I agree, I don't think that Malcolm had anything to do with the Winter Court.  It is my belief that Margaret met Malcolm, fell in love and left Lord Raith.  Not clear if she decided to conceive a star born with Malcolm and was pregnant before she left Lord Raith or after she left them.  One thing for sure, just the act of leaving him was a death sentence sooner or later.  I do believe however she was with child when she made a bargain with Mab and Lea for the protection of her child.  I don't think she would have done so otherwise.

I think Dresden's conception and upbringing is far darker and far more intentional and engineered by multiple parties than this theory suggests.  For example, I think the bargain was made before Dresden was conceived; if Maggie, Sr. was pregnant with a human child, why would she then seek to bargain with the fae for protection of Dresden instead of going to her own father, Senior Counsel member and the Black Staff? I believe Butcher has been spreading crumbs while misdirecting us both with Dresden as unreliable/in denial narrator and with his WOJ.  I don't think that's a bad thing nor do I mean to suggest that Butcher should have done otherwise; it's just the path that Butcher has essentially had to take to avoid the story being unsurprising as its end builds, given the years/decades that he knew would be spent writing and releasing the overarching story.

But all will be revealed eventually, I suppose.  I just hope I'm around to read the last book of the final trilogy.

I haven't been following the ins and outs, the nuances, of this conversation but has anyone made the point that Maggie Sr. may have made a Rumpelstiltskin-like bargain with Lea/Mab?  Maybe Maggie Sr., knowing of the WC's involvement with the Outsiders and what their end-game was, bargained for help escaping and being protect from the White Court in exchange for help becoming impregnated and birthing Harry as a Starborn?  And maybe Maggie Sr.'s seemingly quick and short marriage to Harry's dad was all part of the bargain/plan?  And maybe the mother's death - and maybe the father's - is part and parcel of birthing a Starborn?  So maybe Harry has to come with grips with though loved by his parents, their union was more mercenary and wasn't 'just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her,' that he was intentionally created for a pre-planned purpose via a Maggie Sr./Mab scheme?  A lot of maybes but I think Jim wants something potentially soul crushing that Harry has to deal with and find some measure of peace with.

I can't be enthusiastic about the possibility of Butcher following GRRM's path in getting involved with TV/movie adaptations.  With 5 or so years between publishing Dresden books since 2015 and with, what, 7 more to go after Twelve Months is scheduled to be released in January 2026, I'd much, much wish that he focus on finishing Dresden.

Or he can also get a co-writer and start pumping Dresden books out every 12-24 months like he did through Skin Game. 
Even then, the Dresden files wouldn't likely be done for 10 more years.

Is it possible that Mab is Lara's mother?  I don't believe Lara's mother has ever been mentioned.  As noted elsewhere in this topic thread, there are times where wintry words and phrases are used to describe Lara, including by at least one of the Fae (Toot-Toot).

Being Lara's mother would also explain why Mab couldn't marry Lara.  You know there was a reason for Butcher to insert that curious and awkward exchange into Battle Ground; wholly unnecessary other than to provide some clue or foreshadowing to the readers. What other reason could be something that would be fair to readers?  Later explaining with saying *because magic* or *because an offspring is needed* wouldn't be a payoff for the wording of that exchange.

And it seems clear that Mab as the Winter Queen can get pregnant since she gave birth to changeling near-twins Maeve and Sarissa - unless their father was Fae and they were conceived when Mab was human and before she assumed a mantle, which was no earlier than the Battle of Hastings in 1066.  But that would mean that Sarissa was a changeling for more than 1,000 years. Maeve's recitation of Sarissa's pursuits suggests many decades, maybe a few centuries, but I don't think 1,000+ years.

Maybe "Twelve Months" also means the length of time between Butcher posting that he finished the book and its release date.

Mira, are you confident that Mother Margaret is dead?  I'm not, even in the face of WOJs.  In writing 26 books and more about Dresden, I think Butcher may well have to engage in "willful misdirection" in answering questions, else his non-answers/refusals to answer have fans figuring out what Butcher wants to keep hidden for revelations at his own time.  In that regard, at times the series reminds me of Three's Company - can someone just have a conversation to explain things to Dresden, and avoid a lot of misunderstandings and avoidable conflict?  Since no one clues Dresden in on critical matters - like what does Starborn actually mean or do for Dresden - what are they hiding from Dresden and why?


I spent some time researching to see if it was impossible that Margaret had assumed the Leanansidhe mantle (like Mab, the Winter/Summer Ladies, the Winter/Summer Knights - a theory of mine).  It would be a bit awkward, though Lea does call Dresden 'my son' a few times.

Yes, Twelve Months has had a pretty quick turn around of a year or two, . . .

I don't understand the quoted part.  Last book that was released was Battle Ground in 2020.  What am I missing?  I don't count The Law novella but even it was 2022.

Agree with the rest of your post.

I expect a family pattern to be acknowledged in 12 Months.  Maggie Sr. is the consort of (marries?) the head of the White Court.  Her son Harry is engaged to marry the successor head of the White Court, Lara.

That also suggests a hidden truth.  Harry is the Winter Court's White Knight.  Did Maggie Sr. also have as of yet unknown status in the Winter Court, or was she otherwise beholden to the Winter Court via Lea like Harry?  And is Harry's betrothal Mab's second attempt to use one of her vassals to ally with the White Court?  Or maybe used for some more devious machination?  Mab quickly deciding to marry Harry off to ally with the White Court makes me think Mab's up to something else or at least some additional else - maybe she needs a second spy/provocateur within the White Court because of suspicions that the White Court may have an agenda adverse to Mab or even the Summer Court.  I have no idea or even a WAG but put me down as suspicious, waiting for another shoe or two to drop.