#proven guilty

[skyofdarkmatter42]

Yes the Molly thing is yucky and should at least have been written differently, but I do think there's an interesting aspect to Harry telling Molly I'm not going to take advantage of you, a scared kid with no place to stay who I have just helped, if you view it as a continuation of the parallel between his experiences and Molly's, because that's the exact state in which Lea found him, and she did take advantage of him at that point. So like. No he shouldn't get any pats on the back for not sleeping with a minor, but through the lens of "I'm going to minimize the damage done to you in these same situations I went through with no one to look out for me" it does become not completely dumb and pointless I think

[happycabbage]

"And I'm all outta bubble gum!"

AKA - Great moments as brought to you by Harry Dresden

Proven Guilty

[friendly-books]

Dresden files Proven Guilty live blog

Proven Guilty live blog

We start with an execution of a 16 year old warlock 

Is the hood really necessary?

There has got to be something better than just execution or the doom 

Can Harry punch Merlin as well? Harry saved the day with killing Corpsetaker and stopping Cowl and it gets thrown back in his face 

Merlin seriously bought a warlock all the way from presumably South Korea to Chicago to have Harry watch that’s incredibly petty 

I’m glad both Harry and Ebenezar know about the traitor and are doing something about it 

I like Ebenezar’s Scottish accent creeping in his speech

Oh uh black magic is afoot 

No Harry, Ebenezar is trying to make amends go to lunch together 

Lasciel appears yay!

Ha Harry made Lasciel wear a seatbelt 

Aw Harry’s avoiding Michael :(

Oh no someone hit Harry with a car 

Oh Harry is good at lying not sure if that’s good or bad 

“All lean muscle, sculpted and well formed” pg. 58 Bi Harry 23

Thomas! 

“Because guys don’t do it like that” pg. 60 Harry that’s stupid talk to Thomas 

Fix! 

Billy got married?!? When was this?

“None of the evil geniuses I ever worked for could have handled something like this” pg. 72 Harry is smart as Little Chicago sounds complicated 

Little Chicago is really cool 

Molly’s in jail why is Molly in jail? What did she do? 

Hey Harry (and Jim) could maybe please tone down the description of Molly please 

Why does Molly’s boyfriend kinda sound like Harry appearance wise? Or am I reading too much into it?

Molly’s what 17? Why isn’t she living with her parents? Why isn’t she in school? Did she run away? 

Molly got full named 

Charity stop with the animosity with Harry 

Charity maybe don’t say your daughter looks like a savage 

“Possession. Marijuana and Ecstasy” pg. 122 Ha Molly had Molly (Ecstasy) Those drugs aren’t that bad. I’m with Michael parenting wise

“Professional Wizard Incinerates Amateur Vampire. News at 10” pg. 131 Harry this is probably a trauma response please go get therapy or talk to your friends 

“Actually I do,” I said. “I make fun of almost everything” pg. 133 Ha

“I would be coming down on the same side of the situation as Charity, which might be one of the signs of the apocalypse.” pg. 134 Ha 

Rawlins! 

“Believe me. I know burning buildings.” pg. 144 Ha and yes Harry knows burning buildings incredibly well 

So the bad guy came in and out through NeverNever is what I’m guessing maybe they were fae? 

Murphy! I’ve missed you 

Killing somebody must really eat you up inside 

“What if I grow into some kind of monster? One who takes life without consideration for anything but his own will. Who cares more about end than means. More about might than right. What if this is the first step?” pg. 175 No Harry you’re not monster 

“Painfully obvious, sometimes” pg. 176 Yep

“If we ever did get together, I’d kill you inside a week” pg. 177 it’s both funny and painful knowing that they’ll get together and then Murphy will died

No Harry take your duster knowing your luck you’ll need it 

Do bring Mouse because he’s wonderful 

“Mouse isn’t big. He’s compactly challenged” pg. 186 Ha

I’d be nice if Harry could actually use new technology and not short circuit it 

“Karrie Murphy” pg. 190 Karrie?!? It’s like when Ebenezar calls Harry Hoss

Is Molly magic? Is she doing gray or black magic? Is she a warlock? Cause Mouse’s reactions to her are sus. Like he can detect evil and he’s acting like Molly is bad. Maybe she hasn’t done anything too bad so Mouse isn’t on all out attack yet. Harry should really listen to Mouse. Maybe she’s all the black magic that’s happening? As I’m not sure if the council would know about nonhuman beings performing black magic. That brings into question some stuff with Harry, Justin, and papa Raith. Why would Molly do Black magic? It's bad? Maybe she doesn’t know? 

