Rating: 
Summary: a great series
Review: This book of the Dresden series is the first and also the weakest. However, the series is actually great. The second book is better than the first and the third book shows that Mr. Butcher has pulled this series together. The fourth book is really great. I was also a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton, especially her early books, but I have lost interest because of the repetitive nature of her books. Some powerful vamp. or other nasty comes to town, or she goes to its town, and there is a contest of wills. This contest devolves into sexual intimidation of some sort and so on. I think Mr. Butcher understands what Miss Hamilton used to. Read their books and see for yourself, but for me, I plan on reading the Dresdon series from this point on.
Thanks
Rating: 
Summary: Dirty Harry Potter
Review: I bought this book on a whim and I'm so glad I did. It's a fun and sometimes gory romp through the adventures of a wizard/detective. Set in the real world, the book overcame my dislike of pure fantasy. Dresden interacts with supernatural characters but the grit and grime of today's society are part of what he's fighting. I disagree with the review saying Dresden is inept and he's always dropping his wand. I don't think this person read the book. Dresden is a likable character and his use of magic is believable (in a suspension of disbelief sort of way). I'm 3/4 through "Fool Moon" and plan on reading the entire series. I'm not saying this is Shakespeare but it is a fun world to dive into for an enjoyable read. It's nice to see a wizard finally show his real power and use it. So many wizards in fiction use their powers in subtle ways. Aren't there many of us out here who want to see the Gandolphs and the Merlins just totally kick butt? In this book, the wizard gets to. Kudos to Jim Butcher for a great series.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing premise but plot full of holes
Review: Storm Front is Book One of the Dresden Files, and there are at least four published in the series so far.
In this book, we are introduced to Harry Dresden, a wizard living in Chicago and barely making a living as an investigator of the paranormal and consultant to the police.
As the story unfolds, Harry has a new client and is called to investigate a double murder by the police. We get to see Harry's life on multiple levels, as he works an outside job, and inside job, and attempts to deal with various issues in his personal life, such as dating, annoying faeries, and trouble with the unseen White Council.
I found the story intriguing, and although somewhat derivative, there were some interesting spins in creating a hard-boiled gumshoe wizard.
In creating a back story for Harry Dresden, author Jim Butcher has done a good job. In reading the book, I can tell that details of Harry's life have been thought out, that he has a family tree, there are rules to magic, and he has a history with his mentor. The White Council, while unseen, is represented by Morgan, a cross between a probation officer and grand inquisitor, and Dresden's nemesis. There are several sequences involving magical talismans, spells, potions and such that were interesting, and acceptable as far as magical realism.
Now for the bumps, and there were more than a few.
Another reviewer already commented on the issue of the canister and how Harry came to get it. I wondered also, why give it up so easily?There was a very basic temporal gaff, when the day is referred to as Friday when it's already Saturday, and this is not just nit-picking because the day sequence is integral to the plot and Harry's fate.
Also, the plot just didn't hold together well, like the author was trying to do too much and tie things together with some implausible coincidences. He's called in to investigate a murder involving some mob guy and a woman, which leads him to connections with a more powerful mob guy selling drugs, and then into a connection with a black wizard peddling a drug that allows users to glimpse through the 'Third Eye' and eventually it's all a setup? Please.
Dresden's relationship with Officer Murphy didn't fly either. Why doesn't he just talk to these people? How can she slap handcuffs on him after she's been poisoned by a dog-size scorpion? Why does she think he's the killer? This just irritated me.
Morgan the wizard also thought Harry was the killer, and this bugged me because I thought the White Council would at least have some sense on who's using what kind of powers.
I had no problem finishing the book, because it was a quick read, and I'm interested enough in the big picture story to read the next one, but I hope the story plotting is better.
