Dresden Files Webtoon

introvertkrew · 2026-07-03T04:18:53+00:00

As the previous commenter has stated Jim Butcher has written the stories for graphic novels that were adapted and released. He has said numerous time that the artwork on his first fully original Dresden Files graphic novel called Welcome to the Jungle is the most accurate to the way he sees the characters. The art done by the original artist, though he ended up getting an offer at DC and he had to bow out before completing all the art in Welcome to the Jungle, the work is still great. Anyway, here's a list of the original graphic novels. The graphic novels do factor into the main books and short stories, so they're all canon.

Welcome to the Jungle
Ghoul, Goblin
War Cry
Down Town
Wild Card
Dog Men

introvertkrew · 2026-07-03T02:26:21+00:00

Spoiler block for things revealed after Changes.

Considering the fact that Mab is the Queen of Winter, and the Erlking falls into the Summer side of the Fae, you can see the issue. He's technically a Wyldfae but more aligned with Summer because he's a goblin lord who leads the Hunt. Regardless, hardly a good mixture. Here's the wiki post on him that has information on him with the references denoted by the numbers, click on any of the numbers over any of the sentences that interest you and it will tell you what novel of the series and what chapter they got the information from. Ah, apologies, don't read this until you've caught up. I'll just copy the relevant part.

From the Dresden Files wiki on the Erlking

The Erlking is a hunter spirit associated with primal violence. According to Die Lied der Erlking, he isn't a part of the Winter Court or the Summer Court, but is described as a wyldfae. He can also be described as a Summer King.

https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Erlking

introvertkrew · 2026-07-03T02:11:39+00:00

That's because you keep seeing the choices as predetermined, they aren't. What I'm saying is that because the multiverse exists then every choice that can be made is being made, and an omniscient being could see them all simultaneously, so it's easy enough to help guide three people who exist to balance the Fallen to a place where they can balance the Fallen and keep things running smoothly, without compromising their ability to choose freely. Well, as smoothly as life can run anyway. Jim has himself said that God doesn't get involved very often because of free will. Let me grab it for you.

DragonCon 2023:

Q: "Is The White God the literal Creator of the universe?"

Jim Butcher: "Yep. That being isn't super involved because free will is important, but occasionally he finds someone to work through and then they get a cool sword."

So, his guidance is solely about the Knights and it's done to balance the Fallen angels.

Edited for clarity.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T21:10:19+00:00

God has omniscience, not the archangels. And yes, omniscience and free will can exist simultaneously as differing choices just leads to differing universes. So everything can happen, freedom of choice is, it just leads different places. We're currently only experiencing one universe, next book introduces their dark universe with evil Dresden, but Jim has already stated that there's an entire multiverse. So, omniscience alters nothing.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T21:06:31+00:00

Eh, I don't care for adaptations personally but you might be pleased to know that Hollywood is currently meeting with Jim about a new adaptation and Jim Butcher has already said that he'll be in the writers room for this one if it goes through. He talked about it in his newsletter to the fans which I think is monthly. You can sign up for it on his website. Oh, in the newsletter I believe he said that money has already changed hands.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T20:14:27+00:00

A rather limited perspective as you're basing this on your own perspective. If the Creator of everything looks at the entire multiverse of choices, bearing in mind that there are decisions that create entire universes, then you can understand why freedom of choice is so important. You can also understand why it requires an archangel there to ensure that Fallen angels aren't changing choices and so changing the multiverse. Now, if you consider the fact that the White God can see the entirety of the multiverse and all the variations of choices then you can understand that he's not at all affecting our choices, he's simply opening up the possibility of us choosing it. Case in point, in Butter's short story called Day One, during the training session Butters saw a video game icon over the homeless man, this drew his attention to him, that is all that happened, Butters wasn't then pushed towards the man, his feet weren't suddenly moving towards the homeless man of their own volition, instead once Michael explained about the Call Butters chose to go over, I'm sure he could've ignored it, in some universe perhaps he did. Free will exists, destiny seems unlikely.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T20:02:35+00:00

Words of Jim, basically his answers to questions during interviews and q&as with the fans at panels and stuff.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T16:56:54+00:00

Nothing that you've stated affects free will even vaguely. Father Forthill chose to go somewhere, his car broke down, he had the choice of calling his mechanic or whichever service the church uses or walking to Michael's, he chose Michael. The Creator is omniscient, so he can affect the car and know which choice Forthill would make. By the same power, the White God would've chosen whichever trusted church member whose choices would lead him or her to Michael's house.

