True Love's Protection

[KurtinStGeorge]

Here is how I saw the true love conversation in TM and why Mab’s version of it can be defended, but even my explanation isn’t perfect.  Short version, it’s complicated and that is a problem in and of itself.

When Thomas first told Harry that objects or people touched by true love is a kind of poisson for the White Court or at least House Raith, it was straightforward and easy to understand.  The exceptions or what can disable true love protection appeared to be easy to grasp as well.  Now that Harry is no longer protected, Mab tells Harry true love protection is more like a complex equation and one incorrect variable can give the answer a null value.  “That love protection no longer adds up Harry, sorry.”

Here is how Mab’s explanation works.  I can say that if Murphy had survived the battle, but she had been severely injured, maybe crippled for life, Harry would have still blamed himself and felt unworthy of being loved, because feeling guilty is what Harry does, but Murphy remaining alive would have held the love protection together, even though it would take time before Harry once again felt worthy of her love.  Simply feeling unworthy of being loved only ends true love protection if the other partner isn’t there to help sustain it.  So, Mab’s explanation can work, sort of, but damn it’s messy.

I disliked Mab being able to explain; or fully explain, how Harry’s love protection disappeared.  I can’t remember which novel; maybe it was Death Masks, Harry asked Bob to conduct a search and Bob told Harry that he couldn’t do it.  The reason Bob gave is because Bob is a memory spirit and he would be crossing boundaries into spiritual areas he wasn’t meant to cross.  I think something similar for Mab; though not exactly the same, would have worked much better than what we actually got.  When Harry asked why his love protection had vanished Mab might have told Harry something like this:

“My Knight.  Of course I am aware of love protection and how it protected you from Lara Raith and others of her kind.  I was once mortal once.  I know what love is and I can recognize it in others, as I recognized your brother was in love.  But love and emotions in general are not where I excel.  I can tell you what I know, but in truth my sister the Summer Queen is better suited to answer this question, but I do not recommend that you seek her council in this matter.  She lacks my sense of humor; and frankly, I don’t think she likes you.”

Then, whether Jim had Mab give the exact same explanation of how love protection works or came up with a slightly different explanation, it would have created some wiggle room in the reader’s mind.  I think a lot of people would be much more happy if Mab’s explanation seemed incomplete or was questionable because Mab didn’t fully grasp how love protection works.  Then we could make up our own explanations to fill in the gaps.  I think the way Jim had Mab explain love protection to Harry, it seemed watered down or as others hasn’t put it, less special than our earlier understanding.

Actually, I think the kiss scene between Lara and Harry needed some serious improvement as well.  I think more was wrong with it than Lara not being burned.  However, I think that issue needs a separate post of its own.  I might not be able to get to it until tomorrow, but I do have something to say about that.
 

[Bad Alias]

It was Death Masks. Bob said he's a spirit of intellect and the shroud was a matter of faith.

[Dina]

I agree that would have been better, Kurtis.

[Mira]

Here is how Mab’s explanation works.  I can say that if Murphy had survived the battle, but she had been severely injured, maybe crippled for life, Harry would have still blamed himself and felt unworthy of being loved, because feeling guilty is what Harry does, but Murphy remaining alive would have held the love protection together, even though it would take time before Harry once again felt worthy of her love.  Simply feeling unworthy of being loved only ends true love protection if the other partner isn’t there to help sustain it.  So, Mab’s explanation can work, sort of, but damn it’s messy.

Not only messy, but true love doesn't work that way, if a person loves their partner truly, it doesn't matter how the partner feels about it, it continues. True love isn't logical, that's what sets it apart.  Just a thought, it's been centuries since or if she ever felt it that Mab has had felt true love for anyone.

“My Knight.  Of course I am aware of love protection and how it protected you from Lara Raith and others of her kind.  I was once mortal once.  I know what love is and I can recognize it in others, as I recognized your brother was in love.  But love and emotions in general are not where I excel.  I can tell you what I know, but in truth my sister the Summer Queen is better suited to answer this question, but I do not recommend that you seek her council in this matter.  She lacks my sense of humor; and frankly, I don’t think she likes you.”

Might have been a bit better, but at the same time doesn't work because true love cannot be discussed with someone who thinks they have it logically.  Instead of the Summer Queen, Mab may have suggested that Harry talk about it to Molly.  I still think the better solution though it would piss a lot of Murphy/Harry shippers off, would have been that it wasn't true love after all. Don't even try to explain it, because it is so complicated.  And yes, Harry and Murphy's relationship was complicated.

