While the Aunt Margaret thing for Molly is an interesting thought it isn't really likley to be Harry's mom. She was a full blown wizard of considerable power to have been traveling in the circles she did. It isn't likley that she was Harry's father's age or young enough to have had a younger siser Charity's age.

Speaking of which Thomas is Harry's older brother, right? Any idea how old he is? It isn't like he's aging normally.

The Swords do not remove demons. The Russian knight (Sasha?) gave up the coin Before he recieved the sword. It was after seeing his Denarian handler/girlfriend bad mouthing him or something like that.

Let's not forget that Mab still has 1 request of Harry. Also Harry still has to solve the mysterious deaths of his Father and Mother (eluded to in Storm Front when Harry exchanges one of his names for info from a demon). Also Titania still wants to get back at Harry for killing Aurora. Things are also still unresolved between Captain Luccio and Harry. And, should Harry ever decide to take a trip to the grey area (in between the laws of magic) like his mother. He has a invite from Laura Wraith to cozy up with her. Kremlin's book (Dead Beat) is also in the hands of the Black Court Vamp check who I am sure that still has a bone to pick with Harry. I am sure that another twist will turn up in CHANGES so let's not expect Harry to be going any where anytime soon.

I think Murphy gets a sword - she got and invitation and the dept. will eventually fire her. And we already know that a sword will remove a demon - like the current holder of the third sword. So Thomas gets the second and is free from the white court. There is also the dark power of the island-sanctuary. And soul fire. + whatever gifts the coin left. it should be surprisingly even. But the kid dies, or is permanently removed from Harry's life because by the time he get to her, he is worse than his uncle.

Oh & i 4got about the whole arctiss tor thing & mabs anger @ harry. thatll take @ least 1 book to sort throught. so i really being optimistic wen i said 5 more books. i actually meant like 3.

was just talking about the series with my sister & i think the dresden series will finish after about five more books max after changes because it seems like everything the entire series has been reachung for is going to happen within the next couple of books. everything in the series that hasnt been finished yet looks like it will be right? i mean the earlier bookss tie in with the black council which is all but a known state secret in the deresdenverse & after the red court been dealt with in this book presumably harrys going 2 deal with the black council right? & harrys birth rhing that lash was goin on about in white night that stuff will hopefully be revealed in changes so how much more stuff is there?! feel free to comment on this. id really like to no ur opinion on this or if you think its all crap.

just read the molly/harry family possibilty & i no its stupid but i didnt realise they would also thomas' family till just now wen i was readn the latest ccomments. i totally agree that theyre related. & BTW mr. butcher for future reference id be more than willing to accept an advance copy of any of your books. lol. although there is a Q id like answered: coz theres only less than 2 weeks left b4 the book is released does that mean there arent going 2 be any more excerpts?!!

Darn, realized it is Martin, not Susan ..

Michael would tell him that is one of the consequences of sex outside marriage. The possibility of not knowing if or where your children are. Hard choice, but I agree with Susan. She couldn't share in the child's life either. I'd guess that before the book is over, Harry has to make the same decision for her safety and maybe get some insight into Susan's decision.

Oh My Goodness!!!!

Just read chapter 2 and I am angrier at Susan than when I first learned that she had hidden her pregnancy, and susequent baby, from Harry.

The baby's name is Maggie: Margaret Angelica, after Harry's mother!!!!

Oh my - where had she sent the baby to be "safe"?

Elise

Good catch on Charity's Mom. Hadn't thought of that possibility. What would Harry and Thomas do if they found out they had a gradma? What's old granny going to think that 2 grandchildren are wizards and one a vampire?

I think Harry is doing to find out that other people already knew about his daughter and never told him. Ebenezer is in touch with the Order of St. Giles

You are right. Molly and her siblings would be Harry's cousins. I woke up realizing my blunder and was about to set the record straight, but Bev already caught it...

I read the first chapter and can't wait for more.

For a guy who was an orphan, Harry Dresden seems to be accumulating a lot of family, huh?

Molly and the other children would be his cousins. At least his daughter could enjoy a family.

Another thought - about Charity's mother: she was helping Charity with the kids, in one book, and providing a safe haven (because the Carpenter home was too dangerous) in another book.

Could she be Harry's grandmother?

Does Harry have an aunt (Charity), nieces and nephews (Charity and Michael's kids) and a grandmother (Charity's mom)?

If true, I believe Jim (Butcher) will have Harry keep the facts to himself to protect his family.

And kheas, never make a deal with a sidhe, no matter what!!!!

Holy Toledo!! I totally forgot about Molly saying that! (I too forgot what book that was in) Now wouldn't that be something! And to think that both girls (if Harry's daugther is)named after Harry's mother..is something in itself.
Another interesting twist that could very fun and very interesting to see how it would play out!

Boy...I just can't wait to get my hands on this book! But of course we might not know this yet for a couple books???

OMG i am so ready for the previews to start nest week. I have re-read both series trying to keep my sanity. never mind you lucky souls who owe your souls to someone. hehe

I had the same thought. Charity's parents came down hard on her when she showed magical talent. If they had lost 1 daughter to it already, they would be extra tough on the next one. In what story did Molly tell Harry that?

I still think that if Harry's daughter comes to the Chicago area, the Carpenter's will be foster parents to her. She can have the family Harry always envied.

Could Molly be related to Harry? Didn't Molly say that she was named after an Aunt Margaret, and Harry's mother was Margaret. Could Charity Carpenter (who has her own dark and rebellious past) be the kid sister of Harry's mother?

I'm thinking Ashley or Elizabeth for his child's name.

I first thought her name would be Christina, but maybe Margaret or Gwendelyn after Harry's mother. That is if Susan knew his mother's name.

I would be willing to take up a coin for an advanced copy. April isn't coming fast enough!

Sorry, Advance Reader Copies are pretty limited. I just lucked out on this one! I probably owe my soul to the The Order of the Blackened Denarius now but such things are worth it!
I can tell you that it's worth the wait and you'll love every second of this book. Not a moment of downtime in this installment!

