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#51
08-26-2012, 08:10 AM
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#52
08-27-2012, 12:29 PM
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I'm sure he didn't do it with the express interest of pissing people off, but there's a difference between hacking out crap that people are familiar with just to make shitloads of money (I'll use Thomas Kinkade's art as an example, since he's dead now and can't be insulted) and actually crafting and writing something that is interesting and makes the author feel proud to have written it. So there's that. There's also the fact that in a series as long as this one, and as focused on one person and his life, there's no way to keep making progress in a way that pleases every single reader. My husband lost the spark with Summer Knight - he doesn't like the way the fae are designed. A friend of mine got unhappy when it started focusing on the Council and the Red Court. You got pissed at Ghost Story's "Ghost of Christmas Present" concept. It's sad, but that's my point - it's gonna happen - he can't please everyone, and he certainly can't please everyone with every single book. That's why everyone here probably has a different favorite book and a different "weakest" book. I admit, Ghost Story was a little weird, but personally, I liked it loads better than I did Changes. The next one up is probably going to be very different again, and I don't know that I'll personally enjoy it because the fae tend to do horrid things to poor Harry's brains and body, and I get easily squicked out by the brutal noir abuse he takes. But that's ok - I'm interested in the journey, and if I don't like this one, there's always the next to look forward to. If I get to a point like I did with ASoIaF where I'm dreading the next book and it feels like a chore to read, then I'll drop the series and move on. However, I figure one or two "duds" that don't resonate with me out of a long-running series is just something to be expected. YMMobviouslyV.
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#53
08-27-2012, 01:23 PM
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#54
08-27-2012, 01:37 PM
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I also think this book will be a return to form, if with different trappings, primarily a broadening of scope. In the first 12 books, Dresden was more or less limited to Chicago. He was the primary defender of the city against supernatural threats, and as it happened a lot of problems arose in Chicago during the Red Court War. He had to be there to protect the city, since nobody else would. Now, he's in Mab's employ, and Mab isn't limited to Chicago. Between her direction and Margaret Lefay's legacy, Dresden's scope will expand to the world, most likely, though still with a focus on Chicago. Ghost Story showed us that he doesn't need to be the lone defender of the city any more; between the small cadre Murphy's built up, Mortimer Lindquist's acceptance of his power, Molly's advancement of her own power and character, and Marcone's foothold in the supernatural realm via the Accords, Chicago's got plenty of hometown defenders. This is also where the investigation into the Black Council steps up a gear. Dresden was only seeing the fringes of the BC's movements from his position in Chicago, and there are many hints strewn throughout the first 12 books that Mab is involved with them in some way, whether in collaboration or fighting against them. So now he has Mab's resources and power, along with his own human free will to act, and should be able to seriously start going after the BC. I'm fairly sure we're going to start seeing a lot of small threads that were left loose in the first 11 books picked back up, now that Dresden has the time to chase them. At the time he was usually too busy fighting off more immediate threats to worry about vague clues. It's still going to primarily require investigation, which he's good at and which the first 11 books centered around, hence why I think we'll be going back to form. The Powers in the world are moving, including Mab, and Dresden needs to figure out why.
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#55
08-27-2012, 03:07 PM
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From what we can tell, by the fact that he spent loads of time (and a pushback on the original publication date) on Ghost Story, the author does in fact consider Ghost Story to be, if not an improvement, at least to be a satisfying continuation of the series. He wrote it, he allowed it to be published, and he hasn't issued any statements retracting it. My point is that barring widespread or near-total agreement, there isn't any validity to one or two or a dozen or even a hundred or so individuals claiming that it is NOT an improvement. Why? Tastes vary. That's not in the author's control, so there's no point him worrying about trying to factor that in. See my first response. Therefore, in my considered opinion, in the absence of unanimous censure of Ghost Story, I don't agree with your statement that it was not an improvement, because I don't think that any of us as readers get to decide that point. Regardless of whether you or I personally thought it stunk, I don't think personal opinions matter much, unless they happen to coorelate with a lot of other people's personal opinions. And I haven't really found that to be the case for this series. You may disagree with me about that, but again - it's all just opinions on a message board. 
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#57
08-27-2012, 05:29 PM
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Last edited by RikWriter; 08-27-2012 at 05:29 PM.
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#58
08-28-2012, 12:29 AM
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Everyone has an opinion. That's how it works. That said, I'm sure Jim put forth a strong effort and had many concerns about the changes he made. I think that time will tell how well he did. I think it was a justified change of pace, but ultimately, it's what he does with it that will justify the detour. My opinion of Ghost Story is, at least a bit, based upon my trust that the material covered will bear fruit in future books. BTW, reminding Lasciel of human nature and free will - I see what you did there.
