Click for Source Image By Samantha Payne
Very much an urban Fantasy, Storm Front is a stunning debut novel by Jim Butcher; an avid gamer from Missouri. Storm Front is the first instalment of an on-going series that, as this review is written, has 17 books under its belt. The series also has a TV show to its name, though unfortunately it was cancelled after only one series. There is talk however of reviving the series anew sometime in the future.
Very much an urban Fantasy, Storm Front is a stunning debut novel by Jim Butcher; an avid gamer from Missouri. Storm Front is the first instalment of an on-going series that, as this review is written, has 17 books under its belt. The series also has a TV show to its name, though unfortunately it was cancelled after only one series. There is talk however of reviving the series anew sometime in the future.
Click for Source Image We meet Harry Dresden, a wizard private investigator operating in Chicago city. With his witty remarks and sarcastic personality, he likes to do things his way. He has a knack for disrupting, even destroying, any form of technology so he lives in his basement flat under the glow of candle light; replacing the blown out light bulbs was getting too bothersome and expensive for him. In the basement of his flat dwells his magical database in the form of Bob. Without giving too much away, Bob is not human but has the personality of a lecherous old man and he often takes great delight in tormenting his arcane colleague. Harry also has a close acquaintance in the form of Lieutenant Murphy, the director of Special Investigations out of downtown Chicago’s police force. She is a strong, practical woman who is often responsible for keeping Harry’s feet on the ground so to speak. She is often irritated by his antics and distrusts his motives but he is an invaluable resource for her investigations so she begrudgingly keeps him around. Throughout the book, it is obvious that she struggles to hide feelings for him, often covering them up with a remark straight off her sharp tongue.
We follow the story of the rather sarcastic modern day wizard as he struggles to solve the case of a double murder. Told from his perspective, the reader is able to see our world the way he sees it; with warts and all (excuse the bad pun, I couldn’t resist). With money almost non-existent, he grabs the case with both hands from Lieutenant Murphy before realising the true impact the crime will have on his very life. Upon arriving at the grisly scene, it’s immediately apparent that black magic is at play. Dresden is already on thin ice with the White Council, especially Morgan and cannot afford to be seen trying to work out how it was performed, even if it was in the name of justice. The White Council are an organisation whose many purposes include keeping magic practitioners in check. He desperately needs the money so he begins taking action to solve the case, which leads him down a road that nearly results in his own death on a few occasions. The narrative accumulates into an exciting conclusion, making you keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. The story is tied up neatly so you don’t have to read the next books, though with so many interesting events hinted at but never fully expanded upon, one can't help but feel the urge to delve further into Dresden’s world.
As the story is more humorous than serious for most of its telling, there aren’t many clear-cut moral lesson to be found unlike in many other Fantasy novels. A recurring theme that does seem to pronounce itself throughout the book is Dresden’s constant struggle to do what he knows is right but would be seen as wrong by loftier peers. With the threat of execution looming constantly over his head, Harry is forced to find solutions without bending the rules too much. This doesn’t work out as planned and he ends up running from persecution from his fellows in order to save the day. An interesting representation of how one person’s ‘right’ can be another person’s ‘wrong’. On another note, the way in which Harry views his cherished pentacle amulet, given to him by his beloved mother, shines a positive light upon the belief system of modern day witches. It is represented as his tower of strength when all seems lost and all he has is his belief in magic to save him; a belief that was strong enough to save him many times. His devotion towards his craft and unwavering faith in the eternal presence of magic is a strong, underlying theme throughout the book.
As a thoroughly entertaining read with engaging, three dimensional characters; this is most definitely a series I wish to explore in more depth. As once a strictly High Fantasy reader, I was pleasantly surprised by this contemporary Fantasy written by an author with a fascinating personality, if his writing style is anything to go by. I would recommend this book and most probably the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys a little comedy on the side of their Fantasy feast. I could happily whittle away a few afternoons immersed in Harry Dresden’s world.
We follow the story of the rather sarcastic modern day wizard as he struggles to solve the case of a double murder. Told from his perspective, the reader is able to see our world the way he sees it; with warts and all (excuse the bad pun, I couldn’t resist). With money almost non-existent, he grabs the case with both hands from Lieutenant Murphy before realising the true impact the crime will have on his very life. Upon arriving at the grisly scene, it’s immediately apparent that black magic is at play. Dresden is already on thin ice with the White Council, especially Morgan and cannot afford to be seen trying to work out how it was performed, even if it was in the name of justice. The White Council are an organisation whose many purposes include keeping magic practitioners in check. He desperately needs the money so he begins taking action to solve the case, which leads him down a road that nearly results in his own death on a few occasions. The narrative accumulates into an exciting conclusion, making you keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. The story is tied up neatly so you don’t have to read the next books, though with so many interesting events hinted at but never fully expanded upon, one can't help but feel the urge to delve further into Dresden’s world.
As the story is more humorous than serious for most of its telling, there aren’t many clear-cut moral lesson to be found unlike in many other Fantasy novels. A recurring theme that does seem to pronounce itself throughout the book is Dresden’s constant struggle to do what he knows is right but would be seen as wrong by loftier peers. With the threat of execution looming constantly over his head, Harry is forced to find solutions without bending the rules too much. This doesn’t work out as planned and he ends up running from persecution from his fellows in order to save the day. An interesting representation of how one person’s ‘right’ can be another person’s ‘wrong’. On another note, the way in which Harry views his cherished pentacle amulet, given to him by his beloved mother, shines a positive light upon the belief system of modern day witches. It is represented as his tower of strength when all seems lost and all he has is his belief in magic to save him; a belief that was strong enough to save him many times. His devotion towards his craft and unwavering faith in the eternal presence of magic is a strong, underlying theme throughout the book.
As a thoroughly entertaining read with engaging, three dimensional characters; this is most definitely a series I wish to explore in more depth. As once a strictly High Fantasy reader, I was pleasantly surprised by this contemporary Fantasy written by an author with a fascinating personality, if his writing style is anything to go by. I would recommend this book and most probably the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys a little comedy on the side of their Fantasy feast. I could happily whittle away a few afternoons immersed in Harry Dresden’s world.
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