Storm Front

[alaterdate]

Storm Front by Jim Butcher was actually entertaining, disbarring the weird talk about women. If he just stopped talking about, and describing women that'd be great. Within the first two or so chapters I really thought this was gonna end up a DNF because of all that m'lady stuff, but I kept reading after all.

You're either gonna like or hate this book because of the main character. He's weird and not cool and "too powerful for his own good", but he gets tired and he gets scared and he's just plain stupid sometimes and I actually liked that. The cover tries to pitch him as some cool, stoic cowboy type, but he's not that at all. As soon as you accept that this guy is a dork in a duster the more entertaining this book becomes. If you're hoping or thinking he's actually cool ever you'll be very disappointed.

I liked the supernatural elements with the murder mystery (even though the mystery in this one is mediocre). There's a whole world there with a history and rules, but it's never overwhelming. This book was pretty funny at times too so don't take it too seriously and you'll have a good time.

Don't know if I'll read the rest of the series. They're pretty popular at my local library, so hard to get a hold of and I don't want to request them only to receive them and then not read them. I'm pretty mired in other series already *coughgottafinishIggulden'sEmperorseriescough*

Comments

[kalloway]

I've always heard to start with the... fourth book of the series? Though I did take the first two from a friend when they got rid of their collection. I thought Storm Front was okay? And still have Fool Moon sitting there waiting like five years later. Maybe someday, but I can see the series being a borrow and not a buy for sure.

[alaterdate]

I've heard something like that too. They say by then Butcher drops the weird writing about women somewhat and hits his stride with the story. Storm Front was kind of ridiculous to me it felt like watching a weird movie I found in a bargain bin just for laughs. But it wasn't completely terrible. I agree that it is a series to borrow rather than buy, wouldn't get much rereads here.

[kalloway]

Maybe I'll bump Fool Moon onto the current TBR pile and see how I feel about it. I remember Storm Front having some interesting ideas but yeah, definitely being rough around the edges.

[artabria]

If you keep reading, let me now. I read the first one, but as you said... the "m'lady stuff" was a bit annoying.

Who knows, maybe it's a mix of "it's the first book in the series" and "it didn't age well"?

[alaterdate]

The series was recommended to me on Reddit and I was thinking ofc Reddit boys gobbled this up. Did anyone ever really think dusters were that cool though? lol
I think it was both of those things though, like Kalloway said in her comment, most people suggest starting around book four where the writing supposedly loses the M'Ladyies. I'll definitely post more reviews if I continue the series.

[sideways]

Another vote for the "it hits its stride more in the middle stretch of the series", but, yeah. I don't think it ever entirely stops being a bit Guy Geek Author.

[alaterdate]

I'll give it some more slack until then. Have you read the whole series? I'm still interested in it because I liked some of the world set-up. If it tones down a bit I won't really mind the Guy Geek Author-ness because partway through the first book I found that somewhat amusing.

[sideways]

I bowed out somewhere around book 8 or 9, I think? I can't remember exactly why, I think I may have found it was getting a bit melodramatic for my tastes. I do remember really enjoying some of those middle arcs, though.

It's definitely still very witty a lot of the time, heh.