Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Book Review: Hmmmm....Another Wizard Named Harry??
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this book ever since the first episode of the Dresden Files aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. I loved the series on TV, and I'm still disappointed that it won't be coming back. But I can say that I'm extremely glad Jim Butcher is still writing the books! Because after reading the first one, I'll definitely be continuing reading the series!
Harry Dresden - Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
That is how Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is listed in the Chicago phone book. He's a wizard. And he's very good at what he does. Unfortunately, not every one in Chicago believes in magic. But Harry manages to scrape by finding lost objects for people. Sometimes he's even called in as a special investigator for the Chicago PD, in cases that are "unique". So when Lt. Murphy of the Special Investigations unit calls Harry to help her investigate a double homicide at the Madison Hotel, Harry jumps at the chance to earn a little extra rent money. Business for the local wizard isn't exactly booming.
When he arrives at the scene, he finds the gruesome remains of 2 people whose hearts have exploded from inside their chests. Only an extremely powerful wizard could conjure enough Black Magic to accomplish this feat, and Harry isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of helping in the investigation. He's on thin ice as it is with the White Council, the governing body of the Wizard community. In fact, he's under the Doom of Damocles, a probation of sorts. Harry was "convicted" of killing a person with Black Magic, which goes against the Laws of Magic and is punishable by death. Harry's plea of self-defense won him this probation instead of execution, but the White Council is watching every move he makes. And the fact that one of the victims worked for mob boss "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone is just one more reason to stay far away from this case. Besides, Harry just got a new client. Her name is Monica and she is looking for something she lost....her husband. And she is willing to pay top dollar to find him.
But Lt. Murphy needs help and soon it becomes apparent that both cases are somehow linked to a new drug that hit the streets in Chicago called the ThreeEye. To top it off, it seems the White Council is convening a special meeting to determine if HARRY is the wizard that did the killing. Now he must help in the investigation, if only to save his own skin!
I couldn't help but picture Paul Blackstone, from the TV series when I was reading this book. He was the perfect Harry!! Storm Front is filled with a little bit of everything....vampires, wizards, both White and Black magic, faeries, frog demons, killer scorpions, and spirits. Harry is a phenomenal character that is not only smart, but funny as well! He's compassionate, as well as strong-willed, and is determined to the do the right thing. I was completely enthralled by page 2! This series seems to mix a little bit of the hard-boiled PI with the paranormal. And it works! It's fast-moving and fun. I whole-heartedly recommend it to both mystery fans and fantasy fans!!
Book Review: Another Wizard Named Harry
Summary: 5 Stars
Being named for three other men of magic, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden was destined to be a wizard himself. In fact, he's the only one in the Chicago yellow pages. When there are matters of the paranormal, lost items, or just plain mysterious goings-on, Harry's the man to hire.
His character is part part Good Magician Humphrey (from Piers Anthony's Xanth series), part Spencer (From Robert Parker's books), part Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling's character all grown up, having defeated Valdemort and hung out his shingle for hire), and part Sam Spade (gotta love Dashiell Hammett and that other Humphrey of Bogart fame). Wisecracking, tormented, self-deprecating yet confident, Harry is consulted by the Chicago police as well as private clients.
He's a bit down on his luck as the story opens, what with his landlord sending him threatening mail and with the White Council overseeing matters of magic putting him on a double-secret probation that could mean his death if he takes one wrong step. He's shadowed by a watchdog named Morgan who is so convinced of Harry's guilt in everything that Harry knows he is doomed. Nevertheless, Harry is a good soul who always tries to do the right thing, even if he has to do something wrong in order to make right happen.
For instance, Harry is compelled not to play with a mobster who wants him not to investigate what the police have asked him to look into. More than a month behind on his rent, Harry swallows hard and turns down the money that could keep his rent paid for months and opts for trying to solve this particularly grisly crime: the hearts of the victims were literally ripped from their chests mid-"act."
And as is de riugeur in such stories, the beautiful woman who is waiting at his office to hire him melts his heart with her tortured eyes and her hefty retainer.
The book gallops along at a lively pace. Fairies, demons, golems, and skulls inhabited by helpful spirits either aid or hamper Harry's investigation. The lovely reporter determined to get her story seduces Harry (of course, the love potion the spirited skull has him make helps get the date off on the proper footing - sort of).
Harry works alone. He doesn't have the sidekicks that Harry Potter and Spencer are blessed with, but at the same time he is aided by his wits and his arcana.
The author's use of magic and psychic abilities is a great twist or what might otherwise be a formulaic book - although the mysteries Harry solves aren't anything like the run-of-the-mill cases Magnum P.I. would get.
Now that I've discovered Harry Dresden, Wizard, I think I'll read more about him. I hope he's still single by the time I meet him. We will have a lot to share. Pass the love potion, please. I'd like a refill.
Book Review: True Mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
The reason I think this book succeeds where many fantasy mysteries fail is because it throws us directly into a mystery that's a true whodunit, not a lineup of fanciful characters. Many fantasy mysteries are little better than "Weird Harold" exhibitions, parades of strange characters who do odd things and then disappear. Not this book: it has the pace and urgency of Raymond Chandler alongside the mystery and wonder of J.R.R. Tolkein.
You already know what this book is about. It's one of the most popular fantasy novels published in the last two decades, and it catapulted its author to celebrity status overnight. But unlike many celebrity authors, who leave readers scratching their heads and wondering what's the big deal, Jim Butcher justifies his renown with a sharply paced, nail-biting crime thriller and a wondrous fantasy wrapped in a single novel.
