Dresden Files: Winter is coming (Cold Days Spoilers)

[Eldan]

To my right, we get:
Pantsiel, Warmer of Legs
Wardrobiel, Protector of Garments
Rugiel, He Who Lies Beneath
Chairiel, the Supporter
Plushiel, the Platypus-shaped one

uhm...

Clippiel, remover of nails?

[V'icternus]

Daniel.

As in, "God is my Judge".

Seems fitting.

[Mauve Shirt]

These are all fantastic. Thanks guys! Time to pass out spare quarters to all the homeless people in Baltimore!

[Lvl45DM!]

TeddyBeariel the Terrifyingly Cuddly

[GenericMook]

Drapiel: Warden of Large Cloths
Couchiel: He Who Comforts The Weary
Plantiel: He Who Sits In The Corner
Headphoniel: Master of Sound
Lampiel, bringer of light.

Ho boy, this is getting silly.

[Saph]

Pillowiel, He Who . . . supports your head and is comfy?

[Eldan]

Bottliel, provider of refreshments.
Cupiel, holder of tea.
Revelliel, the super glue.
Billiel, she who must be paid.

Edit: Papiriel, the white.

[The Glyphstone]

Subiel, he of the toasted bread shell around a chicken and melted parmesan filling.

[Silver Swift]

Walliel: He who prevents the inside of my home from being outside.
Walletiel: She who holds the wealth
(Extra) Screeniel: He who is mostly redundant when I am browsing

[Artemis97]

Yarniel, Lady of soft twisted threads and
Hookiel, He who manipulates, often seen with Yarniel.
Crochiel, their offspring, taker of many shapes, mostly flat and snuggly...

Guess what I've been doing? Heh, that was fun.

Any updated news on when the next book is out? Also would anyone recommend the Codex Alera books? I saw the... third one I think, on sale in the book store last week and was cursing that it wasn't the first.

[thorgrim29]

Yeah sure, they're pretty great books. Not at all like the Dresden Files mind you, for one thing they're written in third person... But all around very enjoyable.

[datalaughing]

Yeah, I totally recommend Codex Alera, Jim really knows how to build a fantasy universe, and the major message of the series is that having brains is pretty much the best super power of all, which I like a lot.

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Though that gets undermined a little toward the end.

[Tavar]

Yeah, I totally recommend Codex Alera, Jim really knows how to build a fantasy universe, and the major message of the series is that having brains is pretty much the best super power of all, which I like a lot.

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Though that gets undermined a little toward the end.

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How? Nothing I remember implies that. Hell, given what happens in the end, those with brains are going to be more powerful, not less!

[datalaughing]

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How? Nothing I remember implies that. Hell, given what happens in the end, those with brains are going to be more powerful, not less!

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The series spends about 4 books showing us that you don't need magical powers to win when you've got brains. Then in the last couple books it's like, "Oh, well, you actually are gonna need magical powers to win this one. Here, we'll give you some." Not that Tavi doesn't continue to show the benefits are intelligence and creativity, but as the difficulty level ratchets up, Jim basically tells us that there's a limit to how far you can get on brains alone, which kind of undercuts the message up to that point.

[Soras Teva Gee]

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The series spends about 4 books showing us that you don't need magical powers to win when you've got brains. Then in the last couple books it's like, "Oh, well, you actually are gonna need magical powers to win this one. Here, we'll give you some." Not that Tavi doesn't continue to show the benefits are intelligence and creativity, but as the difficulty level ratchets up, Jim basically tells us that there's a limit to how far you can get on brains alone, which kind of undercuts the message up to that point.

Not needing magical powers to win was never the point of Codex Alera. You need magical powers to win, maybe not yours but somebody's powers. Least for the challenges involved.

The point was that you shouldn't just rely on super awesome magic and turn your brain off because of it.

You not being completely worthless without them was more of a sidebar.

[jindra34]

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The series spends about 4 books showing us that you don't need magical powers to win when you've got brains. Then in the last couple books it's like, "Oh, well, you actually are gonna need magical powers to win this one. Here, we'll give you some." Not that Tavi doesn't continue to show the benefits are intelligence and creativity, but as the difficulty level ratchets up, Jim basically tells us that there's a limit to how far you can get on brains alone, which kind of undercuts the message up to that point.

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I think your forgetting what happened at Riva. Or the fact that the Vord Queen at the start of the final fight had FAR more strength in Fury Craft than anyone else (or maybe everyone combined).

[123456789blaaa]

Wall-E-l. He who is adorable and promotes environmental awareness.

[GloatingSwine]

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I think your forgetting what happened at Riva. Or the fact that the Vord Queen at the start of the final fight had FAR more strength in Fury Craft than anyone else (or maybe everyone combined).

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She had exactly the power Tavi would have had, had his power developed normally.

PS: It is still intellect and creativity that win.

[Rakaydos]

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She had exactly the power Tavi would have had, had his power developed normally.

PS: It is still intellect and creativity that win.

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Not...exactly. She had all the power Alera LOST, from the creep spreading over furylands.

[GloatingSwine]

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Not...exactly. She had all the power Alera LOST, from the creep spreading over furylands.

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And why do you think she had enough power and skill in furycrafting to be able to do that?

PS: There is an actual reason.

The reason is because the Vord assume the form of other beings by sampling their blood. Whose blood is the Vord queen exposed to in the Wax Forest? Tavi and Kitai. She has, therefore, the same access to furycrafting that Tavi would have had, and eventually does have when his powers aren't being suppressed any more.

