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Abandoned Dark Times by Lord Raine - M - Dresden

Discussion in 'Dresden Files' started by Khortez, Oct 30, 2011.

  1. Khortez

    Khortez Third Year

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    Title: Dark Times
    Author: Lord Raine
    Rating: M
    Genre: Adventure/Supernatural
    Status: On-going
    Fandom: Dresden
    Pairings: None yet.
    Chapters: 1
    Words: 8,426
    Published: October 27, 2011
    Status: Abandoned

    Summary: Seeking his ultimate fate after solving the mystery of his own murder, Harry Dresden is flung back in time by Uriel to set right the imbalances created by the Fallen. Can he save a fracturing world from it's doom? And what might it cost him to do so?
    Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7500497/1/Dark_Times

    The author went on a Dresden File binge the other week reading all the books and posting his reactions over at TFF. So far it just one chapter but the premise is rather interesting and rather than simply overpowering Harry actually manages to screw him over even further.

    Though it might be a bit too early to do a proper review, I thought I would post this up for y'all to see in case it caught your fancy.


    Checked by Minion, January 5, 2013
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 5, 2013
  2. Chengar Qordath

    Chengar Qordath The Final Pony ~ Prestige ~

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    First chapter shows tons of promise, and leaves me very eager to find out what happens next.

    Noticed a couple little grammar flubs, but nothing serious.
     
  3. disposablehead

    disposablehead Seventh Year

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    I would like to say that this is awesome, but his four other 1-chapter stories says this will never be finished. Interesting stuff though.
     
  4. Chengar Qordath

    Chengar Qordath The Final Pony ~ Prestige ~

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    True; it's a very promising first chapter, but it's still just a first chapter.
     
  5. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    An interesting idea. It has, however, 2 downsides:

    1. The prose feels like it's trying a bit hard, especially the first couple of paragraphs. This is a relatively minor downside that is easily overlooked.

    2. From the looks of how fast paced it is, with the Denarians and Aurora already after Harry within the first chapter, the plot looks like it's going to be a rather messy action-adventure with multiple plots shooting in all directions and Harry caught in the middle. That is, it's going to be modelled after Butcher's normal style.

    Which is fine, except... why is it time travel? If you're going to write a time travel re-do fic, the main attraction is, well, the re-doing. It's the luxury of time to plan, the way in which Harry would be the active instigator of plans and events, rather than the passive guy who gets fucked by all of them. I just don't know why the author would choose to make a time travel fic and then completely trivialise the time travel element.
     
  6. disposablehead

    disposablehead Seventh Year

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    @Taure The fact that Time-Travel completely fucks over Harry is what makes this so cool. It isn't the standard "We will rebuild the universe" approach, where the protagonist has the drop on every single problem ever. Instead, Harry is now the main focus of most of his old enemies, with no backup and a giant violation of the Laws of Magic tattooed to his forehead. The stakes are crazy high, and I really want to see how he could get out of this.

    The downside to this is that he shouldn't get out of this. The lady of Summer, the queen of Winter, the Denarians, and probably some of the Black Council know exactly how dangerous Dresden is, and will not pull any punches. He's dead by the end of the day.
     
  7. Chengar Qordath

    Chengar Qordath The Final Pony ~ Prestige ~

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    Have to agree there; with all the people after his head, I don't really see a way for Harry to get out of this in one piece without throwing his lot in with Summer/Winter/the Denarians/the Black Council or pulling of the Darkhallow.
     
  8. Shinysavage

    Shinysavage Madman With A Box ~ Prestige ~

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    It's a cool idea, without a doubt, and solidly written for the most part (barring the epic recap of the entire series...which admittedly takes up nearly half the chapter, or certainly feels like it).

    That said, I'd lay good money on Forging the Sword being finished by Christmas over Raine updating this, so I can't really get too excited about it.

    3/5 for what's there.
     
  9. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    If this goes beyond the first chapter I'll eat my hats. All of them. One of them's a pirate hat.
     
  10. Erandil

    Erandil Minister of Magic

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    It is a different approach to time travel and looks really interesting. But like the others said.. it should be impossible for him to survive without help from one of the mayor powers, especially as he has now no friends/allies.

    And shouldn´t he still be the winter knight? Sure the old one still lives.. but I don´t think that Mab would have a big Problem with killing him and making Dresden the new Knight... I mean they both remember the deal and Mab has fulfilled her side of it so it would only be natural that Harry has to do his part.


    In the end it is a great idea but i don´t think it will get continued.. he should have made a one-shot out of it with Harry getting killed at the end or something like that.
     
  11. Styx0444

    Styx0444 Minister of Magic

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    It seems pretty damn awesome, but I have a problem with the 'everyone supernatural with power over X sees time as a whole' thing. Especially when 'X' seems to be one of the Ladies. Going by that logic, Aurora knew damn well that she would fail and get killed by Harry. Now, I could accept that, wave it away with an argument about free will. Except that the king of the White Court, whatever his name was? He has free will, and he could stomp the shit out of a Lady. He would of known damn well what Harry's mom would of stopped him from feeding, and as he is White Court, would of found a way around the whole death curse thing.

    Even throwing all of that away, as fast as Aurora got there, Mab would of been sitting inside Dunken Doughnuts eye a-twitching, going 'What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.' Hell, given that it seems like every supernatural entity over X went back with Harry, why the hell is she even still alive?

    On one hand, I love it. On the other, it seems like it was very badly thought out.
     
  12. Antivash

    Antivash Until we meet again... DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    WARNING! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! D:

    On a more OT note, its ... Not horrid and mildly entertaining, but my expectation is the same as with Fosfor/Case13. Low and with an 85% change of abandonment coming in over the canadian border.

    Pack it up, folks, and go home. Nothing to see here.
     
  13. Portus

    Portus Heir

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    Fuck you for reminding me how sad I am about Forging the Sword.