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Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is famous for The Dresden Files, a series about the only wizard who was listed in the Chicago Yellow Pages. If you haven’t read any of it, is it worth starting it now that there are 19 books in the series?

Of course I’m going to tell you yes. Harry is funny and talented and snarky. But the series is better than just a wisecracking wizard PI. Here’s why.

I love the fact that this series evolves. Harry Dresden is completely different in book 19 than he is in book 1. So many long running series keep their protagonist from growing and changing in order to keep being able to tell the same kind of stories. In this series, choices have consequences. Sometimes those consequences will rip out your heart and stomp on it and you will love Jim Butcher for it.

(There was a TV series of this too and it was horrible. They took the idea that there was a wizard private eye and there was a cop and pretty much threw everything else that made it special out. Why do they do this to us?)

Because of this growth in the series you really need to start at the beginning with Storm Front. But, if you still aren’t sure if you want to commit there are some short stories that will give you a taste. I’d recommend Working for Bigfoot.

These are stories of several times when Harry interacts with the son of a Bigfoot as the boy grows up. It will give you an idea of the fun of the Dresden stories but they are outside the main plot line so you can pick this up whenever.

These are also absolutely books that need to be listened to on audio. They are read by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and he is amazing.

Although he is most known for Dresden, Jim Butcher has written other series. Codex Alera is a six book epic fantasy series that couldn’t be more different from Dresden but I enjoyed it. The Cinder Spires goes in an entirely other direction with steampunk airship captains and talking cats. Who doesn’t want to hear all the thoughts of the talking cats? Believe me, they have a lot to say about the stupidity of humans.