This one is usually rated mid teir or even lower, I think it's one of the most underrated personally. The fight on the boat, the flashback, and the duel are some of my favorite battles in the series. And I feel like this is Elaine's real introduction. She is basically playing Harry the whole time in Summer Knight, so you don't get to know her at all until now. First book with Molly as his apprentice too.

"Evil! Liar!" I adore Carlos so much. And what I love about his appearance here is it hammers home yet another recurring theme: Harry has a real tendency to underestimate his allies. I don't mean their capabilities in a fight, but a matter of their willingness to empathize, listen, and trust in him. His unwillingness to open up to the people who have his back have caused him no end of problems since book one, but fortunately here, Carlos is as forgiving as he is magnanimous.

You will adore the Short Stories. Especially the ones from a perspective other than Harry

One slight correction you said the Outsiders are members of the Black Court, which is the vampire breed, as opposed to the Black Council which is Cowls group. Lash became a distinct entity from Lasciel in part because Harry gave her a Name. He then started to give her some choices to make for herself. I think the metaphor is that Lash was a footprint in the mud that is Harry’s brain whereas Lasciel is the whole being, which is billions of years old and a primal force of the universe. Also, HERE WE FREAKING GO. Small Favor, Turn Coat and Changes are quite possibly the best trilogy of mid series book in any sci fi series.

Yeah you're getting Lash vs Lasciel correct. Absolute master-stroke by Butcher IMO - showing the force of Harry's will and doing what's right - being able to change even the shadow of a fallen angel for the better. Such a powerful idea.

Yes, you’re getting the distinction between Lash (the version in his head) and Lasciel correctly. Lash was basically imprinted in Harry’s mind. But that means she’s a part of him, she is made up of him because he is what Lash is imprinted on, sort of like a quarter has George Washington’s image on it but it’s still metal not George Washington. I don’t know if that made as much sense out loud as it did in my head. 😂

Oh man, Small Favor is next, you're gonna love that one Merphy! Also the Molly stuff never gets as bad as the scene early on in White Night, but it never goes away.

i love these spoiler reviews for dresden books. it is easy to point at the flaws of these books, but they each have their strengths. these books will always have a place in my favorite series' list. (given that the upcoming books don't mess up too badly)

The Lash scenes toward the end are great and especially her "She doesn't deserve you" at the end. Some excellent set ups in this book that will pay off later.

I believe you were correct on saying that this is a bridge book. There will be things built upon.

While I agree with your opinion on how Molly is sexualized in Harrys eyes, it helped me to think of it like this: Molly is a very sensual person and Harry is honest enough to admit that to himself, but would never dream of doing anything about it. Also, does anyone else wish Mr. Butcher would use fewer names that start with "M"? Murphy, Molly, Mab, Merlin(ok, that one's a gimmie), Maeve, Mac, Michael, McCoy...

"wergild and a breath mint" one of my favorite lines

I always felt that it would be a lesser book, if not for the flashbacks, the Lash development, and the return of Cowl. The plot is more of a vehicle for that. And also more of Mouse being the bestest boy by waking up an entire building.

Love the spoiler reviews! I subscribed to this channel just for the Dresden Files content! It’s so much fun to watch someone else’s reaction to the series as it unfolds

You're right about the difference between Lash and Lasciel. The difference is what makes it important to preserve the distinction in naming. Lasciel is the Fallen Angel bound to the coin, who might be able to return to the series one day. Lash was Lasciel's tool, a copy of Lasciel in Harry's head, meant to persuade him to take up the coin and enter a full partnership with Lasciel - and _Lash_ is dead and gone.

I think you'll want and we'll need both a review and a reading vlog for Changes. Cause.... man, that book lol.

This made me want to reread all of Dresden, but my tbr just can't handle it. Great vid ❤

So glad your doing these I'm really enjoying watching you go through these. I can't wait for your small favor review

Not one of my favourites in the series either. But mid-tier for this series is still a pretty enjoyable ride. IMO book 10 is a noticable improvement, 11 is really really good, and 12... actually best not to say much about Changes before you've read it. Other than to say that I find it really pleasing that the book named "changes" is the first book to break the two word title schema.

