• Source: Storm Front (novel)

      • Storm Front is a 2000 fantasy novel by American writer Jim Butcher. It is the first novel in The Dresden Files, his first published series, and it follows the character of Harry Dresden, professional wizard. The novel was later adapted into a pilot for a SyFy channel television series, though Jim Butcher felt the writers were not attempting to recreate the novel on a "chapter by chapter or even story by story basis".


      Plot summary


      Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, accepts a case from Monica Sells. Her husband, Victor, a man obsessed with the occult, had been acting increasingly erratic, his once-gentle demeanor replaced with a chilling paranoia. As Harry was putting the details into his grimoire, a call from Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, his unlikely ally in the Chicago Police Department, sent a shiver down his spine.
      Murphy's partner, the always-stoic Sergeant Thomas, relayed a grim story. Two bodies, their hearts ripped out, a chillingly obvious display of magical power. The victims were seemingly random, but the connection to the supernatural was undeniable. Harry, knowing the White Council, the governing body of wizards, would instantly see him as the prime suspect, realized the danger of this situation.
      His investigation took him into the dark underbelly of Chicago’s supernatural scene: a lair of vampires, seeking a cure for their thirst; a shadowy warlock, manipulating forces beyond human comprehension; and the ever-watchful Warden Morgan, a powerful member of the White Council, who, unbeknownst to Dresden, had received whispers of the murders.
      As Harry dug deeper, he uncovered the truth: a potent drug called ThreeEye, a concoction that granted mortals temporary access to Wizard Sight, but with a devastatingly addictive and mind-shattering side effect. He learned that Victor Sells was the mastermind behind this dangerous operation, creating ThreeEye to gain an edge over Johnny Marcone, Chicago’s ruthless mob boss.
      The man Harry had known as a harmless, if eccentric, collector of arcane artifacts, had become consumed by his own power. He had abandoned his humanity, using the energy of thunderous storms and the orgiastic rituals held at his mansion to fuel his magic, turning his home into a breeding ground for dark forces. Sells had transformed into a ruthless manipulator, his victims not just Marcone’s men, but anyone who threatened his operation, including Monica's own sister. His latest target: Harry himself, for investigating too deeply.
      The burning mansion, filled with the smell of sulfur and the roar of flames. Harry, armed with his magic and a grim determination, interrupted Victor's spellcasting, the air filled with the crackle of raw power. A fierce battle ensued, Sells summoning a demonic creature and monstrous scorpions to fight Harry, who himself was pushed to his limits. Harry managed to burn down the mansion, Victor trapped inside, struggling against the infernal forces he'd conjured.
      Though he walked away from the inferno with his life, Harry found himself trapped on the balcony of the burning house, his escape seemingly impossible. It was Warden Morgan, witnessing the fight from afar, who recognized Harry's innocence and, with reluctant understanding, intervened. Morgan's testimony before the White Council, acknowledging Harry's guiltlessness, finally lifted the death sentence that had hung over him since his teenage years, a lingering consequence of a past misstep. Harry had survived another night, but the experience left its mark. He had seen the darkness that lurked within, the danger that arose when even a seemingly good man like Victor Sells strayed too far from the light. And he knew, with a chilling certainty, that the fight against the forces that threatened the world was far from over.


      Characters



      Harry Dresden: the protagonist, a professional wizard, and the only one listed in the phone book.
      Monica Sells: one of Dresden's clients and the wife of Warlock Victor Sells.
      Lieutenant Karrin Murphy: director of Special Investigations, Chicago PD.
      Detective Ron Carmichael: Murphy's partner at SI.
      Jennifer Stanton: an employee of the Velvet Room and Monica Sells' sister.
      Tommy Tomm: a bodyguard for Gentleman Johnny Marcone.
      Gentleman Johnny Marcone: the lord of the Chicago underworld.
      Hendricks: a bodyguard for Gentleman Johnny Marcone.
      Spike: a man of Marcone's.
      Mac: the owner and operator of McAnally's tavern.
      Susan Rodriguez: a reporter at the Midwestern Arcane, and Dresden's love interest.
      Toot-Toot: a dewdrop faerie who helps Dresden.
      Warden Donald Morgan: a law enforcement warden for the White Council, who has a mandate to aid the innocent and punish the guilty.
      Mister: Dresden's 30+ pound house cat.
      Bob: an intelligent air spirit who resides inside a skull in Dresden's sub-basement laboratory.
      Madame Bianca St. Claire: the owner of the Velvet Room and a Red Court vampire.
      Linda Randall: a former employee of the Velvet Room, the Beckitt's chauffeur, friend and sometime lover to Jennifer Stanton.
      The Beckitts: a rich couple who provide money for Victor Sells.
      Donny Wise: a photographer for a local adult magazine.
      Victor "Shadowman" Sells: the villain of the novel, who is a warlock and Monica Sells' husband.
      Jenny and Billy Sells: children of Monica and Victor Sells.


      In other media


      The plot of the novel was condensed into a 90-minute prospective television pilot for the Sci Fi Channel, and edited and aired as a later episode in the first season.
      The novel has been adapted into an eight-issue comic book mini-series, adapted by Mark Powers and illustrated by Ardian Syaf and Brett Booth.


      References




      External links



      Storm Front title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
      The first two chapters of the book and several MP3 clips are on the author's official website.
      Review by J. K. Pelletier, FantasyBookNews.com, October 2009

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