“Worse, there were what looked like almost like burn marks on her temples

-small, black, neat holes, as if someone had board a hot needle through the skin and skull beneath.” pg. 195 Ok so probably Molly has mind magic cause that’s too precise to be from an attack and she’s been hopefully trying to help her friends not be addicted to drugs cause you don’t become sober in two weeks from heroin that girl should definitely be having withdrawals. But mind magic is a big no no in terms of the laws. And you know it's ethically bad. I feel like even not knowing the Laws Molly should know better than to do mind magic as the media hasn’t presented mind control as good. Does she know the laws? Surely not or she wouldn’t meddle with mind magic. Can she do other magic? Can talent just pop up? Harry’s mom was magic so it seems like it can pass down? So maybe Michael or Charity could do magic at some point but not now as Harry’s touched them before and he didn’t mention anything magic. Maybe it has something to do with Michael being magic adjacent to being a knight. Or maybe Charity used to do magic. Harry hasn’t had a handshake with Molly yet. Last time Harry saw Molly she was 14 back in Death Mask and she didn’t have magic then. When does magic come up? Puberty? When did Harry’s magic come up? This is all under the assumption that she has magic. So many questions and theories and wild guessing

“Sir” pg. 203 Harry called Pell sir? I thought he only called Ebenezar sir? Maybe it’s just old men that Harry respects that get called sir?

“Thing is. That was the only damn movie ever scared me” pg. 204 Interesting 

“It’s a spiritual entity that feeds on fear. It attacks in order to scare away people, and feeds on that emotion” pg. 205 Spooky 

“You take too much responsibility on yourself, Harry. You’re just one man, but you're still only human” pg. 207 aw :( Harry needs to not take so much responsibility.

“This is what happens when I don’t wear the coat” I opined “People start thinking I’m not a superhero” pg. 207 Ha

“You can’t be everywhere at once. You can’t stop all the bad things that are going to happen” 

“Doesn’t mean people shouldn’t try” I said 

“Maybe. But you take it personal. You tear yourself up over it. Like with that girl just now”  pg. 207 Harry really does follow Peter Parker

“I just can’t stand it. I can’t stand seeing people get hurt like that. I hate it” pg. 208 

Yep

Aw Thomas is leaving:(

Why does Maeve know Harry hasn’t been with anyone?

“Technically? When I killed Aurora” pg. 235 Well Harry’s correct 

“When I’d defeated Aurora, there had been a healthy chunk of luck involved.” pg. 236 Well there saw some skill involved 

What did Maeve do at Billy and Georgia’s wedding?

“These mortal notions,” said Maeve “Good, Evil, love. All those other things your kind natter on about. Are they perhaps contagious” pg. 240 Interesting idea humanity is infecting 

 Rich is here boo 

Butters mentioned!

“Crane was a surprisingly good-looking man” pg. 252 Bi Harry 24

“He turned that dazzling smile on Murph” pg. 256 Bi Harry 25

“He recognized too, I felt famous” pg. 258 Oh he’s a supernatural

“Go read the yellow pages in your room. I’m in  there. Under Wizard” pg. 258 Ha

“Greene was an ass” pg. 271 Couldn’t agree more 

So they’re illegally interrogating Molly a minor without her parents there shame on them 

I want Rich and Greene fired 

What would Sam Vimes say? 

What’ll happen when Murphy finds out?

Why doesn’t Harry have a conceal carry license? 

“Would it kill you to stop being an asshole for five minutes, Rich?” pg. I think it might actually kill him  

Huh I thought Murph would be madder

“But any child of mine would inherit more than my eyes and killer chin” 

“Any child of mine would be bound to inherit some of my enemies, and worse maybe some of my allies” pg. 283 aw :( poor Harry 

“I didn’t follow her right away

She didn’t look back 

Stab

Twist 

God, I love being a wizard” pg. 284 ouch 

“One of these days, you’re gonna have to tell me what you did to make Mab want to kill you” pg. 289 What did Bob do?

