[Abyss]

champ, on 17 February 2026 - 07:35 PM, said:

...

Quote

All three of us twitch-jumped except for Molly and Lara.

...

i laughed SO HARD

[QuickTidal]

I finished, so...

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Lara - nice writing here by Butcher. He managed to add entire new dimensions to Lara but remained consistent w the character to date. The reversal w Harry feeding her thru magic and bonding her to him instead of the addiction to her he feared was a clever twist.

Anyone else think that we just got the future explanation for curing the White Court and therefore making Lara a more viable mate for Harry? Like we didn't get the whole backstory of the original mortal kings for the Court for no reason, nor Harry's dabbling with the Hunger.

Also, unless I missed it, did anyone solve why Lara didn't burn Harry? Or is that going to be future-knowledge too?

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Drakul - great Big Bad and i really look fwd to wherever this storyline is going. He essentially sacrificed his entire court and set a lure to recruit more Wardens, and i could totally see him near wiping out the White Court's soldiers on a recruiting drive.

Butcher does a great job at making him JUST scary enough, while still hanging out largely on the sidelines. I like it.

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Fitz - great choice for new apprentice, well written. I have the slightest, almost baseless, worry that Butcher will go Anakin/Obi-wan w this, and i can't decide whether that would be good or bad.

Mab wants him...so I could see whenever Harry gets to relinquish the Mantle, she snaps up his apprentice and then he goes more Harry Lloyd than Harry Dresden as Winter Knight...but I could be wrong.

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Murphy - one of the few characters, really the only one, who didn't work for me in this book, mainly because the way her summoned shade interacted w Harry just didn't line up at all w anything the real/late Karin Murphy would have said. I didn't have major problems w this subplot, it made sense, but i think that the book didn't need it.

I agree with you...BUT there were three moments in this book that made me openly weep, and him saying goodbye to her shade was one of them. So I'm happy it was there for that.

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

The Spice 'Goyls - oh fuckit, why not? these were awesome, and their arrival/intro was just a genuinely fun, 'nice' moment in the book just as things were fairly grey and dismal.

Funniest damned joke in the book, second place went to when Carl said "Jesus!" and Harry intoned "His name is Michael"

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Harry - Dresden is Dresden, Butcher knows what he's doing and it all made sense, from the repeated 'i need time' to the anger to the magic issues to trying to do everything for everybody. This was a great book and a great installement in the series, worth the wait.

I loved Harry's introspection all book. He needed it. A reset button that needed to be hit since Changes for the man. He's finally climbed back out of the muck....so Butcher can throw him back into the muck. But like new muck.

It was a fantastic book, and as someone else noted it's my book of the year so far...which I realize ain't saying much in February...but still.

[QuickTidal]

champ, on 17 February 2026 - 03:43 PM, said:

Abyss, on 17 February 2026 - 02:34 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 17 February 2026 - 08:44 AM, said:

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

Maggie & Mouse - I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING

All of us are crying!

The light left on

Holy shit but that made me choke up...

This was one of my three moments of actual legit tears (on a chaise lounger at a pool in Mexico of all places!)

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

QuickTidal, on 18 February 2026 - 12:50 PM, said:

Abyss, on 10 February 2026 - 02:32 PM, said:

The Spice 'Goyls - oh fuckit, why not? these were awesome, and their arrival/intro was just a genuinely fun, 'nice' moment in the book just as things were fairly grey and dismal.

Funniest damned joke in the book, second place went to when Carl said "Jesus!" and Harry intoned "His name is Michael"

I flip their places, but they were indeed the best jokes. I made Mr NAB jump bursting out laughing at "His name is Michael"