Thanks Mr Death. I will admit that likely means a set of bones was found, and in all probability was Justin. Even if Justin had a spare skeleton or two lying around I am sure the White Council could tell one from another if they really wanted to. Worth remembering that many on the Council knew who Harry was, and was meant to be before he joined the Council. We still don't know many details apart from the fact he is a "Starborn" whatever that means. So likely the White Council took a special interest in a Starborn breaking the laws.

I do think that it doesn't rule out Justin being active from beyond the grave, post-death if you will. Whether as a Ghost, resurrected human or body switch or some other spooky thing. But it likely rules out him flat out surviving the duel.

In saying all that - a fair few things in those early books had not been ironed out and have been retconned or contradicted since (both large and small details). Hopefully Jim reveals it before the BAT.

Oh I agree with that. Very unreliable narrator. Sometimes he says stuff which we are to take as fact, some stuff is Harry being "limited" or "just his perspective" etc. But no way to know which is which. Not helped by the fact Jim has retconned and readjusted ideas more than a few times, which is totally his right to do, just makes it hard to follow and theorize lol. Yes partly it is because Jim enjoys torturing us too, but a fair amount is just inconsistency and rejigging.

A perfect example the immortal problem. He basically says you can kill X, but they will reform. Except not most of them. And true killing of them only results in their mantle being transferred or absorbed, which can only be done at certain places in space and time. So the only real way to eradicate an immortal is to kill it at one of those places, and then either absorb the energy or wage a consistent and focused campaign a la the Ventors and wipe them from human memory. Which makes absolutely no sense. Because SO MANY BEINGS existed before humans existed, reality existed for BILLIONS of years without mortals just fine. Why would mortal choice make such an impact?

My only conclusion is Jim is treating the Nevernever like the Immaterium/Realm of Chaos in Warhammer (the idea being that all the emotions and thoughts of mortals have a psychic presence and create gods/monsters/etc). Love JB but sometimes these things really get my goat lol

I agree that the trilogy will reveal a lot about Merlin and how he is connected to it all - but not sure it will be the basis of the whole trilogy. Also pretty sure banefire isn't related to hell/soulfire. It may be magical, but likely he is simply describing a fire that will be a "bane" to the evils in Demonreach. Which as we know, regular old fire is strong enough to hurt and disrupt magical beings and so the banefire would disperse them for a while but then they would reform and end the world. Hell/soulfire seems to be more to do we the nature of power itself than merely fire. Fire is almost a metaphor for what it really is - which is pure energy. The rawest form, from which presumably the Almighty created Reality. Think of it more as the foundation for energy itself.

I think when the Oblivion war is successful those being don't merely go dormant...they are locked outside in Oblivion. They cannot be Real any longer as they are not in Reality. So not really sure it is related to the Sleepers and the beings under Demonreach...which are more like caged prisoners than banished ones. I am not saying it won't make an appearance in the later series, but not in that way I suspect.

If he goes that way though and Harry is TT Merlin and Bonea is the Archive etc it would be interesting. And I think there are enough threads in the series that you could create that story with. Not sure if that is his plans, but he has that door open at any rate.

I have long thought Mavra was quietly paying back old insults and removing her rivals. She certainly is playing a long game.

Mavra is really interesting to me. I think she is one of the better examples of a theory I have that there are competing villains with their own agendas. Perhaps one group that simply wants unrestrained power - the anarchists. Others that want the end of reality - Outsider backed team. And others still that just desire to rule reality themselves - Hell backed team. But I think they are all intermingled, appearing to work together but actually running games on each other. I think Mavra is more aligned with the Anarchists, which Maggie Le Fay was originally a part of (along with Justin and several others). I think the Outsider team is taking advantage of certain peoples agendas for their own ends.

I have a very tenuous theory, but it feels right.

When Harry asks Binder who Madeline Raith is working for (in Turn Coat) Binder says he never knew. All he did know was 

it was some bloke with a lot of money. I never talked to him. When she was on the phone with him, they spoke English. He wasn’t a native speaker. Sounded like he’d learned it from a Continental.

Continental tends to mean Europe. Christos is Greek and described to wear wealthy designer suits underneath his Wizard robe.

