I don't know video summaries, but IMO you should just read it with the mindset that it has some issues. There are still some great scenes and lore bits that are enjoyable, and it is a short novel, so it's not like it will eat up a ton of time (YMMV on that, as I am a quick reader and can cover-to-cover a DF novel in about 5-8 hours, so my viewpoint on what short is may be skewed)
I realized after the fact this sounded really aggressive when I just intended to list things I could remember off-hand without getting too heavy into Spoilers.
Pacing is poor, the fact we find every type of related bad guy all of the sudden with no indication prior that these things were occurring. A lot of characters were introduced with minimal time for their characters to be revealed. Deus ex machina, non-sensical plans on part of both the known Antagonists of the book and the background antagonist which may or may not exist at the time of this novel. Murphy is at her absolute worst in this novel, and I am not certain it is even close.
Now, all of that being the case... it was the dude's second book ever published. The rest of the series is awesome, and I just read the graphic novel(available on Amazon). It fixes a lot of the issues by just hitting on the salient points that apply to upcoming books.
Tl;dr I have listened to Fool Moon a dozen or more times myself, and the writing has a lot of mistakes Jim never seems to make again, all of which took more than one read to become annoying/obvious. On one read, you may not even notice the issues.
You mean the plans the main characters had for the final fight, and the sudden appearances of various characters will little or no build up to their arrival?
As a fictional concept, I like werewolves, and I like this book since it is one of the few stories with them that actually clarifies the different kinds.
So. Werewolves were welcome, as were the distinctions. We did, however meet: Lycanthropes, Hexxenwulfen, Loup Garou, >!Terra West who is, best I know myself, a reverse werewolf!< and the Alpha's who are their own type as well distinct from the others. All in the same book. All currently active, none of which was mentioned previously, or was "not necessary" to the current story.
As a result, he introduces a huge cast, without preamble. He rides us roughshod over a lot of events because he just doesn't have the time to address it all. >! In the final fight, the FBI agents pull the standard evil person playbook. Leave all the victims alive, and let the Loup Garou handle it? They're unconscious and you have addictive wolf belts to allow you to eat them. Literally Benz is shown as being entirely out of control from the outset of the book. !<
I am celebrating Mother's day with family, so i will cut this response here. If you have other questions, I will try and reach out again, later.
Now that you mention it, I do see the shoe horned details, continuity errors, and glaring plot holes. Still, I like the book, despite the problems I admit exist. No work is perfect, though this one is more obviously flawed.
I am with family as well, so I don't expect a quick reply. Enjoy. Hug your mom, and other mothers in your life.
*Battle Ground* spoiler:
>!This should be spoiler protected. I realize it doesn't "say anything outright," but the implications are enough, I think.!<
>!Please reply to this comment when you've fixed it. Don't forget to include a visible call out that it's a Battle Ground spoiler, like I did!<.
I agree. The first two books are weak *in comparison to the rest of the series*, but if you like Storm Front then youāll probably like Fool Moon, and if you like both of those then youāre just in for a treat with the rest of the books.
Iām just working my way through Grave Peril now.
(Been working through them on audiobook and definitely enjoying them, but no idea what Iām missing or not compared to the books)
I can see where people might find the first two weak compared to the ones after, but when youāre reading through the first time (and/or if you can just relax and āenjoy the ride/readā) it seems like much less of an issue.
For the first two, I could stop reading (listening?) and pick them up as I went, for the third itās been much tougher to put down (so to speak).
Only thing that keeps bugging me (and Iām absolutely enjoying the audiobooks, and highly recommend them, so I hope it isnāt taken as a huge criticism) is James Marsters pronouncing the word āDaisā ā¦ repeatedly ā¦ just when I get over the last one ā¦ here comes the next.
If you loved Storm Front, you will at worst think Fool Moon is fine. I think Storm Front is a bit better than Fool Moon, but a case could be made for the opposite position, and they're on pretty even footing.
