New Dresden Files book: obtained! And read!

[sholio]

Skin Game was my on-plane reading for the flight(s) from Tampa to Fairbanks, interspersed with writing fanfic in which characters are stranded in the Canadian wilderness (while flying over the Canadian wilderness). And boy, flying from Tampa to Fairbanks is a LOT OF PLANE. First there was a 1.5 hour hop from Tampa to Atlanta, then a 5.5 hour Atlanta-Seattle flight, then the 3.5-hour Seattle to Fairbanks stage. BUT IT GOT WORSE! We were delayed for 2 1/2 hours in Atlanta (2 1/2 hours of sitting on the plane, because there were mechanical issues that they kept thinking would be resolved quickly, which weren't) so that ended up being 8 hours in the same seat (ow my legs), and I missed my connection in Seattle and ended up being rebooked on a flight that got into Fairbanks at 1:40 a.m. I think that was 19 hours in airports, total? I really needed a distracting book, is what I'm saying.

Luckily I had one.

HARRYMURPHYMICHAELEVERYBODYYYYY. ♥

That was such a hopeful book. This feels like a sort of turning point -- the series has never really been that fluffy, but it's been getting darker and darker since somewhere around Turn Coat, with Thomas's turn to the dark side and Susan's death and Harry's death/haunting/rebirth and the Winter Knight mantle stripping Harry of his humanity.

But, in spite of the general horror show that is Harry's life, things feel tentatively hopeful again. Harry's not as lost as he seemed, Molly's not as lost as she seemed (and seems to be growing into herself as a confident, powerful adult), Harry's not dying, nobody else died, another of the Swords has a wielder, the Carpenters are happy and all Harry's friends still love him ... it just ended on a much more upbeat, "things are finally getting better" note than any of the past few books.

I also couldn't help thinking that, after a couple of books of the Winter Knight mantle dragging Harry down a dark path, the whole situation now reminds me a lot of the way things went after Harry picked up Lasciel's coin -- where it started off looking like Harry was headed darkside, and then Lasciel got swamped in his general Harry-ness: that unique Dresden blend of innate goodness and sheer bloody-minded stubborn. It's starting to kinda feel like the Winter Knight thing is trending in the same direction. Basically, you can't out-stubborn Harry, and he'll die rather than hurt innocent people (usually about once per book, on average). And it seems that Mab, like a number of other antagonists before her, is slowly figuring this out, with grudging respect mingled with a desire to rip his heart out.

(I can't believe it, but I'm kind of starting to ... well, not like Mab, exactly, but appreciate her as a terrifying but fascinating antagonist/ally rather than wanting her to DIAF. And considering the magnitude of some of the things she's done in the past, including basically raping Harry, that's ... rather a shift in perspective.)

OKAY LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER STUFF

LIKE MICHAEL FOR EXAMPLE

While I love a lot of dearly beloved characters in this series (nearly everybody, really, at least on Team Good Guy/Ally), Michael was actually my favorite for several books, until Thomas eclipsed him around book 6 or 7. But I still have a lot of love for him, and the whole scene at the Carpenters' in the middle of the book - eeeeee, I was making socially inappropriate faces in the airport, you guys. Michael quietly preparing to sacrifice himself for his friends: I really, truly thought he was going to die there (and this makes THREE TIMES in the series I've been absolutely convinced Michael was going to die, or had just been killed). And then Uriel's end run around the rules not so much because Michael is a good person, but because Michael is his friend - and Michael taking up the sword again, if only temporarily - and, just, eeeeeee. SQUEENOISES! I missed the Harry and Michael banter/saving-each-other's-lives show.

AND MURPHY

MURPHYYYYYYY. STILL THE BEST BADASS NORMAL. Murphy, who had the best fake-out with the rocket launcher, and beat Nicodemus in a fair fight, and would have killed him if he hadn't managed to push exactly the right button.

I ... don't know how to feel, though, about Murphy failing as Fidelacchius's wielder and Butters taking up the sword. It's unexpected, I guess. I truly thought it was going to Charity for a minute, but as much as it would have been nice to have one female Knight, it really wouldn't have been fair to her -- she has a life, and she loves her life. Tearing her away from her children, and Michael, just when she gets to have it all, would be cruel.

