My
eldest son suggested I read this. I don’t know whether he thinks I’m in my
dotage because it’s not the sort of book I would normally read and is outside my
comfort zone. I’m actually rather surprised he read it as he tends to go for
something more sophisticated - so maybe now he’s fifty he’s in his
dotage?
Storm
Front is a 2000 novel by science fiction and fantasy author Jim Butcher. It is
the first novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series and it follows
the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard.
Summary:
Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable
Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Meet
Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out the 'everyday'
world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well
with humans. That's where Harry comes in.
Harry
Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he
does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or
capability, they look to him for answers. Takes a wizard to catch a — well,
whatever.
So
when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with
black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's
a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when
things start to get . . . interesting.
Magic
- it can get a guy killed.
There
are 15 books in the series and they are written as a first person narrative
from the perspective of the main character, private investigator and wizard
Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in
modern-day Chicago.
In
Storm Front, the first of the series, Dresden is hired by a woman to find her
husband Victor Sells, an amateur magician who has been acting oddly. Later that
day, he gets a call from Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, director of the Special
Investigations (SI) Unit of the Chicago Police Department. Murphy's partner
shows him the bodies of two people, gruesomely murdered by having their hearts
ripped out. Dresden realizes that he is the chief suspect for these magical
murders.
The
book involves encounters with vampires, an unknown warlock, and the
ever-suspicious Morgan who has been assigned to him by the White Council to make
sure he didn’t bend or break any of the Laws of Magic. Morgan considers Dresden
a liability and wants an excuse to eliminate him.
It
was a quick and easy read, brimming with wise cracks and one liners, romance,
suspense, gore, it was great escapism fun with some interesting characters.
Harry is a funny, likeable character, the book has a fast placed plot filled
with plenty of twists and turns and an extensive cast of diverse, well-written
secondary characters. However I don’t feel inclined to read any more in the
series as it’s not really my cup of tea. I think they would appeal more to
young adults. So maybe my son is enjoying a second youth.
The
novel was later adapted into a pilot for a SyFy channel television series.
Jim
Butcher is a ten-year student of martial arts and works as a computer support
technician. He lives in Missouri with his wife and son and a houseful of
computers.
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