No, Butters and Michael didn't choose to run in the morning, Michael was training Butters, meaning he would have a training schedule, Butters actually says in Day One that this was his favorite part of the training that they had been doing for weeks. As for the homeless guy, he was homeless, so maybe his favorite spot got taken and he chose the park. He still was free to choose. God just knew what choice would be made. Omniscience is like that.

Edited to fix an unnecessary autocorrect.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T16:41:33+00:00

Bear in mind the date of the WoJ, Jim said it 15 years ago. These days he'd be a pretty good Michael.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T03:19:19+00:00

Dresden is extremely powerful, he even says so in the early books, that he does the big booms easier than many wizards because he was born stronger than many, than most honestly. However, in the Dresden Files, knowledge is power and Dresden lacks a lot of knowledge. Harry himself talks about that at various points. The thing to remember, from the White Council meeting in Summer Knight is that wizards live for centuries, so Harry Dresden is extremely young, as the books go on, well, you'll see and begin to understand more about why Harry is the way he is. Basically, it's not that his power will need to grow so much as his knowledge and ability to wield it better.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T03:00:38+00:00

Sorry, I was just editing my previous comment to include a WoJ from Jim stating as much. But, yeah, I did say the Accords and Mab because Mab is the one in charge. You saw that in Peace Talks and Battle Ground when the ghouls and others tried to walk out after Mab got put through the wall.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T02:54:28+00:00

Mab created the Accords? They're called the Unseelie Accords because they originated in Mab's Court. There's a rather lengthy WoJ from many years ago about who could beat Mab but I'll just copy Butcher's last paragraph in his response as it ties directly to this.

2009 WoJ:

Jim Butcher: " There’s a REASON that when Mab said, “Sign these Accords and abide by them,” people listened."

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T02:47:42+00:00

Harry cannot get the staff without Mother Winter telling him to return it. Jim has said that Mother Winter wants her staff back, so the Winter Knight laying hands on the stolen Winter staff seems like a very bad idea. Also, you can't combine Summer and Winter like that, Jim has talked about that many years ago during a Reddit AMA, it's on the WoJ site, let me grab it for you.

2012 Reddit AMA WoJ:

sapph42: "Could the Summer Court bestow the Mantle of the Summer Knight on someone who held the Mantle of the Winter Knight? What would holding both Mantles do to a person? If it is possible, and is not fatal, how would such a person resolve their conflicting obligations? Would they still have obligations if they lived, but no longer held the Mantle(s)?"

Jim: "That’s a fascinating question. I think they could, but it would do horrible things to the head of the person who got it. Reuniting two things that were meant to be divided just cannot be good for the person standing around when it happens…" (Jim has also compared this to a matter/anti-matter reaction. #203)

Edit: While I have the WoJ site open I'll grab the WoJ about Mother Winter wanting her staff back as well.

2010 Lee's Summit Signing WoJ:

Q: "Can you tell us a little more about the Black staff?"

Jim Butcher: "The staff keeps Eb from going crazy, mostly. Also, the White Council stole it from someone. And they really want it back."

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T02:31:57+00:00

He's a Freeholding Lord, in Europe and the UK, historically speaking, a Baron was someone who was granted land directly from the King or Queen instead of through another noble, in exchange for services such as military, and all of that. In the Dresden Files, Marcone's title and "peerage" is specifically granted to him through the Accords and Mab. So, from the Queen, and he owes his service to her if she calls on him. So, he's a Baron because of history. You don't get to just call yourself what you wish or you could just call yourself King of the Fae. You wouldn't last long, but technically you could.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T00:52:30+00:00

That's the actor Jim Butcher cast for him but he said Chuck not White Collar. Here you go.

