Author Topic: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!  (Read 16554 times)

Offline Niall001

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #30 on: July 15, 2020, 12:54:19 PM »
Just finished this book. Is it just me or is it pretty clear that

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As for what happened to her, I don't know. Maybe Outsiders? Red Cap & Ace? Perhaps she has a coin?

I guess we'll find out.

Edit:

Also, Goodman Grey is never wrong.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2020, 01:10:40 PM by Niall001 »

Offline Mira

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #31 on: July 15, 2020, 01:00:48 PM »
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As for possibly having killed EB's wife... Maybe?  Although if so, Butcher could have said she looked guilty or ashamed or something.  The haunted thing seems more like she knows something, rather than being the one. Given the nature of the Court, it seems more likely that it was a male that was responsible.  And given EB's response to Margaret having Raith's kid... I mean, if he seduced her mom, too, that might drive a man insane.

That is one part I did read in my brief skimming mission in Barns and Noble.  What puzzles me is from Changes we know Eb had dinner with Margaret and Raith, that is how their blood connection was figured out.  So if Raith and Margaret were together, given what WCVs do, is Eb really so naive to think they didn't have relations?  Do we really believe he didn't know they were couple? Or that they might have had a child? 

It might not be that Raith seduced Eb's wife, more like Eb has never gotten over the fact that Raith killed his daughter and he was unable to kill or even damage him in return.  That would make for a lot of frustration.

Offline Conspiracy Theorist

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #32 on: July 15, 2020, 01:12:18 PM »
Whampires are nearly sterile, they need to put it about A LOT to produce any progeny. The fact that Justine got pregnant despite precautions is significant.

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Offline Mira

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #33 on: July 15, 2020, 01:55:20 PM »
Whampires are nearly sterile, they need to put it about A LOT to produce any progeny. The fact that Justine got pregnant despite precautions is significant.

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  Another fact that Eb should have known.. 

Offline dresden11

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #34 on: July 15, 2020, 02:46:07 PM »
So.  This was a good read to me.  But it was obviously very incomplete.  There is little to no payoff on every subject raised throughout the book.  My suggestion is to only read this book once Battlegrounds comes out.  Here is my review of it. 

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Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I read it in a few hours, and it was a fun read.  Butcher still has talent after a 6 or so year break in Dresden. There were a lot of small problems however.  Butcher's 6 year writing span really shows through in places.  I think they probably should have just made 1 book as Butcher originally intended because this book is incomplete, and it needs the next one to payoff all that it has promised.  Good thing Battlegrounds is out in a few months.

Offline morriswalters

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #35 on: July 15, 2020, 02:50:49 PM »
The question of Mab's power has already been settled.  It has always been her command of her forces of Winter.  And this attack at the gates is a plot device Jim has used before to justify her not hitting back at the Reds. Power constrained.  It looks like he's pulled out the stops on that particular device. She will exercise her power through her Knight.  He will wield the the Sword in Destiny in her cause. Otherwise as a power up exclusively for Harry it's too soon.

@Yuillegan
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Jim just put Thomas on ice,  and the biggest threat to Justine is the baby.  Margaret survived, which suggests the possibility that she knew something about the child's demon and might have shielded herself in some manner. She at least knew enough to be able to block Raith's demon from feeding. Which suggests that there is a solution. Assuming of course that Jim wants there to be. Somebody has already suggested that there are some interesting similarities to Lea encased in ice to be cured of her affliction and Thomas being put in a crystal.

Offline vultur

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #36 on: July 15, 2020, 06:09:17 PM »
Mab is ridiculously powerful by mortal standards, and fills a critical role in the universe. But we already knew that she's far from the strongest being out there - Dragons like Ferrovax and at least some gods are on par or stronger, and the Mothers and Archangels are clearly stronger.

Mab is the commander of the defense of one reality. Uriel operates across many realities.

Offline noblehunter

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #37 on: July 15, 2020, 06:36:18 PM »
One big question I have is if Eb's obsessive hate for whamps is deliberate or an unintended result of ordinary conflicts. It'd be awfully handy for someone if the Blackstaff could be unhinged so easily. Hate makes people predictable.

