Twelve Months - What our you expecting from it?

[KurtinStGeorge]

I've been thinking about Twelve Months and I think it will be a different type of story than anything we've read so far in any of the previous Dresden Files case books.  It almost has to be different.  I'm paraphrasing here, but on more than one occasion Jim has said that the story of every Dresden Files novel is the worst two or three days of Harry's life in that given year.  Except for the first three or four novels, which take place about only 4 to 9 months apart from one to another. 

Up till the present, all of the previous Dresden Files novels have had Harry playing beat the clock while facing seemingly insurmountable odds, but not this time.  OK, at some point in the next novel; probably near the middle of the novel, Harry will realize he is facing a deadline to accomplish some seemingly impossible goal, but almost certainly, it won't be like Death Masks, Turn Coat or Changes; where a Red Court vampire challenges Harry to a duel right at the start of the story, or when Harry has a wounded Morgan show up on his doorstep asking to hide him from the Wardens or when Susan tells Harry in the first paragraph of the first chapter that the Red Court has kidnapped Harry and Susan's daughter.  I'm guessing Twelve Months will be more of slow burn type of story.  The conflict or conflicts in Twelve Months will unfold at a more deliberate pace   

So, that has me asking what the through line will be; the main story, that will flow through the entire novel.   I suppose we could get twelve short stories, one for each month, but I seriously doubt Jim would take that route.  So, what will Twelve Months be about? 

We know Harry will be dealing with the trauma of losing Murphy and the general trauma of what occurred during Battle Ground.  We also know that Harry talked to Michael about reinventing himself, becoming The Wizard of Chicago; whatever that will mean.  Though Harry has always self-identified as the black sheep of the White Council, someone skeptical of the leadership, the quality of their decision making and even their morality, he has also seen himself as being part of the same Council.  Now he has to create a new identity for himself.

So, the above give us a couple of themes which might carry through the novel: grief, recovery and reinvention.  However, themes are not the plot, they are ideas which underlie the story.  So in asking what the story will be, we need to look at the elements Jim will be working with. 

*We know Harry will be going out on dates with Lara Raith.
*We know that Molly will have a role in planning these dates; Mab ordered her to set them up, most likely after negotiating with Lara or possibly
  Lara's proxy, on where the dates will be held and other important elements related to these public outings.
* We know Lara was caught off guard by Mab's declaration that Lara would marry the Winter Knight to cement the alliance between
   Winter and White Court; however, we can confidently guess that Lara will quickly realize she has been given a golden opportunity to firmly place
   Harry under her control.  My guess is if Mab makes an early appearance in Twelve Months and Harry points this out to her, Mab will respond that it
   is Harry's responsibility to see that this doesn't happen.
  Speaking of Mab...
* We know Mab expects demands that Lara and Harry will get married at the end of Twelve Months.  Does this mean there will be twelve
  dates?
* We can confidently assume the Winter Queen has been or will be setting up Lara for something else beyond being an ally of Winter.  Mab always
   plans for multiple possible outcomes in any given situation.  Possibly Mab sees Lara as a potential replacement for Molly, though that is just a
   guess on my part.
* We know that Harry told Ebenezer that he won't try to get out of being the Winter Knight unless he can bring Molly out of Winter as well.  Maybe
   we will see the beginnings of such a plan take place in Twelve Months.
* We can safely guess that Ebenezer will go ballistic when he hears that Harry and Lara are making public appearances together, that they are
   romantically involved.  The rest of the Senior Council and Harry's friends; maybe former friends, on the Council, like Luccio and Ramirez, won't be
   very happy either.
* We know that LTW will be coming back at or near the end of the story to tell Harry if he and his allies will help Harry understand what it means to
   be Starborn.  Whether this will play an important role near the end of Twelve Months or set up an important plot point in a later novel is anyone's
   guess.  If this element is important to the end of Twelve Months, I think that would likely mean that Outsiders will be playing an important role in
   Twelve Months, necessitating Harry learn more about being Starborn ASAP. 
   Speaking of Outsiders...
* We know Justine is possessed by Nemesis and that she is pregnant.  However, her pregnancy won't carry through the entire the entire novel,
   though it will probably be an important story element for the first two thirds of the novel.
* We know that Waldo Butters has the perfect weapon to harm Nemesis and probably drive it from Justine and her unborn child, without harming
   either one of them.  We can guess that at some point Waldo will become involved, but perhaps Jim will have Waldo preoccupied with another
   mission to keep the easy solution from being an option.
* We know Thomas is locked up under Demonreach, but there isn't any time limit on how long he will remain there.  Maybe a time limit will be
   introduced, but we have no way to know if such a thing will occur. 
* We can safely assume that if Thomas is released from his imprisonment, the Swartalves will still be looking for him.
* We know there is a "Men in Black" like organization; the Librarians, who will almost certainly have an operative or two in Chicago.  They will
   almost certainly be interested in Harry.  Being a mortal, he is the easiest member of the supernatural community; the ones with power, not low
   level members who hang out at Mac's, to keep track of and perhaps even approach.  Conversely, Harry might notice he's being followed and
   decide to initiate contact himself.
* Harry made a promise to the survivors of those people who followed his Banner during the Battle of Chicago, that they can come to him once,
  should any of them need his help.
* Finally; just to be clear, the earlier point that Mab expects Harry to marry Lara Raith at the end of Twelve Months does set up a ticking clock, just
   a really slow clock.  And also, not a ticking clock leading to an outcome as dramatic as Demonreach blowing up and taking half of North America
   with it or Ethniu destroying the mortal world.  The stakes in Twelve Months are much more personal and life altering for Harry than end of the
   world for everyone else. 

