Just finished the new Dresden Files book!
Short version: Skin Game is a good 'un. Long version: Under the cut.
Since I just finished it, I'll probably have to just do bullet-point reactions for now. I'm going to read it again just to get what I missed in my first, fast, intense reading. It's what I do. So, on with the bullets!
--Harry's "Oh, HAYULL NO!" reaction to being asked, nay, commanded to work with Nicodemus was just what I thought it would be.
--The tongue thing! Ew! Gross! But it set up Jordan as an identifiable character instead of just another faceless mook. Not only did it give Harry someone to torment with his alleged sense of humor, it was important to see him at the end, his worldview shattered. You have to wonder how he got to the place where he was willing, even eager, to give up his tongue to serve Nicodemus.
--I was glad to see Harry bringing in Murph from the start. He can be taught!
--That was . . . quite a dream Harry had.
--I pegged from the start that Lasciel had found a new meat puppet who'd reveal herself at the worst possible time. Glad to know I was right. I was suspicious of Hannah all along. Score!
--Goodman Grey was cool. I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again.
--I loved the talk Harry had with Michael. He really needed that. He needed someone to smack some sense into him, and he needed someone he admired as much as he admires Michael to believe in him.
--Mouse as Maggie's therapy dog. Love! Poor thing, no wonder she has panic attacks.
--HARRY WAS PREGNANT WITH LASH'S CHILD!
--Murphy's not letting him forget that anytime soon.
--Oh, Murph. It was hard, seeing her get beaten so badly, both physically and spiritually, by Nicodemus. But I have a feeling it was part of her journey. Yeah, it hurt Harry, but it wasn't for the sake of his angst. We're used to seeing Murphy be so tough in the face of everything that gets thrown at her. She buggered this one up right and proper, and she suffered the consequences. I don't think it'll happen again.
--I also figured out that Nick didn't do things the right way around. To unmake Amoracchius, Mavra was going to take innocent blood. Fidelacchius was mishandled, allowing Nick to take it, but it never took innocent blood. Therefore, it wasn't really unmade, making for a truly epic climax.
--Michael being willing to sacrifice himself the way Shiro did. Agh! Uriel finding a loophole that nearly got himself killed . . . yikes. I don't think I'd like to see either of those things happen again. Too intense!
--Harry got to connect with Maggie. I like that Molly's been telling her good things about Harry. I don't think Harry's ready to take her on full-time yet, but she's got a home with people who love her, and her father's in her life now. And she has Mouse. It'll be interesting to watch her grow.
--Epic journey to the Underworld was epic.
--I really did not see Nick killing Deirdre coming. At all. In a way, I have some sympathy for her, in spite of all the evil she's done. Did she ever really have a chance? With Nick and Tessa (and Anduriel and Imariel) raising her, what else could she have become but what she was? It makes her tragic, in a way. And unless Nick has forgotten all the tales of Tartarus, he lied to her there at the last. Sure, she might be safe from big-g God (though that's questionable, even in the DF universe), but Tartarus is no cakewalk.
--But the thing is, I think Nick really did love her, however sick and twisted that love might have been. It's possible she's the only thing he's ever loved. Which makes me really worry about what could make him sacrifice her.
--The reveal of Grey's true loyalties: Awesome!
--Epic journey out of the Underworld was epic.
--Nick guessed about Maggie. Not too hard to put together, I think. Speaking of, who wants to place bets as to whether Marcone knows? I know what side I fall on, and I wouldn't waste a nickel placing bets that he hasn't figured it out.
--BUTTERS THE MIGHTY! IN HIS WORLD, THERE IS NO TRY!
--LIGHTSABER FIDELACCHIUS!
--SERIOUSLY, FOLKS THAT WAS SO EPIC THE WORD EPIC DOES NOT CONVEY THE EPIC-NESS OF IT!!!!!
--And of course Harry found himself in the middle of yet another 30-Xanatos Pileup, what with Nicky and the Nickleheads trying to bump him off in the middle of whatever they've got planned, Mab and Marcone trying to screw Nick over by lobbing Harry at him, and Uriel pitching in besides.
--Molly the Midwife for Harry's brain-child. I still kinda want to know about that one. And what will Harry name it, anyway? Bobbie?
--Oh, Molly, trying to conceal things from your parents never goes well. She seems to be adjusting remarkably well so far, but we didn't see much of her this time around. I'm worried about her. Given how heavily Harry's mantle is weighing on him, I'm thinking she's having to deal with some of the same as well.
--This book suffered from a lack of Thomas. I shall grump about it when I see Jim Butcher.
--Doughnuts of Evil!
--Michael starting to turn down the box o'diamonds and Charity being all, "Nuh-uh, we've got kids to put through college! Hey, Anna, how do we liquidate these bad boys?"
--Not to mention Michael blushing at Binder's dirty joke while Charity laughs her ass off. I knew she had it in her!
Jim Butcher will be at the Powell's in Beaverton on Thursday to sign books. I AM SO VERY MUCH THERE!
