Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Roc (2000), Edition: 1st, 372 pages
Description
In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden's investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago... As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he's the best at what he does. Technically, he's the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business--to put it mildly--stinks. So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name... "A great series--fast-paced, vividly realized and with a hero/narrator who's excellent company."--Cinescape … (more)
Media reviews
Storm Front's premise is pretty slim.. But Butcher makes it work, through a combination of interesting characters, tight plotting, and fresh, breezy writing. This is definitely not deep reading, but it is a whole lot of fun.
User reviews
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
I'm not sure why, but recently I've seen Jim Butcher mentioned quite frequently and have had his books recommended to me on a fairly regular basis--in particular, The Dresden Files, which is the series he is probably best known for. So, I was bound to pick up a copy of the first book, Storm Front,
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden (conjure at your own risk) is a private investigator living in and working out of Chicago. He also happens to be wizard of some skill. Currently however, he is down on his luck, behind on his rent, and just a little bit worried about making ends meet. But then, almost simultaneously, a missing person case falls into his lap and he is called in by the police to consult on an investigation of a gruesome double murder. Unfortunately for Harry, as one of the only powerful magic users in the area, he quickly becomes suspect. Already on the outs with the White Council (the governing body of wizards, etc), he must work fast to track down the real culprit in order to prove his innocence. Oh, yeah--and did I mention that not only a few people want him dead?
I really liked Harry, dubious past and all, as the protagonist (although he was slightly exasperating at times) and he is supported by a good handful of decent secondary characters who I look forward to seeing again in subsequent books. Storm Front is an odd mix of fantasy and hard boiled detective fiction, but Butcher pulls it off surprisingly well. I particularly enjoyed the magic system which is based more on intent, concentration, and the focusing and directing of energies more than anything else. It also has a habit of making more modern technology go haywire, which I find to be immensely appropriate. There were a couple of very minor inconsistencies in the book in addition to it being a bit repetitive, but this wasn't enough to really detract from the story overall. Harry's (well, technically Butcher's) style contains quite a bit of dry humor which I found to be greatly amusing, but others might not appreciate it nearly as much. Occasionally the whole thing is utterly ridiculous, but in a good way. The working title of the book was Semiautomagic, which gives a pretty good idea of what it is all about. The book is a lot of fun.
Storm Front was a great introduction to The Dresden Files and works fairly well on its own, too. Enough detail is given to understand the world and what is going on without relying on info-dumps or explaining everything in depth, making it a lighter, less complicated read than expected. But, there is certainly plenty of material to be expanded upon in further volumes. I was never desperate to find out what was going to happen next in the story, but I always looked forward to reading it. Storm Front was a blast and I really enjoyed the book. The Dresden Files isn't a series that I personally need to own (yet), but I will definitely be picking up the next volume, Fool Moon, at the library.
Experiments in Reading
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eventually. Luckily, it was readily available at my local library branch as a mass market paperback, and it immediately became my "bus book."Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden (conjure at your own risk) is a private investigator living in and working out of Chicago. He also happens to be wizard of some skill. Currently however, he is down on his luck, behind on his rent, and just a little bit worried about making ends meet. But then, almost simultaneously, a missing person case falls into his lap and he is called in by the police to consult on an investigation of a gruesome double murder. Unfortunately for Harry, as one of the only powerful magic users in the area, he quickly becomes suspect. Already on the outs with the White Council (the governing body of wizards, etc), he must work fast to track down the real culprit in order to prove his innocence. Oh, yeah--and did I mention that not only a few people want him dead?
I really liked Harry, dubious past and all, as the protagonist (although he was slightly exasperating at times) and he is supported by a good handful of decent secondary characters who I look forward to seeing again in subsequent books. Storm Front is an odd mix of fantasy and hard boiled detective fiction, but Butcher pulls it off surprisingly well. I particularly enjoyed the magic system which is based more on intent, concentration, and the focusing and directing of energies more than anything else. It also has a habit of making more modern technology go haywire, which I find to be immensely appropriate. There were a couple of very minor inconsistencies in the book in addition to it being a bit repetitive, but this wasn't enough to really detract from the story overall. Harry's (well, technically Butcher's) style contains quite a bit of dry humor which I found to be greatly amusing, but others might not appreciate it nearly as much. Occasionally the whole thing is utterly ridiculous, but in a good way. The working title of the book was Semiautomagic, which gives a pretty good idea of what it is all about. The book is a lot of fun.
Storm Front was a great introduction to The Dresden Files and works fairly well on its own, too. Enough detail is given to understand the world and what is going on without relying on info-dumps or explaining everything in depth, making it a lighter, less complicated read than expected. But, there is certainly plenty of material to be expanded upon in further volumes. I was never desperate to find out what was going to happen next in the story, but I always looked forward to reading it. Storm Front was a blast and I really enjoyed the book. The Dresden Files isn't a series that I personally need to own (yet), but I will definitely be picking up the next volume, Fool Moon, at the library.
Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member extrajoker
After watching a couple of "Dresden Files" episodes and hearing people talk about Jim Butcher's book series, I decided to pick up a copy of Storm Front, the first Harry Dresden book. I was expecting to like it. I was really hoping to like it.
Instead, I thought it sucked. It has a few good moments,
Harry Dresden, the narrator/protagonist, calls himself "old-fashioned" while acknowledging (more than once) that others would call him "chauvinistic." Sadly, these self-assessments do nothing to diminish the offensiveness of his narrative voice. It seems that Butcher is trying to deflect criticism from Harry by showing him to be not a mere tool, but rather a self-aware tool.
If such were the author's intent, it didn't work with me. Instead, I'm remembering an Oscar Wilde quote: "There is luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel no one else has a right to blame us." Unfortunately, our feeling that way doesn't make it true.
Suffice it to say, I really couldn't stomach Harry.
As for the author himself...well...I could be wrong...but the sexism inherent in the wizard's character seems to stem from a corresponding prejudice in the author. I have to wonder whether Butcher had any inkling -- and if so, whether he cared -- that women might read his books. Yes, all the female characters are described from the skewed perspective of Harry Dresden, and readers may take the wizard's words with a grain of salt. However, I don't think the narrator's accounts of their behaviors are unreliable, and those behaviors consist mainly of crying and seduction...and sometimes mothering.
The following is a cast of Storm Front's female characters:
Monica Sells: housewife/mother
Karrin Murphy: homicide detective
Jennifer Stanton: prostitute
Susan Rodriguez: tabloid reporter
Bianca: vampiress/brothel Madam
Linda Randall: prostitute
Mrs. Beckitt: grieving mother
I think that's everybody.
Jennifer Stanton's only appearance is as an in flagrante delicto corpse: she died while servicing a mob boss's bodyguard. But we shouldn't judge or dismiss her. She was a great girl, really. According to friend and co-worker Linda Randall:
"'....She was sweet....She made people feel better about themselves somehow....I could never do that. All I did was get them off.'"
Had Jennifer Stanton made a live appearance in Storm Front, she'd probably have been a MOMMY. Linda Randall, however, falls into the category of SEDUCTRESS. Take, for example, this exchange:
"'Harry who?' she asked.
"'Dresden. I'm a private investigator.'
"She laughed, the sound rich enough to roll around naked in. 'Investigating my privates, Mr. Dresden? I like you already.'"
Harry's other SEDUCTRESS is reporter Susan Rodriguez, who becomes petulant when her attempt to wheedle information from him fails:
"'Harry Dresden,' she said, 'you are a thoroughly maddening man.' Her eyes narrowed a bit further. 'You didn't look down my blouse even once, did you,' she accused."
