Storm Front
by Jim Butcher
The (a) story follows Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden: Chicago’s best—and only—professional wizard-for-hire. Of course, claiming to have a hand in the supernatural in this day and age gets you more strange looks than paid gigs. But when a grisly double-murder takes place, and the murderer appears to have their own hand in the supernatural, Harry expects a big payday is in store for him. Only, with a dark sorcerer on the loose, it’s only a matter of time before Harry finds himself with a target on his own back. Throw a stone-cold mob boss and a possible date night into the mix, and it’s looking to be one crazy weekend. If Harry can live to tell about it, of course.
The (A) story is about power. Not only the supernatural power wielded by wizards and warlocks alike, but the power of influence. The power of money. And the effects that power, in all its forms, has on both those who wield it and those close to it. The story also speaks to the ways in which such powers are used, and the responsibilities that (should) come with them.
This is the first book in The Dresden Files, which has been one of my favorite book series ever since I was in high school. So far, the series consists of eighteen novels, fifteen of which I have read. Looking back on the first book as an adult, I can see some of the novel’s rough edges. The whole “noir” vibe seems to reach campy levels at times, and there is a little bit of “telling” vs. “showing” sprinkled throughout. But it is not enough to really take you out of the narrative, and one could argue that the camp fits the overall voice of the series. Harry Dresden is definitely a character, and the utter ridiculousness of some of the situations he finds himself in have made me laugh out loud on occasion.
There is also a lot to be said about the more spiritual aspects of Wicca that the books cover. I don’t know too much about Jim Butcher’s personal life, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some kind of history with Wicca and paganism. As someone who started exploring that region of spirituality around the same time I started reading, it was especially cool for me to have a book series that followed characters who had similar beliefs and principles.
In spite of Storm Front’s “flaws” (and I feel that “flaws” is a really strong word to begin with), I really enjoyed getting back into the series and am looking forward to finally catching up to where Jim Butcher has left off. If you like urban fantasies, crime and detective fiction, and goofy, sarcastic lead characters, then I am confident you will love The Dresden Files.
