Murphy (BG spoilers) (also some thoughts on the book overall)

[Mira]

He was not just a ghost, depending how you look at it. Words are not always used that precisely in the books partially because “Shade Story” just does not ring well and partly because as morty said even the ghost/shade itself does not always know. but the similarities are so big that it took Marty quite some time to figure it out if he ever did. His words at the end were not that clear.

Of course by now it is quite clear. A pity we never heard them talking shop after his return.

Actually, if you read carefully, Ghost Story, it is clear that Harry wasn't dead, he wasn't a ghost.. His soul was allowed to wander about, which was a huge risk that Uriel was willing to take to teach him a less on, and Mab wasn't, but couldn't fight Uriel on the subject...  Besides if Harry was all dead there wouldn't have been any need for Alfred's I.V., or the parasite's blood circulation job, or Mab doing the lungs or whatever other support she was doing.  It would have been pointless if he were all dead.

[Arjan]

Actually, if you read carefully, Ghost Story, it is clear that Harry wasn't dead, he wasn't a ghost.. His soul was allowed to wander about, which was a huge risk that Uriel was willing to take to teach him a less on, and Mab wasn't, but couldn't fight Uriel on the subject...  Besides if Harry was all dead there wouldn't have been any need for Alfred's I.V., or the parasite's blood circulation job, or Mab doing the lungs or whatever other support she was doing.  It would have been pointless if he were all dead.

Everyone in the series said he was dead, he just had a chance to return, that is all.

And yes if you read ghost story carefully or even not that carefully it is clear what the differences are. The ability to enter a church for example is telling.

But his soul was not wandering around completely naked. He had his spiritual power with him and that could be reduced as happened in the story. That spiritual power is the same stuff ghosts are made of which explains the similarities:

I folded my arms. “What if I dig the ghost routine?”
“You don’t,” Uriel replied. “But even if you did, I would point out to you that your spiritual essence has been all but disintegrated. You would not last long as a shade, nor would you have the strength to aid and protect your loved ones. Should you lose your sanity, you might even become a danger to them—but if that is your desire, I can facilitate it.”

A clear foreshadowing for his later plans. Mark that Harry is talking about the Ghost routine, not the shade routine but you could say that Uriel is correcting him.

Or Shade is just ghost + soul

[kel0700]

Harry was dead, uriel didn't just snatch Harry's soul out of his living body, angels aren't allowed to do that. Uriel had to wait till Harry was dead and then take the soul, before mab could get to it. Mab then had to repair the body and keep it functioning until uriel was done.
That's why uriel was allowed to offer Harry the chance to stay in the afterlife and work for him, an angel couldn't do that to a mortal who's alive. Once Harry made his choice it allowed mab to put Harry's soul in his body.

[Bad Alias]

Harry has already died see Ghost Story, it’s not his fault it didn’t take, and he has been chosen by Gard. If anyone can get in Harry can. He just needs to concentrate on how he felt dead when opening the portal.

He also died at least once in Grave Peril. I say twice.

He was dead enough in Ghost Story for it to have significant metaphysical impact. I can't remember if it was Odin, the Gatekeeper, or both who went on about it in Cold Days.

Harry was dead, uriel didn't just snatch Harry's soul out of his living body, angels aren't allowed to do that.

Uriel wasn't even allowed to help Thomas because Thomas was still alive. Because he was still alive, he still had choice.

[Arjan]

Harry was dead, uriel didn't just snatch Harry's soul out of his living body, angels aren't allowed to do that. Uriel had to wait till Harry was dead and then take the soul, before mab could get to it. Mab then had to repair the body and keep it functioning until uriel was done.
That's why uriel was allowed to offer Harry the chance to stay in the afterlife and work for him, an angel couldn't do that to a mortal who's alive. Once Harry made his choice it allowed mab to put Harry's soul in his body.

There might have been some negotiation between Uriel and Mab about Harry just as there might have been some negotiation between Uriel and Vadderung about Murphy.

[magnuskn]

She's dead. Harry can attest, the soul was gone. And -- to anyone's knowledge -- she isn't coming back. Gard ought to be an authority on that subject. Nobody who knew and loved her in life is ever going to see her again. Heck, you could interpret Gard's comments (specifically, that Murphy has "earned her rest") to mean she's not even going to be active and conscious for a while, either.

Again, fictional rules are there to be broken when it's convenient for the story overall. I don't see Jim discarding Murphy that easily.

[Mr. Death]

Again, fictional rules are there to be broken when it's convenient for the story overall. I don't see Jim discarding Murphy that easily.

I do see her coming back eventually -- see my prediction a page or two ago -- but not for a while.

[Arjan]

I do see her coming back eventually -- see my prediction a page or two ago -- but not for a while.

You need a really apocalyptic situation for that 

[Mira]

  In Battle Ground, Harry clearly talks about the six months Mab stayed on Demonreach, "to keep me alive," while his soul did it's walk about.  Now that was Uriel's idea, if Mab had had her way, he might have woken up as soon as she got him to dry land. Then who knows?  She might of killed him for trying to evade her by trying to kill himself.

I don't think Murphy will be back, and if she does I think you will find her totally changed from what she was. 

[Arjan]

  In Battle Ground, Harry clearly talks about the six months Mab stayed on Demonreach, "to keep me alive," while his soul did it's walk about.  Now that was Uriel's idea, if Mab had had her way, he might have woken up as soon as she got him to dry land. Then who knows?  She might of killed him for trying to evade her by trying to kill himself.

She won't. Not for that. It was a deception within the rules set up before the contract started so she only admires it and it makes him more useful in her eyes.

I don't think Murphy will be back, and if she does I think you will find her totally changed from what she was.

I don't think so either but maybe at the end briefly in the nevernever near the gates as Harry is not mortal anyway.

[bigdangmoose]

Again, fictional rules are there to be broken when it's convenient for the story overall. I don't see Jim discarding Murphy that easily.

Jim set it up both ways, to bring her back or to leave her dead. He could very easily leave her out of the story except for the random mention from here on.

[StrayDog]

There might have been some negotiation between Uriel and Mab about Harry just as there might have been some negotiation between Uriel and Vadderung about Murphy.

As Uriel explains, Harry' free will was taken away by Lashiel. Her whisper shoved Harry over the edge and Uriel was allowed 7 words of his own. The reason of Ghost Story was for Harry to understand what happened and decide if he actually was a suicide and stay in Uriel's service or wasn't a suicide and see what's next.

[Arjan]

As Uriel explains, Harry' free will was taken away by Lashiel. Her whisper shoved Harry over the edge and Uriel was allowed 7 words of his own. The reason of Ghost Story was for Harry to understand what happened and decide if he actually was a suicide and stay in Uriel's service or wasn't a suicide and see what's next.

That was Uriel and Harry. There must have been some understanding between Uriel and Mab as well.

[Mira]

That was Uriel and Harry. There must have been some understanding between Uriel and Mab as well.

There was, and apparently Uriel carries a little more weight, because Mab was forced to go along with the lesson he wanted to teach.  As she pointed out, if it went wrong, Harry would have gone all dead and she would have lost her Knight.

[Telynn]

Probably because while Mab had a hold of Harry's body and was keeping it alive, Uriel had Harry's soul in his possession.