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The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: Yuillegan on April 24, 2020, 11:44:01 PM
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Okay, Harry has a spear. But on closer inspection it very well looks like a wizard staff with a bayonet...perhaps Harry affixes his staff with the Knife (Spear of Longinus) that he picked up in Skin Game...creating the Spear of Destiny.
Which makes sense. The blade is long for a knife, with a cross guard. The shape is reminiscent of a Roman spear. However...it isn't bronze.
But it does track that Dresden would need a powerful new weapon against the Titanness and her forces.
Also the theory that Dresden is Vadderung's past self is looking more likely. Vadderung's wields Gungnir ("swaying one") that never missed it's mark, and was unstoppable. In some interpretations it was considered to always be fatal and to make the wielder... invincible. Rather similar to the Spear of Longinus, no?
Also I might be reading to much into the artwork but the green magic light in the staff often means he is channeling Demonreach magic, when he channels dark blue and green it means Winter and light blue and white means Soulfire. So what does the red/orange light mean? Does Dresden get Hellfire again? I know Jim has said that is impossible to wield Soulfire and Hellfire together, as they are opposite sides of the same coin...which could mean Harry learns to "flip the coin" so to speak, transitioning as needed.
EDIT: https://www.jim-butcher.com/posts/2020/battle-ground-cover-revealed
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Further, I think that if you examine the Peace Talks cover it appears he has not yet affixed the Knife to his staff.
And I might be stretching here but it does appear that the staff/spear has...tendrils? Attaching the knife to the staff? Is this the Blackstaff? I would say not as this staff has runes, and the Blackstaff supposedly is unadorned and unmarked. Yet as many have suspected, Peace Talks is possibly the book where Ebenezer bites the dust. Which seems obvious that Harry will get that role, as it would create more problems/opportunities. So maybe it IS the Blackstaff. The combination of the Blackstaff and the Knife/Spear seems like a super weapon, perfectly suited to killing Immortals and causing destruction.
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Further, I think that if you examine the Peace Talks cover it appears he has not yet affixed the Knife to his staff.
Knife or Spear of Destiny? One of the weapons he got out of the vault and what Nic was really after, not the Grail.
And I might be stretching here but it does appear that the staff/spear has...tendrils?
Runes clearly I believe, a lot of them are carved on his staff and light up as needed. The power of the Spear head would make them light up.
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Knife or Spear of Destiny? One of the weapons he got out of the vault and what Nic was really after, not the Grail.
Knife and Spear are the same thing - at least in theory. It is true it hasn't been confirmed, but a lot of the lore around the Spear of Longinus have it as a Knife in it's present day. If you read the description of the Knife in Skin Game it gives a good indication.
Yes it was one of the items that are related to the Christ, one of the weapons that were in Hades' Vault. Obviously not the Holy Grail...Harry suspects Nic was really after the Knife but that isn't confirmed and there is a good thread about why Nice may have not been lying about the Grail. I suspect he wanted ALL of the weapons myself, and had different purposes for each individually - and maybe one horrible plan that involved all of them.
Runes clearly I believe, a lot of them are carved on his staff and light up as needed. The power of the Spear head would make them light up.
Indeed the runes are clear, yet perhaps Harry had to carve runes on the Blackstaff. It isn't implausible to think he had a reason to do that, perhaps related to attaching the Knife/Spear. I don't doubt the Knife could cause the staff to light up, but wouldn't it be with that same holy power that Ammoracchius uses?
Of course everything in the covers had to be taken with a grain of salt as often there are red herrings and artistic licence by the cover artist - such as Harry's non-existent Hat that is on each cover.
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Isn't the blackstaff black? The staff in the picture is brown.
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Isn't the blackstaff black? The staff in the picture is brown.
Again: artistic license. It could explain any discrepancies.
But yeah, it doesn't physically match.
The Blackstaff is shorter, thicker, less shaped & polished. It's a walking-stick / cane height.
I think this is Harry's new staff, either Eb finally got him a blank, or he used wood from the island.
And yeah... seems to have mounted the Knife / Spear.
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My own theory is that Battle Ground is the "end of the masquerade" book.
Titaness invades Chicago, news at 11:00.
Because that cover looks like an urban disaster of larger than typical Dresden scope.
I think the "Terrorist" excuse finally unravels at the end of the book... on live TV.
