Butcher, Jim: Cold Days (“Buddy Read” with DQs) Start Date: May 14, 2014 [Dresden Files #14]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Cold Days, by Jim Butcher

Synopsis under spoiler.
(view spoiler)[HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

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. (hide spoiler)]

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

The new release of Skin Game is coming out the end of May! Yay! For those of you who want to catch up or refresh your memories, Romance Lovers for the Challenged Impaired has graciously allowed us to use their DQs for Ghost Story (which is here) in April and Cold Days in early May.

Please join us, or just stop in and say, "Hi!" or tell us which cover you prefer. But...

Expect Spoilers!

Participants
Ash

Chapter Breakdown

Date		Chapters	PPDQs*
May ??		Chp. 01-09	ShoSho & Lisa Kay
May ??		Chp. 10-17	ShoSho
May ??		Chp. 18-25	Lisa Kay
May ??		Chp. 26-33	ShoSho & Lisa Kay
May ??		Chp. 34-43	Lisa Kay & ShoSho
May ??		Chp. 44-53	Gisela, ShoSho, & Lisa Kay

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Reserved.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

ShoSho and Lisa Kay’s Discusion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 01-09

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1. I was expecting him to wake up in Demonreach, since Mab told him he’d have to prepare for the journey to her court, but he woke up in the Knight’s suite! Mab has a unique sense of physical therapy. Comments.

2. He’s got his mother amulet back! I’m so relieved. I wonder if he ever gets back the other magical things he had: the staff, the rings, blasting rod, and the shield bracelet?

3. What do you think of Sarissa and her relationship to Mab (Mab’s BFF!), her bargain with Mab, and what Mab had planned for her and Harry?

4. We met a few new interesting characters from the Winter Court. Comments:

a.) Cat Sith
b.) Kringle AKA Santa Clause (what was he before becoming Santa?)
c.) Redcap

5. What a birthday party! What did you think of oversized ice furniture from his apartment? I thought it was creepy!

6. So clever of Sarissa to do what she did with iron hidden in her chopsticks! But it could have gone really wrong. Comments.

7. Is Harry going to kill Maeve? Why Mab chose now to have her killed and have Harry to do it? Should Harry have confided in Sarissa about his assignment?

Maeve’s “vajazzled” area: (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

8. Don’t you just love Toot-Toot?! But why does he keep growing? And what do you think about the Munstermobile?

Dresden Teeshirt


Munstermobile - just picture it dark blue and with an electric purple flame painted on it...

9. Not again!! I hope it doesn’t take the whole book for Harry’s friends to believe he is really Harry. (hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

ShoSho’s Discussion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 10-17

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10. Andi and Butters!!! Woho. Go, Butters!

11. I’m worried about Harry’s rage and his improper thoughts about Molly; at least he has controlled them so far. They must be the effects of being the Winter Knight; I hope they don’t get any worse!

12. Was it safe to talk in front of Toot-toot about Harry’s mission and the fact that Bob knows how to kill an immortal? I didn’t think it was safe! And how does Mab know that Bob knows?

13. Harry is going to make a new vessel for Bob; any idea what it’s going to be? Or where? Do you think this will come into play in this book, or a future one?

14. Fun fact about trick-or-treating and what immortals do on Halloween! So, if they refuel on Halloween using other immortals, what do used immortals do? They have lost energy, haven’t they?

15. A theory for WHY Mab wants Harry to kill Maeve: Maybe Mab doesn’t really want Harry to kill Maeve; maybe she just wants him to learn HOW to kill an immortal for another purpose. All those creatures in Demonreach are immortal…so… Do you have any theories?

16. Who sent the other group of evil Little Folk to kill Harry? Was it significant that they had orange and red light instead of blue?

17. Lea had told Molly about Harry being alive; she was prepared for him, with a big comfy apartment and a room for Harry! Something isn’t right; there is something fishy about the whole thing! Do you feel the same or is it just me? Who are these Svartalves? I can’t remember them from before! Do you think they’ll come back into the storyline?