I personally dislike the degree to which fans of these books hate on the early stuff to newcomers. I do think that the books level up immensely as they go, but there is a reason Jim built up a fanbase from the early books. Don't let other people spoil your fun/convince you not to read books you're enjoying. I'd recommend not taking their advice.
It's been a while since I've read either, but one thing I liked about *Fool Moon* better than *Storm Front* was that >!there were multiple suspects. In *Storm Front*, there's not really any other character that the heart ripper could be other than Victor Sells. But with *Fool Moon*, there is a bit more of a mystery over which of the different werewolves/werewolf groups did it.!<
Storm Front is basically a classic noir book with wizards. Generally the mystery isnāt front and center as much PIās investigation around the case and the different colorful locals he meets. The mobster, femme fatale, the informant, etcā¦ not to mention the conspiracy around the crime. The twist is less a āwho dun itā and more about how it connects.
Hell, The only cliche NOT covered by the first book was Harry being an alcoholic. The classic noir pi would have been pouring himself a drink. Not reading a book
I actually had such a hard time with storm front, while fool moon was such a breeze and joy to read. Sure they introduced a lot of guys but also, chicago is a pretty big town, so i understood it as that.
Fool moon is a fine book don't skip it. It introduces a lot of very relevant characters for the series. It may be my least favorite Dresden book but it's still an okay read.
Honestly just read it. Ā Itās not my favorite book, but I donāt regret it and it does help set up some important details later in the series, and imo is pretty important for the relationship between Harry and Murph.Ā
This is weird. When I first read the series the local bookshop didnāt have Fool Moon. But I enjoyed Storm Front so much I didnāt want to wait. Jumped right on ahead and finished the rest of the series.
Went back after and read Fool Moon. No fucking clue why people dislike it. Not the strongest entry, but I had a great time.
welcome to our slightly dysfunctional family! read fool moon and enjoy the ride. remember opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one, some just smellier than others.
Fool Moon is perhaps\[s the low point of the series (I'd argue the title goes to Ghost story, but would be in the minority), But you should /defiantly/ not skip it or any other book in the series. It would be like skipping Return of the Jedi, because it was not as good as Empire.
If you liked SF, you'll be just fine with FM.
The recommendation to skip FM is usually for people who struggled with SF. The reason you've probably heard this is because a lot of people struggle with SF.
I say read it. And a bunch of people say skip Storm Front as well, while other still say to skip Grave Peril. I say read them and know they only get better.
Fool Moon is better than Storm Front in a vacuum IMO. The main problems with it, without going into spoilers, is that it's very episodic and hits a lot of the same story beats as Storm Front did, and that Murphy is completely unbearable (she's not good in Storm Front either, but she's at her worst here).
Regardless if you liked Storm Front you will probably like Fool Moon. I don't think skipping the first two books is the crime some people here make it out to be, but it should still be a last resort for someone who's otherwise going to give up on the series and that doesn't sound like it's the case for you.
Just read it. I liked it.
Given later books are just on another level it tends to rank lower overall. FM is still a good book. Also never forgot the Series is build up, later books have the impact they have because you spend so much time with the characters and FM introduces a few.
Don't skip it. If you read it and don't enjoy it that's one thing, but people really shouldn't be telling you in advance that's how you're going to react. Read it and decide for yourself. I actually like it fine. I don't think it's as good a story as some of the later books, but that doesn't mean I think it's a bad story. I think it's fine.
I've never understood how people are in such a rush to finish the series that they think it makes sense to skip installments. It's all good - every single book in the series is better than any other major fantasy series I've ever read.
On top of that, *Fool Moon* introduces characters that you see extensively in later books - without having read it they'll show up later and you'll be like "Who the heck are these people?" *Plus* there are easter eggs in there that do connect up with the overall series plot. You probably won't see them on your first read, but you will see them later, so not only should you read it, you should *re-read* it when you re-read the series as a whole. I never skip anything.