So, we have some potential for strong drama, some possible comedy on the dates with Lara and Harry; plus, maybe there will be some Outsiders besides Nemesis making an appearance, or not.  Then there is this new group, the Librarians.  A possible threat, but perhaps also possible allies.  Lots of possibilities but no easy to identify story here.  How do you think the story will play out, or more clearly, what will the story be?

I'll make this guess on how Twelve Months might start, based on nothing in particular.  Molly, or more likely a proxy she sends in her place because she is busy with Winter Lady duties (Also, because Jim will want to keep Harry isolated from his strongest ally), will deliver a message to Harry describing the details of his first date with Lara; where it will be, what he is expected to ware and so forth.  If Molly sends a proxy in her place, it will be someone like the Redcap who Harry despises.  Harry will be told on a Monday that date will be on Friday and he is expected to make a good showing for Winter.  Harry will brood about being used as; not a brood mare, a brood stud, for Mab.

However, Harry will be pulled out his self pity mood when one of the people Harry promised to do a favor for, shows up asking to collect on that favor.  Whatever help this person needs, it will look like a relatively simple task for the Wizard of Chicago to perform but will reveal a much deeper threat, not just for that individual but for many others as well.  It will be the kind of thing that Harry would have called into the Council when he was a Warden, but he can't do that any longer.  Harry will need to use all his skills and some luck to survive, make good on his promise and show up for his first date with Lara on time.

Maybe this new threat will involve Outsiders or perhaps a group of Fomor who weren't able to retreat to Lake Michigan and instead took up temporary residence in Undertown or maybe it will be Cowl or some major family of the White Court looking to take Lara down a peg or two or perhaps the Librarians will pose some existential risk we can't yet imagine.  It could also be some combination of these or other supernatural players. 

Whoever, whatever or wherever the threat comes from, Harry will only get a glimpse of it in the first month of Twelve Months.  He will need to use his detective skills to find and put together clues in the following months.  All the while he will also have to deal with Lara and Mab's schemes, unwanted interference from Ebenezer, his seeming inability to help Thomas and his own depression and sense of loss.

My alternative beginning involves Harry running down a clue to Justine's whereabouts, which misses Justine but uncovers something else.  Something scary, sinister and only hints at what is to come.

Now it's your turn.  Be as detailed or not as you like.  What are you expecting to see in Twelve Months? 

[Mira]

   I don't know what to expect frankly.  Harry is grieving and from the few hints we do have from the short stories is suffering from depression, though maybe not on the level he was going through at the beginning of Summer Knight.  My prediction if you could call it that is, not just Harry, but both Lara and Molly will fight Mab on her plans for this marriage.  The real reasons why Mab wants it and their reasons for not wanting it, will make the story interesting.  It's a given that Eb will go postal upon hearing the news, but will he then step forward and attempt to do his Blackstaff duties?  Because I cannot imagine the White Council would be very happy upon hearing the news and if they really want to off Harry, they will try and get it done before he makes yet another powerful ally when he marries into the White Court.  And yes, I can see maybe two voices of sanity finally explaining to Harry what he is and what his birth means, those two voices belong to Rashid and Listens to Wind.

