Fool Moon (Dresden Files, #2)

by Jim Butcher

“One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves,”(Cinescape) the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and nonstop fun. Fool Moon continues the adventures of Jim Butcher’s most famous—and infamous—reluctant hero…
 
You’d think there’d be a little more action for the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work: magical, mundane, or menial.
 
Just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise. There’s a brutally mutilated corpse, and monstrous animal markings at the scene. Not to mention that the killing took place on the night of a full moon. Harry knows exactly where this case is headed. Take three guesses—and the first two don’t count...

• ISBN10: 0451458125
• ISBN13: 9780451458124
• Publish Date: 1 January 2001
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Imprint: Ace
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451458124

Reviews

[EBookObsessed]

Book 2 was much better than Book 1 but again I split between the pluses and the minuses for this series.

In Fool Moon, when Kim Delaney, another magic user, consults with Harry about a complicated binding circle, Harry refuses to help and warns her away becausing she is not strong enough to hold anything requiring that difficult a binding.

Harry is brought in on a consultation again by Lt. Karrin Murphy of Special Investigations to investigate a murder of one of the goons of a local mobster in what looks like an animal attack. The local police aren’t the only ones investigating. The FBI have been called in as well, and the FBI are very…territorial. Murphy, as always, wants the information now, as tomorrow is too far away.

Harry is pretty certain it was a werewolf attack but he consults with Bob only to learn that there are several types of werewolves (Hexenwolves, werewolves, lycanthropes and loup-garou). The most dangerous part of being a werewolf is how much of your humanity you lose, the longer and more often you change to the wolf. Harry determines that at least one of the creatures running around is the most dangerous, the loup-garou, a cursed human who can only be killed by silver that has been gifted. Gifted? You can’t just go buy silver. It has to be handed down to you from someone. What if your people just aren’t generous that way?

When Kim becomes the next mauled victim, Harry knows that a loup-garou is involved. Harry is overwhelmed with guilt and anger that Kim attempted the binding it after he told her it was too dangerous and if she had only told him what she was doing, he could have stepped in. Harry suffers from a serious case of what Atticus in the Iron Druid Chronicles would call “guilt ferrets.” Harry breaks everything down to how it is his fault. He tries to protect everyone from themselves and from all the things that go bump in the night and when he can’t, it is somehow his fault until he is overwhelmed with guilt ferrets eating at his brain.

What bugs me most was that once Murphy sees the failed binding circle at the crime scene, one she recognizes from a scrap of paper that Harry had the other night from his meeting with Kim. Murphy’s all ready to arrest Harry once again jumping to the conclusion that Harry had to have had something to do with the woman’s death. Why, oh why, does Harry continue to work with Murphy? She is so clueless for being in charge of the Special Investigation department and she just keeps trying to pin crimes on Harry.

While I like the creativeness of this story in making the different types of werewolves and several of the different types are part of this story, we go from no werewolves to all the werewolves in one story, but it was very creative to bring in more than one type of werewolf that Harry needed to deal with.

Most reviews that I have found (including a note from the author) indicated that Book 3 is a pivitol point in the series. I will be back with my thoughts on that book. But, just a warning before you jump into this series, I got 20 percent into Book 4 before I tossed in the towel on the whole Harry Dresden series. I am certain I would have continued just because the narrator was so perfect but I was very unimpressed with Harry and his stories.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Wizard, Harry Dresden, is a private eye whose biggest, money paying client is the Chicago police department's Special Investigations officer, Karin Murphy. Murphy calls Dresden in when cases look weird. After the events of book one, their relationship is a little strained and Murphy hasn't called in quite a while. Dresden is broke and eating toaster crumbs.

When a series of gruesome murders occur, Dresden is called in and he immediately realizes there is a supernatural element to these killings, but before you know it the FBI is taking the case and pushing Murphy and Dresden out the door. Will this deter them? Of course not.

The case was an intense one with an interesting werewolf lore. Now that the world is basically established (though the author continues to develop it) the story felt smoother. Harry is still adorkable and awkward. His interactions with Murphy made me laugh even if her inability to trust Harry frustrated me. She is smart and then she isn't. Dark humor, action, twists, and suspense kept me fully engaged.

What I find interesting about Harry is that unlike some of my favorite female protagonists, yeah I am talking to you Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson and Rachel Morgan, Harry is reactive rather than proactive. He literally waits for the shit to hit the fan and then decides how to clean it up. Even though he is a wizard he is vulnerable. His magic isn't always reliable, and it does get depleted.

Side stories, romantic threads and unique secondary characters enhanced the story. We were given some interesting tidbits about a woman from Harry's past.

James Marsters continues to narrate and already I am seeing improvement in the quality. No squeaky chair noises and less swallowing. LOL Marsters has become Harry for me, and he does it well. Hi transition between female and male voices is effective with a wide range of tones. His voices add to the action-packed moments and emotions of the characters This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[adamfortuna]

The 2nd Dresden Files book features a new mystery -- people are being killed by mysterious slashes that don't correspond with any weapon or animal. I preferred the first one in the series, more than this one, due to it's focus on mystery. While this one had that, I didn't feel the same A-HA! moment as before.

