Storm Front by Jim Butcher - Audiobook Review #1 - Disco Reads

_{Cover image via ROC Books | Jim Butcher}

Disco Reads, An Audiobook Review

This will be a new series of posts about something I have a great deal of passion for. Good stories. More often than not, these will take the form of audiobooks I have listened to.

The first sets of these will likely be all from the same series, because I believe it to be one of the best. Stay tuned for further installments in that series, as we continue with mine.

With that, I give you...

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Storm Front - Jim Butcher

Read by James Marsters

The Story

From the book jacket:

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic - it can get a guy killed.

The premise of this story seems like such a gimmick. A way for someone to get some cheap Urban Fantasy thrills out in their writing. In theory, it shouldn't be much more than this. Here's the kicker though, it's much more than that.

You have a standard 'who-dunnit' type of story, with the spice of a wonderfully deep world of paranormal fantasy fare. Jim Butcher is a genius as setting up a story, the pacing is excellent, and you are interested in things all the way through it. He sets up stuff in this book that is still paying off in book #15.

I am not going to go into too much detail. In short, you have an amazing plot, even more amazing characters, and more. Humor, drama, suspense, action, all of it.

And the first 3 books are said to be the weakest of the series. Having read up to and through the current book, I agree. They are still amazing anyways. The fact that it just gets better and better as it goes, means that by Book 15 it's amazing.

The Narrator

James Marsters

You might know him, he played Spike on Buffy and Angel. Joss Whedon's two first series are nearly a cult classic by now and if you are familiar with it, this series is good for you anyways. The references made in this series are clearly aimed at that demographic. James is a classically trained actor of stage and screen. He has excellent voices for the various characters, and manages evocative emotion well beyond many other narrators I have enjoyed.

He manages the snark, the sarcasm, the emotion, and the characters of this story with an almost scary amount of aplomb. He might have been born to fill this role. It certainly feels like it at times. He has become the voice of Dresden in my mind already.

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I could go on about this for a long time, but I really just wanted to bring it to your attention. Read them, listen to them, just find a way to enjoy them.

Long story short:

10/10 - Would recommend!

Thanks!

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