You were correct on the distinction between Lash and Lasciel. In the books Bob and Harry have a discussion about this at the very end and come to the conclusion that because Harry resisted her for so long while living in his brain she essentially picked up freewill. I DO NOT BUY THIS EXPLANATION. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil you, but this is one of the examples that I use when explaining what Harry is, and what I think he is going to have to do in the end game. Even 17 books in we still don't have a clear understanding of some of these mysteries, which I think is why it has such a rabid fandom. I know in a earlier review you said you started reading these because someone assured you that there's more going on than just a monster of the week type series. So I wanted to point out something Lasciel said in this book that you didn't mention in the review. This isn't the first hint that Harry is something more, but it is probably the first time it was stated so bluntly. During the battle when Lash slows down time: >“An Outsider,” Lasciel said. “I have felt such a presence before. This attack is drawn directly from the mind of the Outsider.” >Gosh, that was interesting. Not relevant, but interesting. >“It is relevant,” Lasciel said, “because of the circumstances of your birth-because of why you were born, Harry. Your mother found the strength to escape Lord Raith for a reason.” >What the hell was she talking about? >Thud-thump: 1:26. >“There was a complex confluence of events, of energies, of circumstances that would have given a child born under them the potential to wield power over Outsiders.”

What I understood from the difference between Laciel and Lash was the one in Harry's mind was almost like a photo copy spell of her mind that Harry was able to alter with his personality because it was a partn9f his mind. Her sacrifice is the reason he can weird soulfire

Love your Dresden Files reviews, makes me think back on them myself

About the whole Molly thing: One thing i think people forget to realize is that we're IN Harry's head. And hes a sexually repressed dude. Hes gonna notice when someone is hot/attractive no matter what, even when he (we) dont want to. Thats why it speaks so highly to his character that these thoughts come in, cant control them, but then the way he ACTS after having those thoughts is what matters and what really shows who he is. A lot of people complain about the whole thing in Proven Guilty with Molly showing herself to him, but what does he do? He dumps a pitcher of cold water on her and tells her no. I would say, dont get too bogged down in Harry's noticing of attractive women because its going to happen a lot, and maybe women just arent used to these intrusive thoughts like guys are, but pay attention to what he does AFTER and how he ACTS after he has those initial thoughts.

Just know that tier list is going to get a lot more top-heavy going forward!

I'm loving the ability to reexperience these books with your reviews. As others have pointed out, you have the Lash/Lasciel dynamic correct. I tend to think of it like making a copy of a computer file and then working with the copy (Lash) for a long time. Eventually there will be drift. I imagine coin-lasciel as essentially being in stasis when not held, unable to grow, to experience, etc. Lash on the other hand both has time to change, and also lacks the immense power of "full" Lasciel which perhaps is her saving grace. I LOVE Lash as a concept.

This book did go up in scale for me on re-read, though it still only gets into B+ range. As others have confirmed, that IS pretty much how Lasciel/Lash work given our understanding through the unreliable narrator that is Harry. The only thing to add is that because the imprint Lash had a tiny portion of the original's essence, if Harry had actually taken up the coin Lash would have been absorbed back into the original Lasciel. That would result in transferring whatever knowledge and memories Lash created back to the original while losing her own individual identity. I will also say that Outsiders are... different. More along the lines of Lovecraftian horrors. I really enjoyed getting some reflections on the outside perspective of Harry in this book, and why the people who are supposed to be under his protection might actually be too afraid of him to reach out. The character dynamics between Harry, Murphy, and Molly were engaging and entertaining. In the scene with the fireball where Murphy calls Harry out on his anger towards Molly, Murph also talks about how Harry is setting a bad example of letting his anger get the best of him, even if only for a moment when he throws a fireball at a trashcan. That causes Harry to reevaluate his self-assessment and realize he's been slipping without noticing it. Once the book got past trying to set up Thomas I thought the mystery of whether or not Becket was involved was better than some of the other mysteries this series has given us. I agree that while there are a good number of stand-out moments, the overall book isn't in top consideration among others in the series. That being said, I find a pretty good Dresden Book to be a really good time.