Who did you have to kneecap to get an advanced copy and do they need another hitman or hit woman?

Just finished the book this morning. Yeah, WOW!

Jim, I promise I won't say anything about the story, even if the Sidhe make me an offer for it! This book is too good to spoil for any one. I just have to say this could be your best yet. Thanks for such a terrific tale. I can't wait to see where Dresden goes from here.

after reading your post Kheas....only makes me freaking out even more waiting to get my hands on this book!!

Got an advance copy of the book and I'm about halfway through. Let's just say the title is very appropriate. This is defiantly Harry's wildest ride yet.

Jim, all I can say so far is WOW! This is gonna be a big one!

Everyone else,
You have no idea what you are in for.

Christina

We know it's a girl, we should have a friendly wager. 7 pounds 3 ounces 22 inches long. hah just kidding, but we can speculate on her name. If anyone guesses right give us a signed copy Jim :) I'll go with Eliza. c'mon winna winna winna!

And they (7wks) can't come fast enough for me...
I can't wait to get my hands on this book!!

We'll know in 7 weeks.

So is this whole kid idea for real?

daniel carpenter will take up the sword. it's obvious. he's just gettin to be the right age. he's got the bloodline and great teachers for sword play.

I was wondering about getting a signed copy of Changes as well. is there going to be any chance for us that cant make it to your tour areas to get our shiny new book signed by the master himself?

I was wondering about getting a signed copy of Changes as well. is there going to be any chance for us that cant make it to your tour areas to get our shiny new book signed by the master himself?

lets not forget about ivy and kinacid they both owe dresden massive favors and im fairly sure ebeneezer wont let harry leave him out of the fight

The Big Change is Harry will finally wear a hat in the book.

Aaaarrgghhh! I need my fix!
Seriously, I have never anticipated a book like this. I hope Jim can sleep at night selling literary crack.

There are a few snags with starting the preview this early. We'll likely be doing it closer to (or in) early March.

Guess I was wrong about that. I'll just wait till April.

Now I read that the first chapter will be posted Tuesday, Feb 9.

Jim, are you going to offer a signed edition of this book as you have for the last several releases??

Found this on the UK Waterstones website :-)

WARNING!! PLOT SPOILERS!!!

Synopsis

I answered the phone, no big deal, until I heard the message: 'They've taken our daughter.' Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has never faced anything like this. Arianna Ortega, Red Court vampire, blames Harry for her husband's death - and she's out for revenge. So her discovery that Susan Rodriguez had borne Harry a daughter was an unexpected gift. Arianna's next step was to kidnap the girl and she plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice designed to kill Harry, Susan and their daughter. With the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court in a state of detente, Harry finds himself alone except for a handful of allies - resources utterly inadequate to challenging the Red King and his entire vampire Court. With the life of his child at stake, Susan's humanity hanging in precarious balance and with his own death looming, Dresden must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line Harry wouldn't cross, and though dark powers have tempted him time and again, he never gave in. But then, only his own life was at stake.

Harry will always need new allies, as the black council has demonstrated ability to work with several houses of vampire, red, white, ghouls, denarians, faeries and random FBI guys. Faieries will always be alien and undependable,but even if he takes up the winter knights mantle, summer must move in balance,(or harry destroys the world).
Ithink faith(A restoration of faith) should take up a sword, she should be old enough now and the name shouts MMMMEEEEE!!!(butcher likes symbolism in my opinion) She would bring unknown wealth and rescousces and has known of the supernatural world forever...
Lasciel should return as mollies gaurdian angel, she was given free will and she was embodied in his brain(the damaged areas)ergo she was alive. now she has died, and in giving her life for another is assured a step up. molly needs an advisor as dresden has and lasciel "owes" dresden.

First chapter should be posted by Saturday, Feb 6. Right, Jim. Hmmmm, I'm right. You ARE going to post it 2 months before book release.

Can't wait!!!!!!!

When considering the swords, remember that it's not always the person who's the best from the beginning that gets them. At least one knight was presented with the sword as soon as he stopped being one of the bad guys... I think seeing Johnny Marcone turn over a new leaf and end up with a sword would be interesting. On an individual, no supernatural talents or weapons level he's probably the most dangerous person in the series.

Harry's really getting a Solomon Kane-ish look going with that hat and coat. And the pistol. I like it.

hello? has anyone thought about someone else taking up The Sword of Love? Someone who Loves deeply and needs serious help right now? who has royalty in his blood? THOMAS!! DUH! Son of the White King, suffering horrible temptation and currently fallen from the light, (SANYA) And deeply in Love!! ooh that make cure his whole not -able- to -touch -the -woman- he- loves -thing.

I don't like to speculate on matters of plot, but I think a curious post by Jim, Jan. 3rd @5:30pm, was more on the mark than anyone else.
I'm wondering if this means Harry will go head to head with the Red King? And apart from soulfire, has Harry got anyone in the "good" camp who can offer him some major fire power...given the location of South America and the Aztec love of blood sacrifice, it seems a good spot to locate this book. I wonder where the roots of the Red court lie?

On the topic of Changes, could we see an end to the Red court/ white council detante and see the series move in a different direction? Would killing the Red King "cure" Susan of her vampirism? Ah, tis a cruel thing when your imagination runs away with things and all you can do is speculate until April :-)

Posted by: jim at January 3, 2010 05:30 PM

That's Chichen Itza in the background - is Harry going to Mexico?

I feel there is no doubt Murphy will ultimately bear one of the three swords. She, like Harry, will always do the 'right thing'. At some point the right thing will require more of her than she is currently capable of giving, and in order to help those she loves she will take up Fidelachius.

I am amazed that with all the speculation of who will bear Amorachius that one very obvious (IMHO) candidate has seemingly been disregarded. MOLLY!!! Duh! She has the bloodlines, she knows the scoop, and would make a magnificent knight. Just imagine the possibilities of a wizard knight, denarians would be running for the hills. Remember the soulgaze; if she makes the right choices she could be incredibly powerful.

