[Abyss]

New anthology out called SHADOWED SOULS. Contains a Molly short story COLD CASE, Mab sends Molly on an errand for Winter.
Halfway thru, it's pretty great. No idea about the rest of the anthology, but this is solid.

[Aptorian]

How long or important is the story? Not sure I want to pay 10 dollars for a short story.

[Abyss]

Strictly short story, not novella. It's really good. Like, REALLY. One of Butcher's better short works.
It it critical to the main Dresden storyline... probably not. Tho I say that with the qualifier that Jim could use the events in COLD CASE to major effect in PEACE TALKS if he wanted to.

But is the anthology worth the dollars? ....I'm halfway thru and fairly comfortable saying no. I've skip/skimmed three stories already. There's a Rob Thurman CAL LEANDROS short I'll rad for my nostalgic fondness for that series pre implosion, and maybe, just maybe there's a hidden gem in there somewhere, but I'm not optimistic when I found the stories by the headliners who aren't Butcher... Kevin J Anderson and Seanan McGuire, were just meh to bleh with a side of yawn.

I'll put some SPOILERS here if you want to know more but don't want the big details SPOILED...

Spoiler

Mab sends a reluctant Molly, in her Winter Maiden role, to collect tribute from a clan of fae living in Alaska. The fae were ignored by Winter when the last Maiden was fucking off the job, so this is a PR exercise but also a test for Molly to show she can handle herself.

It turns out that the fae are under siege by some very nasty baddies and Molly has to step in. An old friend, who I won't spoil but it's a great supporting character with interesting interplay with Molly, happens to be there to help out.

There's some solid action and multiple twists that are not obvious and could have serious impact for the characters involved.

Now... if you really, REALLY want to know...

Spoiler

Seriously, no going back once you read this...

If you're going to read the story, even when it eventually appears in a collection, don't click the next block...

Spoiler

Molly encounters favorite Warden Carlos Ramirez, who helps her rescue the fae's kids from some full on Lovecraft Old One cultists/tentacle face people. Molly and Carlos have some fun banter and flirtations, the chemistry is well written. The fight is fairly awesome, both of them get to shine, and we see just how massively powerful Molly has now become (a LOT).

And when alls said and done and they pull off the rescue, they go to a hotel for some victory sex.



Seriously, stop now if you don't want to spoil this last twist.


Ok I warned you, I really did.



...and Molly all but kills Ramirez.

Look, I DID warn you. I did.



She beat him, claws him to shreds, breaks his leg and his spine. And remembers none of it. Because, as Mab explains, the winter Maiden mantle will defend itself, and Molly sexing a mortal could end her 'maidenhood' (not her virginity, tho it's not clear if she is or isn't, nor whether Carlos still was).

Mab does summon the White Council to save Ramirez, but tells Molly she cannot wait with him, and must go collect the fae tribute.

...which, Molly had not known, happens to be the same kids Molly and Carlos had just rescued. Because Winter needs soldiers for the ongoing war.
And Mab explaining all this is COLD. As. Fuck.
Seriously, Butcher kills it writing Mab in all her glory here.

Anyhow, I suspect you could wait until this is collected somewhere, or library it. But it's worth the read.