“Even knights can die, Molly. Shiro did. It could happen to Michael too.” pg. 294 ouch more pain 

Bob please stop talking about Molly like that I’m begging you 

“Bob is my little creep, and the only one who gets to call him names is me.” pg. 298 Ha

“That boyfriend Nelson bears quite the striking physical resemblance to you” pg. 298 What. I was joking before. It was supposed to be a weird tin foil theory. I wasn’t supposed to right. 

Bob and Lasciel better be wrong about Harry and Molly I swear

I like it when Harry performs magic. Interesting descriptions 

“But imagining invisible perpetrators or hidden conspiracies veers pretty close to paranoia” pg. 302 Murphy, Harry’s a bit paranoid 

“It’s only paranoia if I’m wrong” pg. 303 Ha

I like it when Harry gets technical when he talks about magic; he's such a magic nerd!

“The universe conspired against me” pg. 307 Ha and yes Jim is definitely out to get Harry

“Charity introduced my chin to her right hook” pg. 307 Ouch 

“I’ve had an incident or two with involving buildings and fire” pg. 323 Ha 

“She’s dead” pg. 329 oh no 

I’m not sure if Harry let the phage go he would have been able to save the girl

MOUSE! I know he’ll live but poor got hit a car that’s got to hurt

“Your head must be as hard as everyone says” pg. 341 Ha and yes Harry indeed have a hard head

“As tall and dark and handsome as you please” pg. 341 Bi Harry 26 

“You’re siphoning my noble hero vibe” I told him “Cease and desists or I’ll sue” pg. 345 Ha

“So who’s going to pony up for one Harry Dresden, slightly used?” pg. 346 Ha

“I suddenly felt cold, all over.

I was captured by the Red Court once. Held in the dark by a crowd of hissing, monstrous shapes.

They did things.

There was nothing, I could do about it.

I still had nightmares to remind me 

Not every night, maybe, but often enough. 

Often enough.” pg. 346 Poor Harry :( This doesn’t help the implications. Harry describes some truly terrible and awful things and the fact that he doesn’t with what happened to him is telling. It makes sense to me as it can take people time to come to terms with the fact that they were victims. Harry not being able to speak about it other than saying they did things to him adds to it. 

“That the White Council’s unyielding policy is one of nonnegotiation with terrorist” pg. 347 Boo white council 

“No unacceptable. A numbered account only. I don’t trust those people on PayPal” pg. 347 Who is trying to buy Harry on eBay? Is it Marcone? I bet it’s Marcone because that’ll be funny. This is my head cannon 

“Are you selling me eBay?” pg. 347 Ha

“There are too many blondes in your life, my host” pg. 348 Ha

The Full Moon Garage is there no other creepy warehouse in Chicago? Do the villains have a time share on this place? Out of the warehouse you choose this one? 

Thomas to the rescue! 

“I’ll not surrender this prize” pg. 368 Harry isn’t a prize to be bought >:(

“My dog was alright. Maybe my eyes misted up a little.” pg. 373 Aw Mouse is ok 

“And the expensive puddle of water instantly froze into a sheet of glittering ice” pg. 390 so cool that Harry used a fire spell to freeze something 

“Hell you think I’m going to walk into one of your patented Harry Dresden anarchy-gasm without all the protection I can get” pg. 392 Ha

Thomas took part in the Wild Hunt

What why would Molly be behind the phage? 

Oh no the other kids :(

Charity is scary 

“I never look good” pg. 409 True

“He rapped his knuckles gently with my own” pg. 410 Yeah fist bump 

“It is beautiful here” pg. 412 Lasciel having doubts 

“Sometime in the Mesozoic Era” pg. 410 Ha

Nelson has the same wounds as Rosie 

“How long has it been since you’ve used your magic?” pg. 424 I was right?!? My theory was correct?

“Wardens got wind of it” pg. 427 More questions about the White Council 

So Michael saved Charity from a dragon cool

Michael doesn’t know!?! Why didn’t Charity tell him? This is a big secret to keep from your husband 

“I was setting an example to Molly of everything Charity wanted her to avoid” pg. 429 that’s not Harry’s fault 

I feel like this whole conflict could have been avoided if people were open and honest with each other. Communication 

“I think she used magic to invade their minds” pg. 430 I’D LIKE TO STOP BEING CORRECT NOW. 

