Harry Dresden's New Apprentice!!?!

[g33k]

We have a new novella coming, "Out Law" (see the thread here in the Forum).  And now we  have a blurb for it, revealing (among other things) that Harry has a new apprentice!  A snippet from the blurb reads:

He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice.

^{-- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-law-jim-butcher/1148099903?ean=9798347030026#}

Someone was griping about "oh no, not another New Character" -- there's already so many plotlines & loose-threads to wrap up!  That's fair.  But Jim will write what he writes, and may well have planned the advent of this New Character since early days...

But I thought -- what if it's not a new character?

For example, maybe one of the Ordo Lebes wants (or manifests new powers, and needs!) some advanced training?  What if it turns out Morty isn't just an ectomancer (that's just his strongest schtick)?

Not another Carpenter kid, tho -- unless Jim has changed his mind -- WoJ has previously been firm that the kids after Molly had no more potential than any other suburban kid.  Maybe a scion of the Murphy clan?

What about li'l Faith Astor, all growed up?

Etc...

Of course, it legit could be an all-new character (or a tiny bit-player being elevated... remember Waldo Butters was originally a throwaway, a combo of comic-relief + audience-surrogate (to whom Harry could lore-dump (thus informing the readers))).

Anyone else wanna toss an idea into the ring?

[RobReece]

It's possible that the publisher is overhyping the storyline and that it's not a new 'apprentice' whose story would extend beyond the novella.

[Mira]

  It makes sense in some ways, Harry needs help and someone to confide in.  What if the new apprentice is Maggie?  If she is starting to show her talent, it could be.  Would Harry make the same mistakes that Eb made with his mother?  Or it could even be Bonnie, which very much would make sense because at the moment she really has no function.  Yes, as the child of Harry and Lash, she knows a lot of stuff, but she has no clue as to how to apply it.

[Lord Kinbote]

Well, given Harry's status or lack thereof with the White Counsel, it's got to be someone already estranged from the White Counsel and/or has no interest or hope of getting in their good graces.

I also think that Butcher is unlikely to intro a major new character at this point.

Looking back, I'm going with Fitz from Ghost Story.  Certainly seemed like that character was going somewhere.  Took up a subplot and a lot of ink but then exited midway thru that book, and haven't seen him since.  Fitz felt like groundwork, and you know how Butcher drops stuff in books from left field and then uses the stuff later.

There was some young girl that showed some talent - maybe in one of the short stories, don't remember her name - but I don't think Butcher is likely to give Dresden another female apprentice,  another female with magical/supernatural abilities, or another female in his life - with Mab, Molly, Maggie, Bonnie, Laura, etc.  Dresden has enough female bosses/allies/friendlies in his life he has to deal with basically every day. Also, with Thomas out of a picture for a while, Dresden needs a replacement male for some balance.

[pcpoet]

my bet it is tamara the girl in the story AAAA wizardry that served as a case file that Dresden used to teach young wardens about taking care of supernatural problems.   in the story Dresden says that she has possibility of substantial talent and someone to watch over because of the potential to be a warlock because of how her talent manifested itself.

[Regenbogen]

I was always wondering why we never heard from Fitz again after Ghost Story. I thought, he would be interesting. And just think about his ability to hear dead people after the Battle of Chicago. Poor kid. He would go crazy without Harry's help.

Or the young warlock Harry met in Zoo Day. Aiden? Or something other with A.
Edit: Austin! I think it was Austin.

I don't think it will be Faith Astor, because I already casted her as Kumori, lol.

[magnuskn]

Fitz and his disappearance after Ghost Story was definitely one of the flys in the ointment for my enjoyment of that book. The side story about him seemed such a pointless waste of pages, compared to the many other things Jim could have written about. If he turns out to be the new apprentice, that would change things a bit retrospectively.

[KurtinStGeorge]

I was always wondering why we never heard from Fitz again after Ghost Story. I thought, he would be interesting. And just think about his ability to hear dead people after the Battle of Chicago. Poor kid. He would go crazy without Harry's help.

Or the young warlock Harry met in Zoo Day. Aiden? Or something other with A.
Edit: Austin! I think it was Austin.

I could be misremembering something Jim said right about the time Battle Ground came out, maybe just a little after.  The Battle of Chicago could remove some side characters from the series.  For example, we briefly saw Officer Rawlins and EMT Lamar in Battle Ground.  Did either or both of them survive?  We don't know.

The reason I mention this is because I think Mort Lindquist would be more suited to act as a mentor to Fitz, seeing as Mort can interact with ghosts he could give Fitz much more practical advice then Harry.  However, if Mortimer is one of those side characters who didn't survive the Battle of Chicago, then Fitz becoming Harry's apprentice makes more sense. 