18. Harry and Thomas reunion almost made me cry!!! Loved it! Who called Thomas and told him to be there? One possibility is Mab; can you think of anyone else? And the timing is suspicious too! Harry came to Chicago a little before 2 am but whoever called Thomas, called him at 10 pm!

19. The food and fire in the cottage on Demonreach; who did this and why?

20. The runes that kept naagloshii out can also keep creatures like that inside! We know that the original Merlin created the island as a prison (building it once, at five different times, all at the same time), but when and how did he put all those creatures in there?

21. Merlin was the first warden, but now there are many? Does that mean right now there are more than one or that there has been more than one throughout the existence of the Well?

22. Does it matter who is going to attack the island or just the fact that someone is attacking it is what’s important? Who do you think it is and why? It’s not going to release the creatures; the attack is going to trigger the fail-safe, and then everything goes BOOM! So, what's the point?

23. If the attack is coming from the future, does this mean Harry has to do some time traveling? Or just get to the person before they can get to that future point?

24. Love this quote from Bob: “I respect the crap out of you!” LOL! I thought he handled Demonreach nicely. You?

25. Molly can do something about the parasite in Harry’s head? (As if the White Council knowing about Harry being a warden of Demonreach wasn’t enough of a headache.) Whoa. Harry’s been good about not putting things off, but I can’t help thinking he needs to do something about this sooner rather than later. (hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Lisa Kay’s Discussion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 18-25

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26. Ack! Redcap and buddies on Jet Skis; for once Harry’s affect on technology pays off. LOL! But, Molly sleeping before Harry got to the Water Beetle and then again afterwards. Anything we need to worry about there?

27. BOOK QUOTE:

He snorted. “You mean, would I like to follow you around, wondering what the hell is going on because you won’t tell me everything, then get in a fight with something that is going to leave me in intensive care?”

“Uh-hun,” I said, nodding, “pretty much.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Okay.”

LOL! Love Thomas and Harry together.

28. Uh oh. Scary Lara Raith has been rejected by another man: Baron John Marcone. This has to have pissed her off. Still, she’s joined forces with him at the Brighter Future Society (AKA the Chicago Alliance) – against the Fomor (an ancient race of water-dwelling creatures). [Just getting my facts straight; seems like I need to read some of the short stories in-between the regular novels in this series.] Anyway, Lara wants into politics – and “total control.” That can’t be good, either. I think Harry needs to move her up his “To Do” list.

29. Fix, the Summer Knight and Harry’s counterpart, has given Harry a deadline to get out of town: High Noon. (BTW, I had to look up Von Clausewitz; his magnum opus was On War.) I can’t say I blame Fix for no longer trusting Harry, despite Harry’s reassurances. What about Molly overhearing Harry & Thomas conversation? Does Harry have a choice? Comments.

30. Man-oh-man! Harry’s instructions to Cat Sith have to be very, very specific. What do you think? By swiping the doorman, was he playing ‘cat and mouse’ with Harry, or being the ‘perfect gentleman’?

31. Could you guess from the “Doughnut Man” reference who Harry was meeting at Mac’s? What did you think of Harry’s conversation with Donar Vadderung (AKA Odin, the Allfather)? And his last cryptic comment? Does it make sense that Harry has to be the one to do it, since it is Harry’s island?

32. While I did enjoy Thomas clarifying to Molly that he wasn’t Harry’s ‘flunky’ but his ‘thug,’ what about that interesting observation of Thomas’ about Harry looking at Molly like she is ‘prey’? What of Harry’s feelings of possessiveness, lust, territoriality that all go with the mantel of the Winter Knight? Will he be able to control these? Thoughts.

33. Sharkface (AKA “Spanky”) calls to Harry while he’s on Accorded Neutral Ground. That in itself seems suspicious. And all that mist? (Plus – ugh – no eyes!) What did you thing of the psychic assault and what was with Harry’s fist turning to ice?

34. Okay, so here’s what we know:

a) Sharkface is an Outsider.
b) There are more of these super-mega-überaliens (at least three).
c) Harry is clueless as to their motivation for plans of a jailbreak at the Well.
d) It knew Mac?