Since I just finished it, I'll probably have to just do bullet-point reactions for now. I'm going to read it again just to get what I missed in my first, fast, intense reading. It's what I do. So, on with the bullets!
--Harry's "Oh, HAYULL NO!" reaction to being asked, nay, commanded to work with Nicodemus was just what I thought it would be.
--The tongue thing! Ew! Gross! But it set up Jordan as an identifiable character instead of just another faceless mook. Not only did it give Harry someone to torment with his alleged sense of humor, it was important to see him at the end, his worldview shattered. You have to wonder how he got to the place where he was willing, even eager, to give up his tongue to serve Nicodemus.
--I was glad to see Harry bringing in Murph from the start. He can be taught!
--That was . . . quite a dream Harry had.
--I pegged from the start that Lasciel had found a new meat puppet who'd reveal herself at the worst possible time. Glad to know I was right. I was suspicious of Hannah all along. Score!
--Goodman Grey was cool. I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again.
--I loved the talk Harry had with Michael. He really needed that. He needed someone to smack some sense into him, and he needed someone he admired as much as he admires Michael to believe in him.
--Mouse as Maggie's therapy dog. Love! Poor thing, no wonder she has panic attacks.
--HARRY WAS PREGNANT WITH LASH'S CHILD!
--Murphy's not letting him forget that anytime soon.
--Oh, Murph. It was hard, seeing her get beaten so badly, both physically and spiritually, by Nicodemus. But I have a feeling it was part of her journey. Yeah, it hurt Harry, but it wasn't for the sake of his angst. We're used to seeing Murphy be so tough in the face of everything that gets thrown at her. She buggered this one up right and proper, and she suffered the consequences. I don't think it'll happen again.
--I also figured out that Nick didn't do things the right way around. To unmake Amoracchius, Mavra was going to take innocent blood. Fidelacchius was mishandled, allowing Nick to take it, but it never took innocent blood. Therefore, it wasn't really unmade, making for a truly epic climax.
--Michael being willing to sacrifice himself the way Shiro did. Agh! Uriel finding a loophole that nearly got himself killed . . . yikes. I don't think I'd like to see either of those things happen again. Too intense!
--Harry got to connect with Maggie. I like that Molly's been telling her good things about Harry. I don't think Harry's ready to take her on full-time yet, but she's got a home with people who love her, and her father's in her life now. And she has Mouse. It'll be interesting to watch her grow.
--Epic journey to the Underworld was epic.
--I really did not see Nick killing Deirdre coming. At all. In a way, I have some sympathy for her, in spite of all the evil she's done. Did she ever really have a chance? With Nick and Tessa (and Anduriel and Imariel) raising her, what else could she have become but what she was? It makes her tragic, in a way. And unless Nick has forgotten all the tales of Tartarus, he lied to her there at the last. Sure, she might be safe from big-g God (though that's questionable, even in the DF universe), but Tartarus is no cakewalk.
--But the thing is, I think Nick really did love her, however sick and twisted that love might have been. It's possible she's the only thing he's ever loved. Which makes me really worry about what could make him sacrifice her.
--The reveal of Grey's true loyalties: Awesome!
--Epic journey out of the Underworld was epic.
--Nick guessed about Maggie. Not too hard to put together, I think. Speaking of, who wants to place bets as to whether Marcone knows? I know what side I fall on, and I wouldn't waste a nickel placing bets that he hasn't figured it out.
--BUTTERS THE MIGHTY! IN HIS WORLD, THERE IS NO TRY!
--LIGHTSABER FIDELACCHIUS!
--SERIOUSLY, FOLKS THAT WAS SO EPIC THE WORD EPIC DOES NOT CONVEY THE EPIC-NESS OF IT!!!!!
--And of course Harry found himself in the middle of yet another 30-Xanatos Pileup, what with Nicky and the Nickleheads trying to bump him off in the middle of whatever they've got planned, Mab and Marcone trying to screw Nick over by lobbing Harry at him, and Uriel pitching in besides.
--Molly the Midwife for Harry's brain-child. I still kinda want to know about that one. And what will Harry name it, anyway? Bobbie?
--Oh, Molly, trying to conceal things from your parents never goes well. She seems to be adjusting remarkably well so far, but we didn't see much of her this time around. I'm worried about her. Given how heavily Harry's mantle is weighing on him, I'm thinking she's having to deal with some of the same as well.
--This book suffered from a lack of Thomas. I shall grump about it when I see Jim Butcher.
--Doughnuts of Evil!
--Michael starting to turn down the box o'diamonds and Charity being all, "Nuh-uh, we've got kids to put through college! Hey, Anna, how do we liquidate these bad boys?"
--Not to mention Michael blushing at Binder's dirty joke while Charity laughs her ass off. I knew she had it in her!
Jim Butcher will be at the Powell's in Beaverton on Thursday to sign books. I AM SO VERY MUCH THERE!