It's Jim's story, he can write it when and how he likes.  He can allow our desires to influence him, but my opinion is that he doesn't owe us anything. He's the artist, we just get to enjoy his art.

Eh, I tend to disagree –as an artist myself, mind you– he doesn't make his "art" for free, he doesn't gift it away, he charges money for it, his work meets the world as part of an economical transaction, we've all helped pay for his mortgage. So, maybe he doesn't owe us the ending we all want, but he owes us explanations, and effort, above all, and yes, IMO, an ending as long as it's in his hands. Life happens to all of us, doesn't matter what type of work you do, we all have deadlines and it's only professional and ethical to strive to fulfill our commitments. The whole thing about a creative endeavor being this mystical thing that needs the "artist" to be in a special frame of mind to create just under the right set of circumstances is, at best, naive or a misunderstanding. Jim himself acknowledges this in interviews, and most people in creative industries would, unless they have delusions of grandeur.

Personally, I hope we never see the TV show get the green light until he's finished with the series in the books, because otherwise, most likely, it will interfere with him finishing the series.

I also think there are things in the series that went past the acceptable timeline, I mean, it's been about 14 years in-universe for Harry and he still doesn't know what a starborn is, or what his mother actually did. And then, Jim keeps adding basically the same character but just with a twist, I mean, Goodman is just Kincaid 2.0 and honestly, I would have preferred to explore Kincaid's character further than to have to learn another name (personally, I dunno why people are so excited about Goodman). We keep repeating the scenes where Thomas gets incapacitated, and Harry only looks for advice with Michael who should have been retired for good from the series by now and let other characters like William take the spotlight (fortunately it seems like William will be more prominent in Twelve Months).

So, I'm in favor of him starting to wrap things up and focus on The Dresden Files and not side stories.

In fact, I'd bet that Butcher would see more money by finishing the series quicker (and actually finish it and able to enjoy the rewards; he's not getting younger either) as there are readers who won't start an unfinished series because they've been burnt by other authors who don't finish.  I wish they'd explore alternatives to the current pace, and figure out a quicker path to the end.

Agree.

What is interesting in my opinion is the difference between his reaction to the death of Murphy verses Susan.

It is, that's one of the things that bothered me after Ghost Story, that we went to Harry staying on the island for 1+ year and then jump to Skin Game and we never see him deal with what happened with Susan.

I think what makes the difference (in part) are:
1. That the romantic relationship with Susan was long over, and it would have been anyway (by his own words) after she hid Maggie from him. His relationship with Murphy, however, at the time of her death, was his present, and also his future. He makes a point to say that he saw their future together die along with her. So, that would hit different. He had hopes with Murphy at the time her death happened.
2. Building on the previous point, the relationship with Susan was something that was the past, and it didn't work for one reason or the other. The relationship with Murphy was just starting out, it was full of expectations, he could still imagine/believe they would work. Loosing that is hard. (though, tbh, I felt Harry was pretty cold during what we saw in PT/BG about the relationship, like he was holding back a lot, but that's expected from a person with so much trauma around relationships).
3. He wasn't in love with Susan anymore. I dunno, he was more than ready to jump into bed with Murphy right after she died (which is kinda fucked up imo, but *shrug*).
4. Susan was in on what was about to happen, she (to some extent) consented to it in the moment, and it was a good cause, to save their child. Murphy, well, to be frank, she consented to the danger of it when she went out into the battlefield, but the moment itself is too sudden maybe?
5. As painful as it was, with Susan's death, Harry still won something, his daughter. He will always have Maggie thanks to Susan's sacrifice, and he has a part of her, even. He gained nothing from Murphy's death. You could argue that he's alive thanks to her, but in his mind that wouldn't count. And he has no children with Murphy, no piece of her left.

I think, the reason why Harry would grieve Murphy harder is because he was imagining a future, he had hope, he could believe that they had time to figure out and develop the relationship, but now her death robes them of that opportunity. With Susan, maybe he could file that under the "I already know it doesn't work", there's no hope there. Harry wasn't in love with Susan anymore.

Now, personally, I could add that Murphy is/was his greatest love, or at least, his more mature one, and that might play a part in his grief, too, in comparison to the death of Susan. I know it's canon that Harry and Susan shared true love, but if I'm judging from what I see, I don't buy it. I could buy the relationship with Murph as something more true.

Having said all that, I think Twelve Months is supposed to be about Harry doing the balance on all his loses, Jim said it was necessary, so we might see him dealing with Susan's death in this book too in other chapters.

