I haven’t done one of my in depth analyses in a long time, but this one has been sitting in the back of my head since Battle Ground came out—at least, my second or third reread—so I might as well get it out of the way, finally. Right?

Of course, maybe someone else picked up on it by now. In which case, well, I’m tardy, and apologize for wasting your time.

As a disclaimer, I’m about to mess up one of the most breathtaking, heart touching moments of the book for most of us, so…feel free to stop reading now.

Again, fair warning.

That moment comes when Butters stands against Ethniu, and steadfastly insists, “I. Am not. Alone”.

As Harry said, “I shed a tear for Butters and his courage.”

Magnificent. A seminal moment in the book.

Last warning. Run away, run away now!

Umm…you’re still here? Alrighty then.

I would suspect that a great many people read that passage, connected the dots between the two book sequence, and thought “Okay, Butters, we get it. You’ve always got an angel in your pocke—er, light saber.”

Well, those people aren’t wrong. But…it’s more than that, much more.

I mean, it’s not even the power of friendship, that Butters has Harry right behind him, about to pull some miracle out of the hat that he doesn’t wear. Or, Butters knowing that Harry has stood between him and monsters, and it’s his turn now.

Not even that.

Because this is the second sentence down the road:

“The horn of the Jotnar, of doom, sounded again, nearby.”

Yeah, in retrospect, we know who that was. But at that moment, Harry and Butters didn’t. They couldn’t have.

Could they?

So…let’s go take a look at Day One. The Butters POV story, when he’s alone in a hospital, fighting a monster.

“…an open square, maybe four by four feet, made of red light, appeared on the wall…”

Then…

“…I could dimly see hollow yellow squares retreating, tracking the workmen and nurses and doctors all leaving the floor by the stairs…”

As a Knight, Butters has his own game system installed.

The red, yellow and green carats, red, yellow and green squares, they worked even through walls and squares.

They would have worked through fog, and even through buildings as well. In the distance beyond Ethniu, Butters could see a veritable sea of green carats approaching.

Including the one where the horn was sounding.

“I. Am not. Alone.” Because he knew full well that he wasn’t. All he had to do was hold on a little longer.

And then lastly, there’s this:

“Who are you?”

“Ehyeh ašer ehyeh,”

I am who I am. Yeah, that one really wasn’t Butters. So really…he’s not alone. Just like he said.

To be completely fair…

“I didn’t see the hostile red targeting carat. But I didn’t need it.”

Maybe, just maybe, Butters didn’t see a sea of green carats approaching. Because he didn’t need them.

I’ll be open minded on that one. Maybe Harry was right after all.

And maybe, just maybe, Ethniu was standing there with a big yellow exclamation point over her head.

I dunno. Y’all decide what you like. Had Butters grasped his faith as a Knight that quickly…or did he have a little help?

Up to you. You tell me.

Jared Kincaid is one of the coolest characters in The Dresden files. He's just as cool as Goodman gray, but is it just me or are we severely lacking in a hellhound short story or novelette.

The man's been alive for century and the fact that we haven't gotten any kind of short story on him is crazy. Goodman was introduced damn near towards the end of the series and he got one before Jared did and I think that's completely unjust.

I know he's going to be in the Hawaii short story that Jim Writes eventually but that's going to be from Murphy's point of view.

And I think our mercenary with a heart of gold deserves a Short story dedicated to him.

What do you guys think

Dracul? We know Jim Butcher loves his parallelism, and there seem to be several similarities between Kincaid and Goodman Grey as far as mercenary archetypes go. We also know Harry used Grey in a long con where he hired him before Nicodemus did, and Grey had no problem with the betrayal because he was hired to do so.

I ask because Kincaid took Murphy on a vacation when Mavra makes her play in Dead Beat. We find out that Maeve is a direct subordinate to Dracul (and we find out in a necromantic scene, which in my mind strengthens the ties to Dead Beat). Seems like Mavra would want Murphy out of town so Harry goes all chivalrous and makes decisions on her behalf.

ALSO, Kincaid is part of the original assault team on Mavra and miraculously survives getting swarmed by the Renfields and hounds.

All I’m saying is Kincaid seems to be involved whenever the Black Court is.

