December Book Study - Storm Front

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Fenika

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Hello, and welcome to the F/SF Book Study.

This thread is for discussion of Storm Front by Jim Butcher.

***Spoilers*** will be streaking through this thread unpredictably. You have been warned.

If anyone wants to compare to previous book studies:
Ender's Game (August)
Lies of Locke Lamora (September)
A Deepness in the Sky (October)
A Fire in the Deep (November) (As of now, undiscussed, but may later contain spoilers to Deepness as well)

Thank you to Broken Fingers for starting the book study!

Cheers,
Christina

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Here is the list, compiled by Fingers, of possible discussion topics. Feel free to tackle something off the list or come up with your own points.

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First of all: Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not?
What was your impression of it?

And I’ll list some of the possible things we can discuss:

The Beginning:
- How effective was the opening hook?
- How effective was the first sentence? The first paragraph? The first page? The first chapter?
- When were you pulled into the author’s world? By the end of the first chapter?
- If not, when?
- How do you think this was accomplished? Or why do you think it wasn’t accomplished?
- What would you have done to change it/make it better?
- If you were an editor, what would your reaction be to the first chapter?
- Why do you think the average reader liked it so much?
And more…

The Protagonist:
- What did you like/dislike about the protagonist?
- How did the author introduce the protagonist?
- How did the author get you to become invested in the protagonist?
- What was different about the protagonist as opposed to other protagonists? What was the same? Did the author make the protag distinguishable? If so, how?
- What techniques did the author use to show the protagonist throughout the story?
- What were some of the characteristics the author gave the character and how did they work/not work?

The Characters:
- Did the author make the characters come alive for you?
- How did he/she do this?
- How were they described?
- How were they distinctive?
And more…

The Setting:
- Was the author’s world convincing?
- Did he/she make you feel you were there? How?
- What about the setting did you like? Not like?
- What would you have done differently?
And more….

The Plot/Story:
- Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
- Was it different or similar to other plotlines in the genre? How?
- Was it believable? Predictable?
- Were there any twists, turns or surprises?
- Would you have thought of it? How does it compare to your own plotline of your WIP?
- Did it pull you through or did you have to wade through it?
- How was this done or how do you think it should’ve been done?
- If you were buying stories for a publisher, and this manuscript hit your desk (not knowing what you do now about its sales) would you have bought it or expected it to be successful?
- Why do you think the buying public enjoyed it so much?
- What variations, if any, would you have added to the storyline/plot?
And more…

The Style:
- What did you think of the author’s style of writing? Like it? Hate it?
- How much do you think this had to do with the success of the book, if any?
- What type of POV was used? How effective was it? Would the book have turned out different if the POV were done differently?
- How removed was the author from the story or how intrusive?
And more…

The Structure:
- How did the author unfold the story?
- Were the beginning, middle and end equally strong?
- How effective was the way the author gave you all the information?
Was it straightforward? Suspenseful? Predictable? Surprising?
- Could it have been done another way?
- Was it a linear structure or did the scenes jump around? How did this add/detract from the story or your enjoyment of it?
And more…..

The Theme:
- Was there any? What was it?
- Did you think it had an impact on your enjoyment of the story?
- Was it blatant or subtle?
- Do you think the average reader registered this?
- Do you think it may have affected him/her or contributed in any way to the success of the book?
And more…

Conflict:
- What was the main conflict?
- How was it handled?
- Was it a large part of the story or did the author keep it lying under the surface?
- What other conflicts did the author use in the story and when? (Internal and external.)
- What purpose did they serve?
- Would the story have been as enjoyable with less conflict? More?
- What types of conflict could’ve added to the story? Which conflicts subtracted from the story?
And more…

Dialogue:
- Was it realistic?
- Was it readable?
- How did the author handle ‘tags’?
- Was there a lot of dialogue or a little?
- Were there dialects? Slang? Profanity? Vulgarity?
And more…

The Ending:
- Was it satisfying? Why or why not?
- Did it come as a surprise or did you see it coming from page two?
- Would you have ended it the same?
- Was everything resolved?
- Would you be able to write a sequel?
- Would you buy another book from this author?
And more….
__________________
__________________
 

ELMontague

I'll have more to say over the next couple of days, but gut level reaction - I liked the book well enough to read another. I would not call it high art, fortunately I normally dislike arty books. Butcher did an excellent job of delivering a new spin on the detective character to me. I really enjoyed his treatment of the vampire. And the ties to the Chicago mob, just made it all the more interesting.

