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: Weak beginning...but it gets better
Summary: 2 Stars
"Storm Front" is a poorly written story, but a tremendous idea. The "Harry Potter all grown up in Chicago..." is the best description I've heard. Harry is always in trouble and things are always getting worse.
I'd love to see this character written by Dean Koontz. "Odd Thomas" has some definate similarities, but is much darker. And Koontz is a far superior(and more seasoned) writer. The ansillary characters are two dimensional and Chicago itself has not really been a part of the story.
With that said, people typically don't read books like the Dresden Files as literature, but more like a summer blockbuster, and that's where Butcher has succeded. These books can be read in a couple of hours and are very entertaining. The stories rarely drag and the plot twists keep on coming.
Book Review: The first novel of the Dresden Files, now reissued in paperback to celebrate the television series
Summary: 5 Stars
When you're the only publicly practicing wizard in Chicago and no one believes in magic, business is never good. "Storm Front", the first novel of the Dresden Files (now reissued in paperback to celebrate the television series on Sci-Fi Channel), follows wizard Harry Dresden and his quest to pay the rent. One of Harry's only regular clients, a police detective named Murphy, calls him in to consult on a set of grisly murders. Harry also gets a cautious client who's willing to pay well to find her husband; while business certainly is beginning to pick up, Harry may not survive to enjoy it. Drawing heavily upon elements from classic detective noir, "Storm Front" is witty, intriguing, and will hook readers on the entire series. Highly recommended for community library fantasy collections seeking something outside the sword and sorcery field.Book Review: A fantastic series!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This series is innovative, fresh and original. I highly recommend it to any and all who happen to come across it. Book Review: From what I hear it only gets better....
Summary: 3 Stars
As a reader of paranormal fiction, it was only a matter of time before I had to read Harry Dresden. Harry is the only wizard located in the yellow pages in a modern day Chicago. People seem aware, but only to a certain extent, that there are things out there beyond reason. Harry finds himself mixed up with some bad stuff. The council that oversees magic is on him about mishandling some things and they are looking for for any reason to have his killed. Then there is a really bad wizard out there killing people and selling some magic kind of drugs. Guess what? He wants to kill Henry too. This story was exciting and it was a change of pace for this reader to read about a male protaganist. Harry is a goofy, but likeable guy and I found myself cheering him on. The writing was good, but not great. I wish I could have been more excited by this story, because it does work. I think that this author needs to mature in his writing, but I hear these stories only get better. So while this book certainly could be improved upon, if not in plot, in follow through, I am still eager to read the next novel and I anticipate this story line just getting better.Book Review: Great premise, slightly mishandled.
Summary: 2 Stars
I know there are a lot of fans of this series, and I desperately wanted to be after I'd first heard of it. But after reading Storm Front, I just couldn't completely buy in. Part of it is that I didn't jibe with Butcher's writing style.
For starters, his female characters seem a bit two dimensional, as their only available reactions seem to be fear, anger, and horniness for Harry Dresden. Seriously, this guy is broke, wears a cowboy duster around present-day Chicago, advertises himself as a wizard detective, (and in one scene, reveals he doesn't even trim his nails), and these women are throwing themselves at him? What, were all the winos taken?
Then there's the setting - Chicago. I didn't feel like this was a "Chicago" story, nor a very noir story for that matter. There were noirish elements, but I felt like the story could have taken place in any city. I love the city of Chicago, and it feels like there's a much grittier, darker, gothic side to this setting that could have been injected into the story.
There are flashes of brilliance - his "hard drive" Bob, some of the action scenes, Harry's intriguing history, McAnally's Pub. But I found myself wishing for more as the story went on. It just felt too simple or too easy for a premise this awesome.
I don't know - I wanted to like this, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was hoping for a grown-up Harry Potter (`cept with, you know, sex and stuff) that takes place in a rich, textured world full of whimsy and magic, but also populated with dark spirits and ancient evils. For me, Storm Front kind of fell short in all those departments. This wasn't a world I couldn't wait to slip back into.
I don't know whether or not the series would improve for me in the later books, but right now I just can't motivate myself to find out.