Not saying he might not be conflicted about it, and I know the prevailing theory is that Ivy sent him away for killing Dresden. But we know Dracul plays the VERY long game… and planting someone on The Archive, especially when one of the biggest issues for the Black Court is that there’s a WRITTEN record by Bram Stoker on how to deal with them…

Think I’m onto something?

So if wizards live for a couple hundred years, and in cases like Ebeneezer stay put for a good chunk of that, how do they explain it the normals? Just claim everyone in the "family" looks the same?

Im reading the series and I’m currently with Grave Peril (almost finished)

I love twists and reveals in series, and unfortunately, some idiot and selfish user named Casey spoiled to me in the review of the book 2 things that are supposed to come later

! Harry has a son/daughter !<

! Harry has a vampire ex girlfriend in his refrigerator (dies in changes)!<

Im a little bit sad right now, can you tell me please these are not that bad?

Also, please, don’t be like this, it’s fair that you don’t enjoy a series but don’t ruin the experience for others.

Thank you in advance

Re-reading the books now, and it just hit me. Immortals trade power on Halloween. Immortals can die on Halloween. Halloween is the only time when the immutable changes.

Harry was born on Halloween. And a special one at that. Whomever was involved in that, they literally created a future immortal. A vessel.

Am I dense, realizing it just now? It feels obvious.

So we know hexes have changed over time; from curdling milk and causing boils to Dresden's difficulty with tech starting a few decades before he was born. Additionally, we know that mortal magic (as Dresden understands it) relies heavily on the belief that it should work.

Could the change in Hexes be due to the general zeitgeist and mortal understanding of the natural world?

For a mortal born in the 10th century, there's no way a steam powered engine should ever work, so if they have a certain amount of latent magical energy in their aura, that engine /won't/ work, because that doesn't fit in their world view. As time and technology progresses, younger mortals don't need to understand the ins and outs of engineering to believe that yes, combustion engines and computer technology /should/ work; they just take it for granted that it's normal for these to operate as they do. Therefore, their ambient hexing aura has no effect on systems they understand and believe should be a part of the natural world.

Thoughts or ideas? Is this an old theory that I'm just realizing for myself, or that has possibly been debunked?

Forgive me if this has already been answered, but does anyone know why there are still these one second clips of the narrator they had when they originally couldn’t get Marsters? My guess is so he can still have something in the way of royalties from sales of it, but is that actually what it is?

ETA: I guess I mistook weird audio blips that were edited weirdly for another persons voice. But as other people have pointed out, it’s just Marsters sounding different because of the time period during which the book was recorded.

Okay, so allow me to at least....provide my viewpoint on Waldo "Medical Examiner Jedi Knight of the Cross" Butters before I open the floor. Just....just hear me out.

I didn't think much of Butters when he was initially introduced in Death Masks, I mean I commended him for not immediately dismissing the bones as warped by the fires. Because it shows he's not Rudolph levels of denial, and while he's willing to try and explain away the supernatural with conventional logic. He's at least open minded enough to try and incorporate the possibility of the supernatural into his conventional logic (hencewhy he stood by his "Humanlike but definitely not human" assessment of the Red Court remains after Grave Peril.) At the time, I just thought of Butters as someone just willing to play ball with the weirdness of SI, while still being a skeptic to Harry's actual wizardry.

Then Dead Beat happens, and....well Dead Beat happens. Butters get proper context into all of the weird shit that's been happening in Chicago and around Harry, after a necromancer literally busts down the door with actual factual zombies and nearly kills Butters. Then Butters helps Harry survive a hopeless attack from a former Denarian. Then with his polka suit helps Harry animate and pilot a Tyrannosaurus Rex to stop other necromancers from completing some sort of ritual to make themselves a minor god. Butters is in the thick of it now, and while he's still obviously scared out of his gourd he's trying his best.

Butters is a relative side character in his subsequent appearances in White Knight, Turn Coat and Changes. He patches people up, gives a human perspective to things and is shown to get even more involved, even coming with protective gear of both the mundane and supernatural ilk.