Granted, as far as we know she has no combat or sword training, but she certainly has access to great teachers. Ah, what a wonderful source of additional conflict with her parents this could work out to be lol. Molly still has the potential of going horribly wrong. All we can do is hope likable Molly won't pick the wrong path. She could certainly accomplish great things if she sticks with the white hat. (That goes for you too, Harry. No nasty winter knightness please!)

I too thought of the idea of Harry becoming the next Winter Knight. Mab did warn Harry that one day he would kneel at her feet and beg her to bestow it on him. Maybe a daughter's life will bring him to do that. I also thought of the power of Demonreach but taking into account the warning he was given about him not being able to handle the power of the island I hesitated on that thought. But you never know...

I find it very interesting that despite all of the comments that have been made, only one person has brought up the Mantle of the Winter Knight as the possibility of the "Dark Power" that Harry might embrace. And don't forget that Harry himself doesn't know what kind of power he has. Right before Lash died she mentioned that the circumstances around his birth gave him special power.

Excellent point about the Winter Queen; she is a very powerful/scary entity...

Hey, guys

I think what you've forgotten about the new Headaches is that they started happening the book after the Winter Queen swore revenge on everyone who invaded her domain....including Harry. Then she gave him a nose bleed.

Sounds like she gave him a brain tumor out of revenge.

I am kind of wondering what happened to Morgans sword. Considering what happened at the end of the last book, there could be a considerably less picky sword then that of the Knights in Harry's future. That being said, Micheal's old sword, Amoracchius, is the sword of love. With a child in his life, Harry may make a candidate for that sword, but I doubt it.
I agree that, while Harry has said that magical talent is mostly passed through maternal lines, he has always used the modifier mostly. No reason he couldn't pass it to his daughter. ( I think I remember seeing a UK press release that Harry received a phone call from Susan, saying "Harry, our daughter is in trouble." and then the line went dead.)
I would like to see something done with Lash, but I think the likely hood is pretty low.
I do see something happening with Demon reach. The ritual made him a part of the land and the land a part of him. I wonder what other side effects have yet to manifest.

I think that the idea of Dresden having a child is an awesome idea. Even if it turns out the child is NOT Harry's, there are so many options to play with. The Black Council is most likey behind the kidnapping of the child. Although, I'm not sure to what end.

I don't know what the issue with vamps & magic is. If that Black Court vamp B*t*H, Mavra, can use magic, why can't Dresden's child?

With access to the ley lines at Demonreach (and whatever mantle McCoy was talking about in his journal), his magic, AND the SoulFire, I don't think Dresden needs any more power. Consequently, I don't think he'll be taking up either sword. Every time he's been entrusted with one, he was told he would know who to give it to, implying he's going to give them away.

Thanks to her association with Dresden, Murphy has lost command of SI & dropped in rank. It's entirely possible that she'll get kicked off the force. IF that happens, she's most likely going to take up a sword. Probably Shiro's. As for Michael's sword, I think that's going to go to character that is yet to be introduced as opposed to someone else in the Carpenter household. Perhaps, that char will appear in Changes!!

Lash isn't coming back. Yes, Dresden's brain will heal, but it wasn't really Lash in his brain, it was a shadow. And that shadow burned itself out to save Dresden in White Knight. His soul energy will regenerate, but not Lash.

Keep in mind, the battles Dresden faces are true life or death situations, it wouldn't be as realistic if there weren't casualties on BOTH sides. Some people die, others burn out.. Dresden Files reflects that very well.

Personally, I can't wait until this book comes out! I'm sure it will be AWESOME!!

I'd like for Lash to make a comeback, but i don't think she will. I think of Lash as sort of an infection, when Harry heals I think it will be a clean slate.

I wouldn't rule out Lash's return quite yet. It has already been shown that Wizards can heal and fully recover from any injury. What took out Lash was a physical injury to the brain, one that will eventually heal. Lately hasn't Harry been having headaches? --grin--

Besides the allies I mentioned in an earlier post, he has a few others. Harry helped Thomas's youngest sister, Inari, escape the white count in book 6. Plus Harry's daughter is his niece. Marcone owes Harry one for rescuing him and he does have a soft spot for little girls caught in the crossfire of a dispute.

Susan may appear to die so that everyone including Harry quits looking for her for a while like Elaine did.

Hot Damm!! Two of my FAVORITE authors are having books come out in the same month. I am preordering both on Amazon. Early birthday present to ME.

All the threads above have been duly noted
....

Harry and Karin? Nope they already had that discussion and Karin turned him down, I seem to remember. Something about him living to be like 500 years old and her decidedly not.

Allies?? Dresden still has have allies a plenty. Especially when Karin takes up the sword. She is obviously meant to be Guardian of the universe or something.

Micheal also welds a longsword about six feet long if I remember correctly. He has had enough time to recover.

I also think that Thomas will take exception to one of thier own snatching a kid especially since she is half vamp.

I predict that the kid will survive, but Susan will not. Not sure why though.

Gods I cannot wait for the preview chapters...so I might as well indulge in sharing some of my insights...

Okay, so first things first, the child. Holy Sh%&#*&! That being said, the child must logically be a half vampire - damphyr. I am, however, forced to disagree with those who protest that the child couldn't have magical powers; firstly, in one of the short stories Thomas notes that anyone could theoretically learn magic...kinda like Bianca did? Moreover she (I'm assuming it'll be a daughter - double whammy for Dresden) could have very well inherited magic from her father's powerful linage. As for being used against Dresden, I can easily see her being coerced or manipulated by vampires into assisting them...being a damphyr she may be influenced easier or want their respect. I suck at math but I guess her age to be around 5-8 area. Though of course she'll be smart and charming like Ivy.

As for the speculation about the swords, I doubt very much Dresden will ever formerly wield the swords, though I have no doubt that he will end up with something of that nature... don't get me started. But if Dresden ever wields a sword of his own, it'll be his Warden one (if he ever gets it, Capt. L is sorta awkward around him now...). Murphy too already rejected the offer - much to my disappointment - and will likely become stronger in a more independent manner ... if at all.

