Literature Theater: The Dresden Files

I promised that I'd do a review on novels. And I hope you enjoy the first edition of Literature Theater. The first novel I'm going to review is a urban fantasy series called The Dresden Files.

The best way to describe The Dresden Files would be, what if Hellblazer was adapted as an American series? Yeah, when you put it like that, Constantine was as close as we could get to a Dresden Files film. Keanu even resembles the character more than Constantine.

I'm just going to review the book series as a whole and I must say if you like noir and supernatural then you'll love this series.

The series is like a film noir in book form and sometimes I just picture the whole scene in stark black and white. For atmosphere. Other times it's like the early seasons of Angel that blends crime and the supernatural really well. Then there are moments it reads like Hellblazer and becomes a Cosmic Horror Story.

The main character of the book can get you to like him instantly. The first few pages of the first book got me shouting "WAY TO GO HARRY!!!" Especially when he made a vampire cry. Trust me that vampire had it coming.

I also like how the magic concept is described in the series. Never does Jim Butcher talks down to the reader. He provides rules and regulations to magic use. And the drawbacks and limitations.

I like how he design the world of The Dresden Files. It's grand, weird, sexy, and a little scary. If you're not careful then you'd find yourself getting killed by whatever lurks in the shadows.

And lets talk about the vampires. Not since Hellsing have I seen vampires as, hot, dangerous, monstrous, and fucking awesome as the way Jim Butcher writes em. Thomas for one is the epitome of cool vampire and his relationship with the human Justine corrects everything that Twilight does wrong with vampire/human relationships.

If there is one gripe I do have is that, since the series is in first person perspective, then we'd have to deal with a protagonist who couldn't go without saying how attractive a female is whenever she's introduced. Granted it does have it's kickass ladies. Murphy puts the badass in Badass Normal. But if I were a drinking man then I'd take a shot each time Harry describes how attractive a female character is. But since this series sort of pays homage to old school film noir where that kind of a trope is common then I'm going to let it slide. Also, the guys get their equal share of fanservice. Thomas is the closest this series has to a bishonen character.

Overall I give the series an A+. It's fun, intense, exhilarating, with a touch of scary. I'd highly recommend checking the series out. Get Storm Front since that is the first of the book series. I'd recommend listening to it through audible as the voice narration makes it feel even more alive.