I would say this was a solid plot driven book. I'd like to do as well myself.
 

Fenika

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The good: I loved the pace of this. The opening was fairly strong, and the novel wasn't too complicated as it ran to the climax. Of course, first person allowed for a lot of tells about magic, but that's more a perk than a criticism.

Some speed bumps (more gripes really)-
Early on Butcher goes on and on about elevators. All that set up and then what? Dresden gets on the fricken elevator and goes on and on about elevators. Where was the editor? ;)

The scene with Dresden arriving to Murphy and the Scorpion. Wow, major derail with the office description. That has got to be one of the worst pace-killers I've read. It was late, I was all keen to keep reading, then I hit that tangle. Butcher had earlier opportunities for those details. Srsly.

I loved the practical approach to magic. Potions by intent. Tackle someone when it's handy. So on. The end battle was epic and neither too short or too long.

Lastly, for now, I think the overall simplicity worked wonders. The cast of characters wasn't too grand, the side-arcs not pointless, and that which was complicated was dumbed down by our narrator. Way to pack a punch in a nice little package.

My copy has a 'as seen on SciFi' icon. Anyone know anything 'bout that?
 

ELMontague

The Dresden Files on SciFi channel are based on the series. A friend of mine had been trying to get me to read them because he loved the show and read them. This was my first exposure. I liked it well enough to read more.

I'm knee deep in my secret santa, so I'll give my in depth evaluation a little later.
 

ELMontague

So, here we go - Storm Front

First of all: Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not?
What was your impression of it?

Yes, I enjoyed the book, mostly because I like the main character. I love an MC that's not the toughest, smartest, strongest guy/girl around. I want them to have problems and suffer. Dresden does that.

The Beginning:
- How effective was the opening hook?
- How effective was the first sentence? The first paragraph? The first page? The first chapter?
- When were you pulled into the author’s world? By the end of the first chapter?
- If not, when?
- How do you think this was accomplished? Or why do you think it wasn’t accomplished?
- What would you have done to change it/make it better?
- If you were an editor, what would your reaction be to the first chapter?
- Why do you think the average reader liked it so much?
And more…

The opening with the mailman pulled me in. Opening up all Dick Tracy and then having the guy laugh at his name plate really set up what Dresden is.

I was pulled into the author's world by the end of the first chapter, although I wasn't necessarily in Chicago until later. I know this is silly, but I usually pick books by cover art, the author's name, and the publishing house. I hate being tipped on a story by the jacket.

I don't know that I would have changed it. I'm not really into detective stories so that would have been a barrier to me if this weren't part of the book study. In the end though, the tone was essential to me liking Dresden.

The Protagonist:
- What did you like/dislike about the protagonist?
- How did the author introduce the protagonist?
- How did the author get you to become invested in the protagonist?
- What was different about the protagonist as opposed to other protagonists? What was the same? Did the author make the protag distinguishable? If so, how?
- What techniques did the author use to show the protagonist throughout the story?
- What were some of the characteristics the author gave the character and how did they work/not work?

Harry Dresden - Wizard, quite a way to introduce yourself, don't you think? Like I said above, I like the fact that he's struggling. He's behind on his rent. His car is a P.O.S. The woman he should be with is right there with him, but they never take the step. It's easy to identify with him.

In a lot of ways, Harry Dresden is the mysterious stranger in an old-fashioned western, only no one thinks he's cool (in his world). Jim Butcher does a good job of setting him up this way, by demonstrating that he has incredible power that he is reluctant to use. As a matter of fact, I started doubting it until he blew up the sports bar. Quiet strength is good.

The Characters:
- Did the author make the characters come alive for you?
- How did he/she do this?
- How were they described?
- How were they distinctive?
And more…

The other characters were really my only problem with the book. Strange I know. But here it is. They were all pretty flat. His hard-nosed, tough counter part on the force. The uber-sexy reporter that's trouble in waiting. The Mob guy that's not really out to get him, but's dangerous all the same. The sex pot. The vampire pimp. The ultra bad guy and his beat down wife.

