Dresden Cold Days Nov 27th

[LadyTevar]

Spoiler

Cat Sith got the puppet treatment; but in the process was rendered far less capable, as Harry noticed. Maeve seemed more like herself with her judgement altered. Whether the difference is the strength/nature of the victim or the intent of Nemesis I don't know.

I believe Intent has a lot to do with it.

Aurora was convinced upsetting the balance would free her. She was not possessed as such, but one does wonder how much Maeve contributed to Aurora's madness. I doubt Slate would have been aiding Aurora without some nod from Maeve.

[Vaporous]

It's going to be really fun in the next book when Spoiler

Dresden has to go to Molly for help with the parasite, and she's not allowed to help him unless he performs a commensurate service for her.

[White Haven]

Fae are allowed to volunteer services, they just almost never do.

[PKRudeBoy]

Also, Dresden probably gets around that by being the Winter Knight, considering it's a position of service to Winter.

[PainRack]

I need...... This crack. I'm trying to find an online free copy of it, until I can get my hands on an actual hardcover copy.

Don't ask.... I forgot to pre-order this book and its STILL OUT OF STOCK.........

[Ralin]

I need...... This crack. I'm trying to find an online free copy of it, until I can get my hands on an actual hardcover copy.

Don't ask.... I forgot to pre-order this book and its STILL OUT OF STOCK.........

Support the author.

In more on topic news, I'd still like to know what Butcher was thinking when he named Harry's favorite pub "McAnally's"

[LadyTevar]

In more on topic news, I'd still like to know what Butcher was thinking when he named Harry's favorite pub "McAnally's"

Fans have been puzzling over Mac & his pub since the first book. McAnally's isn't Mac-Anal-ley, btw; it'd be Ma-Kan-ah-lee. The question is, which Being out of Celtic mythology is that a tribute to?

The best guesses so far are Manannán mac Lir or Arawn.

[Ralin]

McAnally's isn't Mac-Anal-ley, btw; it'd be Ma-Kan-ah-lee.

I am aware of that. Like I said earlier, I've been going through the audiobooks. I still find it amusing though. As did a friend of mine who had never actually seen how it was spelled.

[Steve]

Wait, Arawn? Wasn't he the villain of the Prydain Chronicles? I'm having trouble matching Mac up with the never-seen terror of Prydain (save when he appeared via shapeshift a couple of times in the final book).....

[The Grim Squeaker]

Meh. I'm more interested in when he'll finally show Cowl to be Justin DeMorne

[Tsyroc]

Meh. I'm more interested in when he'll finally show Cowl to be Justin DeMorne

I must be thick or something because this was the first book that made me start to think that might be a possibility.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Meh. I'm more interested in when he'll finally show Cowl to be Justin DeMorne

I must be thick or something because this was the first book that made me start to think that might be a possibility.

It seemed extremeyl likely/obvious to me as of White Night.
I mean:

• Butcher has purposefully danced around DeMorne's death, except for Harry thinking he died (it's extremely obvious, he has flashbacks in all the books to everything in detail, except for that and the events surrounding it). (You know, like Maevre died, or HewhowalksBehind being a demon or dying or thinking etc').
  Cowl KNEW About Bob.
  Everything about Cowl's knowledge and actions suit up with DeMorne's, from picking up the pieces behind Kemmler to knowing how the people in the White council act and think.
  Cowl having a righteous hard on hatred for Dresden.

Etc'.
What's a good endgame without one's "Personal childhood Darth Vader" popping up

[Ralin]

Well, the hatred for Dresden is mostly because Dresden foiled his plans and just barely stopped him from becoming a god. Probably horribly injuring him in the process.

And Butcher has said (haven't seen the quote, but I've heard about it elsewhere) that DuMorne is "As dead as Kimmler."

Then again, Kimmler did kind of have a reputation for not staying dead...

[The Grim Squeaker]

Well, the hatred for Dresden is mostly because Dresden foiled his plans and just barely stopped him from becoming a god. Probably horribly injuring him in the process.