I’d like to be wrong about Molly and magic please 

“There’s a child out there who needs me. I’d rather die than let her down. I’m doing the spell, period. So fuck off.” pg. 448 So cool 

“Murmuring a stream of faux Latin” pg. 449 So Harry uses Latin for his spells. But the White Council speaks Latin. Does Elaine also speak spells in Latin? Why would Justin let them speak in Latin when the White Council also speaks Latin? 

Yay Little Chicago worked

“Then I turned on Murphy and gave her a jubilant kiss on the mouth.” pg. 460 Yay!

“Hey Murph” I said “Look at that zeppelin” pg. 477 Ha

 “So, like a crazed loner with more death wish than survival instincts” pg. 480 Ha

“I don’t care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching-they are your family.

And they were my heroes” pg. 492 So cool

“I’d done worst in the past with both Justin DoMure and Ebenezar” pg. 497 I’m questioning both of your teaching methods 

“I’m starting to think that maybe I’m getting a little bit out of my depth here” pg. 500 Ha

“I mean, God, you are dense sometimes. Are you just now noticing this, Harry?” pg. 500 Ha

Oh someone attacked Mab’s fortress with Hellfire

So many bones

“How about a little fire Scarecrow” pg. 531 Cool

Is Mab just torturing Slad till Harry becomes the Winter Knight? Slad seemed happy that Harry had come to supposedly kill him. Maybe that’s how Winter knight get chosen kill the previous one. If Harry does kill Slad I’d view it more as a mercy kill at this point. Put the man out of his misery 

Oh no Lea 

She doesn’t seem herself. Is she possessed? Is that why she tried to usurp Mab? 

“Why all of Winter, child. All of us” pg. 543 Oh no

“Then give me the sword and I’ll do it myself. I’m not leaving her.” pg. 544 aw :) Harry care about Lea

Well Lea is definitely possessed 

“I can’t sleep well any night I haven’t inflicted a little property damage” pg. 555 Ha 

“She’d avoided direct contact before” pg. 568  Like with the first wife from Blood Rites 

“But I won that little blue ribbon. I still have it back at home” pg. 570 aw :)

I feel like how their magic showed what their proficiency is. With Molly it’s mind/illusions with Harry it’s more external changes wind/fire physical 

“I had this problem where I gave a lot of lip to older kids. And teachers. And pretty much everyone else who tried to intimidate me, whether or not it was for my own good” pg. 570 Ha 

Why didn’t Molly talk to Harry when her magic turned up? He’s a friend of the family and an actual wizard who helps people

“But I thought maybe I could help her. With magic. Like you” pg. 573 Hooboy is right 

Molly please take responsibility for your actions 

“Her talent was not a modest one” pg. 575 Maybe I’m just not getting this but does this mean Molly has a lot of power or not a lot? 

I take it Harry is going to take Molly under his wing and him and Molly will be under the Doom. That would mean Harry has been under the Doom twice. Has that ever happened to any other wizard? 

Soul Gaze time 

Molly’s soul was interesting 

Charity isn’t going to like this chat 

“We just haven’t had one of them one in ten or twelve years” pg. 598 I assume the last trial was Harrys 

“You sound familiar with this situation.

I smiled a little. “Intimately.” pg. 601 Yep must have been scary for Harry

“Morgan got within about twenty feet of the Red King himself” pg. 607 cool

“So the Merlin holds them by default. And he doesn’t like me. He’d cast the vote to condemn her just to spite me” pg. 609 WHAT KIND OF KANGAROO COURT NONSENSE IS THIS?!? This can’t be legal, no wonder the council doesn’t have many people who keep killing potential wizards. When most of your jury is unavailable then you reschedule. Who decides if a person has gone too far? Does the accused have a lawyer? Will the trial be in a language that everyone knows? Why does Merlin get to cast votes for the others? The judge shouldn’t preside over the trial if there’s a conflict of interest. Molly is 17 and didn’t know the laws. This is a terrible system. This can’t possibly carry out justice. Why is there only two options: execution of prohibition with a death sentence hanging over their heads? Surely there can be other options. You’re telling me that in these hundreds of years wizards haven’t built a prison besides Deamonreach to hold  warlocks? Or use the anti magic handcuffs. 

“The Reds had to find a way to draw off some of our heavies and they found it. Luccio’s boot camp” pg. 607 The wardens have a boot camp?

