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llovelyclouds · 1 year ago

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notes on alecto

hii!! so a few months ago i did a full reread of the locked tomb and took note of anything i thought seemed particularly relevant. I want to share what I have but I'm not sure exactly how i want to format everything quite yet- but im just gonna go for it so bear with me if its a little disorganized!

throughout the process i've started coming up with some of my own theories, but i thought it would be cool to post everything i've compiled, so people could use that to make their own conclusions as well :D

I have sections for anything that seemed important about all the original lyctors & their cavaliers, so I'm going to start off with all my information gathered about alecto! buckle in, folks, there's a lot :-)

you can find links to the other posts in the project here!

(also ofc spoilers for the up to the end of nona ahead!)

ALECTO

titles:

Also referred to as “A.L.”, “Annabel Lee,”or “Annie Laurie” John’s cavalier, the soul of the Earth. (And of course, nona <;3)

Annabel Lee poem (mentioned htn. pg. 196)

Annie Laurie poem (mentioned htn. pg. 345)

notes from harrow the ninth:

Harrow's psychosis seems to begin after seeing Alecto for the first time (htn. pg. 51)

Augustine describes her as "more lucid" than Mercy as an insult to Mercy (htn. pg 168)

"'God, who did you bury?' [...] 'I buried a monster,' he said." (htn. pg. 195)

(depending on how much of The Body is real) Agrees that Harrow should kill G1dieon (htn. pg. 226)

“Augustine said, ‘To sisters, and to the women we‘ve left behind.’ God’s mouth was cheerful as ever, but his eyes were not when he said, 'Do I have to drink to that?’ For the first time, you were witness to the Saint of Patience discombobulated. ‘Apologies, John. Wasn’t meant as a jab.’ ‘It doesn’t hurt anymore- most of the time,’ said God, and he was still smiling.” (htn. Pg. 277)

"Even the devil bent for God to put a leash around her neck… and the disciples were scared! I cannot blame them! I was terrified! But when the work was done- when I was finished, and so were they, and the new Lyctors found out the price- they bade him kill the saltwater creature before she could do them harm… Oh, but it is a tragedy, to be put in a box and laid to wait for the rest of time." - Teacher (htn. pg. 328)

Says she has to go away for a while immediately after Varun appears (htn. pg. 334)

John says that G1deon doesn’t talk about her, but Augustine and Mercy still feel guilty about what happened (htn. pg. 345)

“When I first met her I just called her First, One. She had a real name, but I buried it with her, and nobody says it anymore.” - John (htn. Pg. 345)

“Annabel Lee was my- what do I call her? Guide? Friend? I’d hope so… [...] She was the first Resurrection. She was my Adam. As the dust settled and I beheld what was left and what was gone, I was entirely alone. The world had been ended, Harrowhark. One moment I was a man, and the next moment I was the Necrolord Prime, the first necromancer, and more importantly, a landlord with no tenants. [...] I was dazed… I was bewildered… and she was my defender and my sole companion, and my colleague in the scholarship of learning how to live again. It was bloody difficult. I had never been God. [...] She lived to see what happened at Canaan House. Not that she took much interest. My first Resurrection was not a normal human being, Harrow, and she struggled to pretend. Anger was her besetting sin. We had that in common. And when the cost of Lyctorhood was paid, when the emotions were at their peak… we found out the price for our sin. The monstrous retribution. To be chased for our crime to the ends of the universe, to have our deed stain our very faces and follow after us like a foul smell. She died after that first terrible assault.” - John (htn. pg. 346)

"That freak would have gone for me already… she could never act human." -Mercymorn (htn. pg. 408)

the lyctors knew some amount of truth about Alecto's resurrection, likely that shes essentially a resurrection beast (htn. pg. 478)

"'A monster, John!' Augustine barked. "She was a bloody monster in a human suit! She was a monster the moment you resurrected her, and then you went and made her worse!'" - Augustine (htn. pg. 478)

Gideon & Pyrrha liked Alecto despite the fact that the other lyctors (at least Mercy and Augustine) didn't (htn. pg. 479)

One of the reasons the lyctors wanted her dead was because the RBs were partially coming for her (htn. pg. 479)

Appears to claim Harrow's body after Gideon "dies" in the river (htn. pg. 500)

notes from nona the ninth

"Sometimes, [...] I don't like when you do- the necromancy word- [...] -but it feels nice at the same time. It's mixed up. It's like when you do that, it makes me sad- not sad that you did it, but sad that you can do it." - Nona, to Palamades (ntn. pg. 65)

"Nona loved the blue sphere as much as she loved everything else. She, and nobody else, could hear it sing." (ntn. pg. 125)

"'And I'm not scared of dying. Really truly, Cam, I'm not…' 'Why not?' said Camilla. Nona thought about it. 'Because I like letting go of the pull-up bars and falling off,' she said. 'I don't like the part just before you let go and I don't like the part where you hit the floor, but I like the letting go.'"- Nona and Cam (ntn. pg. 125)

"Dust of my dust- such similar star salt- what they did to you and what they wrung from you and what shape they made you fill- we see you still- we seek you still- we murdered- we who murder- you inadvertent tool- you misused green thing- come back to us- take vengeance for us- we saw you- we see you- I see you." - Judith, (as Varun) to Nona (ntn. pg. 164)

Nona likes Gideon's (originally Pyrrhas?? maybe?) sunglasses, but only so long as nobody wore them (ntn. pg. 165)

