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Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1)

by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · rating details · 35,019 ratings · 3,390 reviews

The novels of the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and non-stop fun. Storm Front is Jim Butcher's first novel and introduces his most famous and popular character-Harry Dresden, wizard for hire.

For his first case, Harry is called in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with the blackest of magic. At first, the less...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published April 2000 by ROC

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Jan 25, 2009

Siria rated it

Recommends it for: Not a single person.

Shelves: 21st-century, fantasy, american-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm not going to pull any punches. This book is a misogynistic piece of shit.

All I knew about it before I picked it up was the very basic premise—a wizard in modern-day Chicago, who works as a sort of detective—and that it had picked up quite a cult following. I was expecting to really like it, but before I got to the end of the first chapter, my eyebrows had risen to meet my hairline. I kept reading out of some misguided expectation that things would get better, that there couldn't ...more

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Siria Aleta, please note that I did not, in fact, begin my review, by insulting the author. I criticised the book, and a novel and their creator are two sep...moreAleta, please note that I did not, in fact, begin my review, by insulting the author. I criticised the book, and a novel and their creator are two separate things. (If you are, as your profile claims, an aspiring writer, it might be the time for you to get that distinction clear in your head.) I have no in-depth knowledge of Jim Butcher as a person (though certainly, between the time I wrote this review and now, he's shown himself to be a racially insensitive ass on Twitter), but I can certainly comment on the words he puts on a page. His "artistic endeavor", as you term it, is a product of all the conscious and unconscious decisions that shaped the words he put on the page. I'm sure he worked long and hard on the book, but that effort doesn't free him from critique—no more than I would expect to a teacher to up a paper grade from a C to an A just because I worked really hard on it.

It's not meant to be taken literally, or even to present a certain philosophical statement. That's the beauty of fiction. It's not real. That you would read so much into the story between the lines and attempt to transpose it onto the entire world suggests how jaded and narrow your own interpretation of the world really is, that it would color your perception of something so trivial so heavily, and how much anger you harbor against the real world.

Where have I ever suggested that this novel, or any other novel, is not fiction? How have I taken what it says literally? I have certainly not; nor do I think that Butcher is deliberately presenting a philosophical, ethical or moral agenda here. I do think, however, that his writing—as with the writing of every author, ever—has been shaped by the society in which he writes. No author writes in a societal or moral vacuum; no book is produced in one. Moreover, one of the beauties of fiction, one of the reasons people write, is to reflect and illuminate the real world. To state otherwise is absurd; if you think I'm jaded and narrow (and I thought that you abhorred attacking a person as opposed to critiquing their writing?), then I would suggest that the viewpoint you present is naive and facile. (Not least because, well, have you looked at the world around you lately? There's a reason why there's a concept called 'righteous anger.')

You attempt to rationilize your statements with "logic" and "reason", so obviously, you must have taken several philosophy classes in college.

For the record, I didn't. I studied history—still do, in fact—and was not aware that college level philosophy courses were a prerequisite for someone to attempt to use logic and reason in their argumentation. I will note here that you've not actually engaged with anything I've argued in my post—you've just said I use naughty language and that I'm too mean. Tone isn't the same thing as logic or argument; the fact that this book made me angry doesn't invalidate my point.

So here's my 2 cents worth of opinion. Respond if you want, but it's all I'm ever going to say on this subject and I don't plan on checking back on this thread again - If you can't say something respectfully, don't say anything at all. Because if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

May I say how hilarious I find this—you comment on a months' old debate with what, the expectation that you have some grand contribution to make that no one else has ever made before? That I'm suddenly going to repent my opinion because some stranger on the internet thinks I'm uncouth? That I'll be blown over by your logic? And that you can then flounce off and pre-emptively deny me the right of reply? As for your—you'll forgive me for noting, I'm sure—rather trite summation that "if I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem", if you're equating "use of strong language on the internet due to anger about sexist stereotypes" with "perpetuation of pervasive sexist stereotypes", then you can understand why I won't be accepting your critique as a valid one.(less)
Nov 14, 2011 04:11pm

Ryan Okay, while I get some of your points, some of us did point out that there were points were his sexism his presented as bad. We did address other argu...more
Feb 09, 2012 02:06am

Jan 22, 2012

Sath rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal, 2011-must-read, mystery, magic, wizards, vampires, reviewed

Decided to try this series, as I keep hearing 'Dresden files' everywhere for some reason, and apparently it's even a tv series? I couldn't let an urban fantasy get so popular without knowing what its about!