Then, whether Jim had Mab give the exact same explanation of how love protection works or came up with a slightly different explanation, it would have created some wiggle room in the reader’s mind.  I think a lot of people would be much more happy if Mab’s explanation seemed incomplete or was questionable because Mab didn’t fully grasp how love protection works.  Then we could make up our own explanations to fill in the gaps.  I think the way Jim had Mab explain love protection to Harry, it seemed watered down or as others hasn’t put it, less special than our earlier understanding.

Or goes back to our understanding was correct, but what Harry and Murphy had wasn't true love for all the appearance that it was.  Why?  Just a personal opinion, but based on the last few books I don't think it would ultimately worked out between the two. 

[Dina]

Not only messy, but true love doesn't work that way, if a person loves their partner truly, it doesn't matter how the partner feels about it, it continues. True love isn't logical, that's what sets it apart.  Just a thought, it's been centuries since or if she ever felt it that Mab has had felt true love for anyone.

It does matter though, that is why Harry was not protected when he was with Luccio. He Loved her but she did not.

[LaraBeck]

It does matter though, that is why Harry was not protected when he was with Luccio. He Loved her but she did not.

I would have said that he cared about her, but didn't love her. I don't remember him even thinking he might. That's around the same time as he realized Karrin had some deeper feelings for Kincaid besides horny, so he was on the rebound, IMO. Actually the whole Kincaid situationship is a big "tell me you like Harry Dresden without telling me you like Harry Dresden" moment for Karrin and the same can be said about Luccio, she was basically Wizard Murphy.

But I do agree that the lore so far is not exactly that true love is ilogical, what it is is a mutual communion, a mutual coming together in mind, soul, body, but it is mutual. But sure, once it has settled can be disturbed, not the love itself, but the mark it left, by the action of just one individual. Now, before 12M, the disturbance had to be physical, that was what we knew, now, it can be, let's say spiritual too.

Still, the more I sit with this book, the more in awe I am at the five stars reviews. I think parts of this book were good, the grief part is well done. But there's a lot about the lore that is ... meh, either out of nowhere or soft-retcon, there's a lot of ilogical decisions made, and a lot of stuff that feel like Jim just needed to "fix" *cough Justine cough* in order to move on to the book he really wants to write: MM.

And the more I sit with this Lara/Harry/Murphy/True Love™ situationship, the more it feels like Jim just wants to push the narrative into a direction where there is a romance between Harry and Lara or at the very least, there is the titillating possibility of a sexual partnership, and so he just had to fix the whole Ture Love™ thing in whichever way he could, and this was his best.

This makes me concerned about where the series is going. I've been worried since Battle Ground, tbh, and this book did not soothe me. Why? Because to me this is an important part of the series. I know that the romantic life of our protagonist is not the main reason why most people read these books, and it's not even mine, but I'd said is not unimportant. For a guy like Harry who is very much about "where his heart is" his sentimental life is important, as it is his choice of romantic partner and his struggle to find them or keep them. I genuinely think that part is lacking in the series (we can do romance without going into paranormal romance territory) and my wish would always be that we get to see Harry actually fighting to win and keep the person he loves, he has never done that, and I thought it'd be with Murphy, but oh well...

[Dina]

Ah, it all depends of what you care about. For example, the inconsistency in the soulgaze and the true love thing bothered me, but I still love the book, it is actually of my favourites right now and I had no time to reread it yet. It's just that for me the good parts far outweigh the bad ones.

And yes, Harry realizes what is going on with Luccio because he is genuinely shocked he is not protected from whampires. He is sure of his love, so he knows she does not love him so much and he begins thinking why she seems so perfectly in love if she is not. And he begins actually thinking. But, we can argue that Harry himself may be wrong. He may think that protection only comes for people mutually in love, but he may be wrong. I don't remember a whampire explicitly saying so.

[LaraBeck]

Ah, it all depends of what you care about. For example, the inconsistency in the soulgaze and the true love thing bothered me, but I still love the book, it is actually of my favourites right now and I had no time to reread it yet. It's just that for me the good parts far outweigh the bad ones.

