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Subvisual Haze posted:Similarly his conflict with the Wardens could have easily been resolved by just swearing on his power that he hadn't been sleeping with Lara I don't think we've seen any evidence that swearing on your power to the truth of something is meaningful; every example has been of promising not to do something, with the loss of power if you violate that oath. Somebody fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Jul 17, 2020 |
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Jul 16, 2020 21:07
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Drone Jett posted:I don't think we've seen any evidence that swearing on your power to the truth of something is meaningful; every example has been of promising not to do something, with the loss of power if you violate that oath. We haven't. Still, it seems like a reasonable way to deal with deliberate falsehoods. Hell, by your own statement, "I swear on my power not to speak deliberate falsehoods to you for the next 2 minutes" is a possible oath. With "Did you make the two-backed beast with Lara Raith?" "No." being a simple outcome.
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Jul 17, 2020 00:56
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Harry breaks his oath sworn on his power to Lea in Grave Peril and basically suffers immediately. But I take anything in the first 3 books with a heaping tablespoon of salt because Butcher was very much still figuring out the universe.
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Jul 17, 2020 01:53
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30 TO 50 FERAL HOG posted:Harry breaks his oath sworn on his power to Lea in Grave Peril and basically suffers immediately. But I take anything in the first 3 books with a heaping tablespoon of salt because Butcher was very much still figuring out the universe. Maybe Thomas will open a Way to a strip club to save everyone! Man the first three books have some oddities that are perpendicular to a lot of what we learn later on.
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Jul 17, 2020 02:15
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Thomas opening a way (into a strip club) is still pretty plausible though. He is his mother's son, he does have at least some magic available. Just not enough to override his WCV splat.
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Jul 17, 2020 02:37
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I think there's even a line about how he can only really open Ways in places he knows well/is connected to. He can't just drop one wherever like Harry could
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Jul 17, 2020 03:28
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Thats the big difference between early and later books. Later in the series you can only open ways in certain locations, not wherever you want. But it's still plausible that Thomas knew of this one way in particular.
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Jul 17, 2020 03:42
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rndmnmbr posted:Thats the big difference between early and later books. Later in the series you can only open ways in certain locations, not wherever you want. But it's still plausible that Thomas knew of this one way in particular. You can open a way anywhere, but unless you want to die messily, you do it along the marked paths.
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Jul 17, 2020 03:46
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Subvisual Haze posted:Missing completely that there is a middle path of them both living in safer location such as the Carpenter house (which is probably what will happen eventually). Man this is totally reasonable and I would be a bit sad because I was kinda hoping that Harry would somehow finally decide to move in with Murphy or something else but I basically wanted Harry to trick out and see what new home protection wards he has thought up since he last had an apartment. I kinda want to see Bonnie act as his home Siri or something
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Jul 17, 2020 03:52
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Anyone read the Kim Harrison 'The Hollows' series? Does the feeling/quality of the books change any after the first? I'm about half-way thru the first book and its pretty heavy on the 'sexy vampire energy' stuff (similar to how the latest Dresden books are) and it's a bit much for me. If the quality of the writing improves as the series progresses then I'll stick with it.
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Jul 17, 2020 04:45
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Xtanstic posted:Man this is totally reasonable and I would be a bit sad because I was kinda hoping that Harry would somehow finally decide to move in with Murphy or something else but I basically wanted Harry to trick out and see what new home protection wards he has thought up since he last had an apartment. I kinda want to see Bonnie act as his home Siri or something I'd really, really like him to get a minute to sit down so he can craft some new focuses, another summoning circle...some kind of magic swag. He keeps saying 90% of wizarding is preparation, so can he please be allowed to power up fully?
