Peace Talks snippet on Entertainment Weekly

[RobReece]

my Google page had a link to an Entertainment Weekly article on Harry Dresden.  There was a bit of an interview with Jim and snippet ofPeace Talks
https://ew.com/books/2020/01/16/jim-butcher-peace-talks-preview/amp/

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Outsiders and Ebeneezer

[Con]

LOVED IT!!!

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Ebenezar the Blackstaff is afraid of something

[MoroccoMole]

WOOT!!!!

[Dina]

As I said in other place

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I am pretty sure Eb is going to die in this book but it would be great if Jim subverted the expectations and let him live.

I am happy with that and I am wondering if perhaps the PT would finish well after all,

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with most forces gathering together for facing the outsiders.

Also, I think Harry is missing something.

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Eb is scared but not for himself but because he is with Harry. Harry can be a powerful wizard and the Winter Knight, but he is still his grandson.

[Yuillegan]

I agree Dina.

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Eb will probably die. Will it be this book? There is certainly a strong chance of it. It feels like that scene is foreshadowing that a lot. However. It may just be Jim is messing with us right now and trying to get out to think that, as this specific excerpt was chosen. Perhaps the salient question is whether this is the right time in the narrative? Does it serve to shock the readers? Is it the right time for Harry to get a power up? Is this the time for further character development? We do know that there is lots of death in Peace Talks and it is going to be the most violent book to date...

I personally think the opposite and that everything will be more shaken up, not less. More division between the groups, not more unity. However, I do think there will be SOME groups and individuals who become more involved in the fight and become closer. But not the majority at all.

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And while that is a reasonable answer to why Eb is afraid, see my other thread for why I think he is afraid. To me there are far stronger reasons for that. Also, Eb has faced many terrible threats in his life - I think he has pretty strong nerves overall.

[Dina]

About your last spoiler, precisely for that I think

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his fear is not for himself but for Harry.

[Snark Knight]

Also, I think Harry is missing something.

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Eb is scared but not for himself but because he is with Harry. Harry can be a powerful wizard and the Winter Knight, but he is still his grandson.

It would make so much better a scene if Harry thinks Eb is scared of fighting magic-resistant monsters, but Eb is actually scared of the rest of the Council delegation noticing Harry can kill Outsider foot soldiers that a young wizard shouldn't have any chance against. Langtry / Mai / Cristos learning about the Starborn secret would probably have long-term Consequences.

[Mira]

As I said in other place

(click to show/hide)

I am pretty sure Eb is going to die in this book but it would be great if Jim subverted the expectations and let him live.

I am happy with that and I am wondering if perhaps the PT would finish well after all,

(click to show/hide)

with most forces gathering together for facing the outsiders.

Also, I think Harry is missing something.

(click to show/hide)

Eb is scared but not for himself but because he is with Harry. Harry can be a powerful wizard and the Winter Knight, but he is still his grandson.

Yes

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It is touching how Eb put himself between Harry and the monster.  Here though Harry simply refers to him as the "old man" not grandfather.

[Dina]

It would make so much better a scene if Harry thinks Eb is scared of fighting magic-resistant monsters, but Eb is actually scared of the rest of the Council delegation noticing Harry can kill Outsider foot soldiers that a young wizard shouldn't have any chance against. Langtry / Mai / Cristos learning about the Starborn secret would probably have long-term Consequences.

Interesting. And I am wondering how much Eb himself knows about the starborn thing.

[Arjan]

Interesting. And I am wondering how much Eb himself knows about the starborn thing.

Harry never told him as far as we know.

[Dina]

No, but he may know anyway. I am sure he did some research about how Harry fought an outsider before.

[Arjan]

No, but he may know anyway. I am sure he did some research about how Harry fought an outsider before.

He might not even know about that. Wizards and keeping secrets:

"Come on. I'm a wizard. We have union rules against telling anybody anything,"

[Mira]

No, but he may know anyway. I am sure he did some research about how Harry fought an outsider before.

It is plausible that Eb doesn't know, but improbable.. He does love his grandson though..

[Snark Knight]

I just assumed "breed a Starborn weapon" was the shady plot Maggie was working with the vampires and tried to pitch to Eb, that Ariana saw him arguing with her about and the 'what he was meant to be' that Martha Liberty and Ebenezar were talking over Harry's head about.

[Arjan]

I just assumed "breed a Starborn weapon" was the shady plot Maggie was working with the vampires and tried to pitch to Eb, that Ariana saw him arguing with her about and the 'what he was meant to be' that Martha Liberty and Ebenezar were talking over Harry's head about.

Probably.

But I do not think Harry told anyone in the council anything about it so Ebenezar might know more about Margaret’s purpose with Harry than Harry himself but Harry probably kept his experience with outsiders to himself.

Wizards are extremely secretive and Harry has good reasons to keep these things for himself.