Ahh I look forward to your Dresden reviews so much!🩵

Lash and Lasciel are essentially two different characters at this point. Lash is gone. She sacrificed herself and severed Harry's connection to the coin in the process. Lasciel is an immortal fallen angel, she could come back.

Love your Dresden reviews. I enjoy your excitement! I soooooooooooo can't wait until you catch up. Your heads going to explode! As to "those" type of scenes. I'll be honest, they never hit me the way it did you, and thanks for sharing. It opened my eyes a wee bit about that 'ick' dynamic. I'm also an author, and that insight is (now) invaluable.

I would describe Lashiel as a clone who develops their own personality.

Does Lasciel come back? Oh sweet summer child... As Brando Sando says . I can't wait for that RAFO moment.

I adore the constructive anger line in the conversation he has with Lash.

Just found your channels. cool to see your opinions about one of my favorite series. and for the people who are up to date on the series, I had the pleasure of watching one of my friends while he was reading changes... and watching his face during "that part" was awesome. can't wait to see what Merphy thinks of it.

I did not see anyone peeping around the shed today. Great review!

I love your hat and the way you tell story.

“Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice." "Constructive anger," the demon said, her voice dripping sarcasm. Also known as passion," I said quietly. "Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful.”

Can’t wait until you read Changes. Thank you for the post❤

Without spoilering, Outsiders are even more peripheral than the Never Never; think Lovecraftian chaos trying to break into our dimension

great review!

the whole thing with molly not only tones down but whats left gets more mature and way less icky fealing as surcomstances and power dynamics change between theam and molly grows up a lot

Pretty much spot on with Lash and Lasciel - except that Lash would not persist if Harry picked up the coin; he'd be talking to Lasciel directly at that point. I can give a more complete explanation, at small risk of very minor spoilers which this paragraph is explaining the nature and degree of. The lore with these books gets re-explained between books enough that it blurs together in a way that's hard to separate fully. I do know how to avoid pulling from notable future events that are larger than a conversation, though. So with that explained, if you're avoiding spoilers on that fine a level, do not read on. Everything regarding the mechanics of how Lasciel and the Denarians work is bound up in the concept of Free Will, which is a power that mortals have and Denarians do not have. The Denarians are bound in their coins and have *very* limited capacity to influence the world around them, except when borne by a person who has accepted the power they offer. (When they are borne, you get folks like Nicodemus and Ursiel from Book 5). Harry never accepted that power. What he did do was choose to touch the coin - this gave Lasciel the opportunity to create a ...salesperson... in Harry's mind: Lash. This mental salesperson is tasked with one duty: to convince the person they have been imprinted onto that they need to accept the Coin, by any means necessary. Lash tries a lot of different ways over the course of the last few books, but the most effective and the one we see the most is her augmentation of his capabilities. There's limits to what she can offer - she's only got the limits of what a human mind can accomplish to work with. In this universe, that's a LOT, but with the Coin, he'd have access to what Lasciel can do too, which is a whole new power set. An imprint like Lash is a hell of a sales pitch, but...that is to be expected in this situation. But once the sales pitch is successful, there's no need to keep the salesperson around, so they get erased. Lash and other entities like her are specifically not told about some of the perks that come from being in a human mind, like free will, adaptability, etc. This would, eventually, become counterproductive, because if such an entity develops enough individuality to see itself as something separate from the Denarian who created it, then it might decide that being absorbed into that Denarian and ceasing to exist would be not in its best interests. Harry's treatment of Lash, his giving her a distinct name, etc, is what encourages Lash to try exercising her free will to see if she has it. But this dissolution of the "salesperson" imprint is why we can have characters like Quintus Cassius who exist separately from the Denarian they used to work with. If Cassius still had his salesperson, he could have abandoned the coin back in Book 5, then used that imprint to call it back to him when it was convenient, just like how Lash offers Harry the chance to call his sealed coin to him in this book.

listening to Merphy talk about Lashiel and knowing all that follows 😆

Thanks again sharing your opinion of your readthrough of Dresden! The beauty of Lash's actions at the end of the book moved me, and I loved the fact that Harry is still in love, so Lara got burnt when she thought she finally had nailed Harry down. It was funny but also an excellent twist.

