And the other question is what use the Eebs have from a story telling perspective because there is none. DF has a quite a few "antagonist"-characters that are more relevant to possible plots, more fleshed out and are frankly more interesting than some blood crazed red court vampires/thingies. Don´t see much use for them in a book, at best he could use them in a novella or something like that but again I see no reason why them and not something else.

 

Quite frankly, the Eebs are too boring to really necessitate bringing back. Sure they might have gotten closer than many more powerful beings to killing Dresden, and there was a certain novelty to their approach, but their low risk-style to conflict isn't very interesting in the long term.

 

Oh god I really need to reread at least the last few books before Skin Games. I keep confusing real canon and Little Chicago canon.

 

Aren't they one and the same?

 

As Karl once said to Lenny: "Shhhhut up!"

 

Hm. I don't know if Merlin (you do mean the actual, first, Merlin, right?) fits as the creature caged. Why would Merlin claim he deserved to be locked in Demonreach?
If we're going with Klemmer, this could mean that he wasn't quite the horrible monster he was made out to be and actually sought redemption at one point or another. Maybe Cowl will know.

My current theory for the ending of this book is that Harry will let Hades take Nico and imprison him in the Underworld. Assuming the greek myths stay and Hades judges and what not.
I found Nico's tongue-removal-ceremony thing to be a little at odds with his usual sophistication, so I wasn't impressed by it. Then again, he's probably understandably pissed at Harry and not bothering to be subtle...either that or it was a show for Mab instead, since he seems to dislike her.

Today is exactly 3 months before the release. Can't wait.

 

I'm pretty sure the tongue thing was to troll both Harry and Mab, in different ways. I find it really interesting that Nicodemus has a frickin' army of loyal soldiers who gladly follow his cause.

 

You're surprised an upper tier bad guy has a legion of henchmen? Or the character specifically? In general I'm not shocked that anyone with amassed power, that can bestow such things to hand picked followers, has an abundance of disturbed individuals hanging on his every word and whim.

 

It's a bit different. These guys are humans. Volunteers. That's not the same as Mab's army of Sidhe and creepy creatures. The soldiers honestly believe Nicodemus is one of the good guys, or at least that their cause is just.

This gave us a far closer look into those people's lives. They're not just faceless and nameless goons that stand in the way of the boss-fight. Nicodemus got even more awesome in that scene.

 

Perhaps I phrased it poorly. What I meant is that they seem willing, glad even, to serve him. Warped zealots, sure, but I still think it's very interesting.

 

Why is that surprising? That's what cult members do in real life and fiction and the real life cult leaders don't even have a fallen angel in their brain and a living shadow.

 

I always assumed they were taken (adopted, even, who knows with Nico) from an early age and brainwashed. Would Nico ever consider doing it any other way? Too much room to develop and too little malleable mold does not a good foot soldier make.
It's easier to make their whole lives revolve around him when he's seen as a father-like figure.

Nico: (to some poor orphan) I can show you the worlddddd~

Correct. It was just not the sort of thing I expect Nico to do--so over-the-top to the point of cartoonish villainy.
Seemed more like Tessa's thing, who delights in gore and sneers at Nico for being so 'subdued' and obsessed with planning everything with a quiet touch. Nico, on the other hand, seemed to look down on Tessa doing things like the tongue thing, seeing them as crude.
I wonder if the fact that he's doing things so overtly now (or having Deidre do it for him, which is the same difference as she's basically his sword) means that he's become rather unhinged since Small Favor.
A close brush with death and an eternal reminder of it after millenia of being untouchable would do that to an immortal, I think. They could never handle the idea of dying with grace.

Tl;dr: Nico's basically slipping and it probably foreshadows his ultimate fate in this book.

 

I dunno why, but I get this feeling Dresden will end up having to side with Nicodemus versus something else that we didn't expect. Seems like the sort of curve ball Butcher would throw in there.

 

The only thing I am hoping for is Marcone, my favorite secondary character.

 

I also think that's what will probably happen.

 

It does seem very Butcher like. However I don't think I could be completely satisfied with this plot if Dresden and Nic don't throw down in some various pit of hell and/or limbo, including the full coup de grace from Harry.

 

Nicodemus will not die in this book. Not close enough to the of the series. But my guess is at least two recurring characters, one evil, one good, will bite it, and Nic will end up even more scared of Dresden than he was...

Not that I'm speaking with any authority or anything.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

True. He might not necessarily die, but my thoughts regarding Hades could work, tentatively.
Maybe they do band together, and steal whatever it is they want, but are caught and run away, there's at the exit, Hades hot in their heels, Harry steps out, looks back at Nico, who is finishing off some creature, and then turns to look at Harry...
Half a second before Harry closes the door, leaving Nico at Hades' mercy, trapped in the underworld.

Not dead necessarily (though Harry might assume so only to be surprised 5 books later), but certainly trapped in what is essentially hell with no hope of escape for the time being, and a probably pissed deity hunting for his blood.
He'll escape eventually, but that fresher fear in Harry that Chicago mentioned.

Yeah just made that up. I'm really into the idea. Probably won't happen, but hey, it's a fun idea nonetheless.
Plus I really wish Butcher would kill off one of the recurring villains for once, it's sort of due.