There are many mixed reviews about this, some love it and some hate it. But I am suprised at the negative reviews, as many complaints could be raised against the genre as a whole, but if you pick up an urban fantasy book - don't you know what you're getting into? I've seen com...more

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Jul 20, 2009

Jesse rated it

Recommends it for: lovers of bad writing and raping of the noir genre

Shelves: modern-fantasy, utter-tripe

You know, the premise of this book actually sounded good. A wizard P.I., sure why not. I like wizards and I like P.I.s, so what could be the problem. The problem whas I over estimated this author's abilities.

The main character is like some kind of emotionally retarded ubergeek's idealized life. He lives in a basement and subbasement. He ALWAYS wears a black duster and cowboy boots (even when he's wearing sweats and a t-shirt). He has an abnormally large alley cat that likes to ...moreYou know, the premise of this book actually sounded good. A wizard P.I., sure why not. I like wizards and I like P.I.s, so what could be the problem. The problem whas I over estimated this author's abilities.

The main character is like some kind of emotionally retarded ubergeek's idealized life. He lives in a basement and subbasement. He ALWAYS wears a black duster and cowboy boots (even when he's wearing sweats and a t-shirt). He has an abnormally large alley cat that likes to drink coke and doesn't get violently ill from the caffein. He can't get anywhere with women, for no real reason at all. The first woman that broke his heart, he actually killed (but for good reasons, I mean she was evil). I could go on and on. The protagnonist of this story is an immature weener. He is a walking dorky cliche, that feels like he is some kind of Peter Parker wizard. Constantly bemoaning the weigth of the world on his shoulders, even when its actually not on his shoulders. Add to this the character inability to have basic levels of trust for his friends/allies, lack of common sense, and a very low level of intelligence for someone that relizes on brains and willpower for their strengths. And you end up with a guy that is very annoying to read in most any situation.

Now throw that character into a Noir Detective style situation. This is not a confident man, nore is he a physically tough man, and he lacks much in the way of street and book smarts. I find it highly unlikely that this guy should have survived past the first 100 pages, let alone through all the other blunders he makes through the entire book. Take a gander back to the beginnings of the Noir Detective genre, and you'd be ashamed that this man besmerches the genre's good traditions. Sam Spade has no magic what so ever, but he could quite easilly have out smarted and out fought this guy with his bare fists.

Don't even get me started on how annoying magic is in this book. Not since the magic of Terry Brooks' books have I felt magic ment little to nothing. This guyis is constantly like, oh shit I don't have my wand or staff or special ring, so if I do my magic now I'll kill everyone. What the <bleep>ing good is magic that can't be used unless you've got your stick of power. I mean come on, even in dungeons and dragons a wizard/mage can cast a fireball with out having to have a staff or a special ring (these things mite help, but the caster could still get the job done).

So to close, this book is immature and not fun to read. I suppose if I was 13 again playing D&D in the basement with the other emotional retards, I'd find this book cool in most every aspect, but I'm 30 and would like to think of myself as an emotionally mature ubergeek who doesn't think it would be cool to live in a basement and who sees women as aliens that can't be understood.(less)

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Jun 12, 2007

Brooke rated it

Recommends it for: Buffy fans

Shelves: 2007, own, fantasy

Earlier this year, I greatly enjoyed the first season of the Sci Fi Channel's The Dresden Files. It certainly wasn't Buffy or X-Files caliber, as far as paranormal television goes, but it was great escapism fun with some interesting characters. As I'm likely to do after discovering that something I watched and enjoyed was based on a book, I went out and got the first book in the series.