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Jul 17, 2020 05:34
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Caseman posted:It was nice to have some new Dresden finally but definitely itching for September. The big thing that's bothering me now is why did Harry choose THAT moment to tell McCoy about Thomas? McCoy spent literally every single interaction he had with Harry the entire novel bitching about vampires, and Harry seemed completely set on not revealing his relationship to Thomas, but he can tell him after McCoy thinks he's killed Harry? What changed that made it okay for him to know now? Regarding Harry and Karrin. It's not that Karrin is a woman. It's that she's a badly injured woman. And Harry still feels guilty for putting her in the position to get badly injured. He doesn't want to hurt her more than he already has.. As far as the "male gaze" moments with Hope and Ivy, I was mostly okay with it. For one thing, Dresden/Butcher didn't keep going on and on like he'd do with Molly and her HUGE, AWESOME TOTALLY ROCKING BEWBAGE! Instead Dresden notes it and it's not about "Wow, I'd like to gently caress-" so much as "drat has a lot of time passed." Plus, Dresden is a father now. Of a young girl. Who is growing up. And guys will be checking her out the way he's checked out other girls. Daughters are the universe's revenge on horn-dog men. Everyone fucked around with this message at 05:53 on Jul 17, 2020 |
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Jul 17, 2020 05:49
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Subvisual Haze posted:When Eb points out that living "in the open" under the protection of an inscrutable 3rd party is a terrible idea for Maggie's safety, Harry focuses instead on the personal wrongs Ebenezer did to him by having him raised in foster care. Missing completely that there is a middle path of them both living in safer location such as the Carpenter house (which is probably what will happen eventually). It's not just the safety at the house, though, unless she's planning on never leaving the house. It's the fact that she's a lever on him and that will always put her in danger. She has Mouse and she has the Carpenters, but none of that can stop, say, a gunman from rolling up alongside her elementary school during recess. It's a real risk, if not a risk that would justify effectively abandoning her. Everyone posted:As far as the "male gaze" moments with Hope and Ivy, I was mostly okay with it. For one thing, Dresden/Butcher didn't keep going on and on like he'd do with Molly and her Yeah, the feeling I got from that was less Dresden-is-a-horndog and more that new dad Dresden is noticing that the people he thought of as little girls have become young women, and realizing that his own little girl is also going to grow up.
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Jul 17, 2020 06:47
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Dresden did set a pretty strong precedent on what will happen to anyone trying to harm Maggie. 
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Jul 17, 2020 06:54
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Hughmoris posted:Anyone read the Kim Harrison 'The Hollows' series? Does the feeling/quality of the books change any after the first? I'm about half-way thru the first book and its pretty heavy on the 'sexy vampire energy' stuff (similar to how the latest Dresden books are) and it's a bit much for me. If the quality of the writing improves as the series progresses then I'll stick with it. I read the first, five? maybe. I found them very consistent to downright samey, and weirdly disjointed at times. Iirc sexy vampire energy is central to the way they work so that doesn't change much. If you like the protagonist, great, because she didn't change much throughout.
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Jul 17, 2020 06:55
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Sloth Life posted:I read the first, five? maybe. I found them very consistent to downright samey, and weirdly disjointed at times. Iirc sexy vampire energy is central to the way they work so that doesn't change much. If you like the protagonist, great, because she didn't change much throughout. Actually, if you keep reading...
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Jul 17, 2020 08:45
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Avalerion posted:Dresden did set a pretty strong precedent on what will happen to anyone trying to harm Maggie. I love the phrasing, which I can't look up atm, but it's something like "You killed them. And all their friends. And most people they ever met."
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Jul 17, 2020 11:21
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Wizchine posted:Actually, if you keep reading... Let me guess, she gets incredible cosmic power yet remains an impetuous imbecile and bangs that Elf guy in a classic " "no I hate you" means "screw me please" "?
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Jul 17, 2020 12:33
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Sloth Life posted:Let me guess, she gets incredible cosmic power yet remains an impetuous imbecile and bangs that Elf guy in a classic " "no I hate you" means "screw me please" "? Wow, it's like you've read urban fantasy before... In truth I think I read a few of the books a few years ago but I can't recall all that much about them. No direct spoilers, but even in Peace Talks, Harry Dresden is still Harry Dresden, a wizard not all that subtle but still a little quick to anger. He's clearly more experienced than he was, but his basic personality (including the flaws) remains intact. Props to Butcher for letting Dresden's girlfriend be around his own age instead of some immortal teenager or something. I mean, I won't be utterly shocked if some weird magic thing turns Karrin into some kind of immortal twenty-something, but it's still nice to have an age-appropriate connection for now.
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Jul 17, 2020 14:59
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Beachcomber posted:I'd really, really like him to get a minute to sit down so he can craft some new focuses, another summoning circle...some kind of magic swag. He keeps saying 90% of wizarding is preparation, so can he please be allowed to power up fully? Yeah. It's been how many books since Changes now? I'm annoyed at the self-imposed nerf for the past few books. Everyone posted:Daughters are the universe's revenge on horn-dog men. Suddenly I will now expect a horribly contrived "I'm a feminist because I have a daughter" speech in the near future.
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Jul 17, 2020 16:33
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Sloth Life posted:Let me guess, she gets incredible cosmic power yet remains an impetuous imbecile and bangs that Elf guy in a classic " "no I hate you" means "screw me please" "? She gets incredible cosmic power - but it's done with a really nice in-universe twist. However, she becomes self-aware that she is an impetuous imbecile and tones it down. No comment on Elf guy. You're 2 out of 3.