Any theories on all these?

35. Harry meets with Lily, the Summer Lady, at the Botanic Gardens of Chicago and he once more starts challenging Lloyd Slate-like urges; he suppresses them, but Lily still notices. Here I’ll admit I’m really confused; why didn’t Lily detect the parasite in Harry’s brain? Is Harry’s different? Not a poison – a ‘spiritual malady’ or ‘mental plague’ – like what affected Victor Sells (Storm Front), Agent Denton (Fool Moon), and Leonid Kravos (Grave Peril)?

Botanic Gardens of Chicago


Botanic Gardens of Chicago - Japanese Bridge

36. Maeve shows up?! MAEVE shows up?! Yes, I’m incredulous. I don’t trust her AT ALL. Together she and Lily say that Mab is infected by this ‘contagion’ – remember, supposedly they can’t lie – and that Mab is set on destroying the mortal world! In addition, it all involves Harry’s island. Plus, Mab has spread this contagion to Lea, Harry’s godmother, during her imprisonment in Arctis Tor. Hmmm… What do you think?

37. Then Ace shows up and clubs Harry. What a place to stop. (hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

ShoSho and Lisa Kay’s Discussion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 26-33

(view spoiler)[

38. Yay! Murphy showed up to save Harry. No question here, just a, “Hurrah!” ☺

39. Ace is Redcap’s changeling son! Not a lot of fatherly love going there. Can Harry use this to his advantage later on?

40. Cat Sith taking out the Redcap’s lickspittles one by one was a bit spooky.

41. Butters has a theory about pain and the Winter Knight’s mantel: Harry is still paralyzed from the waist down, he just can’t feel it! And later, when he denies Winter Law, Harry suspects this is true. Eep! Just when we thought Harry was alright. What does this mean for him, if he ever gets out from under the Winter Knight’s mantel?

42. Will Harry’s blood that was left behind come into play later?

43. Murphy is struggling, she is not coping well; she wanted Harry to return Bob to Butters. That talk between them, and what happened when Harry got angry about her not divulging where the Swords of the Cross will be kept, was intense. What did you think when Murphy said, “I work with a lot of monsters these days”? Very interesting, right?

44. Someone has to call in the Outsider; someone is going to blow up the island; Mab is protecting the borders from Outsiders; Sharkeface is one of the three Outsiders that had been called into this world; the Black Council is possibly just another pawn. Lara Raith and Murphy’s Viking squad are back-ups to Harry’s plan to find the ritual site and wreck it. Comments on any of these.

45. Boat rentals have gone up in the last day; are people are going to the island? I searched the Internet for Curse of the Billy Goat & the Chicago Cubs. A very interesting story, but did you understand Harry’s reply to it? (view spoiler)[This is explained in Curses, a short story in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is set between Small Favor and Turn Coat. It can currently be found in Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy (Riverside Series) and will also be featured in an upcoming anthology tentatively entitled More Jobs, by JB. Anyway, here Harry is saying that – like Oswald in the killing of JFK – the Tylwyth King Gwynn ap Nudd acted alone in cursing the Chicago Cubs; i.e. there was no conspiracy. (hide spoiler)]

46. What happened to Harry when he defied Winter Law was very scary! However, what with all the training he’s gone through, why doesn’t he know the Law? Or is this part of Mab’s evil plan?

47. Toot-toot’s saying, “Wow!” over Lacuna (who is working for Ace); clearly he’s smitten. We’ve got a potential for a miniaturized Romeo & Juliet; will this crush end as tragically? Or will it just be a case of unrequited love? Lucuna doesn’t like pizza or candy? Celery? Is she on a diet?

48. Harry summoned Tatiana for help and meets her at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. (See gorgeous pics below.) I didn’t understand Tatiana’s explaining her grief over Aurora’s death; aren’t the Ladies’ and Queens’ mantles transferable? Why was she questioning Harry about his views on the gay lifestyle? It made me wonder if she is a ‘queen in drag,’ and also making me doubt ‘she’ and Aurora are really mother and daughter. Luckily for Harry, Eldest Gruff, Tatiana’s champion, has been giving her some grief counseling. Thoughts on any of these things.

