Fool Moon (Dresden Files Series #2) by Jim Butcher

Audio Book Reviewby Bmiller43334

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January 26, 2010: I originally bought the first two audio books in the series using a gift card I got for Christmas. Since I was able to get them under $20 each I don't feel like I lost too much. I definitely wouldn't pay more than $20 (including shipping/tax/charges).

After listening to the first book (see Audio Book review of Storm Front), I went into the second book with better expectations of the content but was disappointed that this book sank into even more sexual content. I was uncomfortable with the numerous descriptions of nude women. I understand that warewolves lose their clothes when transformed, but I didn't need all of the sexually based descriptions of their bodies when changed back to human form.

I'll probably continue with the series, and hold out hope that the sexual content won't dominate quite so much. I'm checking local libraries for audio books. I really hope I don't have to buy any more.

As with Storm Front, definitely not material to share with your children.

Harry Dresden, brilliant he's not.by ElfDuchess

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January 19, 2010: I picked up the first three Dresden files novels in a set for the price of two. Judging by the majority of the reviews raving about the books, and the brief-lived Sci-Fi channel show (which I enjoyed) I thought I'd give them a shot.

While I do like Dresden's sense of humor, I'm beginning to find his basic personality annoying. He has an overly protective streak when it comes to the women in his life (his reporter girlfriend, his one-time apprentice, the 'cute' cop) where he doesn't want to tell them anything. It's as though he believes that if he doesn't tell them what's really going on out there, they won't be in danger. Thankfully, he seemed to realize that wasn't going to work towards the end of the book. Hopefully he won't be quite so protective, and at times condescending, in the next book.

He also isn't very intelligent. Sure, he gets beat up every five pages (exaggeration, though not by much) but that's no reason to miss some very obvious points in the story - at least he missed them until it was convenient for him to notice.

About the beatings... He get's beat up, then shot, then beat up and kidnapped, beat while he's kidnapped, and beat up again. And all the time he's thinking that he's not tough. At one point he even thinks about the tough guys you always hear about that won't be broke - but he was. Now, that might endear a character to some people, but not me. Oh, also a day or two after he got shot - just in the shoulder (as though the shoulder isn't as painful as a leg) - he jumps out of a moving car. Allow me to clarify: he didn't have to jump out of the car, it was being driven by one of the 'good' guys, he just did it to protect the driver - a female, of course.

The female characters are of two types: the, commonly referred to as cute, 'good' females and the 'evil' females, referred to as sexy (or some facsimile). The male characters - at least those that do not want to kill Dresden - dislike him. Also, almost invariably, every time Dresden sees a character for the first time in Fool Moon, they are described in a paragraph - which is very jolting to me. One description that was used on the first female was ' lovely in an old-world way'. And that was three paragraphs in. I kept expecting Mr. Butcher to describe Dresden when he looked into a mirror - though that was kind of dealt with while he was talking to his subconscious while he was asleep.

I like werewolves - not as much as vampires - but still... At least I like 'typical' werewolves - think Lon Chaney Jr. - not the four subcategories in Dresden's world. The hexenwolves, werewolves, lycanthropes, and loup-garou. Now, I've never researched the subject, so Mr. Butcher might not have made any of these up. Though I wish he would've chosen one and just stuck with it.

Wondering why this book got two stars instead of only one? Because I have actually read worse books - at least this one didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. In summary, to me this book reads like an adolescent boy's fantasy - complete with naked women. If you're looking for a book with substance - such as fun characters - I wouldn't recommend this. However, for a quick, slightly diverting read you could do worse - you could also do much better.

If you haven't read the first in the Dresden files series (titled Storm Front) you should start there, the books are told in the first person perspective. For me this book was simply too much style over substance.

I Also Recommend: The Dresden Files - Season 1.