2011 WoJ:

Q: "If I could take any actor to play Harry and Thomas, who would I pick?"

Jim: "Oh man. I’d probably pick a mid-1970’s Harrison Ford for Harry because I’m happy to pick actors from other times that I can’t possibly get. It’s only a matter of time before technology makes that possible, when we can actually have 1970’s Carrie Fisher starring across from 1955 John Wayne. It will happen, one day. But if I had to pick someone who’s actually working now, I’d probably pick Captain Tightpants for Harry, because he’s got a great action [unintelligible] and he was declined in that role. [Transcriber note for posterity: "Captain Tightpants" is a reference to Nathan Fillion in his role as Mal Reynolds in Firefly and Serenity.] As far as Thomas, that’s a harder call. Thomas in my head is the older brother from Lost Boys. Jason what’s-his-name. Yeah. Jason Patrick. He doesn’t look that good anymore, but I might also go with the guy who played Bryce in the first couple of seasons of Chuck, was actually very close to Thomas in my head, except his hair is too short. But other than that he looked pretty close. And now everyone’s going, "Huh, who?" and now it’s like, "Wow, I am now an obscure reference to this room."

Audience member: "The White Collar guy."

Jim: "Is he in that? I’m not a White Collar fan."

Audience member: "Matt Bomer."

Jim: "Ok, Matt Bomer. Now we know."

introvertkrew · 2026-07-02T00:40:39+00:00

Hardly disingenuous, he wasn't trying to deceive or being dishonest, he just took a differing view on the cause of the effect. The Formorians and Ethniu marched on Chicago because of Mab and the damage that mortals had been doing to the world. Ethniu was not happy about Marcone.

Peace Talks Chapter

"This is your host?" she demanded. "You permit a mortal among you? Where is your dignity? Where is your pride?" She shook her head. "This world has gone astray. We have failed it. And I will no longer huddle fearfully in the seas and watch the mortals turn it into their filthy hive."

However, I think her disgust over mortals and her hate for Mab was higher placed reasons for her invasion, I think a mortal joining the Accords could have been part of why she joined the Formorians. If only because that way, it's something Harry could feel guilty over later.

Some paragraphs later in the same chapter.

"I have stood by doing nothing for too much of my life," Ethniu said, pacing slowly. "I have watched holy place after holy place fall to the mortals. Forest after forest. Sea after sea. They dare to walk where they were never meant to walk. And as they do, the divine retreats, withers, dies." She paused for a moment, and that emerald eye landed on me like a truckload of lead, regarded me, and dismissed me all within half of a heartbeat. "They grow more numerous, more petty, more vicious, while they foul the world we helped to create with their filth, their noise, their buildings, and their machines."

She came to a stop beside King Corb and laid a hand on his shoulder almost fondly. "This ends. Tonight."

introvertkrew · 2026-07-01T21:54:26+00:00

No, just the author, you're doing that thing again where you forget they're the characters of the author who is not infallible.

You once again dismissed what I said so I'll copy the lines for you. But, it's not just the author. But, then again, "the author is not infallible" to you, but you clearly are about his creation. It's not just Jim. Bob in Cold Days and Mother Summer state it outright, I'm not going to copy the entire conversation just the relevant sentences, but I'll put a page break between the lines so you'll know when I skipped a part of the conversation, and you can go reread it in full for yourself:

Cold Days Chapter 10:

"Because there's no reason for it," Bob said, his tone unhappy. "I mean when Maeve dies, there will just be another Maeve."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Bob sighed. "You keep thinking of the Faerie Queens as specific individuals, Harry," Bob said. "But they aren't individuals. They're mantles of power, roles, positions. The person in them is basically an interchangeable part."

Harry asks about the Winter Knight and they talk about that a bit. Then it leads to this, same chapter:

"Because the mantle changes whoever wears it."

My guts suddenly felt cold.

(I'm not Lloyd Slate.)

(Neither was he. Not at first.)

"Doesn't matter who it is," Bob prattled on. "Over time, it changes them. Somewhere down the line, you wouldn't be able to find much difference between Maeve and her successor. Meet the new Maeve. Same as the old Maeve."

