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Dewicked trope
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* CrazyAwesome: Harry Dresden.
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* ChekhovsGun: A lot. Some that take books to be fired, even.
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* BattleAmongstTheFlames: This happens for the first [[RunningGag (but definitely not last)]] time in Victor's house.
* ChekhovsGun: A lot. Some that take several books to be fired,even.even.
* CombatPragmatist: Both Harry and Victor use guns in combat. Harry also gets props for re-designing a cleaning spell to use against the scorpions. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He also got all the dust, too]].
* ChekhovsGun: A lot. Some that take several books to be fired,
* CombatPragmatist: Both Harry and Victor use guns in combat. Harry also gets props for re-designing a cleaning spell to use against the scorpions. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He also got all the dust, too]].
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* ForWantOfANail: about two thirds - perhaps even more - of Harry's problems in future books can be traced back to one instant.
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* ForWantOfANail: about About two thirds - perhaps even more - of Harry's problems in future books can be traced back to one instant.
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* StrongButUnskilled: Victor Sells, who is about as powerful as Harry at this point, but has no combat skill.
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And, apparently, strong enough to send monster scorpions and a demon after Harry and explode even more hearts. Harry's his next target, but he can't hit him with the heart-exploding spell quite yet. Turns out, he was using storms (as well as sex energy from two of Marcone's old enemies) to power the spell. If Harry can't get to him before the next storm, he's toast.
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* OurVampiresOurDifferent: This book introduces the Red Court, batlike monsters in a human 'flesh mask' who feed on blood and have addictive saliva.
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* OurVampiresOurDifferent: OurVampiresAreDifferent: This book introduces the Red Court, batlike monsters in a human 'flesh mask' who feed on blood and have addictive saliva.
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Bringing this more in line with a standard recap. Some other troper please give the summary more details.
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Harry Dresden, professional wizard - he appears in the phone directory under "Wizards", after all - receives a call: a woman wants to hire him to find her missing husband. About the same time, Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, head of Special Investigations in the Chicago Police Department, asks for his help to solve a mysterious crime, that of a man and a woman whose hearts exploded while they were having sex. The man turns out to be connected with Johnny Marcone, the local Mob boss, who tries to get Harry to forget about the case. And, at the same time, a Warden of the White Council is going after Harry, convinced that he is the one behind the killings. Little does Harry know that the two cases are intimately related, and that, if he does not find a solution, he might not survive for much longer.
And, additionally, a minor action will cause enormous consequences in the future.
* ChekhovsGun: a lot. Some that take books to be fired, even.
* CrazyAwesome: Harry Dresden.
And, additionally, a minor action will cause enormous consequences in the future.
* ChekhovsGun: a lot. Some that take books to be fired, even.
* CrazyAwesome: Harry Dresden.
to:
Harry Dresden, professional wizard - he appears in the phone directory under "Wizards", after all - receives a call: a woman wants to hire him to find her missing husband. About the same time, Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, head of Special Investigations in the Chicago Police Department, asks for his help to solve a mysterious crime, that of a man and a woman whose hearts exploded while they were having sex. The man turns out to be connected with Johnny Marcone, the local Mob boss, who tries to get Harry to forget about the case. And, at ''Then'' there's the same time, a Warden of new magical drug on the White Council is going after Harry, convinced that he is street, Three-Eye, which forcibly opens the one behind True Sight. This is not a good thing, given how horrifying some things are in the killings. Little does Harry know that the two cases are intimately related, and that, if he does not find a solution, he might not survive for much longer.Sight.
Harry tries to take on both investigations at once, which proves easier than expected because of their interconnections. He investigates people connected to the dead woman (a prostitute), including a coworker and her Red Court vampire boss, Bianca. The meeting with Bianca doesn't go very well- when Dresden bleeds, Bianca loses control and attacks him. He defends himself, and her frazzled mental state later causes her to overfeed from and kill one of her human thralls. Remember this, it'll be important later.
With the Bianca angle a bust (though he got some help from the coworker), he starts investigating the missing husband, Victor Sells, and (with some help from his dewdrop fairy informant Toot-Toot) discovers that he may have been engaged in sex rituals. Also, he seems to be a magic user himself, new and untrained but fairly strong. He's using his powers to create Three-Eye, as well as to make the hearts of his rivals explode out of their chests.
Harry has a confrontation with Morgan, a Warden of the White Council and Harry's parole officer. Morgan is quite prejudiced about Harry (believing that Harry is a warlock) and just waiting for him to screw up, but summoning Toot-Toot does not really constitute a break with the Laws of Magic, so he has to let Harry go.
