Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Writing Style – 4.5/5

Butcher’s writing is deliciously sardonic. Right away, the reader is greeted by his often self-deprecating wit. Through the eyes of a down-on-his-luck 20th century professional wizard (yes, you read that right) named Harry Dresden, the reader enters the world of urban fantasy told in rather humorous ways. I can’t imagine someone picking up Storm Front and not being entertained.

The Characters – 5/5

It is books like Storm Front that make me wish I would have given myself more stars with which to award quality writing like this. The characters, in all honesty, are unbelievably good. Even the seemingly minor characters stand out for their excellence.

The Plot – 3/5

As much as I have tried, I can’t entirely eliminate my bias against spells and sorcery. If that is your thing, you might rate this category higher. For me, too much time is bogged down by Butcher having to explain the process behind the variety of spells and potions. Also, there are a few too many “I saw that coming” moments for me.

Overall – 4.2/5

Storm Front, while not my favorite book in the Dresden Files is still an outrageously good time. Butcher’s writing style kept me laughing throughout, yet he stilled managed to create well-rounded characters. Even the “villains” were somewhat likable. If you like humor mixed with action/adventure and urban fantasy then you will love this book.

Overview

Jim Butcher. What is there to say about Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files? Well, they are singly the most unique and bizarre books I’ve ever read. They’ve also made me laugh the loudest. They are incredibly ridiculous, loads of fun, and infinitely better than what little of the TV series I have seen.

Butcher’s writing is deliciously sardonic. His characters are wonderfully constructed. Though the plots are not typically anything to rave about, I have never really cared. I don’t read The Dresden Files for the plots. I read them to experience Jim Butcher’s writing.

Writing Style – 4.3/5

For this review, I intentionally chose the first book in the Dresden Files, Storm Front. This will be my modus operandi when it comes to reviewing books in a trilogy or series. In truth, I have yet to read the entire series, but it is fair to say that Storm Front is not my favorite of the series. Take note of that when you look at the final review scores which shall be fairly high. This says a lot about the quality of the series as a whole.

Later books in the series would receive a slightly higher rating in this category. Storm Front is book one and it shows. It should be expected that his writing voice would take time to develop, especially since the book is written in first person. I’ve found that books written in this perspective, not unlike characters in a TV show, tend to take time to develop and mature into who they are going to be. All that said, his voice is pretty darn awesome from page one.

The Dresden Perspective

Right away, the reader is greeted by Butcher’s often self-deprecating wit. Through the eyes of a down-on-his-luck 20th-century professional wizard (yes, you read that right) named Harry Dresden the reader enters the world of urban fantasy told in rather humorous ways. Though I would normally leave this thought for the characters section, I find it impossible to separate the writing style from the character of Dresden. His first person perspective is the author in ways that I don’t typically find in a first person book. Though I’m guessing that Jim Butcher is not an actual wizard, I can certainly see his personality being very similar to Dresden’s. I don’t know how else he would have been able to make this character come to life so vividly.

Beyond Humor

Butcher masterfully takes the reader beyond snarky humor and over-the-top “realistic” magic, however. There is a lot of depth to this book. Dresden is a multi-faceted character struggling with his own personal demons (both literally and figuratively) which allows the author to explore more serious topic matter.

Writing Style Conclusion

I can’t imagine someone picking up Storm Front and not being entertained. I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of “spells and sorcery” magic, not even in a 20th century context. This is definitely outside of my normal tastes, but Butcher’s writing style is so engaging that I had no problems getting past it.

The Characters – 5/5

It is books like Storm Front that make me wish I would have given myself more stars with which to award quality writing like this. The characters, in all honesty, are unbelievably good. Even the seemingly minor characters stand out for their excellence.

Harry Dresden

I have already written about him above so I will sum up my opinion of this character by saying you are going to be hard pressed to find a better protagonist in genre fiction. He’s likable, he’s appropriately whiny, he makes plenty of mistakes, and he is chivalrous without being a stereotype. I could go on, but alas I don’t have the space.

Supporting Cast – the Women

There are two women in Harry’s life: his contact at the Chicago Police Department—Karrin Murphy, and a tabloid reporter named Susan Rodriguez. Both are incredibly unique and fun. Karrin is probably my favorite because of her stereotype-defying personality and abilities, but Susan develops into a great character, especially in later books.

Supporting Cast – Bob

What’s not to like about a disembodied entity that lives in a human skull and goes by the name of Bob? He is very, very strange, but he is a wonderful sometimes-side-kick for Dresden.

Supporting Cast – Mister

Yes, I am adding a review of a pet cat to the book. This cat is no ordinary cat. Butcher manages to give it wonderful personality while using him in important ways to cue major plot moments. Bravo.

Supporting Cast – Antagonists

Butcher features a large variety of antagonists in Storm Front. I can’t say too much without giving major plot points away, but all but one were exceptional. Gentlemen Johnny Marcone was a fun, fresh take on the “mobster.” Even the fact that there are vampires in this book couldn’t dissuade me from enjoying it!

The Characters Conclusion

The book is about Harry Dresden. He is so well-written that this category might have received a 5/5 even if the rest of the cast had been uninspiring. Instead, Butcher had enough magic (see what I did there?) left over to create one of the more compelling ensembles I’ve read in a while. Even from the first few chapters the chemistry is fantastic.

The Plot – 3/5

I wrestled with this one before deciding on a rating. As much as I have tried, I can’t entirely eliminate my bias against spells and sorcery. If that is your thing, you might rate this category higher. For me, too much time is bogged down by Butcher having to explain the process behind the variety of spells and potions.

Spells and sorcery, however, are not the only reasons this plot received a lower rating than the other categories. The over-arching plot line in Storm Front is far inferior to later books. There are a few too many “I saw that coming” moments for me. The pacing wasn’t quite as smooth as I would have liked either.

The Plot Conclusion

There were some elements in the plot that were less than stellar, but don’t let that dissuade you from picking up Storm Front. The Dresden Files are a serialized collection of novels (each book builds upon the previous) so you do need to start here. Regardless of how you feel about the plot, the quality of the writing and characters is so strong that he could have ripped off the plot from Twilight and I still probably would have enjoyed it (if you know my feelings on Twilight then you know what a big statement that is).

If you like humor mixed with action/adventure/ and urban fantasy then you will love this book.