Oh, chuckle chuckle chortle. Whatever, Butcher.
That covers the SEDUCTRESSES. How about the SNIFFLERS?
The unlikeliest of these is powerful undead Bianca, whose grotesque demonic form Harry magically reveals. And since one of Harry's powers is to see into the soul of anyone who meets his gaze, the narrator can reveal to readers the vampiress's motivations:
"I saw her anger, her rage, and for just a moment I got a peek inside, saw the source of it. She was furious that I'd seen her true form, horrified and embarrassed that I had stripped her disguise away and seen the creature beneath. And she was afraid that I could take away even her mask, forever, with my power.
"More than anything else, Bianca wanted to be beautiful. And tonight, I had destroyed her illusion. I had rattled her gilded little world.
"....She stiffened, then turned her head to one side, and let her fingers go limp. It was a silent, bitter surrender. She didn't move quickly enough for me to miss seeing a tear streak down one cheek."
Again: whatever, Butcher.
Other SNIFFLERS?
Well, there's Susan again...though at least she's got reason to sob, being both terrified by an acid-spewing demon and physically ill from the consumption of magical potions.
But there's also Karrin Murphy -- usually referred to as "Murphy" or "Murph" (to show readers just how hard-nosed she really is). To be fair, Harry doesn't even know for sure whether this friend cries over his refusal to share information with her (in order to protect her, of course):
"I sensed, more than saw, the hardening around her eyes, the little lines of hurt and anger. I'm not sure if a tear fell, or if she really just raised a hand to brush back some of her hair."
Blah.
I imagine Murphy is the character to whom Butcher's female readership is meant to relate. She's an aikido enthusiast, Harry tells us. (We never get to see her fight.) Apparently she's a very capable detective. (Of course, she can contribute nothing but paperwork to this black-magic murder case.) And she's tough -- which is, of course, why she's the one whose life Harry must eventually save.
Murphy's also one of the MOMMY figures. When Harry is physically ill, she drives him home, medicates him, tucks him into bed, leaves him a bit of much-needed spending cash....
Mrs. Beckitt is another MOMMY -- though in this case a grieving one. In an effort to avenge the death of their daughter, she and her husband power black-magic by having ritual sex together. (That's about all we learn of the Beckitts.)
As for Monica Sells....Well, she could be categorized as a SNIFFLER. But she sheds the righteous tears of a loving MOMMY, who only wants to protect her children as no one ever protected her --
Blah, blah, blah.
This is why I don't think the sexism is limited to the character of Harry Dresden. If it were only a matter of the narrator making patronizing comments about Murphy ("one of those liberated, professional women") or others of the "fair sex," then I could lay the chauvinism at the feet of the fictional character. But Butcher's female characters are sexist stereotypes. The weakly weeping woman. The oversexed seductress. The martyrly mother.
I realize that these stereotypes are staples of Butcher's noirish influences. But for crying out loud, this is the 21st century!
I list this book in my library for the sake of posting these admittedly minority opinions. In truth, I've loaned out my copy to someone under no obligation to return it in this lifetime.
Instead, I thought it sucked. It has a few good moments,
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a few nice turns of phrase, a few interesting concepts. But overall: suckage.Harry Dresden, the narrator/protagonist, calls himself "old-fashioned" while acknowledging (more than once) that others would call him "chauvinistic." Sadly, these self-assessments do nothing to diminish the offensiveness of his narrative voice. It seems that Butcher is trying to deflect criticism from Harry by showing him to be not a mere tool, but rather a self-aware tool.
If such were the author's intent, it didn't work with me. Instead, I'm remembering an Oscar Wilde quote: "There is luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel no one else has a right to blame us." Unfortunately, our feeling that way doesn't make it true.
Suffice it to say, I really couldn't stomach Harry.
As for the author himself...well...I could be wrong...but the sexism inherent in the wizard's character seems to stem from a corresponding prejudice in the author. I have to wonder whether Butcher had any inkling -- and if so, whether he cared -- that women might read his books. Yes, all the female characters are described from the skewed perspective of Harry Dresden, and readers may take the wizard's words with a grain of salt. However, I don't think the narrator's accounts of their behaviors are unreliable, and those behaviors consist mainly of crying and seduction...and sometimes mothering.
The following is a cast of Storm Front's female characters:
Monica Sells: housewife/mother
Karrin Murphy: homicide detective
Jennifer Stanton: prostitute
Susan Rodriguez: tabloid reporter
Bianca: vampiress/brothel Madam
Linda Randall: prostitute
Mrs. Beckitt: grieving mother
I think that's everybody.
Jennifer Stanton's only appearance is as an in flagrante delicto corpse: she died while servicing a mob boss's bodyguard. But we shouldn't judge or dismiss her. She was a great girl, really. According to friend and co-worker Linda Randall:
"'....She was sweet....She made people feel better about themselves somehow....I could never do that. All I did was get them off.'"
Had Jennifer Stanton made a live appearance in Storm Front, she'd probably have been a MOMMY. Linda Randall, however, falls into the category of SEDUCTRESS. Take, for example, this exchange:
"'Harry who?' she asked.
"'Dresden. I'm a private investigator.'
"She laughed, the sound rich enough to roll around naked in. 'Investigating my privates, Mr. Dresden? I like you already.'"
Harry's other SEDUCTRESS is reporter Susan Rodriguez, who becomes petulant when her attempt to wheedle information from him fails:
"'Harry Dresden,' she said, 'you are a thoroughly maddening man.' Her eyes narrowed a bit further. 'You didn't look down my blouse even once, did you,' she accused."
Oh, chuckle chuckle chortle. Whatever, Butcher.
That covers the SEDUCTRESSES. How about the SNIFFLERS?
The unlikeliest of these is powerful undead Bianca, whose grotesque demonic form Harry magically reveals. And since one of Harry's powers is to see into the soul of anyone who meets his gaze, the narrator can reveal to readers the vampiress's motivations:
"I saw her anger, her rage, and for just a moment I got a peek inside, saw the source of it. She was furious that I'd seen her true form, horrified and embarrassed that I had stripped her disguise away and seen the creature beneath. And she was afraid that I could take away even her mask, forever, with my power.
"More than anything else, Bianca wanted to be beautiful. And tonight, I had destroyed her illusion. I had rattled her gilded little world.
"....She stiffened, then turned her head to one side, and let her fingers go limp. It was a silent, bitter surrender. She didn't move quickly enough for me to miss seeing a tear streak down one cheek."
Again: whatever, Butcher.
Other SNIFFLERS?
Well, there's Susan again...though at least she's got reason to sob, being both terrified by an acid-spewing demon and physically ill from the consumption of magical potions.
But there's also Karrin Murphy -- usually referred to as "Murphy" or "Murph" (to show readers just how hard-nosed she really is). To be fair, Harry doesn't even know for sure whether this friend cries over his refusal to share information with her (in order to protect her, of course):
"I sensed, more than saw, the hardening around her eyes, the little lines of hurt and anger. I'm not sure if a tear fell, or if she really just raised a hand to brush back some of her hair."
Blah.
I imagine Murphy is the character to whom Butcher's female readership is meant to relate. She's an aikido enthusiast, Harry tells us. (We never get to see her fight.) Apparently she's a very capable detective. (Of course, she can contribute nothing but paperwork to this black-magic murder case.) And she's tough -- which is, of course, why she's the one whose life Harry must eventually save.
