Werewolves, so many werewolves. In Fool Moon, book two of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, that is exactly what Harry Dresden seems to encounter every time he turns around. The book opens with Harry being consulted by a trainee wizard on a containment ward that Harry claims is extremely dangerous to cast. Almost immediately afterwards he is asked to consult with the police and finds the aftermath of what is probably a werewolf attack. After being chased from the scene by the FBI he starts investigating. Things quickly become tricky and difficult though when he realizes that there are numerous different types of werewolves, any of which could possibly be the culprit behind the attack. Trying to track down the culprits he finds a pack of werewolves, but one that seems fairly non-violent. After reporting this the FBI provides a tip that leads to a street gang that is actually a rather violent pack of werewolves. Of course, it can never be entirely easy for Harry Dresden when even more werewolves start showing up and he becomes a suspect fleeing from the police, yet again.
This book was actually rather impressive in one key aspect. More specifically the use and appearance of werewolves in the story. I have read numerous books about werewolves and the one thing they all have in common is a single origin story and type of werewolf. Apparently, this wasn’t good enough for Butcher as he threw this concept right out the window. I mean, seriously, was one type not enough for you. The first pack that Dresden encounters is a pack that transforms using a transformation spell, essentially. They are also relatively non-violent. The second pack, the street gang, are the stereotypical shifter pack that are ruled by their emotions and are highly violent. On top of these two types there are also werewolves that can only transform through the use of a cursed item and slowly lose all sense of humanity by doing so. There are also two stand-alone werewolves, one cursed to transform into a mindless bloodthirsty beast under the full moon and one who seems to be part-human and part-wolf who can shift between the two at will. If you are wanting to create a complex and multi-layered world I guess this is one way to do it. I kind of feel sorry for Dresden who has to keep track of the strengths and weaknesses as he fights with or against the different types. By doing so it did create a rather unique and enthralling story that had numerous twists and turns present throughout. However, there were a few things that seemed slightly repetitious from the first book. One of the big ones I noticed was the potions. Towards the beginning of the book, both this one and the previous one, Dresden creates two seemingly random potions. These later reappear at random spots in the story where they are only semi-useful. At least one of them almost makes things worse. I rather hope this is not a pattern that repeats in later books as I worry that it may make them too predictable. Another thing that repeated is Dresden randomly being connected to one of the dead bodies and accidently becoming a suspect due to the sheer coincidence. This is also something I hope doesn’t continue because it will lessen the credibility of Dresden being a police consultant if it does. Neither of these were particularly big issues though and did not detract from the overall quality of the book. I am happy to give this a four out of five stars.
As you’ve probably gathered this book is fantasy, more specifically urban fantasy, and would probably hold considerable appeal for readers who happen to enjoy that genre. It also could be classed as a noir detective novel so it could also hold some appeal to readers who enjoy a good mystery, provided that you don’t mind the fantasy elements. This book is also primarily aimed at adult readers and I would agree with that assessment. It definitely falls on the darker end of the spectrum and contains a decent amount of rather graphic violence. In my opinion, it should probably not be read by anybody younger than mid to late teens and even then they should probably be careful. As long as you take all of this into consideration feel free to try it and consider sharing your thoughts in the comments.