I would probably take a good look at the series and go, it has been a while ride but 22 books (plus 3 mega books) is too much. I would condense the next 6 books into 1 or 2 books, and make the capstone trilogy just one book. Then continue on with new works or prequel stuff etc.

I know it is harsh, and he has had more than enough personal woes, but it is probably the most sensible option. Take the pressure off and enjoy his life. But some closure for the fans - that won't take another 20 years would be great.

I fully respect his ambition and his will power to create his achievements over the past two decades, but another two just seems a bit ridiculous.

I know. I mean obviously that is just how Jim is drawing out the story, but I guess after 20 years a few things get lost. I just think he needs to at least have a passage with Harry putting together a string diagram trying to piece it all together.

Another mystery, in Cold Days Maeve says that Mab is mad and and intends to unleash chaos and destruction not seen since the fall of Atlantis. Like I know the guy is busy, but wouldn't you go "hey, might be time to ask what happened to Atlantis" to someone who would have the true story.

I know we have a lot of information Harry doesn't, but it really astounds me for a guy who is meant to be a big knowledge seeker (as a Wizard) that Harry does so little. He spends so much time fighting, which is interesting, but at some point wouldn't you make a list of all the weird stuff you might need to know?

For example, one of the biggest mysteries is Harry's mother. Who she was, what she did, what she was a part of etc. Harry has been told repeatedly of her dangerous activity, her disregard of the council, her anarchist/activist nature and that she was involved with some really bad people (Lord Raith, Justin, Lea, Nicodemus, Ariana etc). But he has done almost no research into this. Why not call up Lea and say "Hey I need to know about my mother etc?"

And there are many more: What is a Starborn? Why do I have power over Outsiders? Maybe ask Mab a bit more about the Outsiders. He certainly should be having a larger chat with the Gatekeeper about all of that. Definitely some research into Kemmler would likely prove fruitful. What about asking Ebenezer about Drakul, Kincaid, how the supernatural nations hitmen work? And he really needs to read Merlin's journals, and maybe all those other ones. Which likely for plot reasons will only happen when Eb dies. How about the really weird mystic anomaly in Ghost Story where the "Shade" of Dresden is able to appear on Holy Ground, when others cannot e.g. Kravos. I think that the current theory is because Harry was not actually a "shade" but part "soul" as well. But still never explicitly answered.

I do understand that all will be revealed in time, plots need to form there own way. But surely you would ask more of these questions as it seems to affect just about everything you do?

Anyone got any other areas Harry should be researching?

Bad Alias, the theory could still be true that Odin, Merlin and Harry are related (assuming Merlin isn't TT Harry or the Harry isn't Odin etc.) I mean they could all be the same guy, some have proposed. But if they are all separate individuals and they did all teach their blood relatives it could work. But we have no confirmation of any of this so it is all wild speculation.

All we do know is Odin taught Merlin and Merlin teachings have passed down the line, presumably to Harry.

Haha well how about that. Bone-fire...bon fire. Makes a lot of sense. Especially as in many myths and stories, burning the bones is a way to destroy the spirit. Perhaps that was the intention?

Haha Good on you, well maybe you can offer to ghost-write a few novels for him then! Certainly you'll have to get him to tell you the ending before you go. At the current rate though Jim might not outlast the series either! 25 years till the BAT at current rate, who knows how long those will take - he keeps saying they are each going to be enormous!

Thanks Mr Death. I will admit that likely means a set of bones was found, and in all probability was Justin. Even if Justin had a spare skeleton or two lying around I am sure the White Council could tell one from another if they really wanted to. Worth remembering that many on the Council knew who Harry was, and was meant to be before he joined the Council. We still don't know many details apart from the fact he is a "Starborn" whatever that means. So likely the White Council took a special interest in a Starborn breaking the laws.

I do think that it doesn't rule out Justin being active from beyond the grave, post-death if you will. Whether as a Ghost, resurrected human or body switch or some other spooky thing. But it likely rules out him flat out surviving the duel.

In saying all that - a fair few things in those early books had not been ironed out and have been retconned or contradicted since (both large and small details). Hopefully Jim reveals it before the BAT.

Oh I agree with that. Very unreliable narrator. Sometimes he says stuff which we are to take as fact, some stuff is Harry being "limited" or "just his perspective" etc. But no way to know which is which. Not helped by the fact Jim has retconned and readjusted ideas more than a few times, which is totally his right to do, just makes it hard to follow and theorize lol. Yes partly it is because Jim enjoys torturing us too, but a fair amount is just inconsistency and rejigging.

A perfect example the immortal problem. He basically says you can kill X, but they will reform. Except not most of them. And true killing of them only results in their mantle being transferred or absorbed, which can only be done at certain places in space and time. So the only real way to eradicate an immortal is to kill it at one of those places, and then either absorb the energy or wage a consistent and focused campaign a la the Ventors and wipe them from human memory. Which makes absolutely no sense. Because SO MANY BEINGS existed before humans existed, reality existed for BILLIONS of years without mortals just fine. Why would mortal choice make such an impact?

My only conclusion is Jim is treating the Nevernever like the Immaterium/Realm of Chaos in Warhammer (the idea being that all the emotions and thoughts of mortals have a psychic presence and create gods/monsters/etc). Love JB but sometimes these things really get my goat lol

I agree that the trilogy will reveal a lot about Merlin and how he is connected to it all - but not sure it will be the basis of the whole trilogy. Also pretty sure banefire isn't related to hell/soulfire. It may be magical, but likely he is simply describing a fire that will be a "bane" to the evils in Demonreach. Which as we know, regular old fire is strong enough to hurt and disrupt magical beings and so the banefire would disperse them for a while but then they would reform and end the world. Hell/soulfire seems to be more to do we the nature of power itself than merely fire. Fire is almost a metaphor for what it really is - which is pure energy. The rawest form, from which presumably the Almighty created Reality. Think of it more as the foundation for energy itself.

I think when the Oblivion war is successful those being don't merely go dormant...they are locked outside in Oblivion. They cannot be Real any longer as they are not in Reality. So not really sure it is related to the Sleepers and the beings under Demonreach...which are more like caged prisoners than banished ones. I am not saying it won't make an appearance in the later series, but not in that way I suspect.

If he goes that way though and Harry is TT Merlin and Bonea is the Archive etc it would be interesting. And I think there are enough threads in the series that you could create that story with. Not sure if that is his plans, but he has that door open at any rate.