Fool Moon
Jim Butcher - Fool Moon
First, these comments are based of a single book in a long series that may not represent the other stories. That's probably the claim Butcher's fans are likely to make, anyway. If that's not the case, well…
Werewolves are ripping people apart in Chicago and the police summons white wizard consultant Harry Dresden to help to solve the crime. Of course, the Cops are Stupid - even the close ones who believe in the supernatural - and end up suspecting Dresden and soon he has the Feds, the police Special Investigations Squad, local organized crime boss and couple of lycanthrope gangs in his (pardon the pun) tail. Everything constantly gets worse than "this" (Butcher apparently realizes it because Dresden jokes about it). It may be that the book is written for the "I'm special and everybody harasses me"-demographic.
Considering the amount of pursuit, escapes, splatter and pyrotechnics in the story, Butcher's agent has probably tried to sell the story option to at least one action movie studio. If not, they should have since the plot is rather cinematic in so many places. That includes the Creature Wipes Out the Precinct X-plot twist. Then there's the Skeptic Sees the Light of Magic less than a Page after his Death-trope. Beating the protagonist unconscious repeatedly is also part of some genre conventions (including those in some German police series).
Magic in the story is relatively simple. Casting it includes complex explanations of metaphysical ethics even if Dresden's magic is essentially either plot shortcuts (ask a demon instead of going through the research procedure) or substitute for large-caliber ironmongery (with special effects sure to please a studio pyrotechnics department). To Butcher's credit, Dresden at least runs out of ammo.
And: Considering the amount of the abuse the police, including the Dresden's ally, puts him through in this second story of the series, Dresden has to have a masochistic streak a parsec wide to agree to work with them in the following books of the series. Butcher probably uses the "I'm glutton for punishment"-joke.
I'm hoping this is "I'm out of ideas and need some carnage to sell" part of the series. Otherwise, I'm not that interested to read about the rest of Dresden's exploits.
First, these comments are based of a single book in a long series that may not represent the other stories. That's probably the claim Butcher's fans are likely to make, anyway. If that's not the case, well…
Werewolves are ripping people apart in Chicago and the police summons white wizard consultant Harry Dresden to help to solve the crime. Of course, the Cops are Stupid - even the close ones who believe in the supernatural - and end up suspecting Dresden and soon he has the Feds, the police Special Investigations Squad, local organized crime boss and couple of lycanthrope gangs in his (pardon the pun) tail. Everything constantly gets worse than "this" (Butcher apparently realizes it because Dresden jokes about it). It may be that the book is written for the "I'm special and everybody harasses me"-demographic.
Considering the amount of pursuit, escapes, splatter and pyrotechnics in the story, Butcher's agent has probably tried to sell the story option to at least one action movie studio. If not, they should have since the plot is rather cinematic in so many places. That includes the Creature Wipes Out the Precinct X-plot twist. Then there's the Skeptic Sees the Light of Magic less than a Page after his Death-trope. Beating the protagonist unconscious repeatedly is also part of some genre conventions (including those in some German police series).
Magic in the story is relatively simple. Casting it includes complex explanations of metaphysical ethics even if Dresden's magic is essentially either plot shortcuts (ask a demon instead of going through the research procedure) or substitute for large-caliber ironmongery (with special effects sure to please a studio pyrotechnics department). To Butcher's credit, Dresden at least runs out of ammo.
And: Considering the amount of the abuse the police, including the Dresden's ally, puts him through in this second story of the series, Dresden has to have a masochistic streak a parsec wide to agree to work with them in the following books of the series. Butcher probably uses the "I'm glutton for punishment"-joke.
I'm hoping this is "I'm out of ideas and need some carnage to sell" part of the series. Otherwise, I'm not that interested to read about the rest of Dresden's exploits.