"then she told herself sternly, Stop it! If she was going to do it, she thought, she might as well do it. She had some vague notion that when you committed to a thing you had to do it all the way. Who had said that to her? Who had taught her that? Once you've stepped in, said the voice in the back of her head, you're in. This isn't the Hokey Pokey. She had remembered something- she had finally remembered something! Only she didn't have anyone to tell." (ntn. pg. 203)

"Nona had thrown exactly two tantrums in her entire life. She couldn't remember anything about the first one, but Pyrrha had told her about it. Pyrrha had been laughing with her mouth, but not with her eyes: her eyes had been very brown and distant and uneasy, as though this tantrum had reminded Pyrrha of something her brain didn't want to bring back." (ntn. pg. 275)

"'But you see, Palamades, I don't mind dying,' said Nona, trying to make him understand. 'I've been doing it for ages. I'm not scared.'" (ntn. pg. 289)

"'I am glad you did not tell us this. We had no idea there was any recourse from Varun the Eater's effects, nor any beast.' 'Its pure theory,' Camilla said curtly. "Something's being transmitted through the light spectrum. Absorption through the eyes is worse for the brain.' This made Nona think of something. It tugged at the edges of her memory and stayed there, nagging.'" - We Suffer & Cam (ntn. pg. 322)

Nona says that she never liked her hands (ntn. pg. 357)

"She wanted to shout. She wanted to be listened to. She wished the barrier had taken her hands. She wished she had thrust herself into it- become that big seething mass of flesh and meat and tendrils- ruined her body, just melted it; come back messed up, so that nobody could want her body but her, so that it would be hers and nobody else's. This was a horrible thing to think. Nona hated herself immediately and fervently." (ntn. pg. 358)

She hates having just two feet (ntn. pg. 390)

“You were the noise that was everywhere. It was like trying to talk to someone down a phone line with someone screaming through a megaphone in the same room. You drowned everything out. You were so huge and so complicated, and you were screaming, You wouldn’t stop screaming, You were so scared. You were so goddamn mad.” (ntn. pg. 405)

“You were screaming. I wanted you to stop, I wanted… I wanted you. I wanted you like a caveman wants a wildfire… or the sun. I thought you were going to take me, somehow. Purge me. Use me as an instrument. But you didn’t say anything…I was babbling, Show me. Come on. I’m ready. You kept screaming and screaming… like a baby in pain. So I tried to hurt you- I did hurt you. I reached out for you, and it hurt you… but I wasn’t strong enough. The caveman. The wildfire. The Neolithic priest staggering in front of the falling star.” (ntn. pg. 407)

“I wanted to make you the most beautiful body I could think of. He paused and said: “But I was stressed, okay? I was insane. Most of what had made me John had gone somewhere else. There were a few little thoughts left…a handful of things that made me me… a couple scraps of id. It’s not fair to judge me, right? I didn’t do this thinking… I didn’t do it like art. When I was seven, you know, all Nana had to play with in her house was some of Mum’s old toys. And my favourite out of all of them…” He gave a long, shuddering sigh. “My favourite was her old Hollywood Hair Barbie,” he murmured. “I loved her little gold outfit and her long yellow hair. She was the best. She got to have all the adventures. [...]” He said, from my blood and bone and vomit I conjured up a beautiful labyrinth to house you in. I was terrified you’d find some way to escape before I was done. I made you look like a Christmas tree fairy… I made you look like a Renaissance angel… I made you Adam and Eve… Galatea. Barbie. Frankenstien’s monster with long yellow hair. He said, As the world went up I remade us both. I hid me in you… I hid you in me. And when we were together… once the shaman had claimed the sun… I became God.”- John (ntn. pg. 408)

“Do you remember what you said to me once I had done it? When we stood here together?” She looked at him and she said, “Yes.” He said- “You said, ‘I picked you to change, and this is how you repay me?’” She said- “What else did I say?” He said: “You said, ‘What have you done to me? I am a hideousness.’” She said- “What else did I say?” He said, “Where did you put the people? Where did they go?” She said, “I still love you.” He said, "You said that too.” - John & Alecto/Harrow (ntn. Pg. 410)

Nona has some kind of blackout on top of the truck and something happens in that time that convinces Pyrrha of her true identity (ntn. pg. 413)

Also based on Nona’s reaction at that point, maybe Alecto didn’t like Pyrrha even though Pyrrha liked Alecto (ntn. pg. 413)

“She’s scared to die. You’re afraid of so many things, but she’s only afraid to die. Then when the disciples come to you and say the word Lyctor, she does not understand that they want the thing you did to her- she watches as you watch… watch them misunderstand the process.” - Harrow, to John, (ntn. pg. 434)

“In [Aiglemene’s] hands was a huge black-metal pike about the same height as her, with an edge that gleamed in the light. Nona couldn’t stop herself looking at that edge: for some reason it made her palms sweat, and the back of her neck itch again.” (ntn. pg. 454)

“I might not help you when.. I'm back," she said, not quite understanding I. “I'll be different. I'll remember everything. I'll remember the thing I'm trying to forget. And Palamedes- I won't love him. I won't love Camilla, or Pyrrha, or Hot Sauce, or even Noodle. I won't love anything… I won't know how. I won't be me at all, or.. I'll be the me who knows the thing, and knowing the thing means I'm not Nona- I'm someone else." (ntn. pg. 460)

she recognizes the tower, and the devils (ntn. pg. 440, and 447, respectively)

“You let that monster out of its box," said Ianthe, "and you start us down a path nobody can save us from. If God truly wants her out… if Teacher set this all up… if he wants her…" “Wants her? He told me to kill her. He said Make it quick, but kill her, said me with my blood could do it- said me with my blood, I was the only one… " [...] “He loves her! " Ianthe howled. “John loves Alecto - John needs Alecto! Without that piece of Goddamn fridge meat, he's nothing- and we need to keep him that way!” - Ianthe & Kiriona, accidentally prompting nona to remember everything (ntn. pg. 470)