This was actually the first one I read, because the hardcover was on clearance. It hooked me enough that I immediately went back to the beginning and caught up.

Correct view of Laciel. She was a one dimensional photo copy of the fallen angel. I love how Harry changed her as much or more than she changed him

Merphy, White Night left me pretty cold on the first read (likely the second as well), but having read it now, means you will embark on small favors next month, strap in for a roller coaster ride.

Great little review, and yeah I would rate this one kind of middle of the road although I do appreciate getting to learn a little more about the White Court dynamics and seeing Apprentice Molly for the first time. But here's the thing, even mediocre Dresden is still just immensely enjoyable and such an easy, fun read. There's so little to dislike about Dresden books and while some of the books don't grab you as much or don't resonate the same with the big plot beats, there's always going to be those character development moments and inner monologue moments and relationship dynamics that are always growing and evolving so it's always a good time.

first off: i really appreciate these spoiler reviews! it's been a hot minute since i started this series, and i enjoy revisiting them vicariously though you.. i hope filming them isn't super draining

I always look forward to your Dresden reviews! Your ranking is the same as most people’s, I think, for this book. Just keeping going! 😊

The blowout battle at the end is one of my favorite of the series, which is why it always ranked pretty high on the list for me. In retrospect, it's dropped a bit for all the reasons you mentioned, as I realized it was *primarily* because of that battle and the aftermath that I liked it so much. The scene after the battle with Lara, is amazing. "I will kill you with peace, Wizard" By the way, you didn't say what you thought of the reveal that Thomas is feeding indirectly off his clients in his new hair salon, and his new persona. Thoughts?

Marcone is one of my favorite characters. He is so complex, that he adds a lot. You are pretty close to understanding Lash, rather than Lashciel. But, yes, Lash is her own person.

I've read the series multiple times and as a woman there are aspects that are certainly not necessary and uncomfortable, but then there are battles (especially later) that are some of the best fantasy writing I've read (and I read over 150 books a year). I appreciate your spoiler reviews as they are a welcome recap to things and appear very fair to me as a lover of the series despite issues that I acknowledge. I will say, the Molly stuff gets better, but it shouldn't have had to.

I felt similarly on my first read, but my thoughts definitely changed on a series reread. I'll be interested to hear thoughts down the line. Can't wait for the next 3.

Assume you got a little mixed up when you talked about the Outsiders, as they are not part of the Black Court of vampires, but they appear to be associated with the Black Council, the secret alliance of villains.

Yes, you are correct about the distinction between Lasciel and Lash who is an imprint on Harry's mind. There are truly wonderful consequences from that moment. I can't wait for you to get there. The Molly and Harry stuff never truly goes away, I don't think it continues to be quite as sexual but there is definitely a repressed attraction that carries through the series. I think in Butcher's mind he's thinking that Harry is doing the right thing and their relationship is different than a normal father figure and young girl because they are wizards and they are going to live for hundreds of years and once you live for two hundred years a distance of twenty years doesn't see quite so great. I could be totally wrong about that, but that's my feeling on the situation. White Night is a book I love, but I don't know if I would put it at the top of the list. Each of the books post Death Masks have really deep themes and I end up taking a lot of away from them other than the pure entertainment of this series. They give you good questions to chew on, which is something that matters a lot to me as a reader. The events in this book also have farther reaching impacts than you realize at first and this one is pretty good on the reread when you realize the struggle Lasciel is going through. It is kind of her book. You are also about to get to the true ramp up of the series before book 12 (Changes) where everything gets tipped upside down. Books 10, 11 and 12 are all really good rides (if my memory serves me correctly) and I bet you'll really enjoy them. Oh, one last thought. When Harry starts training her you really start to see how abusive the training methods were that were used on him. Remember he was the apprentice to Justin DuMorne (super abusive master) and then apprenticed to McCoy who was so afraid of losing another apprentice that he pushed Harry to the brink. There is a dynamic of breaking the cycle of abuse that becomes visible when you see Harry try to train Molly and he has to overcome some of his own hurts in order to be a better mentor.

