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Cover of Storm Front by Jim ButcherStorm Front
Modern · Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy

Storm Front

by Jim Butcher
2000 · 372 pages · Fiction
69.5Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick · Lifetime bestseller
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Harry Dresden is a professional wizard in Chicago, technically the only one, and the best at what he does. The everyday world is full of magical things that don't play well with humans. Business stinks, until a dangerous case lands on his desk.

Why it's worth reading

It launched Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, one of the most popular urban fantasy series ever; a later book was a Hugo Award finalist.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's the first book, and the series gets much better as it goes. It's funny and fast.

By the numbers

69.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers20 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Hugo Award finalist (2015, for Skin Game)

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Storm Front worth reading?

Yes. It launched Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, one of the most popular urban fantasy series ever; a later book was a Hugo Award finalist. It ranks #1,355 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Storm Front about?

Harry Dresden is a professional wizard in Chicago, technically the only one, and the best at what he does. The everyday world is full of magical things that don't play well with humans. Business stinks, until a dangerous case lands on his desk.

How long does it take to read Storm Front?

About 9 hours (372 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Storm Front?

If you liked it, try Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman or Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.