The 2025 Hero Challenge: Dresden Files vs. Wild Cards > Likes and Comments
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Shawnie
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Nov 10, 2025 12:28PM
Dresden / Fugitive Telemetry / energy cell
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DresdenGhostsmith / Anita Blake / Necromancer / 2 of 2
Undead on the cover and someone attempts to bring back someone who died
Dresden(LIGHT FROM HEAVEN ) BY Karon, Jan (Author) Paperback Published on / Saint Mary of the Angels / Church / 1 of 3.
Religion is very important to the MC, who is an Episcopal minister.
The Round House / Saint Mary of the Angels / Sacred Ground / 2 of 3.
The round house is sacred ground to the Indian tribe who live there.
The Tower by Hurwitz, Gregg Andrew (2001) Mass Market Paperback / Saint Mary of the Angels / Bell Tower / 3 of 3.
"Tower" is in the name.
Saint Mary of the Angels visited
Dresden / Where the Lost Wander / The Carpenter Home / Big Family / 3 of 3*someone comes from a large family
** The Carpenter Home Completed **
DresdenHarry's Apartment/Basement/At the Bottom of the Garden/1 of 3
The basement is important to the story.
WCEnergy Cell/Fugitive Telemetry
Aces High/Fatman/Hemlock & Silver/1 of 3
(MC is know for being large)
Bowery Wild Card Museum/Museum/The Shrunken Head/2 of 3
(a museum is a major setting)
Kevin Frost/Joker/Dr. Mütter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine/1 of 3
(features a number of people with deformities)
Kevin Frost/Life Support/The Martian/2 of 3
(MC needs special equipment to survive environment)
WEEKLY UPDATEThis was another uneven week.
Team Dresden got 14 points, with Pamela visiting St. Mary's of the Angels and Shawnie stopping by the Carpenter Home. The team also got 1 Energy Cell.
The Wild Cards got 6 points and 2 Energy Cells.
Shadowman got the week off from being beaten.
Go forth and read my friends.
Wild CardsMurder Before Evensong/Bowery Wild Card Museum/Historical scenes/2 of 3
History is important to the plot.
Dresden /The Villa / Shadowman / Dealer / 3 of 3*a drug dealer is important to the story
** Shadowman Defeated **
Greetings fellow SF&Fantasy Fans!I just joined this fantastic group and am interested in finishing off the year by participating in this reading challenge, if it's not too late.
A long time devotee of Harry Dreasden, I'd feel privileged to join TEAM DRESDEN, having just read Storm Front.
If you like, you may read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not sure how many "points" I can claim with this book, any help with the rules would be most welcome. So I'll start with:
Storm Front/Victor Sells/Drug Dealer/One challenge completed for this villian character
Thank you 🧚♀️🙋🏼!
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Greetings fellow SF&Fantasy Fans!I just joined this fantastic group and am interested in finishing off the year by participating in this reading challenge, if it's not too late.
A long time devote..."
Hi Valerie! You can claim any of the points from the main Dresden roster. Those are available all year long, so any book you read this year can count. Anything you read this month can be used for the November villain of the month. We will be getting a new villain soon for December.
My recommendation is to go to the discussion thread. That is where a lot of keep track of our rosters and the books we have read, and you can see what the portal heroes are for the Dresden group. For the books to count for the portal hero, they have to have been read after the group recruited that hero. That might take some work, as you might have to peruse the thread to see when those became available, although someone might have the dates they became available listed.
Hope that helps!
VERY helpful! Thank you Christina 🧚♀️🙋🏼!
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "VERY helpful! Thank you Christina 🧚♀️🙋🏼!"Welcome and adding you to the roster.
Wayland wrote: "Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "VERY helpful! Thank you Christina 🧚♀️🙋🏼!"Welcome and adding you to the roster."
Thanks Wayland. Will this fun & fabulous challenge continue into 2026?
DresdenBob/Smart Ass/What the Dead Know/2 of 3
Many of the death investigators in the book are big smart asses and use humor to cope with the things they deal with daily.