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Isn't the blackstaff black? The staff in the picture is brown.
Aside from artistic license, it could be how the picture is lit by the burning Chicago city making the wood appear lighter...but I do admit, I am speculating wildly.
Again: artistic license. It could explain any discrepancies.
But yeah, it doesn't physically match.
The Blackstaff is shorter, thicker, less shaped & polished. It's a walking-stick / cane height.
I think this is Harry's new staff, either Eb finally got him a blank, or he used wood from the island.
And yeah... seems to have mounted the Knife / Spear.
I don't remember it saying it was cane height...just because it might be Mother Winter's walking stick (possibly, but unconfirmed) doesn't make it necessarily the size an old crone would use for a walking cane/stick. And many supernatural creatures can be the height they wish to, so it has no bearing. Hell, the fact that it's a "walking stick" merely is a representation of part of her power - and seems to limit her ability to travel. What it actually IS, is anyone's guess. But my money is it is somewhat similar to a mantle, part of winter in physical form, severed from her - like Sauron and the One Ring.
But it probably is more likely a new staff made from the island. Still, it would be cool for Harry to get the Blackstaff (sooner than later - although perhaps the fact he hasn't got it yet signifies how much that will change the game i.e. he will have MUCH bigger problems)
I bloody hope it is the end of the masquerade, otherwise Jim has to keep it in sync with our world - which is both difficult and depressing enough. A divergence would be nice. It would be exciting for it all to come undone and vindicating for Harry to be right, which of course means that he will be blamed. ;D
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Okay, Harry has a spear. But on closer inspection it very well looks like a wizard staff with a bayonet...perhaps Harry affixes his staff with the Knife (Spear of Longinus) that he picked up in Skin Game...creating the Spear of Destiny.
Which makes sense. The blade is long for a knife, with a cross guard. The shape is reminiscent of a Roman spear. However...it isn't bronze.
But it does track that Dresden would need a powerful new weapon against the Titanness and her forces.
Also the theory that Dresden is Vadderung's past self is looking more likely.
Those were pretty close to my thoughts when I saw the cover.
My thoughts: Not the blackstaff. The red in the runes could be reflections of the fire or he's channeling fire. The tendrils could be smoke coming off the staff. Also, I don't want Eb to die mostly because I hate the whole "the mentor must die" trope.
Some things I noticed: Harry's pentacle is "upside down" and doesn't have his mom's ruby. Also, McGrath's signature has "19" after it. Could that mean he had this done some time last year? If so, why was the book announced without the cover art?
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Some things I noticed: Harry's pentacle is "upside down" and doesn't have his mom's ruby.
It's like that on the Peace Talks cover too.
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It looks like the spearhead has a socket and you can use that to attach it to any pole that fits including a wizard staff. Maybe sand the top of the staff a bit.Does someone recognise that type of spearhead? It is not a Roman pilum or an Ancient Greek or early medieval European as far as I can see.
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It looks like the spearhead has a socket and you can use that to attach it to any pole that fits including a wizard staff. Maybe sand the top of the staff a bit.Does someone recognise that type of spearhead? It is not a Roman pilum or an Ancient Greek or early medieval European as far as I can see.
Artist conception of what a Roman spearhead looks like verses doing the actual research on what one really looks like perhaps? Details do matter but perhaps not so much in book cover art.
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Also I might be reading to much into the artwork but the green magic light in the staff often means he is channeling Demonreach magic, when he channels dark blue and green it means Winter and light blue and white means Soulfire. So what does the red/orange light mean? Does Dresden get Hellfire again? I know Jim has said that is impossible to wield Soulfire and Hellfire together, as they are opposite sides of the same coin...which could mean Harry learns to "flip the coin" so to speak, transitioning as needed.
The carvings on his staff and blasting rod were originally described as glowing red-orange and sometimes smelling of clean woodsmoke even before Lasciel provided hellfire, weren't they? I think that's just the default when Harry is using his own fire magic.
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Artist conception of what a Roman spearhead looks like verses doing the actual research on what one really looks like perhaps? Details do matter but perhaps not so much in book cover art.
Like the hat?
I know it is not an original roman spearhead, I just wondered of somebody would know where the inspiration came from.
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It looks to me as if the inspiration is either a hunting spear or fantasy awesomeness instead of any familiarity with spears, though I say this without much familiarity with spears.