And,additionally, apparently, strong enough to send monster scorpions and a minor action will cause enormous consequences demon after Harry and explode even more hearts. Harry's his next target, but he can't hit him with the heart-exploding spell quite yet. Turns out, he was using storms (as well as sex energy from two of Marcone's old enemies) to power the spell. If Harry can't get to him before the next storm, he's toast.
Harry manages to find Sells and interrupts his spell at the last second. They have a showdown in thefuture.
house, which ends with Sells unwisely shouting out his demon's True Name to summon it right in front of Harry. You see, anyone who knows a demon's Name can control it, and Harry uses the demon's Name to free it from Sells' control. The demon kills Sells.
Harry is saved by Morgan, because as triggerhappy as Morgan is, he is also honorable, and realizes that what Harry did was ''not'' the actions of the warlock. He also argues for the Council to lift Harry's parole, which happens.
* ChekhovsGun:a A lot. Some that take books to be fired, even.
* CrazyAwesome: HarryDresden.Dresden.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Three-Eye addict provides an awful lot of foreshadowing for someone who appears in one scene. He mentions important things from ''Fool Moon'' and ''Cold Days'', as well as an important event in Harry's backstory.
Harry tries to take on both investigations at once, which proves easier than expected because of their interconnections. He investigates people connected to the dead woman (a prostitute), including a coworker and her Red Court vampire boss, Bianca. The meeting with Bianca doesn't go very well- when Dresden bleeds, Bianca loses control and attacks him. He defends himself, and her frazzled mental state later causes her to overfeed from and kill one of her human thralls. Remember this, it'll be important later.
With the Bianca angle a bust (though he got some help from the coworker), he starts investigating the missing husband, Victor Sells, and (with some help from his dewdrop fairy informant Toot-Toot) discovers that he may have been engaged in sex rituals. Also, he seems to be a magic user himself, new and untrained but fairly strong. He's using his powers to create Three-Eye, as well as to make the hearts of his rivals explode out of their chests.
Harry has a confrontation with Morgan, a Warden of the White Council and Harry's parole officer. Morgan is quite prejudiced about Harry (believing that Harry is a warlock) and just waiting for him to screw up, but summoning Toot-Toot does not really constitute a break with the Laws of Magic, so he has to let Harry go.
And,
Harry manages to find Sells and interrupts his spell at the last second. They have a showdown in the
Harry is saved by Morgan, because as triggerhappy as Morgan is, he is also honorable, and realizes that what Harry did was ''not'' the actions of the warlock. He also argues for the Council to lift Harry's parole, which happens.
* ChekhovsGun:
* CrazyAwesome: Harry
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Three-Eye addict provides an awful lot of foreshadowing for someone who appears in one scene. He mentions important things from ''Fool Moon'' and ''Cold Days'', as well as an important event in Harry's backstory.
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-->[[spoiler:'''Bianca:''' You're bleeding, Mr. Dresden.]]
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* IKnowYourTrueName: It's established that knowing a supernatural being's true name can give you power over them. It's unwise to do this to the more powerful beings, though, since it gives them a chance to hit you back, and it's also far less effective against mortals, who constantly change and reevaluate their natures, which changes their true name.
* OurVampiresOurDifferent: This book introduces the Red Court, batlike monsters in a human 'flesh mask' who feed on blood and have addictive saliva.
* RedBaron: Nobody can make the title 'Gentleman' sound quite as badass as John Marcone.
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And, additionally, a minor action will cause enormous consequences in the future.
* ChekhovsGun: a lot. Some that take books to be fired, even.
* CrazyAwesome: Harry Dresden.
* ForWantOfANail: about two thirds - perhaps even more - of Harry's problems in future books can be traced back to one instant.
-->[[spoiler:'''Bianca:''' You're bleeding, Mr. Dresden.]]
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The first novel in the series, ''Storm Front'' is light on the MythArc and doesn't include the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters common to the later books; its pacing is also slower as the reader is introduced to one Harry Dresden, Wizard.
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman named Monica calls to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel with black magic, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the other truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
Harry's client is a messed-up bundle of nerves, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. Her husband, Victor Sells, who had lost his job recently and no friends or family besides Monica and their children, has been missing for three days. He even packed a bag before he left, but Monica insists that he would never leave them. The runaway spouse looks more and more likely, until Monica reveals the reason she went to Harry and not the police: Victor had recently developed an interest in magic. Harry promises to see what he can do. Monica heads off to pick up her kids, leaving behind an advance payment, a photo of her husband, and a talisman he had been using - a dead scorpion. Not '''inherently''' evil, Harry notes, but certainly not a good sign.