“Some terrified corner of my brain had noted that so long as the hood was over my face, I wasn’t a person. I was only a creature, a statistic and one that was a potential threat at that. It would be far easier to pass and mete out a death sentence when one did not have to look at the face of the damned” pg. 612 Yep that’s why the hood is a bad idea. This doesn’t happen in an actual court of law

“If I fought the White Council’s justice” pg. 614 This isn’t justice 

Gatekeeper! Here to the rescue 

“He beckoned the Council secretary, a dried-up old spider of man named Peabody, and put his head together with the old man in a whispered conference” pg. 622 Why are Peabody and Merlin talking? Why do they need to talk? What does the scribe for the White Council need to talk to Merlin about? Peabody wasn’t part of the investigation. He didn’t look at the victims or soul gaze at Molly. Why is he talking to Merlin? To sway him to kill Molly? 

“He’d planned on undermining me with Latin from the moment he heard about the concave” pg. 616 I repeat this isn’t justice this is petty spiteful vengeance nothing more

“If it hasn’t faded into a blur of senility” pg. 624 Ha 

“But when it comes to the Council sitting self-righteous, arrogant judgment over a young wizard who made an honest mistake, I believe I have more experience than anyone in this room” pg. 626 Ha and yes Harry is the black sheep of the White Council 

“In the past three years the Council has tried and condemned more warlocks than in the past twenty. Children who are raised in societies that do not believe in magic suddenly inherit powers they could hardly imagined, and certainly cannot control. They have no support. No training. No one to warn them of the consequences or the dangers of their actions” pg. 626 Preach

“For Gods sake, wizards, if we are to survive this war, we need all the talent we can get” pg. 627 Yep 

“I’d beaten the Merlin. He knew it. 

And he hated it.” pg. 628 Suck it Merlin 

“My words slowed him, he froze in place for a terrible heartbeat” pg. 631 Interesting it seems that Harry got through to Morgan 

“Stand aside, Dresden. Please” pg. 631 Oh Morgan being polite to Harry 

Yay the rest of the Council has arrived 

“Michael came in” pg. 634 Yay! Michael to the rescue 

“If you’re right” I said, “you still get to kill the girl” 

“Merlin glanced at me. “True,” he said. “And you with her.” pg. 636 Why doesn’t Merlin like Harry or Molly? Surly he’s been in charge long enough that this isn’t the first time someone has beaten him. And surely Harry isn’t the first black sheep of the Council. Surly Harry isn’t he first to question or define his authority so why does Merlin not like Harry and Molly? Is he worried someone will try to challenge his rule and or try to and take his position as leader

“In short: I’d become a politician” pg. 638 Ha 

“I thought to myself, hey, it would be great time for one of the Knights of the Cross to show up, eh?” I shook my head “It didn’t work out that way” pg. 642 But Butters came does it matter if he’s not a knight yet he came 

Charity should tell Michael that she had magic

“She’s got real talent” pg. 643 So Molly dose have a great deal of power or talent 

“Greater love hath no man,” he said quietly. “Nothing I can say would enough. She’s my daughter, Harry. Thank you” pg. 643 aw :)

“Not the Merlin of the Council. Merlin. The original” pg. 645 So cool the similarities between the Merlin original and Harry

“Like they did with Shiro” pg. 646 aw :( 

“I certainly have no intention of an early retirement” pg. 646 Well you’ll get it whether you like it or not

Yes Harry talk to Michael 

Michael knew about Lasciel?!? You couldn’t have told Harry this sooner? 

“Walk away from your magic,” he said. “Forsake it. Forever”

“Fuck that” pg. 651 Yeah I would have a similar reaction. I don’t know what Michael was expecting. Harry’s life is magic he’s been training and using it for decades. It’s a part of him at this point. He loves magic. He’s a magic nerd.

“If that happens,” I told him, and my voice was a dry whisper, “I want you to” pg. 653 Real friends will kill each other if they go to the dark guy

“And hungry. No one has touched you in a very long time” pg. 660 Why do people keep commenting on Harry not having a sex it’s none of their business 

NOPE delete do not go there back up you two this will not happen

“But that stopped once I picked up the pitcher of ice water from the mantle and dumped it over her head” pg. 662 Ha 

“This isn’t going to happen” pg. 662  Good it shouldn’t ever happen 

Oh so Molly had a crush on Dresden 

“It’s trite but true that a lot of young women look for men who reminds them of their dad. Your dad fights monsters. I fight monsters. Your dad rescued your mom from a dragon. I rescued you from Arcrtus Tor. Seeing a the pattern here” pg. 664 Well that is a pattern 

“That you’re both stiffened necked idiots” pg. 673 Ha Thomas is such a Harry/Murphy shipper

“I’m proud of you, boy.” 

