Anyone else... disappointed? [PT/BG spoilers]

[Mira]

To be fair, I've been thinking for years that PT was going to be the one he has to get out of the way before telling the interesting story in MM.

Although with how vaguely off the duology seemed, I hope that assessment isn't mistaken.

My fear is people are anticipating Mirror Mirror way too much.  There has been speculation about it's plot for the last ten years or more.  I fear it will only disappoint, because too many fans have already written in their expectations for it.

[Dina]

I have lowered my expectations since Changes. I've been fine with GS and CD, loved SG and liked the duology, much more BG than PT. But clearly, the duology has serious problems, with too many plots, a rushed ending and other things. That said, I don't feel is so bad to even think in not buying more DF books. I always found things to criticize in the books. Also, things to love. And this time is no exception.

[Mira]

I have lowered my expectations since Changes. I've been fine with GS and CD, loved SG and liked the duology, much more BG than PT. But clearly, the duology has serious problems, with too many plots, a rushed ending and other things. That said, I don't feel is so bad to even think in not buying more DF books. I always found things to criticize in the books. Also, things to love. And this time is no exception.

I just hope that Jim doesn't spread himself too thin and writes it with in the next year or two.  I think both Peace Talks and Battle Ground suffered because of the six year gap.

[Arjan]

I just hope that Jim doesn't spread himself too thin and writes it with in the next year or two.  I think both Peace Talks and Battle Ground suffered because of the six year gap.

I think if you stop doing something a few years your performance will drop until you catch up. He will get better again from writing whatever he writes.

[Bad Alias]

too many fans have already written in their expectations for it [while ignoring what Jim has said the story is going to be about].

[ClintACK]

My fear is people are anticipating Mirror Mirror way too much.  There has been speculation about it's plot for the last ten years or more.  I fear it will only disappoint, because too many fans have already written in their expectations for it.

I actually have the opposite of anticipation for Mirror Mirror. I expect it's going to feel a *lot* like Ghost Story did when it first came out. (Though Ghost Story is an *excellent* book on rereading, hopefully Mirror Mirror will be too.)

I expect to feel like we waited a year or more for another book -- and we still don't get to see the community Harry's built in the Castle or his new relationships or how mortal Chicago is changing (and not changing) in the wake of Battle Ground.

All of that will get shunted to the side for a trip into an alternate timeline, and that's going to be frustrating.

I'm trying to temper my anticipation, because barring a flurry of new short stories, it's going to be two or three years before we get to see the real aftermath of the Battle of the Bean.

[Mira]

I actually have the opposite of anticipation for Mirror Mirror. I expect it's going to feel a *lot* like Ghost Story did when it first came out. (Though Ghost Story is an *excellent* book on rereading, hopefully Mirror Mirror will be too.)

I expect to feel like we waited a year or more for another book -- and we still don't get to see the community Harry's built in the Castle or his new relationships or how mortal Chicago is changing (and not changing) in the wake of Battle Ground.

All of that will get shunted to the side for a trip into an alternate timeline, and that's going to be frustrating.

I'm trying to temper my anticipation, because barring a flurry of new short stories, it's going to be two or three years before we get to see the real aftermath of the Battle of the Bean.

I am trying not to anticipate anything one way or the other..  I do think that somehow Ferrofax screwed up or was unable to completely keep reality and the alternate reality separate.  I think this is why Bob devoted two pages to it in Battle Ground.  Harry will have to fix it, I also think this why Chandler was thrown into where ever alive, and not killed to be turned like the two others. Harry will find and save him, he may speak for Harry later. 

[Dina]

It not be so little time, JB is writing The Olympic Affair, I believe.

[SerScot]

In a series of this magnitude and depth there will be “off”
Books.  If MM is similarly “off” from the rest of the series as PT/BG is I’ll reconsider my views. 