No, the key part of the summery is the DARK power mention. The island, Demonreach, and that special attribute Dresden got from being born under "certain circumstances". I wouldn't rule out a remnant of Lash, though the odds are admittedly low.

A thought does occur...though dresden's child is too young to obtain the sword, Susan might. Further, the sword may have a tampering affect on her 'condition'.

Course, Im probably wrong. Last time I tried to predict plot for White Knight I was WAY off the mark.

First chapter is usually posts on line 2 months before book release (April 6). Soooo!!! We should have it by next Saturday, Feb 6. Come on Jim, we're jonesing for a hit. Give it to us a couple days early.

Wow if Harry has a daughter, and gets to 'keep' her, will there be room in his life for both Molly and his daughter, or could this be an excuse for a new apprentice, while Molly with an incomplete training and feelings of outrage as she is replaced, could take a wrong turn down a dark alley and become a very willing 'target' for one of the courts, leading to Charity and Daniel taking the swords

Wow if Harry has a daughter, and gets to 'keep' her, will there be room in his life for both Molly and his daughter, or could this be an excuse for a new apprentice, while Molly with an incomplete training and feelings of outrage as she is replaced, could take a wrong turn down a dark alley and become a very willing 'target' for one of the courts, leading to Charity and Daniel taking the swords

i truely enjoy dresden and i have turned my 14 year old onto him since he appreciates a world class smartass lol. i am looking forward to this book and hope he starts leaking chapters soon. i love the idea of a chil, it brings a lot of peril to the storyline and gives harry a chance to redeem his childhood. i love hat the subect of redemption plays so heavily in this storyline.

I'm currently reading Turn Coat and have pre-ordered Changes on my Kindle. I have read on this website they plan to publish and Omnibus of the collected short storie and novella's of the Dresden Files that will be availabe to readers late this year. I have the complete collection in paperback and have collected the Subterranean Press books in hardcover with dustjacket and interior pen and ink illustrations by artist Vicent Chong. Each book is signed by author Jim Butcher. What do you get if you cross Spenser with Merlin someone very much like Harry Dresden. I'm a fan of The Dresden Files a fantastic supernatural mystery series.

Alright, first off how could the child be Elaine's if Butcher talked about Susan in the teaser? I don't think he would be that mean.
I do think it's possible that Dresden will pick up one of the holy swords and Murphy the other. I mean, when Dresden looked upon Murphy with his wizard's sight he saw her as an angel. She's such the type whether or not she has an evil boyfriend.
Third, I do agree that the child will not die because that will destroy Dresden but I think that she will make him want to be good and pick up the sword for the power he needs instead of some kind of evil power.
And has anyone thought about Thomas? I think he's manipulating Lara to get some favor out of her so she will help Dresden. And yes, allies have been lost but this is a scared child. Do you remember how everyone banded together for Ivy? If anyone of Dresden's allies know about the girl being in danger they won't care about Dresden's feelings about them being in harm's way. They will help him.
And the little girl, whoever said it before me was right, she can't have wizard powers if she's Susan's child, so she's half vampire half human, (if that is inheritable). She's gotta have some cool vampire tricks and could help to save herself.

On one last note, Butcher is my hero and my inspiration to write. I want to write books that will make people speculate and want to build time machines like this. He is an absolute prodigy of the writing business.

If I remember correctly, the main vampire area was Mexico somewhere, so when I saw the cover I instantly thought that Harry was going to go take out some vampires.

Preordered on Amazon, can't wait!

I agree that Murphy will take up a sword, but wonder which royal line she descends from? To me, the choice would be Brian mac Cennetig, called Brian Boruma, who was High King of Ireland (and one of the more famous ones). He initially reigned in the province of Munster, which corresponds to southern Ireland. Murphy's Irish name (Murchadh) can be traced to Munster.
I'm not certain Charity would be able to take up the sword, because of her initial magic background and her devotion to Michael. Though I do think the idea of their eldest son taking it, if by accident (similar to Murphy).

Before I knew the title of the book was Changes I would not have thought that Murphy would take up a sword. Being a cop was too much of her identity. Now i'm not so sure. There's no way that two swords would be in the same city on a permanent basis though, so i can't see Charity or anyone else in chi becoming a knight of the cross.

I doubt Harry'll take up the Blackstaff, he doesn't believe in it. He can't bring himself to purposefully kill something that isn't threatening him outright and especially not innocents. I can see him taking a High Council role though. And Murphy is the clear choice for Fidelacchius but I don't think Charity will take up Amoracchius or at least Michael won't let her. He's crippled and Molly doesn't live full time with them. To lose Charity as well would kill Michael.

I think if the child died it would do more to destroy Harry than help him progress. He needs an anchor and if the child dies, not even his brother and his friends would be enough to keep him from turning to the dark side.

I wonder if the Black Council will be involved. I'm starting to suspect Ebenezar, and if I'm right and it came out, Dresden would actually be a pretty good choice for a Blackstaff. He's gonna do what he thinks is right anyway and he's repeatedly fought against them; any reasonable person can see that he's not BC. Dresden as Blackstaff would presumably have access to more options and/or allies, which might help offset the allies he keeps losing. Also, I kind of want the kid to die because we only really got to see Harry cut loose when Susan got vamped. He's a hundred times stronger and more skilled, and he has soulfire, a soft spot for women, and it's HIS FRIGGIN DAUGHTER. I'm sure scientist will later explain that a large, mountain-sized meteor hit south america that day....

Wow! I am going so freakin crazy waiting for Changes to come out! and OMG...Harry a father! Awesome...he will make a great father I think. Family means everything to Harry. But I hate to be the one who took her cause Harry's coming!! I just wait to see what the changes will be and what surprises Jim has in store for us in this book!

My son turn me on to these books and I bought the hard back of Turn Coat and now paitently waiting for Changes...while I re-read the set all over again! My son has been getting everyone he knows into these books and now so am I!! Love them!!

