Dresden Files Reread - Storm From Chapter 5

 

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This chapter opens with a description of MacAnnaly's Pub and the introduction of Mac himself. This description, which is repeated in almost every book, includes 13 of everything, with special attention to the 13 columns carved with fairy tale scenes and distributed at random around the room. Apparently this is to break up magical energy from grumpy wizards, although I find it interesting that no one else uses this technique like, anywhere. The decor also includes 13 mirrors, and given what we're later told about how Things can use mirrors as windows, or doors, I have to wonder how this is safe. This seems to suggest that Mac's place may be far better protected than we're led to believe (twice, once here and once in Dead Beat, it is described as 'like a big beach umbrella, not a bomb shelter'). Either he can stop Things from getting in through the mirrors, or he's confident that he can take anything that does. Which ties in interestingly with an oddity in his description. Dresden describe's Mac's age as hard to place, but here, he says he wouldn't guess younger than 50. In later books, he says Mac could be anywhere between 40 and 60, or 30 and 50, depending on the book. Is Mac actually de-aging? Is Mac Merlin? He's not the best candidate in the series, but this offhand discrepancy could certainly be an indicator. 

This is where the Three-Eye drug is first mentioned. Dresden doesn't think it really gives you the Sight, on the rather tenuous basis that if it did, the CPD would have already called him in about it. This feels like a kind of iffy assumption, given that it would require regular narcotics cops not affiliated with SI to recognize that something magical was going on. Also, I think I said a few chapters back that all the major plot threads have been set, but I guess I was wrong, because technically the Three-Eye is its own plot thread - it isn't connected with Victor Sells until later. 

And then Susan Rodriguez walks in. There's some flirting here, and some truly awkward sexism. Mostly, Susan tries to get information out of him about the murders, but she also tricks him into agreeing to go on a date with her. We also get background on the Midwestern Arcane and the fact that Susan was present for Dresden's abortive investigation into the musician who thought his house was haunted. Probably the most interesting bit of this is the description of the Unseelie Incursion of 1994. First of all, it's a date stamp, which is a rare thing in this series. We can now say with some certainty that Storm Front is set after 1994. I'm also just immensely curious about the event itself. The entire city of Milwaukee disappeared for two hours, due to some kind of action on the part of the Fae. This is bigger scale magic than we otherwise see the Fae pull off in the real world; even the rain of toads in Summer Knight and the blizzards in Small Favor and Ghost Story don't really compare. Where did it go? Why would they do such a thing? I have so many questions and I don't think any of them will ever be answered. 

Why, oh why does Dresden find it "appealing" that Susan has no idea how attractive she really is? I've seen this from other male writers, and I have yet to think of a reason why this would be a thing aside from the hope of exploiting insecurity or, I guess a tiny bit more charitably, that a woman who might otherwise be "out of their league" would take an interest? It's just weird and gross. This isn't like, assumption or conjecture on Dresden's part either. He saw it during the soul gaze she tricked him into during their first meeting. Whatever she saw in Dresden's soul caused her to faint. So I guess their whole relationship is built on Susan tricking Dresden into things and Dresden liking how fragile and manipulable she it. I'm not a Susan-hater, but their relationship was always fucked. Like, nothing good was ever gonna come from this pairing. 

We also get our first mention of Elaine here, as Dresden reflects on how bad he is at dating. She isn't named, but Dresden says he murdered her. It's possible this is foreshadowing, given how it gets tied in with the beginning of Harry and Susan's relationship. Technically, this is also where we get out first mention of Mister, but where Elaine is Discussed but not named, Mister is named but not Discussed. 

Food: A longtime reader has requested that these chapter writeups include a list of the food in each chapter along with any details. So here it is. Mac makes his own ale, about which we are told nothing beyond the fact that it is ale, and not "beer". Dresden eats a steak sandwich and fries, prepared on a wordburning stove. We get no details about the stake sandwich, but it is being made and eaten in Chicago, so it seems reasonable to suppose that it is the style of steak sandwich known as "Italian beef", which uses sirloin or round steak prepared with garlic, oregano, and spices. Traditionally, the meat is sliced with a deli slicer, which I don't think Mac would use, so I am guessing at bigger, hand cut pieces, rather than something that looks like the meat in a Philly cheese steak. I have no idea how you make fries on a woodburning stove, but I would guess that they are "home fries" rather than french fried, and prepared in a cast iron skillet on the stove. But I guess it's possible that Mac has some kind of woodburning deep fryer setup. 

I know this post went up kinda late - I'm hoping to still have Chapter 6 ready to go on Saturday like normal, but real life is making it harder to keep up even the rather questionable pace and consistency I had during the summer. Until then, as always, be gay, do crimes, and read All The Things.