I can't figure out why I feel so weird about Butters getting the sword, though. I suppose part of it might be that, while I like Butters, I've never been nearly as attached to him as I am to a lot of the others, and so in a way it feels like Butters directly "winning" a worthiness competition over two of my favorites (Murphy and Charity). Which I know is stupid, and it's really a case of "but I wanted my baby to have it!" -- made all the more silly because I didn't really want my baby to have it, at least in Murphy's case. (I really love her as the badass normal among the super-powered beings, whose battle-worthiness relies entirely on weapons and wits. Back when it looked like Murphy was getting one of the swords -- which has been hinted for several books now -- I didn't really want to lose that aspect of her; now that she's lost Fidelacchius and has been implied to be an unfit custodian for any of the swords, though, I'm resentful on her behalf. Foo. :P)

Although there's still Amoracchius, Sword of Love, and Love was a big deal in her main fight in this book. Although I think Murphy's been ruled out as a Knight completely now. Maybe. Butcher is tricksy. I've been calling Thomas as the new wielder of Amoracchius for a number of books now, but Butters-as-Knight is so left-field that I'm wondering if Amoracchius's new Knight, whenever it happens, is going to be someone who hasn't even been hinted at. (Maggie, even? She could be old enough by the end of the series ...)

Other random thoughts: I really like Goodman Grey! Can we keep him? Also, hasn't he been either mentioned before, or appeared in a previous book? Harry doesn't seem to know him, but the name sounds REALLY familiar.

BABY INTELLECT SPIRIT IN A SKULL OF HER VERY OWN. I really cannot wait to see what she's like. :D I did manage to call the Lasciel thing very early in this book, at least in the sense that I thought the "parasite" was some vestige of Lash, but didn't figure out all of it 'til the reveal.

Basically I didn't have particularly high expectations for this book -- all I knew ahead of time was that it was a heist book involving Harry interacting mostly with characters I don't care about -- so all the squee blindsided me, in a very good way. There was a notable lack of Thomas, but the previous book was a good Thomas book with all the Thomas-Harry reuniony goodness that I'd been missing (two! hugs!), and they can't all be onstage at once, there are just too many of them. More Thomas next book, hopefully?

And after a few books that were so depressing I don't really want to reread them, it feels like the series is sliding in a more hopeful, happy, team-family direction again. I still love these characters and it's getting to the point where most of their character arcs have an incredibly long build behind them -- we've been following many of these people for 12, 13, 15 books! The only problem is that I'm now TRAUMATIZED at the idea of any of them getting killed off, which continues to be a tangible possibility. (I don't think any of the main set would die at this point, especially after both Michael and Murphy survived this book, but not sure enough to make a wager ...)

Comments

[naye]

First of all: oh wow I am so sorry for your airport/airplane/SUPER DELAYS trial. It is a giant pain to be traveling like that, and having to spend even a minute longer than necessary in transit is grating, and you had HUGE delays... I'm really glad you're back home now! And that you had Skin Game to keep you company because eeee~!

IT'S SO MUCH FUN! ♥

I had not expected it to be so much fun! I don't know what I was expecting, really, but like you said - the series has taken some dark turns, and Harry's been in some really shitty places, and I think on some level I was afraid it was going to take that further? But it didn't! It was Harry coming out of his shell (and things coming out of Harry's skull - the scene where he tells Murphy he's pregnant is utterly precious), and his friends regaining faith in him or making him regain his faith in himself and YES. SO MUCH FUN.

I am a sucker for heists, so I was really happy to have a main plot that wasn't saving Chicago (or the world!) again... there's enough of that still to come, I feel. It was a nice little break - and a nice little break-in to Hades itself. COOL. One of my favorite bits was when Hades picked Harry up for a little chat - I love it when Harry makes new friends! Or you know. New powerful beings that are amused by Harry's existence.