[Mira]

In a series of this magnitude and depth there will be “off”
Books.  If MM is similarly “off” from the rest of the series as PT/BG is I’ll reconsider my views.

All I am saying is people here at least have been excited and trying to guess the plot of MM three or four books ago!  Without even knowing what was going to happen in the books in-between.  What I am saying is when that happens it usually disappoints because nothing can live up to that kind of anticipation.  I know the original Classic Trek story well, and while I liked it well enough, it was never one of my favorites.  So I never could get excited in anticipation that far out.. Anyway, if the premise was set up about reality being damaged by the attack with the eye, and the power Ferrofax had over it, it may be very interesting.

[Bad Alias]

I know the original Classic Trek story well, and while I liked it well enough, it was never one of my favorites.  So I never could get excited in anticipation that far out.

I think it's mostly going to bear a superficial resemblance to the Trek story. Eye patches and goatees. The way Jim described it, Evil Harry doesn't switch places with the Harrys he abducts, he adducts more than one Harry, and it's not an entirely different world. It's the exact same world except for a single different Choice Harry made toward the end of GP. It really sounds much more like an It's a Wonderful Life kind of story than a Mirror, Mirror story.

To your point about speculation ruining stories, I tend to agree. If people get overly invested in their own idea of where the story should go, they can end up greatly disappointed. Or if they just have better ideas than the author.

[spiritofair]

I enjoyed both books, but I have to agree with the "too much" part of the battle descriptions. Thing is, I don't know how you don't write what Jim wrote. How does he not include something about each of the characters? He has so many characters involved, and he kind of HAD to write something about each of them. So, never ending battle.

The Battle of the Bean came off as a bit ridiculous, with too many characters to take a look at, and none of them getting enough focus. This is a limitation of the first person POV writing style. I don't know if it's possible to write about a battle involving so many amazing characters from a first person POV. By it's very nature, it ends up being disjointed and "vignetty".

I think Jim was in a trap of his own making. Too many beloved characters that he HAD to write something about, and not enough about any of them.

I wish we had seen more of the Archive. As far as I can tell, Harry never even talked to her.

Drakul and the Black Court were a distraction, but I suppose it is setting up stuff for the future. That is really the only explanation. Those pages would have been far better served focusing on further developing other characters or Harry's relationship with them.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but I really do think that this series cannot support this many characters in one book. I look forward to Mirror Mirror where the number of characters involved is necessarily cut way back.

[Mira]

I think Jim was in a trap of his own making. Too many beloved characters that he HAD to write something about, and not enough about any of them.

Yup, the kitchen sink feel to it, plus the added traps of the huge battles, they take up many pages and leave little room for anything else.

Drakul and the Black Court were a distraction, but I suppose it is setting up stuff for the future. That is really the only explanation. Those pages would have been far better served focusing on further developing other characters or Harry's relationship with them.

I felt that way as well, and over all I am enjoying the books.  I liked Peace Talks much more on the second read.

[angus]

I'm very disappointed, too. I've been a big fan of the books for many years and I got very little of what I love about the series from Peace Talks and Battleground. I liked the snarky PI stories. I don't like endless descriptions of a battle. I want character development and plot. One of the things I have enjoyed previously, is that JB has gone his own way and given me plot twists and characters that I didn't see coming. This time I feel he had a tick list of fan favourites to include and it took the novelty away (although I did enjoy one or two of the Marcone fan fic references).  I found some of the scenes repetitive, too. Not another fight in the harbour! I hope he explains in the next book why Marcone has taken up a coin, because I find that hard to accept given what's happened previously between Marcone and the Denarians.I didn't feel that these books were fun. I'd like to see both of them combined into one with the word count halved. I have read and re-read the Dresden Files so many times and I'm really not sure if I will every re-read these two.

[Dina]

That happened to me with GS and CD, I did not reread them, which was bad because I did not remember some things that were important for these new books. Luckily I loves SG. I suspect next book will be quite different in tone, so don't lose hope  .