Different readers probably have different reasons why they think this novel succeeds. It may be the distinctly individuated characters, who have their own personalities and speak in individual idioms. It may be the mystery, which takes a heightened look at real world problems rather than burying readers in "fantastic" pelf. For me, it's two-fold: the setting, and the writing.
This story could not take place anywhere other than Chicago. With its long history of crime, its industrial triumph and decay, its location on a major waterway and the nexus of four states, and its segregated neighborhoods with distinct identities, no other city in America is home to the same kind of grandeur and tension as Chicago. And Butcher's depiction of these qualities is pitch perfect as his hero tries to negotiate all the potential pitfalls Chicago has in store for him.
Although Butcher did not invent fantasy mysteries, all the authors who dip into that genre in the last decade have tried to live up to the high standards he set. His prose is dense and textured, with not one word wasted and not one scene thrown in for cute value. Even when he's obviously writing leads for the next volume, Butcher's heart and mind are clearly on this book, telling us the best possible story he can right now, in the clearest, richest way he knows how.
Jim Butcher tells a cracking good story. His characters are human, and succeed by their own virtues, not just because the writer makes it so. His challenges are firmly rooted in the real world even as he ventures into fantastic territory to clinch the narrative. And he's just plain fun to read. Fans of noir mystery and urban fantasy have plenty to enjoy in this book, and the author promises more of the same in subsequent volumes.
Book Review: There's Something About Harry
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether it's his casual aloofness in the world of wizardry or his decided non-interest in conforming to every rule set forth for magical application, there's just something about Harry Dresden. Book one of the Dresden Files is at first a mild intro into the now famously popular series, but one that came around when least expected and beguiled this reader into sticking to the pages till every last word was absorbed. Maybe it's more that Harry's a good old-fashioned guy with a twist...yeah, and he's out to get whoever is targeting him.
As a wizard and occasional magical consultant for the Chicago P.D., Harry's used to seeing crimes that dabble in the bizarre. When his counterpart on the force, Karrin Murphy, brings him in for the latest and gruesome greatest, it's a disturbing use of black magic that has Harry stumped. Not one to leave humanity in the lurch, he takes on the case, in addition to a mysterious inquiry made by a suburban housewife. Detectives have nothing on Harry when he begins to delve into both cases, quickly coming to realize that the rest of the world might not want anything uncovered. From mob bosses to magical wardens meant to keep magic in line, Harry's got one heck of a time keeping himself afloat. When the black magic and his own White Council come gunning for him, he digs deeper and takes a stand. After all, the bills do have to get paid somehow.
Set in a gritty alternate reality where magic is on the outskirts of human existence, Storm Front introduces a witty and engrossing side to the urban fantasy genre. It's a first person tale told by one of the more interesting male leads to grace the pages of books. Caught between so many rock and hard places, Harry's constantly twisting and turning to figure his way out of the next tight spot. With limitations forced on him at every turn, one would think he'd fight more than a little dirty. He does, to a point, but remains steadfast to his beliefs too. Thanks to his mystical detecting skills, readers are treated to some very amusing and action steeped scenarios and the host of rich secondary characters always adds to them. The descriptions used for the magical encounters are believable and told in a reader friendly way, allowing readers to sink into the storyline that much easier. By book's end, you too might breath a little easier as I did, but find yourself wondering what's up next for Harry Dresden. Only way to find out is the snatch up the second installment, Fool Moon, then the third and forth and fifth...A truly wonderful discovery and one I would reread again and again.
Book Review: No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment
Summary: 5 Stars
Storm Front is the first book I've read by Jim Butcher and is the first book in the series known as The Dresden Files. Harry Dresden is a wizard in the classic sense, he casts spells, he mixes potions, he carries a staff and various other magical accessories. However, Harry doesn't live in some faux medieval fantastic world, he lives in an alternate version of modern day Chicago. In this version of our world, Harry is one of the few wizards who openly practices his art, and is even in the yellow pages. In addition to his private business, Harry also works with the local authorities when their investigations lead to the paranormal. All of this sets the stage for a sort of fantastic murder mystery, full of nonstop action and kicking off this series in a big way.
Many similarities can be drawn between Harry Dresden and the leading lady of vampire butt-kicking, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. Both are used by the police to investigate paranormal crimes while also working on cases for their "day jobs," both seem to have more power at their command than they let on, and both possess a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Actually, Storm Front compares quite favorably with the first few Anita Blake books, the gore isn't quite as heavy here, but the flavor is much the same. This book seems to have more of a sense of fun than the Anita Blake books, the horrific elements aren't played up and the bad guys don't seem quite as menacing as those that inhabit Anita's world. Several reviews here also try to draw a comparison between this work and Harry Potter, but beyond the use of magic (and the first name) there really isn't much similarity between the two. This is clearly a work meant for adults.
Storm Front serves as a great introduction to the world of Harry Dresden. We get a glimpse of many things that I'm sure will come into play in future books. One of which is a hint of some tragic event in Harry's past that has put him at odds with the White Council, basically magic's governing body. Clearly this will be expanded on in future books as well as the role of the White Council. We also get a glimpse of several of the supernatural creatures that inhabit Dresden's world: fairies, vampires, and demons with more to come I'm sure!
Overall, this is a great, fast read that serves as a quick introduction to The Dresden Files series. If you're into fantasy with a lot of action and a bit of mystery, this is a can't miss! I've already got Book Two, Fool Moon, lined up, ready to be read! I can't wait!