Also happy that Harry wasn't put through too much of an emotional wringer - the physical stuff I can deal with, and it almost wouldn't be Harry if he weren't beaten to a pulp before rising against all odds to save the day, but the grief and betrayal and everything he's had to suffer has been really hard to take.

PLUS OMG MICHAEL. YES. I have missed Michael~! I was so happy to see Michael happy with his family, and Charity not punching Harry (one of my favorite things about the writing is how Charity stopped being the harpy wife hating on her husband's friend and started being family), and they are taking care of Maggie and so is Mouse. AHHH. I was not thrilled with the Maggie plotline, but - yeah, family is really important to Harry, and although he has a family of choice now, I don't really mind the emotional overload of MY DAUGHTER quite so much now that she isn't being used as the main driving force. (The series can verge on too much damseling of the ladies, so the fact that it was a daughter and not a son made me roll my eyes.) Also she is much more fun as a small person than as a giant plot device. ♥

Seeing Michael in action again was AWESOME, though I'm glad he didn't get any kind of free pass out of being an awesome person with a disabled leg by the end of it. (The "disability is worse than death" trope doesn't happen too much in the Dresden Files, but it happens enough elsewhere that it's nice to see a character who doesn't despair because they've ended up with a permanently busted limb or so.)

AND MURPHY. Harry goes straight (well, you know - the one detour) to Murphy and asks for her help and it is amazing to see her have his back. Like you, I was a bit "Aw, really?" when she was forced to relinquish Fidelacchius, but... I don't know, if she'd been a Knight of the Cross she would've been as unable to come to Harry's aid when needed as Sanya, because a Knight of the Cross can't choose to save one friend before saving the world. And that's kind of what Karrin would do - maybe not let the world fall to save Harry, but I think for her having that much of her agency taken away by a higher power would actually be a terrible thing? I mean, things didn't really work out great for her last time she took an oath to work for a greater force. Mostly because she kept breaking the rules when that seemed like the right thing to do and -- yeah, it's not that she doesn't have faith (or even Faith), but I think she is too much of a free agent to be Knight of the Sword? Sadly. Because I would've loved for her to be Sir Murphy! But then again I also love that she is the most badass normal that ever badassed.

Butters on the other hand would've been dead right there - or even if saved, would've been dead in weeks, because he's AWESOME (I love Butters and identify with him the same way I do Usopp in One Piece - his reactions in the situations he gets into are the closes to what mine would be, as he is the most unprepared for the shit that goes down) and would have kept trying but he's not like... martial arts awesome. Or firearms awesome. Or magical defenses awesome. He was trying SO HARD but I just don't think he had the edge someone with Harry or Karrin's training does, so it wasn't that he was in any way better equipped to Knight around than Murphy - but rather the opposite, that without the mantle of the Knight, Butter and all of his restored faith in Harry (and the faith he's gained in himself over the course of the series) would be extinguished far too soon. At least now he isn't fighting alone anymore, and he does have the extra edge of being a literal Knight of God.

I'm also sad Charity didn't get to stab Nick, but then again - same as with Michael, she has a life that just doesn't have room for running around with a sword slaying evil all the time.

Interesting thought on Maggie as a possible wielder of Amoracchius - I still think Thomas is a pretty sweet bet, but maybe it will end up being someone unexpected (or unexposed by plot) like that...

I have to admit that I did miss Thomas, but not as much as I thought I would. Because he was always near Harry's thoughts, and because there were so many other characters that were lovely to see Harry interact with. Like Michael - and also Goodman Grey. YES. WHO IS HE?! My first thought at his power level was that he was a dragon in disguise, but... that does not seem likely? He knows Odin, but I don't think he's anyone from that particular pantheon (Loki can turn into a horse, but Loki would not make deals like that I think). And what's this about Rent? And why one dollar? I HAVE NO IDEA. It is making me very curious - hopefully he'll show up again.

I don't know what I feel about the resolution to the Harry/Murphy UST - I hope that it takes them to a good place. If it takes them to a bad place I will be VERY MAD and unhappy? But I think the fact that they got to the place where they are means that they're ready - they've loved each other for a long, long time. They need each other. It would be really, really nice if they could just be with each other, all defenses down, and share that love they both so desperately need to feel. So that's what I'm hoping will happen - obviously they're not going to move in together and start having babies or anything, but... yeah, this might give both of them a chance to spend more time together, happy.

