[BG spoilers] A defense and requiem for my favorite character . . .

[kat7]

Please pardon my rather disconnected thoughts--I figured this is the best place to let them out, even though I'll surely be repeating others . . .

AUUUUUUUGH!
So, yeah. I may be an outlier, but Karrin Murphy is actually the character I pretend to *be* when I read the books. So this one hurt!! And I've been mulling pretty strongly as follows . . .

A DEFENSE
Murphy definitely belonged in the fight. This was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Murphy sheltering at Mac's while civilian conscripts learned to shoot on the job was never going to happen. And--stating the obvious--she saved Harry twice, so by extension she saved (what remains of) Chicago. Murphy has a LONG TRACK RECORD of saving Harry, and by extension Chicago. You do not bench that person in an apocalypse! C'mon Harry.

SOME IRONY
Harry worried that Murphy would be a liability, why? Bad leg, bad shoulder. But all she ultimately needed in the way of help was something Harry can usually do in his sleep--a shield. And why couldn't he cast a shield? Bad shoulder! So who's the liability . . . ?

ON TROPES
Sure, the love interest always dies--but I was disappointed to see it play out so quickly, here. I thought their unfolding dynamic was SUPER interesting. On the other hand, I always suspected that losing Murphy would be the thing that flips Harry "dark"--and yes, he freaked out, but no, (with an assist) he didn't flip. That was a refreshing anti-trope. Of course Rudolph's still out there . . .

A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE?
On my first read, Murphy's death and Harry's response, as well as the memorial service, felt REALLY . . . rushed? Unexplored? I understand Harry couldn't stop to process, but we can hear his whole internal monologue, and thoughts of Murphy seemed to fade away almost insultingly soon after she herself did. Especially when Harry said, "it would hurt, but I would heal"--I get the stoicism, but that just felt SO abrupt and rather out of character? I'm quite worried about the "chilling effect" of Winter on Harry . . .

THAT SAID, rereading key scenes, I caught a couple lines like "and then I went blind for about a minute." Harry also zones out while talking to Molly, and reports that the memorial is a blur in his memory. He may actually be blacking out--PTSD or similar. It's a taut way to write about grief. Still, I wouldn't have minded more spilled ink. We've met Murphy's family . . . know her backstory . . . been to her house . . . read a short story from her POV! I need to mourn!!

SOME FUZZY FEMINISM
So . . . Lara and Molly. Now, Harry in a forced-marriage predicament is a surprising and weirdly interesting choice. Usually that's more the realm of damsels than tough-guy heavy-hitters. But, after teasing Harry and Murphy for 15 books--and then finally delivering a relationship between those two--who respect, understand, exasperate, challenge, and improve each other--the quick pivot to the marriage plotline stung a LOT.

Because: Lara (the gorgeous sexpot vampire) and Molly (the kink-positive well-endowed recent teenager) both chasing/drooling over Harry is such . . . a teen boy's wet dream. And to pivot from a really well-developed relationship with regular-woman Murphy to Lara-versus-Molly . . . with some early indication it will be played FOR LAUGHS . . . just felt like salt in a stab wound in the back. (And I actually like Lara, overall! Just--timing, augh!)

ALL THAT TO SAY
I had a lot of complicated feelings about this one--and that's probably exactly what Jim was going for. Plus I hope (I'm sure?) we'll get more of Karrin in future books, even if flashbacks only. (Strangely, I'm not rooting for any of the "easy" fixes--but I'd love a well-laid twist and I know an author who excels at those . . .)

Also, I don't mean to sound complain-y . . . a quibble with my favorite books is like an argument with my best friend. That I care this much--says something!

[Bad Alias]

A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE?
On my first read, Murphy's death and Harry's response, as well as the memorial service, felt REALLY . . . rushed? Unexplored? I understand Harry couldn't stop to process, but we can hear his whole internal monologue, and thoughts of Murphy seemed to fade away almost insultingly soon after she herself did. Especially when Harry said, "it would hurt, but I would heal"--I get the stoicism, but that just felt SO abrupt and rather out of character? I'm quite worried about the "chilling effect" of Winter on Harry . . .