“She had been taken down this corridor: she had squeezed through this crack in the rock- not a passageway, not at that point. John had told her he had something to show her. He had said, It's very pretty. You'll like it. [...] John loved her. She was John's cavalier. She loved John. For she so loved the world that she had given them John. For the world so loved John that she had been given. For John had so loved her that he had made her she. for John had loved the world. [...] She hadn't come on purpose; the scrap of black-eyed meat had asked for it- the chain of a kiss: the ice that burnt the flesh of the mouth that had stuck to the mouth that was frozen.The teardrop on the hand. The hand that John had fashioned. [...] John had said, It's so beautiful. Come and look. She had said, There are almost no beautiful things left. where is Anastasia? Let me talk to Anastasia. [...] Glowworms, she had told John. Technically beetles, said John, but I always loved them. Narrow beetles with long strands hanging off them- a carpet of shifting, dead, winking lights at the top of the grave. Greenish, orangish, yellowish, moving over one another silently with those long filaments hanging down. [...] And the water- the huge pool of real salt water, where she had knelt and drank- [...] John and she had swum to the centre hummock rising out of the pool. Not an island, not really. An outcropping. With the marble pillars, and the marble top, and the long low marble table. He said he thought it was a nice place to be. To lie down. She had liked hard things to lie down on. It was hard to endure having a spine.” (ntn. starting page 471)

“There she was; John had made her so ugly, so unbearably ugly. The terrible face, with the terrible arms and legs and the terrible middle part, and the terrible hair, and the terrible ears: the nose too short, the ears too brief. But there she was- and within her the child, asleep, with the strange sword. The sword- her sword- her own edge had been pushed out, her swinging edge, her toy. Her plain bladed sword. And her body was chained up…” (ntn. pg. 474)

“Then Alecto remembered the vow, and turned back upon the altar to face the second child and raised the sword with wrath in her heart, for they meant to bring destruction upon her. But when the black-eyed infant showed her countenance to Alecto, Alecto recalled her, for it was a face one dreamed in Alecto's dream. and Alecto stayed the sword.” (ntn. pg. 476)

“And Alecto said, Pyrrha, he laid me down as an appeasement to them; he fed you to them as an appeasement to them; but he has never appeased me, and now all he has done was teach me how to die." (ntn. Pg. 476)

"Alecto said, I am very sorry about Samael. The child made no answer. Alecto said, I remember my vows. As I swore to Anastasia I swear to you. I am in your service until you bid me the favour, and whatsoever you appoint I shall perform, and consider the vow rendered. This is what I promised, until such a time as you deal with me as you see fit.” (ntn. pg. 477)

#junos silly little locked tomb thoughts #tlt #the locked tomb #tlt meta #gideon the ninth #harrow the ninth #nona tha ninth #gtn #htn #ntn #ntn spoilers #alecto #alecto the ninth #alecto tlt #nona tlt #alecto the first

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eldritch-bf · 2 months ago

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The Terror // Dan Simmons // pg. 196

#captain crozier #francis crozier #hms terror #hms erebus #franklin expedition #the terror #dan simmons

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aniquotes · 4 months ago

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"<Marco, why are you screaming? It hurts my head.>

<We're gonna die, you alien lunatic!>"

- Megamorphs #1: The Andalite's Gift (Marco), pg. 196 (by K.A. Applegate)

#animorphs #dialogue #the andalite's gift #megamorphs #Marco #Aximili #danger #whining complaining and screaming

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fortjester · 1 year ago

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pg. 196 (pb), Chapter 20, Harrow the Ninth

pg. 465 (pb), Chapter 50, Harrow the Ninth

anybody else think abt how gideon's parents both really deeply value poetry and prose? nobody? just me?

#fuck off lou #my post #tlt #the locked tomb #harrow the ninth #htn #john gaius #commander wake #every so often i think abt how similar wake & john are as people.#like pre-john 1:20 i think they probably would have liked each other.#omg you like poetry? //I// like poetry!!#//you// like calculated attacks on those in power to further a cause for environmental health and justice for the exploited common man??#you're never gonna believe this but--#just what john needs. another lesbian extremist for his lesbian extremist cult #au where wake is part of the pre-res gang #she's the one who keeps encouraging him to escalate escalate escalate-

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every-yumichika · 4 months ago

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#bleach #mangacap #charlotte chuhlhourne #yumichika ayasegawa #volume 37 #chapter 322. Oath Under the Rose #pg. 196

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roseillith · 1 month ago

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queer african cinemas - lindsey b. green-simms pg 188, 193-196, 204

#f #lit #txt #queer african cinemas #lindsey b. green-simms #rafiki #dakan

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ronanlynchdefender · 2 years ago

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An Asexual Reading of Gansey

A little while ago, I made a post saying Gansey should’ve been ace “because reasons” and then I decided to write a post detailing those reasons and here it is.

As someone who is ace, I think many ace-spec (and aro-spec) people conceptualize our romantic and platonic relationships differently than allo people might. When reading The Raven Cycle, I personally related to Gansey and how he thinks and feels about his friendships with the raven boys. Had Gansey been written as an asexual character, I think it would’ve added another layer of nuance to the unique ways in which he views these platonic relationships.