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Because that cover looks like an urban disaster of larger than typical Dresden scope.
I think the "Terrorist" excuse finally unravels at the end of the book... on live TV.
"The city was on fire, and it wasn't my fault."
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"The city was on fire, and it wasn't my fault."
And this time, I had proof!
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Like the hat?
I know it is not an original roman spearhead, I just wondered of somebody would know where the inspiration came from.
Yeah, like the hat that Harry never wears. I think the inspiration comes form the very important and powerful artifact Harry retrieved from the vault. I cannot remember how detailed the description of it was in Skin Game, which could account for it. The idea is to intrigue us and get us guessing, which could also account for the generic quality of it.
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Some things I noticed: Harry's pentacle is "upside down" and doesn't have his mom's ruby. Also, McGrath's signature has "19" after it. Could that mean he had this done some time last year? If so, why was the book announced without the cover art?
Maybe a dumb question, but how can you tell if a pentacle necklace is upside down? Yes, supposedly there is an up side and a down side to a five pointed star, but the necklace might be different. I think the center of the picture is too fuzzy to tell whether or not the ruby is there or not.
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Maybe a dumb question, but how can you tell if a pentacle necklace is upside down? Yes, supposedly there is an up side and a down side to a five pointed star, but the necklace might be different. I think the center of the picture is too fuzzy to tell whether or not the ruby is there or not.
In the beginning of Small Favor he has a bit where he explains some of the Pentacle lore to Murphy and talks about the first point being the Pentacle's North (or something to that effect) and that the first line you draw plays a role in that, but the way he described it sure implied that the "normal" version has a point facing upward. In most of the other covers I can find good images of at the moment (Cold Days and White Night right now) it has that more normal/traditional point-upward orientation, but in both Peace Talks and Battle Grounds it's point-down.
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If you draw the star without lifting your pencil you will always end at the point where you begin. I suppose this is considered up. If you omit the circle it is impossible to attach a chain anywhere other than a point and have the star hang correctly.
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Maybe a dumb question, but how can you tell if a pentacle necklace is upside down? Yes, supposedly there is an up side and a down side to a five pointed star, but the necklace might be different. I think the center of the picture is too fuzzy to tell whether or not the ruby is there or not.
First, note my use of quotation marks. This should indicate to anyone with passing familiarity with various meanings of pentacles have in western society that I'm just saying it isn't a pentacle with a point of the star as the top. Second, what Quantus said. Third, https://www.jim-butcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0972.jpg (https://www.jim-butcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0972.jpg).
For the ruby, just zoom in. It's quite clearly not there.
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Well after a little research it turns out that it's called a inverted pentagram and it could be a symbol for Satanism and a demon called Baphomet.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/SamaelLilithGoatPentagram.png/440px-SamaelLilithGoatPentagram.png)
And just because I can, is this evil Harry from Mirror Mirror.
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In the beginning of Small Favor he has a bit where he explains some of the Pentacle lore to Murphy and talks about the first point being the Pentacle's North (or something to that effect) and that the first line you draw plays a role in that, but the way he described it sure implied that the "normal" version has a point facing upward. In most of the other covers I can find good images of at the moment (Cold Days and White Night right now) it has that more normal/traditional point-upward orientation, but in both Peace Talks and Battle Grounds it's point-down.
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, it is just something I never paid that much attention to in the pictures, that is why I asked. Though I know the pentacle is important to Harry, however I don't remember the bit
from Small Favor.
First, note my use of quotation marks. This should indicate to anyone with passing familiarity with various meanings of pentacles have in western society that I'm just saying it isn't a pentacle with a point of the star as the top. Second, what Quantus said. Third, https://www.jim-butcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0972.jpg.
For the ruby, just zoom in. It's quite clearly not there.
Some of us aren't deeply into that lore or do a lot of jewelry shopping .. Though I think the Wolf Man has one on his palm in the old movies. Perhaps the artist is just sloppy, or just never read Changes? Having said that one would think that Jim has to approve of the cover art.
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I believe the pentacle is an artistic license, mainly because I don't think Harry's necklace could change. Just in case, I checked Eb's pentacle in the trailer and is is "normal" (not upside down). Also, if I've seen it well, it has no gem.
