[Spoilsport Stonny]

So I finished Storm Front. Spoilers below.

Pluses:
- Harry Dresden is witty and resourceful and Butcher managed to get me as the reader to underestimate him.
- The hero is incredibly likable and good. He stands out as a defender of right.
- The supporting cast dis a great job of doing just that. Support. We even get to learn a little backstory on several of them which I am sure will play out in future books.
- I was interested enough to buy the second one.
- Action scenes were written well and with a generous dose of originality. His use of magic was done well.
- It looks like there's a bunch of stuff about Dresden's family and past that will be fun to dig in to. Perhaps an understatement?

Minuses:
- Most of the book's progression came off as a bit too "Law & Order" for me. I get that its supposed to be a sort of homage to pulp and detective novels, but the discovery of the crimes and perpetrators was a little weak.
- Everybody was a badass. There wasn't too many weak-willed people in the book. A cast full of tough guys and tough gals is ok and perfectly acceptable, but even the pizza boy had balls.
- The plot twist wasn't very well-hidden. Sure, to Dresden the two cases could seem unrelated but to the reader its almost obvious, as those are the only two cases he was working on. Was it supposed to come off as a twist?
- We didn't get to see any of Bob's party.
- The lifting of the Doom of Damocles was probably justified, but I would have loved to see the White Council convene and Morgan try to explain things.
- Murphy was a bit too unforgiving. It seemed a little irrational, mostly because she contacted Dresden and not the other way around. But that could just be her character.

All in all I had a really good time reading this book. It was light on pathos and philosophy and didn't obfuscate. It held criticism in check and never devolved into an argument over belief systems. The character arcs made sense within the confines of its boundaries, and the story was well-paced, if not a bit forced and somewhat over-simplified. The cheap laughs worked for cheap laughs and the general humor of the protagonist, well-timed action and fighting, and hints and illusions to a developing world made it more fun than the plot deemed, while still evoking a wide variety of moods and feelings.

Also my wife is reading it now.

[amphibian]

Sam, I order you to keep reading the series. - Lord Commander Mormont

[Tehol the Only]

Keep reading.
The first two books are a bit law & order-ish, but from the third on the overarching plot starts kicking in... The various characters will only get better and by the time you'll finish book five you'll be hopelessly addicted. Of course, from then on it will only get worse(in a good sense).

This post has been edited by Tehol the Only: 08 April 2013 - 08:12 PM

[Abyss]

Just start buying two copies now.

That way by the time you and your wife get to the end of bk 4 and are both hoplessly addicted, you don't have to drop an ATM machine on her to secure your copy.


- Abyss, notes that ATM thing works as a metaphor on several levels...

[Tehol the Only]

Don't listen to Abyss.
Me and my girlfriend share our (Mine...MINE!) copies and it's working out perfectly fine... with me holding them under bulletproof glass with armed guards. (i'm a firm believer of overstatement in order to make a point)
It's working out so well that we've had only a couple near-fatal incidents.. but i'd just spoiled to her a couple plot details, so i hold no grudge for those.


-Getting the breaking bad reference but failing to understand any other level of the metaphor

[worry]

Now you should go vote in the what's your favorite Dresden book thread.

[nacht]

I started reading this series too. (Courtesy of the strong recommendation by Abyss). I know; people influence people in mysterious abysmal ways :-)
Unlike MBotF, you can really chomp down on these. So I just finished Death Masks.

Death Masks has some cool villians (the ones in storm front are wimps in comparison). The series is moving towards more "fantasy" and less "detective", I think.

Overall, the fantasy settings are great but I have one big issue that leaves a bad taste. Harry Dresden himself. He is too much of a do it all, too much of a focus, too much of jump blindly into big trouble and always come out on top (and not to mention the corny chivalry and women). I actually prefer xxxxx

Alas, I think MBotF has irreversibly changed me. I prefer the Tavores and Fiddlers over Superman,, Harry Dresden. Most of the fantasy genre is now lost to me (Curse you Steven Erikson)

This post has been edited by nacht: 10 April 2013 - 01:51 AM

[Tehol the Only]

nacht, on 09 April 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

Richard Rahl, Harry Dresden.

I think there's some law against putting those two names in the same sentence.

[Abyss]

Tehol the Only, on 08 April 2013 - 11:41 PM, said:

Don't listen to Abyss.
Me and my girlfriend share our (Mine...MINE!) copies and it's working out perfectly fine... with me holding them under bulletproof glass with armed guards. (i'm a firm believer of overstatement in order to make a point)
It's working out so well that we've had only a couple near-fatal incidents.. but i'd just spoiled to her a couple plot details, so i hold no grudge for those.


-Getting the breaking bad reference but failing to understand any other level of the metaphor

DresdenCRACK.

Briar King, on 09 April 2013 - 12:34 AM, said:

Just avoid all other Dresden threads and keep updating this one. We never get tired of re discussing the books with new readers!

Truth.

nacht, on 09 April 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

I started reading this series too. (Courtesy of the strong recommendation by Abyss). I know; people influence people in mysterious abysmal ways :-)
Unlike MBotF, you can really chomp down on these. So I just finished Death Masks.

Death Masks has some cool villians (the ones in storm front are wimps in comparison). The series is moving towards more "fantasy" and less "detective", I think.