I get the feeling that catching the Titan isn't going to be simple. If the plot had gone to Butcher's original plan, PT would have several more chapters where Harry suckers Ethniu to the lake shore and then dumps her in prison. That there was nearly another book's worth of content suggests Butcher and Harry couldn't make that plan work.

Offline vultur

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #38 on: July 15, 2020, 06:41:07 PM »
One big question I have is if Eb's obsessive hate for whamps is deliberate or an unintended result of ordinary conflicts.

I think it's due to Maggie Sr (his daughter) being killed by Lord Raith's entropy curse.

I'm not sure that -- in general -- he hates them more than other monsters (he doesn't seem to believe/know that Whampires have free will). But when his family is involved, that's quite different.

Offline Conspiracy Theorist

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #39 on: July 15, 2020, 08:06:11 PM »
I suspect they are going to have to lure Ethnui to the lakeshore by putting their resistance there, leading to deaths among the defenders, a deliberate ploy by Harry which would weigh heavily upon him.

Offline EBRIEN

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #40 on: July 16, 2020, 02:50:44 AM »
I have read it now, and by the time you have all finished it I imagine I will be asleep.

Spoilers below read at your own peril!!!

First things first. Oh. My. God.

Secondly, what was your favorite part? What did you like and dislike?

I really enjoyed some call backs to Harry's former cases. Things like old potions being used again was lovely. Also lots of great one liners.

Some truly incredible reveals as well.
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Offline Grifter

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #41 on: July 16, 2020, 03:01:08 AM »
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I don't think they're necessarily twins.  That may just be the mantles conforming them.  Sarissa and Maeve were the suspected identical twins (which they protested) but now even Sarissa and Molly are apparently looking alike.

As for Morgan LeFay, she had two sisters.  Morgause and Elaine. Morgause is said to have died, while Elaine apparently led an unremarkable life. I'm not sure which which would be more likely to be Titania.

Offline forumghost

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #42 on: July 16, 2020, 03:08:04 AM »
Jim could also be running the Vivienne/Morgan angle, they are often considered to be related if not the same being.

Offline Grifter

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #43 on: July 16, 2020, 03:39:29 AM »
Jim could also be running the Vivienne/Morgan angle, they are often considered to be related if not the same being.
Possibly.  Looking at the options, I'd lean towards Morgause.  Titania seemed to be scarred by history in Cold Days, where she talks about marrying for love.  Morgause was in an arranged marriage, (unkowingly) committed incest with Arthur and birthed Mordred, and was slain by her son for sleeping with another man.  Seems like the kind of thing that would make you bitter.  But if she died, it makes it harder for her to have been in a battlefield where she could receive the mantle, like is expected.

Offline Bad Alias

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Re: !!!SPOILERS!!! PEACE TALKS !!!SPOILERS!!!
« Reply #44 on: July 16, 2020, 05:15:54 AM »
Remember we are only half way through this story so there is a lot to go through, more twists and turns.

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2. Summoning circle, too.

1. Reading, I noticed Harry has another parallel with Merlin. I can't remember what it was. Maybe his relationship with Mab. Those parallels are stacking up.
2. Three of Harry's scariest enemies were mentioned as still being out there. Genowskwa, Mavra, and Nicodemus. Shagnasty is also still out there. Spiderman was mentioned, again. Jim's written a Spiderman novel. Are we two terrifying enemies away from a Sinister Six book?
3. I really want Harry to study under River Shoulders.
4. Was it just me, or was this the least supernaturally violent book in the series? I guess that means all the violence we were promised is going to be in Battle Ground. Regardless, I really enjoyed it.
5. Now that's how you get rid of a mentor without killing him.
6. We're going to have to live with "Murphy's going to die" theories until a) Murphy dies, b) the series ends.
7. Harry should have had Molly use his favor to be there with her when she fessed up to her parents instead of just offering to go. It's a cheat they would both appreciate.

I think
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+1

Yuillegan, if I recall correctly, Harry inner monologues about how Michael is big and strong and Harry needs to work out more. Then he inner monologues about how much more muscular Sanya is. I think this was in Small Favor. Harry owes Molly a favor for the suit and ring. Alfred doesn't say he needs to get the Titan to the shores of the island. He specifically said the shores of the lake. I remember because I wondered which shores he meant.

Niall001, my mind was screaming that Justine is deeply involved basically through the whole book.