Can hardly wait for Changes to come out. I am rereading the set for the sixth or seventh time. Two weeks till February, . We feel that maybe Lash is growing back into Harry"s skull,( you know, wizards and self healing) hence all the headaches. She might come in handy in this kind of confabulation. Thomas might come to Harry's aid even though th White Court wouldn't like it much. Oh..........well. Re-reading Turn Coat ,,again.

i am very excited and terrified of the changes book - a child....... omg i think would kill harry. there'd be so much conflict in his head, part of him wanting to quit the PI Bizz and bee with the kid and susan but another not wanting to abandon the mortals that need him, not to mention the fear constantly running through his mind about the kids safety - like he said the kid wont just inherit his great chin the bad guys come with the name too. Not to mention the lack of funds in his life.......and a kid costs a lot these days. I am possitivly terrified on his behalf. Why cant this all be real-I would have Harry in a flash, lol

Michael's line descends from royalty. Charity married into it, but her line is wizards. If Molly got her power from Charity, who did Charity get it from? Could she have gotten it from an aunt who disappeared as a teenager and named her first daughter after her (Molly is really Margeret). No one in the council even knows Harry's mother's real last name. She took LaFey after the fairies she hung out with. I love to speculate

After reading previous comments, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one re-reading all the series. But, Jim, please, publish it already! A big fan from Spain

Charity has blood of kings and was called Lady by Lili the same as Murphy
She is master swordsmen same as Murphy ,She believe as strongly as Michael .
All those hints are obvious.

I do think Murphy will evetually take up a sword. Her "evil" boyfriend is still half-human and often fighting evil.

Charity is not in a direct line to get a sword, but Daniel showed great bravery in Proven Guilty and is getting old enough to get his father's sword.

Who is to say that the child is really Harry's? What are his two weaknesses? Crying women and children in danger, if I wanted to be sure he was going to show up somewhere I would choose one of those pressure points. All the better if he thinks it is HIS child in danger.

Murphy is not going to take up one of the swords, kinda hard to balance a holy sword and an unholy boyfriend.

Charity will have second sword it is clear.
Murphy will be driven from CPD by Rudolph and then also take the sword
I don’t know if it will happen in Changes but trend is unmistakable .

I'd like to see Harry mix it up with the red court, he did start the war afterall. Jim hasn't really written much about Harry's role in the war since the duel with Ortega.

Hey, not only is the title different - one word instead of two - we get to see a portion of Harry's face - previously shown only in profile.

Gimme more - ah, a girl can dream...

And yeah, what's with the hat?

screw susan. i hope she dies & harry gets his daughter. the book might get ruined if she stays 4 an indefinite amount of time coz shes boring now. the legacy thing 4rm his mother should be revealed now coz its getting so annoying now not wot it is. same with thomas. has he reverted 2 his vampire insticts or is he faking it or wot?!?!

screw susan. i hope she dies & harry gets his daughter. the book might get ruined if she stays 4 an indefinite amount of time coz shes boring now. the legacy thing 4rm his mother should be revealed now coz its getting so annoying now not wot it is. same with thomas. has he reverted 2 his vampire insticts or is he faking it or wot?!?!

Well, I have faith in JB's handling the child's story arc. Harry handled Molly in a good way. So I think JB can very well handle Harry's little daughter nicely in this book. Although its kinda funny, Harry learning how to handle teenager (as his apprentice), then goes to handle a kiddie. A little diffrent that the natural order :).

For those of you who are wondering, according to pretty much all the books in the series Magic is passed on matrilineal lines. Ergo, the kid probably isn't magical -- unless she's actually Elaine's, not Susan's.

Then again, if that's the case, shouldn't Thomas have Magic?

Why is everyone so suprised he has a child. I expected it to show up before this. Susan stayed away from Harry for his protection. Now that the child is old enough to need schooling, it a good time to introduce her into the story. Of course, I wasn't surprised Murphy and Kincaid got together. You can't have that much tension between two people without something happening.

Thankfully i have small favors and turncoat next to me otherwise i think i would be twitching upon the floor in withdrawl at the mention of this book

OH MY!!! I remember thinking how mean and heartless Susan was to be keeping her distance from Harry after her "accident". How Harry must have suffered from the rebuff, yet he gave her the space, out of love, to let her handle the situation in her own way!

Harry would have done anything to be with Susan and to help her - and this is how she repays him by hiding his child!

Poor, poor Harry.

That's the one thing I like about Butcher: always throwing curve balls at us. Personally, I'm glad he's dropped this particular piece of what is sure to be an intricate, intriguing puzzle -- it keeps us anxiously anticipating while allowing us the briefest glimpse of what might be. I just wish I'd caught this update before today.

Imagine, just try to imagine, the size of the can of whup ass that Harry is going to open.

*Looks at cover*

*Reads: Harry's child has been kidnapped*

Let the bodies hit the floor.

:-)

I noticed the change from the past titles. It makes sense if things are going to change. Start with your title.

WOW a kid jeese jim kill me with suspense will you. never saw that one coming. Cant wait for it to come out.

Personally, I wanna know what is up with Susan. "By the way, Harry, you have a daughter! Suprise! Just thought I'd mention it since I need your help to save her from a vengeful vampire!"
Sheesh! How selfish can you be? To keep Harry from his kid, and a little girl from her father! What a b****! Plus, I'm sure that little one would've been safer growing up somewhere like Ebenezer's farm, with BOTH parents' protection, than in S. America with a bunch of bloodthirsty vampires and half-vamps! Susan had better have a REALLY good explanation.

Will a kid change Harry's life? Oh Hell yeah! I love my daughter but did she ever change my life!

And since Susan has "tainted" blood, what sort of child will he have? Will it have vampire tendencies, will it have the gift of magic? I can't wait to find out!

And who will the child's godfather be? Michael Carpenter? Bob the skull? Thomas? The suspense is killing me! LOL

I noticed you can pre-order the book, but not the Kindle version. I need the Kindle version because I'm going to beg Jim to sign my Kindle first chance I get (on the back).

