Storm Front

Executive Summary: A decent, but not spectacular first novel that shows the promise of the excellent series of books that are to follow.Audio book: James Marsters does an alright job. I've been told he gets better. I'm not sure if this is the first audiobook he'd ever read, or was just having an off day. He doesn't ruin it by any means, but he doesn't seem to add any of acting ability into it either.Full ReviewAfter finishing up [b:Cold Days 12216302 Cold Days (The Dresden Files, #14) Jim Butcher http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345145377s/12216302.jpg 17189468] last fall, I went on a bit of a crusade to get more of my friends to read the series, much like I did back when I first discovered it several years ago.I found myself both itching for the next book, and having difficulty remembering some details of the world building of the 13 books that preceded it. I decided after enjoying an audio re-read of Harry Potter and the Dark Tower, that Dresden Files might be a good choice next.It's really amazing to see how far Jim Butcher has come as a writer, and how far Harry Dresden has evolved as both a character and a Wizard. This book is pretty rough in places. It's the only one I've given 3 stars, most of the rest are 4, and a few are 5s in my book.There were points in this book I was considering dropping my rating down to a 2. I'm a little surprised I kept on with the series. Then again, back when I found the Dresden Files I hadn't been reading a whole lot, and certainly wasn't as well read in fantasy as I am now.The idea of Urban Fantasy intrigued me, and I hadn't read anything like it before. Mr. Butcher begins the building blocks of what looks to be an interesting world, with a great set of characters, none better than Harry Himself. Harry is a wizard. The only one listed in the phone book. He's not very successful and therefore has a lot of money issues. His specialty is finding things. His best source of income is as a consultant for Chicago Police on the strange cases that can't be explained by normal circumstances. His contact is Lt. Karen Murphy, head of a division of the police tasked with solving the unsolvable and strange cases. Lt. Murphy is a great indicator of the strong female characters Mr. Butcher is able to write.As this is a noir-style novel, there are some stereotypical female characters, but Lt. Murphy doesn't fit that mold. Tough and determined, she doesn't take crap from anyone, least of all Harry. In your standard story this role would be played by some grizzled old male cop, not a short, young female.Most of the story is pretty boiler plate. There is a series of strange murders Harry is called in to investigate. Meanwhile he's finally caught a client who wants her to find her husband. Somehow the local mob are involved and everyone is suddenly gunning for Harry.The best thing going for these early stories is that Mr. Butcher seems to know how to keep things short. He's doesn't fluff the story out. The book finishes pretty strong and left me wanting more, which is usually the best sign of a good book for me.