“Something inside of me melted” pg. 679 Aw my heart :) I think Harry needed to hear that

I love that Ebenezar vouched for Harry at his trial. I love that Harry and Ebenezar are rebuilding their relationship. I adore their relationship. It was a good ending :) 

Final thoughts 

I liked the fights. Now onto some of my issues with the White Council. Did they not know that a member of theirs Justin turned into a warlock when he enthralled Elaine and did they not notice that Justin sent a monster from outside reality. Did the White Council not know about Harry and Elaine as they don’t seem to know Elaine exists and Harry never mentions wearing an apprentice robe or going to their headquarters or boot camp. No one seemed to have stopped by to check in on Justin at any point during Harry’s apprenticeship. Are there no regulations or oversight when it comes to apprenticeship? This all just reminds me of bad homeschooling where the parents take the kids out of school to isolate them and abuse them. Continuing with the isolation, Harry's magic uses Latin. The White Council uses Latin surely if Justin actually cared he’d have advised against it. Justin could have encouraged Harry to have his spells in Latin as a way to make sure he wouldn’t be able to talk to the White Council if he escaped him. That could be why his Latin is so bad. Are we sure Justin didn’t just kidnap Harry? I’m going to need some paperwork as a young orphan in foster care is an easy target. Onto other parts of the book because we’ll be here all day if a rant about my issues with the White Council. We had 4 Bi Harry moments up to 26 on the counter. I didn’t like being right about Molly and magic. I still don’t really get why Molly didn’t go to Harry when she got magic but I’ve never had a teenage crush before so I can’t relate. The things between Harry and Molly better stay platonic. I’m mad Bob and Lasciel were right. I can’t wait to see the apprenticeship. Hopefully I’ll learn more about Harry’s own apprenticeship through how he teaches Molly. I didn’t like more implications about Harry and Bianca’s party. I thought the trial was a joke, it was truly terrible.  I’d like to add that the White Council’s methods might have worked in the before times when people believed in magic and there weren’t so many people. But now people don’t believe in magic. There’s 7.8 billion people alive and with the Masquerade and the secretly of the White Council this is going to keep happening. The Council needs to get with the times and change and progress. Or start over. Or something else comes along that’s better. They have to get the word out to kids with magic. Harry has the right idea being in the phone book. The White Council wrote books on magic so they’re not opposed to writing books. Have them write a “fiction” book about the signs and laws of so if any of the magic kids read it they’ll have a better idea. They shouldn’t be worried about the Masquerade or the muggles they don’t believe in magic. Or have apprentices or a low level practitioner set up a website. Because right now they’re losing kids to the dark side out of ignorance of magic and the Laws and as far as I can see they’re not helping. Onto the next book!

[brittanybwrites]

reading goals this week: Finish Dresden (am on Chapter thirty one, I think I can do it), then read We Free the Stars. Whatever book I'm going to read next, I don't know, since I normally read three books a week, but at least I'm finishing up Dresden before I do.

[holyshitheckhounds]

[clevermird]

on to Proven Guilty now

I’m glad Mab is probably returning. I liked her (and by liked, I mean she was terrifying). 

Also, I know that killing teenagers over dark magic is a sensitive subject for Harry, but he needs to calm down. 

[checkoutmybookshelf]

You Have My Attention: Dresden Files First Lines

I tend to give a book a few pages or even the first chapter to catch me, but for some readers, you get one line. Despite my complicated feelings about the Dresden Files as a series, Jim Butcher is a bit of an evil genius for first lines (note the plural on that). Here are the first lines of every book (excluding the short stories because that's a whole other kettle of dragons).

"I heard the mailman approach my office door, half hour earlier than usual."

--Storm Front

"I never used to keep close track of the phases of the moon."

--Fool Moon

"There are reasons I hate to drive fast."

--Grave Peril

"It raned toads the day the White Council came to town."

