When it comes to books, the geek in me has always been a sucker for a good series. Yeah, there are always those one-offs that are a treat to read, but when it comes to spending some nights voraciously devouring a new book instead of updating blogs, I like me a good series. The reason for this is that an established universe of characters is always more interesting to read about than a snapshot where you only get a brief look at a set of fictional lives.
So when my good friend Kristen told me about a set of books with compelling characters entitled the Dresden Files series, I had to take a bite at the bait. I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve always loved fantasy novels slightly better than sci-fi, magic over futuristic, so these books were right up my alley for a variety of reasons. Take that and combine it with the fact that the books are set in my native, urban Chicago, and author Jim Butcher hooked himself another reader.
The basic plot of the books revolves around Chicago’s only “professional” wizard, Harry Dresden, and his attempts to keep its citizens safe from magical and supernatural evils while trying to make a decent buck. Normally, this is where things turn formulaic, where “hero goes up against bad guy and wins, getting the girl” would make sense, but Butcher brings in a couple of unique elements to the mix that make for some interesting reading. The first is that Harry is, in essence, a wiseass. Whether it’s talking to his friends and associates, narrating a particularly introspective sequence, or even facing death in the form of killer faeries, werewolf crazies, or giant plant monsters, Harry always has a jab, joke, or other such remark to toss out there. In a fantasy world where wizards are either portrayed as serious business or doddering comedy acts, Harry strikes a perfect balance between skill and entertainment. The fact that he’s also portrayed as having power, but also vulnerable at times despite it is also another dichotomy that works well in the books.
Other characters provide not just backdrop but their own additions to the Dresden universe. From Karrin Murphy’s tough-as-nails cop, to Michael Carpenter’s gentle knight-paladin to Bob the Skull’s constant perversion, each person makes the setting of the novels come alive. Harry’s interactions provide a dialog that is both simple and direct to follow but also hilarious in its execution. Combine that with some fairly riveting action sequences involving spells, creatures and gunplay and you have yourself a set of books that is hard to put down – especially when the actions of Harry and company carry over into consequences in future novels. Always nice to have that continuity thing.
Anyway, now you know another reason I haven’t been updating as much. If you’re looking for some decent books to read and need a series that won’t take up too much of your time, pick up Storm Front, the first in the Dresden series, and see if you like it. I’m on book seven, so that gives you a good idea of how much this geek likes a little magical fantasy and sarcasm in his life.
