Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

 

There are a lot of series aimed at people who love Harry Potter, but want a more mature reading experience.  There's Lev Grossman's The Magicians trilogy (I read the first one, but read no further because the "no rules" in the magical world made me crazy), Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series (I read the first one, but read no further because it was just a bit too gritty and dark for the likes of me), and then there's Jim Butcher's world in The Dresden Files, about Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago's only wizard PI. Storm Front is the first book in the currently seventeen book long series and I'm reading this series because of peer pressure. It's apparently the thing to do. I've also been warned that it doesn't even really get food until the fourth or fifth book, so I guess I get to read 1,000 pages before I start to fall in love with this series. 

All of that to say, I didn't love this book. I thought it was good enough and I finished it. I would not have ordered the second book from the library, though, if it weren't for the recommendations of my brother-in-law (look, his name is Mike and he and I share a lot of book recs and I adore him and I'm not even giving him a fake name because there are like eight Mikes in my family alone and I actually have multiple brothers-in-law with the name Mike, so you'll never be able to track him down) who I trust a great deal and the Unspoiled podcast, which is currently reading the books. 

In this book, we're introduced to Harry Dresden and the magical world he lives in. There are limits to his magic, his abilities, and his physical strength. He's investigating a couple of supernatural murders and a missing husband and there's black magic, but Harry's a good guy and he manages to solve everything, save his reputation, and get nasty drugs off the streets of Chicago. 

It was fine. I'll be back for more because I've heard it eventually gets beyond just good.  But no promises.