I'm in the book."
Set in modern day Chicago, the Dresden Files revolves around Harry Dresden, a wizard turned private investigator. Storm Front is the first book in the series. We're introduced to an outcast wizard, Harry Dresden, struggling to survive the urban jungle.Despite all his arcane knowledge and magical powers, he still has a hard time paying rent.
Dresden's work as a Private investigator exposes him to the darker side of the city. His need to earn money (and need to pay the bills) drives him to take on cases with a mystical/magical nature. In Storm Front, Harry gets assigned to two cases -- to investigate a murder and to look for a missing person. As the story develops, our street-tough wizard gets to meet a bunch of seedy characters -- from prostitutes and local mafia lord, to vengeful vampires and fairies.
There are two things that made Storm Front appealing to me. First is how Jim Butcher portrayed Chicago as a city of crime and how magical creatures such as vampires, black magicians, and trolls find a niche in the city's criminal underworld. This sets a darker and serious mood which Butcher counters with Dresden's humor and his endless string of bad luck.
The second thing that I like is the mystery behind Harry's history as a wizard. Dresden's history was not fully explained in Storm Front. We know that he was expelled from the Wizard's society for something he did or did not commit. There is something dark and tragic about Dresden's hidden past and it reflects much on his attitude, temperament, and the way he interacts with other magical creatures in the story. I guess more of Dresden's history would be revealed in the succeeding novels.
Despite these points, I think that series would only appeal to a particular audience. The issues raised in the novel, as well as the overall mood of the story, are targeted for more mature readers.
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