As I previously stated, I plan to review all of the books that I have read in The Dresden Files series and will add more reviews as I continue to read the series. The first book in this series by Jim Butcher is entitled Storm Front. In Storm Front, we are introduced to Harry Dresden. Harry is a fairly normal guy – slightly above average intelligence, generally self-confident and self-made – living in modern-day Chicago. He lives in a modest apartment, works out of a small, rented office space where he does business in private investigation as well as police consultation. Only, Harry isn’t a normal P.I. – he’s a wizard.
Storm Front hits the ground running with Harry being involved in work pretty much on page one. In this novel he starts off helping to investigate some strange murders for the Chicago PD and ends up in a fight for his own life against magic, demons, and giant scorpions – all while trying to avoid his own execution. Jim Butcher paints a world where magic not only exists, but it could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t even notice it.
In this introductory volume, Jim Butcher puts together all the elements for a compelling series. The supporting characters are well-developed and believeable, the environment is familiar, and the main character is flawed enough to be relatable and likeable enough to root for when the odd are stacked against him. Storm Front has all the smart elements of a modern-day murder mystery but with a subtle twist of magical mayhem. If you are looking for a single read, the story is well encapsulated. If you are looking for a new series to get into, there is plenty of potential generated by in this story that Butcher definitely makes good on with his subsequent volumes (those reviews coming soon).