I didn't want to put this into the Trailer thread, but it complements (and supplements, adding clarification) nicely. For that matter, it complements Chapter One as well.
Last warning. Here there be spoilers!
I was actually surprised to see this different “preview” on the Library Journal review.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?reviewDetail=peace-talksHarry Dresden is not a popular wizard in the eyes of the White Council, but he has been tasked with providing security to the senior council members as they join several other coalitions to discuss peace with the signers of the Unseelie Accord. As the Winter Knight, Harry must also liaison for Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness, which has placed him further in the crosshairs of the council, his grandfather, Ebenezar McCoy, comes to warn him. As the allies he was living with face an assassin who’s well-known to him, Harry must find a way to keep the talks going while he tries to discover the truth behind the attack, satisfy the players he serves, including the vampire Lara Raith, and make sure that his loved ones survive. Harry has protected his hometown of Chicago from the paranormal for years, but this summit may end up revealing far more than the powers at hand.
VERDICT With many familiar faces returning and lots of magical action, this latest from Butcher (Princep’s Fury) will have fans rejoicing at the return of Chicago’s only professional wizard.
A. Okay, so first, it seems apparent that Thomas wasn’t attacking someone at the peace talks--Marcone's people or otherwise. He was (apparently)
attempting to “assassinate” someone at a svartalf facility--god forbid that Jim Butcher use misdirection. Anyway, that’s why a svartalf we hadn’t seen named before is involved.
B. I’m wondering if whatever Thomas’s action is connected to the “solution” that he told Harry he had in mind. I’m not completely sure of all that the two of them were referring to, but one unspoken issue was that if the baby was feeding off of Justine, then Thomas wouldn’t be able to. Thus his Hunger.
I’d almost expect Thomas to think that if he could work his way out of being caught spying on the svartalves by having sex with their women, that perhaps he could make some arrangement of some type with them—with sex as a payment. Only…I’m not sure what he’d be looking for.
Aside from a chance to feed, of course. But if a White Court vampire could feed off of a scion the River People without him noticing, why not a svartalf as well?
C. Of course, we don’t even know for sure that Thomas “assassinated” a svartalf. Or even attempted to. Just that it appears that he was attempting to attack someone who lived on their premises. Molly may not be the only non-svartalf who lives in one of their buildings.
Although, come to think of it, they did tuck Molly away in the basement, didn’t they?
D. If this review is to believed, Harry is living in a Svartalf apartment—Priscilla did mention that one scene was of “Harry’s apartment”.—presumably the one where he is watching Maggie sleep. Interesting, since I’ve been thinking that Molly’s apartment was a good transitional place for him to stay, but he did need to get his own place. After all, in Chapter One he says that he’s a full time Dad now—apparently since school was out—which means that Maggie is living with him.
Molly’s apartment didn’t seem to be set up for three that. Of course, Molly had Arctis Minor now, so perhaps he’s leasing it from her? Since the building seems to afford the protection and security he needs—no zombie invaders or firebombing here—I wouldn’t be surprised if he got his own place there, or in one of the svartalves’ other properties.
I’m afraid that the wording of some of the rest of the preview is convoluted enough that I couldn’t make much sense of it.
