Wait, How Did Warden Ramirez Know About...? - From PT

[Mira]

The way that Harry knew how the plaque worked really bothered me.  The spear a little less, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind saying to me, "this is weak."  It reminds my of something a certain foul mouthed movie critic (Mr. Plinkett) on the YouTube channel Red Letter Media says about logical inconsistencies in movie scripts that you might not consciously notice; at least on a first viewing, because the movie is fast paced or a major action scene follows; "You didn't notice it, but your brain did."  Sometimes it's only when you discuss a movie with other people; or in this case a novel, or re-watch or re-read it, that the writing flaws become easily apparent, but something in the back of your mind was already pinging you that something was off. 

It's been a while since I read Death Masks, but in that case, Harry figuring out how the plague was going to be unleashed wasn't that difficult, or implausible.  He was given a lot of information, it became a matter of adding it up as a good detective should, he didn't need to be an epidemiologist for that.  Butters introduced "patient zero,"  who had the plague on steroids, who happened to be a member of Father Forthill's Order, the theft of the Shroud, the involvement of both the Denarians and the Knights of the Cross, the warnings from the Loa, so putting it all of it together quite plausible, however there is a lot of other stuff going on at the same time that distracts.

As to knowing how the Spear works, yes, Harry had access to Alfred on Demonreach, he is also buds with the Knights of the Cross, along with knowing Father Forthill, all of the above would have information or some.  Or perhaps more plausible, because the Spear is what it is, and the care that it goes only to those with enough smarts to get it in the first place, it comes with how to directions.  In other words if you know what it is and are clever and strong enough to break it out of the vault, you get the how to knowledge that goes with it.  It just happens.

[morriswalters]

Maybe he simply asked Bonea. One would assume that a Fallen Angel would have known how to use the devices.

[Arjan]

Maybe he simply asked Bonea. One would assume that a Fallen Angel would have known how to use the devices.

But that would be too funny a conversation not to put in the books.

[Mira]

Maybe he simply asked Bonea. One would assume that a Fallen Angel would have known how to use the devices.

Yeah, but at this point she is so young she'd just get it confused with a back scratcher or a nose pick.

[Bad Alias]

It reminds my of something a certain foul mouthed movie critic (Mr. Plinkett) on the YouTube channel Red Letter Media says about logical inconsistencies in movie scripts that you might not consciously notice; at least on a first viewing, because the movie is fast paced or a major action scene follows; "You didn't notice it, but your brain did."  Sometimes it's only when you discuss a movie with other people; or in this case a novel, or re-watch or re-read it, that the writing flaws become easily apparent, but something in the back of your mind was already pinging you that something was off.

These two books had so many little things like that, that I didn't need to wait to talk about or reread them to catch some. I still enjoyed them. These two books were probably his worst written books since Fool Moon.

It's been a while since I read Death Masks, but in that case, Harry figuring out how the plague was going to be unleashed wasn't that difficult, or implausible.  He was given a lot of information, it became a matter of adding it up as a good detective should, he didn't need to be an epidemiologist for that.  Butters introduced "patient zero,"  who had the plague on steroids, who happened to be a member of Father Forthill's Order, the theft of the Shroud, the involvement of both the Denarians and the Knights of the Cross, the warnings from the Loa, so putting it all of it together quite plausible, however there is a lot of other stuff going on at the same time that distracts.

As to knowing how the Spear works, yes, Harry had access to Alfred on Demonreach, he is also buds with the Knights of the Cross, along with knowing Father Forthill, all of the above would have information or some.  Or perhaps more plausible, because the Spear is what it is, and the care that it goes only to those with enough smarts to get it in the first place, it comes with how to directions.  In other words if you know what it is and are clever and strong enough to break it out of the vault, you get the how to knowledge that goes with it.  It just happens.

Maybe put that in the book? There's this guy I watch on YouTube who says if fans have to come up with answers to plot holes, that's just bad writing. Now plot holes is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, but depending on one's definition of plot hole, I agree.