Harry takes one of the fifties from his advance pay, and treats himself, heading on over to McAnally's pub, the popular hangout spot for Chicago's supernatural subculture. After ordering a steak and one of Mac's almost supernaturally good beers and gossiping about the new designer drug, Three Eye, Harry is accosted by Susan Rodriguez, a tabloid reporter who knows Harry's the real thing. She questions Harry doggedly about his case, learning a little bit due to Harry's sheer inability to lie convincingly, before asking him to dinner and leaving. Women, Harry figures. ''Way'' more mysterious than wizards.
Caught in a struggle between Marcone, the vampires, and a shadowy third figure intent on removing him from the picture, Harry has to think fast and fight faster before someone finds him guilty -- or finds him dead.
Tropes used in this novel include:
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: It doesn't quite grow to fifty feet, but the scorpion golem that attacks Dredsen in his office starts out regular-sized before assuming some quite un-scorpion-like proportions.
* ChekhovsGun: The scorpion talisman Harry is given in the first few chapters, which later turns into the aforementioned giant magical killing machine.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Bianca the vampiress, who becomes important in ''Grave Peril''. Toot, the future founded of the 'Za Lord's Guard, appears as an information contact, before being paid in the aforementioned pizza. Probably nobody, Butcher included, knew quite what ''this'' plot point would become...
* FantasticDrug: Three-Eye, a drug created by magical processes, which goes from a background element to highly important when its manufacturer tries to cover his tracks with murder.
* PoliceAreUseless: Warden Morgan, who is ''supposed'' to deal with magical criminals like the Three-Eye ring, spends the entire book firmly believing it's Harry's doing, only changing his mind after seeing Dresden nearly burn to death fighting them.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Dresden really is on Murphy's side, but thanks to his chronic inability to tell her the whole truth, she doesn't trust him. This book features both their first argument about it as well as the first time she ends up handcuffing him, both of which would become recurring issues for the next few books.
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman named Monica calls to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel with black magic, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the other truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
Harry's client is a messed-up bundle of nerves, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. Her husband, Victor Sells, who had lost his job recently and no friends or family besides Monica and their children, has been missing for three days. He even packed a bag before he left, but Monica insists that he would never leave them. The runaway spouse looks more and more likely, until Monica reveals the reason she went to Harry and not the police: Victor had recently developed an interest in magic. Harry promises to see what he can do. Monica heads off to pick up her kids, leaving behind an advance payment, a photo of her husband, and a talisman he had been using - a dead scorpion. Not '''inherently''' evil, Harry notes, but certainly not a good sign.
Harry takes one of the fifties from his advance pay, and treats himself, heading on over to McAnally's pub, the popular hangout spot for Chicago's supernatural subculture. After ordering a steak and one of Mac's almost supernaturally good beers and gossiping about the new designer drug, Three Eye, Harry is accosted by Susan Rodriguez, a tabloid reporter who knows Harry's the real thing. She questions Harry doggedly about his case, learning a little bit due to Harry's sheer inability to lie convincingly, before asking him to dinner and leaving. Women, Harry figures. ''Way'' more mysterious than wizards.
Caught in a struggle between Marcone, the vampires, and a shadowy third figure intent on removing him from the picture, Harry has to think fast and fight faster before someone finds him guilty -- or finds him dead.
Tropes used in this novel include:
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: It doesn't quite grow to fifty feet, but the scorpion golem that attacks Dredsen in his office starts out regular-sized before assuming some quite un-scorpion-like proportions.
* ChekhovsGun: The scorpion talisman Harry is given in the first few chapters, which later turns into the aforementioned giant magical killing machine.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Bianca the vampiress, who becomes important in ''Grave Peril''. Toot, the future founded of the 'Za Lord's Guard, appears as an information contact, before being paid in the aforementioned pizza. Probably nobody, Butcher included, knew quite what ''this'' plot point would become...
* FantasticDrug: Three-Eye, a drug created by magical processes, which goes from a background element to highly important when its manufacturer tries to cover his tracks with murder.
* PoliceAreUseless: Warden Morgan, who is ''supposed'' to deal with magical criminals like the Three-Eye ring, spends the entire book firmly believing it's Harry's doing, only changing his mind after seeing Dresden nearly burn to death fighting them.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Dresden really is on Murphy's side, but thanks to his chronic inability to tell her the whole truth, she doesn't trust him. This book features both their first argument about it as well as the first time she ends up handcuffing him, both of which would become recurring issues for the next few books.
to:
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman named Monica calls to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel with black magic, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the other truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
Harry's client is a messed-up bundle of nerves, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. Her husband, Victor Sells, who had lost his job recently and no friends or family besides Monica and their children, has been missing for three days. He even packed a bag before he left, but Monica insists that he would never leave them. The runaway spouse looks more and more likely, until Monica reveals the reason she went to Harry and not the police: Victor had recently developed an interest in magic. Harry promises to see what he can do. Monica heads off to pick up her kids, leaving behind an advance payment, a photo of her husband, and a talisman he had been using - a dead scorpion. Not '''inherently''' evil, Harry notes, but certainly not a good sign.