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Jul 17, 2020 19:35
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Xtanstic posted:Yeah. It's been how many books since Changes now? I'm annoyed at the self-imposed nerf for the past few books. This is the fourth book since Changes, which was Book #12. He spent Book #13 dead (sort of). In Book #14 he got physical therapy for being dead and then had to do Mab's will. He had a little time after that to fix up Demonreach and craft a few tools (though I don't recall what) as well as get something of a handle on the Winter Mantle. It's been... maybe a year? 18 months? since Book #15. But he also has two jobs that keep him pretty loving busy. He's still a regional commander of the Wardens of the White Council and he's the Winter Knight. He's got a new staff and that kinetic punch thing, I think. Honestly, I wouldn't expect too much in the way of "wizard swag" until Book #18. Figure the dude's gonna be pretty busy until then. Xtanstic posted:Suddenly I will now expect a horribly contrived "I'm a feminist because I have a daughter" speech in the near future. Possibly. On the other hand, despite the Winter Mantle telling him to eat/gently caress/kill, Dresden is actually a lot more restrained about women than he's been in the past. Having a daughter could easily put him in the mind of "I don't want to look at Hope, etc that way because I don't want any assholes like me looking at Maggie that way." Do you think Dick Cheney would have had the slightest empathy/sympathy for LGBTQ people if his own daughter hadn't come out to him as gay? He doesn't have a huge amount, but she's why he has what he has. Progress generally starts with personal encounters and experience. In a better, fairer world it wouldn't be as needed. You wouldn't have to have a daughter to get the epiphany "I shouldn't treat women like object because I don't want my kid treated like an object." But we don't live in that finer world. We're stuck in this one. Progress continues. Slower than it really should be, but still, it continues.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:11
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rndmnmbr posted:This scene actually made me angry. Yoshiko goes "You've had sex recently!" and Harry gets irrationally angry at the four giving the guy who just left Lara freaking Raith's house a funny look. When the appropriate response is Harry giving Ramirez a smug look and saying "Yeah, I had some fun with Okay, I read the book on Tuesday, and now I am listening to the audio book. I think I figured something out: A lot of people have noted that Harry and the Wardens fell out here, then were fine the next evening. However Ramirez states that Harry needs to meet them to prep the next day at 6. However, we never see that scene. Instead we skip to the party. I am thinking that Harry does go prep, and some planning/reconciliation/plotting that satisfies his buddies occurs. That would explain why they all day they voted for him. Where would they vote? Edinburgh. So potentially setting something up with Luccio. Or it could be sloppy writing.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:13
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MY GIRLFRIEND
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Everyone posted:It's been... maybe a year? 18 months? since Book #15. I think it's mentioned in the book that it's been about 4 or so months since the events of Skin Game.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:25
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docbeard posted:I think it's mentioned in the book that it's been about 4 or so months since the events of Skin Game. official timeline Skin Game was February and Peace Talks/Battle Ground is July
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Jul 17, 2020 20:42
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And also the book specifically mentions Notre Dame burning down, so uhh timelines.
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Jul 17, 2020 21:16
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Subvisual Haze posted:And also the book specifically mentions Notre Dame burning down, so uhh timelines. That one really made me laugh, I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be referencing the recent fire or ssome old rear end fire.
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Jul 17, 2020 21:22
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Picked up Peace Talks yesterday and yowza, I dont remember half the poo poo that's happened since....2014? Jesus.
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Jul 17, 2020 21:27
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Mr. Hasty posted:official timeline So best guess is that Peace Talks is set in 2013 according to trying to fudge the timeline. Well it certainly makes Harry's 'Whats this interwebz thing' make more sense
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Jul 17, 2020 21:32
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Zore posted:So best guess is that Peace Talks is set in 2013 according to trying to fudge the timeline. Well it certainly makes Harry's 'Whats this interwebz thing' make more sense I don't get what any specific date would have to do with "the guy who destroys all advanced electronics he is near only has a peripheral knowledge of the Internet".
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Jul 17, 2020 21:58
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Mr. Hasty posted:official timeline So Murphy is around 43 which means that her recovery from her injuries was iffy at best and her little stunt with the casts basically has cost her her mobility in her old age (I know fiction action hero blah blah). She had better hope she dies and comes back as a undead viking thing I can’t be bothered to spell or the next few years are going to be unending suffering.
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Jul 17, 2020 23:46
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in the american health care system lol
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Jul 17, 2020 23:50
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navyjack posted:So Murphy is around 43 which means that her recovery from her injuries was iffy at best and her little stunt with the casts basically has cost her her mobility in her old age (I know fiction action hero blah blah). She had better hope she dies and comes back as a undead viking thing I can’t be bothered to spell or the next few years are going to be unending suffering. I mean if she dies and comes back in say 2015 the next few years are going to be unending suffering anyway.