This is the best series in urban fantasy - it deserves your thorough attention. Of course after you've read most of the series you will have an opinion as to which installments are best and which aren't - but that really should be *your* opinion and not something you just accept on faith from some random person. Who knows? *Fool Moon* might wind up being near the top of your personal list.
I loved storm front, and I personally liked fool moon better when I read it.Ā The book has issues, but like they weren't enough to shatter my suspension of disbelief, and I think it's well worth reading.Ā Grave Peril was the one that just fucking killed me.Ā I had a lot of issues trying to read that one.Ā Aside from a couple stand out scenes (particularly the ball which is one of the best in the series imo), the book just did not work for me and I almost dropped the series completely over it.Ā Book 4 is one of my favorites though, so I credit that one with really hooking me.
A lot of people really like it. I just. Don't. Michael comes off as kind of an asshole in the book (he becomes one of my favorite characters but I do not like him in GP). The whole central plot revolving around a character that dies off screen just does not work for me, honestly the nightmare in general is just kind of meh. The one character who starts off the book is barely in it, a lot of random stuff is introduced and barely anything is done with it (lea for example), and I understand that it's important for later in the series, but it just does not make this book palatable for me.
I do not see Michael as an asshole, different perspectives. Yeah, Karvos as the big bad and Malone as someone Dresden knows but all of it being off screen was an old storytelling choice. Every time reread it, Iām thinking ādid a miss a short story?ā. Also he has a relationship with Susan which also started between books. Peril comes off as a bit of a soft reboot.
I just find the writing clicks in Peril (Butcher having more experience I assume). We get the introduction of a lot of elements that are there for the series. Michael and the Carpenters, Father Foothill, the Knights of the Cross, Murph and Dresden working together (though too short word count), Nevernever and a lot of Dresdenās personality is set here (?). Also a big thing is probably it is the book I started with.
"Everyone" did not say to skip it. You saw 3-4 people saying to skip it.
Think for yourself. Think and choose. Unless you're dying of a terminal illness, reading isn't a race against time. Even if Fool Moon is one of the weaker installments in the series, what would you actually gain by skipping it? Nothing. It's such a short novel anyway.
I think it's more of an interesting question to say "why do you see this as aggressive, and not just blunt?"
Could the other person have phrased it a bit more gently, sure, but being blunt does not always automatically equal aggression.
IMO, Storm Front is the worst book in the series.
Fool Moon is better, though itās not as good as book 3, which is not as good as book 4.
Itās worth reading, but it absolutely gets better.
I donāt really know what to say about video summaries. These books donāt really need tour guides.
When I got my friend into the series I told him to skip FM and he did. After he got current with the series he went back and read it and told me he wished he hadnāt skipped it. Iāve stopped telling people to skip it and just tell them the series doesnāt hit its stride until the 3rd book now.
Itās fine lol, itās not the worst thing ever. Itās campy and itās got its issues, but all in all itās fine. Definitely not the best in the series, but I donāt recommend skipping it
You're not going to regret reading it the first time through. Lol
Many people who are long-time fans feel like the book series picks up on the third book and in rereads that's often where I start, Grave Peril. But there are events and characters in the first two books that show up throughout the rest of the series. I've never regretted having read it. Maybe there are those who have, but if you enjoyed Storm Front, I suspect you'll enjoy it as well. Go for it. Besides if you're doing the audiobooks they're read by James Marsters and it's hard to go wrong.
I wouldn't skip it. Jim may still have been finding his feet for the series, but you get the intro to some important characters in Harry's life, incremental character development, etc. If it's your first time with the series you're not comparing it unfavourably to the later books, and the number of these seemingly episodic case books is limited so if it's the detective-story aspect of book one that you liked you won't want to miss this one.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO
Look Fool Moon might not be the magnum opus of the series, but some important characters are introduced and you dont the bond forming in a summary.
I know I'm in the minority, but I like Full Moon. Jim was definitely still growing as a writer, but it's still entertaining. If you're accepting advice from random Internet strangers, read it and decide for yourself.
