The Dresden Files: Storm Front

Ever wonder what it would be like if Harry Potter were a degenerate private-eye? Let me introduce you to Harry Dresden – wizard-detective for hire. My roommate is really into this series (since the first novel was published in 2000, it’s already at 15 novels and counting…) and recommended them to me. He did explain that first two novels aren’t really that great and it might be in my best interest to jump right into the third novel, but that’s not what we’re about here at the Black-Blog. We’re completionists. (Or at least wannabe completionists.) So, I started where all (hopefully) good stories start. At the beginning.

Storm Front, the first novel in The Dresden Files, is just OK. For reading it mostly in airports, it did a fair job at distracting me for the moment, but it didn’t really do much to leave a lasting impression on me. In fact, I’m about a month or so out since finishing it (I know, I’m terrible at consistently making my posts!) and I’m struggling to recall all of the elements from the story – even reverting to Wikipedia for a nice refresher course on the characters and some plot elements. Ah, yes… now it’s all coming back to me.

The story is fairly straightforward. In a time where magic exists in the shadows of our real world, there’s one wizard who offers his “detective” services for a price. Mostly helping police with any consulting services, Dresden also advertises his ability to find things. Then one day, a dame walks into his cramp, little office nervously asking if he could help find her estranged husband. Dresden takes the case just when the police stumble across a string of very strange murders that seem to coincide with a unpredictable thunderstorm weather pattern. As Dresden does his best to work on both cases side-by-side, we learn that they have more in common than what meets the eye. On top of this, Dresden is in hot water with the “magic council” (or whatever it’s called) for a being framed for causing these string of murders using his magic.

So, there we go. I think you can see where the story could be entertaining. I mean, the drama, action, and conflict are all there. But, somehow, the book ends up feeling a little generic and flat for me, thus, was never really able to get lost in it.

Already have the second book in my possession, Fool Moon – Ha! Get it? My roommate says it’s a little better than Storm Front, but I shouldn’t be getting my hopes too high. Don’t think that’s going to be a problem.

And there’s always The Dresden Files TV show to fall back on. With only one season ever aired, you know it has to be good!