"What has he possibly done to deserve such a thing?" Helen demanded. "Are you sleeping with him?" Indignation cooled his voice. "Because friendship isn't worthy enough?" (The Raven King, pg. 303)

Gansey prioritizes his platonic relationships just as much as his romantic relationships. In fact, Gansey’s primary concerns in the entire series (aside from finding Glendower) are his intense (and often tumultuous) friendships. His friends are such a priority that he brides the headmaster in order to guarantee that Ronan gets his high school diploma. Helen assumes that only a romantic or sexual connection would motivate someone to do something so extreme, but Gansey pushes back on this idea. For Gansey, friendship is just as worthy and just as important as any other relationship. The words, "just a friend," are meaningless in a Gansey world. If Richard Campbell Gansey III chooses you as his close friend, he will go to the ends of the ley line for you.

I think this is something that ace-spec and aro-spec people can relate to because we may also place higher value in our friendships just like Gansey does. Just because we don’t experience romantic or sexual feelings in the same way as everyone else, or at all, doesn’t mean we won’t still do batshit crazy things for other people.

For an ace or aro-spec person, platonic relationships can be just as strong as romantic or sexual relationships are for allo people.

“Do you not want me to come?” Something stuck in Gansey’s throat. “I would take all of you anywhere with me.” (The Raven Boys, pg. 163)

This is just an absolutely beautiful line, and what makes it so is that Gansey truly means it. It’s so sincere and vulnerable. The things that Gansey values most in his life are his friendships, and he just wants all of them to be together forever. Besides finding Glendower, his dream in life is to literally live with all his friends in Monmouth. He begs Adam to move in with them. And I KNOW I am not the only ace-spec or aro-spec person who dreams about living in a big house with all their closest friends.

What was it about Blue? Adam was not suspicious of her, and he was suspicious of everyone. But then again, he was clearly infatuated. That, too, was unfamiliar ground for Gansey. (The Raven Boys, pg. 201)

In these couple of chapters when Adam asks Blue out with the guys and they find Cabeswater for the first time, Gansey is confused about Adam’s feelings toward Blue. There are a few interpretations: Gansey is jealous of Adam because he is attracted to Blue; Gansey is jealous of Blue because he is in love with Adam. Both of these interpretations are, of course, not mutually exclusive.

Regardless of any jealousy or attraction he may or may not be feeling in this scene, Gansey is genuinely confused because Adam liking a girl so openly is inconsistent with his perception of Adam. It is exactly as Gansey says. Adam doesn’t trust people. To see Adam trust another person so suddenly and inexplicably in Gansey’s eyes is disconcerting to say the least.

At the door to the helicopter, Gansey looked back over his shoulder at them, his smile complicated when he saw them holding hands. (The Raven Boys, pg. 196)

Obviously, Adam has a crush on Blue, but this isn’t easy for Gansey to wrap his head around. It's easy for Gansey to conceptualize that Adam may admire this strange and quirky girl from afar at Nino's, but seeing them physically close after only 2 or 3 encounters utterly puzzles him.

I feel like a lot of ace-spec and aro-spec people can relate to the confusion around sudden attraction. We ask totally reasonable questions such as how do you know you like someone after only having one or two conversations with them?

If Gansey was written as asexual, one could interpret this scene as Gansey not understanding the nature of Adam's romantic or sexual attraction to Blue. It would not be Adam’s crush that puzzles Gansey but also the idea of crushes altogether.

[Side note: Just imagine a version of Raven Boys where Gansey is lamenting the downfall of his queerplatonic relationship with Adam because Adam has a crush on a girl. It’s not even too far off from what actually happens in the books. Lmao]

“We’re friends at once, we would instantly do what friends would do for each other. Not just pals. Friends. Blood brothers. You just feel it. We instead of you and me. That’s jeong.” Gansey was aware on a certain level that the description was melodramatic, heightened, illogical. But on a deeper level, it felt true, and familiar, and like it explained much of Gansey’s life. It was how he felt about Ronan and Adam and Noah and Blue. With each of them, it had felt instantly right: relieving. Finally, he thought, he’d found them. We instead of you and me. (The Raven King, pg. 360)

How interesting that Gansey bonds with Henry Cheng, The Raven Cycle’s most aroace-coded character, about the concept of platonic soulmates. This point is pretty self-explanatory. I feel like a lot of ace and aro-spec people relate to the concept of platonic soulmates.

In conclusion, I think making Gansey asexual could’ve added another layer of nuance to the already nuanced relationships he has with all of the members of the gangsey. While it is evident in certain scenes that Gansey was not intended to be an ace-coded character, I still resonate with the ways Gansey feels about his relationships.

Also, I know I wrote about ace and aro-spec people in general for this post, but this is mainly from my own personal perspective so obviously the points I make are not necessarily representative of the entire community.

If any other aces (or aros) are reading this, let me know if you relate or if this is just a me thing. I’m curious to hear what other people think about this topic.

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friendly-books · 7 months ago

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Dresden files Cold days live blog

Dresden files Cold days

“Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, Monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, has unique ideas on physical therapy.” pg. 11

Mab and therapy don’t go together

Time to look up what The Cat Sith is

I already love Cat Sith and Harry’s dynamic

“The last time I was at a supernatural shindig, I got poisoned and then everything there tried to kill me. So I burned the whole place to the ground” pg. 31 Bianca party Harry’s rap sheet with parties is terrible. Why do people keep inviting him to parties. It never ends well.

“Wait for instructions. Follow instructions.”

“I’m not good at either of those things” pg. 33 Ha

Harry’s birthday!

“She’d been, ah, vajazzled” pg. 50 Ha

I love Harry’s telling off of Maeve

“I’m never really comfortable with parties.” pg. 58 Yep and I predict that this party going as bad as well as all the others disaster)

Eldest Gruff!

Oh no Eirkling isn’t he still trying to kill Harry?

