The White Council of Wizards has drafted Harry Dresden to look into rumors of black magic in Chicago. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his dog, and a talking skull named Bob. Soon to be a major Sci-Fi Channel series produced by Nicholas Cage.

Reviews

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only consulting wizard, takes on phobophages, creatures that feed on fear who attack a horror film convention, in the diverting eighth installment of Butcher's increasingly complicated Dresden Files series (Dead Beat, etc.). Harry finds that fighting monsters is only the prelude to maneuvers amid the warring wizards of the White Council and the vampire Red Court. Less and less V.I. Warshawski with witchcraft, Harry aims his deductive powers at political intrigues rather than crime solving. The body count from the magical melees, however, would do any hard-boiled gumshoe proud. Butcher's believable, likable set of characters go for the jocular much more than the jugular. Deeper fears do run through the book, and Harry, taking on an apprentice, has to face up to the consequences of his all-too-human failings. Look for the series to really take off with the debut of a two-hour pilot on the Sci-Fi Channel this summer produced by Nicholas Cage. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

When a wave of black magic threatens Chicago, private investigator Harry Dresden, the newest wizard appointed to the White Council of Wizards, receives the assignment to protect the city's mortal population. The difficulty of this task becomes apparent as the teenage daughter of an old friend, a horror convention that acts as a magnet for dark forces, a pair of mortal champions of the Summer Court of Faerie, and a Fallen angel determined to seduce Harry all conspire to complicate an already delicate situation. The latest addition to Butcher's modern fantasy crime series (after Dead Beat) maintains the high standards of previous entries while introducing new surprises and revisiting a host of memorable supporting characters. A TV pilot based on the series and produced by Nicholas Cage is due to air in the summer of 2006, so expect demand. Highly recommended for libraries of all sizes. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

What would you get if you crossed Spencer with Merlin? Probably you would come up with someone very like Harry Dresden, wizard, tough guy and star of ["The Dresden Files"]. ("Washington Times")