[pamela]

'Fool Moon', Jim Butcher's second book certainly stands high above his first Harry Dresden novel. I was not enamoured of 'Storm Front', but in 'Fool Moon' I got a very real sense of development. I can certainly see the potential in the rest of the series so am glad I've decided to pursue it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Dresden Files develop from here.

Fantastic book, it's very action packed and I have to say I liked it a little better than the first one.

The whole book was good from start to end and it was such a page turner. There was so many action scenes in this one and lots of deaths. I guessed a few things about the bad guys, but there was stuff I didn't see coming. I liked how it ended and the realization that Harry came to and I can't wait to start book three to find out what happens next and if Harry is right.

[CrowNoYami]

Loved it! I can't wait to ready #3 in the Dresden Files!!'

[leahrosereads]

Pretty decent second book in a series. I'm really hoping that Dresden doesn't stay this chauvinistic schmuck he currently is, but we'll see.

I really did enjoy this book. I thought the pace was wonderfully fast, and I loved all of the different werewolves. But, my god, how many people wanted to kill this protagonist? I know he's a bit of an asshole, but jeebus man. Dresden could not catch a break.

Looking forward seeing where this story goes. Time to start reading Grave Peril (#3).

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

Harry Dresden is Chicago’s only professional wizard, so when another unusual murder happens it’s not surprised that Dresden will be dragged into the middle of it. Lt. Murphy calls on Dresden when a henchman is found murdered near a group of wolfish paw prints. A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses and the first two don’t count…

Shortly following the events from Storm Front, Dresden is back to save Chicago from yet another evil force. You get the idea of how this series is structured but while this is purely escapist fiction there is something about these novels that makes me want to keep reading. While I’ve always said I’m not a fantasy fan, I do like the urban fantasy/noir style novels and Harry Dresden is probably the best protagonist I’ve found in these books.

With a new monster, it does not mean that this book will be exactly the same as the previous but the plot style does seem very much so, but it is developing characters that really stuck with me. There is this hidden desire within Dresden to use dark magic, almost like an inner sociopath just waiting to be unleashed. This is what attracts me to these series the most; I’m just waiting to see what other dark secrets we can discover about Harry Dresden while he battles the inner turmoil between good and evil.

The growing relationships between journalist Susan and Murphy are coming along nicely as well, I’m expecting one or both of these relationships to combust and I like the fact that Jim Butcher has let this slowly develop without playing his cards too soon. As for the plot; this is pretty average. Comparing Fool Moon with Storm Front, I can say this is the weaker of the two and I hope that Jim Butcher does offer something a little more in the series or I don’t think I will make it through all of them.

In between reading Storm Front and Fool Moon I watched the 2007 TV adaptation of the series which don’t seem to have any connection to the novels apart from the characters, but now I can’t help but think of Harry Dresden as looking like Paul Blackthorne. Its weird to have an English man, play a Chicago wizard in a Canadian TV show, but I think he portrayed Dresden so well that he is who I picture when reading Fool Moon.

I hope book three, Grave Peril is an improvement and offers something for me to keep reading. I don’t mind a bit of escapist fiction after reading something overly deep or dense. I have Grave Peril on my shelf so I will give it a go but if it is too much like Fool Moon, I think this is where I will leave the series. I don’t want to invest in another twelve books if it offers nothing more than just a new book, new villain situation.

This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/04/05/book-review-fool-moon/

[celinenyx]

More of the same and yet completely opposite to the first part of the series... I still haven't made up my mind yet.

Wizard for hire Harry Dresden has more enemies than he can count on one hand, and they all want him dead. When there are serial killings that seem like the work of a bloodthirsty werewolf, he makes a few more. Will Harry be able to keep his head above water, and maybe restore his police friend Murphy's trust in him?

I like Harry's voice, and Mr Butcher is a good writer, yet still there is something about his book that is... itchy. I don't know how to describe it. I want to love them, but I just never get there. There is something about Harry, about the story that stands in the way. I can't put a finger on it.

What I can tell you about Fool Moon is that it is quite werewolf-heavy, in a good way. There are different kind of wolves, all with different strengths and weaknesses, which I found very interesting. Usually urban-fantasies only sport one kind of werewolf. Mr Butcher managed to create quite a few, and made them all distinct species.

For me Fool Moon felt a lot darker than the first book in the Dresden Files series, Storm Front. There is tons of violence, and because the main villains are wolf-like, there is a lot of gruesome detailing of people shredded to bits. Not only was there more violence and fighting, I also felt like Harry was not quite his cheerful self. He felt quite depressed, like he had lost all hope. And not just during one situation, but throughout the whole last half of the book. I'm wondering if this is how the whole series is going to be like. Maybe the darkness and bleakness of the book is why I'm not that eager to continue reading.

These are good books, and I will keep reading the series, but I'm not really rushing to get to them.

[inlibrisveritas]

A pretty good series so far. I really like that it doesn't have tons of romance involved, it's nice for a pretty straight forward paranormal mystery. This book did get repetitive at times though, but not enough that it would make me quit reading since it was mostly toward the end. I still can't stand Murphy and I'm hoping she becomes a lot less annoying in the books to come.