With [[WordOfGod Word of Jim]] leaks starting up about ''Skin Game'', the 15th book of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', this sub-page is probably needed to separate speculation about this particular book from plot predictions in general.

!!!Things Jim Butcher Has Revealed:

1) The 15th novel's current reported title is ''Skin Game''.

2) The Denarians will appear, as will Michael.

3) The plot involves Nicodemus calling in a favor owed to him by Mab which obligates Harry to help him out with something. That something, is a heist, which will be undertaken by a crew of supremely dangerous creatures.

4) The Heist involves breaking into the Vault of the Greek god Hades.

5) Listens-to-Wind will probably make an appearance, although Jim's still deciding how much of this subplot will occur in ''Skin Game'', and how much, in book #16.

Please, post all [=WMGs=] related to this book here, not in the General Plot Predictions sub-page.

!!!Warning: Unblocked spoilers for ''Cold Days'' and other late-in-the-series novels.

[[WMG: Harry's new blasting rod will be the rifle]]
Because RuleOfCool meets ThisIsMyBoomstick. And its already a weapon that [[BoomHeadshot killed a]] [[EldritchAbomination Walker]] with Soulfire on Halloween. That knocks it up to legendary weapon status right there.

[[WMG: Harry will start researching Tam Lin]]
We know from Mab that Tam Lin was real, and a Winter Knight. The entire point of that story is Tam Lin being freed from his mantle (Yes, on Halloween, when mantles are flexible) and becoming human again, so we know it's possible. Tam Lin isolating himself and ordering all women away also makes sense in terms of the Knight's mantle, since he was worried he couldn't control himself. Harry needs to get on this lead for escape.

[[WMG: Mab will send Harry to steal Thorned Namshiel's coin from either Marcone or Odin.]]
Namshiel's hand, containing his coin, was taken onto the helicopter with Michael at the end of ''Small Favor''. Sanya couldn't find it afterward, suggesting that either Marcone or Gard swiped it. Thorned Namshiel is a suspect in the attack on Arctis Tor, and the only Denarian suspect likely to be in an inert coin at present. Tasked by Mab to pursue her vengeance for the Black Council's assault, Harry will need to determine whether it's Marcone or Monoc Securities that are keeping the coin in storage, then steal it back, preferably ''without'' the current holder catching on that it's him who does so.
* Makes sense, Namshiel attacked Arctis Tor and Mab wants revenge/a chance to study a Denarian infected with Nemesis.

[[WMG: Dresden will need to work with the Denarians for the heist.]]
Because, related to the above, they are tracking Namshiel's coin. Their interest? Namshiel proves Denarians can be infected by Nemesis, and they want information to hunt down any other renegade Denarians. Also gives a chance for Lash to get involved, if she is the parasite.

[[WMG: The parasite in Harry's head will be dealt with, faced, or otherwise encountered in this book.]]
* Pretty much a given, since it's about ready to break out of his skull. I think it's:
** Lash. Specifically, she's been infected by Nemesis and is fighting a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind against it, hence being a danger to Harry even though she saved him.
Harry will weigh in on the fight, and help her finally win.

[[WMG: Harry will be ordered to capture Bob for Mab, but will take advantage of her ExactWords by going after Evil Bob instead.]]
We've known for ages that Mab has it in for Bob, and learned why in ''Cold Days''. Mab doesn't necessarily know that Evil Bob exists, which gives Harry a loophole to abuse when she orders her Knight to eliminate the spirit once and for all. Actually ''finding'' Evil Bob will be difficult, as Harry doesn't know what sort of sanctuary he inhabits or where he went after the events of ''Ghost Story'', although the wicked spirit's having formed an alliance with the Fomor seems likely.

[[WMG: The Skinwalker will return]]
Skin Game, Skinwalker. Pretty obvious connection.
* And Shagnasty is getting tossed in minimum security.
** Probably. But before that, I'm guessing that he won't just be a factor in the plot, he's gonna be part of Nick's crew.

[[WMG: Mortal Skinwalkers will be in the plot.]]
It's mentioned that the immortal Skinwalkers taught mortals. This organization will appear.

[[WMG: Molly and Harry hook up]]
* That's the titular Skin Game. Cold Days has pretty much everyone under the sun shipping Molly/Harry, while Harry keeps protesting waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa[[OverlyLongGag aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]] too much. And now that she is Winter and subject to the same predator lust Harry was resisting in Cold Days, she will stop playing nice and start deconstructing his arguments. And we know Harry finds that sort of thing sexy. So his resistance will break. And the book with end with Micheal and Charity finding out.
* The mantle of the Winter Lady, unfortunately, does play straight into Molly's weaknesses. But I think that it's more likely that they will help each other stay human than give into the mantle's influence. Not that this leaves out the idea: that's a great way for them to become close. And remember Harry and Susan?

[[WMG: Harry will be sent to steal the Blackstaff from Ebenezar.]]
It's actually Mother Winter's walking stick, and she wants it back. Mab agreed never to send Harry against those he loved, but Mother Winter outranks Mab and has never promised any such thing.
** I really like the idea of the Blackstaff as her walking stick.

[[WMG: Harry will face/accidentally bust out one of the Titans]]
Hades' vaults are in Tartarus, where at least one powerful Titan is imprisoned, and Butcher cryptically asked "well, what could imprison a Titan?" during a Q&A.
* Gee, I wonder if Demonreach might be "close" to the Nevernever's prison for Old Gods?

