The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
True Love's Protection
Dina:
I agree with LaraBeck about the shade being just a copy. She is not Murphy's soul.
And yes, the true love thing truly disappointed me. It makes not sense. I was ok with Lara touching Harry with all the explanation that she was not trying to fed, bla, bla that worked for BG. Besides, it was not necessary from a narrative POV. Lara could have projected his aura over Harry before feeding (we know the saliva of the whampires and I think their pheromones have a alluring effect) and then, when she actually tried to feed, she could have been burnt, retreat, but still had taken a taste of it. Or directly, Jim could have omitted that scene but added a scene where Mab insisted in Lara feeding from him as part of the alliance, and so Harry made a test of magically feeding Lara without her actually touching him. It would have make sense to do that small test even before when he tried to split Lara and her hunger.
This was the most disappointing thing in the book for me.
Mira:
--- Quote ---No, the shade is not her soul, this was explained in Ghost Story and is again pointed out in Twelve Months. This is not what the "rule" (einherjar) thing is about. Her shade is not Murphy, it's an impression of her, a copy of her at the time of her death. It won't have nothing to do with her memory or who Murphy truly is or where her soul is. Her soul is effectively in Valhalla, for all we know.
If Murphy is to return, it will be her, maybe slightly changed due to the new mantle of power, but it will be her. Just like Harry is still Harry with the mantle. It makes no sense, otherwise, to collect a honored warrior for their qualities, just to null them by turning them into people that they weren't. There's no point in that, if that was the case, they'd collect anyone.
--- End quote ---
That doesn't make sense to me, sorry but it doesn't.. An impression of her, but not her? So why the need to move on? It's her soul that moves on. As an einherjar she won't have any mantle of power, non of the einherjar we've met have any power, they have their skills as warriors, this is why they were selected, but they have no power.
--- Quote ---I could argue though, that these comments about Murphy "holding herself back" might be either 1. to seed doubt in their love, or 2. to seed the possibility that nothing will stop that woman from coming back for Harry, because they have unfinished business.
--- End quote ---
Again, if Murphy was holding herself back presumably out of love for Harry and his love still held true, then it shouldn't matter whether Lara had just eaten or not, her lips still should have burned off.
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: LaraBeck on January 22, 2026, 03:40:41 PM ---No, the shade is not her soul, this was explained in Ghost Story and is again pointed out in Twelve Months. This is not what the "rule" (einherjar) thing is about. Her shade is not Murphy, it's an impression of her, a copy of her at the time of her death. It won't have nothing to do with her memory or who Murphy truly is or where her soul is. Her soul is effectively in Valhalla, for all we know.
--- End quote ---
Also, think back to Grave Peril, where Harry purposefully flatlined to create a shade of himself, a copy at the moment of (near) death, to help him double-team Kravos' nightmare ghost.
The shade accomplished his unfinished business when they won, and just faded away. The actual Harry returned to his body thanks to the girls keeping it viable with CPR.
LaraBeck:
--- Quote from: Mira on January 22, 2026, 07:56:47 PM ---That doesn't make sense to me, sorry but it doesn't.. An impression of her, but not her? So why the need to move on? It's her soul that moves on. As an einherjar she won't have any mantle of power, non of the einherjar we've met have any power, they have their skills as warriors, this is why they were selected, but they have no power.
--- End quote ---
Yes, by the lore/mythology or whatever you wanna call it in the books, that's how shades work, they're not the souls of the deceased. The point is reinforced in Twelve Months and it doesn't contradict what we already knew since Ghost Story, so there's no continuity error there in this regard, at least. The shade is not Murphy, or Murphy's soul. Her soul is already where it's supposed to be, apparently.
I dunno how she'll come back, an einherjar or whatever, but in any case, it does not make sense that she changes, or that she's suddenly an empty vessel. The people recruited are recruited for who they are, it makes no sense to redefine that, so all the more reason to believe she'll be the same and not a "different" person than she was when she was alive.
--- Quote from: Snark Knight on January 22, 2026, 08:03:13 PM ---Also, think back to Grave Peril, where Harry purposefully flatlined to create a shade of himself, a copy at the moment of (near) death, to help him double-team Kravos' nightmare ghost.
The shade accomplished his unfinished business when they won, and just faded away. The actual Harry returned to his body thanks to the girls keeping it viable with CPR.
--- End quote ---
Yes, I imagine Murphy's shade faded away when Harry "let go" of her.
--- Quote from: Mira on January 22, 2026, 07:56:47 PM ---Again, if Murphy was holding herself back presumably out of love for Harry and his love still held true, then it shouldn't matter whether Lara had just eaten or not, her lips still should have burned off.
--- End quote ---
I do agree with you on that.
Dina:
I think the one who needed to move on was Harry, not the shade.
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