Murphy's also one of the MOMMY figures. When Harry is physically ill, she drives him home, medicates him, tucks him into bed, leaves him a bit of much-needed spending cash....
Mrs. Beckitt is another MOMMY -- though in this case a grieving one. In an effort to avenge the death of their daughter, she and her husband power black-magic by having ritual sex together. (That's about all we learn of the Beckitts.)
As for Monica Sells....Well, she could be categorized as a SNIFFLER. But she sheds the righteous tears of a loving MOMMY, who only wants to protect her children as no one ever protected her --
Blah, blah, blah.
This is why I don't think the sexism is limited to the character of Harry Dresden. If it were only a matter of the narrator making patronizing comments about Murphy ("one of those liberated, professional women") or others of the "fair sex," then I could lay the chauvinism at the feet of the fictional character. But Butcher's female characters are sexist stereotypes. The weakly weeping woman. The oversexed seductress. The martyrly mother.
I realize that these stereotypes are staples of Butcher's noirish influences. But for crying out loud, this is the 21st century!
I list this book in my library for the sake of posting these admittedly minority opinions. In truth, I've loaned out my copy to someone under no obligation to return it in this lifetime.
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LibraryThing member rickosborne
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series is in a genre that I hadn't really given any thought to until recently: urban fantasy. It's pretty much what it sounds like - fantasy in an urban setting. Instead of what Butcher calls "swords and horses" fantasy where there are knights and princesses and evil
Harry Dresden is the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. Each book in the series is generally a self-contained murder mystery or crime whodunnit with lots of action, as Harry's primary source of income comes from also being a consultant for the Chicago Police Department. Along the way he runs into at least 3 different kinds of vampires, Summer and Winter Courts of faerie, handfuls of demons, and plenty of other strangeness. Don't let that self-contained nature fool you. You could read the books in almost any order, but the continuity between the books is also excellent. The pieces of the puzzle will fit together much better if you read them in order.
Don't be put off if it sounds like too much fantasy - the nice thing about the Dresden series is that the magic complements the story, not the other way around. If you've watched the TV show but haven't read the books, keep an open mind. The TV show is based on the characters and ideas of the books, but they are really two completely different entities. The books are much less crime-drama, and much more crime-gumshoe. But if you saw the TV show and thought "hey, what a cool idea" then you won't be disappointed by the books. They are much richer and better developed. You're not spoiling anything if you read the books first or watch the TV show first, as they have their own completely distinct continuities.
What I'm really getting into with the urban fantasy books that I've been reading lately is the way they fit magic into modern times. Butcher does this especially well in his books. Harry doesn't just cast spells that bandy about energies and completely ignore physics. If he calls on the wind, that wind has to come from somewhere. If the air is too dry, he can't just create water from nothing. If something slams into an improvised energy shield, that kinetic energy has to go somewhere - so something is going to soak quite a bit of heat. One of the key long-term plot points of the series comes when Harry doesn't handle the physics of a spell properly. He learns from his mistake, but several books later is still dealing with the consequences. It's that kind of attention to detail that I really enjoy in Butcher's books.
Another nice thing about the Dresden books, especially in relation to other urban fantasy books, is the relatively low cheesecake factor. That is, urban fantasy books seem to have an affinity for randomly dropping into estrogen-and-testosterone-spraying-Harlequin-mode at wildly inappropriate times. The Dresden books have some sexual themes and scenes, but they are well-placed and move the story along. You'll end up doing much less eye-rolling in the Dresden books than in most other urban fantasy books.
If you do pick up the series, and I certainly recommend that you do, I would give you two pieces of advice. First, check your local used bookstore to see if they have them. Paperbacks are getting more and more expensive these days, and there are nine books out, so every little bit you save helps. They are very much worth the full price, of course, and there are also versions that collect several books into one volume. Second, be warned that the series is a little slow to really get into its stride. The first 4 books are good, but around books 5 and 6 they start getting great. Don't be discouraged if the first few books seem like those really bad B movies you see on SciFi on Saturdays - stick with them and you won't be disappointed.
Oh, and if you can find them and afford them, listen to at least one of the audiobooks. Why? Because they are read by James Marsters - Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Professor Fine (Brainiac) from Smallville. He is dead on for reading these books. He's got a methodical and contemplative style that works very well for the books, and hearing him read them adds quite a bit to the experience. In fact, the first few chapters of the first book are available for free download in MP3 format, so why not give them a listen? As of this writing, only through book 4 have been released. They are a bit expensive, so again you may want to check your local used bookstores.
On a final note, I wanted to mention something that gets a lot of lip service in other places. Many people, and indeed some of the blurbs on the books themselves, have drawn parallels between the Harry Potter and Dresden books. This is both true and misleading. If you've read and enjoyed the Potter books, but maybe felt a little silly for reading books aimed at kids and teenagers, then you'll almost certainly get into the Dresden books.
The "Harry Potter for adults" tag line isn't far off. The Dresden books are less fantastical, almost like what Potter's life as an auror would be like once he got out of school and had to start making a living in the real world. While the Potter books take magic at face value, like any kid would do, the Dresden books delve into why and how magic does what it does, like an adult would do. The later books of the Potter series brought in a few shades of grey, but were mostly still black and white and good and evil. The Dresden books are murky with innumerable shades of grey, and nothing is simple. There are certainly parallels, and I know several people that have read and enjoyed both series, but the Dresden books stand up just fine on their own.
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kings in the faraway land of Im'xel'wha'da'eff, urban fantasy asserts that you can still have magic, but in a contemporary city setting. Think Big Trouble In Little China. (Or, if you prefer, Buffy without all of the teen angst.)Harry Dresden is the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. Each book in the series is generally a self-contained murder mystery or crime whodunnit with lots of action, as Harry's primary source of income comes from also being a consultant for the Chicago Police Department. Along the way he runs into at least 3 different kinds of vampires, Summer and Winter Courts of faerie, handfuls of demons, and plenty of other strangeness. Don't let that self-contained nature fool you. You could read the books in almost any order, but the continuity between the books is also excellent. The pieces of the puzzle will fit together much better if you read them in order.
Don't be put off if it sounds like too much fantasy - the nice thing about the Dresden series is that the magic complements the story, not the other way around. If you've watched the TV show but haven't read the books, keep an open mind. The TV show is based on the characters and ideas of the books, but they are really two completely different entities. The books are much less crime-drama, and much more crime-gumshoe. But if you saw the TV show and thought "hey, what a cool idea" then you won't be disappointed by the books. They are much richer and better developed. You're not spoiling anything if you read the books first or watch the TV show first, as they have their own completely distinct continuities.
What I'm really getting into with the urban fantasy books that I've been reading lately is the way they fit magic into modern times. Butcher does this especially well in his books. Harry doesn't just cast spells that bandy about energies and completely ignore physics. If he calls on the wind, that wind has to come from somewhere. If the air is too dry, he can't just create water from nothing. If something slams into an improvised energy shield, that kinetic energy has to go somewhere - so something is going to soak quite a bit of heat. One of the key long-term plot points of the series comes when Harry doesn't handle the physics of a spell properly. He learns from his mistake, but several books later is still dealing with the consequences. It's that kind of attention to detail that I really enjoy in Butcher's books.
