Audio CD, 8 pages
English language
Published Nov. 11, 1997 by Buzzy Multimedia Publishing.
The novels of the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and non-stop fun. Storm Front is Jim Butcher's first novel and introduces his most famous and popular character-Harry Dresden, wizard for hire.For his first case, Harry is called in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with the blackest of magic. At first, the less-than-solvent Harry's eyes light up with dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage. Now, that black mage knows Harry's name. And things are about to get very...interesting.
Some of the foreshadowing is a little clunky, but overall it was a very entertaining read. I'll definitely be continuing on with the series.
Happy I read it! I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening to Storm Front. I'd heard of the TV show The Dresden Files but never watched an episode or even knew what it was about. I didn't know until recently that the show was based on a series of books.
It wasn't until I saw the newest book by Jim Butcher - a steampunk adventure - that I actually took the time to look him up. I spoke to a few folks about the Dresden series and decided to give the first one a shot. And I'm happy I did.
I truly enjoyed the magical aspects of the story and the mystery was pretty good, too. The secondary characters were interesting, although not very fleshed out, and while I didn't like everything about Harry, I found him a believable protagonist with an interesting backstory. …
Happy I read it! I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening to Storm Front. I'd heard of the TV show The Dresden Files but never watched an episode or even knew what it was about. I didn't know until recently that the show was based on a series of books.
It wasn't until I saw the newest book by Jim Butcher - a steampunk adventure - that I actually took the time to look him up. I spoke to a few folks about the Dresden series and decided to give the first one a shot. And I'm happy I did.
I truly enjoyed the magical aspects of the story and the mystery was pretty good, too. The secondary characters were interesting, although not very fleshed out, and while I didn't like everything about Harry, I found him a believable protagonist with an interesting backstory.
I'm already on the waiting list with my local library for the second audio book.
Actualizo la nota por relectura.
Es la presentación de un mundo, por lo que no se pueden meter muy a saco con la mitología que lo mueve, así que solo presentan a un par de personajes importantes, y a una facción y media de las que se pueden mover por ahí.
La historia cuadra con lo que nos han vendido de novela negra: investigador luchando por sacar dinero para sobrevivir, ambientación oscura, moral más oscura todavía, etc. Pero aquí mete la magia, y hace al personaje de Dresden más apreciable quitándole el casi todas las connotaciones malas que se asocian al detective privado noir.
Aunque en un par de momentos se saca de la manga datos que solo sirven porque se habría atascado la investigación sin el, pero que ni importa antes ni después para el prota, el caso se mueve fluido y la acción es rápida, aunque evidentemente no …
Actualizo la nota por relectura.
Es la presentación de un mundo, por lo que no se pueden meter muy a saco con la mitología que lo mueve, así que solo presentan a un par de personajes importantes, y a una facción y media de las que se pueden mover por ahí.
La historia cuadra con lo que nos han vendido de novela negra: investigador luchando por sacar dinero para sobrevivir, ambientación oscura, moral más oscura todavía, etc. Pero aquí mete la magia, y hace al personaje de Dresden más apreciable quitándole el casi todas las connotaciones malas que se asocian al detective privado noir.
Aunque en un par de momentos se saca de la manga datos que solo sirven porque se habría atascado la investigación sin el, pero que ni importa antes ni después para el prota, el caso se mueve fluido y la acción es rápida, aunque evidentemente no llega al nivel de lo que puede llegar a pasar en los libros siguientes.
Meh. Adolescent male nerd fantasy.
Supernatural Chicago, the Windy City, city of my heart, and where my love affair with Harry Dresden begins. This is one of my favorite series of all time. Harry has it all, tall, dark and lanky with so much snark, bravery, and chivalry that I can hardly bear it.
The plot is a little weak in places but it introduces all of the characters well and sets us up for so many future plot lines. Gentleman Johnny Marcone and his seedy criminal underworld. We get to enjoy steak and ale at McAnally's with the ever reticent Mac, and we get a glimpse of the partnership between Murphy and Dresden that sustains the series over many books. And while we hardly get enough Bob, it's an introduction to his shenanigans and he is always good for a laugh. So much goodness here that I will choose to ignore my hatred of …
Supernatural Chicago, the Windy City, city of my heart, and where my love affair with Harry Dresden begins. This is one of my favorite series of all time. Harry has it all, tall, dark and lanky with so much snark, bravery, and chivalry that I can hardly bear it.
The plot is a little weak in places but it introduces all of the characters well and sets us up for so many future plot lines. Gentleman Johnny Marcone and his seedy criminal underworld. We get to enjoy steak and ale at McAnally's with the ever reticent Mac, and we get a glimpse of the partnership between Murphy and Dresden that sustains the series over many books. And while we hardly get enough Bob, it's an introduction to his shenanigans and he is always good for a laugh. So much goodness here that I will choose to ignore my hatred of Susan.