I read the 300-pages of Storm Front in less than 24 hours, and it was such a relief to read somethi...more

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Jun 12, 2008

Elizabeth rated it

Shelves: 2008, vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts, reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

When I was in college I had a boyfriend who wore a long black duster, was wire thin, had played too much dungeons and dragons in high school, wanted to be Cary Elwes from The Princess Bride, believed in magic and physics, and did not know anything about women (unfortunately). He would have loved this book. It's written for a nineteen year old boy who doesn't see a lot of sun and wishes he could be a chivalrous knight, acting alone, to save the day. And while being completely misunderstood, he m...moreWhen I was in college I had a boyfriend who wore a long black duster, was wire thin, had played too much dungeons and dragons in high school, wanted to be Cary Elwes from The Princess Bride, believed in magic and physics, and did not know anything about women (unfortunately). He would have loved this book. It's written for a nineteen year old boy who doesn't see a lot of sun and wishes he could be a chivalrous knight, acting alone, to save the day. And while being completely misunderstood, he manages to overcome temptation, great emotional suffering and physical pain, to prove to everyone that he's a hero. If he had climbed onto a white charger at the end, I wouldn't have been surprised.

It is obvious that this is what the author wants to be, too. I read a couple of the later books in the series before I got to this one and Jim Butcher was clearly much more secure in himself by then. Or maybe he was just a better writer by then. I swear there's a school somewhere that teaches aspiring writers to think of the worst thing that can happen to a character and then write how he gets out of it. Over and over again. Butcher doesn't just put the character in the worst situation he can think of, he then summarizes the situation and makes a dumb joke about it, at the end of every chapter. I didn't really notice it the first couple of times, but I'm not as dumb as some of the characters that our hero "outwits." I picked up that formula early on. From there there was nothing to do but pick up the others.

There were several to choose from. First, every woman was described by her make-up (and I mean the cosmetics on her face) and then her shape and then her clothes and then, some little value to prove the author doesn't think women are just sex objects. Except that there were a lot of prostitutes in this story and women who were made to cry and women who needed to be rescued and women who wanted to have sex with our hero [insert dumb blonde stereotype voice here]. Second, after having lost all of the weapons he carried, he still managed to summon up the will to fight on and defeat the baddy (gangster, vampire, demon, dark wizard, cop, whatever) using only his wits and inner strength.

So, you ask, what happened to that college boyfriend? We broke up. I think I'm going to break it off with Butcher, too.

(less)

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Feb 14, 2011

Kat Kennedy rated it

The Dresden Files is one of those books that's intimidating to approach. It has a hard-core fan group that will scream its praises from the top of the roof. Usually, I would approach with extreme caution. I rarely read a series when I've been assured that it gets good after six books. When people tell me that, I simply quietly encourage them to read the Fever Series and avert eye contact.

However, after a discussion regarding male readers and writers of the Urban Fantasy genre, I fe...more

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Jan 25, 2012

Laurel rated it

· review of another edition

Hot damn, that was a fun read! I know full well the reason I've been avoiding the series was that I would get hooked, and have even more books on my to-read shelf, but I just can't help it! Dresden is a sarcastic, bitter, tongue in cheek rogue that would make Han Solo proud. The plot moves quickly, the action is imaginative, and the humor puts the perfect cherry on top. What a great character!

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Oct 12, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, urban-fantasy

Okay, some who have looked at my other reviews will immediately note I gave this book 5 stars which I noted earlier I save for very special books. I plan to give the Dresden books (so far anyway) 5 stars. Why? Well while they are not Dumas or Dickens (but then again...I'm not sure I'd regularly be giving Dickens 5 stars, how much Dickens can we all really take anyway???) these are wonderful absorbing reads. Special Books.

I won't be giving a long synopsis of each book... I will say t...more

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Apr 16, 2009

Jim rated it

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-urban

It was a fun read, but I'm a bit turned off by the angst that the hero, Harry, carries around. He has his reasons, but I prefer a more upbeat character. He seems a bit too resigned to a crappy world. This might be relieved in the next book, so I plan to read it shortly. There is a LOT of potential here for a great series & so many others have told me they like it. I've seen bits of the TV series, which was good.