Then Ghost Story happens. And things shift. Murphy is out of sorts, Harry is gone and everyone's overall mental well-being takes a damn nosedive. Everyone's needing to work together, and the one who's trying to be the voice of reason is Waldo motherfucking Butters who's now toting around portable nerd Bob the Skull. Butters is trying to be the glue to hold people together, and quite frankly he's doing his best. Seeing Harry's ghost probably broke something, since Harry was going on the same assumption of Karrin (corpus Delicti: effectively "no body no crime") and seeing Harry's ghost confirmed the worst. Still, Butters was trying to be helpful and optimistic. Not even factoring in that Butters was getting stressed out by Molly seemingly consistently coming back covered in blood and using his shower to clean up. So he's taking on extra risk by doing that in like 4 different degrees.

Now by Cold Days, Butters is getting a little high strung. For good and obvious reason. Harry is suddenly alive, not just alive, but broke into his apartment, accidentally toasted his computers and stole Bob after beating up Andy. And then suddenly Butters is called to patch up Harry after having literal nails and fish-hooks stabbed into him, along with other bad injuries that Harry should be utterly incapacitated from but just isn't. And then Thomas just healing a bullet hole after the bullet was removed.

Now comes what I notice is the most contested instance of Butters's character. Skin Game, Harry's been on a random island for literally a year being spooky. And then when he first see Harry again, it's not only because Harry got the shit kicked out of him AGAIN and didn't feel the grievous injuries AGAIN. But also, Harry pulls a Sidhe and pays off a debt to Bob. Plus, Butters spells out what the emotional rollercoaster of Harry not being here has been.

He gives a perspective that Harry probably didn't think about, and he makes an argument worthy of both Winter and Summer alike (blending emotional wisdom of personal experience along with cold logic of factual evidence) to get the point across that things have gotten.... complicated around Harry. Personally, I think this is the most character and the best show of character that Butters has shown since his forensic assessment of the bones that was explained in Death Masks.

Something I notice is a lot of the Batman comparisons that Butters gets during this part of his character. And....I mean yeah, it's accurate. But once Molly got taken by Mab to Winter, who else is there to defend Chicago? Sure, Harry's back but....well see above about spooky island. I don't see the problem with Butters thinking that he needs to do something, because he technically has the resources to do so (what with Bob being able to help Butters make and fuel his magical inventions). And by being in such contact with Bob, Butters is now the most enlightened mortal about the supernatural that exists. So it makes sense that Butters takes the initiative.

Butters being the Knight of Faith makes sense to me for a few reasons. What's the problem with that? Harry is able to draw on the power of faith based on his own faith in magic as he's learned it. Butters could have faith in a lot of things, one of them for all we know could have been faith in himself to protect his city and those close to him since the people who normally would aren't available and SOMEONE has to do it. (most likely, since Butters decided to take Harry and Molly's burden on himself and started pulling the magical defender act for Chicago. Fully knowing that he could probably die)

Of course, once he got the training he became much more capable in his abilities. Peace Talks and Battleground show that much, and Butters is arguably one of the linch pins in Chicago's forces. Being able to calm down anyone in the dark along with Sanya.

Does Butters go on an arc? Of course he does. He goes from polka geek coroner to Jedi Knight of God.

Is his character change rather drastic between times he appears as a semi-major role? I personally don't think so, because each time we see Butters he has a decently realistic reaction to the bat shit insanity he's exposed to and aware of. To the point where he took seemingly hopeless situations and turned them into fuel for hopeful outcomes and drives to make those outcomes a reality.

Can I see where the issue comes from? ....Maybe. Harry has a habit of assigning a mental image to someone regardless of how they actually are in reality. See: Molly will always be Michael's little girl who Harry has known since she started wearing a training bra. Despite the fact that Molly is in her 20s, maybe almost 30s and matured very quickly into a fine lady. To the point where she's doing a better job being the Winter Lady in like 1 year than Maeve had done in for-fucking-ever.

Harry will always see Butters as the little medical examiner who got yanked into the fold against his will. Regardless on if Butters has now become a certifiable badass that can inspire normal people to fight a god's army.

So....I guess now I open the floor. What am I missing? Why do people tend to hate Butters?

So I'm running a Dresden files RPG campaign and I am stuck on what uses grave dirt we have seen or heard of in the books I know it deals with the dead in some way but I'm drawing a blank any help would be greatly appreciated.