Another nice thing about the Dresden books, especially in relation to other urban fantasy books, is the relatively low cheesecake factor. That is, urban fantasy books seem to have an affinity for randomly dropping into estrogen-and-testosterone-spraying-Harlequin-mode at wildly inappropriate times. The Dresden books have some sexual themes and scenes, but they are well-placed and move the story along. You'll end up doing much less eye-rolling in the Dresden books than in most other urban fantasy books.
If you do pick up the series, and I certainly recommend that you do, I would give you two pieces of advice. First, check your local used bookstore to see if they have them. Paperbacks are getting more and more expensive these days, and there are nine books out, so every little bit you save helps. They are very much worth the full price, of course, and there are also versions that collect several books into one volume. Second, be warned that the series is a little slow to really get into its stride. The first 4 books are good, but around books 5 and 6 they start getting great. Don't be discouraged if the first few books seem like those really bad B movies you see on SciFi on Saturdays - stick with them and you won't be disappointed.
Oh, and if you can find them and afford them, listen to at least one of the audiobooks. Why? Because they are read by James Marsters - Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Professor Fine (Brainiac) from Smallville. He is dead on for reading these books. He's got a methodical and contemplative style that works very well for the books, and hearing him read them adds quite a bit to the experience. In fact, the first few chapters of the first book are available for free download in MP3 format, so why not give them a listen? As of this writing, only through book 4 have been released. They are a bit expensive, so again you may want to check your local used bookstores.
On a final note, I wanted to mention something that gets a lot of lip service in other places. Many people, and indeed some of the blurbs on the books themselves, have drawn parallels between the Harry Potter and Dresden books. This is both true and misleading. If you've read and enjoyed the Potter books, but maybe felt a little silly for reading books aimed at kids and teenagers, then you'll almost certainly get into the Dresden books.
The "Harry Potter for adults" tag line isn't far off. The Dresden books are less fantastical, almost like what Potter's life as an auror would be like once he got out of school and had to start making a living in the real world. While the Potter books take magic at face value, like any kid would do, the Dresden books delve into why and how magic does what it does, like an adult would do. The later books of the Potter series brought in a few shades of grey, but were mostly still black and white and good and evil. The Dresden books are murky with innumerable shades of grey, and nothing is simple. There are certainly parallels, and I know several people that have read and enjoyed both series, but the Dresden books stand up just fine on their own.
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LibraryThing member MeriJenBen
Harry Dresden is the only wizard in the phone book. As an openly practicing magician, he's earned his fair share of enemies. When the Chicago PD calls him into consult on the murder of a mafia enforcer that could have only been accomplished with magic, Harry finds himself threatened by those who
This book, a odd hybrid of urban fantasy and hard boiled detective noir, has much to recommend it. Butcher does a good job of creating a believable magical world, where the fantastic occasionally and uncomfortably rubs up against the mundane. Dresden himself is a nicely drawn character, and very iconic in his black duster and hat. Butcher's magical system is also nicely integrated into the plot, with details of its mechanics woven into the storytelling, not stopping the action to explain how and why things work. A nice array of secondary characters fleshes things out.
The problem is that Butcher has a tin ear for dialog. Nobody talks like this; or at least not anybody outside a pulp movie from the 40's. Dresden's exchanges with other characters are downright painful to read. Also, Butcher is fond of a certain kind of set pieces, "widescreen" affairs with complicated setups and swirling action. He seems to take great pleasure in creating these scenarios, but the payoff is usually not worth the effort. Overall, a fun book for fans of urban fantasy, and hopefully, a series that will improve as I continue to read it.
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committed the crime, and those who feel that Harry is the only wizard capable of such carnage. This book, a odd hybrid of urban fantasy and hard boiled detective noir, has much to recommend it. Butcher does a good job of creating a believable magical world, where the fantastic occasionally and uncomfortably rubs up against the mundane. Dresden himself is a nicely drawn character, and very iconic in his black duster and hat. Butcher's magical system is also nicely integrated into the plot, with details of its mechanics woven into the storytelling, not stopping the action to explain how and why things work. A nice array of secondary characters fleshes things out.
The problem is that Butcher has a tin ear for dialog. Nobody talks like this; or at least not anybody outside a pulp movie from the 40's. Dresden's exchanges with other characters are downright painful to read. Also, Butcher is fond of a certain kind of set pieces, "widescreen" affairs with complicated setups and swirling action. He seems to take great pleasure in creating these scenarios, but the payoff is usually not worth the effort. Overall, a fun book for fans of urban fantasy, and hopefully, a series that will improve as I continue to read it.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
A mystery with a wizard as the main character and some rather graphic crimes is not my usual read. However, Butcher executes so well that I can see why so many people love these books.
First, there is Harry Dresden, a wizard who is not your usual "leading man." As the book begins, business
The plot and pacing are perfect. Lots of suspense. Some unexpected twists. And a final 100 pages that I simply could not put down. Butcher also hints at some aspects of Dresden's past that are not fleshed out in this first book in the series. This book wraps up enough loose ends to be satisfying, but leaves enough open questions to make me want to run out and get the second book in the series.
Butcher also does a good job of mixing a fantasy world complete with wizards and demons with Chicago as we know it. Some of the most interesting parts of the book involve the tensions between these two worlds.
Is there anything better than falling in love with a new series?
First, there is Harry Dresden, a wizard who is not your usual "leading man." As the book begins, business
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(paranormal investigations) is bad and he is struggling to pay his bills. Throughout the book, he makes numerous missteps, especially in his dealings with Karrin Murphy, a detective with the Chicago P.D. who hires him as a consultant on a series of gruesome murders. But it is clear that Butcher knows this character inside and out. Each action, each line of dialogue feels spot on and helps the read come to know Harry a little better. The plot and pacing are perfect. Lots of suspense. Some unexpected twists. And a final 100 pages that I simply could not put down. Butcher also hints at some aspects of Dresden's past that are not fleshed out in this first book in the series. This book wraps up enough loose ends to be satisfying, but leaves enough open questions to make me want to run out and get the second book in the series.
Butcher also does a good job of mixing a fantasy world complete with wizards and demons with Chicago as we know it. Some of the most interesting parts of the book involve the tensions between these two worlds.
Is there anything better than falling in love with a new series?
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
I listened to part of this book on CDs but chose to stop after the first one. The Wizard Dresden is charmingly sexist. He calls female vampires vampiresses, being an old fashioned gentleman he insists on opening doors for women even if he has to race his lieutenant to the door in order to do it
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when she has expressed a strong desire not to have this service. Isn't that cute? Even more adorably he pronounces that the person who committed the most recent heinous magical murder had to be a woman because only a woman could hate so completely and direct that hatred so forcefully. Storm Front was written before Columbine issued in an epidemic of young male perpetuated mass murders, but I would think Butcher could have reviewed eons of human history to determine just which sex is most competent at violently expressing its hatred. How clever he was to choose to ignore all that. I don't find sexism charming or racism humorous or homophobia quaint, and I think I'm old enough now not to subject myself to this sort of insult in my reading material. I'll just scratch this series off my to read list. Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
The first installment in The Dresden Files finds Harry Dresden, a wizard in contemporary Chicago, trying to track down another practitioner who's using his power to kill.
I'm still on the fence about this book. I was really looking forward to it, going in, and it was certainly a quick read, but I'm
But despite all that, it was still a quick, enjoyable read based off of a premise with potential. I liked Harry's character, and I think Butcher's built up an interesting world here. The magic felt believable, and I really liked that it was developed in a positive, life-respecting way. There were also a lot of things that I was eager to learn more about, too. What went down in Harry's past? How is the White Council structured? How do wizards train? If Bob doesn't have a body, what does he do at these frat parties?