Maybe not exactly in order but, kinda? I don't think about having a favorite, but I will admit I've re-read these the most often:
1. Blood Rites
2. Skin Game
3. Changes
4. Turn Coat
5. Small Favor

I can also give you the books I barely remember exist and rarely re-read:
1. White Night
2. Grave Peril

And books I dislike based on the focus on certain characters:
3. Proven Guilty (Molly)
4. Dead Beat (Ugh, Butters, I hate polka)

"Mirror Mirror is 10% done and will be done before he leaves on his book tour for Twelve Months."  I truly hope this is an accurate reporting of what Butcher said, and that he keeps to it.  But doesn't that mean he has 90% of 12Ms to write in about 3 months?

He finished writing 12 Months a while ago, it's already got a release date (Jan. 20th, 2026) and there are already Advance Reading Copies circulating out there as well as reviews.

That could be true, however it still doesn't explain it because Harry still wouldn't have taken Mouse away from Maggie. The only way it works is from the get go this is a different story about a totally different Harry.  In other words there is no time travel or dimension crossing as speculated based on what happened in the original Trek story.  Maybe it's a fever dream of some kind?  Or it isn't Mirrormirror at all but more of "It's a Wonderful Life" with Uriel playing the role of Clarence the Angel?  Harry wishes he'd never been born for whatever reason, and Uriel shows him just what life would be without him.  For starters that would mean no little Maggie, and Mouse really is a mouse of a dog?

It could just be the Mouse from the other universe, maybe he's the only one that realizes that Harry is indeed a real Harry, a good Harry.

He still just died, probably before her eyes, so grief would be a natural reaction. Or maybe she sensed it beforehand (like she did with Harry, before Marcone intervened many books ago) and felt overcome when it finally happened.

Personally, I believe Gard has lost a bit of her touch. And she doesn't really know everything either.

One would think Uriel would have something to say to Odin about taking someone who wielded one of the three swords as an Einherjar. Unless they both want Murphy to power up in preparation for what is coming down the line. Just saying.

I think this is exactly what it is about. First, never in the books we saw Murphy being more catholic than she was shown to be than in Battle Ground, that's your first clue. Second, she reached Harry thanks to the Knights, they helped her get to the battlefield, the knights are ALWAYS where they're supposed to be, where the white god wants them to be. Third, we know that Odin and Uriel are at the very least friendly (don't they have an annual meeting over coffee or something like that?). Four, we have word of Jim about people just waking up in Valhalla, being "lent" to Odin's preparing army. Five, it makes a hell of a lot of sense, that Murphy who was compared time and again through the series to an warrior angel, and who's accompany Harry to every battle he's won, to be protected for now, preserved for later on in the series when Harry needs her the most, that she shows up to accompany him in battle again, maybe pick him up from the field and save him, you know, like some versions of the myths about valkyries, or hey, guardian angels. Also, it's an excellent piece of leverage in Odin's favor. IMO, there is a plan in motion here...

Let me give you some back ground to this question. I have a very eclectic taste in books. In no particular order my top five is Watership down, K is for killer, Pride and prejudice, 1984 and one for the money. For the longest time Butcher and Evanovich were my top authors. Until her last book. I was so mad at her choice of husband ( straight married white guy that likes rom coms here ) that I may never read another of her books EVER AGAIN. Which got me to thinking. What would have to happen for mus to not read another Butcher book? Thoughts?

Already kind of happened: Murphy's death and the treatment of her and Thomas', and just the whole Peace Talks/Battle Ground trying so hard to replicate MCU's End Game vibes. That, already killed 95% of my interest in the series. I'm going to stick around for Twelve Months, with that 5% of hope, but if I see any hint of Harry/Lara actually becoming a real thing, or Malcolm Dresden not being "just a very good man", I'm out, probably.

Yes, but if the books continue to reflect real time, and Jim is averaging one every three to five years, Harry would be 43 to 45 the next book, still considered quite young by wizard standards, but menopausal 48 year old Murphy is in middle age, and the next one would put her over 50, by the time of the BAT she would have been on Social Security had she lived, while Harry was just reaching his prime.  What makes me sad is how she died, better she had died from her hand to hand with Nic than a bullet through the neck from a panicked cop.

The books have not been reflecting real time in a while. There's just 5 months between Skin Game and Peace Talks, hours between Peace Talks and Battle Ground. And we already know that the next book will cover the year of his engagement to Lara, which puts the start and finish of it within one year right after Battle Ground. There won't be a leap in years to the next book that would reflect our real time or publication time, nor do we know what Jim will continue to do in that regard in the future, yet.

I'm not arguing over what's prime age or whatever, just pointing out what the facts are regarding the ages of the characters in-universe. Not interested in making assumptions here.