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Storm Front (Hardcover, 2007, Roc) 3 stars

Hailed as "a great series--fast-paced, vividly realized, and with a hero/narrator who's in excellent company"^--the …

A good start to an enjoyable noir, urban fantasy detective series with a dash of witty lightheartedness

4 stars

I continued to read the entire series to date, so it seems I liked it.

Jim Butcher introduces us to his protagonist, Harry Dresden, a wizard for hire who is barely scraping by. Living in an alternate universe modern-day Chicago, where magic and the supernatural is real but unknown to the majority of humanity, Harry ekes out a living as private investigator.

Storm Front delivers a solid detective story that mixes the cold realities of malicious people with a caring, witty protagonist. The blend of supernatural, humor, and a classic whodunit kept me entertained.

The world building is top notch. Harry's Chicago feels lived in, and his friends and colleagues are presented as real characters. There are a few sections that struck me as paced a bit slower than I would have expected, hence the 4-star review. Ultimately, I was satisfied with the plot and its conclusion.

While Storm Front deals with some mature themes, it isn't a bodice ripper or romance. My use of the urban fantasy label is for its setting being in a modern city and the present of the supernatural.