--Summer Knight

"Some things just aren't meant to go together. Things like oil and water. Orange juice and toothpaste. Wizards and television."

--Death Masks

"The building was on fire, and it wasn't my fault."

--Blood Rites

"On the whole, we're a murderous race. According to Genesis, it took as few as four people to make the planet too crowded to stand, and the first murder was a fratecide. Genesis says that in a fit of jealous rage, the very first child born to moral parents, Cain, snapped and popped the first metaphorical cap in another human being. The attack was a bloody, brutal, violent, reprehensible killing. Cain's brother Abel probably never saw it coming."

--Dead Beat

"Blood leaves no stain on a Warden's grey cloak."

--Proven Guilty

"Many things are not what they seem: The worst things in life enever are."

--White Night

"Winter came early that year; it should have been a tip-off."

--Small Favor

"The summer sun was busy broiling the asphalt from Chicago's streets, the agony in my head had kept me horizontal for hald a day, and some idiot was pounding on my apartment door."

--Turn Coat

"I answered the phone, and Susan Rodriguez said, 'They've taken our daughter.'"

--Changes

"Life is hard. Dying's easy."

--Ghost Story

"Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, has unique ideas regarding physical therapy."

--Cold Days

"There was a ticking time bomb inside my head and the one person I ttrusted to go in and get it out hadn't shown up or spoken to me for more than a year."

--Skin Game

"My brother ruined a perfectly good run by saying 'Justine is pregnant.'"

--Peace Talks

"Apocalypses always kick off at the witching hour. That's something you know now."

--Battle Ground

[charliethejumper]

I’ve been reading the Dresden Files. Just finished Proven Guilty.

[margysmusings]

I leaned closer and gave her the look I usually save for rampaging demons and those survey people at malls.

Jim Butcher, Proven Guilty

[girlzoot]

Vanity, thy name is vampire. —Jim Butcher/Proven Guilty

[uncanny-tranny]

Fat people deserve mobility aids, too. No matter if it's connected to their fatness or not, because having a mobility issue that is connected to one's fatness won't change that they're still fat and still have the issue at hand. Fat people don't deserve to "tough it out" because fatness should be this divine punishment doled out to those who "deserve" it. Fat disabled people deserve to have the peace of mind that they can exist in whatever way is most comfortable and accessible to them

[hoagiesnadwich]

happy pride!!! have some penpals art

[swordmaid]

a girl who is a noir detective man and a guy who is a femme fatale

[brittanybwrites]

Finished one, about to either blow up Chicago or ride a T-Rex in another.

[nothing0fnothing]

"Innocent until proven guilty."

Yeah bro. I agree.

So when 5 different accusers and 20 different colleagues all agree he's a rapist guess what? That's proven to me that he's guilty.

[clevermird]

Review: Proven Guilty (Dresden Files, book 8) by Jim Butcher

Dresden Files book eight is here and major changes are on the horizon for Harry. It's been a while since Dead Beat and Harry is having trouble settling into his new life as a Warden - stopping dark wizards is great, but it doesn't sit right with him executing teenagers who don't even know what they did wrong. So when the daughter of an old friend calls in need of help (and with a mystery to solve), he's eager to jump back into his old detective days and help her out. But this time, the problem might not be the monsters, but his own allies. . . As I've mentioned in my other reviews for books in this series, there's not a lot to talk about in many ways. If you're already read this far, you know what to expect. There's witty dialogue, there's fast action, there's a few side characters that get their own subplots, and there's a ton of "Wait, WHAT" moments. Sadly, this book really didn't grab me the way some of the others have. I think the problem was that I read it too slowly, only a chapter or two at a time, and it didn't allow me to get swept up in the action the way I might usually and left me feeling like everything was a bit scattershot and oddly paced. Nothing that ruined my enjoyment of the story, but again, not one of the stronger entries. I think this book was more interesting for me as set-up, as several things are introduced that I predict will have major effects on the story as we go forward.   There's also a subplot involving a teenage girl developing a crush on Harry which, while he doesn't take advantage, is very uncomfortable to read about and I really wish it had been left out or toned down a bit. Overall, more of a setup book than an entry that stands on its own, but still definitely has some stand-out moments.

Warnings: There’s several moments of body horror that, while not out of character for the series, are pretty disturbing if you’re not expecting them.

Rating: 3.75/5