So this didn't blow me out of the water, but it was good enough that I'll keep an eye out for the rest of the series. Most people seem to agree that they get better as they go along, and I'd certainly like to learn more about this world.
I'm still on the fence about this book. I was really looking forward to it, going in, and it was certainly a quick read, but I'm
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not sure that I got much out of it. Despite tons of action, there was never all that much tension. Butcher tells us how much danger Harry's in, but I never really felt it. There was no point at which I was so fully engaged that I couldn't put the book down. And, as other reviewers have mentioned, there are places where it feels almost like the book was assembled using a checklist of elements that stories about contemporary crime-fighting wizards must contain.But despite all that, it was still a quick, enjoyable read based off of a premise with potential. I liked Harry's character, and I think Butcher's built up an interesting world here. The magic felt believable, and I really liked that it was developed in a positive, life-respecting way. There were also a lot of things that I was eager to learn more about, too. What went down in Harry's past? How is the White Council structured? How do wizards train? If Bob doesn't have a body, what does he do at these frat parties?
So this didn't blow me out of the water, but it was good enough that I'll keep an eye out for the rest of the series. Most people seem to agree that they get better as they go along, and I'd certainly like to learn more about this world.
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LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Frothy fun solving hideous magical murders.
Extended review:
I'm awarding just three stars to this book, the first of a series about a freelance wizard in private practice like a consulting detective. But they're three good stars, with room to grow. And I'll be giving the series a
I didn't expect very much. It's a pulpy page-turner, a lightweight fantasy-thriller with magic, spells, potions, demons, and more of the same, set in present-day Chicago. What's more, it's a bit awkwardly beginnerish, with some sitcom dialogue, cutesy repartee, and uneven exposition. The author also needs some comma therapy and a sharp-eyed editor who won't let him use the same verb two or three times within a short paragraph--a fault that occurs repeatedly throughout.
But the story is well paced and very well plotted, the main character is adequately appealing, and Jim Butcher definitely has a knack for the suspense-thriller device of putting your character into the worst situation you can think of and then making it even worse. He pulls off that feat quite a few times, and also manages some A-Team-worthy saves out of seemingly hopeless situations. Given that we suspended real-world plausibility by page two, the author has a lot of latitude; but he does appear to follow the rules of his invented world. And the book is not full of egregious errors and vocabulary gaffes.
There are some good one-liners, too. I liked this twist on a familiar cliche: "I took the keys and walked up, out of the light and shelter of McAnally's and into the storm, my bridges burning behind me." (page 311)
In sum, I enjoyed this book, and for me in the present moment it offers just about the right degree of diversion at the right pace. I've already put the second installment of the Dresden Files series on request at the library.
Extended review:
I'm awarding just three stars to this book, the first of a series about a freelance wizard in private practice like a consulting detective. But they're three good stars, with room to grow. And I'll be giving the series a
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chance to do that.I didn't expect very much. It's a pulpy page-turner, a lightweight fantasy-thriller with magic, spells, potions, demons, and more of the same, set in present-day Chicago. What's more, it's a bit awkwardly beginnerish, with some sitcom dialogue, cutesy repartee, and uneven exposition. The author also needs some comma therapy and a sharp-eyed editor who won't let him use the same verb two or three times within a short paragraph--a fault that occurs repeatedly throughout.
But the story is well paced and very well plotted, the main character is adequately appealing, and Jim Butcher definitely has a knack for the suspense-thriller device of putting your character into the worst situation you can think of and then making it even worse. He pulls off that feat quite a few times, and also manages some A-Team-worthy saves out of seemingly hopeless situations. Given that we suspended real-world plausibility by page two, the author has a lot of latitude; but he does appear to follow the rules of his invented world. And the book is not full of egregious errors and vocabulary gaffes.
There are some good one-liners, too. I liked this twist on a familiar cliche: "I took the keys and walked up, out of the light and shelter of McAnally's and into the storm, my bridges burning behind me." (page 311)
In sum, I enjoyed this book, and for me in the present moment it offers just about the right degree of diversion at the right pace. I've already put the second installment of the Dresden Files series on request at the library.
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LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
“Do I have a great job, or what?”
My first foray into the world of magical private investigation and, my, does Harry Dresden have a job fraught with peril, rife with opportunities for grievous injury, and o’erbrimming with angry men looking to take him down. I’m one book into the series and
Harry Dresden’s current list of problems include … well, a missing husband, a threatening mob-boss, a nasty double murder of the magically induced variety, being a suspect in the aforementioned murder himself and the target of the killer at the same time, a pissed-off member of the White Council who wants to catch him at something he can legitimately execute him for, murderous toad-demons… it amuses me to no end how quickly his initial problem (the bane of all PIs, whatever their particular talent… paying the rent) gets buried under a pile of magical mayhem.
The really great thing about this book – especially given that it’s the first of the series – is the incredibly tight plotting. There’s a significant amount of things that just keep happening to Harry, yet not one thread goes unused or unresolved. Harry himself may be fleshed out more in later books, but he instantly feels like a complete person, a captivating narrator who pulls the reader into the story and doesn’t let go. A friend of mine likes to say about a good book ‘the pages turn easily’… it applies here, in spades. Very readable, and lots of fun.
My first foray into the world of magical private investigation and, my, does Harry Dresden have a job fraught with peril, rife with opportunities for grievous injury, and o’erbrimming with angry men looking to take him down. I’m one book into the series and
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wondering who wouldn’t become a greengrocer, under the circumstances.Harry Dresden’s current list of problems include … well, a missing husband, a threatening mob-boss, a nasty double murder of the magically induced variety, being a suspect in the aforementioned murder himself and the target of the killer at the same time, a pissed-off member of the White Council who wants to catch him at something he can legitimately execute him for, murderous toad-demons… it amuses me to no end how quickly his initial problem (the bane of all PIs, whatever their particular talent… paying the rent) gets buried under a pile of magical mayhem.
The really great thing about this book – especially given that it’s the first of the series – is the incredibly tight plotting. There’s a significant amount of things that just keep happening to Harry, yet not one thread goes unused or unresolved. Harry himself may be fleshed out more in later books, but he instantly feels like a complete person, a captivating narrator who pulls the reader into the story and doesn’t let go. A friend of mine likes to say about a good book ‘the pages turn easily’… it applies here, in spades. Very readable, and lots of fun.
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LibraryThing member bekarose
Storm Front is quite possibly the best series introduction I've seen. It's sharp, engaging, and fast-paced enough that you literally don't ever want to put the book down.
First-person narration is a tough thing to do right, in my opinion, but when you've got a narrator like Harry Dresden, it's
The supporting cast is amazing. You have Susan Rodriguez, a reporter for a supernatural tabloid who is way too talented for her paper, but too invested in reporting the supernatural to get a better gig. She's sleek, she's sexy, and she's got a way of making Harry more awkward than usual, if that's even possible. Bob is a spirit in a skull, if you can believe that, and he's sort of Harry's own version of supernatural Google, with a fetish for sorority girls and romance novels. And, my absolute favourite, Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, of the Chicago Police Department, Special Investigations Unit. Murphy's a 5-foot-nothing blonde with (as Harry points out at one point) delicate lady's hands and an attitude that can easily take on Harry's ego. She knows Harry's the real deal, and she expects him to help her, and is about the toughest, bravest, most endearingly stubborn female character I've ever had the joy of coming across.
