The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Peace Talks - What did you like? What didn't you like? What were you expecting?

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knightedbishop:
I was disappointed. I’m hoping I can chalk this up to Jim’s long break and as he gets back into his groove the writing will improve. I expect Battle Ground will be about the same quality given they were originally one book. I’m still grateful to have the books. Not every book can be amazing, especially given how many he’s written. I will read as long as he keeps writing them. I enjoy the characters and visiting them in each story Jim tells.

I liked many of the free standing scenes that didn’t seem to advance the main story. Harry’s talk with Maggie exposition on how he prepared for her care if he died. The practice fight between Sanya and Butters and the revelation that angels are likely bound to the nails of the Cross. Harry summoning Molly and their conversation.

I liked Ethniu’s entrance and the response it garnered. I liked Harry binding Thomas.

The whole titular idea of the peace talks was amazingly underwhelming, as many have said. Few participants, no actual talks. The lack of any revelation about the why behind Thomas’s assassination attempt.

vultur:

--- Quote from: Mira on July 21, 2020, 04:00:51 PM ---I totally agree, then we would have understood who were for the Fomor joining the Accords and who were against and at least a vague reason why.
--- End quote ---

I think the point was that the Fomor never actually intended to join the Accords anyway - the call for talks was just to get a bunch of important Accorded powers in one place with Mab so Ethniu could demonstrate Mab's inability to enforce the Accords in front of all of them.

So there was actually nothing to discuss. The Fomor just show up and start a fight with Mab.

Mira:

--- Quote from: vultur on July 21, 2020, 10:12:13 PM ---I think the point was that the Fomor never actually intended to join the Accords anyway - the call for talks was just to get a bunch of important Accorded powers in one place with Mab so Ethniu could demonstrate Mab's inability to enforce the Accords in front of all of them.

So there was actually nothing to discuss. The Fomor just show up and start a fight with Mab.

--- End quote ---

But that isn't the point, it isn't what about what the Fomor intended to do, but the politics surrounding the talks.  Who were against them joining, who were for?  Who were in favor of appeasing them for the sake of peace?  Imagine Christos having a real Nevil Chamberlain moment convincing everyone that this was the way, then the Fomor show up to start a fight, oh better yet, play nice for a little bit so Mab and perhaps Marcone look like fools, Thomas is brought up, then all hell breaks loose.

Snark Knight:
I was surprised there was no real plot angle of investigating why Thomas attacked the svartalves, or if he was framed. It's just an assumption that someone was holding a threat to Justine over him.

Seems to me there was a glaring lack of consideration whether he was mind-whammied into it, or took on the hit to buy something powerful's protection for Justine to survive the hit. I favour the mind-whammy theory, because while Justine is in danger, she's not quite two months into the pregnancy. He has time to look for less radical alternatives than assassinating a moderately friendly figure for a favour.

Plus, I'm surprised Harry wouldn't at least internally consider the possibility of an N-fected svartalf staging it to frame Thomas as part of the black council pressure campaign against Harry.

huangjimmy108:
PT is not bad, it is just not enough. We are used to eat a full meal. Each book of JB always covered all the aspect and tied all loose ends accept for those JB deliberately left hanging on purpose. Now we are only served half a plate of food with all those loose end unexplain.

Of course we feel there are too much recap of previous books. In the first place, JB has left this series hanging for 6 years instead for just 1 year like previous books, so he need a bit of a summary. Secondly this is in fact only half a book. Battleground is bound not to have so many recap, because all the recap is already done in PT. If the 2 books is combine into one, the percentage of the recap will drop a lot.

Of course we don't have answers about Thomas. Again, this is only half a book. I can also understand why the spartalf don't questioned Thomas. Firstly, it does not matter much. Like it or not, Thomas has drew blood and retribution is unavoidable. Secondly, it is a stressful time. All of the powers that be is in Chicago and Thomas's matter will not escape their eyes. Under such a premise the spartalf cannot afford to show any weakness. Fellow accord members they may be, but they are all predators just the same. Showing all the other powers the ruthless and vicious side of the spartalf is more important than anything at the moment, otherwise the spartalf as a nation will lose their prestige. This is the same reason why in book 11, the white council have to kill Donald Morgan even if they know that Morgan is mostly innocent. The sacrifice is nescesary so that other powers don't look at the council as prey. Of course the spartalf know that there is more behind the scene, but the urgency of the matter does not allow them to do anything else. Why do you think the spartalf agree to transfer Thomas to the BFF building? Don't they know that it will make it easier for Lara and Harry to rescue him? They obviously know, but they did it anyway. It is politics. The spartalf cannot show weakness, but they also don't want a war with the white court vampires either. Once Lara ask Harry to introduce her to the spartalf, the spartalf now has a ladder to step down without showing weakness. If Lara manage to make Thomas disappear without a trace, they have to focus on finding Thomas first before any war can happened. The spartalf can open one eye and close another. Big problems becomes small problems and small problems becomes no problem. Vadderung and Farofax attitude said it all. They obviously seen Harry and Lara carry Thomas out breaking who knows how many rules of hospitality and unceli accords, as old powers Vadderung and faro ought to be angry, but did they say anything?

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