49. Nemisis: who or what is it? What did Tatiana mean by it being “aware”? Despite her warning not to say its name, you just knew Harry was going to, right?

50. Mother Winter’s summoning didn’t go well; the names he called her with – Athropos and Skuld – are goddesses in mythology (one of the three Fates, the ones who cut the thread; meaning one of the three Moirai who controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal from birth to death). Thank goodness for Harry’s freewill & soulfire: what a combo. Did anything else stand out to you in this encounter?

51. Mother Summer was nicer than Mother Winter, but Harry was still in a precarious situation. What did you make of the reverence with which Mother Summer handled the cracked clay pot? What about the stuff written on the other pots? Wormwood (is that Harry’s parasite? or Mab’s contagion?), which is also called Apsinthos in the Book of Revelation, a star that falls upon Earth and poisons a third part of the waters?

52. If Harry doesn’t kill Maeve, he’ll end up like Slate, with Mab around. If he does kill Mab, he’ll end up Maeve’s plaything, without Mab around! Not good either way. If he kills Maeve, the adversary will chose an infected person to be the new Winter Lady! Yikes! Comments.

53. BOOK QUOTES: “Winter is cold, Sir Knight, but never so cold that it freezes the heart altogether.” Well, at least Harry still has a chance to stay himself as the Winter Knight. Even if, “All Knights, Winter and Summer, have that chance. Most fail.”

54. And what’s with all the speaking in riddles? Did you get them all? Did any stand out?

55. Whoa. What did you think of the borders of Faerie?

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary - "The Magic Hedge"
View of Chicago skyline from sanctuary.



American Goldfinch


Ruby-Crowned Kinglet


Peregrine Falcon


Many more beautiful pics of birds from this sanctuary found here and here.




Greek mythology, the three Moirai.
{This pic is of the grave of Alexander von der Mark, by Johann Gottfried Schadow. Old National Gallery, Berlin.)


Ατρόπου / Atropos

(hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Lisa Kay and ShoSho’s Discussion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 34-43

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56. Rashid, AKA the Gatekeeper, is the keeper of Outer Gates and the White Council doesn’t know about it. Why doesn’t he tell them? His eye (made of the same crystal as the gates and the wall) gets disguised in the presence of other people. Is this because someone could guess its ability?

57. Why couldn’t Harry take a piece of the wall to look through and detect the parasite in other’s people head?

58. Is it possible that Rashid has been the island Warden before? He told Harry that he knew precisely what he was going through. Or was he just referring to his role at the Outer Gates?

59. What are the significances in the things Rashid told Harry?:

• “And there were several of us who were friends of Ebenezar who… took it upon ourselves to watch over her.” (Harry’s mother, Margaret LeFey.)
• “…to say nothing of the problems you’ve created for yourself that you haven’t found out about yet.”
• “Would you be offended if I called you Harry?” (That was a weird question, right?)
• “You get used to it.” - To what? This is a pep talk?
• “What we need is you. You have what you have for a reason.”
• “Unwitting or not, virtually your every action in the past few years has resulted in a series of well-placed thumbs in the adversary’s eye.”
• “Go back to Chicago,” he said, turning away, “and keep being yourself.”
• He’ll help Harry with “paperwork”?!

60. Redcap has beaten Sarissa and made her his messenger; do you feel any differently about her now? Her message: Redcap has also taken Butters, Andi, Justine and Mac. Why them? And why doesn’t Cat Sith come when called. Interesting.

61. Harry’s having more of those violent and sexual urges associated with the Winter Knight mantel and Molly is picking up on the “pressure.” Is he getting better at identifying they’re NOT his and controlling them? She mentions giving things “freely” to him. Man-oh-man! She has it bad. What did you think of his response to her towards the end of Chapter 36?

