Maybe I need to reread it, but some stuff just felt... odd.

1. What was the deal with Fitz and the whole "sorcerer gang?" As far as I can tell, it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the main plot- the sequence of events is as follows:

-Bald sorcerer sends his gang to do a driveby of Murphy's house, to show that they'll "push back if they get pushed," or something.
-Hit fails, Harry follows the gang back (learning a cool ghost trick with mechanical things that is never used again), contacts Fitz.
-Uses Fitz to contact his old detective mentor, and find out where Corpsetaker is hiding out.
-Father Forthill acts like an uncharacteristic IDIOT and wanders off without telling anyone to go talk to the evil sorcerer.
-The guys rescue Father Forthill, and Fitz has a whole "stand up for what's right" moment.


That's it. Am I missing something, or, ignoring the minor contact with the detective that any of Harry's friends could have done, was this COMPLETELY irrelevant to the plot? The only connection I can see is that it's kinda a mirror to Harry's own childhood, and Fitz has talent that I'm sure will appear in a later book. It just felt really shoehorned in.


2. What, exactly, was Uriel's plot?

Again, I might be missing something. But here's the sequence of events, as far as I can tel:

-a Bad Guy whispers a lie to Harry at exactly the right time, making Harry believe he'll turn into a monster if he becomes the Winter Knight
-Harry arranges for himself to be assassinated after he saves his daughter
-Harry is shot by Kincaid, and his body sinks into the cold darkness of the water
-Mab and Demonreach (and a "parasite" who provides him blood?) work at bringing Harry back to life, for 6 months.
-Suddenly Uriel takes Harry's soul, and deceives him into going back to Chicago as a "ghost"
-Harry defeats Corpsetaker and remembers arranging his assasination.
-Harry is revived, and goes off to become the Winter Knight. After Uriel whispers to him that Mab can't turn Harry into a monster, as Harry has free will.


It just seems like... I don't know. Making Harry remember what he did would have been pretty easy- we've seen Mab work mind magic effortlessly. And Harry already knew he didn't have to become a monster- I feel like that message was imparted to him several times towards the end of Changes, once he became the Winter Knight.

So... was the whole point of this to stop Corpsetaker? To boost the morale of Harry's friends? Why did it take 6 months to revive Harry, and he only awoke once he remembered what was going on?