Harry takes one of the fifties from his advance pay, and treats himself, heading on over to McAnally's pub, the popular hangout spot for Chicago's supernatural subculture. After ordering a steak and one of Mac's almost supernaturally good beers and gossiping about the new designer drug, Three Eye, Harry is accosted by Susan Rodriguez, a tabloid reporter who knows Harry's the real thing. She questions Harry doggedly about his case, learning a little bit due to Harry's sheer inability to lie convincingly, before asking him to dinner and leaving. Women, Harry figures. ''Way'' more mysterious than wizards.
Caught in a struggle between Marcone, the vampires, and a shadowy third figure intent on removing him from the picture, Harry has to think fast and fight faster before someone finds him guilty -- or finds him dead.
Tropes used in this novel include:
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: It doesn't quite grow to fifty feet, but the scorpion golem that attacks Dredsen in his office starts out regular-sized before assuming some quite un-scorpion-like proportions.
* ChekhovsGun: The scorpion talisman Harry is given in the first few chapters, which later turns into the aforementioned giant magical killing machine.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Bianca the vampiress, who becomes important in ''Grave Peril''. Toot, the future founded of the 'Za Lord's Guard, appears as an information contact, before being paid in the aforementioned pizza. Probably nobody, Butcher included, knew quite what ''this'' plot point would become...
* FantasticDrug: Three-Eye, a drug created by magical processes, which goes from a background element to highly important when its manufacturer tries to cover his tracks with murder.
* PoliceAreUseless: Warden Morgan, who is ''supposed'' to deal with magical criminals like the Three-Eye ring, spends the entire book firmly believing it's Harry's doing, only changing his mind after seeing Dresden nearly burn to death fighting them.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Dresden really is on Murphy's side, but thanks to his chronic inability to tell her the whole truth, she doesn't trust him. This book features both their first argument about it as well as the first time she ends up handcuffing him, both of which would become recurring issues for the next few books.
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Added DiffLines:
Harry takes one of the fifties from his advance pay, and treats himself, heading on over to McAnally's pub, the popular hangout spot for Chicago's supernatural subculture. After ordering a steak and one of Mac's almost supernaturally good beers and gossiping about the new designer drug, Three Eye, Harry is accosted by Susan Rodriguez, a tabloid reporter who knows Harry's the real thing. She questions Harry doggedly about his case, learning a little bit due to Harry's sheer inability to lie convincingly, before asking him to dinner and leaving. Women, Harry figures. ''Way'' more mysterious than wizards.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
Harry's client is a messed-up bundle of nerves, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. Her husband, Victor Sells, who had lost his job recently and no friends or family besides Monica and their children, has been missing for three days. He even packed a bag before he left, but Monica insists that he would never leave them. The runaway spouse looks more and more likely, until Monica reveals the reason she went to Harry and not the police: Victor had recently developed an interest in magic. Harry promises to see what he can do. Monica heads off to pick up her kids, leaving behind an advance payment, a photo of her husband, and a talisman he had been using - a dead scorpion. Not '''inherently''' evil, Harry notes, but certainly not a good sign.
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Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
to:
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the other truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
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Added detail. Possiblly more later.
Changed line(s) 3,6 (click to see context) from:
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman walks in to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
to:
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman walks in named Monica calls to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a localhotel, hotel with black magic, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Marcone.
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local
Whom he runs into immediately after leaving the crime scene, 'inviting' the wizard into his car for a ride back to the office. Marcone takes Harry off guard by offering to hire him - to not do much of anything for the next couple days. Particularly, to not help Murphy with her investigation. Harry refuses, and Marcone tricks Harry into a soul gaze, which lets a wizard plus one see who the truly is as a person in exquisite detail, with the added caveat that not a single detail of what is experienced will ever fade from memory. Harry is shaken by the soul of the crime lord, but refuses to back down. Marcone drops him off outside his office building in time for his appointment with Monica.
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Added DiffLines:
The first novel in the series, ''Storm Front'' is light on the MythArc and doesn't include the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters common to the later books; its pacing is also slower as the reader is introduced to one Harry Dresden, Wizard.
