UNspoiled! The Dresden Files

So I'm finally able to post this episode after re-recording it with RoShawn, and I'm happy to say that it was just as much fun to record the second time as it was the first time. Which I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting.

There are three stories covered in this episode, one of which is so short that it's not really a story at all, hence its title: Vignette. Then there's A Restoration Of Faith, and Working For Bigfoot, which are longer and the only stories in either collection that we are allowed to read at this point in the series for fear of spoilers.

Restoration of Faith (takes place before Storm Front): http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/side-jobs/restoration
B is for Bigfoot (takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril): http://amzn.to/2FQKocH
Vignette (takes place between Death Masks and Blood Rites): http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/side-jobs/vignette/
Restoration is the first Dresden story that Jim Butcher ever wrote, and all things considered, I think it's pretty good even if it gets a little cliched at times. But the standout, of course, is Bigfoot, which really moved RoShawn in a way that I hadn't expected. Once you stop and consider the current climate, I think it's understandable, but it hadn't really occurred to me in the moment.

I hope that you enjoy our analysis and all of my Peabody Awards!

This is the finale episode of Death Masks, and RoShawn is very concerned about how this book ends. Her concern is understandable. The Knights treats the coins like they're radioactive, and say that touching one is a contract you never get out of, and here Harry goes slapping his hand over one. Was it for a good reason (to protect a child)? Sure. But like, come on dude, you couldn't have stepped on it with your boot instead? Tsk tsk.

There's a lot of little surprises in these last three, but one of the biggest is the reveal of at least part of Marcone's secret. He's got a little girl in a coma tucked away in a long-term care hospital, and he goes to see her all the time. He wanted the shroud for her, in the hopes that it would make her well again. Although it doesn't seem to work right away, Harry gives him 3 days to try it and then he has to return it to the church. But Marcone never tells Harry who the girl is, so we still don't know the story there.

I really enjoy this book, and I'm a little sad that it's over, but I'm interested to see what RoShawn thinks of the short stories that are coming up. Here are the links to the ones we're doing. Two can be read for free on Butcher's website, the last is part of a collection you have to buy:

Restoration of Faith (takes place before Storm Front): http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/side-jobs/restoration

B is for Bigfoot (takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril): http://amzn.to/2FQKocH

Vignette (takes place between Death Masks and Blood Rites): http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/side-jobs/vignette/

Also, I want to leave you all the link to check out the new Dresden Files RPG project called "Friends Like These" that Megan Tolentino is doing on her podcast The Redacted Files!
"A local SCA event is interrupted by the appearance of a dragon. Luckily Kringle’s Seneschal, a Warden of the White Council, the Erlking’s Huntsman, and a US Marshal are there to save the day.
****This campaign contains major spoilers through White Night, and minor spoilers through Cold Day.***" Listen here http://www.theredactedfiles.com/?p=3840

Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with the next installment!

I'm very happy to have reached this trio of chapters because it contains some of my favorite reveals and surprises in the book. And one of them RoShawn is still kind of confused about when we start recording, so we talk it out until it makes sense.
The main thing that we didn't see coming was that Father Vincent is actually a Denarian in disguise. The Denarian gives up his coin and uses the Mercy Loophole (TM) to get out of being executed by Sanya and Michael, and Harry CAN. NOT. HANDLE. IT. He actually gets into an altercation with Michael over it, and has to be reminded of exactly who the fuck he's dealing with.

Cassius is smug as hell throughout, until he's reminded that Harry is not a Knight Of The Cross, and thus not bound by the same rules. He's reminded with a baseball bat. It is satisfying.

Then Harry has to head over the duel with Paolo Ortega, and that goes about as well as you could expect, which is to say that Paolo cheats, everything spins wildly out of control, and a pack of vampires attacks while the Archive dispatches them with some well-placed Mordite.

In which RoShawn and I correct a mistake from last episode.

In which Shiro makes Nicodemus a deal he can't refuse, and Harry and Susan...well...YOU know...

Let's just say this intro is very appropriate for Valentine's Day.

In which Nicodemus nabs Harry and has him over for breakfast and a negotiation.

In which Harry meets with Ortega, and we find out who Ortega's second is.

In which Harry has face-offs with 4 different intimidating women and doesn't come off well in any of them.

In which Harry gives Ivy her name, and gets on a boat.

In which Harry gets asked a tough question by a demon, and finds out that even Bob is scared of the Denarians.