It would be so interesting though (I mean, if Harry really was wearing an upside-down pentacle)
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I believe the pentacle is an artistic license, mainly because I don't think Harry's necklace could change. Just in case, I checked Eb's pentacle in the trailer and is is "normal" (not upside down). Also, if I've seen it well, it has no gem.
It would be so interesting though (I mean, if Harry really was wearing an upside-down pentacle)
Eb wouldn't have a ruby or jewel in his pentacle anyway, because the ruby belonged to Margaret and didn't make it or use it to hold the maps for the Ways? It came from her to Harry via Lea, I haven't heard of Eb being like wise associated with the Ways and the Nevernever like his daughter was.
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I think it's "upside down" because that's how Mr. McGrath did it. I don't think it means anything more than that. The ruby is also absent in Cold Days and Peace Talks. I also that's just a choice Mr. McGrath made (or he just didn't know about the ruby).
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That seems to be the consensus on Reddit as well. To bad, I like my idea.
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Eb wouldn't have a ruby or jewel in his pentacle anyway, because the ruby belonged to Margaret and didn't make it or use it to hold the maps for the Ways? It came from her to Harry via Lea, I haven't heard of Eb being like wise associated with the Ways and the Nevernever like his daughter was.
Yes, you are right
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That seems to be the consensus on Reddit as well. To bad, I like my idea.
What's your idea? Is it that Harry or Mr. McGrath is a Satanist?
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I don't care if McGrath is a three eyed man from Mars. And as I said, it would be interesting if the cover was about evil Harry from dimension x come to give our Harry the high hard one with a spear. I find the idea amusing.
If I had a bitch about it, the bitch would be for him changing things that are important story elements. But that would only matter if I actually gave a s**t. However I like his style, particularly his latest covers. Skin Game was outstanding and Battle Ground is as well. Peace Talks is kinda of meh. You might speculate that I like red values and standing poses.
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And as I said, it would be interesting if the cover was about evil Harry from dimension x come to give our Harry the high hard one with a spear. I find the idea amusing.
I missed that. While I like it, I doubt it because it's on the cover of both books. If it were the case, I'd expect it to only be the case for Battle Grounds. I was wondering if it was because of him being the Winter Knight, but it's not upside down on the Cold Days cover.
Skin Game was outstanding and Battle Ground is as well. Peace Talks is kinda of meh. You might speculate that I like red values and standing poses.
Skin Game is very cool, but Battle Ground is even better.
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I don't care if McGrath is a three eyed man from Mars. And as I said, it would be interesting if the cover was about evil Harry from dimension x come to give our Harry the high hard one with a spear. I find the idea amusing.
That would be mirror mirror. It would be nice to have them on the cover both looking at each other.
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That would be mirror mirror. It would be nice to have them on the cover both looking at each other.
In my copy of Mirror Mirror -- the one that exists inside my skull -- Harry has one of his few "mirror moments" (as we know, he generally avoids mirrors because various creatures can use them as portals and/or as spycam's), trying to take stock, etc. Probably just before a Hot Date with Karrin, or a VIP event with the Grey Council, or etc.
As he adjusts his appearance & attire, his "reflection" suddenly reaches out and grabs him by the throat, and yanks him into/through the mirror; Harry!prime (our narrator) just has time to think, "Yeah, there's a good reason I try to avoid these things..."
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In my copy of Mirror Mirror -- the one that exists inside my skull -- Harry has one of his few "mirror moments" (as we know, he generally avoids mirrors because various creatures can use them as portals and/or as spycam's), trying to take stock, etc. Probably just before a Hot Date with Karrin, or a VIP event with the Grey Council, or etc.
As he adjusts his appearance & attire, his "reflection" suddenly reaches out and grabs him by the throat, and yanks him into/through the mirror; Harry!prime (our narrator) just has time to think, "Yeah, there's a good reason I try to avoid these things..."
Didn't that sort of happen to Alice when she went through the looking glass? ::)
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Didn't that sort of happen to Alice when she went through the looking glass? ::)
What... you think Jim wouldn't do that??? ;D
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What... you think Jim wouldn't do that??? ;D
:-X No, comment...
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I think it's "upside down" because that's how Mr. McGrath did it. I don't think it means anything more than that. The ruby is also absent in Cold Days and Peace Talks. I also that's just a choice Mr. McGrath made (or he just didn't know about the ruby).