The setting & plot were good. It's our world with a slight twist - ...moreIt was a fun read, but I'm a bit turned off by the angst that the hero, Harry, carries around. He has his reasons, but I prefer a more upbeat character. He seems a bit too resigned to a crappy world. This might be relieved in the next book, so I plan to read it shortly. There is a LOT of potential here for a great series & so many others have told me they like it. I've seen bits of the TV series, which was good.

The setting & plot were good. It's our world with a slight twist - magic exists, but not generally believed in by most. I could almost feel it is possible. I read that Butcher got his start trying to write something similar to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, a series that we both seem to like. His take has a lot less sex & romance (at least in this book) & more of a tough detective aspect. He is a tough, down-at-the-heels detective, much like Sam Spade. He doesn't have the way with the women or the ego to go with it, though. Maybe that's my turn-off (a slight one). I think he should feel better about himself.

I thought Butcher did a masterful job of painting the world & Harry, especially our glimpses into Harry's past life. He doesn't dwell on it too much, but teases with glimpses. I can see this as part of the series plot line since Harry doesn't know much about his parents. His mother died at his birth & while his father told him a lot, there is probably a lot he doesn't know plus, he died when Harry was fairly young, so there is a lot he wouldn't have said.

The paranormal critters include a neat take on a vampire, fairies & a very tough demon. In this first book, we're given a look at how a good education can come in handy as well as some of the supernatural politics. We also get a glimpse of a world other than ours that intersects at odd times.

All in all, an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next one, but I don't HAVE to read it immediately. While it's obvious the story can continue, there are a few dangling threads I want to learn more about, there wasn't any horrible cliff hanger. I appreciate that.(less)

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Feb 19, 2011

Sherri rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Probably my favorite book series and certainly one I recommend to others.

Harry Dresden is a pretty typical Chandlerian hero -- a basically honest guy who doesn't catch many breaks, is smarter than people give him credit for being, has a noble streak that gets him in trouble, and a knack for stumbling across things lesser mortals should leave alone. His strong sense of justice and his own ideas of right and wrong set him at odds with the powers that be. Of course, Harry isn't just...more

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Jul 05, 2011

Summer rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, fairies, magic, paranormal, urban-fantasy, vampires, witches-wizards-warlocks

I actually heard of this series by catching the short-lived tv series loosely based on these books. I thought the show was kind of fun and wanted to someday read the books. I got to close to halfway through this book and had to give up. I thought the main character was pretty interesting and the set up for his world was pretty interesting too though.

You don't get many hints about Harry Dresden's past, other than he's not on the good side of a magical authority called The White Counc...more

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Aug 08, 2008

Sandi rated it

Recommended to Sandi by: SciFi and Fantasy Book Club September Theme Book

Shelves: fantasy, cross-genre, 2008

I have seen an episode or two of “The Dresden Files” on the SciFi Channel, so I thought I knew what to expect from “Storm Front.” I was completely wrong. The TV series didn’t even come close capturing the essence of at least the first book. It wasn’t gritty enough or dark enough or exciting enough. What’s the best way to describe Harry Dresden and “Storm Front”? Combine Ellery Queen, Clint Eastwood, Jason Bourne and Buffy Summers. Throw in an evil wizard, a vampire madam, a talking skull, ...more

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Jun 05, 2010

Richard rated it

Recommends it for: those seeking a very quick pulp fantasy read with pretty low expectations.

Recommended to Richard by: SciFi & Fantasy Group 2008-09 Fantasy Selection

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-magic, bookclub, fantasy-vampires, series, fantasy-urban

Second update: Finally got around to looking at Butcher's website, and discovered his short story, Restoration of Faith. It's set before Storm Front, when Dresden is still an apprentice to another private detective. He meets Murphy for the first time. That he names the wealthy folks the "Astors" reminded me that he used to do cheesy obvious stuff like that. He gets better further in the series.

Update, months later: I discovered that I liked the first book enough to read the...more

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Sep 12, 2008

Shannon rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2008, crime, mystery-suspense, not-worth-it

This book was recommended to me by several friends on Goodreads, though an equal number weren't impressed by it. I would have to put myself in the latter group, if I had to.

