I had a strong, negative reaction to Mab in Twelve Months so I thought I'd open a specific thread to hopefully get some thoughts and perspectives to help resolve the reactions and questions I had, including whether I misunderstood or am just wrong.
- Part of the plot that the book is driven by is Mab giving Dresden a task that he must complete – make peace with Etri such that the Svartelves resume their relationship with the Winter Court, once again become its armors supplier, etc. So important is this task that Mab threatens Maggie. Does Dresden accomplish this task? Heck no, he instead delegates/re-assigns the task to Mab, who then does the job. Mab has more than once in prior books been absolutely clear that Dresden is to complete whatever task she assigns him, no matter how difficult and personally distasteful. But not here. Why?
- The apparent answer is that Mab was so happy that Dresden accomplished the second objective that Mab gave Dresden – Lara’s subservience – that Mab was willing to take back and perform the other objective when she ‘granted a wish’ to Dresden. To me, the question of why is Mab doing that still remains. Dresden completed this second task that job Mab required. I don’t recall Mab previously doing more than acknowledging Dresden’s success with a ‘well done’ and maybe an added word or two on how clever his solution was. Why would Mab obligate herself so readily and so open-endedly, especially to Dresden who has attempted to escape her clutches and has proven himself to be both clever and a malcontent. In this situation – and in light of the ensuing physical altercation with Dresden – I simply can’t believe the Mab from prior books would grant Dresden such an open-ended, risky boon simply because he basically did what Mab had told him to do. It wasn’t as if Dresden success got Mab more than what she required, i.e., Lara’s subservience. After all, he got no reward at all at the end of Battle Ground. But the granting of the boon and Dresden ‘re-delegating up’ is the road to solving the ‘impossible’ task with Etri. Kind of a cheat resolution to the conflict Butcher presented in the first few chapters.
- With regard to the boon, how many subparts/parameters is Dresden allowed in his wish? This adds to my thought that the boon is used as a cheat resolution to all or almost all of challenges facing Dresden – ‘Thankfully, Mab just happened to obligate herself to fulfilling a wish, and I wish that she personally resolve all of the tasks and personal challenges I have that involve third persons.” Dresden should have added that the possibility of Dresden’s conflicts with the White Counsel, including the possibility of Dresden’s death at its hands, has always been a burden on Thomas so she must resolve that conflict as well. I’ve admired Butcher’s resolutions to difficult problems and puzzles that he sets up in his books. Resolving everything here with an over-expansive use of a boon uncharacteristically granted out of left field falls far short of his prior standard, IMO.
- FWTW, if it’s all one big Triple Lindy that Mab orchestrated so that she would be the one able to bargain with the life of Thomas and Justine’s son to resolve the conflict with Etri, I don’t see the linkage between Dresden use of the boon somehow giving Mab the authority to use the infant, or that Dresden somehow could grant Mab that authority since he didn’t have such authority in his own right.
- And separate and apart from the above the issue of Mab obligating herself openendedly to Dresden, WTH was that scene in Dresden’s bedroom? Mab seemingly willing to have sex with Dresden, perhaps to the point where Dresden’s consent (or lack thereof) was becoming a real issue. And then Dresden physically assaults Mab? As the Winter Knight, how is that possible? And even if possible, why would Mab allow it? Just to show Dresden that he was the Winter Knight in all of its meanings? Remember the Cold Days scene when Dresden threatened Mab with a gun? Where is that Mab?
But Dresden is able to and does assault Mab, and sending her flying across the room into a stone wall, breaking bones, stomping on her, etc. No matter how pleased Mab is with Harry, all of that seemed far out of character from the Mab we’ve seen before who doesn't allow disrespect, sass, etc. from anyone, much less her vassals. And Mab smiles throughout, seems to enjoy it. Is Mab that self-satisfied or overjoyed in her belief that Dresden is no longer his own? Even if so, I don’t think Mab has anything to gain by effectively rubbing Dresden’s nose in her conclusion that he's now Winter-compromised. Where’s the gracious Mab (relatively) from conversation that she and Dresden had at the end of Battle Ground?
- All of which leads me to The Question - is Mab compromised by Nemesis? Is that even Mab at that point in the book? (Mother Winter’s later appearance would indicate it's Mab in that scene.) I hope that there’s some explanation for Mab’s actions other than Butcher wrote himself into a corner with Thomas and the Svartelves and then had to write Dresden out of the corner by having Mab act way, way out of character (IMO, of course). Or did I just miss something and I’m way off base here?
Love to hear your thoughts.