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman walks in to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Caught in a struggle between Marcone, the vampires, and a shadowy third figure intent on removing him from the picture, Harry has to think fast and fight faster before someone finds him guilty -- or finds him dead.
Tropes used in this novel include:
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: It doesn't quite grow to fifty feet, but the scorpion golem that attacks Dredsen in his office starts out regular-sized before assuming some quite un-scorpion-like proportions.
* ChekhovsGun: The scorpion talisman Harry is given in the first few chapters, which later turns into the aforementioned giant magical killing machine.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Bianca the vampiress, who becomes important in ''Grave Peril''. Toot, the future founded of the 'Za Lord's Guard, appears as an information contact, before being paid in the aforementioned pizza. Probably nobody, Butcher included, knew quite what ''this'' plot point would become...
* FantasticDrug: Three-Eye, a drug created by magical processes, which goes from a background element to highly important when its manufacturer tries to cover his tracks with murder.
* PoliceAreUseless: Warden Morgan, who is ''supposed'' to deal with magical criminals like the Three-Eye ring, spends the entire book firmly believing it's Harry's doing, only changing his mind after seeing Dresden nearly burn to death fighting them.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Dresden really is on Murphy's side, but thanks to his chronic inability to tell her the whole truth, she doesn't trust him. This book features both their first argument about it as well as the first time she ends up handcuffing him, both of which would become recurring issues for the next few books.
Our hero is living day to day as Chicago's only professional wizard (he's in the phone book, look him up). Mostly he does small jobs -- exorcisms, lost objects, the occasional police consultation on the side. So when a middle-aged woman walks in to ask him to find her husband, no police necessary, he's not in a position to say no. Sure, the guy's probably having an affair on the side, nothing magical about it, but a paycheck is a paycheck.
His plans are interrupted when his FriendOnTheForce, Lieutenant Karin Murphy of "Special Investigations", calls him in to do his thing. A couple have been murdered at a local hotel, with their hearts impossibly exploded out of their chests. Complicating matters are the identities of the deceased: she's a HighClassCallGirl working with [[VampiresAreSexGods a vampiress]], he's hired muscle for the city's most notorious crime boss, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone.
Caught in a struggle between Marcone, the vampires, and a shadowy third figure intent on removing him from the picture, Harry has to think fast and fight faster before someone finds him guilty -- or finds him dead.
Tropes used in this novel include:
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: It doesn't quite grow to fifty feet, but the scorpion golem that attacks Dredsen in his office starts out regular-sized before assuming some quite un-scorpion-like proportions.
* ChekhovsGun: The scorpion talisman Harry is given in the first few chapters, which later turns into the aforementioned giant magical killing machine.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Bianca the vampiress, who becomes important in ''Grave Peril''. Toot, the future founded of the 'Za Lord's Guard, appears as an information contact, before being paid in the aforementioned pizza. Probably nobody, Butcher included, knew quite what ''this'' plot point would become...
* FantasticDrug: Three-Eye, a drug created by magical processes, which goes from a background element to highly important when its manufacturer tries to cover his tracks with murder.
* PoliceAreUseless: Warden Morgan, who is ''supposed'' to deal with magical criminals like the Three-Eye ring, spends the entire book firmly believing it's Harry's doing, only changing his mind after seeing Dresden nearly burn to death fighting them.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Dresden really is on Murphy's side, but thanks to his chronic inability to tell her the whole truth, she doesn't trust him. This book features both their first argument about it as well as the first time she ends up handcuffing him, both of which would become recurring issues for the next few books.
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edit lock expiring timer is psyching me out, ngl
Added DiffLines:
'''Book One of The Dresden Files''':
!Storm Front
((Being written by @/LucyZephyr. Feel free to hit me up in the Recap Discussion page if you need to.))
TheOneWith the wizard, the detective, the mobster, sex magic, and a lot of exposition.
The first proper story of TheDresdenFiles introduces us to our protagonist, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. You can look him up-- he's in the Chicago phonebook, only one under "Wizard." Lost items are a specialty, but no love potions, endless purses, or parties. Most people don't take him seriously, but he's the genuine article. And he'll
!Storm Front
((Being written by @/LucyZephyr. Feel free to hit me up in the Recap Discussion page if you need to.))
TheOneWith the wizard, the detective, the mobster, sex magic, and a lot of exposition.
The first proper story of TheDresdenFiles introduces us to our protagonist, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. You can look him up-- he's in the Chicago phonebook, only one under "Wizard." Lost items are a specialty, but no love potions, endless purses, or parties. Most people don't take him seriously, but he's the genuine article. And he'll