The worldbuilding is just stellar, my favourite detail being that any sufficiently advanced technology is liable to short circuit, act up, or just start working alltogether. And, of course, the newer it is, the more likely it is that it'll freeze up in a bad way, and quickly. Harry's little basement apartment is lit with oil lamps and candles, and heated by good, old-fashioned fire. He uses a rotary telephone (which doesn't always work), and his ancient VW Beetle is no longer one colour, thanks to all the replacements he's had to make on it. My favourite little bit is when Murphy stops him at her office door while she shuts down and unplugs her computer, so he won't fry it. Priceless. The magic is all really awesome, too, and Butcher has clearly put a lot of effort into it.
As far as plot, you really can't criticize this one too much. There are enough plotlines to keep your mind busy and engaged, and all of them get resolved clearly and neatly by the end of the book. The climax and resolution happen in about 50 pages, which seems like not nearly enough time to get through all the action that needs to happen, yet it never feels rushed or forced.
Harry's life is in very real danger on a lot of fronts for most of the book, because not only does the mysterious black mage have it out for Harry once he hears about him, but he's not really on the good side of Chicago's local mob boss, and the Warden that the White Council (the Wizard governing body, as it were) assigned Harry after he barely escaped execution for killing another person with magic (self-defense was the only reason he got out of it) thinks that Harry's behind the killings going on in the city, and is more than happy to take the appropriate action if that is the case. The appropriate action, of course, being execution.
Of course, in the end, the scruffy wizard with the ridiculous coat and the barely-running junker saves the day and gets the girl. That's how these things go.
First-person narration is a tough thing to do right, in my opinion, but when you've got a narrator like Harry Dresden, it's
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pretty hard to go wrong. Harry's snarky, sort of a goof, and always interesting. Without his first person asides and comments in the narration, the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting, I think, because Harry can seem pretty gruff and stand-offish, and it's hard to really connect with a main character like that. Unless, of course, you're in they're head, and they're telling you what wacky hijinks they went through last time they tried a love spell, or how they're just a sucker for a damsel in distress.The supporting cast is amazing. You have Susan Rodriguez, a reporter for a supernatural tabloid who is way too talented for her paper, but too invested in reporting the supernatural to get a better gig. She's sleek, she's sexy, and she's got a way of making Harry more awkward than usual, if that's even possible. Bob is a spirit in a skull, if you can believe that, and he's sort of Harry's own version of supernatural Google, with a fetish for sorority girls and romance novels. And, my absolute favourite, Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, of the Chicago Police Department, Special Investigations Unit. Murphy's a 5-foot-nothing blonde with (as Harry points out at one point) delicate lady's hands and an attitude that can easily take on Harry's ego. She knows Harry's the real deal, and she expects him to help her, and is about the toughest, bravest, most endearingly stubborn female character I've ever had the joy of coming across.
The worldbuilding is just stellar, my favourite detail being that any sufficiently advanced technology is liable to short circuit, act up, or just start working alltogether. And, of course, the newer it is, the more likely it is that it'll freeze up in a bad way, and quickly. Harry's little basement apartment is lit with oil lamps and candles, and heated by good, old-fashioned fire. He uses a rotary telephone (which doesn't always work), and his ancient VW Beetle is no longer one colour, thanks to all the replacements he's had to make on it. My favourite little bit is when Murphy stops him at her office door while she shuts down and unplugs her computer, so he won't fry it. Priceless. The magic is all really awesome, too, and Butcher has clearly put a lot of effort into it.
As far as plot, you really can't criticize this one too much. There are enough plotlines to keep your mind busy and engaged, and all of them get resolved clearly and neatly by the end of the book. The climax and resolution happen in about 50 pages, which seems like not nearly enough time to get through all the action that needs to happen, yet it never feels rushed or forced.
Harry's life is in very real danger on a lot of fronts for most of the book, because not only does the mysterious black mage have it out for Harry once he hears about him, but he's not really on the good side of Chicago's local mob boss, and the Warden that the White Council (the Wizard governing body, as it were) assigned Harry after he barely escaped execution for killing another person with magic (self-defense was the only reason he got out of it) thinks that Harry's behind the killings going on in the city, and is more than happy to take the appropriate action if that is the case. The appropriate action, of course, being execution.
Of course, in the end, the scruffy wizard with the ridiculous coat and the barely-running junker saves the day and gets the girl. That's how these things go.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Chicago isn't a place I willingly go, because it's just never been fun to be there. If Chicago starts being like Harry Dresden's Chicago, I will think about it a little bit harder.
Dresden, the only "out" wizard practicing in Chicagoland, has a number of problems: Making the rent; finding a date;
All in one stormy spring weekend.
I am pleased, if unsurprised, to report that he succeeds on all counts. It's a lousy weekend, from many standpoints; how many people would want to visit the vampire madam of a high-class call girl emporium and end up with her teeth mere inches from your throat? And that's just ONE trouble he faces, and faces down.
Harry Dresden is an antidote to the general modern social tendency to make everything that happens around one Not My Fault. Harry, bless his cottton socks, things everything is All My Fault. It's a little wearing. The man needs some Ativan.
In the end, I was entertained by this book exactly enough to be agreeable and receptive to reading the next book in the series. My branch of the liberry has it, and I shall go check it out. In both senses of the word.
Would I buy one of these marvies? Nuh-uh. Good enough to read, not good enough to own. Recommended for the fans of Lord Darcy, remember him?, and of Sam Spade (if they're adventurous fans). Check them out of the library FIRST!
Dresden, the only "out" wizard practicing in Chicagoland, has a number of problems: Making the rent; finding a date;
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convincing his spirit-guide-cum-computer to do its job and not editorialize about his life; avoid the Doom of Damocles that hangs over his head from a past transgression. Not to mention solve a sorcerous murder that, in the absence of other known wizards in the area, could bring down that Doom of Damocles.All in one stormy spring weekend.
I am pleased, if unsurprised, to report that he succeeds on all counts. It's a lousy weekend, from many standpoints; how many people would want to visit the vampire madam of a high-class call girl emporium and end up with her teeth mere inches from your throat? And that's just ONE trouble he faces, and faces down.
Harry Dresden is an antidote to the general modern social tendency to make everything that happens around one Not My Fault. Harry, bless his cottton socks, things everything is All My Fault. It's a little wearing. The man needs some Ativan.
In the end, I was entertained by this book exactly enough to be agreeable and receptive to reading the next book in the series. My branch of the liberry has it, and I shall go check it out. In both senses of the word.
Would I buy one of these marvies? Nuh-uh. Good enough to read, not good enough to own. Recommended for the fans of Lord Darcy, remember him?, and of Sam Spade (if they're adventurous fans). Check them out of the library FIRST!
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LibraryThing member krazykiwi
I just noticed my re-listen dates on this audiobook are both at the end of August. Apparently I get in the mood for this at the end of Summer (I think that's when I originally read the paperback too.)
Storywise, the same as the paperback obviously, nothing to add there. It's far from perfect, but
Luckily he improves at the same rate Butcher's writing does as the series continues (and the word height doesn't actually appear enough times to make me rip my headphones off in frustration.) So overall, a good start to the series.
