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

worth the time to listen

harry is a strong character and is a fun to see how he gets in and out of trouble

Fun Fun Fun

They are easy listening and great fun. My husband just loves them and I hear him laughing out loud at them, and I do too. James Marsters does a great job with the narration. We've already downloaded all of his books and will be getting the rest as they come.

Love this series.

James Marsters is the perfect choice to read this amazing series. The way he speaks reminds me of those old radio mysteries.

Great story!

Very well done. I enjoyed it. Quick listen but absolutely worth a credit. I enjoyed it very much. There ya go

Love this series

I literally couldn't take the ear buds out of my ears! Marsters is so compelling as Dresden, and the story is great!

DRESDEN, LOVE CHILD OF GANDALF AND PHILIP MARLOWE?

HERE IT IS THE PERFECT MASH UP OF HARD BOILED DETECTIVE FICTION AND URBAN FANTASY. THE CHARACTER OF HARRY DRESDEN SEEMS TO BE THE AMALGAMATION OF THE WIZARD GANDALF AND PRIVATE DETECTIVE PHILIP MARLOWE. DRESDEN'S A WIZARD FOR HIRE IN A CHICAGO RIFE WITH MAGIC KILLINGS AND HORRIBLE BEASTIES CONJURED UP LIKE TWO BIT GUN HANDS. ONLY THIS DETECTIVE DOESN'T CARRY A GUN, INSTEAD HE HAS THE ABILITY TO CONJURE HIS OWN SPELLS AND POTIONS, HE IS A WIZARD, AFTER ALL. THE MAGIC SYSTEM HERE IS PRETTY INTERESTING TOO. THERE'S A CERTAIN PHYSICAL SCIENCE TO IT THAT MADE IT SEEM CREDIBLE, RATHER THAT JUST SOME HOCUS POCUS CONJURED FROM THIN AIR; AND DRESDEN'S A FAMILIAR ENOUGH CHARACTER, ICONIC IN AN EVERYMAN SORT OF WAY, AND IMBUED WITH ALL THOSE TRADEMARKS THAT MADE HARDBOILED DETECTIVES THE KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOR OF THE 20th CENTURY. NOW ITS THE 21st CENTURY, AND OUR KNIGHTS ARE STILL DOING DETCTIVE WORK, AND FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, ONLY IN AUTHOR JIM BUTCHER'S WORLD THIS FIGHT IS DONE WITH A SPELL AND A POTION RATHER THAN A BULLET OR A BLACKJACK. MY ONLY COMPLAINT WAS THAT SOMETIMES NARRATOR JAMES MARSTERS PERFORMANCE FELT A LITTLE LACKLUSTER. MAYBE HE WAS GOING FOR THAT DEAD PAN SOUND OF HARDBOILED FICTION; BUT - FOR ME AT LEAST - THAT APPROACH CAME ACROSS AS LACKING. IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A NEW APPROACH ON AN OLD GENRE, THAN THIS JUST MAY BE THE KIND OF WITCH'S BREW TO PUT A SPELL ON YOU.

Storm Front: The Dresden Files, Book 1

Well done!!! Very entertaining and interesting. Jim Butcher never fails to keep up the pace.

Even Better the Second Time!

It"s been years since I listened to this entire series while I have waited for Mr. Butcher to continue and hopefully finish the over heading series theme. Unfortunately, no new books have been written. I don't know why but yesterday I put on Stormfront and was immediately drawn back into Harry's life and adventure. It is an adventure to be sure and one I 've missed. So today I will listen to book #2. If that's not a high recommendation I will say, 'try it, you are sure to enjoy it!".
Peace.

James Marsters makes this story come alive!

Long story short:

Love James Marsters as narrator and as Harry Dresden. Totally recommend this book. Hate Lt. Murphy as a character, but otherwise love Jim Butcher's integration of magic into the "real world".

Long story long:

I remember trying to read this book several years ago on the recommendation of one of my best friends. I got about 1/3 of the way through it and just never got into it. I very easily put it down. And since I had checked out the download from my library, the time ran out before I got it finished. And I didn't care.

So I had great doubts when I purchased the book on Audible, but, my friend doesn't usually steer me wrong, and James Marsters will always have a special place in my heart as an actor. I listened to the preview that was available, and found myself really loving the way he was interpreting the story. Plus, I was able to get the book at the $4.95-introduction-to-a-series price. Even if I hated it, I hadn't even spent enough money for lunch on it! I am so VERY glad that I went ahead and bought it. Marsters's narration truly makes this book amazing. For some reason, I couldn't get a good grip on how Harry Dresden should sound when I was reading it, hence my boredom with it. No such problems anymore!

I don't have much experience with audiobooks yet, but, I do have to say that those that I have listened to that have been narrated by actors are far superior to non-actors. They just "get" how to bring a character to life much better. They have a better sense of timing, which is so important. I've had two audiobooks now where the narrator spoke so slowly, I had to bump up the speed to 1.5x normal. Marsters narrates at exactly the speed the story needs. I know this sounds nit-picky, but it really makes a huge difference in my enjoyment of an audiobook. I've read several reviews that make mention of bad editing, and hearing the narrator breathe and such. I am of the opinion that those weren't meant to be edited out. The book is written as a first person narration, and always sounds like Dresden is dictating his life story for his memoirs, or for a journalism piece. In which case, the breathing and swallowing fit perfectly. I never heard a swallow by the narrator that wasn't at a point in the story where Dresden wasn't fearing for his life or some other situation where a swallow would totally happen. He's an actor, he's bringing the character to life. Not just reading words on a page!

As for the actual plot of the book, it's quite fun. And a very good introduction to the world of Harry Dresden. A good combination of mystery & paranormal. I won't write a book report here and completely retell the story (what's up with reviews that do this?? I want an opinion on the book...not a plot summary!), just say that I loved how this book weaved the magic and the other paranormal elements seamlessly into the crime mystery. I love the character of Harry. He seems to be quite powerful, so at times his lack of belief in his own abilities aggravated me. But his mastery of sarcasm and snark totally make up for this and I can't wait to continue with the other books in the series. The biggest negative of the book is Lt. Murphy. Harry borders on worship of her, but if you ask me, she's a complete idiot. She continually jumps to conclusions, never listens to Harry, but then has the audacity to be pissed off at him when bad things happen. I will admit to being halfway through the next book, and it seems to be only getting worse. I only hope that this behavior from her stops, or that she stops playing such a big role in the books.

I definitely recommend this book as a good use of a credit. And an even better deal if Audible runs a "first of series" sale again!

The first of a wonderful series...

Starting this series for the third time. Love the story, and the narrator really brings it together in my mind.