And Butcher has said (haven't seen the quote, but I've heard about it elsewhere) that DuMorne is "As dead as Kimmler."

Then again, Kimmler did kind of have a reputation for not staying dead...

As dead as the guy who was known for being hard to kill, and taught one of his apprentices how to body swap? That Kemmler?

[Ralin]

As dead as the guy who was known for being hard to kill, and taught one of his apprentices how to body swap? That Kemmler?

Sort of my point dude.

Though to nitpick we don't know he's the one who taught Corpsetaker that trick. I suspect (no proof of this either way) that Kemmler's 'apprentices' were pretty advanced in their own studies when Kemmler recruited them.

And like I said, Cowl only seems to have really started hating Dresden after he got in his way. In Dead Beat he was perfectly willing to let Dresden walk away if he torched his copy of the Word.

[PainRack]

I got the book! Ok, I admit it.... it was an impulse buy since I'm sure that even if I paid the prices at Amazon, it would had been cheaper than buying it at an overpriced brick and mortar bookshop but I went past, I saw it, I couldn't wait for Amazon and Ka-CHING!


Now, if only I can turn off sleep.......

So far, I'm wondering whether the book explains why Christianity is so powerful right now. The other gods aren't active outside of actors like Odin........

[PKRudeBoy]

So far, I'm wondering whether the book explains why Christianity is so powerful right now. The other gods aren't active outside of actors like Odin........

My guess is the fact that Christianity and Islam are the two most populous faiths. Also, the fact that Dresden is good friends with the Knights of the Cross probably gives the White God more screen time in the books.

[PainRack]

Oh.... My.....God......


I finished the book........... The sheer scope..... I mean, I always wondered at certain phrases before, examined the backstory and hints given by Butcher but this was way more epic than anything I could had thought about. Mab..... The Council..... even the enemy......

This was sheer brillance. It was as if Butcher said "hi guys, remember that formula I had in the past? I'm going to rock the boat by keep swinging that formula to extremes, setting up context for a huge climax in the future...... The climax you say? It comprises of me tearing up my formula and setting you up for an even BIGGER climax in the future....." Sheer, FUCKING, CRACK!!!!
Also, I'm interested to know whether Molly had a backstory that was published recently......

[PainRack]

So far, I'm wondering whether the book explains why Christianity is so powerful right now. The other gods aren't active outside of actors like Odin........

My guess is the fact that Christianity and Islam are the two most populous faiths. Also, the fact that Dresden is good friends with the Knights of the Cross probably gives the White God more screen time in the books.

Spoiler

Well true. But the White God is also probably still active whereas the other gods such as Hinduism are now dormant. It ties into some hints Butcher gave in the past that the Hindu gods are going to turn up. Although this makes one wonder about the war depicted in Backup, apparently, even forgetting that a god exists can help banish them from the mortal world, something that Dresden recognises in this novel

[PainRack]

Been re-reading the series, and all those little things that were scattered about as throwaway lines are now making Huge Impressions. The Black Council/Others have been setting things up for a long long time. There's a fuckin' scary number of connections here.

Let's take Cowl, follower of Kemmler the Necromancer, and nearly a new god had he successfully completed Kemmler's ritual. "Dead Beat" is not his first appearance, surprisingly. We see him in the background at the Red Court's little party. He is the one holding the Black Blade gifted to Leanshidhe. We know the Leanshidhe was possessed by the Others via that blade, which spread to both Winter & Summer Ladies. In "White Night" we find out he's still alive, and the master/teacher of Vittro Malvora, White Vampire possessed by one of the Others.

So... it begs the question of what else Cowl has done for the Others. Taught the Shadowman how to make ThirdEye? Created the hexenwulf pelts?

Another point: Kemmler's ritual needed the Erlking to be Riding and calling out spirits. The ritual was in a book of poems by Magister Peabody, the White Council's paperpusher. Peabody was also in the Black Council, and not only had he murdered a Senior Council member, but he had also mentally fucked dozens of the younger Wardens, as well as Warden Captain Anastasia Luccio.