If this were to be the case, I could see Fitz eventually contacting Mort's ghost, thus getting a new teacher from beyond.  Fitz wouldn't be a long-term apprentice and could take Mort's place if Dresden needs some ghostly knowledge in a future novel.  Seeing as this is a novella and not a full novel, it makes sense Harry's new apprentice; whoever it may be, isn't an apprentice for more than the duration of the story.

I don't think it will be Faith Astor, because I already casted her as Kumori, lol

Don't laugh too hard, you could be right about Faith Astor.

Fitz and his disappearance after Ghost Story was definitely one of the flys in the ointment for my enjoyment of that book. The side story about him seemed such a pointless waste of pages, compared to the many other things Jim could have written about. If he turns out to be the new apprentice, that would change things a bit retrospectively.

I felt the same.  I don't hate it as much now as I did the first time I read it, but I don't love it either.     

[g33k]

...  I don't think it will be Faith Astor, because I already casted her as Kumori, lol. 

I don't think Faith works as Kumori:  Dead Beat happens just 7-8 years after Restoration of Faith (where she's just 10).

17-18 strikes me as just a bit too young for someone so robustly & diversely well-trained and experienced with magic.

I s'pose Cowl could have been playing time-dilation effects in the far Nevernever to get her an extra decade or more of training and experience.  It appears that Rashid has added centuries to his own life that way.

[Cats_are_evil]

For the life of me I can't remember his name but the guy in Skin Game who lost his tongue. Ended up leaving the nickleheads. Most likely I'll remember who he is at 3 in the morning. Since he's been associated with the Denarians the council wouldn't touch him.

[KurtinStGeorge]

For the life of me I can't remember his name but the guy in Skin Game who lost his tongue. Ended up leaving the nickleheads. Most likely I'll remember who he is at 3 in the morning. Since he's been associated with the Denarians the council wouldn't touch him.

I think Nicodemus called him Squire (the title, not his name) Jordan.  Before he lost his tongue he had a lessor title.  I don’t remember if Squire Jordan had another name, a last name.  I think it was just Jordan.

Jordan as an apprentice is an interesting idea.  It could work but I would think Jordan would probably be too old to have just discovered his magic ability.  Plus, I suspect Nicodemus would have known if any of his cult members might grow into magic users.  He wouldn’t like that possibility.

[Mira]

I could be misremembering something Jim said right about the time Battle Ground came out, maybe just a little after.  The Battle of Chicago could remove some side characters from the series.  For example, we briefly saw Officer Rawlins and EMT Lamar in Battle Ground.  Did either or both of them survive?  We don't know.

  I don't think we've seen the last of Rawlings, I think he and Harry will have at least one more confrontation.  Yeah, Rawlings could have gone totally insane but I think he will try to find some way of charging Harry and their confrontation will be in court.  Rawlings will lose and maybe be put away, whether in jail or asylum it will end his storyline.  Which is logical, because he killed Murphy, Harry came close to killing him for doing that, but justice one way or the other hasn't been resolved.

Harry does have two children in his household, both have magical talent. We know that Maggie is going away to school, but Bonnie is remaining at home. 

[RobReece]

  I don't think we've seen the last of Rawlings, I think he and Harry will have at least one more confrontation.  Yeah, Rawlings could have gone totally insane but I think he will try to find some way of charging Harry and their confrontation will be in court.

I think you're confusing Rawlings with Bradley.  Rawlings is the almost retired friend from SI.  Bradley was the one having to work with Rudy.
If he followed Harry's instructions,  Bradley should have gotten out with his daughter.  Rawlings,  I don't think we know.  As for Lamar,  I  believe we saw him post Battle, in the triage area and even helping Harry prior to his crashing the meeting?

Let me know if I'm mis-remembering.

[g33k]

  I don't think we've seen the last of Rawlings... he killed Murphy, Harry came close to killing him for doing that, but justice one way or the other hasn't been resolved ...

You're talking about Rudy, not Rawlins (no "g").

Rawlins is a beat cop, an older one who worked with Karrin's dad; he tries not to address the reality of the supernatural, but he absolutely believes. We first met him in Dead Beat, where he was working the security detail at SPLATTERCON!!! when Harry arrived to investigate.

[Mira]

You're talking about Rudy, not Rawlins (no "g").

Rawlins is a beat cop, an older one who worked with Karrin's dad; he tries not to address the reality of the supernatural, but he absolutely believes. We first met him in Dead Beat, where he was working the security detail at SPLATTERCON!!! when Harry arrived to investigate.

  Yeah, my bad, realized it later.  Not much sleep last night and a lot on my mind today, got them mixed up..