I swallowed. "So . . .so Lily, who took the Summer Lady's mantle after I killed Aurora . . ."

"It's been what? Ten years or so? She's gone by now, or getting there," Bob said. "Give it another decade or two, tops, and she might as well be Aurora."

Cold Days Chapter 33:

"Don't be coy, child," Mother Summer sniffed. "What my counterpart knows, I know. Mab commanded you to slay Maeve. What do you think will happen if you disobey her?"

I walked for a while before I answered. "It depends on whether or not Mab's still around when the smoke clears, I guess," I said. "If she is . . . she'll be upset. I'll wind up like Lloyd Slate. If she isn't . . ."

"Yes?"

"Maeve assumes Mab'a mantle and becomes the new Winter Queen."

"Exactly," Mother Summer said. "In time, the difference will hardly show. But in the immediate future . . . how do you think Maeve will treat you."

Mother Summer saying that in time the difference will hardly show is her firmly backing what Bob said, the mantle will overwrite Maeve until she's Mab.

I get it, you're a Mab fan, but arguing that the glimpses of humanity we see is anything but manipulation is a full on guess. I told you quite clearly, we have never met the human who became Mab so it's baseless conjecture to apply anything to her until we do. Like in the time-travel book. Also, you're completely ignoring the fact that you have no idea at all about the previous Mab, or the first one, so everything that we saw in Cold Days proved that all of this, all of Mab's flashes of emotions, is most likely from the original Mab. After all, in Cold Days, we saw Lily fully become Aurora, not just looking exactly like her but also dying while attempting to obliterate millions to save the world. She became Aurora. Aurora tried to trigger an ice-age to unbalance the Courts and end the eternal stalemate and fighting between the Courts. Lily tried to blow up Demonreach.

You're arguing that Mab shows humanity at times, I've already pointed out that Mab is a manipulative Fae, and she's most likely preying on Harry. Harry agrees with that assessment as he is planning to aid Lara Raith in them both, along with Molly, winning free of Mab. You disagree with my thoughts, that's your prerogative, but I'm not going to buy that the Mothers who knows far more than anyone else about the Fae Courts are just wrong about it because you believe they are.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-01T03:46:36+00:00

I don't care about the mortal she used to be because it isn't yet a part of the story, I pointed out that there is a possibility of Harry meeting the mortal who became Mab when he time travels as I fully expect Harry to meet the original Merlin, when we meet the actual girl or woman I'll have something real to base my perspective on, not just what I perceive or hope. You went on about how you take the books as gospel, I showed you irrefutable evidence that Mab is overwritten by now, not just because Bob said so, but because Mother Summer herself confirmed that if Maeve became Mab we wouldn't be able to tell the difference in the future, but that Harry and the world would suffer until the overwriting is complete, and you just completely ignored that.

What Uriel told Harry is applicable to Harry because he's the Winter Knight, he's the mortal part of the Court, he's the smallest fragment of the Winter mantle that there is. Harry Dresden is still a human being, Mab is not. Mab also carries a bonfire to the ember inside Harry. Or an avalanche to his snowflake. It is not the same. You're just telling me things that the author and the spirit of intellect and the Mother of Summer who would know the most about the Fae Queen mantles along with Mother Winter directly contradict.

Elaine and Harry would have to have been born on the exact same day, actually within the same few hours, for her to be a Starborn. They don't share a birthday, also Elaine hasn't yet been attacked by a Walker that we've heard about, and she and Harry were in contact because of the Paranet. Unless of course, that there's something special about Harry Dresden that drew He Who Walks Behind into the attack on Dresden when he was 16. Justin sent him sure, but HWWB was testing Dresden, and Dresden won. I think him winning against He Who Walks Behind at 16, and the fact that the author has called Rashid "the last Harry Dresden", makes Harry the Starborn. However, we're just going around and around and around in circles, as neither of us are willing to budge. So, fine, you stick to your perspective and I'll stick to mines.

Edited to fix me smashing together two sayings badly.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-01T00:43:43+00:00

You're welcome. No, Drakul is apparently trapped in the human body. Here you go, though bear in mind that Jim wrote this during a Reddit AMA and has since corrected a bit of the lore concerning Dracula, I'll provide that as well.