How many more can you find?

If we accept Dresden argument that the Red Court offensive was to cover the necromancers ritual and in return, the necromancers will destroy the Senior Council, this means Cowl was influencing the Red Court as well as the necromancers too, especially with remarks like him having to do all the scuttle work.

If so, the Red Court also had been influenced, since they were the guys who gave Victor Sells the ritual spell. Bianca progress from madam to Red Court Noble with sorceress power also becomes more suspicious and suggests that she was gifted power.

In White Night, Madrigral did name the organisation but we don't know if there are just one cell or multiple cells. For example, Peabody might had belonged to a true black council, who in return had a higher cell structure they reported to who are then linked to the Outsiders.... One thing is for certain, the old theory that it was mortals influencing events, using Outsiders, perhaps the remnants of the Oblivion war going hot........ that got thrown out of the window.

The dragon Ferronax....... well, who knows.



I'm also curious about something. The earlier novels had made references to how the current structure of magic was quite...... new. The Unseelie Accords are only decades old and created by Mab, a form of diplomatic UN accords. We know that the current Merlin is responsible, or thinks they're responsible for the current state of affairs. We know that the Vampire courts, or any other major supernatural power has not fought the White Council in hundreds of years, not in living Wizard memory, yet, the Wizards were engaged in very nasty warfare, most notably against Kemmler. Ebezeenar is thick in the midst of all that and Dresden, overly influenced by his own treatment by the Council says the Council is paranoid secret, plays for keeps and is brutal in the first three books, before he started opening up to his allies.




This makes me think that well......... the story might be way more interesting than currently presented.....

[PainRack]

Also, Dresden probably gets around that by being the Winter Knight, considering it's a position of service to Winter.

No he doesn't. Its mentioned explictly in one of the novels that being in debt is a burden, even painful to the Fae.

[The Dark]

In more on topic news, I'd still like to know what Butcher was thinking when he named Harry's favorite pub "McAnally's"

Fans have been puzzling over Mac & his pub since the first book. McAnally's isn't Mac-Anal-ley, btw; it'd be Ma-Kan-ah-lee. The question is, which Being out of Celtic mythology is that a tribute to?

The best guesses so far are Manannán mac Lir or Arawn.

There's one other one I haven't seen, and it ties back to the pre-Anglicization of the name McAnally. The more common original form from Armagh and Monaghan is Mac an Fhailghigh, which means "son of the poor man." The less common and possibly more interesting one is from Ulster - Mac Con Uladh, "son of the Hound of Ulster." Why is that more interesting? Because the Hound of Ulster was an epithet for Cú Chulainn.

[Steve]

I like, oooh I like...

[Murazor]

Meh. I'm more interested in when he'll finally show Cowl to be Justin DeMorne

I've seen some compelling reasoning pointing in the general direction of Simon Petrovich.

[LadyTevar]

Fans have been puzzling over Mac & his pub since the first book. McAnally's isn't Mac-Anal-ley, btw; it'd be Ma-Kan-ah-lee. The question is, which Being out of Celtic mythology is that a tribute to?

The best guesses so far are Manannán mac Lir or Arawn.

There's one other one I haven't seen, and it ties back to the pre-Anglicization of the name McAnally. The more common original form from Armagh and Monaghan is Mac an Fhailghigh, which means "son of the poor man." The less common and possibly more interesting one is from Ulster - Mac Con Uladh, "son of the Hound of Ulster." Why is that more interesting? Because the Hound of Ulster was an epithet for Cú Chulainn.

Cu Chullain did have a son, whom he sent to France to be raised. The son, Connla, was geased to bring his father a golden ring when he turned 7, but to never give his name to any man. This was an insult in Celtic culture, and it left Connla fighting damn near every man he met in his travels. When he finally reached his Father, Cu Chulainn asked his name, and then fought him to the death before realizing who Connla was.

Thus, Connla Mac Con Uladh is probably not Mac.