... We've met Murphy's family!

Have you heard that Jim's now planning for the next book Twelve Months to be about Harry dealing with his trauma?

I'm reading BR right now. Murphy's family dynamic is a little melancholy knowing what happens in BG.

I don't think the arranged marriage think will be played for laughs anymore than anything else is. While Lara and Molly fighting over Harry might be a teenager's fantasy, it's a nightmare for Harry. That's because teenagers are both ignorant and stupid. A continued physical relationship with either, at the moment, will lead to death.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Winter is dealing with physical pain, Harry is spending Twelve Months unpacking emotional pain, the loss of his father and being shunted into the system, Justin and Elaine, Susan, Lash, Murphy, his warden friends, what is happening to, Molly, Thomas and Eb

Christmas Eve was the first positive step, his earliest trauma and the loss of positive memories of his father and something tangible to connect them to them, well done Kringle.

I hope Twelve Months allows Harry to investigate his father’s death and his adoption by Justin, it would allow him to deal better with more recent trauma like the loss of Murphy, and the Wardens, and the folk in his banner. To properly assess his future, Harry needs to know his past.

[Bad Alias]

Yeah. I didn't mean physical trauma. Harry didn't really have much/any from BG to deal with, at least compared to his typical outing.

As I wrote my previous comment, I wondered how literal of a title Twelve Months is going to be. Is it going to take place over 12 months, or is it just a reference to the morning period that Mab gave him, and what comes at the end of it?

I really hope it's the former. Jim can write a book that takes place over the course of something more than a few days. None of his other books take place in the crunch of time that we usually see in the DF. Even Cold Days took course over months. Sure, most of that was basically a montage of Harry recovering, but the point stands that Jim is capable of writing a book that takes place over time.

[Snark Knight]

I really hope it's the former. Jim can write a book that takes place over the course of something more than a few days. None of his other books take place in the crunch of time that we usually see in the DF.

I don't think tracking down Justine can be done justice with a time jump to "we got her, now it's exorcism time".

Rebuilding the castle and organizing the paranet would be better handled with a long narrative than a time jump too.

[Bad Alias]

Other things as well. That's why I really hope Jim goes with longer time frame. It might make the book a lot slower for the rereads, though.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Yeah. I didn't mean physical trauma. Harry didn't really have much/any from BG to deal with, at least compared to his typical outing.

Yes, fortunately the bullet to the chest he suffered was cauterised closed by the subsequent lightening strike, and the scalp wounds to the bone from the Kraken, the broken arm, the knife wound to the leg, massive bruising over pretty much all of his body, burn to his arm and wrist, double dislocation of his shoulder don’t count for much really.

And of course that isn’t counting the injuries to his hand from Peace Talks.

Harry really needs to get a black leather waistcoat and gloves to match the duster and spell them to match. The waistcoat would have caught the bullet and lightening strike, the gloves protect his hands, indeed he might want to spell up some DM’s as well, he fought BG in sneakers! For formal battle, add a pair of leather trousers and a leather flying helmet, Harry suffers far too many concussions, and would have protected against the Kraken.

Some to think of it a spell protected poncho for Maggie and a similar dog coat for Mouse wouldn’t hurt.

Surely Lara knows someone who does specialist leather work.

[Bad Alias]

Tis but a flesh wound!

I missed the broken arm. Aside from that, he should be fine in a month.

I agree that Harry really needs more coverage for his armor. We've seen others do with cloth what he does with leather. They've also been able to extend it beyond the material itself. Harry needs to learn that. The problem with helmets is that if you secure them to your head, they're useful for tearing your head off, and if you don't, they just get ripped off your head, then your head gets caved in.

[kat7]

Have you heard that Jim's now planning for the next book Twelve Months to be about Harry dealing with his trauma?

I'm glad to hear it now!

