Some overall reactions to my re-read of this book: The Gruffs are still great. Just the perfect amount of gravitas combined with ridiculousness. There are still too many fight scenes that go on for too long. (My mind wanders during fight scenes unless something else is going on.) And there are some things in here that read differently when you know what’s coming!
Spoilers ahoy.
For instance, there are about three references to Harry semi-jokingly noting that Kincaid could shoot him from very far away, one even from on a boat! (One of which is followed by a “joke” that next time Thomas will just leave Harry’s body in the water.) FORESHADOWING. Also, all the stuff with Luccio here no longer reads as sweet and Harry finally getting some sex. I can’t remember why, but I do remember that Luccio has had her brain messed with so that she’ll get with Harry, and that the “real” Luccio would not have been interested. This sucks for both Luccio and Harry.
After reading Skin Game, I also have a lot more appreciate for the Denariians than I used to (they used to annoy the hell out of me), so that was better here as well.
Also, also, still no resolution on whether Murphy will take up one of the swords, but now that Butters has instead (who saw that coming?), things are even more up in the air, and the sword Fiddelachius glowing for her here takes on a more mysterious meaning.
And for some reason, I completely ignored almost all the long-term story arc stuff going on here. I still have no idea what was really behind the main plot, or what’s going on with the Black Council, or what the Outsiders have to do with any of it, but the great thing about this series is that if that stuff bores or confuses you, you can just forget about it and go along for the fun, more surface-level stuff, like Harry asking a very old goat faerie to get him a doughnut in the middle of a very serious confrontation, and the goat faerie complying.
(“Likest thou jelly within thy doughnut?”
“Nay, but prithee, with sprinkles ‘pon it instead,” I said solemnly, “and frosting of white.”)
I will continue my own head canon that says the doughnut is the titular small favor, and not Mab’s whole thing. Although it’s probably both. (I also continue to love Mab, by the way. The more she terrifies Harry, the more I clap my hands in glee.)