Fool Moon by Jim Butcher: Book Review

My Review

My Rating: 3/5

Fool Moon Book Review – Spoiler Free

Despite the monster-of-the-week vibe I’m getting from Storm Front and this second book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, I really enjoyed reading Fool Moon.

Urban fantasy was never my sort of thing, but Jim Butcher’s writing is funny, engaging, and makes me want to flip onto the next page every time.

After thinking about this one for a bit, I think I can now see some hints at a larger plot developing that I am looking forward to exploring. I love fantasy books that feel like there is more going on than we see – in the beginning at least – and Fool Moon is certainly one of those books.

Harry Dresden is still a dick…

…but his character is becoming more interesting – I won’t go into spoilers, but there are hints to something more about his character, his past, that I’m intrigued by.

I really hope his character grows and develops from this stage – and soon – as I think it would be very satisfying to see him become someone I liked.

The plot itself was interesting but not incredible

Being a fan of epic-sized fantasy, like the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson and anything by Brandon Sanderson, it was great to have a load of information about werewolves and to learn about the magic behind each kind.

The plot, however, was a little all over the place, but it was good enough to keep the book from slumping. One thing Jim Butcher has never done is have a dull chapter!

Things I would like to see in future books:

Dresden grows up
Murphy knows more and is more of a useful character (because I think she’s great and underutilised as a main character in these books)
We get to see more of the setting rather than vague outlines (although, in short books like these I can see why Butcher doesn’t want to bog the plot down with worldbuilding – for now at least)
We are introduced to a cast of interesting characters from the “magical” world – such as The White Council and maybe some other groups or individuals who can provide interesting insights to the world.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I will continue reading the series for now.