Anyone else... disappointed? [PT/BG spoilers]

[Dina]

Well, with the coin Marcone potentially can outlive Harry, so perhaps the plan is mostly doing the things slowly. Harry may kill himself in action soon and if he does not, even being a wizard he won't live for ever.
But I don't see it working because Harry has a talent for ruining the best plans, being the main character and all 

[Mira]

I really hope it's something more than just what Harry's already figured out. That would be a little boring.

Well, some of it is bound to be boring.  As I said, Harry got off way too easy, he thought that Marcone/Namshiel would take both the Eye and the Spear off of him and in his condition he couldn't do anything about it.  Harry knows that too.

[Dina]

I disagree. Harry could have been out of juice but I doubt he would have allow Marcone to take both things, very few times Harry really can't do anything. He knows he would have fought, at least.

[Bad Alias]

He also might have remembered he had some guns on him.

[Mira]

He also might have remembered he had some guns on him.

Or possibly the fact that with the Spear on him, he was unbeatable?

[The_Sibelis]

I actually kinda expected that part with the cover up. It's the 'peace' part. But it's a false peace and come the BAT the storm is going to break loose for real. It fits into the Antichrist timeline I theorized about PTs before. Going by the yearly in story book cycle. It's 3.5 years before the BAT, which biblically is when the false peace fails and literal hell breaks loose.

[StrayDog]

Please include me in the Disappointed column. Not sure where to start so I'll just jump in. I love Butters as a character but hate the whole Jedi Knight of the Cross bit. JB has done an incredible job of world building as well as populating his world with robust interesting characters. I've been very happy with everything all the way up to the first fight in front of Michael's house in Skin Game. Here is where my disappointment starts. I don't know why JB decided that Michael and not Murphy had to help Harry in Hades vault. I disagree with the choice but this is his world NOT mine. He could have accomplished the exact same thing without breaking Fidelacchius and without permanently disabling Murphy. I know Murph was on her way out of the series but he should have done it better. More on this in a later rant. On to the Jedi. Butters is fine, the Jedi bit is trite, droll, more vulgar words than can be put here. Every time the Jedi appears in BG it takes me completely out of Dresdenverse. It's like I'm reading DF and suddenly appears Star Wars, not the original Lucas but the nerfed Disney garbage. We're treated to a C grade knock-off with badly dubbed talking when an extra from another set plays through. Coupled with JB's repetitive wordiness and I get the Queen's voice in my head saying, "More matter with less art." Then what was that with the OP Lightsaber ploy while hacking their way to the titan? "Here Butters, here's a pretty light thingy. Just wave it around in front of you, it's all good."

[Dina]

I have a question. Do you really like the original SW? I am asking because I've seen a lot of hate towards Butters Jedi knight on this forum and in the internet in general and I wonder if that comes for people who don't like SW, or who loves it too much and feels like Butters bastardize it, or if there is another reason.

I personally love Butters. I was angry at him by his lack of faith in Harry when he was back from the Dead, but after seen him believing in Harry again, being there for him, Butters is again one of my favorites. Sanya too. And I love the jedi saber since the beginning, I think is awesome. Obviously, this is just my preference, but I am trying to see if there is a pattern between the people who have no problems with Butters until he became a Jedi 

Also, I hope we see Ramirez do a similar journey to Butters. Now he suspects Harry, he will be back to loving him later *crosses fingers*

[StrayDog]

I have a question. Do you really like the original SW? I am asking because I've seen a lot of hate towards Butters Jedi knight on this forum and in the internet in general and I wonder if that comes for people who don't like SW, or who loves it too much and feels like Butters bastardize it, or if there is another reason.

I personally LOVE the original SW. It came out at the height of my most imaginative childhood years where the Apollo program was fresh in our minds, we all were astronauts. That actually doesn't have anything to do with why I dislike Jedi KotC. I believe JB is sincerely trying to pay homage to this same formative time in his life but it doesn't play like he thought/thinks is did/does. Using such an iconic image, for whatever reason, breaks the reader out your (JB's) literary world and plants them firmly back in reality. Brings up memories of their own, sends them wool gathering in their own real world thoughts and outside your book. It becomes the grain of sand stuck to your foot, inside your boot, one a day long hike, in July. NOT enjoying the most beautiful scenery you'll see this summer. That and it makes the Sword way too powerful.

[Mira]

I have a question. Do you really like the original SW? I am asking because I've seen a lot of hate towards Butters Jedi knight on this forum and in the internet in general and I wonder if that comes for people who don't like SW, or who loves it too much and feels like Butters bastardize it, or if there is another reason.