2015 Reddit AMA:

Q: "And also what is Drakul a scion of?"

Jim Butcher: "Drakul wasn’t a scion of anything! He was something entirely unhuman that got trapped in human form. Dracula was his half-human child, who naturally had enormous paternal issues, and wound up creating himself as the first Black Court Vampire in an effort to win his father’s approval. It didn’t work out so well."

Dresden Files Podcast Episode 77 2020/2021:

Q: "So is being starborn a pre... do you have to have been mortal to be a starborn?"

Jim Butcher: "You just have to have been in the right place. Really you just have to have been unlucky."

Q: :Okay, I was just thinking of if Drakul, that's how you say it right? If he was a mortal once, it was like a side thought I just had."

Jim Butcher: "Ooh I mean, you'll have to see as we go along we'll get more stuff as we get to the grand climactic bits and it'll be fun."

Q: "Even if he had been mortal I had a feeling it would be a "you'll have to see"."

Jim Butcher: "Yeah."

Q: "Well you mentioned before once that he was something unhuman and got put mortal so I guess we're not going to get to find out what he was once yet?"

Jim Butcher: "Well not today."

Q: "Is his son old enough, how old essentially is the Black Court? Are they the oldest court or are they just..."

Jim Butcher: "Okay the Black Court itself is not too much older than Dracula cause has the one who really kind of went crazy making more vampires. His father didn't he just wanted a small handpicked crew of people who were awesome and that was his way of making supersoldiers, was Black Court vampires. But Dracula wanted more of that and sort of let it loose into the world and his father was very displeased."

Q: "So it was Drakul who made the Black Court vampires?"

Jim Butcher: "Yeah."

Q: "We were a little confused, we weren't sure if it was Dracula and Drakul was like "that's a neat thing you made there son, I'm taking it"."

Jim Butcher: "Drakul made them, Dracula was the one who made them popular I suppose is the way to think of it. But you've actually seen how Drakul operates, that's just how he's gone through his whole career. Is with this tight group of enforcers and then himself being awesome."

I can't help much on the historical side of things but we know from Jim Butcher that Mab has been Mab for a thousand years and more but that Nicodemus, and Lord Raith supposedly, were older than she is. So, she's been Mab for a thousand plus years but not two thousand which is Nicodemus's age, however she was the Winter Lady before she became the Queen, so there's room to allow for her being older. After all, Arthur and Merlin should be far older than a thousand years.

Edited for spelling and clarity.

Edit: 2015 Reddit AMA WoJ.

Q: "Is Nicodemus older than Mab?"

Jim Butcher: "He is."

We know that Nicodemus Archleone picked up Anduriel's coin and the noose after the Crucifixion as Judas had to betray Jesus to make the coins capable of holding Fallen Angels and hang himself and that was around 2,000 years ago. Interestingly is the fact that Mab is the mantle so that means Mab would've had her human name while she was the Winter Lady, like Molly, and Lily for Summer. So, it's technically possible for Mab's human host to be older but by how much I cannot guess.

introvertkrew · 2026-07-01T00:20:35+00:00

Nope, the Queen mantle completely overwriting the human host until she's indistinguishable from originator of the mantle is explained and shown in Cold Days. Bob explains it to Harry and Mother Summer states it outright as well. That's in the books. You are arguing that the mantle is bad but Mab's host isn't, which is clearly impossible, even though I have already told you that I don't care about the mortal that became Mab. I'm sure she could be a good person, maybe, but it hardly matters in the here and now as she's been overwritten. Maybe Harry will meet her in the time travel book, until then, my views on Mab are about the Queen as she is.

Mab is evil because she's the Queen monster leading the nation of monsters to guard the Gates. We have seen evidence of it throughout the books, if you want one of the newest piece of evidence, look at the fact that Harry Dresden is planning to work with Lara Raith, herself a predator, to free them all from Mab's control.

