Book Review: Storm Front

I'm here to talk to you about the other wizard name Harry.

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out that 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in.

Harry is the best at what he does - and not just because he's the only one who does it. So whenever the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal capabilities, they look to him for answers. But business isn't just slow, it stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get . . . interesting.

MAGIC - IT CAN GET A GUY KILLED.

I've wanted to read this book for quite some time but I hadn't gotten around to it for various reasons.  In fact, I hadn't even picked up a copy. Well, that all changed when I ran over to my neighborhood Half Price Books and snatched up the best edition I could.  Which just happened to be the UK version.  Which is absolutely gorgeous, by the way.  This means that (being the OCD cover person I am) when I buy the other books in the series I'll have to buy them from the UK.  Which means it could take a while for a review of another one of these books.  But there will be another review because I absolutely LOVED this one.

Harry is such a great character.  He's not easy to pin down with one word, but he's almost an anti-hero, I would say.  He has that kind of vibe to him, even though he really isn't one.  He also has a lot of weight on his shoulders, a lot of problems, and I have to give him a lot of credit for being able to function under all these things going against him.

The other character's were good, but they weren't the fleshed out.  They didn't really need to be, but with the complexity of Harry, I almost wished they were.  I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing the supporting cast in the next installments, though, so I'm not worried.

The mystery in this book is rather twisty, but not surprising.  You can see where it's going and know where it connects, to an extent, but it's not really set up for the reader to guess what exactly is going on until Harry does.  The reader gets the information with Harry, and he even chooses to keep some to himself.  I wish there were some more surprises, but it isn't necessary and the book is balanced well.  The right amount of story, mystery, action, and character.

This is an urban fantasy, through and through, and as such, all the mythology has to work in conjunction to the real world, which it shadows.  The magic used is a little scientific, a little otherworldly, and a little high-fantasy.  The laws are pretty cut and dry to magic, but they're also broad enough to allow some wiggle room.  The creatures in this book seem to range from the well known to the obscure, which is always enjoyable.  The White Council makes sense (unlike in some books where councils are just made up because they're needed and don't really carry any weight for the reader) and the way the world is set up to "hide" is believable.

I'm giving this book *****4 3/4 stars***** and look forward to continuing the series.