62. Yay! Mouse and Harry reunite. And a little levity. I, for one, needed it.

63. They get to the warehouse and Harry mentions a previous job [from the short story “Backup” (Side Jobs)] that left Harry with more than a few questions. Why is this mentioned? To promote the sale of the book, or because it has significance?

64. Whoa. Were you as impressed as Harry with the shapeshifting falcon-Sidhe?

65. Okay, Harry knows it’s a trap, but goes anyway to save his friends; Redcap shoots him with a dart that causes him to continuously bleed. Harry losing blood like that can’t be good. What do you think? Is it just for tracking him?

66. Whoa again. Harry creates a mini-iceberg to save them all from drowning after the warehouse explodes. He has some serious power. Comments.

67. A nice summation on why Redcap hates Harry. Boats, boats, and more boats! Well, these would make sense. Right?

68. Thomas says he’s not letting Justine out of his sight. I can’t say as I blame him. He tells Harry that life’s too short. Again, I agree. You?

69. Harry addresses both Sarissa and Mac and tells them that he doesn’t trust them; therefore, he’s going to take them with him. Good idea, or bad?

70. Murphy (who arrives on her Harley!) confronts Harry about not seeing Maggie. This triggers what the Mothers were trying to tell him; that Mab, like him, couldn’t see her daughter in pain. Think he’s got it?

Pic by Autumn Flame

71. I’m glad Harry got a longcoat again; that was sweet of Molly. Do you think she gave it any special powers that Harry doesn’t know about, yet? And Murphy decides all this is not the Swords’ fight, considering what happened to Michael last time. Do you agree with her?

72. The Wild Hunt! On Halloween night Harry put a bullet into the Erlking! Kringle is unhorsed! BOOK QUOTE: “Join, hide, or die.” Harry is in charge?! Well, I hadn’t seen that coming. Did you? The moon is azure blue, too; but, despite Harry’s theories, I have no idea who’s bending time. Do you?

73. There was an all-out amphibious assault at Demonreach to greet Harry, along with Sharkface. Karrin gives Harry a Star Wars kiss for luck before they split up. Comments?

74. Harry survives the psychic whammy from Sharkface and discovers his name: “Walker, He-Who-Walks-Before.” We’ve met his kin. How much you want to bet the third one is named: “Walker, He-Who-Walks-Besides”? Still, that mental landscape – where Mab was torturing Harry – was a little too much for me. (I wonder what Murphy experienced?) Did anything stand out to you?

75. Murphy was pretty slick using that grenade to take out the tug, but then Cat Sith appears. Or is that really him?

Examples of warehouses that hang out over Lake Michigan in Chicago.


Site of Chicago’s old steel mills.

(hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Gisela, ShoSho, & Lisa Kay’s Discussion Questions for Cold Days: Chapters 44-53

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76. Do you think Cat Sith will be able to fight the “infection”?

77. Who summoned the Outsiders?

78. What do you think of Sharkface’s comment that Harry has always been a puppet? Also the fact that he wants Harry to stand aside?

79. Harry ends up naked again! Just like the early books. LOL! He’s right: It is a good thing that Mab trained him to fight naked. Still, do you know why dressing on Harry’s leg stayed and didn't vanish with the rest of his clothing?

80. Harry handed Fix, the Summer Knight, a powerful weapon. Do you think he can be trusted with the knowledge of the existence of Harry’s daughter?

81. What did you think of how Harry changed once he let Winter in? A full on predator with ice claws! Yikes!

82. Speaking of predator – do you remember the movie by the same name, The Predator? When Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character, Dutch, applies mud to fool the Predator hunting him? JB does like his movie references. LOL!

83. Now that we know Sarrisa is Mab’s daughter (and Maeve’s twin), could Redcap have killed her – without any consequences – at Harry’s birthday party?

84. Murphy killed Maeve – not Harry. Is this going to cause her problems? Will Fix hold a grudge? Or is it going cause Harry problems because he didn’t do as Mab ordered?

85. Were you as shocked as I was when Maeve killed Lily, the Summer Lady? Or did you see it coming?

86. Whoa. What does Molly’s new role mean for her? How will her parents react to the news? More important: Is Molly going to be another Maeve in a few years? Earlier in the book, Molly called Lea “Auntie.” (That didn't sound good to me.)