[[WMG: Lara will show up as either part of the thieving crew or the victim.]]
The title's going to be Skin Game, and what do the Raiths deal in?
* In a Q&A for ''Cold Days'', Jim briefly mentioned that the Denarians show up every time a book is a multiple of five (''Death Masks'' is five and ''Small Favor'' is ten). Assuming that he applies a similarly formulaic approach to the other villains, Vampires will probably feature heavily in ''Skin Game'', because every book where a vampire has been the main villain has been a multiple of three.
** ''Grave Peril'' is 3, and had Bianca
** ''Blood Rites'' is 6, and had Lord Raith (and Mavra).
** ''White Night'' is 9, and had the Malvora and Skavis families.
** ''Changes'' is 12, and had Arianna Ortega and the Red King.
** ''Skin Game'' is 15, and who knows?


[[WMG: The Beckitts' daughter will figure in the plot.]]
We already know that the Greek pantheon will figure into the plot, that Harry will be working with allies he'd rather not be working with, and that his nickname for the Beckitt's daughter is "Persephone." The plot will involve Marcone somehow coercing Dresden into helping him or his people in nabbing something from Hades to cure her, with the Denarians involved somehow.

[[WMG: Harry will take up Injun Joe on the offer to teach him.]]
Back in Turn Coat, the morning after Injun Joe runs off the Shagnasty, McCoy mentions that Injun Joe has offered to teach some things to Harry. Could be his subplot in this and the next novel is Harry deciding it might be a good idea to learn what he can from a more experienced wizard.
* If so, Injun Joe will surely take this opportunity to examine Harry's reactions and attitude on behalf of the Senior Council, to see just how big a security-risk his involvement with Mab may constitute. And possibly also to confirm it ''really is'' Harry who came BackFromTheDead, rather than something supernatural that's only posing as him...
* Not only that, Injun Joe offered to teach him how to deal with anger, hate, etc. What, precisely, has the Winter Mantle done to Harry so far?

[[WMG: Murphy will take up Fidelacchius]]
Michael is coming off the bench and the Denarians are appearing also. Additionally, ''Cold Days'' has shown that Murphy is now at least somewhat connected to the force determining where and when the Swords are used. Therefore, even if it's just for one fight, she's using it again.

[[WMG: Skin Games will contain (possibly in a flashback) the scene where the Carpenters learn that Molly is now the Winter Lady.]]
This can fall out one of two ways. 1. Harry, immediately after getting cleaned up, heads over to the Carpenters. 2. After a few days, Mab tells Harry to return Molly to her home. Either way, this is a funny enough scene that Jim can't leave it out.
* ''Funny?'' This scene won't be anything but a TearJerker.

[[WMG: Sayna will die or be crippled.]]
In each of the two Denarian books before now, one of the Knights has been taken out of the fight. First Shiro was killed in Death Masks, then Micheal was disabled in Small Favor, now we'll lose Sayna in Skin Games. This of course means that someone will have to take up at least one Sword. I'm thinking Murphy for Fidellachius, Thomas for Amoraccius, or Hope Carpenter for Esperaccius (not totally sure Hope is old enough, but she's pretty close.)
** Hope is still in middle school at most. You may be thinking of Alicia there.

[[WMG: Skin Games will feature Harry making an alliance with Nicky and the Nickelheads against the Outsiders.]]
One of the running themes of the book so far is Harry having to support and aid evil characters in order to get rid of even more evil characters. Furthermore, we can be reasonably certain that Nicodemus is not infected by Nemesis, and that he pretty much hates it. I can see Nicodemus and Harry needing to team up to fight some Outsider plot, possibly with infected Denarians on the Outsider's side.
* I always thought the Nicodemus would somehow wind up on the Grey Council. Y'know, kind of like a Devil on the Shoulder thing. Having a TokenEvilTeammate like him would be incredibly dangerous, but his darker insights and experience would be helpful in fighting the Black Council.

[[WMG: We will find out Kincaid's parentage]]
From the beginning chapters of Skin Game Harry requested that he have a person on the team of his choosing. Mab pointed out that when loaned Anduriel's associate that he brought his spawn along, which if she was talking to Nic would indicate Deirdre, however she was making the deal with the fallen angel so what about the fallen's "spawn". Who do we know is not completely human and even has a nickname associated with down below? The Hellhound.
Therefore Mab's agreement required "symmetry". She will suggest that Harry hires the Hellhound for this symmetry, sort of how she tasked Harry with killing Maeve as there was a symmetry there because he had killed the Summer Lady.

[[WMG: One of the prisoners trapped under Demonreach is the original Merlin.]]
In the first chapter Harry has a mental conversation with one of the prisoners, who doesn't sound raving mad so much as British. And pissed off, because Harry is interrupting his stasis - stasis, note, not imprisonment - just like novices always do, implying that this particular resident of Demonreach is a wizard. Part of the Merlin myth is that he's trapped in some shape or form - and variously under a rock or in a magical cave/invisible tower/glass house/ tree, depending on which story you read - by Nimue, whether willingly or through treachery, and awaiting his return to the world.

[[WMG: Molly is being set up for a FaceYourFears arc.]]
And she will hopefully come out of it stronger and a safer person, though there's really no telling. Molly's main fears are losing her family (as we see when she's discussing wizardly lifespans with Harry), being under the power of Winter fae (''Proven Guilty,'' we are revisiting the situation), and losing Harry to death/the dark side. She'll be told about Nemesis in her capacity as the Winter Lady, and that it may infect Harry someday. It seems likely that Molly will be distanced from her family one way or another, at least for now. And the fear of Winter is self-explanatory. She's become one of the monsters that tortured her in ''Proven Guilty'' and will have to deal with that some way. It looks like we've got some life-altering, character-defining decisions up ahead...

[[WMG: Molly will not appear in this book at all, or she will only appear at the very end.]]
Harry said his Fae training took around 50-60 days (?) and it's reasonable to think Molly's would take a similar length of time. Heist stories usually don't cover long stretches of time.