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Jul 18, 2020 01:05
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ImpAtom posted:I mean if she dies and comes back in say 2015 the next few years are going to be unending suffering anyway. I already know the hat dresden's gonna be wearing on the cover of the final trilogy
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Jul 18, 2020 01:38
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Gnoman posted:I don't get what any specific date would have to do with "the guy who destroys all advanced electronics he is near only has a peripheral knowledge of the Internet". Except for Murphy, Bob, Will and Butters all telling Dresden exactly what it is multiple times throughout the series.
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Jul 18, 2020 02:36
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Zore posted:So best guess is that Peace Talks is set in 2013 according to trying to fudge the timeline. Well it certainly makes Harry's 'Whats this interwebz thing' make more sense Dresden Files is a prose comic book. When is it set? Nowish. Call it this year right now. Skin Game happened in February of 2020, so Peace Talks is kicking off in July 2020. If Book 18 drops in March of 2022 with a "Severals Months Later" Tag, then 18 will be set in March of 2022 with all that Battle stuff happening in 2021 because that's how comic book time works.
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Jul 18, 2020 03:04
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Up Circle posted:I already know the hat dresden's gonna be wearing on the cover of the final trilogy 
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Jul 18, 2020 03:21
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Shinjobi posted:Picked up Peace Talks yesterday and yowza, I dont remember half the poo poo that's happened since....2014? Jesus. Anyone who hasn't read Peace Talks yet, the one thing I wish I'd brushed up on before reading was the short stories, which I only kind of remembered. Bleh. Read 3-15 in 22 days. I shouldn't have taken a break.
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Jul 18, 2020 03:48
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Up Circle posted:I already know the hat dresden's gonna be wearing on the cover of the final trilogy 
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Jul 18, 2020 06:45
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Anita Blake 8 complete, what a book! Here's the review/thought-post I just put together for goodreads: A book as overwhelmed as Anita is at this stage of her character development. Take all the magical and personal developments from the last book, don't give Anita time to catch her breath, and then throw her into what could be the worst week of her entire life. I mean, you know it's going to be bad when Anita open the book having to ride to the rescue of her rear end in a top hat ex, who has been openly angry at her. Richard's been sleeping around trying to find a replacement for Anita and now it's landed him in jail for rape. He's innocent, of course. This is where I'd try to summarize the plot, but it's basically a nightmare collision course of corrupt cops, an absolutely vile villain, a hostile master vampire, a hostile Ulfric werewolf, munin, Anita's issues, her wereleopard pack, her escort vampires, Jason, and Richard. And the specter of Jean-Claude, who doesn't tag along for this adventure but he casts a long, long shadow. (ironic for a vampire) The primary theme is again the backbone of the series: Anita losing control, whether by having it forced on her or through her own actions. There's a reason the book is named after the Blue Moon - a supernaturally intense moon that makes the shifters risk control every time they get even a little emotional. Anita's not a were-critter but it gets her too, and she's going to botch at least one encounter with the supernatural because she's not at her best. So let me dig into that. Not at her best? Oh yeah. Even though the love triangle is technically resolved, Anita still has hang-ups over Richard, even when he's being an rear end in a top hat. Then there's the wereleopards, who are a group who are primed to hit all of Anita's prude buttons. They want touch for comfort, they want sex because they've been broken to understand just it, they want her to protect them, and their proximity is going to help through Anita's internal struggles in stark relief. And that's the other theme of this book: people, people, everywhere. Anita rarely gets time alone, she has to fight for it. And that is the struggle: she isn't alone. She started dating two people at once and now she's got a whole bunch of people in her life who want attention for various things and she's going to have to learn how to manage that. Learning is the other theme of this book: Anita needs to learn how to control her new powers. Needs to learn how to handle her people. Needs to learn to be okay with herself. And over the course of the book she learns a lot about herself that she's not wholly happy with. Not at all. I've seen the series described as books 1-9 are Anita's descent. That fits. Here in the penultimate book of that arc, I was wondering how far down we would go. The first three hundred pages were a teaser for the hell ride that is the finale of this book. As I was reading the last hundred pages I kept hearing a clunk sound, the sound of a gear dropping into place, something powerful and profound happening that you can't take back, the sound of Anita's psyche being inevitably forced into being ready for whatever the next book brings. Blow after blow strikes home, and for the first time in the series the epilogue doesn't have a sense of closure, only temporary escape. In conclusion: one of those rare books that manages to actually match the plot tempo to the state of the main character's psyche. Messy, chaotic, and yet it all pulls it together. One hell of a book.
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