[Fox]

I think if Mab is setting up Lara as a replacement for anyone it’s for herself, not Molly. She’s on record saying she doesn’t think Molly could handle her job.

[g33k]

... She’s on record saying she doesn’t think Molly could handle her job.

Which would be why she's looking to Lara as a Molly-replacement.

But I don't think that's significant -- Mab is always looking ten steps ahead.  Her backup plans have backups, and contingencies, and emergency-exits.

It wouldn't surprise me -- at all! -- if Mab had a dozen or more potential Winter-Lady replacements being groomed, at any given time.

[Yuillegan]

I think you have covered it pretty well KSG. I suspect we will get more books that don't follow the standard formula for Dresden Files stories, as Jim said he wants to challenge himself more as a writer and keep it interesting for him.

I do think a lot of this book (as stated by Jim) will be about Dresden's various traumas, particularly the ones he hasn't dealt with.

Other things I think will happen:

• As you said KSG, The Librum Bellum aka Men in Black aka the Librarians presence will be there, probably subtly. I suspect we may even meet one of their agents. A new, highly dangerous threat. Even Vadderung was wary of them. A lot of what Harry does in the book (hopefully helping people) will be noticed, but also some of the more destructive stuff. Something to note: Librum Bellum means "War Library" which is another Warhammer reference, if I am not mistaken. Like Kemmler, I doubt he will mirror any more than that for obvious copyright reasons. But it is something to consider. If anything, I suspect they will be more like the Watchers from Buffy, with maybe a little Agent J and K thrown in. Was it one of their agents in Dog men?
• People of Chicago are going to be out in force. Some will be fine with Dresden. But some will see him as just another freak. Expect complications.
• Marcone is going to be more of an overt ruler, is my guess. Harry and he will have their fragile alliance tested. This is a Merlin and King Arthur situation, if they were actually just frenemies. I wonder about the Dresden Files versions' relationship.
• The White Council is going to take issue with Dresden. He might have to fight a few of them, but I suspect if they go to arrest him it will go badly. Whatever happens it won't be until the end. That showdown in Peace Talks was just foreshadowing. This will make the Listens-to-Wind bit harder - but Harry might finally understand why he has been ostracized for so long. And it might be to his advantage.
• This would be the perfect book for the return of Cowl and Kumori...but we'll see.
• Harry's life is one long torture, I am not so sure he will get out of marrying Lara. Remember, Mab has a reason for this happening. Ebenezar is right, he knows the Whamps play long games, subtle games. Harry might be more ensnared than he realises. Harry might actually end up liking Lara, and might actually need to marry her. He'll never love her. His Murphy-love shield will protect him, for a while at least. I see lots of parallels with Harry's mother's journey - it's not for nothing she decided to be with Lord Raith. I suspect Harry will learn more about his mother as well, at least from Lara, in this book. Not to mention, what the Whamps have to do with the Cycle.

I do like the idea of Mab's replacement being Lara - although Cold Days would seem to suggest Molly is next in line - given that if Mab were killed Maeve was expected to take over (which was a Bad Thing) and if Harry killed Mab after Maeve's death, Molly would become the new Mab. If anyone made sense to be Mab in Winter, I would have thought it would be Lea. But, I wonder if there is a particular reason Lea cannot become Mab. That all said, there is a big stone table in Tir Na Nog. If you wanted to transfer a mantle, seems like the place to do it. We've seen it done once before. Might be a way of getting ahead of the Adversary. Then Lara could jump the cue. That said, Ms Duck's theory that Mab=Molly would be incorrect, and so the universe might collapse.

[Mira]

  I actually think this book could be another Changes.  Just as Changes transformed Harry's world as we knew it, I think Twelve Months is about to change it again... Setting him up for the eventual BAT.  One hint that this is going to happen is supposedly we are going to find out in this book just what a star born is, does, and how will it affect Harry.  More importantly, why does Harry seem so different from the two known star borns we have met, Drakul and Listen..  Or is he different?  And if he isn't, how will Harrt handle that information?

