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 - Magic Does Not Make a Stereotypical Character Not SoI purchased this book for a friend on the basis of some strong reviews I had seen on Amazon, then got around to reading it myself over the last couple weeks. I immediately called and apologized for inflicting it upon him. To think that Butcher continues with these characters over a dozen more books is incomprehensible to me; it literally makes me wonder if they are all this bad. Fortunately, I'll never find out. I started to get worried in the first chapter: a gumshoe, scorned by the world and late on his rent, gets a call from a distressed woman offering big money? "Ok," I thought, "That's a little campy, but I'm sure the fact he's a -wizard- will drive this story." Boy, was I wrong. One character after another surfaced, all lacking any original qualities: The hard-nosed lady cop who sticks her neck out for the P.I., her skeptical partner, the well-spoken mob boss, the silent barman, the nosy reporter, and-- get this-- a rich, desperate housewife. Butcher even manages to make Morgan and Bob uninteresting, and that's tough to do. The plot begs to be made into a short-lived, low production value television series. An action sequence where Dresden is naked and his date is under the influence of a heavy-duty love potion? Oh, how droll. It doesn't take a genius to figure that the two cases he is working that appear totally unrelated are, In short, apart from a couple one-liners and some mildly interesting magical interludes, this is the same gumshoe paperback perpetrated by a thousand other authors. If you have seen or read any other escapades of a low-life private investigator, it's probably better than this, and if it actually does happen to be your first escapade into this genre: don't get discouraged. There actually are better incarnations than Butcher's Harry Dresden. Now, go watch Chinatown. Rating:  - First time reading this authorI wasn't sure what to expect when purchasing this book but having a dry run from my favourite authors I thought I'd give Jim Butcher a try. I felt it was surprisingly high in emotional content for a male author (sorry I know that's a bit of a cliche), I was expecting much more action and less emoting. The result was a very satisfying read, I was able to understand the characters' motives and reactions and was able to become immersed in the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and suspense. Rating: - Ripped through the pages...This was such a fun book. It is not perfect, however leaves you rooting for our protagonist, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. This was such a fast read for me (I would rip through 20 pages and be like, OH WOW, what time is it?) My only complaint is the final chapter, an epilogue of sorts, that felt out of tone with the descriptive, beautiful language of the rest of the novel. It felt like it ramped up to a climax, delivered, but then fell off the cliff of story-telling. I wished I knew what happened to the people a little more (although there is book 2) If you are looking for a great sci-fi story, including Vampires, Wizards, Demons, and talking skulls, this is a great book that will have you thinking and guessing right up until the end. You won't want to miss a single page of the action. So much fun. Enjoy! Rating: - Perfect? No. Incredibly enjoyable? Yes. I really enjoyed this read, and I would definately recomend this book. The positives are many - the book is at times funny, at times suspenseful, at times action filled. It is paced fairly quickly and is an easy read. The central character, Harry Dresden, is well fleshed out by the time the book comes to a conclusion with many insights into a complex character, and yet much left unexplored for future novels. There is also much that is unique and original, a particular favorite of mine being the 'spirit' that serves as sort of a computer database for him, and lives inside of an old skull. The negatives? There are some. I won't give plot spoilers away, but it is not long before who the main bad guy is becomes quite apparent. This is compounded by the utter stupidity of Mr. Dresden in failing to realize this until the near end of the book, despite it's being obvious to any half-way clued in reader. Also, some of the secondary characters are a little two-dimensional. There is definate hope of them being more fleshed out in future installments (which I will be begining as soon as I finish this write up for that matter). The fact that Dresden himself is fairly well fleshed out by the end leaves the hope and promise that this will happen soon for the leading secondary characters. All-in-all then it was a very enjoyable read and one that should definately be picked up I would think. Rating:  - storm front reviewI was recomended this book on goodreads and Im very happy that I read this book! I now have a new favorite series I was totally engrossed from the 1st page I read it in one sitting loved it!I highly recommend this book to fantasy/horror/thriller readers it has a little of everything! If you like wizards and alot of action with a humorus twist then pick up the 1st in the Dresden Files series and let Harry into your heart!
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