Storm Front: Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Dresden Files series has been recommended to me about a million times. Even by people who don’t particularly like the fantasy genre.
The series is technically urban fantasy and it features the eponymous Harry Dresden as a wizard for hire in modern-day Chicago. Essentially he helps the police out if crimes are a bit weird.
I had already read the first five of the Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London series, which is a similar deal except there the wizards are a tiny department within the police. And it is set in London. I adored the first three of that series but then got a little bored.
I think the boredom with that was what made me a little reticent to start something that sounded so similar.
I have only read the first two books – Storm Front and Fool Moon, and loved them. Concerned that the series might go stale later on, I looked into some forums and was delighted to find out that everyone says the series gets better and better. They were positively gushing about it.
Some fans even recommended skipping book two altogether. This is reassuring, as I thoroughly enjoyed it, so it seems like the only way is up.
There was a TV show too, apparently, but books are always the better option.
What happens in Storm Front (the first Dresden book)?
In case the vague rambling above is not sufficiently convincing and you want to know just what kind of shenanigans you’re in for, I will quickly provide a spoiler free synopsis of book one.
Dresden is hired by a lady called Monica Sells, who says her amateur magician husband (a real magician) has been acting a bit weird. She wants Dresden to find him. Later the same day, Lieutenant Murphy, Dresden’s main police liaison, contacts him and says there have been a couple of bizarre murders.
Dresden meets up with Murphy and finds that the two bodies have had their hearts ripped out by magic. More alarmingly, Dresden becomes the chief suspect for the murders.
The book involves some pretty well thought out magic, has hot vampires, warlocks, magic drugs, demons, and Chicago gangsters. It is a lot of fun.
The second book – Fool Moon – is similar, and has werewolves. Different types of werewolves in fact. Let’s face it, if you liked the first, you’re going to read the second. And keep in mind that it just gets better from there according to wise souls on the internet.
I am rationing myself with the Dresden Files and am reading one in between other series. I am reading the Wheel of Time, so I read one of them, then a Dresden book, then a Space Team book or classic sci-fi, then a modern thriller or classic literature, then back to the Wheel of Time, and repeat. It is good to mix genres and chuck in a classic depending on mood.
The Dresden books are nice and short, so I may even read a couple in a row. When I get further into the series, I will hopefully be back here to wax lyrical about it. Until then, I have some reading to do.
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