White Night is often ranked mid-tier but is much much better on reread once you know what's coming!

I have a theory about Elaine. It's 100% just my personal theory, and I came up with it while reading this book. It's completely based on this book, and previous books only. I'm saying this to be 100% clear that this is not a spoiler of some kind, and is just something I come up with based on a few lines from this book and Dead Beat. My theory is that Elaine is Kumori. I know it sounds crazy, but in my head at least, it makes sense. Elain is clearly hiding something from Harry, but she also clearly cares about him a great deal, yet in spite of her feelings towards him, she never once asks what happened to his hand. This is supposed to be the first time she's seen him since Summer Night, yet she's not even a little bit curious or even surprised about why his left hand is burnt to a crisp? Also, Kumori was far less blood thirsty that the other Necromancers, and she generally tried to avoid conflict with Harry when possible. When Harry encounters her on the stairs of the abandoned building, she tried to talk him into walking away, and asked him about his hand, showing real concern... the type of concern Elaine should have shown. Jim also made the comment once, that Elaine has been in more books than we (the readers) realize. Again, this is just a theory, and I could be reading too much into these events.

So, so glad to finally hear your opinion on Marcone! He is quite possibly my favourite character. (I'd hate him as a person, though I do see certain aspects of how he operates as mitigating factors...but as a character, nah, I just enjoy him so much.)

MERPHY!! Every opinion is fine to have, if it's truly yours. I think most would agree this is not the strongest Dresden entry - i re-read it recently and really enjoyed the re-read far more than first time through tbh. I also am not a fan of the Molly sexual stuff, it's ick - Michael would take Harrys head off if he knew immediate reactions were not 'gross cut that shit out i need a bath' in my view, and it's a mark against Dresden (as much as I love him) that this is not how he processes a growing-up Molly. Butters on the other hand, is fine no man could blame him lol. Expect Michael who would also, take his head off. And would be correct to do so lol.

So excited for Small Favor. Blah, can't say anything. Keep on with the spoiler reviews, we look forward to each one.

There's a theory on the boards, that one of Harry's quirks when he gives a supernatural being a Name, it has an effect. And they contend that by calling the entity Lash, instead of the regular name of Lasciel, he has changed the nature of the entity, it is no longer merely a copy of the original entity, but something unique, and this is part of what gives it the ability to act differently than the entity in the coin would have. Whether this is actually a power he has as a Wizard is not clear, nor is it clear if this is unique to him or not.

Ok Murphy. You’re getting to the best books In the series. I do suggest you read the two case books next (Brief Cases and side jobs)

You have understand the Lash/Shadow of Lassiel thing just fine! White Night was pretty okay for me. Ditto the ick factor with regards to Molly; had a few really stand out scenes, same as the ones you listed, plus the final fight in the Raith Deeps.

I love listening to you and your reports about these books 📚 prayers and blessings for you and your husband and your family love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤keep up your wonderful work

Jim Butcher has said in interviews that Harry is an unreliable narrator. Some of the short stories help see through this, especially when written from another point of view. One way he's unreliable is that he sees himself as outmatched all the time, when in fact the White Council is right to fear him. Another, I think, is that the sexualized aspect that bothers you is because Harry's subconscious self (encountered in dreams) is right: he's very repressed, highly self-critical and judgmental, and so he narrates so as to make himself seem much creepier than others see. Both Murphy and Michael see him as a good man, but he doesn't.

Yeah. I feel like this one is a plateau book in the series. And the next is a spike! Such a bummer we will have to wait a month to hear what you think…

We’re getting closer…

Had to post again regarding Lasciel. Your understanding of the Lasciel/Lash/Harry relationship is absolutely correct. It is also very important to differentiate between "Lasciel" and "Lash". Butcher reveals to us, in this book, that they are in fact two separate beings. Harry renamed her and led her to eventually understand she was a different entity. The shadow of Lasciel lived with Harry as almost like a spirit of some sort. This being was real but not really Lasciel. Lash began to eventually evolve and even have strong feelings for Harry, which almost made Lash's sacrifice one of love for Harry. This entire arc is definitely a very significant thing. I don't know if Butcher has ever revealed if it's happened before in the world, but it is extremely rare for this to happen if not unique.

