The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Thomas
Mira:
--- Quote ---Maybe we can get a short story along the lines of what you said or maybe he has to pretend to be the full predator to throw Lara off his scent and we could still get a glimpse of the White Court nightlife.
--- End quote ---
I think it is a bit late for a short story, not that it wouldn't be nice but now it would have no impact.
Talby16:
--- Quote from: Mira on May 30, 2025, 05:02:45 PM ---I think it is a bit late for a short story, not that it wouldn't be nice but now it would have no impact.
--- End quote ---
Yes and no. It would not have a big narrative impact since we are past that point in the storyline. It could still have a big emotional impact. For example, the microfiction Goodbye detailing Kincaids goodbye to Ivy as he heads off to kill Harry was not released until 2020 in the lead up to Peace Talks. Narratively we were far beyond that point story-wise, but the story was still an emotional gut punch. A short story detailing Thomas' struggles with his return to the predator lifestyle could also tug at the heart strings especially as it relates to Justine since we now know that Justine is nemfected.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Talby16 on June 01, 2025, 06:57:02 PM ---Yes and no. It would not have a big narrative impact since we are past that point in the storyline. It could still have a big emotional impact. For example, the microfiction Goodbye detailing Kincaids goodbye to Ivy as he heads off to kill Harry was not released until 2020 in the lead up to Peace Talks. Narratively we were far beyond that point story-wise, but the story was still an emotional gut punch. A short story detailing Thomas' struggles with his return to the predator lifestyle could also tug at the heart strings especially as it relates to Justine since we now know that Justine is nemfected.
--- End quote ---
Nothing was wrong about the timing of the short story about when Kincaid said good bye to Ivy. Because the point of the story in my opinion was the emotional change in Ivy and the two people in her life that she had an emotional connection to. Something the Archive, for her sanity is supposed to look up to. Kincaid was her body guard, but in many ways he was a surrogate father to her, and whether he'd admit to it or not had those kinds of feelings towards her. Harry gave her her name, and like Kincaid saw her as a little girl more than the Archive.. Ivy felt affection for both men and felt betrayed by Harry wanting to take his own life, and by Kincaid willing to take it for a price. With that she shut herself off from both men emotionally and became what the Archive is supposed to be.
While yes, as a character Ivy is important, she isn't as important to the story as Thomas is. There is a huge gap in his development as a character between Turn Coat and Changes, that disappoints me.
Talby16:
--- Quote from: Mira on June 02, 2025, 02:13:51 AM --- Nothing was wrong about the timing of the short story about when Kincaid said good bye to Ivy. Because the point of the story in my opinion was the emotional change in Ivy and the two people in her life that she had an emotional connection to. Something the Archive, for her sanity is supposed to look up to. Kincaid was her body guard, but in many ways he was a surrogate father to her, and whether he'd admit to it or not had those kinds of feelings towards her. Harry gave her her name, and like Kincaid saw her as a little girl more than the Archive.. Ivy felt affection for both men and felt betrayed by Harry wanting to take his own life, and by Kincaid willing to take it for a price. With that she shut herself off from both men emotionally and became what the Archive is supposed to be.
While yes, as a character Ivy is important, she isn't as important to the story as Thomas is. There is a huge gap in his development as a character between Turn Coat and Changes, that disappoints me.
--- End quote ---
I agree that the short story did an excellent job of exploring the dynamic between Kincaid and Ivy and laying the groundwork for ramifications of that fallout with both Kincaid and Harry in future books. All of this despite this story taking place during Changes and being released 3 books and 10 years after the fact. I think that something similar could be done with Thomas. We can go back and time and look at a period of his life where he is balancing his "newly" found predatory lifestyle and how that is integrated with his relationship with Justine. All to give a greater depth to future events like Thomas and his guilt when he is released from the crystal, Thomas and the hunt for the nemfected Justine, and/or a confrontation between Thomas and a nemfected Justine.
Regenbogen:
I am almost convinced that either Butters' sword will kill the Hunger Demon or that Harry will find a way to release only Thomas' human part from Demonreach, separating him from the Hunger Demon. This would mean, the Hunger would stay in stasis.
Either way, I think Jim will write it so that Thomas becomes human. I think, in Jim's opinion Thomas' character has become boring and it needs some "juice", not in form of a power upgrade, but as some sort of downgrade and to show his struggles in finding a new purpose and identity. Especially now that Thomas has seemingly come to accept his vampire nature and found a way to live with it.
Thomas in story has mostly been additional muscle with banter and family bonus and vampire troubles.
But there is so much more to him. All the internal struggles, the difficult family situation (Papa Raith, White Court, wizard descendant) makes him interesting, but this has mostly been in the background and only brought into light when it was important for the story. I think it's a pity: there is so much more to Thomas than just the pretty muscle with some deniable problems. Deniable is not my opinion, it's just how it feels to me that Harry sometimes behaves toward his brother. I was a bit shocked at his dismissive reaction to Thomas revealing that Justine was pregnant.
So I think, he will become fully human, maybe during his time of adjustment, he finds out that he has a little magical talent, maybe not. Maybe it's just weak like some paranetters.
And there is of course still the Justine situation: there will be grief, a search going on for the woman and the baby and who knows how this will turn out.
And then, but not too soon, he will find out that he was meant for Amoraccius from the beginning.
Thomas taking up the sword after becoming human is in my opinion the only solution for him to stay in Harry's world, to become "useful" again. From the story's perspective.
The other would be becoming a wizard, but I don't think his talent would be relevant in future events, meaning the BAT, Outsiders breaking through the Gates and so on. But the Sword of Love will be.
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