. Although I don't think the experience will be that much different. (I've always liked the idea of having a story that turns out to be completely different for when you reread it.)

The next book being called "Peace Talks" hints that we'll see many different political factions which sounds exciting (I'm a fan of plot, characters and talking).

 

Hades gives a mini speech to Harry about them being similar. Wonder if that's foreboding of some sort...especially considering how the series started. "My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk."

Super long shot with HD taking on Hades mantle at the end of the apocalypse trilogy?

 

Just finished, and I have to say overall, I think it is pretty good book, as someone else mentioned I too kind of expected a lot more of the book to be set in the underworld, but in the end was not disappointed as the set up was well done.

My biggest disappointment from Skin Game would have to be the lack of Ivy and the Hellhound. I really thought they would be in the book simply because it is a Denarians book and apart from Marcone and Mab, who else is really out for revenge on Nick?
Thought that it would be more then certain after Harry mentioned the Cards he was keeping close to his chest, but Gray, almost made up for lack of Hellhound. Would not have been quite so disappointed if the Lasciel fight had a little more depth or didn't end in the death of the Book second most new interesting character.

To be honest I really don't see the complaints about too much Christianity as valid. There was a Norse God, a Greek God, Mab, a part of a Goddess, and a skin changer out of native American Myth. Sure the artefacts were of Christian origin, but these are the fallen, like with like, it would have been plain weird if Nick went after a powerful object of Hindu origin or something.

And while I also found Butter’s annoying, it was really no worse than I expected. Just about every single Dresden book there is a scene, quote or character development that I double take on, one that just does not fit quite right, in Skin Game it was Butters.

With a little luck the whole thing will get cleaned up by the reforging of a blade for the hilt of the sword, knight of the cross I can deal with, Jedi, no.

And I have to say I am a little confused with the winter knight mantle, butcher seems to go out of his way to give it an explanation of how it works and sort of ignores it. As well as there being inconsistencies in it very strength.

In cold Days Harry created enough ice to lift a building, as well as shit tons of fighting and magic use, Skin Game, second fight in after what I thought was minimal magic use he starts talking about how tired he is and the he used up to much of the power of winter and need to rest. WTF

Although this is not too much of an uncommon thing with the early Dresden files were he complains about how much magic he has done and how tired he is in the first half of the novel, only to go on and use a lot more. But it is worrisome that it is creeping backing in.
As to the Additions to Hurry's body being explained away in this book like the last as some sort of pain and limit threshold removal I do wonder how he jumped 20 feet while fighting on the island, no nonmagical boost could let someone do that. Furthermore I don't care what your pain threshold is, Harry's back should been broken in like three places after some of the damage it took during skin game, little pain or not, walking should have been difficult

I personally found the resolution of the lash/parasite question to be extremely funny, and well done, I don't think anyone guessed that, and I am interested as to where it is going. As to the name I saw Harriet around Butcher's forums which I quite like.

 

On the whole thing with Grey and coded messages, there might have been another one.

This occurs right at the end of chapter 34. Dresden posed a question after Grey ended his sentence with "wizard", and the first word in Grey's response is "no".

 

You know what I just noticed.. with Butters being a Knight we have no longer have a plain old human in the circle of Dresden friends. Everyone of them received a power up over that last books. (even the god damn cat no longer appears wholly normal considering how long it is alive and the shit it survived.) I am pretty unhappy about that... I had hoped that butcher would avoid the whole friends of superhero get powers to be still able to adventure with him trope, especially considering how ideal Ghost story would have been for that.

@ TS
I didn´t interpret that much into it and took it almost at face value. Both are wardens, both had/have to live aside from normal civilization, both are considered outsiders even by their own organization and both seem to have questionable taste in pop culture. Eh.. they also have both a big dog.

 

Also curious about the added benefits that come with the mantle of the Winter Knight, is it limited to doing ice spells well and enhanced physical capabilities [read: suppressed inhibitors]. Or are there some aspects of the mantle that haven't been explored yet? Along the lines of Anduriel being able to peak out of shadows..

 

I'm pretty sure the Parasite was draining quite a lot of energy from him. That kind of is what a parasite does.

 

I've always felt that the Dresden Files were a guilty pleasure. These past few books have made me aware of that fact acutely and painfully. Butcher seems increasingly hooked on tropes, condescension, and tributes to geekdom. It's just so corny.

First, the issue of Christianity honestly doesn't bother me too much. We've known for a while that the series is going to end with an Armageddon like finale. Usually that is accompanied by the absolute power of a Creator. We also know, as exhibited in Hades's vault, that beings can assume multiple roles. Thus, I am not at all bothered by the "White God's" superiority.

I have issues, however, with the complete triteness of the execution. Dresden's natural state is that of a character who provides levity to dangerous situations. He quotes Star Wars and Tolkien to dangerous creatures and primordial entities. I understand that, and I like it quite a bit. However, Butcher relies on this normalization rather heavily.

Domestic Uriel, for one. Butter's lightsaber, second. And this absolute pervasive love of Star Wars, that even the ancient entity and spymaster of Heaven adores, quotes, references, and uses to convey meaning as if he were so down-to-earth or unoriginal as to be unable to supply his own wisdom. The nerfing exists outside Christianity too. Hades, as altogether good-guy, with his dog, Spot, is just absolutely ridiculous. I think it's fine that deities pick favorites, Greek Gods did it all the time. I just wish Butcher had done it less lame.

Second is this emphasis on compassion and love trumping all things and evil too. I understand these forces to be powerful, but all the same we have a protagonist known for his quick wit, deduction skills, and will. I liked it better when he relied on those. Though Butcher may be trying to convey that Harry cannot control all that surrounds him, I feel that it undermines Harry's gifts and decisions to just leave it to Faith.

