So apparently these Dresden Files books have been turned into a TV show of some variety, and after reading Jim Butcher’s Fool Moon , I can see why — the guy’s got a writing style that’s not only visual, but downright cinematic.
In one scene, for instance, there’s a werewolf (spoiler basically given away by title and genre: the book has werewolves!) standing in a hallway doing stuff, and Butcher describes it such that not only can I see it in my head, but I see it in my head with a CG-animated werewolf. Yes, really. It had the slightly reflective skin, fakey fur, awkward movements and everything; my head apparently has its effects provided on the cheap.
But really, most scenes are like that, and there’s a lot of physical description and wardrobe talk, and when things aren’t cinematic, the narrator seems almost apologetic:
Power lanced out through the rod in a flood of scarlet light that charred a six-foot circle of wall into powder and ash and sent it flying. I stepped through it, wishing for my duster, for a second, just for the cool effect it would have.
The plotting is similarly bang-bang action-packed fast-paced, rarely giving you a chance to take a break and reflect on some of the more dubious plotting. After reading this second book, my estimate of this series has risen; this is high-quality fluff so far, and might yet be more than that.
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