Storm Front

 

Level: Explicit Lite

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Obtained: Borrowed from a friend

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover

I can't say whether I like this cover one way or the other. It's a good cover for the book. It's gritter, like the books, and has a masculine feel to it so the good news is that it will more than likely bring in those interested in The Dresden Files. The downfall is it's not eye catching, which means many would end up passing it up. At least, they chose a brighter colour for the font so that should help a little with the eye catching factor.

About the Book:

Harry Dresden is a public wizard for hire (which doesn't make a lot of money when few people believe in magic). Recently, a wife ended up hiring Harry to find her husband, who she believes ran off due to magic. Meanwhile, Harry is also helping the police on a gruesome murder case where the victims end up having their hearts explode out of their chests. Of course, his involvement in the case lands him in a heap of trouble. First, he gets a visit from the mafia and later he has a mark on his head from the murderer. To top it off, The White Council, a secret organization that monitors wizards, believes that Harry is the one responsible for the murders, and if they find him guilty, there will only be one outcome for Harry -- death.

Rating: 8/10

I have been hearing how great The Dresden Files are for years now, and I have finally started the series. Although I still liked Storm Front, I wouldn't put it in the fantastic category. However, I have also heard that the series doesn't hit the fantastic level until about book three or four. That's not to say that Storm Front isn't worth reading. It certainly has a lot going for it. One of my favourite things about Storm Front us the main character himself, Harry Dresden. Even though Harry is a very powerful wizard, he still has plenty of flaws. He has trouble making rent, for one, and has a strong tendency to treat all women like delicate flower, even if they happen not to be (even better is the book calls him out on this). Butcher also adds little quirks to his world to make it more interesting such as the fact that technology tends to go on the fritz around wizards.

The plot was fairly interesting. It's a plot we see often enough in urban fantasy, but Jim Butcher executed it quite well. At first, I found it just to be okay. It was still easily readable, but the overall feel felt like something I have come across quite often in my reading. It did have a few spots that stuck out such as Butcher's vampires and a scene where Dresden ends up naked in a thunder storm. However, I didn't start really liking Storm Front until closer until the end, and the climax certainly made up for the rest of the book (which, again, wasn't bad, just not great). Once the murderer get a lock of Harry Dresden's hair, I didn't want to put the book down. Sadly, I had little choice since there was holiday cooking that needed done. Overall, though, I found Storm Front enjoyable. The first half wasn't as gripping as I would have liked, but the climax wouldn't let go. Not a huge fan so far, but we will certainly see where my fandom ends up down the road.

What I'm Reading Next: