Dresden Files: Winter is coming (Cold Days Spoilers)

[Cikomyr]

It's a running gag. And it continually gets worse. There's more than one book where he gets shot, thrown across rooms, punched by superhuman strength and has a few psychic blasts all in the same two days without sleep.

And the one time he did a pick-me-up potion, it backfired spectacularily...

[GenericMook]

It's a running gag. And it continually gets worse. There's more than one book where he gets shot, thrown across rooms, punched by superhuman strength and has a few psychic blasts all in the same two days without sleep.

In hindsight, you'd think that all of this lack-of-sleep adventuring was preparing him for Cold Days.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The one thing that strikes me as odd in Cold Days is the naming of this "adversary".

I mean, of all the Children of Nyx*, Nemesis is one of the least malevolent - Vengeance/Opposition. I kind of expected Lyssa (Madness) or Moros (Bane) to show up instead, given how it corrupts the purpose everything.






*do note that Nyx the Primordial is more than merely the Outer Darkness beyond the Sky in greek mythology. She is also the mother of such cheerful kids as Bane, Death, Age, Pain, Vengeance, Madness, Nightmare, Plague, The Binder, Fate, Dream and the like, and only one of her children was actually unambiguously good. She's sort of a "Black Goat with the Thousand Young" figure - and the only being Zeus ever feared (much like her sister Gaia is the only figure Zeus really respects).

[Soras Teva Gee]

Interesting stuff but where are you getting it from. I've never seen much on the Greek primordial deities since most stuff picks up with the Titans. And they don't seem any more particularly jerklike then the rest of the gods. Perhaps less since they seem to have fewer myths.

Also "Outer Darkness" is something I've encountered before but as a Christian term. From a couple of places in the New Testament where if thrown is characterized by "wailing and gnashing of teeth" so guess where its generally thought to refer to? Not that the New Testament doesn't reference Greek mythology at least a few time (its a Greek text too) but was it referring to an existing concept and not just getting metaphorically kicked out of the party, at night?

Actually that might be connected since it sounds a like it might in Dresdenverse terms be related to Outside.

[Dragonus45]

Kind of like how 3 of his loved ones would be in great danger like Capt. Murphy told him?

I had a thought, does Mab know that Lash turned her colors in White Knight. Yea she dealt with her a little while Harry was dead, but for once in her life she could be honestly wrong about the "parasites" intentions. Leading to a funny moment where Mab starts to threaten Harry, and then he pulls out his new shiny only mostly fallen angel ally living inside his head.

If I remember, we're operating by the rules of Magic, so Halloween night lasts until Dawn, which was still several hours away when the ritual would have been complete.

But also remember that there was a time delay on the spell. It was a whole plot point.

[Mauve Shirt]

Cikomyr, turn your back on this thread for it will spoil everything!!!

Now that Harry knows Winter's true purpose, would he remove the mantle if given the chance? I mean if so, next Halloween I'd just toddle over to the emergency room for my broken spine and take the mantle off.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Interesting stuff but where are you getting it from. I've never seen much on the Greek primordial deities since most stuff picks up with the Titans. And they don't seem any more particularly jerklike then the rest of the gods. Perhaps less since they seem to have fewer myths.

I'm Greek - I grew up with those myths! Gaia, Tartarus, Eros, Nyx and Erebus came out of Chaos and were the primordials. Anyone else was their child. Those are the really scary guys in the mythos that set the foundation of the world and didn't do much after that.
That doesn't stop them from being scary though. When you can give birth to beings with fifty heads and a hundred arms stronger than all the Olympians, people tend to respect you. When you give birth to Sleep and Death and Fate by which all lesser beings abide, people should probably fear you.

[Cikomyr]

Currently reading Dead Beat; pretty good book so far. Really entertaining and heavy story!


but there is one scene, you know which one, where I just started thinking about this song.

[lord_khaine]

Now that Harry knows Winter's true purpose, would he remove the mantle if given the chance? I mean if so, next Halloween I'd just toddle over to the emergency room for my broken spine and take the mantle off.

Why do you belive he would be able to do so?

That Odin might have hinted on it being doable, and Harry knowing how it would be done is 2 different things.

[The Glyphstone]

He inadvertently took it away from himself by rejecting Winter Law, all he would have to do is renounce Winter Law again.

[BRC]

He inadvertently took it away from himself by rejecting Winter Law, all he would have to do is renounce Winter Law again.

No, the Mantle is part of him. When he rejected Winter Law he didn't just get reverted to pre-mantle Harry, he was rendered weak as a kitten. The Mantle didn't seperate, it just shut down, but because it's part of him now, that means that HE shuts down too.

[Feytalist]

No, the Mantle is part of him. When he rejected Winter Law he didn't just get reverted to pre-mantle Harry, he was rendered weak as a kitten. The Mantle didn't seperate, it just shut down, but because it's part of him now, that means that HE shuts down too.

