I have heard very good things about the Dresden Files books and recently started to read Storm Front. I'm about 1/2 through (Dresden just destroyed the demon) and it's starting to become a bit of a struggle if I'm honest.
The Morgan character (and by association the White Council) just seem so black and white and annoying. There is no talk of motive or anything – just blind accusations. I had to put it down and take a break.
I assume they get better?
by fatherjimbo
7 Comments
Morgan is a tough character, you just have to accept that he is a zealot and Harry will always be guilty to him, regardless of anything to the contrary. The books shift a lot throughout the series and take a pretty radical change from the detective-noir to a more traditional urban fantasy around Book 3 or 4.
They do get better. Storm Front was Butcher’s first book; he wrote it full of tropes to “prove” something to one of his college professors. As such, it’s not as polished as his later entries in the series.
Morgan is just… that guy. He sees the world in black and white and has strong feelings about his job. He’s an ass, but he’s not blind, and he’s also true to his word. The White Council is much more varied than Morgan is.
Get yourself to books 3 and 4 and if you’re not into it by then, it’s probably not the series for you. Just know that the story formula changes, the scope expands, and the story really goes some wild places.
The first 2-3 books are a bit schlock cliche.
He settles in eventually and, given the vast number of books now, the cost is relatively low for the payoff.
Stick with it. It’ll get good.
Morgan and most other characters get fleshed out over the next 17 books. Morgan is kind of just like that for the most part, though his background and motivations get explored a bit.
Dresden Files is a notorious urban fantasy series for getting good after the first few books. It’s a series where it’s broadly considered worth it to push thru the first two books and see if you’re hooked by book 3.
This is a hard sell nowadays when lots of us have a TBR list half a mile long… If you’re a fast reader I think it’s worth pushing through. I read 15 books in the series before tapping out and even I admit I had fun for a good chunk of the series.
The series is not meant to be particularly serious- at least for the first several books. However, a bulk of the series was published in the 2000s. *There are parts of the series that really do not age well.* As a woman, I struggled with aspects of Dresden as a character that didn’t change over the course of the series.
Incompetency of the ruling institutions is one of the main themes of the Dresden Files. Morgan (and the White Council that backs him up) are meant to be quasi-villains. Theyre trying to do the right thing but like you said are very black and white about it, and this ironically results in them being more cruel than “morally grey” characters like Dresden.
To answer your question: yes. As the series goes on, their motives and reasoning do get a little more fleshed out but ultimately youre not supposed to like them and think their ways are fair.
Many people describe DF as “hopepunk” and I tend to agree. The entire point of Dresden’s character is that he is constantly unfairly persecuted and suspected of evil when in reality he not only has a heart of gold but is really one of the most noble characters around because hes willing to get his hands dirty and does what needs to be done to protect innocent people. Its telling that the WC spend their time chasing him, the guy who is trying to solve magical crimes, around all book instead of acrually doing their job and stopping magical crime themselves, even though they are more powerful and have more resources.
Overall as the series goes on the writing does get better. But if you dont like the themes I just presented then it might not be for you, as that doesnt really change. (Heck, you should see how the books handle Christian faith later on).
Loved them. I am nearly done with 12 months later. Fantastic series.