Harry Dresden is a wizard. He has a small office in Chicago and helps people find lost things and investigates ghosts, that sort of thing. He also helps the police in investigations when a crime can't rationally be explained.

It is one such case that draws him into a race against time to save his own ne...moreThis book was recommended to me by several friends on Goodreads, though an equal number weren't impressed by it. I would have to put myself in the latter group, if I had to.

Harry Dresden is a wizard. He has a small office in Chicago and helps people find lost things and investigates ghosts, that sort of thing. He also helps the police in investigations when a crime can't rationally be explained.

It is one such case that draws him into a race against time to save his own neck: someone in the city is powerful enough to make hearts explode from chests, killing a mobster's right-hand-man and an expensive prostitute. A separate missing person's case has him looking for a man dabbling in the arts. Dresden is already on a kind of probation with the White Council, and one wrong move will see him executed - but with demons after him, giant scorpions to kill, damsels to protect and a powerful wizard to bring down, he's certainly starting to wonder if he'll come out of this alive.

Of course, first person narrators never die, so that never feels as dire as it was meant to.

Harry's a tall, lanky fella, a bit of a dag really - often dishevelled, he ends up wearing sweat pants and cowboy boots. He has training and is quite strong in the arts, but isn't too quick, spending most of his time rehashing the situation and thinking over his options. The mystery and its outcome are fairly predictable, there are a few plot holes, and the tense use drove me up the wall. Debut authors have some excuse; proof-readers, none.

It took me forever to read this book, considering how short it is and that it's no great piece of literature. Could also be because mystery/crime books bore me when the characters aren't strong enough to add any kind of depth. Harry's an interesting enough character, with a few interesting quirks, but the others are all very two-dimensional and rather stereotypical. It tries to add humour to the mix, with mixed results: mostly it's just lame.

There's a noir atmosphere to the book which gives it some grit and supports the dark subject-matter, but can't save the prose. This being Butcher's first book, I don't expect an awful lot, but I often found myself replacing words with better ones, or rewriting sentences so that they were either grammatically correct or flowed better. The small plot holes were annoying, of course, but they wouldn't have mattered if I'd been more into the story. For as much extrapolation and introspection - and pondering - as Harry did, it was never very clear why he was doing this or that, and at the end of the day the book just wasn't as clever as it had set out to be - and set expectations for.(less)

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Feb 09, 2008

Michele Lee rated it

Recommends it for: mystery and fantasy fans

Recommended to Michele by: I liked the tv show

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, male-author

The first book in the Dresden Files series (ten books and counting so far) is a refreshing wind for the urban fantasy genre and this reader. One of the cannon examples of urban fantasy, a blending of mystery and paranormal in a modern setting often with a touch of romance, Storm Front is slanted more toward suspense than romance.

Harry isn't another supernaturally endowed, kick-ass female heroine, taking on the world of evil and the world of men at the same time. Harry is a somewhat-a...more

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May 11, 2007

Aaron rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of Glen Cook

The television adaptation of the novels is certainly not faithful. I'm curious as to why they changed so many inconsequential details (Murphy's first name for example) as well as some rather large ones (the nature of Bob the Skull). That being said, Jim Butcher's books are the literary equivalent of beer and pizza. They're fast, easy to get a hold of, satisfying over the short term, but really, not something that you'd want to build your entire diet around. Also, both have the potential for a ce...moreThe television adaptation of the novels is certainly not faithful. I'm curious as to why they changed so many inconsequential details (Murphy's first name for example) as well as some rather large ones (the nature of Bob the Skull). That being said, Jim Butcher's books are the literary equivalent of beer and pizza. They're fast, easy to get a hold of, satisfying over the short term, but really, not something that you'd want to build your entire diet around. Also, both have the potential for a certain amount of cheese. Perhaps I've stretched the metaphor too far.