This. I don't know if the artist actually reads the books, or is merely informed of important elements of them. In this case, the ruby was a throwback from all the way back in Changes, so perhaps Mr. McGrath simply didn't think of it. Not everyone is a Dresden nerd. Poor them!
That's the likely explanation. Not the guaranteed one, because…Jim. Harry might simply have had reason to remove the stone temporarily. Until we read the book, we don't know.
The first thing that I thought significant in the artwork is that though there is a great deal of artistic license (the hat has become a cover trademark), specific weapons Harry uses in a book usually show up in the cover art. That was so in Cold Days and Skin Game, though I don't know how accurate the representation was for either—especially in Skin Game, Remember, Murphy gave Harry the short barrel version of the S&W 500—but the long barrel portrayed on the cover looks much cooler. Sells more books. The same reason for the hat.
Thus the blade that has suddenly appeared atop Harry's staff may appear shaped the way it is simply because the artist (and Penguin) thinks that it will sell more books. I learned a bit about Greek and Roman blades the last few days. Of course, none of it really fit the appearance of that blade.
In any case, the moment that I saw the image, that blade jumped out at me. Sure, the background is the middle of Chicago, but we all knew that was going to happen. Harry's anguish in the Christmas Story is there for a reason.
Upon reflection, I see three possibilities.
A. That isn’t Harry’s staff—or at least not the one he made on Demonreach—at all. Perhaps something entirely different.
B. As mentioned by others, the blade is the one from the knife Harry retrieved from Hades’ Vault.
C. The actual blade pictured is…something else.
As for the blade itself, two options popped into my head. One is that this is indeed the blade that was attached to the knife that he retrieved in Skin Game. A distinct possibility, but there are a couple of arguments against that. The overarching one being that as Skin Game concluded, I assumed that the four items Harry retrieved wouldn't come into play until closer to the endgame three book sequence. Say, Book 20 or so.
Specifically, Harry's intent was to stash them away safely in the depths of Demonreach, and do research on how best to use each of them. Unlike previous books, there has been a relatively short period since the events of Skin Game, a period where Harry has been busy both rebuilding his life essentially from scratch, and establishing his relationship with Maggie. How much time would he have for research right off the bat?
I don't know how much ready information Bob would have on the subject (Harry really needs to take full possession of him once more) because those are items of faith, and Bob has repeatedly referred to them as off his wavelength.
Now, Bonea would likely have more information in her database, courtesy of a Fallen Angel’s knowledge and memories...but from WOJ, I think that we'll see that access to that information is an issue. As Jim said, it takes centuries to build a spirit like Bob. Bonnie needs to build connections, establish frameworks of reference for all of the information she has loosely floating around.
And of course, perhaps everyone's assumptions (including Mab's) as to the spirit holding onto Lasciel's knowledge were incorrect.
In any case, I doubt that Harry has discovered how to correctly or effectively use those four items as of yet. And Jim wouldn't make something that easy for Harry.
On the other hand, in case of fire, break glass. Since when has ignorance stopped Harry from using something he thought would help when in dire need? Think about how he bonded with Demonreach. And how different events in a couple of encounters there could have been had he managed to learn what he knew a couple of books later, at the start of Skin Game.
And, looking at the background of the image, Harry certainly does seem to have a fire on his hands. Literally so. So, I've almost dispensed with my own argument. Still, I won't give up on that point, because there is a distinct second possibility.
Harry is hardly one not to steal good ideas. Gee, I wonder where he gets that particular trait from? After seeing Elaine's lightning chain, he went out and whipped up his own--which proved useful, though we haven't seen it again. Perhaps in practical use, he saw shortcomings he didn't like.
In any case, in Changes (along with all of the other impacts of that particular book) Harry saw that Vadderung's "wizard staff” was also a spear. I think he saw that as an inspiration. And seriously, can you see his weapons consultant, Murphy, arguing that having sharp and pointy things to stick on the end of a staff is a bad thing?
Tactically, staves are intended to serve a specific purpose. One completely different from a spear. And spears are not intended for either the same purpose or usage as a staff. The shaft of your average spear would not make a good staff. I had to look it up--but Jim Butcher doubtless already knows that.
So, I think that perhaps Harry decided to innovate, to expand his armament repertoire. And no, I don't think Vonnerung loaned him his spear, the way that Ebenezar made a quick loan in Changes. Probably. See later.
