Little Things [spoilers]

[Arjan]

Everyone saw a hole blown in the castles defences, by Ethnui, including Carlos. That was the point.

No one knew apparently about Bob the Castle. Bob is dismissive of Toot throughout the story unable to remember his name (shame on Bob the spirit of INTELLECT). someone used stealthy Gremlins to penetrate a known defensive lapse. Large number of suspects, likely an Accorded Member making it look like Harry blew himself up. More interested in making an example of Harry than in trying to obtain his toys. The spells Merlin.

Bob does know. He is playing.

[Mira]

The idea that Bob the Castle wouldn't have defenses calibrated to sense a swarm of gremlins is ludicrous, but needed for the narrative, so cast extra strength disbelief suspendo for 20 pages and it's all good.

Bob confesses to Harry that he didn't take gremlins into account.  May seem ludicrous to you, but then again Bob is new to this job.  At Harry's place he lived in skull, he didn't monitor the wards that Harry had up for his apartment.  Now he has the run of the castle, that is different, and yes, even Bob screws up at times.  As Harry said back in Cold Days, Bob is smart, but he doesn't know everything.. If Merlin did devise the wards for the castle, they could be something totally new for him.

Everyone saw a hole blown in the castles defences, by Ethnui, including Carlos. That was the point.

Everyone knew a physical hole was blown in the castle's roof, that isn't the same as it's wards.. And as Bob tells Harry, the wards were up and running, he thought they were secure, however he didn't account that little folk like gremlins, so they were able to invade without detection.. I doubt that Carlos knew that.. As far as that goes, until he stepped foot in the castle Harry didn't know the ancient runes existed that make up a security system almost as strong as what Demonreach has.. Actually could be as strong once Bob gets the hang of running them.  What Harry really needs is Alfred to pay a visit, bet he understands them. No, Carlos wouldn't know anymore about that than he does the defenses of Demonreach.

[g33k]

...  Or another possibility is Harry underestimated what Marcone knows about the castle wards, in fact very possible.  I think it improbable that Marcone would have a castle imported stone by stone from Europe to Chicago, reassemble it, have supernatural types guarding it and going in and out, plus a coin of a Fallen angelic wizard stashed away, accepted or not, and not know about it's ancient wards.  I even doubt that that castle was a random pick from the castle real estate market ...

I'm going with that last tidbit...

Not a "random" import at all!

My original thought -- when we learned about all those Demonreach-caliber runes & wards -- was that Marcone had leveraged Gard/Monoc to select & import the castle.

Now, I think it was Namshiel.
And I think Nammy wanted Harry to get the castle; that was the entire reason it was imported.

I'm not clear why, exactly.  But I suspect it's because Nammy wants the Starborn Wizard to be more able to fight Outsiders (and doesn't really expect a Starborn to necessarily be really deeply involved in the whole Heaven/Hell conflict... and, really... even if he did take sides, it's only a couple of centuries to avoid the North American midwest, and go cause misery elsewhere!),  But, Outsiders?  I think even Hell thinks the Outsiders are bad for business.

Similarly, I think Mab expects Harry to eventually master the WK-Mantle, and use it as just another tool in his toolbag, to fight the Outsiders.  I think the whole reason she was recruiting him so long, is because she wanted the longest time possible to temper him and sharpen him for the fight to come.  She took him away from Malcom's tender care, to toughen him up under Justin's tutelage.  She knew (I bet most of the major powers knew) all about Starborn cycles, and the time(s) of birth to qualify.  And she sure as hell(lower-case-h; emphasis not alliance!) knew about Margaret LeFey's pregnancy, and her Starborn son's Salic-law heritage!

[vincentric]

Gotta agree that Bob not seeing the hole in the castle's defenses is a flaw. The Guard have been coming and going this whole time and they are the same size.

Bob was there when Lacuna and her faction almost killed Harry in Cold Days. He'd recognize them as a possible threat as soon as he noticed that he could not see Toot and the Guard with the defenses.

[Mira]

Now, I think it was Namshiel.
And I think Nammy wanted Harry to get the castle; that was the entire reason it was imported.

I buy the other stuff, but not this, simply because unless Namshiel orchestrated the burning of the apartment house to begin with back in Changes, Marcone buying the property, then that particular castle, then Harry realizing that his old basement lab still existed, then the Battle of Chicago, followed by Harry in front of the other Accord member demanding the castle from Marcone.  That seems a lot over several years to be ducks neatly lining up in a row, even for a fallen angel.

Gotta agree that Bob not seeing the hole in the castle's defenses is a flaw. The Guard have been coming and going this whole time and they are the same size.

Yes and no, simply because Za'Guard are Harry's "men" so they'd have a way to get past the wards just like the ordinary vanilla humans do that are staying there.

