Storm Front: Book 1 of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

The first entry in what is now a seven book series,Jim Butcher's work definitely feels like a first novel. I don't say this as an insult, the work just sounds like a decent craftsman figuring out his tools. The action is fairly tight, the plot is somewhat predictable, but the characters are unique enough to keep my interest.

Harry Dresden is a genuine wizard, one of the few openly operating in Chicago. He helps police solve crimes of supernatural origins and moonlights as a private detective to help pay the bills. He's cursed by the White Council (the Supreme Court of wizardry) because of his use of magic in an earlier duel with another wizard. It alludes to an interesting backstory for the character, but mostly provides a convenient stumbling block so he can't magic his way out of any bad situation. And Harry definitely finds himself in many bad situations, doing battle with overzealous wizard-cops, demons, and dark wizards. Several random events congeal into a plot involving a mortal man discovering how to harness black magic to commit murder. Harry comes through in the end, saving the day (barely) with some interesting uses of his magic powers.

My main beef with the book is the extreme use of detail. A tense scene would begin, and a new character would enter, at which point Harry would stop and describe their clothes, shoes, nose and face, hair length, cloth used in said clothes, and anything they might be carrying. People can't think this fast in real life, and it always drags a book down for me when narrators do it. I'm a thinking man, I'll paint mundane details on my own, thankyouverymuch. I may give book number two a try, as this was a solid effort and not nearly as groan inducing and stomach-churningly bad as the Rogue Angel book I reviewed a while back.

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower V) by Stephen King

Roland of Gilead and his ka-tet continue their quest to the elusive dark tower. More of the mystery is revealed in this volume. With a classic western shootout as the backdrop, King unravels brings another member to Roland's group: Father Callahan (last seen defeated by a vampire in 'Salem's Lot). Susannah must deal with a pregnancy that is decidedly not of this world, and young Jake continues his lessons in the school of hard knocks.

Calla Bryn Sturgis, a town at the border of Mid- and End-World, is unusual in that twins are the norm. Roughly once each generation, the Wolves come from nearby Thunderclap to raid the town and steal one of each set of twins. Those that are returned are broken (roont, as the locals say).

It falls to Roland and his Gunslingers to save the town. They discover another doorway back to Jake and Eddie's New York, but things are changing there as well. The Dark Tower is crumbling, and all of reality threatens to fall apart with it. The discovery of a Rose in an abandoned lot may hold the key, but the impending showdown with the Wolves means we'll have to wait at least until the next book to get the answers we need.

This part of the tale was excellently paced, but did occasionally feel like an episode of Lost (this close to the end, and they're adding MORE characters and backstory?). I'm anxious to see it through to the end, especially with the twists added at the end of the book involving major figures from our when and where...