The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Peace Talks - What did you like? What didn't you like? What were you expecting?
Dina:
I will put here a variation of what I posted in another thread ALL SPOILERS!!
I just have finished reading it. I liked it a lot even when I am very sad. I don't like what is happening with Thomas, or Lara for that matters. She is one of my favorite frenemies too :)
In my opinions, the first chapters seemed...disjointed. Like different postcards placed in the same album, no links between them. I commented a few things in specific threads about each of the sample chapters but only a few more things:
In the first chapter Harry sees giant footprints...and does nothing. Tells nothing to anyone. He does not ask Bonea. He does not ask Bob (when he visited Butters).
Apparently, he and McCoy not tell anyone about an outsider attacking them
He does not ask Bob for the sneezing either. I mean, he asks Butters, but he does not ask him to ask Bob. Not even the paranet!
Lara was described twice with very few chapters in between. And we are already familiar with her, so it was boring. There are other things I found wordy as the others say, but for some reason Lara's description were the more annoying.
Ramirez placed an ink dot in Harry's waist...long before Harry was hurt and Butters do a hard cleaning of Harry's hands. How did the dot survived?
Lastly, Ramirez acted much more suspicious in the "ambush" than at the party, which was weird.
And the Peace Talks never actually began, which was disappointing. I was expecting some clever exchanges and things like that.
I did love many things, mostly all the emotion, the fact that Harry truly planned for Maggie's future, the fighting scenes, the heist, Harry in the island. I am sad for him and specially because I feel that both Lara and Thomas will be angry at him after all the Titan thing is finished (assuming they survive). And that is sad, they should be grateful. And I like that I am not sure what is going on with police and feds.
I suspect Thomas had another reason than Justine. Perhaps it was protecting Harry. Or something thralled him to do that so Harry will need to do what he did.
Also, I think Harry needs to have the three Swords together, crossing the streams, for saying something. That would probably defeat or weaken the Titan, long enough for the imprisonment.
Of course, we all suspect Merlin is the sleeping prisoner, right? And he will be with Mab?
Lastly, I've been wondering if Fidelacchius will be able to cut the demon inside Thomas (improbable) or Justine's baby (as it won't hurt the human but the monster).
KurtinStGeorge:
I didn't hate the book we got. A lot of the banter was still fun. I suppose I most enjoyed the scenes with Harry and Maggie. Though I wish we got to hear a little more from Bonea.
I want to address one criticism I initially agreed with, but I'm having a change of heart on, and that has to do with Butters suddenly complicated love life. The criticism is that the ménage ŕ trois doesn't feel earned; that it's something tacked on by Jim to make Butters more studly. I initially agreed with this assessment; and it might be true, but after a reread I found that Butters wasn't really anger stronger. He tells Harry, "I don't know how this happened." Then he says "Don't screw this up for me." If Butters love life was going to be upended because Harry talked to their mutual friends about it, Butters relationship isn't that strong to begin with. I have a feeling that Jim is setting something up here. One of the Denarians is trying a different way to get to one of the knights. If I'm right then Butters situation will make more sense. However, that's a WAG I don't want to go into detail about right now.
More than one person has said something like, "A book titled Peace Talks should have some actual; you know, peace talks in them." I agree, but for a specific reason. If you recall back when you read the first three Dresden Files books, there were was a fair amount of foreshadowing about the White Council, but we didn't get to see them as an organization, how they worked and what the leadership thought of Harry, until the fourth book Summer Knight. When that happened it opened up the wider magical world for the series. I was hoping we would get something similar with this book, only this time we would witness how the different powers dealt with each other, in an official capacity. At least until all hell would break loose. Plus, I was hoping there would be some surprises. Characters like Drakul that we've only heard about, maybe the Eebs would show up representing a new Red Court; which looks less likely now, or Mavra would show up representing the Black Court.
There were also little things that felt off to me. The first night of the talks at the dinner, the Fomor didn't show up, but no one mentioned it or asked why they were absent. I would have thought Harry would have picked up on they're absence and asked the question. Yes, the next day we get an apology for the Fomor being late, but shouldn't it have come earlier?
That's a nit pick. My real issue is with Harry. At no point does he act like the detective that he used to be. I get that everything is happening pretty fast but he has time to talk with Karen. It's said the boat trip to Demonreach island takes about an hour. There was space for Harry to wonder why Mab and Lara are working on together. Is Mab just balancing scales by working with Lara because she Marcon'e main rival or was it something else? Is Vadderung backing Lara or is her hiring the Valkyrie just a business arrangement? These are just a couple of questions Harry might have mused about even if he didn't know if they were relevant to the current situation with Thomas.
I'll admit that part of my issue is that I was hoping we would get a fun and challenging mystery for Harry to unravel, mixed in with all the political machinations of the talks. However, what we have received doesn't feel fun to me, at least not yet. The plot line with Thomas just feels sad and depressing. Even breaking Thomas out of jail wasn't that fun; other than Freydis sex illusion hologram of Harry and Lara, which should make things interesting for Harry in the next book, but not so much in this one. Add to that, the battle with the Corner Hounds wasn't that good, IMO. For example, I think the fight with the Octokongs in Skin Game was much more exiting.
So far I'd give what we got a C -, but I hope the pay off in Battle Ground will be worthwhile. At least we don't have that long to wait.
--- Quote from: Dina on July 22, 2020, 05:23:27 AM ---Lastly, I've been wondering if Fidelacchius will be able to cut the demon inside Thomas (improbable) or Justine's baby (as it won't hurt the human but the monster).
--- End quote ---
I've been wondering if Fidelacchius will be able to cut through Nicodemus' noose, should Nic ever try to pull the same trick with Butters that he used on Murphy. I suspect the noose can't be damaged while Nic's wearing it, but if he asks for mercy and takes it off; and he puts down his coin, the noose might loose whatever protections it has.
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: huangjimmy108 on July 22, 2020, 03:22:46 AM ---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.
--- End quote ---
I'm not expecting an answer in part 1 of 2. I do find it odd that Harry didn't even start laying any groundwork to an investigation. He is a private detective, after all.
Dina:
Frankly, the only thing that bothers me about Butters' arrangements is the moment that Harry thinks to himself that he does not know what to think. Be an adult Harry, those three are adults and what they do in private is not your damn business (I was proud of his initial answer at Butters' place, I just did not like his inner thoughts later, when talking with Karen). But still, I understand Harry is an old fashioned guy. I just wish Murphy had not been so flustered for a woman hitting on her.
Kurtis, I loved the fight with the hound. It is one of my favorites in the whole serious. So I guess each ones has their cup of tea.
And at some point Harry is going to begin "detecting" and hopefully he will discover what happened with Thomas.
Conspiracy Theorist:
Harry expected this of Thomas and made fun of him for it , he certainly didn’t expect it of Butters, it left him rather non-plussed and then he himself was offered a similar arrangement with Freydis and Murphy.
Somewhere if you listen very carefully, you can hear Carlos screaming “it’s not fair!!!”
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