As I lay awake at the witching hour waiting for sleep to finally start I found myself musing over things I hope to see before the FINAL sleep takes me. The first set I expect to see answered at least partially in 12 months.

What happens to Rudy? (obligatory FUCK RUDOLPH)

Thomas' release. Harry and Lara figure out how to save him with the help of

Pappa Raith's Library

Chicago citizen's maturing reaction to the supernatural side of things.

Justine and the baby's future, figuring the child was/is born in Jan. or Feb after BG.

Will we see the MIB

Will the wedding actually happen? I personally believe that 12 months will end at the wedding when Harry is getting dressed, looking at himself in a large mirror when he sees Id Harry looking back at him, who then reaches out and drags Harry into Mirror Mirror.

The next set I think will only happen much later on that i likely wont see.

Marcone/Thorny further growth, will Marcone eventually reject Thorny.

the actual plan of the nickleheads

Harry and Molly "getting out" or does he replace Winter at the outer gates

and what ever new problems JB throws at Harry and us.

finally the BAT

For years I’ve been avoiding the series because I heard quite a lot of hate towards the early books, the first in particular. I decided to read it because it was different and I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump.

It was fine? It’s not a mind blowing book by any means but it establishes the world in a way where I’m excited to continue. I’ve heard criticisms toward the sexism in the novels but it felt very believable; Harry is just a lonely dude, so of course he’s going to think about women a certain way when we’re reading from his perspective. It might honestly be the only time I’ve witnessed the male gaze as a somewhat effective character building tool. I think the humanization and lack of judgement towards the sex workers in particular does a lot to show that Jim Butcher isn’t actually sexist.

Now, if the other books are far better and this is the weakest, then I’d understand the more negative feelings to this book a lot more.

I should have picked it up sooner.

about Toot and the Guard? In The Law, Bob's running the castle basically as the environmental control system, including security, and the Guard patrols for threats. The Ordo Lebes has volunteers who cook for the 'guests' - Harry's neighbors who had their homes destroyed in the battle. The 'normal' humans likely wouldn't notice the pixies, but what about the Ordo? Thoughts?

Just going through doing a re listen. Towards the end of turn coat Harry is in Ebenezers office and he sees the journals on the bookshelf. From Ebs all the way to merlin. And it got me thinking

First off, just give me an Ebenezer prequel series. Just give me that.

Second I think "the dresden files" are Harry's journals. Being read by Maggie like 400 years in the future. She's head of the council. Harry is presumed dead or is dead. There is a fragile peace through all the realms. The council can rest a little and look into bettering mankind. She has a apprentice. And she's friends with a blonde haired valkyrie who died many years ago. Who seems to know an awful lot about her father. I know this has probably been posted and said before but it kinda just hit me. And thinking about it, not a bad way for the series to end. What do you think?

Email instructions I received from my boss while he's out of the office.

As a distraction I am listening to the audiobook instead of reading what I usually do. I think I have read the series about 5 times already.

There was always something that bothered me. Jim made a big point in this book as well in all the following books that electrical objects and Harry don't really mix, especially if he is working his magic. It is also mentioned that Victor Sells is a powerful wizard but untrained. Then how is it, that electricity works fine for him? His lights work fine, the CD player works fine al while throwing high power spells to create the Three Eye and the killer spells? Is it because Harry thinks/assumes that is how it is and therefore it is like a self fulfilling prophecy?

I’m at the part where he made an oath to hand over the numbers. I figure it would be perfect to hand over 20 sets of numbers to fulfill his word, but that’s clearly not what happened but I’d expect him to prep things like that given how often he is on the receiving end.

Hey all, on my whateverth reread and got to Proven Guilty. I don't know why I dislike this book so much but it just makes me deeply uncomfortable, more than the other books. Probably because I was a teenage girl at some point and Molly makes me think of myself.

I just reread Summer Knight, and had a bit of a realization. If Harry needed to do in another fae lady the way he did Aurora, wouldn't it be way easier now than last time?

Couldn't he just command the entire Za Gaurd to cut up the new lady with box cutters again?

Makes me think about how much more influence Harry has now as the series has progressed.

So I was going through the Dresden files again and I was on White Knight now I haven't actually picked it up yet and read through it because it is one of the weaker books in my opinion, but it got me thinking.