Overall, I enjoyed the books. I did not think it was at all as emotionally powerful as some scenes in Changes or the majority of Ghost Story but I felt scenes with Maggie were sweet. I had hoped Lasciel, the coin, would have turned out more impressive but I don't think she's fully out yet. I'm fine with Harry having a love-child with Lash, and I think there's more to it than just adding another member to the cast.

The heist was pretty cool, but again his trump card, Goodman Grey, was provided for him.

I'm excited for future scenes with Molly. I believe there will be a real confrontation between her and Dresden. As others have pointed out, she's keeping it together too well. When Dresden asks her about her aforementioned "secrets", I think that's when she'll react explosively. I also believes this is the long-term pairing, only because there have been so many hints and because it makes sense.

In the meantime, I'm equally fine with Harry/Murphy. It's been a long time coming and I think that Harry's definitely growing up as a character. I was afraid that Harry's first interactions with Maggie would be too corny, but it turned out to be short and touching. I'm looking forward to seeing him take back his old life in Chicago and figuring out how to be a father.

 

Butters was highly annoying in this book to me and almost gets Murphy killed. Doesn't even apologize for being a stupid idiot and trying to spy on what they were up too and THEN he gets away on a skateboard... Seriously?

And then at the end of the book he saves the day and becomes a Knight of The Cross. This is my least-favorite book in the serious and the new Sword will probably make Butters over-powered in the rest of the series. Butcher better grow a pair and just kill him off. Somebody has to die already (in Dresden's friend-group. Susan doesn't count). I volunteer Butter's for the job of dying. Make it happen.

 

Yeah. I do agree that there have been too many fights in which people have survived and that it's getting silly. Sometimes characters have to die to keep the excitement up.

 

Butcher went on to explicitly point out how the swords are only in the hands of people for a very short while - as long as they serve a purpose. Hopefully, that applies to Butters and it changes hands (also no Star Wars pls).

 

Meh. He should've died a hero there and then. Someone needed to die in that scene.

 

I'm kind of disappointed Murphy didn't actually die in the scene where she broke the sword and that in general there were no deaths on the good guy's side.

 

I thought this too, and was a bit put off. Another valid possibility is that Anduriel told Lasciel.

Odin said that almost anywhere is vulnerable to Anduriel's Master of Shadows gig (listed exceptions being the Carpenters', places under Mab's Aegis, and probably the higher-ups' demesnes), and he would be watching Harry as he would a retarded kid with a fork and an outlet; Harry told Murphy about it in her house; therefore he might know all about things like Butters and Bob, as well as the new Bob-ette.

 

I'm interested about just who Grey is - The Unseelie Accords has a signatory that is a semi-immortal shapeshifter guru from the Ukraine - Grey seems semi-immortal what with his regenerative abilities or maybe is the offspring of the signatory and thus pays rent to his progenitor. Could be that Grey is either peers in power and prestige with Odin/Santa/everyawesomeguy, Dracul and the Archive or is the scion of one such being.

 

Pretty doubtful that Grey is on that level or even in a nearby ballpark, seeing as he lost heads-up vs Ursiel-bigfoot.

Compare that to Ivy taking on 7 nickelheads inside of a suppression circle powered by Lucifer while getting gassed. Also note that Ivy vaporized one before taking on the other 7. (Small Favor, chapter 33)

 

Grey is all but confirmed to be the child of one of the naagloshii. Given common narrative tropes and Butcher's own habits, that naagloshii is almost certainly Shagnasty. I'm sure we'll get it explicitly confirmed before too much longer, but until then, I'm fairly confident of that connection.

As for his strength, there's no way Grey's anywhere near the big names. He's decent muscle, that much is abundantly clear, but Ivy or Vadderung would mop the floor with him.

Also, Grey's Rent is a karmic thing, not actually monetary. That's why he charged Dresden a dollar. Most likely, he's paying off some kind of karmic debt related to his ancestry. I'm hesitant to make any firm conclusions given how little I actually know about native american religions, but I'd be willing to bet that it's got something to do with earning good will from his pantheon.

 

So someone here might have mentioned it, and this may annoy a few. I'm not going to look to see if I'm being repetitive though because I haven't finished my copy yet, and you crack-heads are the only ones I can vent to.

Micheal Carpenter is my new favorite character because he was a Naval Hospital Corpsman at one time, but it's driving me up the wall that it was termed incorrectly in the book. As a Corpsman we are very prideful, and I respect Army Medics. Michael was termed a "medical corpsman." There is only one breed of Corpsman and we are at times dabblers of the medical sort, but we go above and beyond that at many points of our work.

Now back to my book.

 

I agree that he's likely a scion or offspring of something higher up the food chain, but I'm wary of a twist. Harry says he's a naagloshii, and Grey doesn't confirm or deny, but shifts the subject to him not choosing his father any more than Dresden chose his mother. (pp. 439-440).

I'm torn between thinking it's a non-verbal acceptance of an unpleasant truth (being a naagloshii) and a bit of misdirection.

Also: everybody and their mother knew Margaret LeFay. When are we getting even tidbit about her?

Random thoughts: turns into a long legged grey horse, Loki's grey foal (Sleipnir), Rent~(Pa)rent?, Rent is for being in the real world?, Goodman Grey means...?, father as Jotun?... Him being Loki is way too obvious/annoying to be true, and Loki should be in a much higher weight class, but I don't know where else to start.

 

You're trying way too hard to find a connection that isn't there. The logic you're using here wouldn't be out of place in a blog post by a 9/11 truther. Occam's Razor is a thing. It looks like a skinwalker, acts like a skinwalker, and behaves like its ashamed of being a skinwalker. It's a skinwalker.

The only thing about Grey (that we've seen so far) that's not fairly certain is what his Rent is for, beyond "not money".