I personally love Butters. I was angry at him by his lack of faith in Harry when he was back from the Dead, but after seen him believing in Harry again, being there for him, Butters is again one of my favorites. Sanya too. And I love the jedi saber since the beginning, I think is awesome. Obviously, this is just my preference, but I am trying to see if there is a pattern between the people who have no problems with Butters until he became a Jedi 

Also, I hope we see Ramirez do a similar journey to Butters. Now he suspects Harry, he will be back to loving him later *crosses fingers*

I agree with you Dina, I don't mind the Jedi thing, that seems to be a bit tongue in cheek, what I don't understand is why Jim has him sleeping with two women/werewolves at the same time. 

[StrayDog]

I personally love Butters. I was angry at him by his lack of faith in Harry when he was back from the Dead, but after seen him believing in Harry again, being there for him, Butters is again one of my favorites. Sanya too. And I love the jedi saber since the beginning, I think is awesome. Obviously, this is just my preference, but I am trying to see if there is a pattern between the people who have no problems with Butters until he became a Jedi 

Butters is also one of my favs and I have no problem with him being a KotC, being a SW nerd, etc. Butters as a character is fine.

[Dina]

@Mira, I don't know, I frankly don't care too much for that. I think it was out of place, but not from a moral point of view but from a literary one. A little like conjuritis, but at least conjuritis gave us a moment of danger (spiders when trying to be sneaky), a moment of usefulness (anvil) and a moment of fun (Mab saying "Just when I was beginning to respect you" or something like that. It could have been better but at least I can understand the rationale of Jim writing it. But the part about Marci and Andi I thought it would be important during the fight, when Butters risking his life to save one of them, but not. We did not even see Butters worrying when Harry basically told the Alphas to risk taking a bullet for him. And the only call back to that were the two of them "guarding" him and Sanya at the end, when they were injured. So, the scene is his apartment was mostly a head-scratching moment.

@StrayDog, ok, thanks. That is not what happens to me. I simply love it. And I am reminded of my all memories too (and I am older than you, I remember the feeling the first time I saw a lightsaber on screen in the first movie) but not in a bad way. It does not take me away of the Dresdenverse any more like Wagner's Valkyrie ride, or Welcome to the Jungle.

[StrayDog]

@StrayDog, ok, thanks. That is not what happens to me. I simply love it. And I am reminded of my all memories too (and I am older than you, I remember the feeling the first time I saw a lightsaber on screen in the first movie) but not in a bad way. It does not take me away of the Dresdenverse any more like Wagner's Valkyrie ride, or Welcome to the Jungle.

I'm envious that it doesn't take you out of the story, wish it wouldn't for me but oh well. The whole threesome bit showed up on the boat with Murph and the Valkyrie so I think it was JB providing a little foreshadowing. All of the side characters deserved better treatment from JB in BG. I feel it would have been better if he focused on just those with him and left the rest to the fog of battle.

[The_Sibelis]

Mmm considering how much of the all hero mythology, every story is a retelling I see wrapped up in the DF, not only did I not mind the faithsaber, I absolutely loved it! I think the reason it exists has not yet come to pass the actually. Woj is when butters made it what it is it became more pure, more powerful, but also more vulnerable.(easier to abuse cit*) See... Where as when it's tied to the cross and judeo-christian ideals, jedi are a little more fluid. They don't stop being what they are when they fall. They change into something else.. I think we'll see that happen at some point. Jedi to Sith or whatever.
Now the whole two chicks thing... Idk. Butters doesn't wear it well imo. I can't think of a specific reasoning for it.. unless the threat to punch Dresden was an indication of butters slow fall from grace, with the wolf chicks being part of the lynch pin.

[morriswalters]

Look back at Michael and Harry in the Train Station fighting off Hobs in the Myrk. Were the Swords of Faith not inspiring enough? As late as Skin Game he has Michael in the vault using the sword and his faith to save Harry in one of the scarier fights Jim has written.

Butters reached his peak in Dead Beat, when having nothing, he chose to stand and fight, knowing that he would probably die. I almost lost my mind I was so excited.

Then, in hero journey that ran at the speed of light, he becomes the magic skateboard rider who screws over his friends and gets a magic weapon. And by next books has abs of steel and two sex partners who are werewolves. And a sword so powerful Jim has to nerf it. It isn't so much that I hate Butter's as it is that he didn't earn what Jim gave him. /end rant

Star Wars

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Not that anybody cares, but I saw Star Wars with free tickets before anybody had any idea about the power of the force.  When the Imperial Star Destroyer edged into view the audience went nuts.  In the space of two weeks they quit having bargain matinees. I saw the first six films with the same friend with whom I shared the first.  By the last we were bringing our children.