Line #10 YMMV/PeaceTalks


1	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
2	** Is Ebenezar engaged in KnightTemplar behavior combined with VanHelsingHateCrimes or is he ProperlyParanoid with the information that Harry gives him? [[spoiler: Was killing Harry's doppelganger a MoralEventHorizon or an accident, or both?]]
3	** Is Harry falling back into his old habits of keeping things from his allies? A lot of things would have been averted if he'd just told Ebenezar upfront that [[spoiler: Thomas is his grandson.]] Alternatively, since Eb's reaction was [[spoiler: absolute revulsion and priming the spell that ended up killing doppelganger Harry]], Harry may also have read his mentor correctly. Not telling Ebenezar may also have been subconscious payback for Ebenezar allowing Harry to disappear into the foster system and never revealing their true relationship, which Harry mentions early on is a HUGE sticking point for him. Additionally, as noted below, his lack of communication with the Wardens makes him look suspicious to them, at a time when he's already in hot water with the Council.
4	** If Harry had sat down his old mentor and calmly explained that Thomas was his grandson, would Ebenezar have reacted the same way and attempted to murder his vampire grandson? Or were his actions due in large part to being filled with anger and adrenaline and not thinking clearly, having just gotten out of a toe-to-toe duel with the Winter Knight?
5	** Is Lara Raith really EvilCannotComprehendGood with Harry or is she so used to being manipulated and abused that [[spoiler: she can't understand he's not trying to leverage her when he puts Thomas in a prison cell that only he can open]]?
6	** Is Carlos Ramirez suspicious of Harry, who he's always had a good working relationship with in the past, for valid reasons? Or is he traumatized enough by what happened with Molly in "Cold Case" that he unfairly assumes Molly and Harry are both no longer themselves, but fae monsters now, even though Harry at least has given him no real cause to be so suspicious yet?
7	** Is [[AThreesomeIsHot Butters having threesomes with Andi and Marci]] a BigLippedAlligatorMoment that comes out of nowhere, causing Harry to blink a few times, and Butters to get very defensive, before never being mentioned again? Or is it a natural progression of Butters becoming gradually cooler and hence more appealing, combined with past hints that at least one of the women "experimented" in college and thus was already inclined to bisexuality?
8	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Conjuritus doesn't get any sort of payoff until the next book, so Harry sneezing and conjuring whatever he's thinking of at that moment is just a bizarre tangent that keeps pushing in.
9	* BrokenBase: Harry's decision to live with Maggie. A natural extension of how he wants to always be there for her and take care of her, or an utterly idiotic decision given that the Carpenters' house is one of the safest places in the world, and he can't give her the amount of time, attention, and safety Michael and Charity can anyway? There's a ''lot'' of debate.
10	* ContinuityLockout: If you haven't read the various short stories Butcher has written for the series, [[spoiler: the existence and death of Gwynn ap Nudd]] will come rather out of nowhere.
11	* GeniusBonus: At one point, it's mentioned that Vadderung has a cane whose shadow looks three times longer than it actually is. Why? Because it's most likely Odin's spear Gungnir in disguise.
12	* HarsherInHindsight: The book was released in July of 2020, around the same time that nationwide protests erupted over the death of George Floyd, during which police were documented and criticized for using excessive force against protesters both violent and peaceful. This can cause the idea near the end of the book of the Chicago police being out in force to “control the chaos” to read more ominously than it was intended to.
13	* HilariousInHindsight: This bit of dialogue from ''Literature/ColdDays'' is either this trope or HarsherInHindsight after this book (especially given Vadderung's known powers of foresight):
14	-->'''Harry:''' What happens if I go back in time to kill my grandfather?
15	-->'''Vadderung:''' He beats you senseless, I expect.
16	* OneSceneWonder: She only appears in one chapter towards the end of the book, but [[spoiler:Ethniu]] stands out because in the span of said chapter she completely changes the direction of the whole series.
17	* ShipToShipCombat: Fans of Harry's other love interests like Molly Carpenter or Luccio are less than happy about [[spoiler: him finally getting with Karrin]]. Some have even expressed how much they prefer ''Lara Raith.''
18	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The peace talks themselves. [[spoiler: We never actually get to see any negotiation because Ethniu the Titan shows up and proceeds to dramatically destroy the Unseelie Accords. This could have been a fascinating opportunity to flesh out both the Fomor and the relationships between the different supernatural beings, as well as see Harry have to approach a situation with more diplomacy than he usually does. Additionally, while many long-running characters return for the talks, Harry doesn't get to interact with many of them, meaning that their onscreen presence is almost negligible. Vadderung gets just a few short (if fairly important) moments, and Ivy all of one mention.]]

Context YMMV / PeaceTalks