This is the first of the Dresden Files, and it's probably the second worst of them. The good news, then, is that Butcher's writing is improving, and the latest of these, White Night, was really quite good. Storm Front is one of the books that was vaguely adapted for one of the television episodes. The basic idea is that Harry Dresden has to find out who's killing people using black magic. Someone in Chicago is causing people's hearts to explode out of their chests, killing them in a messy and painful way. Because of Harry's history of having killed his master, Justin, with magic when Justin tried to mentally enslave Harry, the local White Council Warden, Morgan, thinks that Harry might have done it. This, along with the fact that he's being paid to look into this by the police, give Harry enough reasons to be very motivated to find the killer.

Butcher has a habit of piling more and more onto his protagonist as things go on that can be tiring. It's not enough for Harry to be getting paid to do this, but he has to look into it to keep from loosing his head. Then, in case we though that Harry lacked motivation, later on in the book, the black sorcerer behind it tried, and fails to kill Harry to give him more motivation. But that's not quite enough, so Butcher also makes it clear that Harry is the next target of the "exploding heart" spell. If you can get past the fact that Harry Dresden is, apparently, the most unfortunate of all people on the planet, and some minor factual errors that are included, on presumes, because they're noir detective staples, then this book shows some real potential.(less)

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Apr 21, 2007

phyllis rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who likes a tiny bit of fantasy in their fiction

Shelves: bookcase

Isn't it great when you find a series of books that you really enjoy, and then can't wait for a new one to come out? The Harry Dresden series burst onto my bookcase last year, when I picked up book 7 at the library, on a whim, just before a business trip. 2 days into the trip, I'd finished the book (Dead Beat) and had found the local book store and bought the first in the series: Storm Front.

Ironically, in the first few pages, the book didn't really resonate for me, it took a bit t...more

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Apr 08, 2010

Qt rated it

Shelves: fantasy, horror-supernatural, humor, mystery-intrigue

4 1/2 stars. I really, really liked this one and I'm looking forward to the others of the series :-) I liked the interesting mix of magic and murder mystery, and I was always wondering just what was going to happen next. Plus, there is quite a bit of humor, which is always a plus with me :-)
I also loved how the hero was NOT the typical "hard-boiled detective." He really seemed like a decent guy and a good person--someone I could root for (and did).

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Aug 25, 2008

Jon rated it

Recommended to Jon by: Science Fiction & Fantasy book club September theme book

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, urban-fantasy, read-in-my-40s

Harry Dresden is a wizard P.I. with more trouble than you can shake a wand at and a sarcastic wit to die for - literally.

A fun quick read through a nearly contemporary Chicago where sorcery and demons roil just under the civilized veneer.

I would have given this four stars, or at least three and a half, except for the first person point of view. It's such a limiting perspective in my opinion, where I must rely on the narrator's information and thoughts for the entire ...more

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Dec 04, 2008

Ryan rated it

There was nothing especially wrong with this book. It had an interesting premise (P.I. wizard helps cops track magical ne'er-do-wells in present-day Chicago) and a fun protagonist, but ... how do I put this? It just felt like a bunch of words about a plot. The words all accomplished their goal of relating a story, and that's about it. Still, I picked up the second book in the Dresden Files series to see if the writing gets any less utilitarian.

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Apr 10, 2010

Cathy rated it

Shelves: fantasy, mythology, urban, paranormal, series-reminder, mystery, magic-users, ebook-library-available, angels-demons

Good, as expected. Paranormal mystery about a wizard who sometimes works with the police to investigate unusual crimes. Dark but not depressing, good character, decent plot.

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Mar 27, 2011

Tina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy

Original post at One More Page

Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire, and you'd think that people would start to take him seriously with all the weird things happening. But no. He gets more prank calls than jobs, and he needs money to pay the bills, fast. It was just timely that he got called to the Chicago Police Department to help with a gruesome double murder case that reeks of black magic, and a woman comes to him to ask his help to find her missing husband. As Harry works on t...more

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Jun 17, 2009

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it

Shelves: celibate-or-less-experienced-hero, detective-private-eye-sleuth, faerie, favorites, hero-to-die-for, magic, owned-copy, part-of-a-series, urban-fantasy, occult-detective, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, magic-noir, wizard-warlock-sorcerer, favorite-or-autobuy-author

Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire. His advert even says so. Enter a very interesting character in the urban fantasy genre. Having grown up in the Chicago area, it's very cool to see this fine city through the eyes of an interesting guy like Harry. In some respects, he's a very normal guy. However he truly is a wizard. He inherited his magical abilities from his deceased mother, and makes a living at it. Helping people. He also works for the Police Department solving crimes of an unusual na...moreHarry Dresden is a wizard for hire. His advert even says so. Enter a very interesting character in the urban fantasy genre. Having grown up in the Chicago area, it's very cool to see this fine city through the eyes of an interesting guy like Harry. In some respects, he's a very normal guy. However he truly is a wizard. He inherited his magical abilities from his deceased mother, and makes a living at it. Helping people. He also works for the Police Department solving crimes of an unusual nature.

This is like most starter books in a series, it doesn't exactly get off the ground running. But that's okay. We get to enjoy the experience of getting to know Harry. Things I liked about him that endeared him to me: He doesn't date much. He says himself he doesn't have much luck with women. He's a catlover. He has a big, huge kitty named Mister that eats better than he does. He's got a great sense of humor. This book is in the first person, so you are treated to Harry's very wry but perceptive view of the world. We are not on the same page about Christianity, but I don't hold that against him. How could I when he's such an ethical, caring person. Harry's a bit of a soft touch, going out of his way to help people, even to his detriment. Some readers might get annoyed at how often Harry gets hurt. I like that about the series. He's not invulnerable. His magic can help him, but he can die just as easy as another human, and he almost does many times. That raises the stakes, because Harry can't seem to stay out of trouble. I love watching Harry get dressed for battle: fedora hat, cloak, oak staff, pentacle pendant from his mom, and her ring. The latter are his magical accoutrements used to focus the natural magic that flows through him and is in the environment. Let's not forget his .45 gun for extra insurance. It's like watching Batman put on his suit and all his gadgets (yes my not-so inner geek is coming out).

The world that Harry inhabits is much like the one we live in, but magic and creatures we consider mythical actually exist. There is a White Council (They are the governing body over wizards to prevent them practicing black magic or using magic to harm people) who is holding the Doom of Damocles over Harry's head for killing his uncle (done in self-defense, although few would argue that he didn't deserve killing). So we see Harry trying to stay one step ahead of the very intimidating magical enforcer, Morgan. We also see Harry deal with a fairy who loves pizza to get information, while trying to avoid his godmother who really is a Fairy, the Queen in fact, and to whom he owes a favor. And Harry has to deal with the very shadowy Red Vampire Court, not to mention a very nasty demon assassin that interrupts the first date that Harry's had in a very long time. Try having a love life around all of this. Then there's the fire spirit Bob, who's beholden to Harry, helps him work his spellcraft, and lives in a skull.

These books are pure fun, but there are moments of tension and thrills, as well as moments that will stir poignancy in you. If you like the genre of occult detective novels, this book is the start of a series that you must add to your collection. I must say I love the later books more because the introductory stuff is out of the way, but this was a solid entry and a grand introduction to the wonderful, endearing Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire.(less)

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May 03, 2008

Richard rated it

Shelves: pulp-fiction

The Harry Dresden series may be the closest thing to a pulp magazine on the newsstands today. It combines all of the heroic, fantasy, and criminal elements common in the heydays of characters like the Spider and the Phantom Detective, and updates them to a modern day setting.

I first heard about the character from watching the TV series, The Dresden Files. Another short-lived—rare, but genuine hit—that aired on the Sci Fi channel. Paul Blackthorne was brilliant playing the scruffy fre...more

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Jan 08, 2009

Julie rated it

Recommends it for: Magic and mystery fans, noir fans

Recommended to Julie by: Sci-Fi/Fantasy book club, and the show on SciFi

Shelves: paranormal, mystery, 2009, signed-out

I became interested in this book for two reasons: One, the Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club had it as one of their monthly picks, and two, I'd watched a few episodes of the show on SciFi.

My friend Shannon, trusted arbiter of bookly judgement, hadn't been impressed with it, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway just out of curiosity's sake.