I think I freaked myself out that the quick acceleration of Lara/Molly meant that Jim himself has gotten tired of Karrin and writing her. (I made the mistake of skimming Reddit for reactions first, and found a vein of anti-Karrin sentiment that surprised me and bummed me out!  )

In terms of "played for laughs," I think the ground frosting over  around Molly as she and Lara walked away after Mab's pronouncement was meant to be funny . . . but it was definitely too soon for me!

Also, as a footnote, I really want better for Molly than gradually wearing down the guy she's idolized since high school who's never seen her that way . . . for years now . . . !

[smforbes]

So, this is my first-ever post here (I've lurked for a while but finally made an account!) and honestly I'm really glad that I found this thread.  I haven't finished PT/BG yet for various reasons, but I was getting a really bad feeling about Murphy from the first few chapters of PT, so I skimmed ahead and ended up spending all last weekend grieving for a character I really, really loved. 

Murphy has been my favorite character since I started the series.  I'm also a five-foot-nothing woman, and a lot of Murphy's childhood backstory mirrors several of my own experiences growing up (nothing exact, but close enough).  I started reading these books in my late teens, and I felt like it was one of the first times I'd seen my own anger and struggles with trust reflected in a character I could both admire and relate to so closely.  Murphy was someone who had gone through really emotionally difficult times at a young age, but was still a badass.  From the first few chapters of PT, it looked like she and Harry had found a happiness that I think they both deserve.  I so strongly related to her on an emotional and personal level that her death really feels like a hit from a bomb.

I know there are a lot of people who don't like Murphy, but I'm just glad to see I'm not alone in relating to a character that has been one of the biggest reasons this series has been my favorite for over a decade.

[Bad Alias]

I made the mistake of skimming Reddit for reactions first, and found a vein of anti-Karrin sentiment that surprised me and bummed me out!  )

...

Also, as a footnote, I really want better for Molly than gradually wearing down the guy she's idolized since high school who's never seen her that way . . . for years now . . . !

There's a lot of hate for Murph and I don't really get it. If she was the same character from Fool Moon, I'd get it, but she's not. She's grown a lot.

I'm not so sure Harry's never seen her that way. It could be he's done a lot to convince himself he doesn't see her that way.

So, this is my first-ever post here.

Welcome! 

[Arjan]

Why a requiem? She does not want to rest, that is one of the reasons she ended up with Vadderung in the first place.

What she really needs is epic poetry describing her deeds. That is what you do with warriors.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

There was a female warrior called Murph
Who took umbrage when Jotuns invaded her turf
She whipped out a Bazooka
Shouted “Take that you Palooka”
And the giant should have stayed in the surf.

Is that epic enough?

[kat7]

I started reading these books in my late teens, and I felt like it was one of the first times I'd seen my own anger and struggles with trust reflected in a character I could both admire and relate to so closely.

Hi friend! I'm right there with you (all the struggles with trust . . .). You put everything way better than I could have! I hope the blues let up. I was really obsessing for a few days there . . . like, seriously, I had already come down a few notches by the time I wrote my original rant! Both the death and the online commentary on the character (and her merits relative to the other women) feel so personal to me.

I did find this which cheered me up a bit . . . 
https://twitter.com/swarddraws/status/1283149254857547784

I think there are more of us out there. I'm so glad you commented!

[bigdangmoose]

Hey, two things I want to point out. With some of us fans, it wasn't Murphy hate. It was Murphy fatigue. She was it every book. The only break for the character was in DB. If she had taken more time off instead of being a workaholic, maybe we wouldn't have had fatigue of her.

And a personal pet peeve. Molly isn't a recent teen anymore. She's on the downhill to 30. I know that people while reading imprint a character to how they look when they are first introduced. But this is the Dresden Files. Everyone grows up and changes. With everything she has gone through, mentality she is probably over 30. She still loves Harry, but isn't actively pursuing him anymore. She knows what is more important and responsibilities come first.

Ok, I'm done on my soapbox. Sorry for the rant.