“You are such a fanboy, Dresden.” pg. 65 Yep and who wouldn’t fanboy over Santa?

“Not till after Halloween. Enough is enough, I’m drawing the line.” pg. 66 Ha

Alright something is up. No one is telling Harry anything

Cool that Eldest Gruff used his ears to indicate where Sarissa went

“Ask the Red Court about it. Oh wait” pg. 76 Ha I probably shouldn’t have laughed at that

“Build a man a fire and he’s warm for a day.” I said “But set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life.” pg. 77 Ha and nice Pratchett reference

“I had one advantage: I was used to competing out of my weight class.” pg. 89 Yep

Go Sarissa!

“Kill my daughter. Kill Maeve” pg. 103 What

“Wait. Your job is…You’re BFFs with Mab?” pg. 115 Ha

Toot toot!

“One day,” I told myself “one brave and magnificent day, I will actually be cool.” pg. 129 Ha and I think you’re cool Harry

Bob!

The Winter mantel sucks

“-but he’s still kind of a friend.”

Bob made a gagging sound. “Don’t get all sappy on me, Dresden.” pg. 141 Aw come on Bob I like Harry being sappy

“while Mab bestrobe me, her naked body strangling me, ranking my thoughts out through my eyes,”

“I shuddered and forced the memory away.” pg. 148 This is terrible please get therapy. If I say it enough times it’s bound to happen

“I know how to kill an immortal.” pg. 149 Oh boy

“It’s when the world of the dead is closest to the mortal world. Everyone-everything-standing in this world is mortal of Halloween.” pg. 152 Of course it’s on Harry’s birthday

“Is that going to happen to me?” pg. 156 Poor Harry you’re not going to turn out like Slate

I agree with Bob talk and trust your friends Harry

Go Toot Toot!

Molly!

“I swear, this stupid town. Why does every hideous supernatural thing that happens happened here? I’m gone for a few months and augh. Be right back. Grrsdll frrrsl rassle mrrrfl” pg. 196 Ha

“I looked around. It wasn’t home, but…it was in the in the right zip code. And it was maybe the single sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.” pg. 197 Aw :)

Thomas!

“You. Moron

You idiot.” pg. 212 Yes Thomas call Harry out

“Yeah,” I said. “I missed you, too” pg. 215 Aw :)

“If your new boss wanted you on the island, wouldn’t she just have told you to go there?” Thomas asked

“Seems like,” I said. “Taking her orders is pretty much my job now.”

Molly snorted

“Maybe I’ll grow into it,” I said “You don’t know.”

Thomas snorted softly” pg. 221 Ha

“Upon completion, I had dubbed it the Whatsup Dock, and Thomas had chucked me twenty feet into the lake, thus proving his utter lack of appreciation for reference-oriented humor.

(And I’d thrown mine forty feet out with magic, once I got dry. Because come on, he’s my brother. It was the only thing to do.)” pg. 223 Ha

“My brother is…geosexual.” pg. 227 Ha

“I don’t know what these are.” pg. 232 What Bob doesn’t know?

So the original Merlin built Deamonreach and Eb has his old journals

“The guys in the White Council who didn’t like me were going to turn purple and start frothing at the mouth when they found out.” pg. 252 Oh yeah definitely some frothing

“No wonder my grandfather had looked stunned when he’d seen what I done with Deamonreach. Or maybe less “stunned” than “horrified” pg. 252 Yep

“IT BURSTS FORTH FROM YOUR SKULL.” pg. 254 Oh no also that’s kinda like Athena. Is Bonnie going to be born in this book?

I love that Deamonreach also calls Molly grasshopper

“He’s one of mine,” I said in a hard voice. “You hurt him and you can forget me helping you.” pg. 256 Yay glad Harry protects Bob

“LESSER BEINGS ONCE KNEW TO RESPECT THEIR ELDERS,” said Deamonreach

“I respect the crap out of you,” Bob complained. “You want my help, and I’m telling you how. Now turn me around.” pg. 258 Ha

“So Lara got in bed with Marcone?”

“She tried,” Thomas said, “but Marcone kept it purely business. That’s two men who have turned her down in the same century. She was annoyed.” pg. 286 This is glorious! I want Harry and Marcone to happen purely for how funny it would be. Imagine if it happened how embarrassing it would be for Lara. Two men who turned her down in the same cemetery get with each other. Hilarious

Fix! Is Fix and Harry going to fight?

“You uh, looked kinda cozy, man. With Mab. On the stone table.”

Sealing a contract like the one with Mab isn’t something you do with an impersonal handshake. I felt my cheeks heat up. “Oh. You saw that.”

“All of Faeire did,” Fix said.

“God that’s humiliating” pg. 296 I legit winced when I read this. Ouch it’s terrible. I hope Jim puts this in here to show that what happened to Harry was bad and Jim addresses it.

I hope Harry talks to Murphy and see Maggie

“Wait a minute…We’re his flunkies.”

“You, maybe” Thomas said sneering. “I’m his thug. I’m way higher than a flunky.” pg. 324 Ha

Vadderrung!

“What do you need?” Vadderung asked

“Advice,” I said “Of the price is right”

“And what do you think a significant price be?

“Lucy charges a nickel”

“Ah,” Vadderung said. “But Lucy is a psychologist. You realize that you’ve just cast yourself as Charlie Brown.”

“Aurg” I said” pg. 318 Ha

“I will accept your offer of one favor-and-a nickel.”

“I told you. I don’t have a nickel.”

He nodded gravely. “What do you have?”

I rummaged in my pockets and came out with the jeweled cuff links from my tux. I showed them to him.