So curious about next book! There were a bunch of things set up, including Harry's spirit daughter (OMG) and the weird presence imprisoned on Demonreach which was different than the others and all of the plotting Mab is doing and Nick got away with the Grail and Harry has four other powerful artifacts and Butters is a Knight now and the Fomor are getting more dangerous (and stole children off the streets!) and dark forces in general seem to be closing in so. Yeah. I don't think much time will pass between Skin Game and Peace Talks. (WHAT DOES THE TITLE MEAN~?!)

In short: I love jumping back into this universe, I love the characters living there, and I love Harry's family of choice (and blood) growing and thriving and beating the bad guys in a nice heist triple-cross thing. SUPER FUN. WHY SO SHORT?

[sholio]

SQUEEEEEE BOOK. ♥ It's so nice that things are turning around for Harry a little bit! I mean, it won't last, because he's HARRY, but at least things are kind of nice for him right now, relatively speaking.

one of my favorite things about the writing is how Charity stopped being the harpy wife hating on her husband's friend and started being family

Yesssss, that was a favorite thing of mine, too! ♥ Really, Charity's whole turnaround from "nagging wife" to a fully fleshed-out character who has a dark past and slowly revises her opinions on Harry and comes to accept him is one of the best things in the series, I think. :D

Seeing Michael in action again was AWESOME, though I'm glad he didn't get any kind of free pass out of being an awesome person with a disabled leg by the end of it.

YES AGAIN. When Uriel "healed" him and he got the sword back, my reaction was caught somewhere between "MICHAEL FLAMING SWORD ASSKICKING NOW PLZ? :D?" and "MAGICALLY HEALED DISABILITY TROPE NOOOOO". And I really loved how the book kind of … had its cake and ate it too, because it was very temporary, and only down to Uriel making a very personal sacrifice (Uriel has, clearly, been hanging around Michael and Harry much too long XD), and we got to have Michael and Harry on one last outing (well, I assume it's the last; I guess you never know) while still not going down that road, and I was very happy about that. :D


Goodman Grey. YES. WHO IS HE?! My first thought at his power level was that he was a dragon in disguise, but... that does not seem likely? He knows Odin, but I don't think he's anyone from that particular pantheon (Loki can turn into a horse, but Loki would not make deals like that I think). And what's this about Rent? And why one dollar? I HAVE NO IDEA. It is making me very curious - hopefully he'll show up again.

Well, he said in the book that he's half nagloshii/skinwalker ... I think that's his thing, mostly? The "Rent", though, is VERY MYSTERIOUS. I am guessing the dollar is some kind of symbolic thing - possibly just as simple as not wanting to be seen helping anyone out of purely charitable motives, but the way that supernatural creatures and obligation work in this series (and in a lot of mythologies), I think it's something more than that, some kind of transfer of obligation that ties into whatever his Rent is.

(AAARGH NEED NEXT BOOK NOW AND IT WILL BE A LONG TIIIIME)

I'm pretty happy with the Murphy/Harry resolution, all things considered! I think it's interesting how I've come around on them, because I was really resistant to the whole idea of Murphy/Harry for, oh, ten or eleven books. XD I hated that they couldn't just be friends, that there had to be UST there. But something changed when I went back and reread the whole series a couple of years ago -- now that I'd gotten used to the overt UST in the most recent books, and it was starting to look like Murphy/Harry was endgame, I kind of relaxed about it. They have a really lovely rapport, teasing and affectionate and respectful, and I find them really cute now. I think you're right, that they're both in a place where they can (hopefully) have a healthy relationship, even if there are still some major hurdles to overcome. I actually expected that we wouldn't get a resolution on them so soon (although "soon" is relative; I guess this is what, book 15? XD), and I think it'd be really nice if the rest of the series had them as an established couple.

(WHAT DOES THE TITLE MEAN~?!)