That said, there is another familiar type of magical blade in the Dresden Files that we know is fairly common. It's pretty well known, though we've seen fewer of them recently. And we know that Harry thinks they are useful. At one point he even considers all of the things they can do. And we've seen Carlos use his--more than once. Anastasia Luccio as well.
A Warden's sword.
Now, we all know that Luccio said that she can't make them any more, in her new body--though she also added that perhaps someday she'd be able to reacquire those skills. I have been wondering about when that might happen. But I think that's something that Jim considers as "too easy for Harry", simply having things given to him.
I am also certain that the blade being mounted on a staff is a clear indication that Luccio did not make it. As Harry repeatedly says, "old things get set in their ways", and Luccio definitely qualifies. Harry even mentioned at one point that she was near to candidacy for the Senior Council.
None of that is a stumbling block. If Luccio didn't make a blade that has the enchantments of a Warden's sword, who did?
Let's put it this way. I think that there have been enough hints lately that Harry is about to have a closer relationship with the svartalves. I have little doubt that if he asked them, that one of their craftsmen could make a blade with the same or similar abilities to a Warden's sword. Or better. He has some liquid assets available for fun—um, useful things now.
Yes, I know it's the blade of a spear rather than a sword. Fortuitously, utilizing that form would eliminate some of the nagging inherent issues of a Warden's sword. As in, you wouldn't have to change hands, or set aside your staff and take the time to draw your sword when you needed it. See? Portability.
That degree of innovation Harry (or the svartalves) could provide. And besides--Harry has to have something to blow…ah, spend his diamonds on. And I'm pretty sure that rather than Harry taking the time of carefully selling them, the svartalves would likely—gleefully—take high quality diamonds as cash.
But that for another time.
As far as the staff on the cover not being Harry’s own, well…first point, Eb said at the end of Changes that he’d get Harry a blank from his lightning-struck tree. Harry’s had enough time to make a new staff away from his limitations at Demonreach.
Next, by the time this book rolls around, there’s a whole lot of battle going on, and a whole lot of powerful entities wandering around. Who knows who might have reached into their toy box for a powerful magical item for Harry to play with?
More on that, perhaps, another time. Enough meandering for now.
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Thus the blade that has suddenly appeared atop Harry's staff may appear shaped the way it is simply because the artist (and Penguin) thinks that it will sell more books. I learned a bit about Greek and Roman blades the last few days. Of course, none of it really fit the appearance of that blade.
Just throwing this out there, there is a movie called "Risen," which actually is pretty good for a movie of it's type. Taking their research with a grain of salt, but I watched it after seeing the cover art, and the spear point used to stab Christ looked very much like the one on Harry's staff. As I said, no clue as to how much research they did as far as Roman weapons of the time goes, but I was struck by the likeness.
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I don't think it matters what a spear a Roman soldier carried looked like. I think a lot of prop designers and artists go with the rule of cool.
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... Thus the blade that has suddenly appeared atop Harry's staff may appear shaped the way it is simply because the artist (and Penguin) thinks that it will sell more books. I learned a bit about Greek and Roman blades the last few days. Of course, none of it really fit the appearance of that blade.
In any case, the moment that I saw the image, that blade jumped out at me. Sure, the background is the middle of Chicago, but we all knew that was going to happen. Harry's anguish in the Christmas Story is there for a reason.
Upon reflection, I see three possibilities.
A. That isn’t Harry’s staff—or at least not the one he made on Demonreach—at all. Perhaps something entirely different.
B. As mentioned by others, the blade is the one from the knife Harry retrieved from Hades’ Vault.
C. The actual blade pictured is…something else.
As for the blade itself, two options popped into my head. One is that this is indeed the blade that was attached to the knife that he retrieved in Skin Game. A distinct possibility, but there are a couple of arguments against that. The overarching one being that as Skin Game concluded, I assumed that the four items Harry retrieved wouldn't come into play until closer to the endgame three book sequence. Say, Book 20 or so.
Specifically, Harry's intent was to stash them away safely in the depths of Demonreach, and do research on how best to use each of them. Unlike previous books, there has been a relatively short period since the events of Skin Game, a period where Harry has been busy both rebuilding his life essentially from scratch, and establishing his relationship with Maggie. How much time would he have for research right off the bat?