"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."
Pretty good, though I found myself wishing that the writing was stronger and the premise was fleshed out a little differently. Wizard/hardboiled detective is very clever, but the execution was just a little clumsy. Fun, for sure.
4.5 stars.
I would entitle the review "How Urban Fantasy should be written".
After reading this, I realized that this genre has been ruined by many stereotypes and the border between UF and Romance and other st isn't so clear.
I think that after I've read some UF series, I came up with the idea that they are all almost identical: the badass female protagonist (always first person POV) that alternates moments like "I'll kick your ass, you damn bastard" with others like "I go to the toilet, I put make up on my face thinking of that cool guy, I whine because I can't/...paranoic thoughts following". The cool and über-smartass alpha-and-so-on guy who inspires forbidden fantasies. The bad guy who always wants to kill the protagonist, because figured out she is special, however. The writing is a continuous sequence of "damn", "fuck", "dude" and monosyllabic sentences. I found …
4.5 stars.
I would entitle the review "How Urban Fantasy should be written".
After reading this, I realized that this genre has been ruined by many stereotypes and the border between UF and Romance and other st isn't so clear.
I think that after I've read some UF series, I came up with the idea that they are all almost identical: the badass female protagonist (always first person POV) that alternates moments like "I'll kick your ass, you damn bastard" with others like "I go to the toilet, I put make up on my face thinking of that cool guy, I whine because I can't/...paranoic thoughts following". The cool and über-smartass alpha-and-so-on guy who inspires forbidden fantasies. The bad guy who always wants to kill the protagonist, because figured out she is special, however. The writing is a continuous sequence of "damn", "fuck", "dude" and monosyllabic sentences. I found all this so irritating. But the main critic I point to this genre is the lack of explanations. Without them, plot doesn't make sense and characters lose credibility.
After this previous "fed-up" moment, let's talk about this book.
1. I liked the writing.
2. I kind of loved Harry Dresden. He's a credible hero who isn't perfect but he's cool at the same time. He makes mistakes, he's stubborn as hell and wit.
please Mr. Dresden, run your office also in Italy!!
3. I loved Bob, even if he appeared only a few times. I hope we can see more Bob in the sequels.
4. Even if she's stubborn as hell and bitchy, I liked also Murphy because she is well depicted.
5. The plot: the reader is focused on following the detective story without any kind of st. Yes, there are vampires and fairies, but they are just pieces of the puzzle and their "personalities" are tricky and evil. ahem...they are not sex gods giving a nasty look at Jeaniene Frost, KM Moning, maybe Ilona Andrews
What I disliked:
- some absurd moments that left me a bit stunned, but I managed to pass over.
Eventually I really liked this first volume and I recommend it everyone.
Listened to this in audiobook format. Thinking I would've liked it better if the narrator didn't sound like he was having an asthma attack on a subway. All of the sighing, wheezing, and background noise got pretty distracting.
Enjoyable pulp.
It's the first book from a series called Dresden Files, which kept popping on my "stuff I should have a look at" radar, and it was worth the attention. Harry Dresden is a registered wizard (he's in the Yellow Pages and all that); he works more or less as a "wizard PI" (he has a specialty in finding lost things, apparently), and he occasionally helps the police when it comes to weird investigations. And when two people are found with their hearts ripped out of their ribcage, it's definitely in the realm of "weird investigations". It doesn't help that, as one of the few wizards potentially able to pull that kind of things, he's obviously a prime suspect in the investigation from the occult side of the force. All in all, pretty cool. And funny. Maybe a bit of a show-off for the ending - a bit too much "big …
It's the first book from a series called Dresden Files, which kept popping on my "stuff I should have a look at" radar, and it was worth the attention. Harry Dresden is a registered wizard (he's in the Yellow Pages and all that); he works more or less as a "wizard PI" (he has a specialty in finding lost things, apparently), and he occasionally helps the police when it comes to weird investigations. And when two people are found with their hearts ripped out of their ribcage, it's definitely in the realm of "weird investigations". It doesn't help that, as one of the few wizards potentially able to pull that kind of things, he's obviously a prime suspect in the investigation from the occult side of the force. All in all, pretty cool. And funny. Maybe a bit of a show-off for the ending - a bit too much "big bad of the season"; but generally speaking worth reading.
A fun, light romp. I would read more in the series.
Fun and quirky! Dig the restructured mythos and modern setting.
A little bit too much just-in-the-nick-of-time in the action sequences, and a few too many beautiful dames in the cast of characters, but a fun read
Not bad, but also not good. There may be something under the pulpyness, but then again maybe not. I will probably read other books from this series though, because they are really quick.
I think sandman slim was better, but this was still a good book. It kinda had that tv cop show feel to it, by the end you know who did it long before it was revealed.
I'm still going to read the next one.