Overall, the fantasy settings are great but I have one big issue that leaves a bad taste. Harry Dresden himself. He is too much of a do it all, too much of a focus, too much of jump blindly into big trouble and always come out on top (and not to mention the corny chivalry and women). I actually prefer Michael :-)

Alas, I think MBotF has irreversibly changed me. I prefer the Tavores and Fiddlers over Superman, Richard Rahl, Harry Dresden. Most of the fantasy genre is now lost to me (Curse you Steven Erikson)

Watch the spoilers. He hasn't met Michael yet.

Tehol the Only, on 09 April 2013 - 07:32 PM, said:

nacht, on 09 April 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

Richard Rahl, Harry Dresden.

I think there's some law against putting those two names in the same sentence.

There SHOULD BE.

[nacht]

Abyss, on 09 April 2013 - 09:30 PM, said:

Tehol the Only, on 08 April 2013 - 11:41 PM, said:

Don't listen to Abyss.
Me and my girlfriend share our (Mine...MINE!) copies and it's working out perfectly fine... with me holding them under bulletproof glass with armed guards. (i'm a firm believer of overstatement in order to make a point)
It's working out so well that we've had only a couple near-fatal incidents.. but i'd just spoiled to her a couple plot details, so i hold no grudge for those.


-Getting the breaking bad reference but failing to understand any other level of the metaphor

DresdenCRACK.

Briar King, on 09 April 2013 - 12:34 AM, said:

Just avoid all other Dresden threads and keep updating this one. We never get tired of re discussing the books with new readers!

Truth.

nacht, on 09 April 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

I started reading this series too. (Courtesy of the strong recommendation by Abyss). I know; people influence people in mysterious abysmal ways :-)
Unlike MBotF, you can really chomp down on these. So I just finished Death Masks.

Death Masks has some cool villians (the ones in storm front are wimps in comparison). The series is moving towards more "fantasy" and less "detective", I think.

Overall, the fantasy settings are great but I have one big issue that leaves a bad taste. Harry Dresden himself. He is too much of a do it all, too much of a focus, too much of jump blindly into big trouble and always come out on top (and not to mention the corny chivalry and women). I actually prefer Michael :-)

Alas, I think MBotF has irreversibly changed me. I prefer the Tavores and Fiddlers over Superman, Richard Rahl, Harry Dresden. Most of the fantasy genre is now lost to me (Curse you Steven Erikson)

Watch the spoilers. He hasn't met Michael yet.

Tehol the Only, on 09 April 2013 - 07:32 PM, said:

nacht, on 09 April 2013 - 05:40 PM, said:

Richard Rahl, Harry Dresden.

I think there's some law against putting those two names in the same sentence.

There SHOULD BE.

Ok, Ok. I fixed it

[nacht]

Briar King, on 09 April 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

Yep I was just fixing to say to watch about spoiling ahead like that. That wouldnt be cool, may want to edit that a bit?

Stonny were you able to start Fool Moon yet? READ ON!!!

I was throwing a bone to the Stalker so that he will keep chomping through those books
Read on.. Read on...


What can I say? The wait for FOL is driving me crazy..

This post has been edited by nacht: 10 April 2013 - 01:59 AM

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Briar King, on 09 April 2013 - 10:37 PM, said:

Yep I was just fixing to say to watch about spoiling ahead like that. That wouldnt be cool, may want to edit that a bit?

Stonny were you able to start Fool Moon yet? READ ON!!!

I'm starting it up tonight. And don't worry, that name Michael means nothing to me and so nothing is spoiled.

Is anyone familiar with Encyclopedia Brown? This book reminded me of those.

[amphibian]

Encyclopedia Brown was a way I passed away many afternoons. I liked it, but moved on to The Three Detectives pretty quickly and that's a series which Dresden is more like in terms of adventurous spirit.

[Abyss]

Dresden gets more sex than Encyclopedia Brown.

[Tehol the Only]

Modgod notice of entirely minor but still spoilery spoiler deleted.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 10 April 2013 - 03:24 PM

[Tehol the Only]

I beg pardon to the mod Pantheon. I wasn't sure about the spoiler regulamentation for this thread/forum section. Won't happen again.

[Abyss]

Tehol the Only, on 10 April 2013 - 04:09 PM, said:

I beg pardon to the mod Pantheon. I wasn't sure about the spoiler regulamentation for this thread/forum section. Won't happen again.

No worries - it was utterly minor but does become a sort of plot point.
Stonny started the thread so consider it limitted to wherever he's at and by all means start your own if you want to raise something else.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Abyss, on 10 April 2013 - 04:22 PM, said:

Tehol the Only, on 10 April 2013 - 04:09 PM, said:

I beg pardon to the mod Pantheon. I wasn't sure about the spoiler regulamentation for this thread/forum section. Won't happen again.

No worries - it was utterly minor but does become a sort of plot point.
Stonny started the thread so consider it limitted to wherever he's at and by all means start your own if you want to raise something else.

Very grateful for the courtesy, and of course i wont get all bitchy about a spoiler or two spilling out here.

Abyss, on 10 April 2013 - 01:52 PM, said:

Dresden gets more sex than Encyclopedia Brown.

Pretty amazing considering EB only charged 25 cents.

[Slow Ben]

Briar King said:

1366251466[/url]' post='1049923']
You make anymore progress with the books? We love discussing this shit!

Or cursing you for getting to experience them for the forst time.

[nacht]

just read blood rites. wow.
series got very interesting.