Main Characters: Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy, Donald Morgan

 
Favorite quote: Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face. (p. 9)

Storm Front is the first of the Dresden Files books. 
The book quickly introduces the three characters you will find in every book.  Harry is the protagonist and point-of-view character.  Karrin Murphy is a cop that heads a special unit.  This unit, called Special Investigations (SI), gets all the weird and possibly paranormal cases.  Murphy, who is one of the few normal people who knows magic is real, often hires Harry as a consultant.  Finally, there is Bob. Bob is an air elemental or spirit of intellect. He resides in a skull where he serves as Harry's guide through the magical world. Despite lacking a body Bob is perverted. Harry keeps him happy with romance novels, but Bob still tries to turn everything into sex.

This book introduces Harry’s past.  Harry killed the wizard who trained him.  At the time, the wizard was trying to kill him, but the wizard’s council, called the White Council, has seven rules of magic.  The first of which forbids killing humans with magic.  Harry was saved from a death sentence.  Instead, he is watched by the Council’s military arm called the Wardens, specifically Donald Morgan.  Morgan appears throughout the book accusing Harry of killing the people whose deaths Murphy is investigating with Harry’s help. 

In Storm Front, Harry is hired to find a missing husband, while simultaneously working for the police on murder investigations.  The book revolves around Harry trying to solve both cases, while withholding some information from Murphy.  He does this not because he does not trust Murphy, but because he is trying to protect her.  Harry is old fashioned; he will often make mistakes when a woman is involved. 

The withholding of information leads to Murphy not trusting Harry. The trust issues between Harry and Murphy will evolve throughout the series, fluctuating depending on the situation. The friendship between Harry and Murphy is one of the central themes of the entire series.

This book begins a pattern that will not change throughout the series.  Harry gets a case.  Harry gets into bad situations.  Harry gets hurt, bad.  Harry triumphs, generally with help from his friends.  It is a simple story, but the interaction between Harry and his friends makes it one worth reading.  Not to mention the pure destruction that is Harry Dresden, if you like stuff blowing up you will love Harry.