Book Review | Storm Front (Dresden #1) by Jim Butcher

★★★★☆

332 pages

Published: April 1, 2000
by ROC

Read: December 2022

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.

Link to Goodreads

Main Characters

• Harry Dresden – professional wizard; sometimes consults with the police
• Monica Sells – Dresden’s client who comes to him when her husband goes missing; she confides with him about her husband’s dabbling with magic
• Victor Sells – Monica’s husband
• Karrin Murphy – Leutentant with the police force in Chicago; the officer that calls in Dresden
• Ron Carmichael – Detective, works with Murphy; skeptical of Harry
• Jennifer Stanton – Murder victim that was killed by dark, powerful magic; Harry is called in to help investigate the case; prostitute for high end Velvet Room, run by a vampire
• Tommy Tomm – Murdered with Jennifer Stanton; bodyguard for John Marcone
• John Marcone – runs the crime world in Chiago
• MacAnally – owns the tavern that the magic world like to frequent
• Susan Rodriguez – Writes for the Midwestern Arcane – focuses on magical goings on; Harry asks her on a date
• Toot-toot – a faerie that helps Dresden (loves pizza!)
• Morgan – follows around Dresden, he is an enforcer of the White Council; his sole job is to make sure that Dresden doesn’t use magic incorrectly
• Mister – Dresden’s cat
• Bob – A skull that is a spirit that lives with Dresden
• Bianca St. Claire – owns the Velvet room; vampiress
• Linda Randall – used to work with Jennifer Stanton at the Velvet room
• The Beckitts – rich couple that are involved with Monica’s husband, Victor – Linda chauffeurs them
• Donny Wise – photographer
• Jenny and Billy Sells – Monica’s children

My Review

I said I wasn’t going to review this book because there are so many good reviews already out there, but here I am 🙂

I loved the last paragraph of this book:

“I don’t want to live in a world where the strong rule and the weak cower. I’d rather make a place where things are a little quieter. Where trolls stay the hell under their bridges and where elves don’t come swooping out to snatch children from their cradles. Where vampires respect the limits, and where the faeries mind their p’s and q’s. My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. I’m in the book.” 

I read this book as part of my Women and Med Device Book Club that we started. There is a good mix of genres that people enjoy in the group – so tried to find something both murdery and fantasy and came up with this! It was a pleasant surprise how much I liked it. I keep saying I’m not really a sci fi/fantasy fan, but then I like the ones I read 🙂

I will say that the plot got a little weird… orgies during lightning storms? It built up towards the end to the final fight, which handcuffs end up playing a big part in — and my brain couldn’t completely buy into it, but still a good read.

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“Paranoid? Probably. But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face.” 

“Have you ever felt despair? Absolute hopelessness? Have you ever stood in the darkness and known, deep in your heart, in your spirit, that it was never, ever going to get better? That something had been lost, forever, and that it wasn’t coming back?” 

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Likes

• Harry’s character is great – funny, nonchalant, witty, etc.
• Bob the skull and the antics he gets into
• This quote:

“I think that men ought to treat women like something other than weaker men with breasts.” 

Dislikes

• SCORPIONS! AHHH. Makes my skin crawl.

Spoilers