I believe he was weakened simply because of all the damage he had taken over the course of the book. The Mantle had shielded him from those effects, but not actually healed him (as was mentioned once or twice in the book). When he rejected it, all those injuries came rushing back. Including the broken back from Changes.

[Mr._Blinky]

I believe he was weakened simply because of all the damage he had taken over the course of the book. The Mantle had shielded him from those effects, but not actually healed him (as was mentioned once or twice in the book). When he rejected it, all those injuries came rushing back. Including the broken back from Changes.

Yup, this is correct, he says so pretty clearly himself. The Mantle is allowing him to ignore his injuries and it healing them while the Mantle is on, but it's a kind of "temporary HP" sort of thing; the second the Mantle goes away, all that damage comes back to him.

[Mauve Shirt]

Hey guys hey guys hey guys it's an excerpt from a short story!

http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/d...utcher-excerpt

[Eldan]

Hey guys hey guys hey guys it's an excerpt from a short story!

http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/d...utcher-excerpt

Ooooh. I'll probably have to order that, but it looks excellent.

[Somebloke]

Hey guys hey guys hey guys it's an excerpt from a short story!

http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/d...utcher-excerpt

Nice- very nice. Thanks for spotting this.

[Cikomyr]

Hi guys. I finished White Night 2 days ago, and I was wondering if there was something behind the scenes happening at this novel. Was Butcher's contract up for renewal, or what?

The novel seems to tie up quite a number of loose ends for no apparent reason. You have ideas about it?

[Eldan]

He does that from time to time. Usually, the next book then has a dozen new loose ends.

[Anderlith]

Hi guys. I finished White Night 2 days ago, and I was wondering if there was something behind the scenes happening at this novel. Was Butcher's contract up for renewal, or what?

The novel seems to tie up quite a number of loose ends for no apparent reason. You have ideas about it?

The whole series is a zanatos gambit staring Harry Dresden as the "starchild" There is serious evidence that his mother set up a bunch of events in order for Harry to be born with certain power over Outsiders. Then you have the meddling of the Walkers themselves crafting & molding Harry.

Some books shine a brighter light on all the background movements of the Black Council, Nemesis, Cowl, & the Outsider threat but if you read between the lines you can see that everything is related.

WoJ is that the series will end in a "Big Apocalyptic Trilogy" after about 20+ books

[Aidan305]

Hi guys. I finished White Night 2 days ago, and I was wondering if there was something behind the scenes happening at this novel. Was Butcher's contract up for renewal, or what?

The novel seems to tie up quite a number of loose ends for no apparent reason. You have ideas about it?

After White Night the series begins moving in to a more intermediate section, beginning the set-up for the second half of the series climaxing in Changes. There's a lot of set-up required though so it's understandable that the process needs to be started several books in advance.

Explaining in-depth more would require mild spoilerish sentences so I'll avoid it.

[Cikomyr]

After White Night the series begins moving in to a more intermediate section, beginning the set-up for the second half of the series climaxing in Changes. There's a lot of set-up required though so it's understandable that the process needs to be started several books in advance.

Explaining in-depth more would require mild spoilerish sentences so I'll avoid it.

It's fine, I was just wondering why we suddenly resolved Lash's existence, Thomas's new way of fitting with the Mortals, and other stuff like that in a single Chapter.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Hey guys hey guys hey guys it's an excerpt from a short story!

http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/d...utcher-excerpt

I think Jim has *almost* figured out how to write someone not being Harry Dresden... but will need a larger sample size to be sure.

Will definitely get my read, maybe even my purchase of the particular anthology instead of waiting for Side Jobs II: Side Jobber.

I also note that Jim Butcher is listed right after GRRM... not bad.

[Eldan]

And before Sanderson. Which every so slightly annoys me.

[Mauve Shirt]

It's fine, I was just wondering why we suddenly resolved Lash's existence, Thomas's new way of fitting with the Mortals, and other stuff like that in a single Chapter.

Heh.

[Aidan305]

It's fine, I was just wondering why we suddenly resolved Lash's existence, Thomas's new way of fitting with the Mortals, and other stuff like that in a single Chapter.

Mostly because that stuff had already effectively been resolved, it just needed tying up. Sure, he could have devoted more time to it, but it would have been pointless extra padding.

[Anderlith]

Necrothread. I just don't want to see this thread lost, & would love to see some more news on Skin Game

[Eldan]

Those preview chapters... are they also available in writing? Because the audio on those recording seems pretty bad to me and I can't understand what's being said.

[Anderlith]

Those preview chapters... are they also available in writing? Because the audio on those recording seems pretty bad to me and I can't understand what's being said.

Parkour. By way of explanation. ;)

No I haven't been able to find them, usually Jim will release a few sample chapters on his site

[Lvl45DM!]

PARRRRRKOUR!!! Hope thats a running gag

[Anderlith]

PARRRRRKOUR!!! Hope thats a running gag

This is Jim. Of course it's a running gag. In fact, it runs a lot & jumps over some things on the way ;)