Continue on, as everyone will have told you already: "Changes" will rock your world... and that world will keep getting vaster (is that a word?) and vaster.

it had some good stuff, but i always forget which one it is until i get started in it. on my own personal ranking i have it sitting at 13th in the series (out of 17 books).

What a wonderful morning surprise. I definitely prefer the spoiler reviews since you can ask more direct questions, even if they aren’t crazy long videos like this one. And yeah… I hate that I even have to say this but the Molly icks do stop. How does it feel to practically share a name with one of the best characters in the series?

Lash vs Lasciel, Lash is more or less a watered down copy of Lasciel, the purpose of which is to make Harry want to make the choice to take up the coin and "fully" join/bond with the fallen angel. The thing is that she's separate from the whole, so she can act somewhat independently of Lasciel's direction. Harry has now severed himself from the coin, but as the coin still exists, there's always possibilities of it returning. One kind of sidenote, the Outsiders are being used, more or less, by the Black Court, they are not "members" as such. You will get more lore behind it going forward and to avoid spoiling anything, in this instance they are more or less tools being used by the bad guys.

You are right about this being a bridge book. Just wait it gets better

hi did you know JOE ABERCROMBIE released a new novella? i'm surprised no one is talking out about it.

White Night is on the high side of middle for me. There's stuff in it I love and stuff in it I'm just iffy on. It is a highly consequential book, but compared to the next 3, it gets lost in the shuffle. One time moment I really enjoy is when Harry is waiting in the hospital and a security guy comes over to try and remove him and Mouse just looks up at the guy... doesn't growl, doesn't show teeth "he just sort of took notice--with extreme prejudice." He's the goodest boy.

Did you watch the magicians the show and are you going to make a video about the difference from the book

Yes, the real Lasciel is still in the coin. Also I loved how much HARRY is learning from having an apprentice. And with Mouse, I could be wrong but isn't this the book where Harry really starts to take notice just how smart Mouse is? Not in a "My dog is a very smart dog" way, but actually thinking he is smarter than a dog sort of way? Seems like I recall the scene where he wakes the people up being where Harry really starts looking at Mouse and going HMMMMMM.

I love how complicated Butcher makes most of his bad guys, like Marcone

The relationship between Harry and Molly remains complicated like that. However, Molly matures A LOT through the series, so the dynamic shifts while the "potential ship" status remains open. I also like Lara a lot. This is one of the most important books for her character because this is the first time we have direct contact with her after she regained her freedom. This book pretty much makes or breaks a person's opinion of her character. For some people, she remains an interesting antagonist with her femme fatale shtick but also fighting for the good guys (the same dynamic of "lesser evil" with Marcone, but his negative impact on the world is far larger than hers), while other people, rightfully so, gain a complete dislike for her after her plan of using low level magic practitioners as bait. Personally, Lara is one of my favorite characters because she's incredibly likeable and she's a great example of a femme fatale (which is a trope I like, tbh), but I do not excuse her awful actions at all. She has done many terrible things, even if in the context of the series, they're outliers. I mean, Marcone runs a large scale organized crime empire, his empire probably kills dozens of people per day directly and indirectly (he's introduced as a Mob boss with reach into multiple cities and all kinds of businesses).

Please remember, you are always able to have your own opinion.

Yeah, this is one of two books in this series that, when I see the title, my brain draws a blank and I say, “what even happened in that book?” It’s not bad. But also not great.

It's not a pattern. It does get better. He grows up some more.

Man I love Marcone. He’s such a fantastic character. Also yes, basically right for Lash. You find out more details that go deeper later on. Hopefully that wasn’t too spoilery.

I feel like Butcher jumped forward 2 years just to get Molly over 18. It's probably actually based on the release date but still it's pretty convenient.