Picture taken from http://dresdenfiles.wikia.com/wiki/Mo...

87. What did you think of Mab and Harry’s discussion about power, influence, Harry’s mentoring of Molly? Well, Mab is right about one thing: Molly out of the reach of the White Council, right? Or were they much of a threat to her anymore?

88. An important thing the adversary, AKA Nemesis, seems to allow is for the fae to be able to lie. Lily wasn’t really detecting the contagion, and Mab says even the Gatekeeper’s methods for detection aren’t 100%. This can’t be good. Also, one theory is this mind infection could be controlling the members of the Black Council. Thoughts?

89. We now have the answer as to why Grimalkin spoke for Mab in Small Favor; she was grief-stricken over Maeve. We know that a lot happened way back at Bianca’s Masquerade Ball. Morgana’s Athame was given – or traded – to Lea; it was tainted. (Morgana, as in Morgan le Fay.) No wonder people reread these books. Comments.

90. Do you think Mab truly respects Harry now, or is that only because Demonreach is over his shoulder?

91. As she walks away, Mab reminds Harry she was once mortal, too. What is your guess? Was she a changeling like Sarissa, or a mortal wizard like Molly?

92. BOOK QUOTE: “Many, many mantles are worn—or discarded—on Halloween, wizard.” Comments? What about the meaning of that additional cryptic comment made by Kringle about masks and mantles, inferring no difference between them? Is this a flicker of hope that Harry and Molly may cast aside theirs mantles?

93. Just a comment about what happened in the book: I think that, despite the insult Harry dealt the Erlking in Dead Beat, the Erlking Likes Harry. And Kringle likes him, too. (BTW: Kringle and Erlking are anagrams!) He tells Harry that his dart wound contained Hawthorn wood, which grows hot and “doesn't care for creatures of Winter.” But what about Harry seeing Vadderung’s “wolfish features” lurking inside Kringle? Here is what ShoSho found on the Internet about Odin and Santa:

During the Christianization of Germanic Europe, this figure may have absorbed elements of the god Odin, who was associated with the Germanic pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky. Over time, traits of this character and the British folklore character Father Christmas merged to form the modern Santa Claus known today.

94. What did Mac mean by, “I’m out”? And his wound regenerating? Is he an Outsider who made his home on Earth? If so, is it possible there are other Outsiders living on Earth – in hiding?

95. Should Karrin and Harry either “get it on” – or just forget about it!? Is it getting boring, frustrating, or are you enjoying it? Do you think JB is “preparing” the way for Harry and Molly to be together, now that she’s the Winter Lady?

96. Apparently the parasite in Harry’s head is NOT the Nemesis, which is a relief. Still, what the hell is it? Could it be Lasciel? Hopefully, Harry will get it out in the next installment.

97. ShoSho’s Theories: Mother Summer and Mother Winter are really Tatiana and Mab’s mothers; Aurora and Maeve (& Sarissa), their granddaughters. Tatiana calls Mab her sister. Could they have the same father? Or is it possible that the Mothers are the same entity just with different masks?

98. A few more Questions from ShoSho: Who are Aurora and Maeve and Sarissa’s fathers? Did/does Sarissa really have another older sister; if so, does she really have that sickness? Or was she referring to Maeve there at the beginning of the book?

99. A Question from Gisela: The revelation of the war Mab is fighting on the Outer Walls opens up a new story arc. What do you think will happen next?

“Team Dresden” tee shirt available here.

(hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Just give me a minute to post the DQs and add the links.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Done posting. You all just need to decide on a date.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

What day is good for you, Ash?

[Ashley Marie]

I got totally swamped with work (I started a new job the week of graduation, and definitely had a trial by fire!), and am a little overwhelmed at the thought of answering book questions this week. I've been reading, and will keep an eye out to see if anyone else jumps in to participate!

[Lisa Kay]

Sounds busy, busy, busy, Ash.