Storywise, the same as the paperback obviously, nothing to add there. It's far from perfect, but
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sets up a great world. James Marsters is perfect for Harry he has exactly the right ratio of swagger to self-deprecation, but I get the feeling this was one of his first narrations (I could go look that up but I'm having an attack of lazy.) Sometimes his phrasing is a bit weird, and he has an annoying dialectal pronunciation of the word height that grates on me for irrational reasons involving an ex boyfriend. Luckily he improves at the same rate Butcher's writing does as the series continues (and the word height doesn't actually appear enough times to make me rip my headphones off in frustration.) So overall, a good start to the series.
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
I've just started the Dresden Files series on the recommendation of several friends and really enjoyed the first entry in the series. Dresden is an entertaining character, and a tight plot makes the book move quickly. There is some great humor and interesting use of language, and I liked the way
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Butcher managed to accomplish his world-building without excessive exposition. I'm looking forward to seeing Dresden get his butt kicked in the next book Show Less
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
I read this book because a young relative loves it and has read the whole series. I’ve been enjoying reading some of the books that my friends and family strongly recommend. It tells me more about them and makes me feel more connected to them and also has me reading things that I might not
I had to take three runs at the present book, however, having twice decided not to finish it. The writing was capable and the story interesting enough, but the sexist stereotypes really started to get up my nose. This was published in this millennium, but they seem no further ahead, no more enlightened by the author's having reflected on them, than they were decades ago when I was reading books of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I kept hoping he was going to shift them somehow, but he never did. So I would not have finished this book if I hadn’t really wanted to give my nephew’s recommendation a good chance. Life is too short for unquestioned stereotypes.
What it does raise for me is the question of how do I respond to him? He wants to know how I like the book. But I also suspect that most of us who love a book don’t want to hear that it’s sexist or racist or otherwise oppressive. We want to hear that our friend likes it as much as we did. Or at least I do, which is why I don’t go recommending books to my friends very often — because we all have different tastes, for heaven sake, and we aren’t going to feel the same way about almost anything.
If I was doing a critique for the writer I would talk about it strong points and what I consider it’s weak points. But again, that’s not what he’s asking for. Do I not mention what put me off? I confess that this is my inclination because I don’t think me saying that a book he read several years ago is sexist is going to accomplish any consciousness-raising for him. But I also don’t feel comfortable saying nothing at all. I know I’ll figure it out, so I’m not concerned about it. I’m just chewing it all over.
Apart from the sexist stereotypes, the book is okay. I can see how people would enjoy it, but there’s nothing really about it that lifts it above the pack.
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otherwise have read. So far I have enjoyed all of them to one degree or another – [[Precious Bane]] by [Mary Webb] is a childhood favourite of an old friend, and my sister in Australia really liked [[All the Rivers Run]] by [Nancy Cato], for instance, and I loved both.I had to take three runs at the present book, however, having twice decided not to finish it. The writing was capable and the story interesting enough, but the sexist stereotypes really started to get up my nose. This was published in this millennium, but they seem no further ahead, no more enlightened by the author's having reflected on them, than they were decades ago when I was reading books of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I kept hoping he was going to shift them somehow, but he never did. So I would not have finished this book if I hadn’t really wanted to give my nephew’s recommendation a good chance. Life is too short for unquestioned stereotypes.
What it does raise for me is the question of how do I respond to him? He wants to know how I like the book. But I also suspect that most of us who love a book don’t want to hear that it’s sexist or racist or otherwise oppressive. We want to hear that our friend likes it as much as we did. Or at least I do, which is why I don’t go recommending books to my friends very often — because we all have different tastes, for heaven sake, and we aren’t going to feel the same way about almost anything.
If I was doing a critique for the writer I would talk about it strong points and what I consider it’s weak points. But again, that’s not what he’s asking for. Do I not mention what put me off? I confess that this is my inclination because I don’t think me saying that a book he read several years ago is sexist is going to accomplish any consciousness-raising for him. But I also don’t feel comfortable saying nothing at all. I know I’ll figure it out, so I’m not concerned about it. I’m just chewing it all over.
Apart from the sexist stereotypes, the book is okay. I can see how people would enjoy it, but there’s nothing really about it that lifts it above the pack.
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LibraryThing member zette
I decided it had been too long since I read the first of the Dresden File books so I decided to read them all. I loved them the first time through, and they have turned out to be just as much fun this second time.
I really didn't remember a lot of the first book since I had read it so quickly. I was
While Dresden battles an evil mage, everyone else in the world seems to think that Dresden is the one to blame, and even close friends who should know better are turning on him. Dresden, though, holds firm to his convictions and faces the enemy with determination and wit.
The Dresden Files are, in my opinion, the very best of the Urban Fantasy genre. They're fast, witty, exciting and even this first one, which might not be as well-written as the later ones (or that may just have been my mood at the time), is an incredible adventure. Don't miss it!
I really didn't remember a lot of the first book since I had read it so quickly. I was
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surprised, in fact, to see how much of the later books is already set up in this first one. There are secrets hinted at, people mentioned in passing, and a lot of back story primed and ready to go!While Dresden battles an evil mage, everyone else in the world seems to think that Dresden is the one to blame, and even close friends who should know better are turning on him. Dresden, though, holds firm to his convictions and faces the enemy with determination and wit.
The Dresden Files are, in my opinion, the very best of the Urban Fantasy genre. They're fast, witty, exciting and even this first one, which might not be as well-written as the later ones (or that may just have been my mood at the time), is an incredible adventure. Don't miss it!
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LibraryThing member jchines
Storm Front introduces Harry Dresden, Wizard. Dresden is essentially a magical private investigator in present-day Chicago, but a Chicago where the mystical is beginning to re-emerge. Butcher gives us bits and pieces of Dresden's backstory, the most interesting being his one-time use of dark magic
So naturally, Harry is flung into the middle of a case that's just dripping with dark magic. With the help of Murphy (a Chicago detective), Susan (a reporter/love interest), and Bob (a party-loving air spirit stuck in a skull), Harry must stop a new dark wizard who has been using his power to rip out people's hearts.
The book has a few first-novel problems. Some of the secondary characters are a bit flat, particularly Morgan, the White Council's enforcer. While Morgan gets a single redeeming moment near the end, he's mostly portrayed as the big, single-minded, Harry-hating magical muscle. I didn't get a strong sense of Susan's character, either. Bob the skull, while lots of fun, didn't have enough depth. At times it felt like the characters were there simply to move the plot along.
At the same time, there were aspects of Butcher's character-development that I loved. Harry and Murphy have a strong relationship, one that's broken and only partly healed over the course of the book. That relationship gives both characters depth, and draws you in as a reader. But in my opinion, the best thing Butcher did was with Dresden's love of magic. This isn't a Harry Potter "Wow, I can fly on a broomstick, isn't this cool?" sort of thing. Magic is a beautiful, sacred thing, and Dresden's love borders on religious awe. As does his horror when he sees this beautiful thing perverted by the bad guy.
Plotwise, Storm Front is a pretty quick read. There's plenty of action, some snazzy magical spells, and lots of evil demons and bad guys to fight. Harry's banter-rich first-person narration keeps things moving right along.
It's not a perfect book, but it's a strong first novel. For fans of the SciFi series, there's a lot in the book that didn't make it into the show, from fairies to scorpions to a more magically-aware Murphy. But I do miss the hockey stick.
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to take a life. Normally such a transgression would earn him a death sentence from the White Council, but given the circumstances, Harry has been put on probation. A single misstep into the darker side of magic and he will be executed.So naturally, Harry is flung into the middle of a case that's just dripping with dark magic. With the help of Murphy (a Chicago detective), Susan (a reporter/love interest), and Bob (a party-loving air spirit stuck in a skull), Harry must stop a new dark wizard who has been using his power to rip out people's hearts.