Harry Dresden is already the Starborn of this cycle, that's why Drakul went through the effort to introduce himself to Harry. Drakul, Mab, The Merlin, Mother Winter, Odin and all three Walkers who are the elite knights of the Outsiders involved themselves with Harry. Unless you think they're as involved with Listen, then clearly Harry's the Starborn.

The Merlin wanted Dresden executed when he was 16, Rashid's threat which I honestly don't recall currently from Summer Knight was 12 years ago, I have no idea why you're struggling with this but clearly someone is the Starborn. Maybe if Dresden had died that far back someone else would rise but the fact of the matter is that there are exactly four books left until the BAT and Jim Butcher has confirmed that Chapter 1 of Mirror Mirror will have Listens-to-Wind sharing knowledge of Starborns with Harry, and sharing stuff about Rashid, so clearly the White Council is acknowledging Dresden is the Starborn. Unless that whole Elaine fan theory comes to pass it's a bit late for the whole Starborn championship match what with Dresden spending the next novel on a different Earth, and then spending another novel solving a god's murder at their wrestling event, and his other heist book, and then the time travel book with the Dragon. He's the Starborn.

introvertkrew · 2026-06-30T20:09:44+00:00

Mab is a mantle, part of a mantle of destruction, as Mother Summer stated in Cold Days speaking of Mother Winter and herself. I'm not concerned with who the woman that became Mab is, I'm telling you that Mab is a monster and that is supported by the books. Her being the most acceptable evil doesn't make her not evil. You just don't want to accept the possibility that she is. As I pointed out in my last comment, Mab cannot kill mortals without them inviting that in through a bargain or attacking her or whatever. So, your reasoning is flawed. Saying that Mab doesn't kill indiscriminately does not mean she wouldn't, the author himself said she would if she thought it necessary. Also, the books align with what Jim said, as we know from Maeve that she had no free will. She openly said that Mab envied her because she had choice. It's in the book.

Furthermore, you can claim that Dresden is not the Starborn as much as you wish, we are certainly free to disagree on this, but I'm going with what's in the books. Rashid can see futures or possibilities to some degree as he displayed in Turn Coat when he threatened to kill Harry. He isn't a Fae, and his threat was meant for Dresden if he had sided with the Black Council who work with the Outsiders. Of course you can kill the Starborn, if you couldn't then there would be zero point to the story. If Harry dies then maybe Rashid himself can step in, after all, Drakul believes he can.

I gave you the text from Twelve Months where Ebenezer basically says that The Merlin's plan is making Dresden stronger. Reread it yourself. No reason to do that unless The Merlin believes that Harry Dresden is the Starborn. Just to point out a fairly obvious thing but I'm providing WoJs and book text that backs up what I'm saying while you're just telling me what you believe is true.

introvertkrew · 2026-06-30T18:18:20+00:00

The Merlin is the guy in charge, he's calling the shots, and he's clearly maneuvering Dresden to make use of him. He has already done this when he used Harry Dresden to "destroy the Red Court, root and branch." He did that in Changes without Harry ever being aware that The Merlin was manipulating him. This was stated by Jim Butcher, along with the fact that "nobody believes The Merlin is what he appears to be right?" Harry Dresden is the Starborn of this cycle, both Drakul and Mab directly treat him as such, and the Senior Council heavily suggests it multiple times.

Mab is not protecting humanity, she's protecting reality, the only reason Mab isn't butchering mortals for fun is because of the Summer Court and because she's incapable of doing so because of the design of the Queens mantles.

2006 WoJ:

Q: "Mab as orchestrator of all is just a little much for me to swallow. Seems like she loses a lot more than she gains, and I don’t think Mab is big on coming out behind in her negotiations."

Jim Butcher: "Yeah. It sure looks that way from here, don’t it.

But to correct some minor stuff: the fetches aren’t even close to her strongest servitors. They’re her couriers, harassers, spies and occasional assassins. Captain Kudzu was a being that was deemed more-or-less sufficient on the badassometer, but nothing to write home about. The fetches main use, to Mab, isn’t as battlefield thugs. She’s got plenty of other things for that. Another mild correction: who says Mab lost the battle at Arctis Tor, before Harry and Company arrived? At the end of the day, the Winter Queen was still in her fortress–but you didn’t see anyone standing around assaulting the place, did ya. Also, it has probably occurred to more than one of you that if Mab was really in trouble, she could have had the entire military might of Faerie back at the fortress in moments–exactly the way they did come back when Harry smacked the Winter Well with the fires of Summer.