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#59
08-28-2012, 02:17 AM
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#60
08-28-2012, 11:53 AM
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I'm not sure where I stand on Ghost Story. It wasn't my favorite book, but I think that the changes made in this book and the previous ones were necessary.
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#61
08-28-2012, 12:07 PM
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#62
08-28-2012, 08:27 PM
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On the subject of this thread, I liked both Changes and Ghost Story. They were a logical progression of the events that have been happening in the entire series, taking a lot of things and tying them together in a way I found very enjoyable. I had figured out how Harry came back, but the journey there in the book was well worth it for me. I am really looking forward to see what Butcher does next with Harry, and how he deals with being the Winter Knight. Plus I am wondering if he tells everyone he is alive again. On one hand, it will make all of his friends very happy, and relieve a lot of the guilt that Molly is carrying around. OTOH, he may want to avoid getting them mixed up with his new duties to Mab. And there is still the island he is custodian of, just what is it and what does it want from him?
__________________
Lok ---------------- "I am madly in love with Lok and wish to have his beautiful children. I also wish to leave my entire (quite subsantial) estate to him when I die, which might now be quite suddenly." - auRa
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#63
08-28-2012, 09:01 PM
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Maybe he could have had his back broken by the Ick. But that was a hostile force and it would have been tricky to make it so the Ick paralyzed Dresden but didn't actually kill him. IMO that would have been a worse contrivance than an unexpected mundane injury screwing him over.
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#64
09-02-2012, 08:13 PM
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Falling off a ladder
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I was simply making an oblique reference to the complaint concerning Harry breaking his back after falling from a ladder (after being stomped by a monster and dragged through the woods for a Red Court menage a trois). Speaking of mundane, remember the Hellhounds recipe for killing a magician? Kincaid doesn't miss and I wonder why he didn't go for the head shot. Jim Butcher you got some 'splain' to do. Of course, that would have been a lot harder for Mab, the parasite (Lash) and the Genus Loci to repair. Does anyone have any skinny on the supposed first line of Cold Days, Mab's unusual methods of physical therapy? If she is sexing Harry, he should recall the fate of Odysseus. Slain by his own son by Circe.
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#65
09-02-2012, 08:37 PM
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I always wait for the paperbacks, so I only just recently read Ghost Story. I'm very interested to see where all this will go, but I'll just have to wait.
I've lost the link, but another author was selling downloads of one of his works and donating the proceeds to Stephen Brust and Emma Bull to help them with their medical expenses. I never really thought about the fact that regardless of however well their books sell my favorite authors might not have adequate health insurance.
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#66
09-02-2012, 09:10 PM
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#67
09-03-2012, 11:16 AM
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#68
09-03-2012, 11:18 AM
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#69
09-03-2012, 01:04 PM
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And on so many levels, from the characters to the situations, to the writing style and format. We have all seen Harry almost lose his life and fall to despair. And some story element we all expect comes and rescues him (Being Held by the Denairians, Being Held by Madrigal, Being Held by the three strega and the White King). Going to Mab and excepting her offer was totally out of the blue, and a change. I was totally expecting Uriel to help him, but no, we got Mad instead. Now my other comment is about the hate on people have for Ghost Story. We all saw what the "CHANGES" did to Harry, now we needed to see what it did to everyone else. I hate to break the news to all the "Harry Dresden " fans out there, but, "The Dresden Files" is now an ensemble piece. What happens to the Carpenters, and The Wriaths, and Sansa, and Butters, and Mouse and Mister (and Mab and Leah and Marcone - do you really think we are done with the girl in the coma yet?) are all important parts of the story.
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#70
09-03-2012, 01:13 PM
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 But indeed, some non-HMO plans only cover 80 or 90%, thus a really huge medical disaster can be expensive.
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#71
09-03-2012, 01:31 PM
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#72
09-03-2012, 04:20 PM
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#74
09-13-2012, 02:06 AM
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The only problem I had with Ghost Story and Changes was how fast I went through them and how long it took for the next one to come out lol.
What I'm really interested in is how Harry's new powers will affect his relationship with the council. Also how Molly will react to Harry's resurrection.
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#75
09-13-2012, 08:20 AM
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My take on Harry breaking his back is that he was dithering on making some hard choices and it was The Powers That Be arranging something to force him to make a decision.
