Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.44 You Save: $4.55 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Book Review: Nails The Hard-Boiled Detective Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Storm Front, Book 1 of the Dresden Files, centers around Harry Dresden, a professional wizard you can look up in the phone book. He's basically a supernatural private detective. It's fitting then that the writing style hearkens back to a sort of Raymond Chandler feel of hard-boiled detective narration. It's certainly not a style I had seen before this series, which makes it that much more unique.
The plot of the first novel centers around a missing persons case that turns into a supernatural clash between two kinds of magic. The general plot outline was in step with detective novels of the past and I wouldn't expect it to have been more complicated than it was. There were enough twists and turns to keep my mind active. Dresden's back story barely scratches the surface in the first book, but interests me enough to want to read further installments to find out what has happened and will happen to him.
The novel was concise like an old detective story, but rich enough in detail to maintain a diverse audience. I would recommend this to both mystery fans and scifi geeks.
Bookophile Rating: 92%
Book Review: Plucked from Obscurity and Thoroughly Surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this book advertised in the souvenir program given out at a sci-fi/fantasy/horror conference. It's not often that I make a "dart board selection" and come out a winner. Harry Dresden is a wizard and investigator who is sometimes called on by the Chicago PD in cases not quite explainable. Harry immediately knows black magic has been used. He has amusing friends such as Toot-Toot the faerie and especially Bob "the skull" who is a spirit that lives in a human skull in Harry's basement. This is thoroughly entertaining and superbly written. Harry has the humor of Nelson DeMille's John Corey, the action scenes of Jay Bonansinga, and the hair curling spells of M.R. Sellars' Rowan Gant (Harm None by Sellars has a practicing witch who is called upon to help solve unusual crimes.) Being a wizard, Harry has problems with anything electronic: lights go off, cars stop running, phones get staticky. The killer/wizard pacticing black magic has conjured up scorpions the size of bulldogs and large toad demons. Harry is not having a good day. If there is any part of this book I regret, it's that it ended.Book Review: Awesome!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thoroughly enjoyed this read! Reminds me of Laurell K. Hamilton's early work, only without the eventual sellout to [...].
I'm also much fonder of Harry as a character. He's not a reluctant magician, but neither is he all gung-ho about it. It's simply what he does. I also enjoy the fact that he's not perfect, that not ecerything goes his way, and that sometimes, yeah, he gets the crud beaten out of him.
THe other characters are likable too. Murphy takes the tough lady cop a lot farther, though she remains human. Susan's an interesting bystander to the Nevernever who still manages to get her stories regardless of how much Harry protests. And then there's Bob. I like Bob. Romance novels and all.
This was a superbly written piece of occult fiction--enough little bits of realistic occultism to be recognizable, but plenty of fantasy to add to the action, and to keep it from being another work of fiction that exists to say "See, Wiccans are acceptable people too!" I liked it well enough that I may very well make my own next book project fiction--I'm definitely inspired!!! Bravo!
Book Review: Phillip Marlowe meets Harry Potter (with a dash of Buffy)
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a fan of the fantasy genre for as long as I've been able to read (we won't get into just how long that is, thank you very much, just suffice it to say that it's been quite some time). I particularly love good modern/urban fantasy (the names Tanya Huff, and Charles DeLint spring to mind), and I prefer it to be a little on the dark side. And if you throw in some good humor to the mix, you've got my eternal devotion.Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden has just entered the pantheon of my "best-of-the-best" and he's a welcome addition. I won't go into the first novel's storyline, as many other reviewers have already done so. Let me just say that this is one of the few novels I've read that actually made me laugh out-loud at times. The fantasy aspect is also handled extremely well, and the film noir detective spin is an ingenious device for this character. In my opinion, the mystery element was fairly obvious. But as long as that's not what you're reading for then you should come away pleased by this unbelievably well-written first novel.
I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of these.
Book Review: Lots of fun
Summary: 5 Stars
I was recently re-introduced to the Dresden Files on Hulu (I didn't get the chance to watch it on Sci-Fi). When I found out the show was based on novels, I was intrigued. One episode of the series was based on this book, but plenty of changes for tv keep it from being the same story.
This book introduces the reader to Harry Dresden (wizard, private eye, and professional punching bag) and his world (including demons, fairies, and the wizard police). The story takes place over four very long days as we see Harry get run through the ringer by four different people who want to hurt, arrest, or kill him as he solves two cases -- a double murder and a missing person. The suspense is constant, the story is clever, the world is intriguing, and the ending is very satisfying -- the last paragraph is perfect; I can't imagine a better way to end this story.
I've got the next two books, and it's killing me that I don't have time to read them right now. If they're as good, I will almost certainly read the rest.
Highly recommended.