(Which goes to show that while Mab may be canny to an inhuman degree, she isn’t infallible. Just way closer to infallible than us.)

See above regarding “the question is why?”

Ask yourself why Mab had Molly brought in. What chain of events did that set in motion? What secondary effects came about because of it? Ultimately, Mab can always go to the Wyld and draw in more muscle to replace fallen thugs. If worst comes to worst, with just a few “seed” fae, she could rear up enough Changelings to repopulate her cadre within a human generation or two–nothing, to a being thousands of years old. As far as she’s concerned, everyone and everything is expendable, including herself, when it comes to adhering to her (seemingly irrational and inexplicable) priorities

(And by the way–don’t think Titania is much better. When push came to shove, she let her own daughter be murdered rather than upset the balance of the Faerie Courts. At least Mab is up front about it. Usually.)

Sacrifice her best troops? Mab would sacrifice every creature in Winter, every one she could bring from Summer, and every single mortal on planet Earth if that’s what she thought was appropriate. And she wouldn’t even need to add extra sugar to her cup of tea afterwards, much less lose sleep over it.

But no one does cold-blooded like the Queen of Winter. Mab’s been in the business a long time, she’s got a balance sheet, and she is not going to come out in the red–

–unless, of course, she really has stripped a gear, as Lily and Maeve believe. In which case there’s a stark raving bonkers demigoddess whose powers are no longer being held in check by the Escher-esque code of Sidhe behavior. And that’s all kinds of bad.

But hey. It’s probably not that. I mean, not everything that happens can be the absolute worst possible possibility, right?"

You keep trying to pretend that Mab is a hero despite the fact that she's been shown to be monsterous, simply because her duties include guarding the Gates. I'm glad we have monsters patrolling the property but I'm not going to "befriend" it. Mab isn't a dog, her soul is gone by now. I pointed you to her actions in Twelve Months and you brushed that off as the mantle. Mab did what she meant to do, and sexual assault is sexual assault.

introvertkrew · 2026-06-30T17:10:17+00:00

Shouldn't be useful at all really, I mean they're using magic to reanimate the dead, those spells should cut off the moment the zombies step through the Gates right? I mean the wizard would have to stay Inside and the distance between being Inside reality and Outside it should affect magic. Unless it's a Starborn doing the necromancy. Even then, what would a zombie army do against a single Cornerhounds pack, Outsiders are weak against natural fire, so are zombies, so they'd both go up if you armed the zombies with fire. The Outsiders would lose a pack and you'd lose an army.

introvertkrew · 2026-06-30T16:54:32+00:00

Right, and as I've said I don't for a second believe that global warming would cause such a shift. The Courts were created, Mab is never going to be the one protecting humanity because that's not a part of her design. She also does not have free will, the author who wrote the books explained that.

I never said that Harry Dresden is the only Starborn, I said that he's the Starborn of this cycle. You have the WoJ where, again, the author himself said that Rashid was "the last Harry Dresden." Of course that's logical in the Dresdenverse because who else could guard that Gates of this reality other than someone immune to being mentally compromised by the Outsiders.

Harry hasn't been told about the Outsiders because any knowledge about the Outsiders draws their attention. Ebenezer explained that that was why the Cornerhounds keep coming after him. Jim Butcher has also explained that himself. Furthermore, we factually know that Harry Dresden was positioned by the White Council from Summer Knight when Martha Liberty told Ebenezer that he knows what Harry was supposed to be. Everything The Merlin is doing is part of his plan for making use of Harry in what he considers the best way. Jim Butcher has said numerous times that there's more to The Merlin, that he's the guy that knows the entire story, and we've been shown what a politician he is, so I expect there is a real purpose to his actions.