I don't know how much ready information Bob would have on the subject (Harry really needs to take full possession of him once more) because those are items of faith, and Bob has repeatedly referred to them as off his wavelength.
Now, Bonea would likely have more information in her database, courtesy of a Fallen Angel’s knowledge and memories...but from WOJ, I think that we'll see that access to that information is an issue. As Jim said, it takes centuries to build a spirit like Bob. Bonnie needs to build connections, establish frameworks of reference for all of the information she has loosely floating around.
And of course, perhaps everyone's assumptions (including Mab's) as to the spirit holding onto Lasciel's knowledge were incorrect.
In any case, I doubt that Harry has discovered how to correctly or effectively use those four items as of yet. And Jim wouldn't make something that easy for Harry.
On the other hand, in case of fire, break glass. Since when has ignorance stopped Harry from using something he thought would help when in dire need? Think about how he bonded with Demonreach. And how different events in a couple of encounters there could have been had he managed to learn what he knew a couple of books later, at the start of Skin Game.
And, looking at the background of the image, Harry certainly does seem to have a fire on his hands. Literally so. So, I've almost dispensed with my own argument. Still, I won't give up on that point, because there is a distinct second possibility.
Harry is hardly one not to steal good ideas. Gee, I wonder where he gets that particular trait from? After seeing Elaine's lightning chain, he went out and whipped up his own--which proved useful, though we haven't seen it again. Perhaps in practical use, he saw shortcomings he didn't like.
In any case, in Changes (along with all of the other impacts of that particular book) Harry saw that Vadderung's "wizard staff” was also a spear. I think he saw that as an inspiration. And seriously, can you see his weapons consultant, Murphy, arguing that having sharp and pointy things to stick on the end of a staff is a bad thing?
Tactically, staves are intended to serve a specific purpose. One completely different from a spear. And spears are not intended for either the same purpose or usage as a staff. The shaft of your average spear would not make a good staff. I had to look it up--but Jim Butcher doubtless already knows that.
So, I think that perhaps Harry decided to innovate, to expand his armament repertoire. And no, I don't think Vonnerung loaned him his spear, the way that Ebenezar made a quick loan in Changes. Probably. See later.
That said, there is another familiar type of magical blade in the Dresden Files that we know is fairly common. It's pretty well known, though we've seen fewer of them recently. And we know that Harry thinks they are useful. At one point he even considers all of the things they can do. And we've seen Carlos use his--more than once. Anastasia Luccio as well.
A Warden's sword.
Now, we all know that Luccio said that she can't make them any more, in her new body--though she also added that perhaps someday she'd be able to reacquire those skills. I have been wondering about when that might happen. But I think that's something that Jim considers as "too easy for Harry", simply having things given to him.
I am also certain that the blade being mounted on a staff is a clear indication that Luccio did not make it. As Harry repeatedly says, "old things get set in their ways", and Luccio definitely qualifies. Harry even mentioned at one point that she was near to candidacy for the Senior Council.
None of that is a stumbling block. If Luccio didn't make a blade that has the enchantments of a Warden's sword, who did?
Let's put it this way. I think that there have been enough hints lately that Harry is about to have a closer relationship with the svartalves. I have little doubt that if he asked them, that one of their craftsmen could make a blade with the same or similar abilities to a Warden's sword. Or better. He has some liquid assets available for fun—um, useful things now.
Yes, I know it's the blade of a spear rather than a sword. Fortuitously, utilizing that form would eliminate some of the nagging inherent issues of a Warden's sword. As in, you wouldn't have to change hands, or set aside your staff and take the time to draw your sword when you needed it. See? Portability.
That degree of innovation Harry (or the svartalves) could provide. And besides--Harry has to have something to blow…ah, spend his diamonds on. And I'm pretty sure that rather than Harry taking the time of carefully selling them, the svartalves would likely—gleefully—take high quality diamonds as cash.
But that for another time.
As far as the staff on the cover not being Harry’s own, well…first point, Eb said at the end of Changes that he’d get Harry a blank from his lightning-struck tree. Harry’s had enough time to make a new staff away from his limitations at Demonreach.
Next, by the time this book rolls around, there’s a whole lot of battle going on, and a whole lot of powerful entities wandering around. Who knows who might have reached into their toy box for a powerful magical item for Harry to play with?
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Lots of good & interesting thoughts and speculations here.