I'll actually give him some extra credit for the sexy reporter and the vampire pimp, they had some flesh, just not much. Both the cop and the mob boss had depth, but I want more. I figure you get that depth in aggregate across the stories.

The Setting:
- Was the author’s world convincing?
- Did he/she make you feel you were there? How?
- What about the setting did you like? Not like?
- What would you have done differently?
And more….

Chicago worked, but it could have been Any Town.

The Plot/Story:
- Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
- Was it different or similar to other plotlines in the genre? How?
- Was it believable? Predictable?
- Were there any twists, turns or surprises?
- Would you have thought of it? How does it compare to your own plotline of your WIP?
- Did it pull you through or did you have to wade through it?
- How was this done or how do you think it should’ve been done?
- If you were buying stories for a publisher, and this manuscript hit your desk (not knowing what you do now about its sales) would you have bought it or expected it to be successful?
- Why do you think the buying public enjoyed it so much?
- What variations, if any, would you have added to the storyline/plot?
And more…

Storm Front is about 80% plot driven so that was important. He gave us a primary objective and drove toward it. I think we got three major subplots; wanted by the cops, the sexy reporter and the mob boss. The other subplots were incidental.

I think he handled all the plots effectively, opening up the problem, making things hard for Harry and then closing them down in convincing fashion.

The Style:
- What did you think of the author’s style of writing? Like it? Hate it?
- How much do you think this had to do with the success of the book, if any?
- What type of POV was used? How effective was it? Would the book have turned out different if the POV were done differently?
- How removed was the author from the story or how intrusive?
And more…

It wouldn't be Harry Dresden without Jim Butcher's delivery. It's not my first choice, but I wouldn't change it for the series. In the end I liked it.

The Structure:
- How did the author unfold the story?
- Were the beginning, middle and end equally strong?
- How effective was the way the author gave you all the information?
Was it straightforward? Suspenseful? Predictable? Surprising?
- Could it have been done another way?
- Was it a linear structure or did the scenes jump around? How did this add/detract from the story or your enjoyment of it?
And more…..

It was well organized. I have no comments one way or the other.

The Theme:
- Was there any? What was it?
- Did you think it had an impact on your enjoyment of the story?
- Was it blatant or subtle?
- Do you think the average reader registered this?
- Do you think it may have affected him/her or contributed in any way to the success of the book?
And more…

In a sea of paranormal, Jim Butcher did a good job of making his book different. The extra feel of the detective grit combined with cowboy goodness made him just different enough to stand out. (I was raised in West Texas; cowboys are the good guys in my inner child's mind.) I like the fact that he made magic practical and vampires bad.

Conflict:
- What was the main conflict?
- How was it handled?
- Was it a large part of the story or did the author keep it lying under the surface?
- What other conflicts did the author use in the story and when? (Internal and external.)
- What purpose did they serve?
- Would the story have been as enjoyable with less conflict? More?
- What types of conflict could’ve added to the story? Which conflicts subtracted from the story?
And more…

The conflict was pretty dependable. I could guess most of the stones he was going to throw at Harry, but I liked reading it anyway.

Dialogue:
- Was it realistic?
- Was it readable?
- How did the author handle ‘tags’?
- Was there a lot of dialogue or a little?
- Were there dialects? Slang? Profanity? Vulgarity?
And more…

No issues here.

The Ending:
- Was it satisfying? Why or why not?
- Did it come as a surprise or did you see it coming from page two?
- Would you have ended it the same?
- Was everything resolved?
- Would you be able to write a sequel?
- Would you buy another book from this author?
And more….

It may just be me, but I love it when a book ends with the beginning. Introducing us to the faerie and then making him instrumental in the eventual conclusion works for me. And I like the fact that Dresden honored his word on the pizza, cowboy honesty again, even though he was probably broke.

Now, I must apologize for not using more character names. I read the book in October. I've read four more since, written two short stories, and started the final edit of my first novel. I loaned the book to someone at work and can't remember all the character names. Please forgive me.
 

Mr Flibble

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Okay it's been a little while since my mate half-inched my copy but from what I recall:

I was pretty much hooked from the first page. Harry's voice is so distinctive it really pulled me in. I think Jim Butcher could probably write a page about ironing boards and you could still tell it was Harry.