And yes, Harry realizes what is going on with Luccio because he is genuinely shocked he is not protected from whampires. He is sure of his love, so he knows she does not love him so much and he begins thinking why she seems so perfectly in love if she is not. And he begins actually thinking. But, we can argue that Harry himself may be wrong. He may think that protection only comes for people mutually in love, but he may be wrong. I don't remember a whampire explicitly saying so.

So, I went back to Turn Coat, when this is touched upon. Alright, I didn't remember how exactly it went, but I guess that yeah, the subtext here could be interpreted as Harry thinking he might me in love. I don't agree with that interpretation, as I feel like he was more disappointed that it wasn't going into that direction, I see him more like lamenting they'll never get a chance to go there. But I can concede the point.

About the overall book, for me Battle Ground was that book that had more things that I liked vs the things I didn't like, even though the thing I didn't like, I hated with a passion. Twelve Months is more like a 50/50 and I'm being very generous there. And again, I repeat that is not the lack of action or a lack of "a main villain" like I see pointed out in reviews that are not so favorable of this book around the internet, it is about other deeper things, some of which I've mentioned here.

But there's always a book that's going to be like that in a collection of 18, I guess.

[Bad Alias]

Jim has said that True Love Protection comes from two equals loving each other.

Not only messy, but true love doesn't work that way, if a person loves their partner truly, it doesn't matter how the partner feels about it, it continues. True love isn't logical, that's what sets it apart. 

True Love and True Love Protection aren't the same thing.

[Dina]

About the overall book, for me Battle Ground was that book that had more things that I liked vs the things I didn't like, even though the thing I didn't like, I hated with a passion. Twelve Months is more like a 50/50 and I'm being very generous there. And again, I repeat that is not the lack of action or a lack of "a main villain" like I see pointed out in reviews that are not so favorable of this book around the internet, it is about other deeper things, some of which I've mentioned here.

That is what people is complaining about? Not my case, clearly.

[Bad Alias]

Regarding having more action or a main villain, I do think I would have liked 12 Months more if there was an overarching plot moving through the year other than Dresden's healing.

For example, if Harry had a little war with the ghouls or we see Harry doing something about Etri.

It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the book. It just felt a little disjointed to me. Others have described it as a collection of short stories throughout a year. I can't say I disagree.

[LaraBeck]

Regarding having more action or a main villain, I do think I would have liked 12 Months more if there was an overarching plot moving through the year other than Dresden's healing.

I was so sure this is what we were going to get, and instead it was 10 months of little stories. I don't mind either, but I have to concede the point to all the people who thought we would get 12 short stories.

[Mira]

  We all know that true love burns a White Court Vampire, that true love before the first feeding can block or kill the Hunger Demon, who happens to be an Outsider all together. Why?  That never has been fully explained.

[Bad Alias]

I was so sure this is what we were going to get, and instead it was 10 months of little stories. I don't mind either, but I have to concede the point to all the people who thought we would get 12 short stories.

The weird part for me is that it also doesn't feel like a collection of short stories either.

Something I hadn't considered until now is that it also really doesn't feel like a case file either. It isn't a Dresden Files book. It could be a Dresden Journal Book, but not a Dresden File.

I think a short story collection with an overarching plot or multiple highly related overarching plots would have fit the Dresden Files conceit better.

I don't think meeting the conceit is necessary for my enjoyment of the series. I'm sure if his journal entries were mostly case files, he would also have a lot of non case file entries as well. Like, "I was training Fitz on x this week and realized y is a really good way of doing x," or completely irrelevant to wizarding parenting thoughts. So the conceit of these being Harry's journals still works.

[KurtinStGeorge]

Jim was planning on Murphy dying since book 11 or so. He didn't seem sure which book.

This is a minor point but I think it's funny.  Well, maybe more confusing than funny.

I've seen a video that came out sometime after Battle Ground was released; probably in 2021, where Jim answered the question, "When did you decide to kill Murphy."  And you are correct, Jim said it was around time Turn Coat was released.

However, there is a new interview video that was recorded a few days before TM was released where Jim was asked the same question.  Jim's answer: "I always planed to kill her off."

I have no idea which answer is true; and theoretically, they could both be lies or both be partially true.  Example: Jim could have made the decision to kill Murphy off after he finished writing Blood Rites; or any other novel before Turn Coat, in which case both statements are false.  On the other hand, Jim may have always known he was going to kill off Murphy but he didn't decide which novel it would happen in until after Turn Coat was released.  In that case both statements contain part of the truth.  I would guess the second scenario is probably the correct one, but only Jim knows for sure.