The book has a few first-novel problems. Some of the secondary characters are a bit flat, particularly Morgan, the White Council's enforcer. While Morgan gets a single redeeming moment near the end, he's mostly portrayed as the big, single-minded, Harry-hating magical muscle. I didn't get a strong sense of Susan's character, either. Bob the skull, while lots of fun, didn't have enough depth. At times it felt like the characters were there simply to move the plot along.
At the same time, there were aspects of Butcher's character-development that I loved. Harry and Murphy have a strong relationship, one that's broken and only partly healed over the course of the book. That relationship gives both characters depth, and draws you in as a reader. But in my opinion, the best thing Butcher did was with Dresden's love of magic. This isn't a Harry Potter "Wow, I can fly on a broomstick, isn't this cool?" sort of thing. Magic is a beautiful, sacred thing, and Dresden's love borders on religious awe. As does his horror when he sees this beautiful thing perverted by the bad guy.
Plotwise, Storm Front is a pretty quick read. There's plenty of action, some snazzy magical spells, and lots of evil demons and bad guys to fight. Harry's banter-rich first-person narration keeps things moving right along.
It's not a perfect book, but it's a strong first novel. For fans of the SciFi series, there's a lot in the book that didn't make it into the show, from fairies to scorpions to a more magically-aware Murphy. But I do miss the hockey stick.
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LibraryThing member SimonW11
Our hero the worlds only openly practising wizard. Lives in a chicago that prefers to ignore the existance of magic. still when a local mobster and a vampire's servant are found killed by obviously magical means. The police call him in for consultation. Nothing special.
LibraryThing member jason.bartlett
I don't know where I have been for the past 10 years and missed Jim Butchers rise to masterful writer with this first book and what I expect will be a fantastic series. A big audio book fan I popped this in my car's CD player and found myself looking forward to my long commutes.
Harry Dresden is an
Harry Dresden is an
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excellent character that becomes real in just the first few pages and although we learn later in the story of his very deep strength in wizardry, it is a very gradual revelation that is nicely built up from a humble and sympathetic persona - someone you could see yourself hanging out with. I'm very much looking forward to the next book and the 8 other books that follow. In his interview with B&N, Jim reveals that the entire series will be about 20 books, so I guess it's something to look forward to for many years to come. Thanks Jim! Great work! Show Less
LibraryThing member librarydanielle
I decided to start re-reading this series today. I love the dresden books. jim butcher has a way of writing that sucks you in and wont let go. he's funny and sarcastic but they don't control the story. harry's got integrity oozing out his pores and you can't help but like him. and bob? bob is
anyway, storm front is the first novel in the dresden files series. harry dresden is a wizard. not a harry potter wizard, but a real wizard. living in chicago. harry is a white knight wizard, meaning he likes to save things, and when he's approached by a damsel in distress takes her case. he also takes the case the police offer him, to help investigate a couple of grisly murders. all while the doom of damocles hangs over his head.
but hey, harry's a wizard and can deal.
after all, he's in the book. just look under the entry for wizard.
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awesome. I want a bob. and mister. though squirt might be jealous of mister. anyway, storm front is the first novel in the dresden files series. harry dresden is a wizard. not a harry potter wizard, but a real wizard. living in chicago. harry is a white knight wizard, meaning he likes to save things, and when he's approached by a damsel in distress takes her case. he also takes the case the police offer him, to help investigate a couple of grisly murders. all while the doom of damocles hangs over his head.
but hey, harry's a wizard and can deal.
after all, he's in the book. just look under the entry for wizard.
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LibraryThing member grundlecat
A little hard to find in a non-oversize paperback, but definitely worth the effort. This is a magnificent book! I'll definitely read more Dresden Files! An immensely fun mix of detective fiction and fantasy that I couldn't put down.
Don't forget: "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there
Don't forget: "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there
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isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Priceless. Show Less
LibraryThing member NogDog
Enjoyable, but I found too many aspects of the plot to be contrived and too many cliches in terms of characters for me to consider it anything more than a fun but shallow read.
LibraryThing member JackieP
A brilliant first novel, though surprisingly for a series this large, they only seem to get better as you go along. It reads almost like a detective novel, only with supernatural elements. There is some clumsiness in the text though, some things are drawn out way too much toward the beginning of
Although a real page turner (eventually), this first novel in the series is really only setting the scene, it gets way, way better from here on in!
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the book.Although a real page turner (eventually), this first novel in the series is really only setting the scene, it gets way, way better from here on in!
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
I really hated Harry Dresden. He's cocky, self-absorbed and my-life-is-pain-but-I'm-too-stoic-to-admit-it, and ooh look, oh so gritty! Ugh. Also, his friend the skull is not witty by any stretch of imagination, and the plot is not even vaguely imaginative. It feels like a paint-by-numbers urban
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fantasy book. Show Less
LibraryThing member candlemark
An absolutely phenomenal book, and especially compelling for the first novel in a series. I desperately need to get my hands on the rest of this series, approximately four years ago.Storm Front hits every button I have for fantasy - a strong voice, a sarcastic/dry sense of humour that rings through
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clearly, a thoroughly imagined world and magical system, and a lack of infodumpy exposition and back history. Butcher lets Dresden's magic and the world he inhabits flow naturally, rather than explaining them in tedious detail, and as a result, you get absorbed in the story, characters, and action, rather than distracted by pointless background. Butcher teases you with hints of Dresden's dark past, and definitely makes you itch to learn more - both about the character, and about how his world works.The plot is tightly woven and engaging, and it keeps moving forward briskly. There's plenty of action and fighting, but never so much that it seems gratuitous. You can figure out pretty quickly what's going on, although perhaps not why, but there's enough curve balls to keep you guessing, and enough momentum to prevent you from ever getting bored or irritated with the occasional predictability of the next plot "revelation." The characters are consistent, relatable, and entirely flawed - another great, realistic touch.Oh, and the magical system is both plausible and unusual- magicians have their own code of conduct, seemingly similar to some Buddhist precepts, and they also have an intensely hard time dealing with modern technology. It makes for a great juxtaposition to the effortless - or seemingly effortless - power they can expend to work their will.All in all, a spectacular, black, funny novel, and one that's got me hooked on the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Eruantien
I remember seeing commercials on the Sci-Fi Channel for the show The Dresden Files. I didn't realize it was a book series and didn't end up watching it. Now that I've discovered the books, I wish I had checked out the TV show. Maybe I would have found the books sooner.
Harry Dresden is the only
Jim Butcher has crafted a surprisingly creative urban fantasy with great characters and an interesting mystery.
Harry Dresden is the only
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wizard in the phone book in Chicago. He works as a private investigator of sorts and also aids Karrin Murphy, the head of the Chicago police equivalent to the X-Files. When Storm Front begins, Dresden needs money badly. So when he gets a request to find a woman's missing husband, he jumps at the chance to make some easy money. At the same time, the police call him in to investigate a murder of a pair of lovers who's hearts exploded from their chests. In a twist somewhat annoyingly reminiscent of the Hardy Boys mysteries, Dresden's two cases are related, leading him to a deadly showdown with an evil wizard in a burning building.Jim Butcher has crafted a surprisingly creative urban fantasy with great characters and an interesting mystery.
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Subjects
Awards
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2009)
Compton Crook Award (Nominee — 2001)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000-04-01
Physical description
7.5 inches
ISBN
0451457811 / 9780451457813