Setting: It felt real to me. Note to self: never go to Chicago, at least unless armed with garlic and silver bullets. But then I've only ever been to one US city, so for all I know it could be wide of the mark. But it was very believable to me.

Harry: He's not perfect by any means, he can bumble a bit like us mere mortals, he has a weak spot for damsels in distress, even when it gets him into trouble. He's a bit of a dibble when it comes to women. Really, he's just this normal guy who happens to have these abnormal powers. And I find him very likable.

The other characters weren't so fleshed out ( although I love Bob.) but not so cardboard I didn't know them. I felt they were as fleshed out as they needed to be.

The plot was well done IMO, always moving forward, almost revealing itself then hiding again, showing only what we needed to know right then. The subplots were subtly done, and linked in to the main one obliquely but well.

To be fair this is one of my current favourite books / series ( which is why I recommended it obviously) And I have to say the main reason is Harry's voice. It's so well done, so consistent I feel like I really know the guy. I care what happens to him.

Yes Mr Butcher stumbles here and there, and I got a little fed up with people's lips quirking,:D but overall it really made me turn the pages.

Oh and the series on the TV? Fantastic ( although I was gobsmacked to find that the guy who plays Harry is a Brit. To me his accent sounds spot on.)
 

Binc

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Did I like the book?
Yes, quite well. While not typically a fan of the classic "Dixon Hill", hard-bitten, tough talkin, hard livin, film noir Detective style, adding the element of "Harry Dresden, Wizard" really makes this work. More on this later in the “Protagonist” section.

The Beginning:
First order of business is to reconcile what I am reading with the pre-established visions of the short-lived (or has it been renewed?) Sci-Fi series. This did not take long. Certainly thru the initial chapters, character voicing, reactions and dialogue is seamless. (Note: Apparently, this particular story was turned into an episode for TV, or so I have been told. I, having the memory span of a gnat, do not remember.) The real-person aspects of Wizard Dresden are quickly established, immediately removing him from the company of Gandalf, Merlin, Pinball and Oz. Thank Goodness. If any curious readers are initially under the impression they are picking up an epic Fantasy Trilogy, such impressions are quickly set aside.
The macabre nature of the first crime scene is well done. It is described well and completely by Butcher, but not so gruesome that I am asking: "Is this guy seeking professional help??"

The Protagonist:
The Wizard aspect, coupled with this oft parodied style, conversely enough, made the tough-guy, first person commentary believable. Why? Well, instead of thinking to myself, "Yeah, great. Another macho, posturing, tough guy, but can he back it up? Actually, I don't CARE if he can back it up. Boh-ring...", I quickly bought in to the understated power, competence and confidence that is critical to the Dresden persona.

The Characters:
Surprisingly, I do not bond with Murphy as a worthwhile character. I suspect this has more to do with me, my prejudices and predispositions, than Butcher’s depiction of her. A bit of cognitive dissonance is initially experienced as his physical description of her is 180 degrees different from the SciFi production. (Not to turn this into a comparative study between the show and the book, I will point this one out and then drop it. Promise.) I find Murphy to have too many conflicting qualities and not enough redeeming virtues. She is too guarded. She does not allow herself to relax and come clean. She does not reveal enough of her inner person to allow for the reader to understand her. She is to busy being a professional cop to be fully dimensional character. Perhaps this is forgivable for a less-important role in the story. Not for the secondary Protagonist/ Potential love interest. Found that I was annoyed with Dresden for caring what she thought of him.
Johnny Marcone worked. An obviously very talented, intelligent and philosophical soul who just happens to be in charge of the criminal underworld. Intriguing character that I am confident will make appearances in future installments. Bravo.
Bob – a wonderful addition to the magical arena. With Bob, explorations in magical theory become possible in an entertaining manner.

The Setting:
Chicago is a fine setting with plenty of useful preconceptions to draw upon. Dresden’s office in a low rent section of town is easily identifiable in the readers mind, especially if they have recently viewed “The Blues Brothers”; upscale neighborhoods aplenty, an active urban core, the presence a significant criminal underworld, a very large police force, nooks and crannies to set up action. Everything a wizard detective needs to drive an interesting story.
Butcher’s additional efforts at world building as it pertains to elements associated with the existence of a magical reality are well done. It is a robust and self-consistent framework to build upon. Only after finishing “Storm Front” did I realize just how many additional Dresden Files editions were in existence.