Don't make me buy the paper book and then the kindle version later ...

I hate to say it, but I hope the kid dies. That would give Harry the motivation that he needs to take up the winter mantles and kick some serious ass. Plus, I just don't see the Harry Susan dynamic working, after the end of book 5. And Harry with a kid to worry about..... I really don't relish listening to Harry becoming cautious in the next few books.

Is it absolutely horrible of me to hope that the kid isn't actually Harry's? Awful as it sounds, I like Harry the way he is, and a kid at this time in his life would screw things up.
And besides, when Harry has a family, it should be with a best friend and companion who he trusts to watch his back, can kick butt when needed (including his), someone who has his respect, and won't try and eat him during a passionate moment!

Somebody like, I don't know, . . . MURPHY!!

I'm with Emma, so long as the kid doesn't sparkle, I'm good.

Also, Murphy has been demoted. What if the next step is to get her out of the CPD altogether? Once she's no longer got a badge the only way she could keep defending people is by taking up a sword. Shiro's sword is of a type that she already knows how to use and she's gotten a job offer from it already.

Harry HAS to lose allies. Otherwise he becomes too powerful, and his stories become impossible to write.

From my stand point, Harry keeps losing allies, Micheal, Thomas, Morgan, een the wolf pack has taken a shot. It seems like he's slowly killing all his allies, I would hope not, Micheal is the greatest. Even Murphry got demoted. I say we remember the Allies he's lost...RIP Morgan!

I don't wonder so much. The artist was asked to put one there by the publisher, even though it's noncanonical. I think a hat like that is "code" for "private eye".

ever wonder why Harry has a hat on in many of the book covers?

All this speculation and only one person has even mentioned the swords in Harry's possession, will he be handing out the two sacred swords to create some back-up.
Last I read (The warrior) he's still in possession of the blades right?
Will he pick the right people to wield them or the convenient people?

Harry didnt touch the coin until the end of the book which is after he and susen did the hanky panky. so there is no posable way that lash could show up in the child.as for being half vampire i have no idea because Jim has this ability to make u think he is going one direction and then going somewhere completely unexpected.

The Dresden Files is one of the best book searies that i have ever read

Harry gave Lasciel's coin back to the church, so I think she's gone. For back up, I was thinking, who owes Harry a favor for rescuing a scared little girl. Ivy may be a nuetral, but not above killing red courts, and Kincaid owes Harry big time for saving her. Now Harry's daughter is the scared little girl. If anything is written (like a birth certificate) or spoken, Ivy knows it. Another scared little girl he helped is now the Summer lady, Lilly. She and Fix may indirectly help him.

Lasciel has nothing to do with this kid. Harry didn't touch the coin until the end of book 5. Susand and him concieved during the middle of book 5. So no 1/4 vampire 1/4 Fallen angel 1/2 smart mouth wizard kid.

It's not talking about lasciel. It's talking about that island from Small Favor.

I'm pretty sure Harry and Susan didn't do the naughty when Lasciel was in his head. I could be wrong here though

I'm wondering if this means Harry will go head to head with the Red King? And apart from soulfire, has Harry got anyone in the "good" camp who can offer him some major fire power...given the location of South America and the Aztec love of blood sacrifice, it seems a good spot to locate this book. I wonder where the roots of the Red court lie?

On the topic of Changes, could we see an end to the Red court/ white council detante and see the series move in a different direction? Would killing the Red King "cure" Susan of her vampirism? Ah, tis a cruel thing when your imagination runs away with things and all you can do is speculate until April :-)

Where does Lasciel figure into all this --ness? All you get at the beginning of Turn Coat is this line, "My head was killing me" and then he opens the door and the rest is history. And he only had headaches when she was around...and I KNOW I KNOW that she figuratively died when she saved Harry from certain brain damage in White Night, but c'mon, she's a Fallen angel, one up to Lucifer - stuff like weenie wittle vampire mind tricks has to be child's play for her. What if part of her went into Susan, and therefore the child when they conceived the daughter back in the zombie book? That could be another reason for wanting to kidnap the kid, I mean, HELLOOO, unlimited access to Hell's powers. Doh. But anyways, I don't care what anyone else says this series is the best thing since sliced bread. It's one of the few books that have made me laugh - remember 'blampires' and 'wooly chammoth'? Classic!

I'm curious as to what the side effects will be having a mom whos basically half vampire, all the benefits none of the draw backs? Is this a future blade? Maybe end up with one odd the swords?

Stars and stones! i have been waiting for this way too long. Any chance you could move the publishing date up a month or three? I'm gonna have to go reread the series again. For the 15th time. Thanks a lump.

Please please please start publishing two Dresden books a year. Don't get me wrong, Alera was brilliant, but now that it's done, I (and I'm sure many others) would love more frequent Dresden.

Love the twists and turns this series is taking. I went to look it up on amazon.co.uk and found this little extra bit of a product description;

Product Description
I answered the phone, no big deal, until I heard the message: 'They've taken our daughter.' Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has never faced anything like this. Arianna Ortega, Red Court vampire, blames Harry for her husband's death - and she's out for revenge. So her discovery that Susan Rodriguez had borne Harry a daughter was an unexpected gift. Arianna's next step was to kidnap the girl and she plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice designed to kill Harry, Susan and their daughter. With the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court in a state of detente, Harry finds himself alone except for a handful of allies - resources utterly inadequate to challenging the Red King and his entire vampire Court. With the life of his child at stake, Susan's humanity hanging in precarious balance and with his own death looming, Dresden must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line Harry wouldn't cross, and though dark powers have tempted him time and again, he never gave in. But then, only his own life was at stake.

Jim usually starts posting the first 4 chapters on his web site about 2 months prior to the book release. Feb is only 4 1/2 weeks away. At least it's a small fix every few weeks until we can get the whole book. It helps the withdrawls.

WOW! I didn't see that twist coming let the imaginations wonder!
In regards to "die alone" comment. If one dies while not with another person then they are alone. Unless one dies in an accident with others... technically they die alone. In philosophical terms we "all" die alone.