“Those aren’t a nickel” he said soberly. He leaned forward again as he had a moment before, and spoke slowly. “What do you have?”

I stared at him for a second. Then I said, “Friends.”

He sat back, his blue eye all but throwing off sparks, it was so bright.

“Thomas,” I called. “I need a nickel.”

“What?” Thomas asked “In cash?”

“Yeah”

Thomas reached into a pocket and produced a bunch of plastic cards. He fanned them out and showed them to me. “What about these?”

“Those aren’t a nickel,” I said

“Oh for goodness’ sake” Molly sighed. She reached into a pocket and produced what looked like a little old lady’s coin purse. Then she flicked a nickel toward me.

I caught it. “Thanks. You’re promoted to lackey.”

She rolled her eyes “Hail, Ming” pg. 320 Ha

“So if I go back in time and kill my grandfather, what happens?”

“He beats you senseless, I suspect” Vadderrung pg. 323 Ha and interesting that Vadderung knows that Ebenezar is Harry’s grandfather

“Birdbrains” pg. 326 Ha

Oh no Mac’s bar

“Thomas showed his teeth in a predatory grin. “I’m leaving bigger tips from now on.” pg. 336 Ha

“You will come with me”

“Isn’t that what Mab said. Harry?” Thomas quipped

I kept my hand shielded from Sharkface with my body and gave my brother the finger.

“Look, Spanky,” I said to Sharkface. “I’m a little bit busy to be tussling with every random weirdo who is insecure about his junk. Otherwise I would just love to smash you with a beer bottle, kick you in the balls, throw you out through the salon doors, the whole bit. Why don’t you have your people contact my people, and we can do this maybe next week?”

“Next week is your self-deprecation awareness seminar,” Thomas said.

I snapped my fingers “What about the week after?”

“Apartment hunting”

“Bother,” I said. “Well, no one can say we didn’t try. See you later.” pg. 342 Ha

“You have no place in this watcher.” pg. 342 Oh interesting name for Mac

Very cool that Harry that punched Sharkface through his own fire

“Man, the yahoos I scrap with never seem to anticipate that tactic.” pg. 346 Ha

Outsiders come to play

“And you enjoy driving authority figures insane,” Thomas said

I shrugged “I watched The Duke of Hazzard at a formative age,” I said. “Of course I enjoy it.” pg. 357 Ha

“Victor Sells the Shadowman,” I whispered “Agent Denton and the Hexenwolves. Leonid Kravos the Nightmare. My first three major cases.”

“Yes” Lilly whispered “Each of them was tainted by the contagion. It destroyed them.”

I put my hand on the rail and leaned against it. “Fourth case. Aurora. A champion of peace and healing who set out to send the natural world into havoc.” pg. 373 Oh possession? And conspiracy? Since the first case!?

Why are we trusting Maeve?

“I want the throne.” pg. 381 I don’t buy Maeve never struck me as someone who wanted the throne. But the Fae can’t lie something is up and I’m suspicious. I need a bulletin board and red string go full conspiracy theory

Hmm I’m rereading this exchange. Lilly seems uncomfortable with telling the truth but Maeve doesn’t.

Okay the facts as we know them now

Mab wants Harry to kill Maeve

Lilly believes there’s a contagion that changes people

Lilly hasn’t examined Mab

Maeve has and claims Mabs infected

Outsiders are in this book

Harry isn’t infected

Could Maeve be infected and that’s why she can tell the truth? That would also explain why she wants to kill Mab. Could it have something to do with the Outsiders? I don’t have any strong evidence so it’s a bit tin foil hat theory so far.

Ace?! Why are you doing this?

Murphy!

“Be silent, mortal cow.” pg. 395 Rude

“Hey,” I said innocently. “Weren’t there seven of you guys a minute ago.” pg. 398

“Hey,” I said, in the same tone “Weren’t there six of you guys a minute ago.” pg. 399 Ha

Butters!

“Any kind of iron gets under my skin, it seems to disagree with the Winter Knight’s bundle of awesome. Takes the gumption right out of me.” pg. 407 Oh interesting I wonder what other Fae traits Harry has now?

“Isn’t she Catholic?” Thomas asked. “Don’t they have a guy?” pg. 412 Ha and Harry is scruffy homeless Jesus

“Wow seriously, PT?” Butters asked. “How long?”

“Eleven weeks” pg. 412 I would have loved to see actual PT and not Mab trying to kill Harry

“Check out Dr. Marcus Welby, MD, here?”

“I’d have gone with Doogie Howser, maybe” I said

“Split the difference McCoy?” Thomas asked

“Perfect.”

“You’ve been shot!” Butters repeated, exasperated

Thomas shrugged “Well. A little” pg. 416 Ha

Aw no one trusts Harry :(

Whoa there Harry let’s calm down. That’s definitely the Winter Mantle influence

“Translate that from nerd to English, please.” pg. 434 Ha

“I didn’t add in the third reason not to contact the Council-when they found out about my relationship with Mab, the monarch of a sovereign and occasionally hostile supernatural nation, they would almost certainly panic and assume that I was a massive security risk. Which would, for a variety of reasons and to a variety of degrees, be an accurate assumption. And now that I thought about it, given how my, ah, induction had been psychically broadcast to all of Faerie, there was no chance whatsoever that the Council didn’t know.” pg. 436 Why would Harry be a security risk wouldn’t he be more of an ally for both? Wouldn’t he make the alliance stronger? Also that’s creepy that the White Council knows about how Harry became the Winter Knight

“And my body abruptly went numb and useless from my stomach down.” pg. 442 Oh no

So how does the Winter mantle and Harry’s paralysis work? Does the mantle negate the paralysis but Harry still has it?