Wild CardsShadowman/Echoes of the Dead/Dealer/1of3
Drug dealer/gang important to the story
Shadowman/Stone and Sky/Secret Lair/2of3
Secret underwater lair
Shadowman/Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery/Demon Summoner/3of3
Demons are important to the story
Shadowman defeated
Kevin Frost/The Haunting of Abney Heights: A Gothic mystery/Artist/1of3
Major character is an artist
Kevin Frost/Secrets of the First School/Joker/3of3
Someone has severe physical limitations (is wheelchair bound)
Kevin Frost/Sixpence and Selkies/Life Support/3of3
Main character needs a special monthly magical ritual to stay alive after being cursed
Kevin Frost completed
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Greetings fellow SF&Fantasy Fans!I just joined this fantastic group and am interested in finishing off the year by participating in this reading challenge, if it's not too late.
A long time devote..."
Welcome to the team!
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Wayland wrote: "Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "VERY helpful! Thank you Christina 🧚♀️🙋🏼!"Welcome and adding you to the roster."
Thanks Wayland. Will this fun & fabulous challenge continue into 2026?"
Nope. ;) A new one begins on New Year's Day. The details of that will start getting posted around Dec 1. You are welcome to join us for that.
WEEKLY UPDATEHome from my final con of the year. It's going to be a bit odd to be here for something like six weeks straight.
Team Dresden got 7 points this week, with Shawnie defeating Shadowman. The team also got 2 Energy Cells.
The Wild Cards got 13 points, as Milou defeated Shadowman and then went to Kevin Frost's studio. The team got no Energy Cells.
Go forth and read, my friends.
Next year's challenge will start getting posted. Dec 1st or so.
As the year starts to run out, it's time for the last addition to the challenge. Shadowman is almost done. The new threat stalks the streets of New York in the Wild Cards universe. In the Wild Cards world, at one point, there was the "Wild Cards Jingle" which was a pop culture thing about various aces. "When it's Demise, don't look in his eyes..."
DEMISE Dec 1-Dec 31
1. Death Glare- Read a book where someone is noted for glaring at people, where someone’s eyes have an unusual ability, or with someone with sunglasses on the cover.
2. Assassin- Read a book where a character kills for money, where a character is a hired killer, or with either an assassin or some kind of contract on the cover, or “assassin” in the title.
3. Burn Him, It’s the Only Way- Read a book where a character is cremated, where someone is burned to death, or with fire or a crematorium on the cover, or with “fire” in the title.
Wild CardAnno Dracula/ Kevin Frost/ Life Support/ 1 of 3
*vampires need blood to survive
Greenteeth/ Wraith/ Bikini/ 3 of 3
*The MC is a lake creature and only wears clothes when pretending to be human.
Wraith recruited!
DresdenLevende og døde / Karrin Murphy / Short / 2 of 3
- a major character is short
Winds of Change / Molly Carpenter / Distraction Advantage / 3 of 3
- a major character is particularly well-endowed, and someone else shows off their body
*** Molly Carpenter recruited ***
Højt at flyve, dybt at falde / Anita Blake / Federal Agent / 1 of 3
- a major character is a Federal agent
Væsner - Natsværmer / Leanansidhe / Bargain / 1 of 3
- a deal is very important to the plot
De udvalgte / Leanansidhe / Fae / 2 of 3
- a major character is a Fae
Team DresdenA Prisoner of Birth / Danny Cartwright / The Dark Side/ 1 of 3
- Danny does a bad thing for what he thinks is a good reason, this is a driving theme in the story.
I'm very new here, please let me know if this is the correct format, and if not how can I revise so that it is, thanks 🧚♀️🙋🏼.
WCJetboy/Pilot/The Alphabet House/2 of 3
(MCs are pilots)
Jean-Claude/French/The President's Hat/3 of 3
(set in France, French characters, Eiffel Tower on cover)
* * * Jean-Claude Recruited * * *
Aces High/Restaurant/Drumindor/2 of 3
(many scenes in a restaurant)
Jokertown/Slums/Sun Don't Shine/3 of 3
(set in poor area)
* * * Jokertown Constructed * * *
DresdenThe Midnight Hour / Harry's Apartment / Basement / 1 of 3.