Rating: 
Summary: It Hurt to Read
Review: The main character and story were intensely painful to follow, as the intention of the plot was to give the Mary Sue, or in this case Harry Sue, a backdrop to show how down and out he is, yet still emensely powerful. Most of what serves as back drop are obvious rips off other more popular book and tv series, which I wouldn't mind if the rips had been halfway decent ones. I had to force myself to read the entire book, mostly because so many people had given it such high reviews, I kept thinking it had to get better, and there had to be something really good coming up that would make all the "ow!" "wince much!" moments worth the agony. Only there wasn't. I thought it might just be me, so I flipped the book at a friend of mine, asked him to read some and tell me if he liked it. Maybe it was because I'm a girl that I found Harry to be a jerk. But it isn't a gender thing, as my guy friend pretty much said, "I can't stand this guy." And couldn't get more than a few pages in before he utterly refused to read any more. I'll give the writer cred for following through and getting a full manuscript together, and getting it and the sequels published. Apparently some people like it, but I wonder if it's because it's good work, or because they all know each other on the same mailing list and want to boost another list member as much as they can. I found it very irritating on more levels than I have the time and energy to go into, but the high points are that there isn't even an attempt at realistic portrayals of a policewoman (see major supporting character), women in general actually, and the story's movement depends mostly on out of the blue coincidences with no plot support, and a magic system that is senseless and dopey, as well there is also an overly smug feel of Harry Sue self indulgence to the over all work. The writer is a great guy, well spoken, and I have only great respect for him as a person. Seen him on the mailing lists, and really enjoy his posts. I just can't stand his books. Other people seem to like it though, so my suggestion is to read a few chapters before actually buying the book. If you like it, great. If you don't, the precaution will save you cash you can spend on other books.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Good But Flawed First Book in the Series
Review: This is a truly enjoyable novel, but had several of those annoying moments where you slap your forehead and rein in the impulse to scream, "What was he THINKING?" The minor stuff first. (1) At one point in the narrative, Butcher needs to arm Harry with a handgun. For reasons we won't go into, it needs to be revolver, and it needs to be small enough to drop into an overcoat pocket. He chooses a Smith & Wesson Chiefs Special. A sound choice. (I should mention I make my living testing and evaluating firearms, primarily handguns, and writing them up for gun magazines, as well as being a firearms instructor.) But he mentions, several times, this is a 6-shot revolver. He hasn't done his research well enough to know the Chiefs Special .38 holds five rounds, not six. Like I said, a minor point, but jarring for a specialist in the area. (2) Harry's friend has been seriously injured. As the EMTs take her, Harry babbles out instructions on how to treat her, "She's got a puncture wound in the shoulder. You may need to put on a tourniquet." False. Speaking as a graduate of the EMT course, one of the basic rules of applying a tourniquet is that it may only be applied to arms or legs, i.e. you're placing a constricting band between the heart and the wound site. You can't do that with a wound to the torso. Again, a minor point but irritating to those who know something about the topic under discussion. (3) And here's the biggie, the one that absolutely drove me nuts. Without giving away too much of the plot, let's just say there's a scene where Harry is examining a lake front house that belongs to a missing husband he's been hired to locate. He finds, on the house's lawn, an empty, bright red film canister. Later we learn this canister was left behind by a photographer sneakily taking pictures of a orgy occurring in an upstairs room. Later, for no discernible reason, Harry, in a depressed funk, wandering the streets, decides to break into a police secured murder scene and falls asleep on the floor of the murder room - a bedroom, lying by the bed in which the dead body was found. Why did he go to this room - even Harry says there's no good reason. Well, obviously it's because Butcher needs to get Harry there to move the story along. Because when Harry wakes up, he beholds, by the downward hanging edge of the bed's cover....a bright red film canister! And yes, inside it, it turns out, is the very roll of film that was taken at the lake house. In order to believe this scene, we have to believe that (a) the photographer was so incompetent he arrived at the lake house in the dead of night, only then realized his camera was unloaded, while loading the camera on the lawn he dropped the film canister and just left it laying there. Okay, with a generous suspension of disbelief I can buy that part. (b) We have to believe that a police forensics team, investigating a murder scene in a bedroom, didn't happen to notice there was a roll of exposed film inside a bright red film canister laying by the bed in which the murder took place, and just left it laying there. Uh, no. The strings were showing in that one, the deus ex machina in full view. So Butcher is weak in the area of research, and at times his plot depends on abolute impossibilities to move the story along. You ask me to believe in wizards and demons, I'm down with that. It's called magical realism. You ask me to believe a Chicago Police Department forensics team is so incompetent they overlooked something that had CLUE tattooed on it, didn't scoop that roll of film into an evidence bag and develop it at the first opportunity (hell, they didn't even take the bed covers for testing), that's not magical realism - that's impossible. Still, for all that, believe it or not, I greatly enjoyed this book. For me, it's the character of Harry Dresden who carries the book. He's irresistibly good. I'll be reading the second book in this series shortly. The friend who loaned me the first book did say that, as the series progresses, Butcher's plotting skills improve over this first outing.