“Toots jaw just about dropped off of his head. “Wow” pg. 446 Ha

“Celery,” she replied promptly, “Cheese. Green tea. But mostly celery.”

“How random“ pg. 448 Ha

“Ebenezar, when he taught me, had been very serious about making sure I learned the proper names of things” pg. 452 More Harry and Ebenezar lore!

“Titania” pg. 454 Oh is this the best idea Harry? I’m pretty sure Titania still wants to kill you.

“You who slew my daughter,” Titania said quietly. “You dare summon me?” pg. 457 Oh no

“Boink and let boink, more or less.” pg. 461 Ha

What is this talk with Titania?

“Flashy entrances” pg. 464 Ha

“Hell’s bells. Elder Gruff had spoken to my behalf? I owed that guy a beer.” pg. 466 That’s nice that Elder Gruff

Nemesis sounds scary

Harry’s grave

“If working the spell from your own grave on Hallo-freaking-ween wasn’t deathly” pg. 472 Spooky

“Mother Winter, I summon thee” pg. 473 Harry again is this really a good idea?

Yay Harry used his Will and Soulfire. So cool that Harry breaks the art k of Will from Mother Winter

“She lost her walking stick” pg. 492 Mother Winter had a walking stick?

“Two-thirds of the Winter Court will be under its influence.” pg. 495 If Mab really was under the influence then I feel like we would see that. And Mab seems normal for Mab

“Holy…Outsiders? Mab’s fighting Outsiders?” pg. 503 Really? This also leads credibility to my theory because it Mab was controlled by Outsiders then wouldn’t see have let them in already and if Maeve is controlled she’ll need Mab died in order to become queen and let them in.

“To protect all of you from the Outsiders, mortal.”

“Then why does Titania have hers?” I asked

“To protect all of you from Mab.” pg. 506 Interesting

“Welcome, Warden Dresden, to the Outer Gates.” pg. 511 Cool

“They’re a…they’re supposed to be a metaphor.” pg. 512 Ha

“You are the help”

“We’re in trouble” pg. 519 Ha

“It had obviously been uncomfortable for them.” pg. 525 It was only uncomfortable for Lilly

Oh no Harry’s friends

“kittykittykittykitty!” pg. 536 Ha

Whoa there Harry that’s the Winter Mantle talking maybe calm down

Mouse!

I love Mouse and Harry’s interaction! Mouse is the goodiest boy

“Mouse thinks Andi should be locked in the garage at night, until she learns not to get abducted.” pg. 550 Ha

So I’ve been thinking about how Maeve is probably has the contagion. I wonder how she got it? It reminds me of an infection. So who infected Maeve? Did…did Lea infect Maeve? She was incased in ice for a while back in proven guilty. But then how did she get infected?

“Client had lost a kid or something to some half-assed wannabe warlock. He had cheesy dialogue and everything, was gonna sacrifice the kid with this big cheap, spiky knife.” pg. 553 Ha and a call back to Thomas’s story. Looks like there’s two canon warehouses in all of Chicago. The street wolf warehouse and now this warehouse. :)

“I hadn’t burned down a building in ages.” pg. 555 Ha

“Hell’s bells. That looked awesome.” pg. 558 Ha

“Goddammit!” I snarled “I just got played again! I am so sick and tired of this backstabby bullshit!” pg. 560 Poor Harry

“That was interesting. Why hadn’t Mac been tied up? Or if he had, how come there wasn’t a mark to show for it? Either way, that was odd.” pg. 561 Interesting

So cool that Harry created an iceberg that lifted the whole building out of the water! Harry’s so powerful

“Butters turned toward Molly with absolute murder in his eyes.” “I hate this” Butters said, his voice boiling with anger” pg. 572

Whoa there Butters and Molly how about everyone chill and check on everybody for injuries

Yeah Ace has good reason to hate Harry

“She was there when I cut her mother’s throat. I don’t know if she was conscious, if she saw…but what if she did? In my head, I’ve run this scenario about a thousand times, and if she saw me and started screaming or crying” pg.585 Poor Harry poor Maggie :(

“You embezzled funds from the White Court to get me a present?” pg. 590 Ha

Molly got Harry a duster! :)

“The Wild Hunt is coming” pg. 595 Oh no

“I’d just put a bullet in the Erkling on Halloween night.” pg. 607 So cool

“Tonight we hunt Outsiders!” pg. 615 Yeah! Let’s go!

“You want me to drive into lake.”

“You have to admit,” I said “it isn’t the craziest thing I’ve ever asked you to do. It isn’t even the craziest thing I’ve asked you to do tonight.” pg. 617 Ha

“Wizard please” pg. 623 Ha

“planted a kiss right on the mouth.” pg. 624 Yes!

“And I laughed. As if some freak who had never loved enough to know loss could tell me about pain.” pg. 631 Yep

“Thrice I bid you thee! By my name I command thee: Tell me who you are?” pg. 632 Yes go Harry!

“Go ahead! I shouted. “Go ahead and eat me! And then we’ll see if you’ve got the stomach to keep me down!” pg. 635 Yes let’s go!

The Erkling is so cool

“The real Cat Sith wouldn’t be having this conversation with me, ya know. He’d have killed me by now.” pg. 645 Yep that’s not Cat Sith

WAIT

WAIT A MINUTE

Maeve has to be the one behind all of this because Molly becomes the new winter lady. It just took me till chapter forty four and 80% of the way through the book to remember that Molly becomes the next Winter Lady oops

“Like she did when you infected Lea.” pg. 647 :0 I was right

“I love nights like this!” he bellowed “I love Halloween!” pg. 652 Well I’m glad someone is having fun because Harry sure isn’t

“We were cruising down the surface of Lake Michigan, and it was chock full of monastery goodness-and we had just left the Wild Hunt.” pg. 653 Oh no

“You are so hot right now.” pg. 654 Ha and yay

“Warden,” he said

“Asshat” I replied” pg. 665 Ha

“You’re trying to recruit me?”

