Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

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.

Having read and reviewed a couple Georgina Kincaid novels, a suggestion by an Amazon friend to try a Harry Dresden novel didn't seem quite so mad an idea to me. I have not previously read works on vampires (outside the classics, such as Bram Stoker's novel, of course!), wizards, demons, and so on as a part of my repertoire. So, following the suggestion, I acquired Jim Butcher's novel, "Storm Front." It turns out that this was a pleasant romp, introducing the reader to wizards, a vampiress, a demon, and other odd creatures. As well as a talking skull, with expertise in potions and a 30 pound pet cat.

There are humans, too, such as Police Detective Karrin Murphy, in a unit dedicated to solving very odd cases and who has a consulting relationship with Dresden to help solve out of the ordinary crimes. Or the reporter for the newspaper catering to stories of the occult and paranormal. Or the gangster leader and his minions. Or. . . .

Anyhow, the story turns on two separate plots that, eventually, come together into one central plot line. Dresden's sleuthful adventures after being called to duty by Murphy because of a horrific double murder are complicated by a wizard assigned to track Harry for possibly violating the rules that wizards are supposed to follow, under a threat of being killed if he is found to violate the rules.

Lots of adventure. The action is nonstop. Many of the characters are rather one dimensional, but the book is so much fun and moves so fast, from one dangerous situation to the next, that one has little time to reflect on that. Sometimes the dialogue seems a bit too familiar from the zillions of detective novels out there.

But the book does grow on one. At the outset, Harry's powers are not well outlined. By the end, the reader is amused and amazed at the breadth and power of his wizardly skills, although he does bumble quite often (forgetting his cane and so on). His final confrontation with the evil wizard at the heart of the murders is well crafted. And one comes to understand the importance of the title of this book.

So, count me as a Harry Dresden fan. I'm not sure that I'm going to be reading anymore, but I guess I have warmed up to a genre that I once paid little heed to.

I was disappointed in this book. It could have been a 200 page book had the font and margins been typical. Short. Lame... Just really a kids book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with a college education. Possibly even a high school education.

I enjoyed reading this book and finished it less than a week (I am a slow reader). The book was exciting from start to finish and I will continue reading other books in the series.

book one of what has become a 10+ series. Read from the beginning because this series is great but needs context.