When Thomas gets out of that Crystal, at some point in time he's going to ask the question and The interaction that will follow is just going to be absolutely heartbreaking.

What is this question you might ask? So where is Murphy?

And just the thought of that interaction. The thought of how Harry has to explain that Murphy was killed in the Battle of Chicago and he didn't even get revenge for her and him having to explain why he let Rudolph live.

It'll be definitely a time for both brothers to come together and console each other because they've both lost their lovers at this point and Thomas is going to be beating himself up for basically not having Harry's back throughout the past. However, much time has passed since he's been in the crystal.

That interaction is just going to be heartbreaking and I can't wait to read about it. What do you guys think

Jim has said many times that magic always has to follow physics. fire has to get its heat somewhere, lightning has to come from static in the air and so on

If this is so, then according to Newton’s third law of motion, wouldn’t Harry’s fingers be crushed to powder everytime the force rings are used. Especially when he sets off all eight rings of three bands at the same time?

Since I was getting Bullied for this on the post about The Warrior, here's my ramble. Tagging this as Spoilers all, just in case.

I don't care what Ebenezer or Thomas have to say on the matter. If Thomas Raith was a genuine monster, those vampire LARP kids would all be dead.

The point of The Warrior is that small actions, actions you might not even realize or notice, can have radiating impact on those you meet. Harry noticing a bruise on a little girl will help her and her mother escape an abusive home. Stopping a drunk from doing something stupid will save a family. Encouraging a teenager may help her help others. These are such small things, yet they will have long lasting influence and consequences for those involved.

Thomas was only at the vampire LARP because his best employee did him a solid and asked him a favor. Because of that little favor, a Black Court Vampire scourge was wiped out.

Maybe that seems small, but consider what those LARPer kids will be able to do with their lives after this. Even if they never encounter anything spooky again, they will grow up, maybe have families, teach others, and have an impact on the lives of other people. I don't know how big LARP events like this usually are, but given how many Harry interacts with, let's guess maybe 10-15 people. Maybe Sarah takes over Thomas's shop after Turn Coat. Maybe the kids who were smoking pot outside become college professors. The young woman who explained being out of character might have a career that will change lives. Someone Harry never spoke to might go on to do great things.

All of those potential futures would be cut down if the Black Court scourge had gone unopposed. All those lives they'd change, all of it, would just be an unsolved mass murder. But they aren't. Because Thomas did something kind for an employee, and instead that scourge faced a powerful White Court vampire, and two powerful wizards, and got pounded into the dirt as a result.

And that's assuming they never have another spooky event again. Maybe the young woman talks to the right college professor and becomes part of the Venatori Umbrorum. Maybe one of the pot smokers knows Father Forthill and helps as part of the church. Sarah might move to LA and meet Elaine Mallory. Someone Harry didn't talk to might have been a minor talent, starts looking up information, and joins the Paranet. Or another could eventually join Marcone's organization. Who knows, maybe some of those kids joined in the Battle of Chicago. Could one of them be a Knight of the Bean?

And keep in mind, this is just one short story. Remember all those Ordo Lebes folks Thomas kept in a safe-house? They still get brought up as far forward as The Law, they're providing food and supplies to the refugees in the castle. Again, a choice to protect people has long lasting consequences. Who knows how many people were saved because of Thomas helping them?

Thomas Raith is many things, but he's not a monster. He has the capacity to be a monster, but so does Harry, and so does anyone with power. He chooses to do good with what he can do, and that makes him a hero in my book.

Hey all! I'm getting a DnD potion bottle, dice roller for my father. It can be customized and Dresden Files is one of his favorite book series.

Is there any item, spell, or quote you think would be good for the label on it? Anything?! It's for rolling initiative. I'm kinda coming up blank on what to pick since I haven't read the series, but I've enjoyed combing through this sub.

Ironically his name is Michael and he usually plays melee classes. It tickled me to learn about Michael from the books.

Thanks in advance!!🤍

I think it may be my favourite story. Maybe not so much the story in itself, but the underlying themes. When Harry is talking to Jake at the end I started crying. “The real war happened when you weren’t looking. “ how a simple conversation or act can change a persons life.

Does this give us an inkling as to Harry’s future?