Storm Front

The Dresden Files, Book 1

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: James Marsters

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. I work out of an office in midtown Chicago. As far as I know, I'm the only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. You can find me in the yellow pages, under Wizards. Believe it or not, I'm the only one there.

With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of some importance, Harry needs work, and soon. A call from a distraught wife, and another from Lt. Murphy of the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit makes Harry believe things are looking up, but they are about to get worse, much worse. Someone is harnessing immense supernatural forces to commit a series of grisly murders. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Tracking that someone takes Harry into the dangerous underbelly of Chicago, from mobsters to vampires, while he himself is under suspicion of the crimes.

©2000 Jim Butcher (P)2002 Buzzy Multimedia

Good fun

A bit overdone, but interesting enough to read number two. I want to see how Harry develops.

Dresden Files, read by Spike from Buffy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This is an entertaining book. It isn't awesome, but it isn't bad either. Just enough intrigue and mystery to make you want to keep on reading/listening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Storm Front?

Harrys inner dialogue is amusing. Not to mention his wiseassry. The things that comes out of his mouth make you look like a crazy person cackling in public laughing about nothing. Or a crazy person trying to hold on to their sanity by repressing laughter.

What about James Marsters’s performance did you like?

His voice is pleasing. Even though he does pronounce Marcones name wrong for the first few books, he does fix it later on. His performance is great.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

“Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face.”
― Jim Butcher, Storm Front

Any additional comments?

I read this book and thought it was ok. Since then I have read the series several times. Standing alone, this is probably the weakest book in the series. They continue to get better and better. If you dont like this long series by the third book. If you haven't laughed out loud once, then you can stop, your not going to like it.

Great story

Love the book. Not thrilled with the narrator but getting used to him. Will buy the next book.

Classic Dresden

I love the Dresden Files and this novel from Butcher kicks off the series in pure Harry fashion! Marsters is a great narrator!

What I was looking for.

Where does Storm Front rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have been looking into some of these kind of books and finally found a series I enjoy. I listened to the whole book in one day. The main character is flawed but likeable and his private practice combines many of the things I like in books, suspense, mystery, and sex. After the first book I find I am just getting to know the characters and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

On the narrator.. I found his voice to be decent enough, but there were many times around the middle of the book that he was making the weird mouthy noises that I assume come from having a dry mouth? He also started trying to fit way to many words in between breaths leaving you having to listen to him gasp for air and make the little mouthy sounds. I started to find myself distracted from the story when that happened, which is a shame because the story is great!

Overall, can't wait for the next one!

Excellent storytelling

I’d love to give Marsters a 5-Star review, but his cadence was a bit awkward for my tastes. I still love him as an actor, but I wish he’d get it together when he’s narrating. Don’t make Dresden sound so teenager-ish.

sooooo good

omg it was so good i didnt want to finiah it !!!!! so happy we found it

Firm Foundation for this Great Series

This my all time favorite series. I am going through it a second time and will be buying the hard copies to support the writer. James Masters gives a masterful performance of the material, demonstrating a thorough knowledge of the characters, their motivations, and Jim's humor. I recommend all readers interested in supernatural fiction to start here and continue on for one of the most enjoyable reads of their life. Most memorable moment? The elevator scene, " you have GOT to be kidding me!"

Fun

A fun, easy to digest story. Narration takes getting used to at the start (odd breaths and lip smacking noises) but I grew to enjoy it and hear it as a part of Harry.

Good when audible...

Did James Marsters do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

James Marsters did a great job differentiating all characters in this novel. However, due to his quiet voice/tone--similar to Garrison Kellior, I thought--it was difficult to hear a lot of the time if there was road noise or something happening in another room of the house. I often found myself straining to hear, while my volume was up very high. I loved how he read; I just couldn't hear well, and I typically have normal to good hearing.