[Yuillegan]

Changes was about breaking from the previous series norms. Harry lost his house, his allies, his usual weapons, even literally the theme of his magic went from fire to more ice-focussed (at least, for a while). Jim has talked about how he wanted to strip Dresden back so that he could do other stuff. Which he did. Changes, Ghost Story, and Cold Days were almost one big phase. Things went back to "normal" in Skin Game (partially why it was so well received I imagine). Then Jim blew that to hell, so to speak, with Peace Talks and Battle Ground.

So, if Twelve Months is meant to be a book about changing things, one would have to work out what Jim is trying to change. Are we going back to a more familiar Harry? Or are we going to somewhere new?

I do agree that it will reveal some interesting points of information about starborn and the Cycle. Although, I doubt will get the whole picture. Jim wants us to keep buying books, after all!

[g33k]

WOW, man...  Lotta content here!
Very meaty, very tasty!

I've been thinking about Twelve Months and I think it will be a different type of story than anything we've read so far in any of the previous Dresden Files case books
...
So, that has me asking what the through line will be; the main story, that will flow through the entire novel ...

I think you're 100% correct, it's going to be a very different book.

As I recall, Jim has stated 2 broad elements we'll see in this book:

 - Harry working broadly in Chicago, as a more-significant figure there:  The "Wizard of Chicago."

The guy lives in a freaking Castle, now!  Scores, maybe HUNDREDS of people sheltered there, during the Battle; many more saw him in action.  He raised a Banner, and almost a thousand mortals followed him to war.  And those people in turn each know multiple people.  The number of first-hand accounts (and still more people, who can vouch for those first-hand witnesses) is into the thousands, maybe scores of thousands.  That's a small-to-medium town's worth of people.  Sure, it isn't enough to be a sea-change for big-city Chicago overnight (that would have been a win for Ethniu)... but it's enough for a perceptible change.  At a visceral level, much of Chicago now believes in magic.

So, Harry's not nearly as low-profile as he used to be; and the Castle is a big, tangible resource:  expect Larry Fowler's lawsuits to resume!         Expect more lawyer-time, tax bills, and other "interface with mundanes" elements.  I expect he'll want to follow up with his Bannermen, see how they're doing, their families, etc.

But also, I expect Harry to be reaching out to the local Paranet, the Better Future Society, and other low/mid level practitioners and clued-in folk, forging those alliances, too.

Harry's SOP was "Big Damn Hero (with some friends);" he had the low-levels hunker down.  Well, the Battle of Chicago showed that there is no hunkering down, not in the new magical world:  Pure mortals had to show up & fight, too.

So, "Harry, living his new life in the new Chicago" will be a theme.

 - Jim, who has experienced a lot of pain & trauma of late, "writing what he knows:"  showing depressed-Harry, traumatized-Harry, grieving-Harry.

Grieving for Murphy, of course:  that's the big one.  But in the Christmas Eve short, we know that Harry has shouldered a big chunk of grief for Chicago-at-large, all the deaths & injuries &c from the Battle (yeah, that's not rational... but feelings often aren't; Harry spent over a decade trying to protect mortals from the Supernatural World, and the Battle of Chicago likely felt to him (at some level) like a massive personal failure.  Plus, we know "shouldering extra guilt" is one of Harry's specialties!).  And you know there are dead parents among his Bannermen, leaving orphans and spouses, and Harry feels very directly responsible for leading them to their deaths.  I think that will be an element, maybe even a substantial theme.

Lots of meditation, and who knows where that might lead Harry.  I suspect he'll discover some about his links to Demonreach, possibly other stuff.

I suspect we'll be seeing Agent Tilly, again.  Likely he's been recruited by the Library of Congress' Special Collections, tho maybe the FBI has their own Black Cats / SI now.  But the Fed has *got* to respond to this... even if only to report it as a terrorist EMP device & hallucinatory nerve agent (but that's only the Official Story, and this coverup can't be hidden by a small cadre like the Chicago PD did with BC/SI:  the higher-ups will have proof now, so they will be launching plans & investigations &c; and that will involve Harry).
 
