After many months I am finally back to blogging! I read the entire Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (fifteen books so far) several years ago. Now I am listening to the audio book versions of every book. They are read by the amazing James Marsters. Going through the story a second time has refreshed my memory and given me a lot of new perspectives and opinions, and I will write them down here because I have no life. Just kindding, I do have a life, at least somewhat, but that doesn't stop me from being a supernerd about fantasy novels. So here are my thoughts on Storm Front, book 1 of the Dresden Files. THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!
This is the first book in the series that started a whole new genre of urban fantasy mystery novels. And it's good. I've heard that a lot of people don't think the series gets good until after the first couple of books, but I don't think that's fair. Butcher couldn't pack the entire world of Harry Dresden into the first novel; it would have ruined things. This was meant to be a fun, fast-paced mystery in fantasy form, and that's just what it is. The mystery itself is very tightly-plotted. Harry is assigned two cases for separate clients: a nervous wife with a missing husband mixed up with magic, and a grisly double murder that has stumped the police. Later in the story, we find out that the two are connected. I think this is a very clever plot point. A lot of mysteries that I've read feel dragged out unnecessarily with red herrings and long interviews with various people, but Storm Front never felt tedious like that. Harry's investigations, and the drama he goes through during them, are fresh and entertaining, because they are always just a bit unpredictable.
In terms of starting a series, this book brings in a lot of characters which will be important later, like John Marcone, Susan Rodriguez, and the vampire Bianca. It also has passing mentions of the Nevernever and Harry's troubled past. All this sets up important things later in the series. Also, the battle at the end and the failed date with Susan were suitably exciting and interesting action scenes.
My main complaint is the amount of gore in this book, and throughout the series. I'm kind of a squeamish type, and the image of the two dead bodies whose hearts were torn out during sex is umpleasantly burned into my memory. Not an ideal thing to have in the first chapter. Just my opinion.
This book made me pick up the second in the series, and that's more than good enough for me.
Life has been crazy lately, but I finally have some time to do a post about the second book in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series! I'm rereading all the Dresden Files books (actually listening to them in audio book form). I remembered this one as the Werewolf Book. I also remembered that Dresden gets beaten up a lot and has sex with Susan in this book. Going through it again, I was a little disappointed to discover that I had, in fact, remembered most of the key points. Much like the first book, Fool Moon opens with a grisly murder scene. I'm not a fan of detailed descrptions of blood and guts, but, if you are, than Jim Butcher is the author you should be reading. Then there are a lot of werewolves. The Alphas first show up in this book, and they don't appear to do anything useful. They just get themselves stunned in the climactic moments and then develop an adoring loyalty to Harry. It's cute, but not very integral to the plot, at least not the plot of this boo...
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