Which absent villian will appear in Peace Talks?

[KurtinStGeorge]

The thing about Cowl that I find underwhelming is we haven't seen Harry particularly interested in Cowl's actual identity and it's never been suggested that Cowl could be someone Harry knows.  My guess is Cowl is Simon Pietrovich. 

   

[LordDresden2]

Jim has occasionally given out information that turned out to be false or premature. 

Even the author doesn't always know for sure what's coming up later.  Details change, the story works better if you change 'x', or 'y' sounded good when you first think of it but turned out to be a turkey when it's on the page, etc.  Or the author expects A but when he thinks through the implications of what has gone before, he realizes that A no longer makes sense, and swtiches to C.

Also, I rate the 'canonicity' of a writer's comments based on the circumstances.  For ex, everything else being equal, I would rate a comment from JB on the board here as more 'likely' to bear out over time than a verbal statement in answer to a question at a gathering.  Why?  Because when you type a post you think about it more as you write, while a verbal comment may be more likely to be 'off the cuff', and JB (or anyone else) might think half an hour later: "Hey, I just realized I said something back there that implies 'x' and 'x' isn't so."

Right after Cold Days came out I read an interview Jim did; which unfortunately I can longer find, in which he described a rather funny conversation Harry would have with Michael; which Michael wouldn't find funny, about Molly being the Winter Lady.  Harry would tell Michael that he would have to cut Molly some slack when he saw Molly wearing a very tight fitting and suggestive outfit because she was now the Queen of slutty faeries. Apparently Molly would be dressing to fit the image.  This would strain Harry and Michael's relationship and we could look forward to learning more about this complication in the next book. 

I could live without that happening, honestly.

[LordDresden2]

They're enemies...but also frenemies, sorta.  I think Harry wants to hate her, but can't quite, she'd like to corrupt him, but is glad when he refuses.  It's a mess.

Sounds like the beginning of a totally dysfunctional romance.

Yeah, it does, doesn't it?  For what it's worth, I think Harry and Lara are attracted to each other simply as man and woman, which of course they are.  The trouble, of course, is that they aren't just that.  Harry is a Wizard of the White Council, a Warden, THE Warden, and a hero in spite of himself.  Lara is a monster who eats people, as well as being a calculating political killer and a ruthless manipulator and seriously twisted, even allowing for being a White Vampire.

They're natural enemies...but alike enough to be attracted.  They're both born snarkers, they both are way above average intelligence, both are 'damaged' in ways that overlap.  It would be hard for the human Lara and the human Harry not to be attracted.  But they're still enemies, too.

[LordDresden2]

Harry and Lara are mutually blackmailing each other into a peaceful stalemate.  Pretty sure that both see the other as potentially useful, but extremely dangerous.

Absolutely.  Though I suspect the stalemate may be ending.  More and more people know that Lara is the real White Queen.  Either Lord Raith is going to break her control and become dangerous on his own again at some point, or the pretense will cease to be useful for Lara.  What happens then depends on what happens then.

[wardenferry419]

Lara knows that Harry is no longer love-protected and can be whammied. That could make their next encounter very interesting.

[Snark Knight]

Lara knows that Harry is no longer love-protected and can be whammied. That could make their next encounter very interesting.

Have you read Jury Duty?

(click to show/hide)

The Knight's mantle has got that covered. Which, really, it sort of had to - he'd be a pretty poor champion for Winter if any other species that manipulates lust could hijack the mantle's impulses to distract him or eat him.

Also, it's possible Harry and Karrin might already be well on the way to serious enough in their feelings for each other to protect against White Court interference anyway. They've covered willingness to sacrifice themselves for the other dozens of times over, and the romantic angle has been building for a while.

[wardenferry419]

It has been awhile since I read Jury Duty. I expect Lara to be stronger than standard WCV and she has more intimate knowledge of Harry's mind. But, you may be right on mantle and Murphy coverage.

[Rasins]

Oh, I hope the Harry / Karrin thing doesn't protect Harry.  Not because I don't want them both to be happy but because it's been kind of stressed in the books that True Love is extremely rare, and Harry has already experienced it.  Further, I think Karrin isn't really capable of it any more.  She can love Harry, but for it to be THAT form, I don't think it'll happen. 