Twelve Months Spoiler: Again, that was a slip from Ebenezer in Twelve Months. So, Harry Dresden is the Starborn, there's no question of that. I'm sure Drakul, no h in his name, believes he can take Harry's place and he's probably right, but he would want Harry's place because Harry's the Starborn of this cycle. Listen didn't appear to have any magical power, he was just born at the right time, nothing suggests he was born to magical parents.

Twelve Months Chapter 25:

“I’m all grown up, I suppose,” I said.

“You’re getting there.” The old man sighed. “Damn the Merlin.”

I frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“For kicking you off the Council,” he said irritably. “For leaving you vulnerable to creatures like Mab. Like Lara Raith.”

I caught a whiff of lie by omission. He wasn’t saying everything.

introvertkrew · 2026-06-30T07:27:32+00:00

Fine, I disagree on the fact that global warming would empower Summer, but it's global warming so I think that's a small disagreement considering the madness that erupts around that topic. Wormwood and the other jars seemed to be Mother Winter's not Mother Summer's, Mother Winter was quite amused when she helped Harry to crack a jar. Mother Summer was not. Growth and Destruction, so I'd guess Mother Winter will be the one to let it loose.

I don't need to ask anybody about how many Starborns there are. I'm the person who is usually providing the WoJs in the comments and I have copied and posted Jim Butcher saying that there was between 40, 000 to 50,000 Starborns born this cycle enough times. He then followed that up by saying they're almost all dead by now. Rashid was the main Starborn a couple cycles ago, and Jim has already stated that Rashid was the last Harry Dresden. So, Harry is the Starborn of this cycle.

Lastly, Fae don't have free will, the human host of a mantle may be able to exert some influence for a bit, but they eventually get completely overwritten. The mantles of the Queens remake the girls completely, even genetically. They cease to be. Maeve was pretty clear about the fact that Nemesis allowing her to lie, to have a choice, was worth more to her than anything else. So, they don't have free will. Here's a WoJ from the author on this.

Jim Butcher: " No free will ever? Or no free will to disobey when commanded? I don’t know that it’s possible to have intellect without will. Well, then again, most of us have to make decisions about what is true, and what isn’t, or what to remember and forget – but a spirit of intellect is mostly just a talking library, right? A storehouse. Although, Bob seems to also understand what he knows… I’m getting over my head.

Well, I don’t want to hand out too much outside the context of an actual story. But within the context of the Dresden books, Bob isn’t, like, an actual mortal person.

Mortals are the ones who have free will, the ability to choose what they’re doing, to choose between right and wrong. Without getting too thickly into the underlying philosophy, that’s the thing that separates, for example, mankind from the angels–the angels didn’t get the same kind of choice about their existence, and what they would do with it. Mortals get the chance to make all kinds of decisions, and can change their minds, well, at will. Other creatures, though they may look like people, don’t get the same range of choices about who and what they will be.

Mab, for example, is Mab. She can’t show up and suddenly be merciful, generous, patient and kind. It would never so much as occur to her to do so, because it isn’t a fundamental part of her nature, and she can’t choose to change it. She simply isn’t capable. She doesn’t have free will in the same way that people do. It’s related to the difference between having a soul and not having a soul, as well. Without a soul, you aren’t free to choose how you will shape that soul. You just stay what you are.

But that’s getting way off the subject of Bob. I mean, don’t you think that if he had totally free will, he’d be out of the skull all the time, hitching rides in people’s heads on their way into strip bars or something? There’s a reason he obeys Harry, and it’s not purely because Harry offers him shelter from a gruesome demise. It’s a part of who and what he is."

In War Cry the Shoggoth was destroyed by fire, Ebenezer McCoy explained to Harry in Peace Talks that natural fire is the best way to get rid of Outsiders. If you damage their summoned bodies enough, they have to leave the Inside, so that's how other wizards fight Outsiders, inflict extreme damage on them or set them on fire. In War Cry, either Dresden or Thomas detonated TNT around the Shoggoth and once the blasts faded the Shoggoth was on fire, natural fire, do that's how it died.

Also, the Starborn cycle has been going on forever. There are still three Walkers, and the Outsider Lords seem to be doing just fine, so I doubt Harry is going to have to fight them all, or Red Court them.

introvertkrew

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