[Mira]

Maybe put that in the book? There's this guy I watch on YouTube who says if fans have to come up with answers to plot holes, that's just bad writing. Now plot holes is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, but depending on one's definition of plot hole, I agree.

I find a whole lot of plot holes in Peace Talks and Battle Ground when it comes to it.  However not
so much in Death Masks, maybe because of my biology background, and maybe because I've seen movies with similar plots.  So to me it wasn't too hard to connect the dots as far as the plague goes, but as I said, aside from that, the book seemed to go all over the place.  Maybe because Jim was using it to introduce things that would be important down the road.

  Susan and Harry have had sex in the past, but this time neither used protection and it was after she was half turned.. Oh in Changes a little bundle of joy just happens to turn up.  One other point about that, and I am adding it because it crossed my mind this morning.  On one hand Susan seemed to resent Harry getting her pregnant and didn't let him know to keep the child safe... But then she keeps the kid near by her, and names it after Harry's mother for crap sake..  Hello Princess of the Obvious, if it wasn't hard for Arianna to figure out that Eb and Margaret were related, it isn't big a step for her to figure out a kid of Susan's named Maggie was related..  Death Masks also sets up Martin to be the double crossing heavy, which he was down the line.  He also encouraged Susan to be with the injured Harry, knowing with the smell of blood and all.. Well, you know..  Shiro hands over his Sword to Harry for safe keeping, not to be a Knight, but as caretaker.. The Sword does nothing until Small Favor which sets Harry up further as custodian when he gains the Sword of Love as well, which also becomes important in Changes, drags Murphy into the mix which climaxes several books later in Skin Game when she breaks the Sword of Faith, and we know where that all led..  Oh also introduces the power of the Artifacts, though we find out later in Skin Game that that Shroud was a fake, the one that Harry nabbed, isn't.

[Bad Alias]

DM didn't seem all over the place to me.

[Mira]

DM didn't seem all over the place to me.

But you must admit it was packed with a lot of set ups.

[morriswalters]

But that would be too funny a conversation not to put in the books.

Pancakes and spears.

“I know two hundred and twenty-seven individual pancake recipes!” Bonnie said. “Sixteen can be made with the current inventory of the kitchen!”

Butcher, Jim. Peace Talks (Dresden Files) (p. 15). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Bonea was full of points of information that didn’t connect to anything else. She could tell you the particulars of all sorts of secrets of the universe, but she’d have no idea what kind of an effect those secrets could have on the actual world. Which made her . . . someone to be carefully managed.

Butcher, Jim. Peace Talks (Dresden Files) (p. 14). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[Dina]

But apparently Harry did not think in asking her what being a Starborn meant.

[morriswalters]

But apparently Harry did not think in asking her what being a Starborn meant.

Harry isn't the brightest crayon in the box.

[Dina]

That is not actually true. Harry is impulsive and as such he does not immediately realizes things, but when he has time to think, he is quite clever. As "Justine" said, he does not look that bright, but he pretty much is. Not a genius, mind you. But he is intelligent.
So he did not ask for the same reason he did not ask many other questions. Because of plot reasons.

[TheCuriousFan]

Or to put it simply he's passive to the point where Demonreach arguably has more initiative and interest in the outside world than Harry does.

[Dina]

Yes, but that is the problem, isn't it. Harry is a P.I. He is supposed to be interested in finding answers. Why he did not some research on his own life? Specially now, as whatever happens to him in the future will probably impact Maggie. And Bonea herself.

[Arjan]

Yes, but that is the problem, isn't it. Harry is a P.I. He is supposed to be interested in finding answers. Why he did not some research on his own life? Specially now, as whatever happens to him in the future will probably impact Maggie. And Bonea herself.

Nobody wants to talk to Harry about the really important stuff. Jim keeps him isolated from information about his mother all the time, he only gets some fragments.

And I also think he is afraid of what he would find sometimes.