[wardenferry419]

Maybe it is just my jaded side but I would say that true love happens more readily with the young. Experience tends to complicate simplicity.

[Rasins]

Maybe it is just my jaded side but I would say that true love happens more readily with the young. Experience tends to complicate simplicity.

Agreed.

I know it's a dumb thing to say, but I watched the show "Sabrina" for several episodes, and one of them had "True Love" as the only cure. 

Of course it was between two 16 year olds, and one of the aunt/witches said, "It's always true love at that age."

[LordDresden2]

Oh, I hope the Harry / Karrin thing doesn't protect Harry.  Not because I don't want them both to be happy but because it's been kind of stressed in the books that True Love is extremely rare, and Harry has already experienced it.  Further, I think Karrin isn't really capable of it any more.  She can love Harry, but for it to be THAT form, I don't think it'll happen.

True Love isn't all that rare.  Many people experience it more than once in their lives.

What the books stress is that 'romantic love', the fantasy peddled by Hollywood, romance novels, the advertising industry, etc. is not the real thing (which is true).  Many married couples come to genuinely love each other, but this happens after they marry at least as often as before, as the real thing grows and replaces infatuation.

I don't doubt that Harry and Karrin could protect each other...or could have at one time.  Like you, I'm not so sure they still could.

[LordDresden2]

Maybe it is just my jaded side but I would say that true love happens more readily with the young. Experience tends to complicate simplicity.

Actually, I would say the opposite.

The real thing requires some knowledge of who the other person really is.  Some experience of that person.  I would say you'll find the real thing far more often among old married couples who have been together for 30 years than 22 year old newlyweds who can't keep their hands off each other.

What young people 'feel' is usually not the real thing.  The real thing is not even exactly a feeling.  It's rarely passionate, though it can be.  It's more about what you give than what you get.  It can require that you give up the other person just readily as it can keep you together.  Often it's something that is as much about treasuring the other person's flaws as their virtues.

It's got nothing at all to do with what Madison Avenue peddles.

[LordDresden2]

Agreed.

I know it's a dumb thing to say, but I watched the show "Sabrina" for several episodes, and one of them had "True Love" as the only cure. 

Of course it was between two 16 year olds, and one of the aunt/witches said, "It's always true love at that age."

And that's exactly where the show got it wrong.

What 16 year olds feel is very rarely genuine Love.  It's more often self-focused, all about feelings and emotions and no little bit of physical lust.  All of which can certainly coexist with the Love, but are not really of it.  At least as often as not, what 16 year olds feel is for a fantasy of who the other person is rather than the reality.

Exceptions exist.  I'm pretty sure Harry genuinely Loved Elaine when they were teens (can't be as sure about her, we don't know her POV on the matter).  He was ready to fight Justin for her, after all, which is the next thing to suicide for a 16 year old apprentice Wizard.

Molly thought she was in Love with Harry as a teen, but she was not.  She might really be, now.

[Rasins]

And that's exactly where the show got it wrong.

What 16 year olds feel is very rarely genuine Love.  It's more often self-focused, all about feelings and emotions and no little bit of physical lust.  All of which can certainly coexist with the Love, but are not really of it.  At least as often as not, what 16 year olds feel is for a fantasy of who the other person is rather than the reality.

Exceptions exist.  I'm pretty sure Harry genuinely Loved Elaine when they were teens (can't be as sure about her, we don't know her POV on the matter).  He was ready to fight Justin for her, after all, which is the next thing to suicide for a 16 year old apprentice Wizard.

Molly thought she was in Love with Harry as a teen, but she was not.  She might really be, now.

I really do understand what you are saying.

That being said, I believe that the 16-year old love IS true.  It may not be mature, but it is true.  Yes it is at times wrapped up with a bit of hormones and selfishness, but it's also very strongly felt and THEY think it's true.

A lot of magic is dependent upon belief.  No real reason this couldn't work based on belief as well.

[Snark Knight]

Oh, I hope the Harry / Karrin thing doesn't protect Harry.  Not because I don't want them both to be happy but because it's been kind of stressed in the books that True Love is extremely rare, and Harry has already experienced it.  Further, I think Karrin isn't really capable of it any more.  She can love Harry, but for it to be THAT form, I don't think it'll happen.

Nicodemus pushed her buttons pretty effectively by threatening Harry.