Ghost Story Book Club - Chapters 46-FINISH **MAJOR SPOILERS**

[sluice]

Just finished Ghost Story, kind of jumping in here.

So was the "Parasite" Lash or the Walker? Lash wasn't really a parasite, she saved his life, helped him multiple times. The meaning of parasite would more be something that feeds off him without giving back.

I liked Fitz, hopefully he'll stay around. Daniel is exactly who he should be; his father was ripped to shreds, his sister is a (homeless?) semi-looney vigilante, but he still has the solid grounding his parents gave him. I liked him.

I just don't get the six month gap. Why six months? He gets shot, then he's in Chicago Between, six months later?

[sluice]

Oh, and as an add on, I hope Harry learns the "super-speed" magic Aristedes used.

[LogicMouseLives]

Oh, and as an add on, I hope Harry learns the "super-speed" magic Aristedes used.

He shouldn't really need to. As the Winter Knight, as we saw a couple of times in Changes, he has access to enhanced speed, strength and toughness because of the mantle. He just needs to learn how to use them better.

Which will be lots of fun to watch!

LML

[LogicMouseLives]

This is my first post.  I just love the books.

I read this thread but I don’t know if this has been discussed elsewhere.

What are Harry’s obligations as Winter Knight when it comes to being consort?  Can Mab and Mauve  have their way with him whenever they want?  Can he refuse?  Mauve seemed awfully eager to have his child in summer night.  Any chance that Mab could already be carrying his child from when they consummated Harry becoming  the Winter Knight?

Welcome, JamesDB!

Yeah, the first meeting between Harry the WK and Maeve should be very interesting. I hope we get to see it onscreen in Cold Days. 

As for the possibility of Mab's being pregnant, that was speculated about quite a bit here after Changes came out. It seemed like a significant (although not guaranteed) possibility at the time. But given Mab's condition when we see her at the end of GS? It seems much less likely to me. She's clearly been extremely busy, and expending a hell of a lot of energy keeping Harry's body intact (plus whatever else she had to be doing at the same time...) and her physical condition was not one that would have been able to hide a pregnancy.

That's not to say that it's impossible. If Sidhe gestation is far longer than human, she could easily still not be showing, although a very early gamete is extra vulnerable to illness and poor health in the mother. Similarly, if Sidhe have extremely short pregnancies, she might already have given birth. (This possibility seems the most inconsistent and unlikely to me, but I thought I'd throw it in for completeness' sake.)

So I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

LML

[xakko]

That's not to say that it's impossible. If Sidhe gestation is far longer than human, she could easily still not be showing, although a very early gamete is extra vulnerable to illness and poor health in the mother. Similarly, if Sidhe have extremely short pregnancies, she might already have given birth. (This possibility seems the most inconsistent and unlikely to me, but I thought I'd throw it in for completeness' sake.)

all I would say is time is malleable in the Nevernever - if Mab want to get a pregnancy over and done with, she could have.  Heck, Maeve played with time back in Proven Guilty

my own take is that there is no pregnancy.  I don't think Harry was physically there at the Stone Table, given that Butters was there to remove things like his shield bracelet whilst he was a'tapping that phat Sidhe ass. 

[huangjimmy108]

Okay, I am sorry if there is another thread for this, but unless I am mistaken, Durandal and Kusanagi are both legendary swords before Jesus's time. Excalibur is after Jesus's time. Please correct me if I am wrong.

If this is true, It means that someone must have gotten those swords and install the nail from the Crusifiction on them. which would explain why Michael said in Proven Guilty that both esperacchius and Fidellacchius have been remake before, while Ammoracchius have not.

Do you guys think this is significant? Those two swords are already a legend before the time of the crusifiction and perhaps already have their own power even before they got the nail.

[Bastard]

I wrote my reaction to Ghost Story the other day, I'll just copy paste it here:

Ghost Story has to be this year's most anticipated Urban Fantasy novel, particularly after the excellent Changes and the cliffhanger ending it had. The bar had been set quite high and it seems like the consensus is that Ghost Story fell short. How short is where most disagree on.

Ghost Story is the thirteenth installment in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, featuring one of the most awesome characters out there, Harry Dresden. Harry is my Jack Bauer of fiction literature; and we know Jack Bauer is god. After some concerns of whether Borders was going to ship me my pre-ordered book, it finally arrived late last week and spent two nights finishing it up. Regardless of your opinion on the book, it's apparent that it's still quite a page turner.

But once one finishes up reading Ghost Story, it's evident that the book was sub-par in The Dresden Files sequence. Part of the problem is that Butcher looked like he was very conscious of new readers and he was on recap mode on steroids throughout the whole novel, which surely drove fans of the series nuts. In a similar nature, the pacing was out of whack throughout the book due to too many back story and flashback scenes and the already mentioned recaps. But given the nature of ghosts in the book, it makes sense for these types of things to occur, though they still disrupt the energy and momentum of the book. While these were problematic, the book specific plot was not that engaging or interesting, so it created a perfect negative storm.

Those issues aside, I really enjoyed the book. The worst Dresden book to me is still much better than most Urban Fantasy novels I read, so while disappointed by the book not reaching the standards I come to expect of a Dresden novel, it's was still a very good read for me, and it's still one of my favorite Urban Fantasy reads this year.

Ghost Story was by enlarge a very introspective book as such, the wide awesome cast of characters of this universe get the short end of the stick in scene appearances, which will add to the disappointment to many. Still some minor characters stepped up to the stage and will surely become favorites to some. It balances out. Ghost Story is also clearly a new stage setter, a bridge novel, to what one can consider the second act of the series. As such, it felt like the second book of a trilogy, and those always seem to be the toughest to write and are often the weakest of the books.

The Dresden Files has always been to me about having Harry Dresden as a narrator and it was still an enjoyable read, though expect many mixed reactions to the book. Even so, the stage has be set and now I'm very much looking forward to what comes next, Harry is back and it'll be interesting to see how his recent experiences are going to shape his behavior going forward. Next book in the series is apparently titled Cold Days coming out next year. New allies and enemies have been made, questions of trust are about, lots of mysteries still left undiscovered to us the readers, and Harry is here to kick some ass.

I'll all I had mixed feelings with the book, though still a very enjoyable read to me, and quite excited with what's coming next. I liked how he brought Nick from the fist short story. I wonder if we'll see him again at some point, though I doubt it. Maybe a small cameo. With Murphy under Marcone and his vikings, the Harry vs Marcone plot just got that much interesting. Looking forward to Cold Days, and seeing where all our friends will be aligning themselves.

[svb1972]

I don't think Ghost Story fell short at all.
Unless you think Empire Strikes Back fell short?

I find youre entire review just so completely off the mark.  Every thing you say was bad, I thought was good in the book.

[Bastard]

If you think everything I said was bad you didn't read my reaction at all. I go on to say that it was still one of my favorite reads of UF this year.

[svb1972]

Reading Comprehension.

Every thing you said was bad in the book, I thought was actually a strong point of the book.

[Bastard]

That's fine, everyone has their likes and dislikes. Most of the things I decided to focus on are issues I've seen people have trouble with in different places, particularly outside of this forum. I agree that I focus on the negative aspects and don't highlight much of the positive ones.

Anyways, not interested in arguing on whether you think it was a great book or not, my intent was not to shit on anyone's parade or on the book particularly since I'm a huge Dresden fan and actually liked the book. Just felt it wasn't as good as the previous ones, that's all.

[svb1972]

Yes, but you're complaint reads like people complaining that Neville Longbottom is getting attention in some of the books, and you're like, "Why are you bothering us with this minor character."  The answer is that, he might not be so minor eventually.  Or, why are there several chapters from Samwise's point of view, isn't he just the annoying sidekick?

Just because your favorite bad guys didn't get  page time, or that Butters gets a /lot/ doesn't make it a bad book.  Fitz, is a morale.  Fitz is there to highlight the differences between old Harry (as portrayed by Murphy) and New Harry.  The ability to see that even someone who sprays bullets at your best friend, may not actually be evil.

[Bastard]

OK, I wasn't complaining about the minor characters. I just was bringing it forward as something worth noting. Myself I had zero problem with that aspect, not all my observations above have to do with my opinion, but just stating facts and things I envision some having problems with, or have seen people having problems with.

And I really liked Fitz and Butters in the book. In fact, I wanted more Fitz... my only disappointment there is that Harry didn't posses him during the book, that would have kicked some ass particularly fighting the wizard.

I've seen quite a few people complaining about the lack of time spent with Murphy for example, and that's why I made mention of it. Not that I found it a problem for me myself.

[svb1972]

Murphy gets almost as much screen time as Molly?  We see her kick ass, chew gum, and take names.

1) Her private meeting with Marcone's henchman.
2) the JL meeting
3) Her ass kicking of the White Court Vamp
4) Her first introduction to Harry
5) Her sparring with the big guy @ the fortress
6) Her being all hard and bitter in the conference room
7) the charge of the light brigade at the end.

I mean, what the hell, MORE time with Murphy?  Seriously?
If you take away the UFP Molly Enterprise scene, Murphy as /more/ scenes than Molly.

You're stating a bunch of opinions about how most people hated, this, and hated that, and calling that fact, when at best it's conjecture. 

[Bastard]

Sorry svb1972, not worth arguing with you if you're going to take everything I say out of context and extrapolating things. Read carefully what I'm saying.