I just want to add an FYI item -- I know that in Japan, the exact same techniques go into making the blade of a naginata (a Japanese spear/halberd/etc item, often used with many staff-like techniques) as a katana. Same smiths, same methods.
I suspect the same is true for European blades.
A knife or shortsword, with the handle-treatment stripped away and instead bound onto a long haft, IS a spear... and vice versa: a spearblade, dismounted and with pommel/handle treatment of the unsharpened base, IS a knife or shortsword.
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They're fixing the pentacle on Battle Ground's cover, but not Peace Talks. https://www.jim-butcher.com/posts/2020/storm-front-anniversary-part-2 (https://www.jim-butcher.com/posts/2020/storm-front-anniversary-part-2).
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It is interesting how many people DO read this forum. Lot's of complaints about the amulet and lo and behold they update it. Fans, we are listened to. And it answers the debate on the amulet. Well done those who guessed it was a mistake! (Bad Alias, Quantas and Dina) and good eye Mira!
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It is interesting how many people DO read this forum. Lot's of complaints about the amulet and lo and behold they update it. Fans, we are listened to. And it answers the debate on the amulet. Well done those who guessed it was a mistake! (Bad Alias, Quantas and Dina) and good eye Mira!
It took me a moment to look realize, but I suspect that instead of being redone, it was simply photoshopped right side up.
Partly because Maggie’s stone still appears to be missing.
And, I have to ask. Anyone have any idea what the reddish rectangle on the lower right of Harry’s shirt/abdomen (his left) might be? I suppose that could be an ember in front of it, but I’m not sure how It would give off a rectangular glow.
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My money is on an ember, but that rectangle is weird.
As to the red glow in the staff, I was reading SG, and the staff glowed green and whatever depending on the magic Harry used. I think it was green and white for force and green and blue for light. Maybe it would be green and red for fire.
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If the picture attached is the square you are referring to - I think it is just an ember with an effect on it (like lens flare). Wouldn't over think it.
The staff glow could also be artistic licence, but earlier I did speculate in my OP that it could be that Harry gets access to Hellfire again by learning to "flip" the coin (that is Soulfire/Hellfire). But it could be as mundane as just regular old fire magic.
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If the picture attached is the square you are referring to - I think it is just an ember with an effect on it (like lens flare). Wouldn't over think it.
The staff glow could also be artistic licence, but earlier I did speculate in my OP that it could be that Harry gets access to Hellfire again by learning to "flip" the coin (that is Soulfire/Hellfire). But it could be as mundane as just regular old fire magic.
Lens flare, perhaps, but would be a perfect rectangle? It looks like possibly a patch of some sort, a crude mending of a favorite tee shirt perhaps? Just a joke, but it could be a new form of a shield since is he up against a more powerful enemy than even he is used to. He was badly wounded and the patch keeps his insides from falling out while he does battle.
As to the color of the runes on the staff, they are near the spear blade, I think the glow comes from the power of the spear head as opposed to the power of the staff and is separate from Harry and his power.
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A book, possibly a diary.
Artists for hire should be kept on a leash, particularly illustrators. Artistic license isn't an excuse for changing a story element.
Editors should also earn their money. In their quest to get out covers they have gotten careless. There has never been a overt plot reveal on the cover. Thank you editors, I remind you though, to take your stupid pills after working hours. When producing two covers at once, remember that while a plot device is revealed in one book, it should not be revealed on the second cover before the first book hits the shops.
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My money is on an ember, but that rectangle is weird.
As to the red glow in the staff, I was reading SG, and the staff glowed green and whatever depending on the magic Harry used. I think it was green and white for force and green and blue for light. Maybe it would be green and red for fire.
I think that the green glow simply has to do with where the staff originated. Harry mentions that the blank was taken from the oldest oak on the island, and before that he comments that the oldest trees on the island are older than Chicago. The intrinsic color of Alfred and the Well are green, so if wood has been marinating in the island’s magic for the better part of two hundred years, I’m pretty sure the green is now the default setting. Just a signature of the island.
When Harry uses some other type of magic, it takes precedence over green.
Just thought of this. If Harry ever had to walk through that big circle again, he could take that staff with him—because it’s “of the island”. Guessing that’s part of the reason he used that one instead of the blank Ebenezar was supposed to send him. Guess he’s smarter than I am!