Just a thought.

cptnspldng - I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist here. I don't believe Justin died as it never happened on screen. In fact - Harry so rarely goes into detail about that fight (remembering the ENTIRE SERIES is him talking about his past, it is almost like he is avoiding it on purpose). I have a few reasons why that night is a blur - remember Harry didn't even recollect his encounter with the Walker HWWBH until he was dead and the Leanansidhe showed him. I am of the opinion that:
1. Harry (the narrator) recalls that at the time did not properly remember that fight (even if he thought he did - that's the tricky thing about memory).
2. Harry doesn't recall that fight as it truly was for more than mundane reasons (e.g. PTSD, poor memory recording abilities etc.) but because of interference (perhaps by himself, a time-traveler, some other monster/being or perhaps Justin himself). Never forget that while the binding on his body was one Harry himself had figured out, Justin was getting in his head even then.

Mr Death is correct in that the fight is in two parts (mostly because of inconsistency on JB's part). Part 1 is when he comes home from school and find Elaine being weird on the couch and Justin tries to convince him willingly into the fold, they fight and he uses the force of Justin's spell to smash him out a window and escape. Justin then sends the Walker to kill him (though it is implied and Harry muses that perhaps it was the Walker running the show) and he defeats the Walker - with a mixture of magic fire and gas explosion (which even Dresden later realises should not have worked - especially when you take into account this thing is supposed to be Uriel-level). Harry then goes back angry and duels Justin and is subdued by Elaine's binding. Justin then attempts to perform some strange ritual involving Harry consuming human blood for an unknown purpose, Harry breaks free and then...we only know that Harry uses fire to burn the house down. We have no other information. We never even had a body of either Elaine or Justin. Harry presumes them both dead for many years until Grave Peril where he has a dream where he realises Elaine might be alive. Then she shows up in the next book, a year-ish later. We only have Harry's word that Justin died (which was highly doubted at the time). Justin is Dead in Harry's mind because he wants it that way. Not because it is. See that whole passage about eye witness accounts in the series/remember Harry was just as sure Elaine was dead.

But I am of the opinion that considering how much Jim has said he is dead, he probably isn't. Jim wants to throw us off the scent. Not to mention Jim has said Death is a squishy line in the Dresdenverse. More like a threshold, you can cross and come back. Few do it, but it can be done. Not to mention, we know from the series that once you cross that threshold, you don't just stop existing. You go into the varying levels of the afterlife, beginning at being a spirit/ghost and moving on into the varying Heaven's and Hell's and all the inbetweens. Also Mab has said Death is not black but grey, it is a spectrum not a line. Which makes a lot of sense really.

So even if Justin is dead or has died - that is not to say he has stopped existing or is not involved in events behind the scenes. He may have not died, or he may have resurrected himself, or perhaps he works as a ghost or somesuch. But believe me, he isn't out for the count. He had a plan.

How do you mean Bob is unreliable, morris? I have always thought his theory to be sound. Hell, he has explained more magical theory than most and he even knew how to kill an immortal (which so far very few other mortals know). His literary purpose is somewhat of a "talking head" (hence why he is a talking skull - it was a joke that he made to annoy his writing teacher). I think the only time he has kept info from Harry was about the Kemmler stuff, though he does get shaky around Mab.

Is Thomas unreliable? That is a big question. He frequently has come through for Harry. He does keep him out of the Oblivion War - but that is because it would be completely stupid to include him. At times, he has shown reluctance to help Dresden like after he got tortured. But I would say he has been compromised - like a veteran with PTSD. It happens. But overall he has always been in Dresden's corner.

As for the limp - I mean Jim has literally given his word-for-word reason that the island has a limp. No need to look for another reason - we have the reason. Unless you mean the ice-age cause the buildings to crumble. Maybe the buildings are that old. I think it more likely Jim is referring to what the island was BEFORE it was an island - a mound and before that, a pit. A pit where perhaps someone through a bunch of demons or nasty creatures and built a hill on top. Someone like Raphael "the Demon Binder" perhaps. Which should answer how those prisoners got in there.

I think the Gates wern't always Gates, per se. They resemble Fairy architecture because Fairy control the Gates. They likely resembled something more Nordic when it was the Norse Gods (or Jotuns - depending on your theory). WOJ is that the Gates look like Gates to Harry because that is how he "sees" them - his mind can't process the true reality of them. Likely the truest way to describe them that fits into Jim's mythology is the threshold to Reality (which is why we have all the stuff about invitations, hospitality etc being so important both magically and socially). If the Gates are the threshold to Reality - the natural conclusion is they were built by the Creator (which may or may not be the Almighty/something that resembles it). WOJ is that the Almighty built his Creation and told the Outsiders to stay out and so they did, but he doesn't stop us from letting them in.