I DON'T KNOWWWWWW. *flails* Something to do with the Faerie Courts, maybe? It does feel like there are a lot of dominos being set up that haven't fallen over yet. Actually, Butcher might be starting to set up dominos for the endgame, because I know he's said that the series is finite with a definite ending, and we're over halfway there.

*flails more*

Skin game means.....

[(Anonymous)]

According to dictionary.com, the books title fits quite well:
"skin game
noun
1.
a dishonest or unscrupulous business operation, scheme, etc.
2.
any cheating or fraudulent trick.

Re: Skin game means.....

[sholio]

I was referring to the title for Peace Talks (though maybe I misunderstood which one Naye was talking about?) but this is good to know too! (I had thought it was a sort of double reference to "having skin in the game" plus Grey being a skinwalker ...)

[sholio]

Oh, and also, I think that's a really good point about Murphy and the sword. She's always been a very "people before principles" kind of person, and if she'd had the sword, she would always have had to struggle. Not being free to drop everything to come help Harry, et al, would have really torn her up. And I like her as a badass normal, so I'm fairly happy that she's staying that way (while also being paradoxically sad that she wasn't chosen; I AM CONTRADICTORY).

And hmmm, the comparison between Butters and Usopp really fits, and I really like Usopp, so .... :D I don't honestly know why I never connected to Butters more than I did; I like him, I just don't really like him as much as I like most of the rest? You're right, though, that there are very few characters in the series who are just normal people and not badass-normal types if they don't have some kind of powers. It's been really fun seeing him connect to his own inner awesomeness, and it'll be interesting to see how he handles having the sword ...

[schneefink]

Not looking at anything you wrote: is it good? Because my brother and I know that we won't be living together for much longer, so atm we're both going "no, you buy it first and I'll wait for the paperback" *g*

[sholio]

I really enjoyed it, and I also think (and at least one other commenter agrees) that this book was less dark and more upbeat/hopeful than the last few, so that's a consideration also. It seems like the series is finally leaning in a slightly less depressing direction for a change.

[ratcreature]

Yes, I enjoyed it too. Though I wouldn't have minded if the mpreg had ended in an "abortion" exorcism rather than Harry being willing to risk himself as soon as he finds out the parasite is his mystical offspring. I mean, not that this wasn't in character, but on a meta level I'm tired of this kind trajectory for mpreg stories.

But in general I totally agree that it was more hopeful, and I liked that as well. But then to get even bleaker the series would end up on the grimdark end of the spectrum, and I don't think that would fit well.

[sholio]

I'm still not quite over CANON MPREG. XD And you know, it didn't have to be conceptualized that way -- I can think of other ways the book could've gone without setting up the pregnancy metaphor quite so literally -- but they did go there and .... I'm really still not over that. XD

I think the avoidance of abortion discussion didn't bother me as much as it typically does in mpreg because of the way the whole thing was set up -- in the same conversation in which Harry found out he was "pregnant", he also met his daughter as an actual person, and I think that framed the whole thing a little differently, because it's not a fetus in a normal sense; she's had time to "grow up", so she's more like an actual child. The brief fetus-parasite exchange rubbed me the wrong way a little bit, but I think that's the only part of it that bothered me.

But then to get even bleaker the series would end up on the grimdark end of the spectrum, and I don't think that would fit well.

Ha, true! It went REALLY dark for awhile there.

[winter_elf]

Yea, Butcher didn't have too much to say at the talk & signing he did at our store. I couldn't hear a lot of the questions (I was WWWWWAAAAYYY) in the back), but it was just the usual stuff (and a lot he wouldn't answer). Only interesting thing he said was he referred to his Beta readers 'flipping tables' at this book. So I guess something huge happened. I'm very glad it was NOT another death. I'm getting tired of all the 'super dark' as well. I haven't read it yet. Was sort of afraid to. Glad to know it's better.

[sholio]

Yeah, I found this one a LOT more hopeful than the last few! It feels like the series has turned the corner and maybe things are going to improve for a while. (I hope. I'm not sure how much more darkness and bleakness I could take.)