She co-opts the power of Alera the fury as the Croach covers the land Alera is bound to, but she can only do that because her furycrafting was copied from Tavi. Had she been exposed to someone else's blood, she would have had the same level of furycrafting that they had.

She is exactly as strong as he could be.

[Anderlith]

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And why do you think she had enough power and skill in furycrafting to be able to do that?

PS: There is an actual reason.

The reason is because the Vord assume the form of other beings by sampling their blood. Whose blood is the Vord queen exposed to in the Wax Forest? Tavi and Kitai. She has, therefore, the same access to furycrafting that Tavi would have had, and eventually does have when his powers aren't being suppressed any more.

She co-opts the power of Alera the fury as the Croach covers the land Alera is bound to, but she can only do that because her furycrafting was copied from Tavi. Had she been exposed to someone else's blood, she would have had the same level of furycrafting that they had.

She is exactly as strong as he could be.

No it isn't. She's added more from those that she has killed as well. Nothing says that they can't continue to adapt.

[Thrawn183]

No it isn't. She's added more from those that she has killed as well. Nothing says that they can't continue to adapt.

My problem with Codex Alera is pretty much the same as with the Dresden Files. It starts off with a lower power level where even if the day is saved it's mostly due to being in the right place at the right time (even if that's meant to show someone's intelligence) and then changes to a weird high fantasy super powered free for all where you have to wonder how anyone even remotely normal survives at all.

[Tavar]

My problem with Codex Alera is pretty much the same as with the Dresden Files. It starts off with a lower power level where even if the day is saved it's mostly due to being in the right place at the right time (even if that's meant to show someone's intelligence) and then changes to a weird high fantasy super powered free for all where you have to wonder how anyone even remotely normal survives at all.

Eh. In Alera the big event is something that's never really happened before(or, at least, the places it does happen don't survive), and while there are extremely powerful characters, their survivablity isn't drastically increased, and their powers are limited to a degree.

In Dresden Files, well, you survive by banding together and staying out of the powerful's way.

[Anderlith]

My problem with Codex Alera is pretty much the same as with the Dresden Files. It starts off with a lower power level where even if the day is saved it's mostly due to being in the right place at the right time (even if that's meant to show someone's intelligence) and then changes to a weird high fantasy super powered free for all where you have to wonder how anyone even remotely normal survives at all.

Look at it this way. In Codex Alera

Tavi grows up without powers in a world where everyone does. In doing so he starts to think differently & act differently than everyone else.

As the series goes on the stakes get higher. But then Tavi's abilities need to grow to rise to the challenge. Also it's a reward for succeeding & becoming powerful even without superpowers.

Tavi is a genius. He is only a genius because he grew up without powers & had to think outside the box. This special brand of crazy is the only reason he can save the world. Through out the books he is slowly given more power so that in the end he will have colossal power but also the crazy out of the box thinking in order to save the world.

Book Two he gains Cursor training.
Book Three he gains better endurance & his link to Kitai.
Book Four he develops internal Furycraft
Book Five he is the Princeps
Book Six he masters Furycrafting

[Thrawn183]

I'm not saying Codex Alera is bad, I read the whole series after all.

I just don't understand why an author would consistently end a series in such a different style than he started it. I don't know many people that would enjoy both styles (though I know there are certainly some.)

And to give credit where it is due: Tavi certainly does continue coming up with crazy stuff that no one has ever thought of due to his childhood. I always really liked that.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Ishmiel, He Who Is Called

[Tavar]

I'm not saying Codex Alera is bad, I read the whole series after all.

I just don't understand why an author would consistently end a series in such a different style than he started it. I don't know many people that would enjoy both styles (though I know there are certainly some.)

From my understanding, the books have remained popular. Perhaps the Author knows the audience better?

Furthermore, I don't necessarily think that the book are really in a different style.

[GloatingSwine]

No it isn't. She's added more from those that she has killed as well. Nothing says that they can't continue to adapt.

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And yet she continues to look exactly like Kitai.

Which rather indicates that she isn't changing further, but that her mimicry of "human" form (including Marat) was fixed in the encounter in the Wax Forest

Remember, by having taken Tavi's power she has basically taken power equivalent to the greatest furycrafter in Alera already, there's no reason to think that lesser talents would add to that at all

[Anderlith]

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And yet she continues to look exactly like Kitai.

Which rather indicates that she isn't changing further, but that her mimicry of "human" form (including Marat) was fixed in the encounter in the Wax Forest

Remember, by having taken Tavi's power she has basically taken power equivalent to the greatest furycrafter in Alera already, there's no reason to think that lesser talents would add to that at all

Voidknights indicate that they can.

[Rakaydos]

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And yet she continues to look exactly like Kitai.

Which rather indicates that she isn't changing further, but that her mimicry of "human" form (including Marat) was fixed in the encounter in the Wax Forest

Remember, by having taken Tavi's power she has basically taken power equivalent to the greatest furycrafter in Alera already, there's no reason to think that lesser talents would add to that at all

I think it might be good at this point to hash out the different between furycrafting potential and actual furies.

In cities, furies are weak and broken up, but easy to mould and control by someone with good furycraft.

In the country the furies are still natural, untamed forces of nature with sences of identity. The strongest "tamed" furies are out in the country, often passed from one generation to the next, despite lack of real furycraft training.

a person with strong furycraft potential can tame wild furies, take them into his own "team" and increasing their effective power as furycrafters- but the power is still the fury's.

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If the vord queen had conquered Garados, she wouldn thave been any more powerful at furycraft- but she would have personal control of one (or TWO) of the Great Furies, some of the most powerful Furies in existance.