The Plot:
Honestly, not something I am wanting to attempt to comment upon. (sigh…Look at that previous sentence…apparently I like prepositions) The plot serves the primary purpose of this particular story, which I perceive is to develop who Harry is, what type of world he lives in, and who his supporting cast consists of.

Style:
Traditionally not a fan of the hard-bitten detective style, but it is so right for this character and this story. The two complement each other extremely well and the story would suffer if the style were altered.
 

Binc

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Breaking with tradition with back-to-back posting here, but the more I thought about Murphy after my initial post, the more questions I came up with. (BTW - Loved IdiotsRus comments on Harry's voice. Right on target!!)

Why does it seem that Murphy is consistently treating Harry like a cop treats a suspect? He is not treated as a friend, or a confidant, or even a partner. So, why, exactly, are we supposed to care about her?

Why does she believe she is entitled to "all the information" when she admittedly is a skeptic and by all appearances (to Harry) incapable of comprehending the "truth" of the situation? Further, she does not possess the background knowledge and mind-set to use the information on the magical world wisely or keep herself (or Harry) out of trouble.

In short, she has done nothing to indicate she is worthy of Harry's trust and he is justified in witholding information from her. Her job does not entitle her to to carte blanche in this area.
 

ELMontague

Murphy, thanks, that was her name.

I felt like Butcher was setting her up as a love interest, kept expecting it actually. So I took her behavior as a woman punishing her man for leaving her out. I thought she knew he had more information than he was sharing, so she was going to lock him up instead of help him.

I liked the reporter better, even though she was basically using him.
 

Fenika

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I liked the whore, lol, though I don't know why. (Linda I believe her name was). Anyone wanna try and explain why she was so interesting with her angst and her interactions with Dresden? :)
 

ELMontague

I thought she was intriguing, but then she kind of goes toward my genre. Unfortunately, we only got a taste before her insides were outsides.
 

ChaosTitan

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I liked the whore, lol, though I don't know why. (Linda I believe her name was). Anyone wanna try and explain why she was so interesting with her angst and her interactions with Dresden? :)

I think it points toward the talent of the author. He can take a two chapter character and write her in such a way that we are sympathetic to her. And Butcher is channeling her through Harry's eyes, and since he finds her interesting/sympathetic, that bleeds through to the reader.

On the topic of Murphy. I don't see her as a love interest. I think she's extremely skeptical of anything magic-related, no matter how many times she's consulted cases with Harry. Police officers, especially ones who deal with violent crimes, often see criminals and suspects in shades of black and white. Magic is a very gray area for her. She can't arrest magic. She can't battle magic. But she can arrest Harry.

In the last half of the book, he really isn't giving her any reasons to trust him (nor can he). She knows he's hiding information that she needs for her case, and when he doesn't meet her ultimatum, she has no choice but to treat him like a suspect in order to get her answers. It's her job to solve the murder case, not Harry's.
 

ELMontague

I read Murphy and Harry as friends, just he trusted her more than she trusted him. And I totally read sexual tension between them. I even think he felt guilty not sharing more.

I haven't read any of the stories but this one, however, it would be a logical step to continue playing that tension between them.
 

ChaosTitan

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From the bits I've heard about other books (I haven't read any others, either, but I will), the relationship is expanded upon. However, those were my observations based solely on this book. :)
 

Fenika

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Interesting points, and yeah- the Harry-Murphy dynamic was quite complex. They were both driven by their own backgrounds. I did like that she was really messed up when she cuffed him. She's dying, but dang it, she's gonna do her blood job.

Actually, I think Butcher did a pretty good job of having strong female characters. They might not have been fully developed, but their personalities were there. Except for the glaze-eyed wife. Poor wife.
 

Binc

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On the topic of Murphy. I don't see her as a love interest. I think she's extremely skeptical of anything magic-related, no matter how many times she's consulted cases with Harry. Police officers, especially ones who deal with violent crimes, often see criminals and suspects in shades of black and white. Magic is a very gray area for her. She can't arrest magic. She can't battle magic. But she can arrest Harry.