“The offer is made,” the Walker said. “We always appreciate new talent.” pg. 665 Harry is drowning in job offers

“I’m no one’s puppet,” I said

The Walker actually barked out a short laugh. “At what point have you been any thing else?” pg. 665 Ouch poor Harry

“Stay there. You will not be molested.” pg. 665 Was that really the word choice you used?

“What else did I have?

I had friends.” pg. 666 Yay!

“Get rocked,” I said, and pulled the trigger.” pg. 670 Yes!

“And for the first time in a decade the Winter Knight and Summer Knight went to war.” pg. 686 Yooo

“I felt sick, like I was fighting a blind man.” pg. 691 Ouch

“Lilly” I said wearily. “Listen to me. We’ve both been set up by Maeve.” pg. 699 Yep

Poor Lilly

Harry’s putting the pieces together

“Fix looked at me, dirty, naked, shivering, burned, bruised, covered in soot and ash.

“Fuck,” he said” pg. 710 Ha

“My daughter is in town” I said in a whisper

He blinked “You have a…?” pg. 711 Harry told Fix about his daughter?! Why? How many people now know about Maggie?

Thomas!

Yes good mud plan everyone.

“My dress? You were wearing rhinestones. And nothing else!”

Maeve’s face contorted in rage. “They. Were. Diamonds.” pg. 733 Ha and Sarissa and Meave have to be sisters

“Hell’s bells you’re identical twins”

“Not identical twins” they both said at exactly the same time, at the exact same tone of outrage. They broke off to glare at each other.” pg. 734 Ha and they’re twins even better

“Where is her love? Where is her fury? Where is her anything?” pg. 737 Poor Maeve

“Mab! Mab! Mab! I summon thee!” pg. 739 Harry is just summoning all the fae

“Cease. This. Rudeness. At once.” pg. 741 Oh Mab is mad. I love that Harry called Maeve’s mom on her

LILY! Ahhhhh what just happened? Is Lilly ok? She’s gonna live right? Right? She can’t just die. Where did Meave get a gun? Was Lilly shot in the head? What about Fix? Who would be the next Summer Lady if Lilly dies? What’s happening??

“Fire flicked to life over the late Summer Lady”

“Directly to Sarissa” pg. 745 Poor Lilly poor Sarissa :(

“Sarissa wasn’t the only Faerie vessel on the hilltop. She was simply the one Meave had been meant to see.” pg. 748 Molly

This is how Molly becomes the Winter Lady?!? So much death why?

“Then I thumped back the hammer on the little gun and put the barrel against Mab’s forehead.” pg. 753 Harry what are you doing? It’s so cool though

“As far as your career as a mentor goes, you grew into much the same image as DuMorne.” pg. 756 Mab did not just go there. Harry should punch Mab. I should punch Mab let me at her >:( hiss Harry and DuMorne are nothing alike

“Deamonreach,” I said. “If our guest pulls that trigger, take her below and keep her there.” pg. 758 So cool!

“The one given to her by the Red Court at Bianca’s masquerade. That was how the Leanansidle was tainted-and your godmother spread it to Maeve before I could set it right.”

“Oh” I said. I’d been at that party” pg. 761 That party! It’s been over a decade in universe and it still has repercussions. It started in book 3 and it’s now book 14. That’s 11 books! Did Bianca plan for this to happen when she gave Lea the athame? Did Bianca know? What was her plan? Like her plan has backfired on her.

First the vampire war

Second half turning Susan which led to the destruction of the Red Court

Third the gravestone gift helped Harry in Ghost story

Fourth the Athame definitely cause problems for the fae but Lea hit her revenge

Did Bianca know that the athame would taint Lea with the Outsiders?

“I was mortal once, you know” pg. 761 Oh interesting

“You meant me to have the Wild Hunt.” pg. 764 So cool

“His face seemed leaner, and for that instant I saw Vadderung’s wolfish features lurking inside Kringle’s.” pg. 764 Ohhhh

“Stared closing up the minute she was done.” pg. 767 Oh interesting so Mac definitely isn’t human

Ouch Murphy and Harry’s talk :(

“So goddammit, don’t you start taking the highway to Hell. Because I’m going to be right there with you. All the way.” pg. 773 Aw :)

“But I can’t help but think that Fix is going to hold you responsible for some of what happened last night.” pg. 775 Yeah :(

“And it’s got nothing to do with facing Molly’s parents?

“And it’s got nothing to do with facing Maggie” pg. 776 Thomas calls out Harry

“Thomas ignored me and gave me a rib-cracking hug.” pg. 777 Aw hugs :)

“There was a storm coming.” pg. 778 Spooky

Final thoughts

Such a good book. I liked the fights. I thought the book was funny. Answered questions and gave me more. Poor Mab, Meave, Sarissa, Lilly, and Molly. No Bi Harry moments. Hopefully there will be more in the next book. I’m glad Thomas is doing better and he and Harry reconciled. I would have liked to see more actual PT. Yes I’m that sort of weirdo :) I liked Cat Sith. I don’t like the Winter Mantle. No dad Harry moments :( Presumably Bonnie will be born in the next book. Can’t wait to meet her!

#dresden files #harry dresden #cold days

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