It was ok. I like Harry as a character despite some of his occasional chauvinist moments (he really is more .... old-fashioned than downright...more

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Apr 20, 2011

Kat rated it

Shelves: favorites, urban-fantasy, fantasy, 2006, 2011

This book was something my husband stumbled onto. He picked up book 6 in the series because he liked the cover, started reading it and realized it wasn't the first book of the series. He went back to the bookstore and bought the first book, then DEVOURED the rest of them. I was skeptical; our tastes aren't the same in books, but he convinced me, and I have never regretted it! These books are hysterically funny, deeply creepy, intriguingly mysterious, and everything else I love about reading....moreThis book was something my husband stumbled onto. He picked up book 6 in the series because he liked the cover, started reading it and realized it wasn't the first book of the series. He went back to the bookstore and bought the first book, then DEVOURED the rest of them. I was skeptical; our tastes aren't the same in books, but he convinced me, and I have never regretted it! These books are hysterically funny, deeply creepy, intriguingly mysterious, and everything else I love about reading. A great read for anyone.

Basic Plot: Harry Dresden is an actual, magic-wielding wizard based in the city of Chicago, where he lends his magickal talents to his private investigation business. There are some strange murders happening in Chi-Town that can't be explained by normal means, so the Chicago PD calls him in to consult.

It's been a while since I first read this book, and I'd been wanting to do a re-read for some months when my husband acquired the audio book versions of the first 11 Dresden books. James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fame) reads them. He's a fantastic reader in my opinion. Of course, my experience with audio books is pretty much nil, so I have to rely on my theatre/radio background to evaluate him. He uses a lot of good vocal variety for characters, and really captures Harry's snark. I'm more than willing to attempt to listen to the other books, just to hear him read.

That said, I don't think I'm an audio book person. I get too distracted too easily. I have to find something relatively mindless to do while I listen, which is nigh impossible for an English teacher with a 3-year-old at home to do. I can't grade or surf the web while I listen, I get too distracted and end up missing things. I can't keep an eye on my son while I listen, he'll burn the house down or paint the cats blue while I'm focused on listening. I can't read while I listen, that would be insane. I'm working on finding the right activity, because there is NO WAY IN HADES I can just sit and listen. I'll fall asleep. *sigh*

I still want to re-read the book. Listening to the audio book felt vaguely like eating an appetizer, and I'm still waiting for the main course.(less)

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Jul 03, 2009

Chris rated it

Shelves: fantasy, wizardry

"Hell's Bells" count: 3

Back in 2006, I made a trip to the States for a wedding. It was good fun, and I figured that while I was there, I'd go and see some other friends and family up and down the East Coast. While in the Albany Area of New York, I was taken to a fantasy/science fiction bookstore so that I could fill up on books - a precious commodity, given their expense and rarity here.

What I found when I walked in was shocking - I had no idea what to buy. I wa...more

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Oct 28, 2007

Alex rated it

Shelves: reviewed, urban, story-driven, solo-protagonist

I actually have been hearing about this book series for quite some time but it never got close to the top of my reading pile because I'm not too keen on the idea of the main hero being a detective. Maybe I just read too much Sherlock Holmes stories ;)
But Jim Butcher actually managed to prove that it's not only the basic premise that counts - and his books have stolen me from the real world for a week I had to spend getting ready to my exams - but I don't regret not a second of it

S...more

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May 09, 2007

Kelly Franklin Robinson rated it

So last week Tim and I started watching The Dresden Files, which is based on the series by Jim Butcher about a Chicago wizard. Anything with fantasy placed in modern times gets an automatic in from me, so I was all about reading the series after seeing the show. Despite its hokiness and predictability, I can see why Storm Front paved the way for a cult-like following.

But I’ll discuss the hokiness and predictability, because that’s more fun. Our narrator, Harry Dresden, is never witho...more

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Apr 04, 2009

Greg of A2 rated it

Shelves: fiction-mystery-fantasy

After enjoying the TV series on DVD, I read the first volume and it was quite good. Good lead character and interesting plot elements. Looking forward to reading more volumes.

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About Jim Butcher

A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog.

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