Con - you definitely are on to something. I think WOJ is the Gates have an awareness, but it only really amounts to "I AM HERE". Demonreach is vastly more complex in that sense. But I wouldn't be surprised if the Gates/Walls have their own Genius Loci - from which Rashid gets assistance. One could argue even that that might be the Mothers - specifically Winter. Power has purpose after all. The Mothers do have intellectus - which does seem to be shared. Food for thought.

I do suspect the Gatekeeper (like being The Warden or The Merlin) is a mantle. It might not be a big power boost, but likely it comes with the Eye and maybe some other tricks. Who knows what the Merlin mantle comes with, likely knowledge. Remember Jim has said all the Senior Council have their own sources of power, but they keep them secret. The Blackstaff - mostly the staff more than a "mantle" in the magical sense I imagine.
 

Cowl is Justin and Elaine is Kumori. Here is why I think it adds up.

Cowl:
1. Cowl has appeared in several books - first notable one is Death Masks at the Bianca's ball. He delivers a gift (possibly nemfected) to several guests, but only confirmed through Mab about the Leansidhe. Morgana's Athame is traded for Amoracchius (Excalibur).
2. In Dead Beat Cowl mentions many things of significance happened that night, Dresden is only aware of a few of them. Cowl likely conspired with Mavra and Bianca and her progenitor (Ortega), who's wife Ariana was part of the group that Margaret Le Fey, the White King, and possibly Justin Dumorne were all a part of. A group that might have decided it was time for the White Council to end.
3. A shadowy figure sponsors and is seen in White Knight. Harry seems to recognise his magic as Cowl's. In this book, the Circle is mentioned for the first time.
4. Cowl is an expert at Evocation, Neuromancy, Veils, Ways and Necromancy. He also mentions his skill at swordplay. Why would Cowl have a sword? Most wizards do not carry them. But an ex-Warden would. All his magical skills and talents would make him an excellent warden (excluding the fact he can't use Necromancy).
5. Justin is likely a skilled Neuromancer/Psychomancer - he enthralls Elaine before Harry gets to the confrontation.
6. Justin was in the assault on Kemmler. Cowl says he despised the "mad man" Kemmler, despite being his student. He may well have taken the opportunity to erase his enemy for his own ends.
7. Justin was Simon's apprentice. It is stated in Summer Knight that Simon's fortress was impregnable, and the Warden's forensics suggest that someone let them in past the defences. Eb says it would still have required someone who knew the place inside out. Justin is only discounted on being dead, but otherwise as a rogue Warden and Warlock would have been a candidate, who the Council suspect passed on the knowledge to Harry. Now we know that it wasn't Harry - so it doesn't leave much leeway.
9. Simon is said to have been found dead, along with the brute squad. Whilst it doesn't explicitly state his body was found, it would be a hell of a thing for them not to notice his missing corpse. A whole plot point in the series is built around how intolerable it would be to have a high-level wizard turned to the enemy. A missing Senior Council member might have provoked a stronger reaction.
10. We only have Harry's word that Justin died, and that he fought Justin in earnest. Most people thought is unlikely he beat Justin. Fires in stories tend to be useful covers for other events, a physical symbol of chaos.
11. Jim says Justin is dead. D-E-D dead. He has also said not to trust a word he says. JB has also described death as "a squishy line in the Dresdenverse"
12. Many characters, including Mab, have said Death is a spectrum.
13. Harry believed Elaine was dead. Harry was wrong. If he was wrong about her...
14. From a writing perspective, consider Star Wars (one of Jim's favourite stories). Luke is raised an orphan by others, his lovely aunt and uncle. He then goes on an apprenticeship with a wise old mentor. He is told his father was a Jedi, who his most feared enemy killed. Vader reveals he is Lukes father, which Luke is in denial about but realises must be true. Obi-wan does the fae-speak of half truths (When your father became Vader, he killed Anakin Skywalker). The trope of Harry thinking his foster father and first mentor is dead, who actually isn't would be a good technique and mess with Dresden's psychology majorly.
15. Cowl hides his face, the other Necromancer's do not. Harry suspects White Council. He might be right, but likely that is not the only reason. They even distort their voices. Vader hides his face too - and was a jedi once. Luke just did not know it.
16. Cowl wishes to end Death. Why? The Outsiders might want that, perhaps it would limit the power of TWG. But why would Cowl? Kumori seems to believe him. I suspect it is because he is traumatized by the Death of someone he loved.
17. Justin and Cowl both have links to HWWBH.
18. If Justin is dead, why no Death Curse?
19. Elaine is the most likely candidate for Kumori (I think she might also be the prevailing fan theory - but I will have to check). If Elaine is Kumori most of the other candidates for Cowl don't make much sense. Justin fits better than the others.