Lara:  once Lara gets over her surprise, she's going to realize that obviously Mab Has An Agenda, and it's nothing as simple as a marriage (not even a not-at-all-simple "Marriage of State" between Winter & White courts).  So she wants to know what that agenda is.

I don't think she's going to be too terribly devoted to trying to seduce Harry:  WoJ says the WK-mantle and Whampires' respective sex-mojo's combine in more-than-additive ways, and I'm certain the White Court has decent records and likely there's some Raith family-lore, too... Whamp's & Winterfae have been co-Supernatural'ing for thousands of years, after all!

At the same time, I think Lara's got a bit of a crush on Harry:  her control keeps "slipping" around him.  She just cannot seem to help but poke that particular tiger, but we can be fairly sure she's actually got a lot of self-control (in general).  So I expect ongoing, low-grade "ooops" events.

And, on the gripping hand, Harry just sorcerously-imprisoned her only brother after "tricking" Lara into thinking Thomas would be enjoying relative liberty (and she could visit him) on Demonreach Island, and she is furious about that.  I wonder if that resentment (and desire to get inside Demonreach to extract her brother) will be the leverage Nemesis needs to take Lara...?

Which brings us 'round to Mab's agenda again (or should I say agendas:  I expect there are several!).  One is further training her Knight to conduct socio-political battles, as well as physical ones:  how to extract himself from the engagement without provoking a White-Court / Winter war.  I guess Mab also has got "Major Crush On Harry" Molly being intimately involved in planning Lara&Harry dates (?), which tells us that Mab has a substantive agenda here for Molly, too.

But my WAG as to the most-overt of Mab's agendas is that she has assigned Harry to hunt Outsiders among the Whampires:

• Papa Raith showed up with major Outsider-fueled magic protection -- the Blackstaff was repeatedly unable to nail him.
• Vito showed up with a major Outsider-fueled psychic assault, taking down multiple high-level opponents at once.
• Justine showed up with a Nemfection, while working very-closely with Lara Raith

“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”  I think Mab thinks there's a problem in the White Court (I think she's right).

Also:  Raith Père is supposed to have an amazing library concerning the whole Starborn Cycle (he was trying to educate himself into becoming a power-player for this cycle).  I think Mab wants Harry to have access to that library (I suspect the collection is more than "just books," and includes a Nemvector).
 
The Blackstaff:  I doubt Ebenezer will just let things go.  He still wants to save Harry from himself; he still wants to get to know little Maggie better; he still has his anti-Whamp attitudes (which, to be fair, are largely justified).  So I'm expecting family drama there (with the added complication that the White Council's Black Ops guy is Grandpa, and the WC's highly-suspicious Enfant Terrible is Dad... and then there's Maggie's "little" sister Bonea ... ).
 
The Marriage:  Twelve Months is the time leading up to the wedding.  Mab granted that when it was pointed out as inappropriate for the groom not to have a reasonable time to grieve for his fallen love.  So the title of the book is right there.  At the end of the book, there will be a wedding.

My WAG is that Harry -- after all his & Molly's & Lara's twisting and turning to try escaping from the marriage -- is getting into his Tux (or whatever the Winter Knight wedding-regalia is) and about to marry Lara.  He pauses for one last look-over in a mirror to make sure everything is OK, and his reflected image reaches out from the mirror & grabs him.

And that's the last scene of Twelve Months.
Then we just wait for Mirror, Mirror

And at the end of Mirror Mirror, he comes back to his own world having stood-up Lara at the altar (which for a very-proud Succubus Queen is... well, the phrase "mortal insult" comes to mind) AND simultaneously dishonored Mab's sworn word (which is... well, "suicidal" comes to mind).

Then we wait for next-book.

[Mira]

So, if Twelve Months is meant to be a book about changing things, one would have to work out what Jim is trying to change. Are we going back to a more familiar Harry? Or are we going to somewhere new?

 I think it will be a familiar Harry, but also different because now once he understands, he won't be able to escape who and what he is.  This understanding will color his character for the rest of the series, just as Battle Ground has changed the world's view of the supernatural for the rest of the series. 

[cander891]

One item that has been spinning in my mind is that the marriage is to solidify the alliance between Winter and the White Court. Marrying Laura to the Winter Knight.

Harry's way out of this.... what if by the end he isn't the Winter Knight anymore?