Here is one more thought that there might be a traitor inside.  How is it that the gremlin knew the exact location of the kitchens in the castle?  I don't buy that it was logical that they were where they were.  Also not a given that that is where they were when Marcone had the castle, Harry was having the place redone. So someone on the inside knew and gave the layout before hand.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Most likely someone bought off one of the workmen, indeed given the amount of damage it is suspicious even with Michael that Harry was able to get stonemasons so quickly, so was he set up?

[Mira]

Most likely someone bought off one of the workmen, indeed given the amount of damage it is suspicious even with Michael that Harry was able to get stonemasons so quickly, so was he set up?

Or someone among the svartalves wants payback because of what Thomas did, since Harry seems to be able to have modern appliances they are doing a lot of the work.  For two possible reasons, 1] they don't buy that Harry knew nothing about his planned assassination, 2]  they want to get to Lara by killing Harry.

[Arjan]

I think Harry has good relations with the svartalves now. His guard is armed by his them. They helped him acquire his castle. Molly and Mab might have smoothed things over.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Or someone among the svartalves wants payback because of what Thomas did, since Harry seems to be able to have modern appliances they are doing a lot of the work.  For two possible reasons, 1] they don't buy that Harry knew nothing about his planned assassination, 2]  they want to get to Lara by killing Harry.

Michael is capable of minor miracles, but getting in workmen on time, during a major housing crisis? That would be beyond even Michael. Very, very suspicious. A bit of investigation might turn up White Council interests.

Mister killing all the Gremlins is also suspicious, a mortal cat would have left one half dead under Harry’s bed for Harry to find later. Say in the middle of the night when Mister fancies a little light entertainment. Harry might want to check his shoes for bits of Gremlin even so.

Good to hear though that Michael finally stopped swearing, after 2 weeks, I had feared Carlos had permanently broken him.

The Swartalves probably realise it wasn’t a coincidence, they are paranoid at best and realising Thomas was strong armed by Nemesis means Nemesis is their enemy, not Thomas or Justine. Given who they are they are probably devising something to spot the nemfected, their version of the Gate Keepers Eye, and that is a big boost for War against the Outsiders

[Snark Knight]

Well I said I wouldn't buy it.  Kindle solved that problem.  Download a sample for free. The sample is the story.

Nice.

Anyone else have comments on the rest of the anthology, though? Worth / not worth?

[Mira]

Mister killing all the Gremlins is also suspicious, a mortal cat would have left one half dead under Harry’s bed for Harry to find later. Say in the middle of the night when Mister fancies a little light entertainment. Harry might want to check his shoes for bits of Gremlin even so.

Mister didn't kill all of them, just those in the kitchen, Za'Guard did in quite a few before they got that far.  Cats can be very fast, however I'm surprised that he didn't toy with any of them first. So he might be saving one under Harry's bed.. Or left the body there just because that is something else cats do.

[morriswalters]

I'm going with that last tidbit...

Not a "random" import at all!

My original thought -- when we learned about all those Demonreach-caliber runes & wards -- was that Marcone had leveraged Gard/Monoc to select & import the castle.

Here is a candidate. Joyous Gard. Seems to be an interesting coincidence? Here is a poem.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I have a long-standing theory that Jim has cherry picked the Celtic revivalists, and Tennyson  for inspiration, characters and plot elements, so Swinburne would make sense.

This could mean the entire Dresden files are nothing more than revenge against his tutor for being forced to study the romantic poets of the 19th Century. If so I hate to think what his revenge on his 8th Grade Science teacher is going to look like.

[Snark Knight]

Cats can be very fast, however I'm surprised that he didn't toy with any of them first.

Makes me wonder about the theory someone mentioned of Mister being a malk scion in service to Lea as an explanation for his unusual size and continuing vitality in old age. That would certainly account for him being smart like that.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

That of course would be me.

Mister at the point of Little Things is 17-18 years of age. Everyone is noting he is quite old, by the calendar, but it is clear from Little Things he is as strong and quick as he has always been, with senses to equal Toot and Lacuna. The Little Folk are noted as being sensitive to to things, Harry has to Listen to even hear them sometimes. He is also relatively peacefully co-existing with The Za Guard. If he were a Malk Changeling, like Sarissa he wouldn’t age unless he chose mortal, and he would fall within Winter and would therefore allow Toot Etc to live, relatively unharnessed. Toot has only been Winter since Changes, prior to that he would have been fair game. A mortal cat wouldn’t make the distinction, a scion would. His blood thirstiness is also a Malk trait, they are worse than mortal cats. The constant reference to Tomcat suggests Mister is not fixed (we know Mouse isn’t) and yet he is not spraying, suggesting he is intelligent enough to not do so. The Mister Microfiction gives some idea of his intelligence.

I think yes Mister was a spy originally for Lea, but as a dog person she failed to address the issue all cat lovers are aware of “Because Cat”. He has been a terrible spy because he has been pursuing his own agenda all along, he is extremely happy being what he is living a life of pets, catnip, random mayhem and sex and terrorising a much larger semi-divine dog. He is living the perfect Cat Life.