Review - Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN-10: 1841493988
Publication Date: 1 Sept 2005

Synopsis taken from Goodreads:

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

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 come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a — well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. 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.

My Review:

Well now, I very nearly didn't read this. After the first two or three chapters I started to pick holes in it and wasn't really 'into' it very much and thought I should maybe quit while I was ahead.... Laziness was the decider in the end and I stuck with it because it was either that or traipse downstairs to get a replacement from the bookshelf....

Anyway, it got a bit better after those first few chapters. Or at least I think it got better, I'm not altogether sure if it did actually. Maybe it was just more of the same and I got used to the style. That's the thing with this book, I'm not sure what to make of it or what to think.

Harry Dresden is a wizard. But a crappy one. Or is he? I don't think he's meant to seem crappy but that's how he comes across to me.

He's got a gumshoe/Philip Marlowe/Sam Spade thing going on but he's also got wizardy powers and you'd think that would be a huge advantage to him, but no, he doesn't know what he's doing half the time or even HOW to do it (and if sometimes he does know - he's too scared to do it).

If you took out the wizard stuff then this is just a detective story. Without magic he's just Columbo (minus the razor sharp mind). He even has a ratty duster coat which he eats, rests and plays in.

It's a book about a down on his luck Private Eye who is useless with women (although women seem to go for him, for some reason) and he's got special paranormal powers. That's it in a nutshell really.

So, why then do I like it? I have no clue. I honestly don't know - I just do. I wouldn't recommend it to others, I won't stay up 3 nights running to devour the rest in the series and I don't even particularly like Harry Dresden as a character. Doesn't make any sense but it is what it is. I like the book.

I want to read the next few, and I will, but I'm not desperate for them. And if he would just stop defining women by how much make up they use and what clothes they wear, he and I will get along a lot better in later books.