Take a moment and try to envision what it might be like if you took a middle-aged Harry Potter, dropped him in Chicago, merged him with Richard Castle, added a pinch of Walker, Texas Ranger, and a splash of Blade. It’s all that awesome and so much more.

Butcher steals you away in this fast-paced, highly intriguing supernatural crime drama on the heels of a wizard. It’s pretty much one of the coolest books I’ve ever read and I devoured it in two days (and only that long because I couldn’t justify calling in sick to work to read).

Harry Dresden is a practicing wizard and sometimes-consultant for the Chicago PD. In Storm Front, the first of the Dresden Files series, he’s asked to shed light on a gruesome double murder of a professional escort and a mob-boss’ go-to man. Of course, while it seems straight-forward enough, he’s got the head of CPD’s Special Investigations, Murphy, yanking his chains for information while (trying) to keep him somewhat in the realms of what’s acceptable for her investigations, while also being warned off the case by the mob boss himself. If that’s not fun enough, Dresden’s got his his own problems to deal with already thanks to a murder crime of self-defense from his past, and if the White Council finds out he has to even research any of the black arts of the craft, it’s a death sentence for him. And that’s just the tip of this iceberg.

From page one, this book scoops you up for the ride and takes you on a hunt/run-for-your-life like never before. Complete with vampires like you’ve not seen, demons, talismans and a non-stop plot that just keeps egging you on. You’ll be awe-struck, mystified, on the edge of your seat, and laughing out loud as often as not in this crazy-awesome story.