Harry sees himself as weaker and less skillful, some of that is modesty and insecurity, a lot has to do with his own admission that he has been lazy over the years. That is where Molly becoming his apprentice was one of the best things that ever happened to him in his growth as a wizard. One of the huge areas where his skills have improved ten fold is his ability to make a veil.
He says he was lazy, yet he also goes on and on about how he loves magic for magic's sake and does it in his spare time. Also, not sure his veil has improved. Read the one in Skin Game and the one in Fool Moon. Basically the same.
One of the things to remember about Marcone's new power level is that Thorned Namshiel got his ass handed to him when Harry accidentally used soulfire to create a giant hand, which Harry used to throw the demon sorcerer around like he was a rag doll. Harry won't want to exhaust himself by doing something like that again, and Thorned Namshiel will probably have a defense against the same thing happening again, but that doesn't preclude Harry from coming up with something equally, or nearly equally, devastating if less taxing.
Plus, Harry's experience with using magic is far wider than Marcone's. The Baron of Chicago won't be as easily suckered as Hannah Asher was, but when it comes to using magic, Harry should be able think outside the box and be more effective then Marcone.
Agreed.
1 Jim hasn't broken any of his magical rules to date... Any denarian has a battle form which is an excellent usage of shape shifting. Namshiel is simply more finesse than that. Anyone is capable of magic after all, the denarians is just filling in for the inability to sense it. I'm not particularly fond of this plot of Marcone becoming better at magic than Harry, but I don't think it breaks anything but my ability to suspend my disbelief.
He does sometimes. He also breaks his narrative rules. There are several threads on inconsistencies and such throughout. Traditionally, following the Sanderson-esque ideas a "hard" magic system is one that has detailed, clear and consistent rules similar to a science. These are explained to the reader in the narrative. A soft magic system is one that is designed to create a sense of wonder and is limited in how much detail is given to the reader. But both tend to use it to further the plot or even just the scene - it's more a problem solving or problem creating tool for the author. A "hard" magic system is a bit more believable because it gives the reader clear expectations and so we can suspend disbelief. A soft magic system can only achieve a suspension of disbelief by not having the reader think to much about the mechanics and focus on the emotion and tempo of the scene. Classic examples of a "hard" magic system is maybe Eragon, Lightbringer, Mistborn, even Codex Alera. Examples of "soft" magic systems include Harry Potter, ASOIAF, Dark Tower. Lord of the Rings could be soft but as we never get much exposition at all about it it's hard to say. Then there are the "hybrid" systems.
Jim writes his stories like they have a "hard" magic system but then he goes off and changes the rules or breaks them.
Example 1: Wards on the Tower on Demonreach. Magic has limits on how much energy can be placed in an object yet as Bob explains somehow Merlin didn't worry about that.
Example 2: Water grounds out magical energy. Doesn't bother the Fomor, Titania, or LtW. If it were so easy to shut down magic Ethniu wouldn't have been a threat.
Example 3: Circle's keep out anything spiritual. Uriel says to Dresden that the circle he creates wouldn't be an issue to him.
Example 4: Every human has the potential for magic, but not all mortals are strong enough to be Sorcerers or Wizards. These beings live for hundreds of years and have access to much greater powers and can perform more complex and powerful magic. If a mortal even has the slightest hint beyond the normal, a practioner can tell by touching them. Harry has definitely made contact with Marcone over the years and got nothing. Yet when Marcone takes up Namshiel's Coin he has enough power to outclass Quintus Cassius and perhaps even Tessa. Even Nicodemus doesn't appear to just become a Sorcerer just because he has a Coin. Yet Marcone seems to be almost as strong as Harry and perhaps more skillful. Certainly his knowledge base will end up being deeper and broader, and Marcone is FAR more pragmatic and power hungry.
There are more but there's a few to get you started. Jim's fine to break or change things if he needs to but you can't really pretend it's a "hard" magic system if it isn't. Especially at the upper levels where according to Jim if you have enough power you can basically rewrite reality however you wish.
Marcone has no magic. Namshiel has magic. If that isn't true then Jim has broken his rules. You either manifest the talent or you don't. And if you have it and if you don't use it, you lose it. The danger of using the Fallen was hashed out over and over again during Lash's run in the plot. The more you depend on them the more you are diminished. Am I misreading Jim's rules?
Except all the Fallen have magic. That's kind of the point isn't it? They are still Fallen after all. I agree that Marcone suddenly having magic is weird and seems to break the rules. I don't think the Fallen can really give you anything you don't have, a part from knowledge. That was the implication with Hellfire after all. If the Fallen could just give out magic then all the Denarians would be far more dangerous and effective - as they seemed to be in Death Masks. I mean, the Genoskwa basically took the place of Ursiel and Jim actually both foreshadowed it in Skin Game. I probably should have seen the return of Ursiel coming and being the Coin for the Genoskwa. Imagine if all the Fallen were shape-shifting nightmares with the sorcerous capability of at least Mavra if not Corpsetaker or Cowl. Dresden and co. would be long dead (except for the Knights - they have that special "we're holy so no matter what everything's equal" thing).
Sometimes Jim’s rules are not about what always happens but just what happens most of the time. But in this case I think the magic is Namshiel.
Namshiel should be able to teach Marcone some magic if he provides the missing bits. The power and the ability to see it. Butters could do some things with Bob helping. But what happened in battle ground was just too advanced. I am also not sure when Harry was talking to Marcone and when he talked to Namshiel. I think at the end he was talking to Namshiel because Marcone had never difficulty with long term planning.
See above what I said to Morris, but in general I agree. I think it just means that we have to assume that Marcone has somehow had hidden latent talent all along, and managed to hide it from Harry. Namshiel is just getting the absolute best out of him.
You can tell when he talks to Namshiel or Marcone as quite literally the voice changes. Dresden was talking to Marcone. Doesn't mean Namshiel wasn't listening and maybe even influencing Marcone.