Kumori:
1. Kumori is tall enough to hold a knife to Harry's neck - Harry is 6'9" roughly so not an easy feat.
2. Elaine is described as being tall, tall enough she only has to stretch a little to kiss him on the cheek.
3. Elaine is described as being a better at magic than Harry, while Harry is brawnier. She is skillful enough she is not worried about people seeing through her veils.
4. Kumori seems to use less brawn and more subtler magic than Cowl; less of a duelist but still deadly.
5. Kumori is a distinctly japanese name.
6. Elaine uses japanese as her magic words.
7. Kumori shows compassion - she resurrects a dead gunman of Marcone's for apparently no other reason than because she thinks she should.
8. Elaine has shown much compassion for her fellows, whilst still distrusting the institution of the White Council.
9. Elaine was the Emmisary of Summer/Harry's opposite. She says she was part of the Summer Court for a long time. Summer has been involved unusually in the books. Mostly ambivalent or directly in contest with Dresden. Rarely against the foes of Dresden.
10. Kumori and Elaine show compassion for Dresden, but not so much that it impedes their goals. Kumori even goes out of her way to warn him in the stairwell but they end up agreeing to disagree when she tries to convince him to leave.
11. In that same scene, Kumori tells him to remove his force ring. He puts this down to being White Council trained enough to recognise it for what it is. But if Kumori is Elaine, then she simply knows that he has it. Keep in mind, on no other occasion has anyone recognised or been aware of that ring nor do many other wizards/sorcerers use such things. Elaine does however, a product of her shared training with Justin.
12. WOJ is that Kumori's identity will really hurt Dresden. Griffyn's theory relating to the Batman/Catwoman scene, I think it certainly adds flavour even if the scene in the books ends up quite different. I suspect the scene will be a gut punch.

Bit of a wild theory here. I believe Justin was in love with Maggie. They had a relationship and they both felt the White Council was too harsh and too rigid. Maggie and Justin had two children - Elaine and Harry (perhaps twins?). Elaine is older than Harry - he is always referred to as Margaret's youngest. When Maggie was killed by the White Court - Justin was furious. But he could not yet move against them. He finally gets his children back when Malcolm died. He raises them to be his disciples and enforces but it goes wrong and he either dies and is revived or fakes his own death. He finally gets his revenge by "accidentally" murdering half the White Court when his uber-ghouls start murdering everyone. He definitely would want to end Death as he is still grieving Maggie.

From a writing perspective (and fitting nicely with the Star Wars inspiration) - it would be a major shock to discover not only is Justin alive, but he is Cowl and been orchestrating all the terrible stuff in Dresden's life. It would also majorly freak Dresden out that he was in a relationship with his sister, something Justin would have definitely encouraged (like a good cult leader). It also matches the weird Luke-Leia thing. Finally, you might argue Dresden should have recognised Justin's magic. I think he sort of did without realising it. Cowl's magic is human, with a bit of Dark Magic in it - unlike the Mavra or even the Corpsetaker. Harry recognises so is his, which makes sense when you realise he was taught all the basics by Justin/Cowl. I also believe Justin will likely kill Ebenezar while he tries to protect Harry. Very common trope. Harry might find it very hard to be good when he realises his whole life is a lie, he was born to be a weapon, he commited incest (potentially) and that his mother was in on it for a long time. Harry is given power over Outsiders. Yes he uses this as a weapon - but perhaps the real purpose is to be a leader (very Hellboy in my mind).

I did just make a thread about this but it got a bit sidetracked and I also thought the theory should be in the appropriate thread. I also really enjoyed DonBugen's TT theory, excellent write up. It could fit but I think some of the connections were a little fragile and could be accounted for inconsistencies and weakness's in JB's writing. I also think DonBugen's analysis of the Darkhallow was pretty bang on.