Rating:
Summary: A good beginning to a promising series
Review: This is the first of a new urban fantasy series. Harry Dresden lives in Chicago and is a wizard: Paranormal Investigation. No Love Potions, Endless Purses or Other Entertainment. Business isn't particularly lively (most people don't believe in wizards), so he does occasional consulting with the police department when something "a little strange" comes along. This time he's on the trail of a mage involved in a double murder. It gets 'interesting' when the mage starts noticing him. And as if things couldn't get worse, the Council of Wizards sends a Warden to monitor Harry's activities to make sure he hasn't broken any of their rules. Harry's world is full of irony and sly humor, odd beings (fairies who can be trapped with honey and paid with pizza), and supernatural storms. It's a quick read, the specific mystery is wrapped up, and I wanted more. Lucky for me and other readers who also like authors Susan Sizemore and Laurell Hamilton, there's more of Harry on the horizon.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Read and Fast!!
Review: Just a great book to read. Not deep but moves fast. Similar to the Glen Cook Garrett Files. Humor is mixed in which I like. I have enjoyed all 4 of his books so far and it will be difficult to wait for the 5th one. It is better if you read them in order but it is not necessary.
Rating:
Summary: If you are Huff or Hamilton fan...
Review: ...You will thoroughly enjoy Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden. He has the same self-depreciating sense of humor, and the same wise-cracking bravado of Anita Blake, but not the over abundance of introspection. Harry Dresden knows who and what he is, and does not spend a great deal of time bemoaning his difference from the rest of humanity. Storm Front and the other Harry Dresden books are more action than character driven, and romance is way down on the list of importance. The characters are intriguing, and reading carefully is a must, since their thoughts and their personalities are revealed not by what they say, but what they do.
Rating:
Summary: Audio Book is AWSOME
Review: This is a wonderful book - and I have just finished listening to the audio book (8 CD's) read by James Marsters - which is fabulous. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Wizard For Hire
Review: I absolutely love this series. The premise is wonderful, and while Jim Butcher may be new to writing, he has done a great job with his characters and the plot lines. His ability to combine the drama and the humor works well within the context of the story. I also like the fact that he seems to carry a sub story arc from book to book. The main plot line is there, but as you read each of the books in the series, you can see where he has underlying threads that will be explored in future novels.
Ex: His godmother, his parents and WHAT exactly DID happen between him and his mentor? This makes for interesting reading to me. Lets me get to know that character a little deeper, even as he is out being the reluctant hero in the current plot.
His assistant Bob is hilarious as a sidekick, and the relationship between Harry and Detective Karrin Murphy is..tentative. She's a highly trained professional who has to deal with things that are not supposed to be real...and he's one of them.
I would recommend this novel and the ones that follow after, to anyone who enjoys a story with a reluctant hero, humorous sidekicks, and even that leetle hint of romance. The continuous story arcs are also a plus.
As I once heard someone say, "Harry Potter..all grown up!"
|
