New short story

[Dina]

A Grey spinoff novel? *perks ears*

[Mira]

  What is the name of the book?  I haven't decided whether or not to charge up my Kindle.

[Bad Alias]

@Mira: Parallel Worlds, available at: https://books2read.com/u/m0k2Nl (Technically, that's a link to links where it is available).

@Dina: I think there is a lot of suggestion about Grey in there.

He isn't as monstrous as he claims (he is probably pretty monstrous anyway). He isn't doing what he does just to pay the Rent. It looks like he is trying to rehabilitate Viti to a certain extent. He seems to take this job personally.

He's vulnerable. Marcone could kill him. Attacks cause him a great deal of pain.

There is a lot to think about. While Goodman's not my favorite, I too would have liked more.

[Mira]

Thanks

[Dina]

I should have been clearer. Yes, we learnt things about how he works, how he does the shapeshifting, how he hurts, but nothing feels like vulnerability, just descriptions. I mean, we don't "feel" that he is in pain, he just "says" that he is pain, but it does not seem to bother him enough. And in skin game we already guessed he really cared for more than paying rent. I don't know, I insist, the story is told from his POV but it feels like a third person narrator. Harry informed us more about him that this story.

[Snark Knight]

A Grey spinoff novel? *perks ears*

Jim talked about doing one or more under the title Monster LLC in some of the videos a while back. ('When you're in trouble, you hire Harry. When you're in REAL trouble, you hire a monster.')

[Mira]

I should have been clearer. Yes, we learnt things about how he works, how he does the shapeshifting, how he hurts, but nothing feels like vulnerability, just descriptions. I mean, we don't "feel" that he is in pain, he just "says" that he is pain, but it does not seem to bother him enough. And in skin game we already guessed he really cared for more than paying rent. I don't know, I insist, the story is told from his POV but it feels like a third person narrator. Harry informed us more about him that this story.

I think my problem is all the stories are written in the first person, the writer is Jim, and honestly
his style doesn't vary all that much.  Perhaps it cannot be helped, but all the stories no matter who is telling it sounds like Harry to me.  However that just could be me. 

The most interesting thing about the story is the reveal as to whom the real monster is.   Goodman is a shapeshifter, he can get very ugly, be very dangerous, do terrible things, but in his heart, I don't think he is evil.  His associate is a cold blooded killer, she admits it freely, but Goodman doesn't think she had a choice..  Then there is Marcone, handsome, smooth, a mobster, who's helped Harry a time or two, and because a child was collateral damage on a hit he did a long time ago, seemingly he cares about children.  He sends Goodman to save some children... But then he gets pissed when he finds out that Goodman went a step further eliminating some of the "customers" of the child sex ring, because Marcone depends on them to run his "business."  So who is the real monster here?

[123Chikadee]

Yeah 1st person pov is really tricky to write. To me, Thomas sounded different enough, but Marcone sounds flat.
Huh, that sounds interesting. I think I'm one of the few people who isn't impressed with Marcone's children are off limits attitude. Caring that kids get hurt shouldn't be a bench mark for moral behavior.
But yeah that story sounds pretty interesting. I was hoping for something a bit more from Goodman Grey, but this could be good enough. I'll still have to wait awhile before I can read it, sadly.

[Snark Knight]

He sends Goodman to save some children... But then he gets pissed when he finds out that Goodman went a step further eliminating some of the "customers" of the child sex ring, because Marcone depends on them to run his "business."  So who is the real monster here?

I don't disagree that he was pissed about the loss of business assets, but what he says on the phone call probably wasn't the only thing going through his head there. If Grey had simply turned over the photos, Marcone might have delayed killing the johns until he had replacements lined up, but it would only have been a matter of time - writing it off entirely was never in the cards.

But by taking the initiative away from him, Grey created a conflict between rule one (kids are off limits) and rule two (nobody just gets away with attacking his organization or his territory). That's got to be a factor in his annoyance, but it's not one he can talk about openly - "I choose to give you a pass for the extra killings of my men" is too close to "I'm not confident I can enforce punishment on you". And the real number one rule of all monsters is you don't show weakness to another monster.

[Dina]

I agree about Marcone feeling flat and Thomas sounded different. I will add than Molly sounds different too and Murphy was...well, different but a little weird. I have to admit I just want to read more Harry.

I agree Marcone is the monster here, but I always thought that. But I still think he is redeemable, perhaps thanks to Harry's influence.

As much as I like to read a lot more about Grey and a entire book about him would be great, I rather have Jin writing more Dresden before doing any spin-offs.

[Mira]

I agree Marcone is the monster here, but I always thought that. But I still think he is redeemable, perhaps thanks to Harry's influence.

   I used to think that he was redeemable as well, but his character has taken a decidedly selfish darker turn since Changes.

[123Chikadee]

@Mira: How so?
I hope that Harry gets less interested in stating 'well at least he protects children' and just the whole 'he's a defender of Chicago, in his own way' attitude. Marcone still profits from human suffering despite making it more streamlined. Maybe Harry losing that attitude could end up being a plot point about how he'd need to dismantle these power systems that are bad despite seeming the lesser evil. 

[Snark Knight]

Maybe Harry losing that attitude could end up being a plot point about how he'd need to dismantle these power systems that are bad despite seeming the lesser evil.

Destroying the red court seemed like eliminating the greater evil, and ended up making everything worse. Ditto egging Lara on to take charge of the white court. Maybe Harry should work on getting smarter before dismantling any more power systems.

[Mira]

Destroying the red court seemed like eliminating the greater evil, and ended up making everything worse. Ditto egging Lara on to take charge of the white court. Maybe Harry should work on getting smarter before dismantling any more power systems.

   Except Harry really didn't have much of a choice, did he?  It was his daughter, him, and Eb, or the Red Court..  I guess he could have sacrificed himself and Eb without too much trouble, but little Maggie was a total innocent in this.  If you are going to blame anyone, blame the Red King who set up the spell to begin with..  He should have known that there was a danger that a good wizard could figure out a way to reverse it. 

Mira: How so?

Marcone thinks only of Marcone..  Having Goodman save a few children is great, but to be critical of him getting rid of those who'd abuse those kids and would go on to abuse more kids if they weren't stopped, because they served his needs is evil.

[GWPfark]

Not read it yet, but Marcine likely knows who will replace the people killed. He isn't Harry, he actually plans things out.