I just inhaled so sharply and deeply that I couldn't exhale for a minute......DAMN you, Jim, and your inhuman ability to entertain the masses!! WOW, this is gonna be one helluva ride for Harry.....and his friends. I'm shivering just thinking about Harry's reaction to someone endangering his CHILD.....*SHIVER*

I am counting the day till changes. As much as I love Dresden, I am tired of re-reading!! LOL

Oh man...I think I just stopped breathing.

April really is the curellest month...so far away...so very far away...

Why is April so far away!!!

I think the Kid dies...
Because the Necromancers Deathcurse said: "Die alone!"

I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee Harry. I can't wait for "Changes". Thank you JM !!!

Oh no, UNCLE BOB!

BRILLIANT!

Don't know if its been mentioned yet, but this does continue Harry's bloodline, and hence his mother's death curse on the "figurehead" of the White Court will continue... Both Thomas and his Sister will also be looking to protect this child too.... I THINK ITS GREAT!!! Come on April...GET HERE ALREADY!!!

Simple to prove. Start with simple math. Feb 2003 + 9 months. DNA will out. I doubt Susan would have risked sex with anyone else.

Is it really Harry's kid? If your kid was in danger and you knew Harry could save her and it just so happens that you were once lovers with Harry, what better way to galvanize him into action than by saying it's his daughter?

OMG I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK BAD NOW!!! I never thought susan would come back into the story but with a Harry's kid wow great plot twist i love i just hope harry will have a family with Susan now...That would be so awsome

In book 5, Thomas was in communication with Martin before the dual. It's possible that Thomas knows about the little girl and was sworn to secrecy by Susan. I just hope he doesn't kill of or turn Susan.

I think Harry would make an excellent Dad! And who wouldn't want Thomas for an Uncle?!?!?! This should bring them back together. And don't even get me started on Grandpa Ebenzer!

im actually really scared to see how this will
change the series also i was really hoping there would be at least some mention of thomas!

If it's too dangerous for Susan to keep the girl, and heavens knows Harry's apartment is not the place to raise a 6 year old girl, I'm sure Michael and Charity would love a foster child. Even though she's Harry's, Charity's mothering instincts are probably on overload. And anyone in Michael's house is protected now. Keeps the kid available to Harry but not his dominant source of concern. Hope the start to publish the first few chapter in February.

If I have to guess Harry/Harriet jr will be “normal”. Maybe more like Harry’s dad. Isn’t there 2 Swords of the Cross without a wielder at this point? Presuming Harry/Harriet jr survives the book might we get to see a formative years of a knight in training?

As long as the kid doesn't fricking sparkle, I'm good. =)

But as much as I hate to say it, I don't think this book will have a happy ending.

And I, too, am curious about Murphy's reaction.

April can't come fast enough.

I must say that I like this twist in the series. Harry has always wanted to have a family. Knowing Jim Butcher's writing style I do not beleive he will make the child a cliche' having vampiric and wizard's powers. I beleive that he will make something good out of this new development. He has never disapointed me with his writing before, and even if he does it is only because you cannot please everyone :-) I will wait patiently and enjoy it when it comes out. Thank you for writing these stories Mr. Butcher, you will always have a fan base in me.

EEEEKKKKK!!!!! Harry has a kid! OMG can not wait until April! Somebody get me a time machine and a paper bag to breathe into! Hyperventilation! What will Murphy say?!?!?!?!?

The covers only have a tenuous connection to the content of the book as a general rule. This artist put a hat on him back when the publisher (not Jim) started using him for the covers (around book #7, so 5 books ago), because hat is code for private eye or something. It's stuck around ever since.

What's with the hat? Harry never wears a hat.

What's with the hat?

This could be very interesting. Jim's done a great job with Dresden to this point and I doubt he'll let us down now. I am wondering if we'll see the return of Michael anytime soon? He was pretty banged up at the end of the last book.

it kinda looks like there's bodies in the background and harry's looking for more things to burn or shoot

Maybe we'll see a descendant of Incan kings in need of fencing lessons? Big fan JB keep fighting the good fight.

FREAKING AWESOME!!!

Holy Jehosaphat! Dresden and Susan got a Kid! I can not wait until this book comes out. I became a fan after watching the TV series, read Storm Front and said WOW these book are Great. Then my 20year old son became a fan too! The wait is for the new book is almost too much! What a great story teller Jim Butcher is!

I think someone forgot to tell Hos not to go into battle without wearing his helmet. Does that technology fail around wizards too? I cannot wait for "Changes" to come out in April. In regards to Isabell and her "shark jumping"...People thought that when Harry took an apprentice too. That turned out pretty good as I recall. :)

Hell's holy stars and freaking stones shit bells!!!!! And what else can I say that hasn't been said by anyone else? I CANNOT FREAKING WAIT!!!!!

I have the feeling this book will see Harry seeing the line he shouldn't cross. Then diving across it anyway.. bring hell on earth to who ever is in his path...... AWESOME :D

All I can say is better have more Bob. One lousy bit in the last book left a very unsatisfied feeling in me.

I'd like to see Harry tap into that dark power. The kid provides a good reason for Harry to break a rule or three.

At least we know the "Changes" won't be to messy diapers! :0)

It cant be a baby though, Seth, if it's Susan's...she's been out of the series for years (real time AND Dresedenverse). Someone below said maybe 6, but I thought maybe 8 or 9??????

I cannot wait for this book to come out. Having a child will definately "Change" things. What kind of badass will this kid be (Half Vampire/Wizard)? I will be getting an early birthday gift!

WHAT?! Jim has got babies on the brain. Babies in Alera, babies in chicago... I swear if Dresden buys one of those baby carrying harnesses i'm going to flip

(punches isabell in head)

(crying like a 3 year old who was told that he can't have any more candy)

why jim do you do this us? My doctor is considering the mentel ward at the locol hosbitle and no more books by certin people.