In the last half of the book, he really isn't giving her any reasons to trust him (nor can he). She knows he's hiding information that she needs for her case, and when he doesn't meet her ultimatum, she has no choice but to treat him like a suspect in order to get her answers. It's her job to solve the murder case, not Harry's.

True enough. Those are good insights that, quite honestly, escaped me. So, bottom line, the way I see it, she can't stop being a cop long enough to be a person. Which is fine. It happens. Very believable and real. But, unfortunately, it doesn't make for a sympathetic character.

Perhaps that is Butcher's point: Good people dealing with awful situations day in and day out (i.e Homicide Detectives) develop undesirable personal social characteristics. And, to elMonty's point regarding the potential long-term character arc of Murphy as a love interest, there would have to be a corresponding development bringing her out of her hard-bitten skepticism, and into a trusting relationship with Harry. A redemption of sorts.
 

ELMontague

You're too hard on Murphy, Binc. I've known plenty of relationships that were more storm than calm.
 

Fenika

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But a storm front oft brings disaster ;)
 

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I got a little fed up with people's lips quirking,:D

Yes! I read the book over the last 3 days, and I was just wishing and hoping that the lip quirking could stop!

SPOILERZ!: I don't know why it took Harry about 150 pages too long to realize who the killer is. I mean, really. There is ONE mysterious and evil wizard! Who else is it gonna be? He doesn't even mention that he KNOWS any other evil wizards. I never know whodunit, but even I knew way way before him. other than the obviousness of the mystery, the minor plot points were strong, i thought.

Aside from that, it was a fun and light read. Harry is a great character, tough but a total screw-up who makes good. I also like that he feels bad about anyone who is hurt or killed, which is a nice change from giddy high-body-count fantasy. Some aspects were silly, but i'd read the next book to see where it goes. I read Storm Front as a part of my campaign of having-more-appreciation-for-urban-fantasy.

One thing that I loved about his writing style is the way he uses physical sensations. Everything that happens is draining, or exhausting, or head-crushing, or dizzying, or burning, or making him puke, or breaking his heart. I felt very much WITHIN the character because of the body-centered writing. I also liked the system of magic. It felt very impromptu for harry yet well-established by the author.

Another thing I liked is that there are 'adult situations' but the book is totally PG rated. Such as, there are orgies, and mindless sex, and a lady pulling on Harry's, umm, wizards staff, but if you were little you wouldn't pick up on. That's artful writing. There's definitely a place for more explicit stuff, but I appreciate that he writes it kid-friendly.

And I liked the magical sidekicks (Toot-Toot and, umm, the skull) for comic relief. it's true that the non-Harry characters were drawn a bit thin, but it almost served to make Harry himself larger than life.

One thing that bothered me was his tendency to put Harry in a ridiculously dire situation, and then recap the 10-page situation in a single paragraph as though we haven't figured it out the first time he said it. but that's a minor complaint.
 

Komnena

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If any Butcher fans are anywhere close to Lexington, Ky he may l be at Joseph Beth bookstore there April 14.
 

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This book is good fun. His characters are interesting. The setting aptly established. The plot moves (Butcher may move a plot better than any other fantasy author) quick as hell. The twists and turns are good because they stem from what we believe are the characters' motivations. My one problem was that magic is a little basic in his series. Butcher uses it the way Rowling uses it: magic will play a key part in the plot. It's essentially the James Bond weapon trope, right? Introduce the new gadget and see when Bond will have to use it. That's how I felt about Butcher's magic.

Harry Dresden himself is a little too old fashioned for me, but his voice is gentle and intelligent, which allows me to smile with him when women give him a hard time. I imagine him having an athletic body with a nerd's interests. It makes for a fun mix.

Of course, in first person narration, there is little-to-no risk that the main character will be seriously injured or even killed; a lot of tension is gone. Butcher does a good job, however, introducing the right characters for us to care about. His cop friend, Murphy, for instance, is a character we care about right up front. So dramatic tension weighs on her more than even him. I think it's a sly technique, overall effective.

Last comment. Jim Butcher is prolific, in my opinion, because his style is so plain and extremely uninteresting. He probably requires no line-editing to attain that quality. It works, however, and that's the main thing.

AMC


P.S. I also read the second Dresden book and thought it was drek. I hear many others are better than Fool Moon or whatever it's called.
 
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