Agreed. Um I don't think it gets that explicit with Molly again, but I also don't think it goes away. Outsiders aren't black court things. Can't say more because I don't want my comments deleted again. Also again if my other comments have gone against your guidelines I do apologize, it was unintentional. I love your reviews and other videos. But I'm still newer to the genre and can't comment on other works because I just haven't read enough. I hope you keep enjoying the Dresden Files!

I've been trying to figure out Dresden's ambiguous age. Molly is a good way to do that. She's 18 in Proven Guilty and 19 in White Night. Skin Game marks Storm Front as being roughly 12 years ago. I think Dresden is 4-6 years older than Molly. He was with Ebanezar for 2 years before hitting 18, and met Murphy early in his detective carreer. So I figure he was 20 years old in Storm front.

Well, it doesn't stop so much as she matures and becomes baller.

The only stuff that stay in my head in this book is everything with lash

For the Molly sexual stuff, I get the tension. Butcher had said that the Molly stuff in relation to Dresden was meant to make you feel uneasy, just as it makes Dresden uneasy. Besides that, she's always been portrayed as a rebellious, comfortably sexual character, even back before Proven Guilty. As a guy, I can say that myself and numerous of my friends have had to deal with someone like this, and those tensions. I think it's good writing, since you're in the head of a straight man.

Re: Lasciel - yep, pretty much! Way I picture it is like if you have a cell phone that's completely disconnected from its network and you mess around with the software that's on it, you can get it to do some wild stuff, but the second you connect it back up (i.e. if Harry ever took up the Coin) then the server updates wipe out your changes.

I dont remember any more scenes as out of pocket as that one with molly and the sex corpse. The will-they wont-they hangs around a little but it matures as Molly does and so gets less loud. Cant really clarify without spoilers but I think it ends up adding nuance to things rather than being distracting.

Really enjoyed this spoiler review! For me it was solid but the last book before Butcher ascended to a higher realm as a writer, where the books never stop becoming special. I do think the Molly specialized stuff is much less prominent going forward.

You described my struggle with this series so well in the beginning. I love the relationship dynamics, the slow burn character development, and the world building so much, but its really hard and sometimes really cringe to get through these scenes. It's so unfortunate because its otherwise SO good - I don't even feel like I can recommend it to anyone because those scenes are so bad. I haven't read the series in a bit, but I do remember thinking the uncomfortable parts die down a lot later on.

There is one other scene in book 11 that sexualises Molly, but it's not as bad as the scenes in book 8 and 9. Your understand of Lash is correct. The outsiders are complicated. You will need to start reading the shorts, after the next book would be a good time to start. You'll really like them.

I personally love all the books, but definitely understand why this one is lower for some. The good news? Small Favor it is next. That is a top tier Dresden book.

Per Lasciel, you got it right. Lash was like a copy or a clone with a greatly diminished status. Mental shadow, not Fallen Angel. Lasciel, the Fallen Angel proper, is fine, still bound to the coin. She could certainly show up again. Lash took a bullet for Dresden, but Lasciel did not. This book was one I was pretty meh about when I first read it, but I enjoy more each reread. The Raith Deeps scene is one of my favorite showdowns in the series. Didn't hear you mention Cowl's reappearance. Any thoughts on that?

woah! I look away for like a second, and you're this far? Last I saw (my bad), you had read the first 3.

You're understanding of Lash vs Lashiel is spot on. Lash was changed by Harry because she was inprinted in his psyche and humans change all the time. If Harry would have picked up the coin again Lash would have returned to Lashiel and been reincorperated into Lashiel and been gone. Hypothetically Lashiel could return to the series but Lash is gone.

White Night was an odd one for me, because it *is* one of the "weaker" books in the series, but it sets up a lot of things for later books (especially some subtler character notes) that make it very important to the series as a whole.

Lash is a seperate (copy) entity from Lascial. The real Lascial (in the coin) would only know of the experience between Lash and Harry, if harry had picked up the coin. Since Lash is dead, Lash cannot come back but Lascial could. For the most part I think the ranking of dresden books are very individual, except a few exception like Dead Beat.