This teaser is proof that Jim is a very evil man.

several things here...Mr. B, has by an far, kept the tone of his book about Harry, when so many of my other favorite others have deviated, (last night I startled my wife awake because I cursed out the author I was reading when I finished the book). He's also already included kids in his books before, and worked them round it very well, or worked the book round them (However you want to look at it). I've liked every book so far, loved several of them...looking forward to how it goes from here. (and considering some of the drivel I've read that's high compliments)

i cannot freakin wait for this book! i am way way excited!!! these books get better and better with every book!! harry is my hero!! thanks for bringing him to life Mr. Butcher!

Jim mentioned that in a spoiler he dropped a while back

Where does it say the child is a girl?

Congrats on the NYT ranking, Jim!!

Can't wait for Changes as well... you keep writing stuff this good, and by the Apocolyptic Dresdenverse ending, you've got a GREAT chance at hitting that #1!

Okay all let's remember why we are at this site. We like or LOVE the way JB writes. If you can't give the man a break and read it the way he want us to enjoy it.

By the way what's wrong with a little romance with your fiction?

Wow, talk about knee-jerk judgments made by the underinformed. It's just a blurb, man! Reserve your slams until you've read the thing, FFS.

Doesn't appeal to me at all and not very creative -- it's an idea that been playing out in romance novels for generations. I'm really disappointed. I've been a fan of all the books and have recommended them to numerous friends. "Jumping the Shark" is not something I ever expected from Jim.

Finally, Harry gets to cap the Ortegas. Yay!

I hope the archive is back....with a vengence. this series is by far the best thing going in this genre. can't wait for april. hopefully book 100 will be as good as book 1. no pressure.

AAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

must...complete...time...machine

Oh and Jim, you have set the stage for a bloody melee at my local Borders. They never stock enough of your books so those that are there are the subject of a fierce battle every april. Now I am almost afraid to go get a copy of Changes. But I will.

If I don't return, tell my family...to go get me a copy of that book!

Waaaht? A kiddo? Cool man, Tiny Goddess of all snark! This is gonna be wonderful, April cannot come quick enough........

The kid has to be about 6 now if she was conceived in Death Masks. My B-Day is April 6th, wonder what I'll be getting for a present!

I am reading the first 11 books for the second time through and they are just as good now! I picked the first 3 up at a bookstore in Toronto, ON while my son was in ICU after heart surgery and ~4 pages into the first I decided to get the rest of the books. Those books have been a wonderful escape during these stressful months! I am really looking forward to the next installment, reading the excerpt gave me goosebumps!

Oh crap, this book can't come any faster. can't wit to read the next book, it''s gonna be slow with only one book a year instead of two.

WHAT!? KID? WHAT KID? OMG. A-hem, sorry, I'm a little excitable. Wow, I was antsy before for the release of the book, but now...I don't what I'm going to do. Huh, I hope it all ends well. *passes out*.

That is so cool:

Blade and his father - Harry Dresden! ROFL

This are great news indeed, i cant wait to read this book. And surely, many years have passed since Susan left, child is definitely grown out the "pampers" stage by now. I definitely think that it is old enough for some magic/vampiric action scenes :D

Outstanding!! I love relating to Harry. My trials and tribulations are of a much more mundane variety than Harry's but now Harry is also a father! I can relate to him that much more. I love it!

I have been a huge fan of both the Dresden Files and Codez Alera ever since my father introduced them to me. I hope they make a sequal series to Codex Alera but til then I will enjoy every bit of Harry and this new book looks amazing like all of them :D!!!

Been an reader of Jim's since Dresden #1 came out. Loved the Alera series and hope a sequel to it happens someday.
Jim's skill as a writer has improved with every book he has written. A lot of other authors have come out with similar characters to Harry Dresden but Jim's books are still the best and always getting better. Looking forward to another 12 or so Dresden Files. April can't come fast enough

Hell's Bells!!!!!!! Things just keep more and more interesting in Harry's life! I can't wait for Changes to come out!!

Jim Butcher launched my interest in urban fantasy, and I got to say, he's still the best I've read in the genre.

Can't wait for Changes to come out. Harry has a child? The story isn't going to take place in Chicago!?! It sounds awesome. Can't wait, Jim.

I can't decide whether I'm excited about Harry having a kid or not. And a daughter!-- poor Harry, his trouble with women never ends.

Knew it. Now the question is---Prescillie, goddess of the time line. How old does that make his child? Any hints if we should use blue or pink ribbons on the gifts?

.....dresden with a child??? i mean were talking half vampire, half human, all wizard, all smartmouthed scion of dooooom here!

I have faith in you. I'm sure you read and watch plenty of genre fiction where the protagonists don't closely match who you are and yet still manage to enjoy them! :)

Eh... I love the Dresden files and Jim's an amazing author (who I wish would come to dragon*con once in a while cough cough hint hint) but being a college student, I'm afraid Harry having a daughter will make me less able to relate to it. Here's to him pulling it off!

I...am so exited that I can barely type this sentence. Must find a way to make time move faster so april comes sooner!

I just loved all the books and can't wait until the next one. One of my children passed away in Oct. and it helped to have the books to read and keep my mind busy. The humor is the best, Harry is great!beckyd

I am excited and worried. There are a lot of authors who ruin series when babies arrive. To be honest, magic, murder, mayhem, and mystery do not mix well with pablum, pampers, and binkies. Here's hoping JB can pull it off.

Does this mean we will get 2 Dresden Files a year or will there be another series?

Indeed, April -- like the last 6 or more books have been. :)

UGH! APRIL?!

I am so excited by this i can't tell you! Totally agree with Jeffrey, i need to read this now. Going to be so good to have the Vampires back in the story line again :-)

We've known this for a while, a few months ago Jim put out the first sentence of the book and while I don't remember the exact quote, it was something about Harry picking up the phone and Susan saying "they have our daughter," or something like that.

Mike,

I did notice, but the book is called CHANGES

So the title pattern (two words, the same length) is finally broken.

What, nobody else noticed?

Im starting to hate Jim he drop's this information 4 and a half month's before the release the wait might kill me