I've been re-reading Changes and it's quite clear that Harry is the fulcrum for all sorts of events and forces, and it's up to him to decide where things go. He can't win, though, without entering into some permanent alliances. He refuses to do this despite mounting pressure (and an audience with a god (Odin) at one point). So TPTB arranges for him to have an accident, just like Sanya "coincidentally" arrives to save the day for those in Harry's boarding house. It is long established that the Knights of the Cross live a life of happy coincidence and circumstance. Harry isn't a Knight, but he holds two of the Swords. Is it that odd to think TPTB would also tweak Harry's life, especially when he's being a stubborn goof? When Harry breaks his back he has to either give up or forge a permanent alliance with a powerful ally, in this case Mab. He has to. It's a small thing that forces the issue which is very much how TPTB function in the Dresdenverse. Likewise, Harry engineers his own demise, using Kincaid who is as close to a certain assassination as you're going to get, TPTB, not wanting Harry to be actually fully dead, are forced to intervene again, and as usual do it in a very small and subtle way - by making Harry slip at a key moment. Again, totally consistent with the small coincidence that has huge effect manner in which TPTB operate. Now, I can understand where some people won't like that mechanic, which reeks of deus ex machina. However, it's a mechanism established very early in the series that we've seen operating for the Knights so it's not Butcher pulling something out of his hindregions.
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#76
09-13-2012, 01:42 PM
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Except that this time we didn't have a meeting with Uriel or with Odin, but you can't always have the physical incarnation there to chat with. What's interesting to me is that the characters are beginning to become aware that deus ex machina is a real thing inside that world - it isn't just thrown in for the reading audience, or used as a get out of jail free mechanism to let Butcher off the hook with no in-story repercussions. I'm also fairly certain the White God in specific isn't interested in making things end in a manner that is good and settled to the benefit of anyone BUT that particular entity (and presumably it's devotees). I'm very interested to see how everything related to that is going to turn out, because I would bet that it's not anywhere near what people are expecting.
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#77
09-13-2012, 06:39 PM
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#78
09-22-2012, 01:20 PM
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Spoiler Alert
Just found this, enjoy....
After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard. He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill. Guess which Mab wants first? Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday. Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own… His soul. Last edited by elbeas; 09-22-2012 at 01:21 PM.
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#79
09-22-2012, 08:09 PM
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#81
11-13-2012, 03:46 PM
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How may times must Harry put out the fires started by the shadowy enemies that are always lurking just behind the scenes before you think he should yank open the curtain and bring them to light? You think that Butcher departed from his usual style, but if you look at more than just the story, read his messages to his readers then you would know that he describes the ending of the Dresden Files as "post-apocalyptic." We got a preview of it in Changes and Ghost Story continued the story just as it should, with Harry dealing with the consequences of his choices. That is what makes this series so appealing. Think about how many times the books would end with a confrontation unfinished, the bad guy getting away, wounded, but not face-down in the mud or as a pile of ashes on Harry's duster. Now that Butcher has introduced most of the pieces, the time is right for them to start moving on the board. I for one have already pre-ordered Cold Days, and I wait eagerly for the next chapter in what has already become the first name in fantasy writing in the new millennium.
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#82
11-13-2012, 09:14 PM
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We're just two weeks away from, "Cold Days." Not that I'm counting or anything. Here's something to feed our jones for a little while. Spoilers a-plenty for already published books, of course.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...heDresdenFiles Dead Beat NEEDS to be a big-budget movie at some point, just because of Sue. SPOILER:
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#83
11-14-2012, 05:42 AM
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#84
11-14-2012, 06:38 AM
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#85
11-14-2012, 11:44 AM
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#86
11-27-2012, 12:34 PM
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Just got home with Cold Days. Made a pot of hot water for tea and I'll be spending the rest of my day reading. Can't wait to hear what everyone thinks!!
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#87
11-27-2012, 12:36 PM
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 Thankfully I pre-ordered it off Audible. Just refreshed my library and there it is. Almost done with my current book, too.
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#90
11-28-2012, 12:23 PM
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Loved it. I just have two questions right now.
SPOILER:
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#92
11-28-2012, 01:43 PM
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 On an aside, I loved Mab quoting Princess Bride.
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#94
11-28-2012, 06:54 PM
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Man, I have to bow out of this thread awhile, I'm only like 25% of the way through. I spent most of my free time yesterday installing my new graphics card, fighting with the drivers, tweaking, etc. Now I have three new games calling my name. Might be a few days before I finish Cold Days. With all of the above, it feels like Christmas came early!
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#96
11-28-2012, 07:54 PM
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MrTao got it for my birthday, and we received it today. I leave on vacation on Saturday, and the idea is to read it on the plane but I suspect it may not last that long, lol! I'm only 50 or so pages in but already liking the tone and the storyline. You get to a point where you're afraid you may have read it all before, and all that's left is 'what happens next?', but this book, so far, is making me happy. I re-read Ghost Story this past weekend to catch up, and I admit I kinda skimmed a few areas. Not sure if it was just the writing, or the fact that I'd read it before, or the fact that I was TRYING to hurry through it, but there were parts that just seemed so very repetitive. I'm not seeing that, so far, with Cold Days. And I want to read it all tonight!!! /resists
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#97
11-28-2012, 07:57 PM
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