[Mira]

One item that has been spinning in my mind is that the marriage is to solidify the alliance between Winter and the White Court. Marrying Laura to the Winter Knight.

Harry's way out of this.... what if by the end he isn't the Winter Knight anymore?

  Yeah, we know Mab has her own agenda on a lot of matters.. One wonders is it really to solidify the alliance or more to protect her Winter Knight from the White Council?

[g33k]

One item that has been spinning in my mind is that the marriage is to solidify the alliance between Winter and the White Court. Marrying Laura to the Winter Knight.

Harry's way out of this.... what if by the end he isn't the Winter Knight anymore?

As I've said above -- I don't think the White X Winter alliance is the main point at all.  Sure, that's what Mab would have us think (and I expect she wouldn't object to having the Whampires in her service) but really now:  when Mab sets out a motivation, we should expect the another motivation behind that; and another behind that.

But Harry giving up the WK mantle?  Dubious, IMHO:  the ongoing theme of the Dresden Files is powering-up Harry so he can survive the BAT.  The WK mantle gives him a physique that puts him on-par with Rampire & Whampire warriors... and he's going to need that!

I think Harry's going to learn the trick of taking-off a Mantle and putting it back on, at need.
Vadderung hinted at it with the Kringlemantle... Chekhov's Mantle, right there.

At a guess, this will happen in "The Wrestling Book" (wherein I expect to see lots of versions of identity and "putting on masks" and taking them off.  Pro wrestlers may start with a "hero" persona, then take a "heel turn," or start as "heels" and grow to "honorable," etc).

[Mira]

As I've said above -- I don't think the White X Winter alliance is the main point at all.  Sure, that's what Mab would have us think (and I expect she wouldn't object to having the Whampires in her service) but really now:  when Mab sets out a motivation, we should expect the another motivation behind that; and another behind that.

  I totally agree with all that you said, that's why I believe that Twelve Months maybe as significant as Changes.  Since Changes the story has sort of been treading water, or it seems that way maybe because the books since then have been so spread out. 

[g33k]

... Since Changes the story has sort of been treading water ...

Harry isn't just nominally the WK -- he's actively carrying out missions for Mab.
Molly is full-grown... and now the Winter Lady!
The Battle of Chicago has made Harry's own propensity for property-damage look like a scuff in the paint (much of TM is largely his recovery from the BoC).
Harry has taken possession of multiple artifacts that each contain power of the same caliber as the Swords of the Cross.
Thomas is imprisoned in the Well on Demonreach.
Harry has been kicked out of the White Council.
Murphy is dead.

This... does not feel like "treading water" to me.

YMMobviouslyV!

[Mira]

Harry isn't just nominally the WK -- he's actively carrying out missions for Mab.
Molly is full-grown... and now the Winter Lady!
The Battle of Chicago has made Harry's own propensity for property-damage look like a scuff in the paint (much of TM is largely his recovery from the BoC).
Harry has taken possession of multiple artifacts that each contain power of the same caliber as the Swords of the Cross.
Thomas is imprisoned in the Well on Demonreach.
Harry has been kicked out of the White Council.
Murphy is dead.

This... does not feel like "treading water" to me.

YMMobviouslyV!

It does in the sense that most of these plot points aren't really resolved, wrinkles and minor WTFs, but most do no move the main story along..

Murphy and Harry finally got together, yes, she was a victim of accidental homicide... But resolved?  Nope, not really.

Harry isn't just nominally the WK -- he's actively carrying out missions for Mab

Is he? Sort of, but honestly the promise of him being the Winter Knight has been a bit of a let down.

Molly is full-grown... and now the Winter Lady!

She has been full grown for quite sometime.. She is Winter Lady in name, seemingly doing a good job, but....... Oh and Mab would rather see her dead than Queen if something happened to her.. Where did that come from?

Harry has taken possession of multiple artifacts that each contain power of the same caliber as the Swords of the Cross.

Yes, but just what does that mean exactly?

Thomas is imprisoned in the Well on Demonreach.

Yeah, well, nothing all that interesting was happening with Thomas anyway...

Harry has been kicked out of the White Council.

For now, but how long will that last? 

What we have above is a lot of dangling plot lines, some have been dangling for a very long time, lot of new ones added... That's what I mean by treading water, the full story hasn't progressed a whole lot.