This book begins with the MC being worried about something being found when the present owner of her childhood home begins a basement renovation. The entire story revolves around this occurance.
The Wishing Game / Harry's Apartment / Bookshelves / 2 of 3.
Bookshelves are pictured on the cover.
Endangered / Harry's Apartment / Trap Door / 3 of 3.
A major character is kidnapped and held in an underground room with a trap door for most of the story.
Harry's Apartment Visited!!
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds / Energy Cell.
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Team DresdenA Prisoner of Birth / Danny Cartwright / The Dark Side/ 1 of 3
- Danny does a bad thing for what he thinks is a good reason, this is a driving theme in the story.
I'm ..."
:) You will need to use the characters from Message 1 and 2 Team Dresden in your log message here. The Dark Side and Distraction Advantage are both "Molly Carpenter" and the Lawful Good trait is for "Donald Morgan" on Team Dresden. You'll see that each team member uses the same 12 Team Dresden character traits, with books of your choice for each trait already set up. Please see Message 1 and 2 of this thread. :)
Shawnie wrote: "Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Team DresdenA Prisoner of Birth / Danny Cartwright / The Dark Side/ 1 of 3
- Danny does a bad thing for what he thinks is a good reason, this is a dri..."
Ok, thanks for your patience & help 💛.
I'll try again:
A Prisoner of Birth / Molly Carpenter / The Dark Side/ 1 of 3
- The main character, Danny, does a bad thing for what he thinks is a good reason; this is a driving theme in the story.
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution /Molly Carpenter / Distraction Advantage/2 of 3
- several characters show off their body using their looks to their advantage.
WEEKLY UPDATENot too many more of these to go, this year. And Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrated this past week.
Team Dresden scored 18 points, with Johanne talking horror movies with Molly and Pamela visiting Harry's apartment. The team also got 1 Energy Cell.
The Wild Cards got 15 points, with Audrey both crossing swords with Jean-Claude and braving the streets of Jokertown. Melanie also talked the finer points of safe cracking with the Wraith.
Shadowman was unscathed this week, and there are only hours left to finish him off before we switch to Demise at midnight tonight.
And keep an eye on the Challenge section here for Dragons and Jetpacks. There just might be some developments in the near future.
DresdenA Civil Action / Susan Rodriguez / Reporter / 1 of 3.
A Boston reporter is integral to the story.
DresdenThe Gods of Eden / Donald Morgan/ Lawful Good/1 of 3.
- Rules and laws are important to the success of the the Brotherhood whose members are thw main characters.
DresdenBook of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts /Molly Carpenter / Padawan / 3 of 3.
- The main character has a mentor who helps her hone her craft.
Molly Carpenter recruited!
(I've only been here a week, please let me know if I did this correctly, and if not where it went awry, thanks!)
Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "DresdenBook of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts /Molly Carpenter / Padawan / 3 of 3.
- The main character has a mentor who helps her hone her craft.
Molly Carpenter recruited!
(I've o..."
Looks good to me. Nicely done, Valkyrie
Wild CardsMaking It So/The Great and powerful turtle/Telekinetic/3 of 3
Memoir that spends some time focusing on the character of Professor Xavier in X-Men.
***The Great and powerful turtle recruited***
Wild CardFirekeeper’s Daughter / Shadowman / Dealer / 2 of 3
*drug dealing important to the story
Gods of Jade and Shadow / Shadowman / Demon Summoner / 3 of 3
*summoning integral to plot
Shadowman recruited!
I'm finishing The Neverending Story tonight, but I'm turning off my computer now, so I will post it later, but I am finishing before the deadline.
Wayland wrote: "Next Year's Challenge Begins...https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."
Looks good :)
I think I'll skip next year's challenge. I've enjoyed participating the last years, but I have too much going on at the moment. I will probably join again some time.
Thanks for all the work you do with these challenges, Wayland.
Wild CardsBroken Ghosts/Jetboy/Jetboy's tomb/3 of 3
Graves are important to the story.
***Jetboy recruited***
