“But… all I said was that I was scared." After what you got to experience? That's smart, kid," I said. "I'm scared, too. Every time something like this happens, it scares me. But being strong doesn't get you through. Being smart does. I've beaten people and things who were stronger than I was, because they didn't use their heads, or because I used what I had better than they did. It isn't about muscle, kiddo, magical or otherwise. It's about your attitude. About your mind." She nodded slowly and said, "About doing things for the right reasons." You don't throw down like this just because you're strong enough to do it," I said. "You do it because you don't have much choice. You do it because it's unacceptable to walk away, and still live with yourself later." She stared at me for a second, and then her eyes widened. "Otherwise, you're using power for the sake of using power." I nodded. "And power tends to corrupt. It isn't hard to love using it, Molly. You've got to go in with the right attitude or…" Or the power starts using you," she said. She'd heard the argument before, but this was the first time she said the words slowly, thoughtfully, as if she'd actually understood them, instead of just parroting them back to me. Then she looked up. "That's why you do it. Why you help people. You're using the power for someone other than yourself.”

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About Jim Butcher

American author

Jim Butcher is an American author known for his contemporary fantasy series The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Cinder Spires. His work has made him a familiar name in modern fantasy fiction. He is best known for creating long-running series that blend fantasy with contemporary settings and inventive worldbuilding. The available facts point to a writer whose work centers on series fiction rather than stand-alone books.

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Books by Jim Butcher

Storm Front

2007

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Fool Moon

2005

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Grave Peril

2001

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Changes

2011

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Death Masks

2009

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