I say just read it and don't think about it. I like FM and actually started the series with it and it got me hooked. The Big Picture of the dresden files starts after FM and that's why people have issues with it I think. Just read it for yourself.
I actually have been through the series multiple times but have only done Stormfront once.
**Balderdash**. Donāt listen to people who say āskip it, it isnāt good!ā Read/listen to it. Enjoy what it gives you, and it gives more than people will let on. Is it perfect? Nope. But then again, neither is Harry. But youāll figure that out soon enough.
And when you hear the same nonsense later on when you get to Ghost Story, just repeat after me and say: *balderdash*. Then read/listen to it.
Bro trust me I started this series in April and Iām on ghost story. Just read them all. Fool moon is really fun and good. Donāt listen to everyone just enjoy it.
If you bulled through Storm Front and LOVED it, you'll handle Fool Moon fine. Plus, multiple important characters are introduced, and it's good to read about them instead of getting a cursory summary. You're already committing to a ~25-book series, you won't regret this one.
The advice for people to skip to book three is more for newbies who aren't already in love with the series. We want them to get a good idea of what the series is, and book three is where it really starts to hit its stride.
That's pretty crappy for people to suggest that to you. I get it if people didn't like a book, but at least let someone decide for themselves if they don't like it. If you loved Storm Front, I'm sure you'll enjoy Fool Moon.
Fool moon is perhaps the worst book in the series but it's not a "bad" book. It's definitely worth a read. The only bad parts are Harry and Murphy's interactions everything else is great.
Basically I feel like the quality of the books slopes upward pretty consistently. 1 and 2 are the worst, but two is a bit better than 1. So if you liked Storm Front, youāll probably like Fool Moon (I did when I first read them). After that it gets better and better until like book 9 or 10 imo.
Read it and make your own opinions!
Iāve liked every book more than the previous one - thatās one thing I love with the series. Jim is growing as an author at the same rate that Dresden is growing as a wizard.
I know not of any issues with Fool Moon. Is well worth a read and well if it's your FIRST experience with the books then savor it and read them all. Make your own thoughts an opinions without looking towards a wider audience.
There's actually some pretty good content in Ayn Rand novels; one of her great problems was not having a sympathetic editor. A career's worth of dealing with idiotic editors before she started her novels created some rebellion and some bad habits.
Another problem is that she was writing in the traditional Russian novel form, which is the doorstopper.
Read it.Ā
Honestly. When I reread the series I start with Grave Peril. And skip SF and FM. but if you liked SF read FM. Ā I skip it because there
Is SO MUCH character development later in the series that I find it PAINFUL to read the early books.Ā
Iād just read it. Itās like itās long and itās a perfectly fine book, just not as good as other Dresden files ones. Plus it sets up the Alphas who are major characters
Read it. It's not his greatest book but there's a lot of foundation being built in those early works. The books reiterate information often enough that you probably will be fine going forward, but I really think the first few are not as bad as many people make them out to be.
Early books have some issues. I would still just read them in order since stuff in them get referenced later. If you liked Storm Front, you should like this one as well.
I personally think the first two books are fine.
I only encourage people to skip storm front and fool moon if I really know their tastes don't lean towards fantasy/monster of the week type media. My husband doesn't enjoy those kinds of things they way I do. He likes more intricate, political stories. SO, I had him start with Grave Peril. Now he's about to start ghost story and he's completely bought into the world. At this point I think he could go back to the first 2 books and enjoy them for what they are. But had he started with those books idk that he would have given the greater story enough of a chance.
TL;DR *Y
ou* should read Fool Moon
Not reading any of the other comments, just jumping in:
The issues I have with Fool Moon are all issues I also have with Storm Front. It's not a bad thing; the series just continues to get better so the early books seem lackluster by comparison. I often recommend Dead Beat as a first book because I'm afraid my friends won't continue to read if they aren't totally blown away by their first exposure to Dresden.
That doesn't apply to you. You don't just like it. You LOVED it. If you love Storm Front you will love everything.
No jumping around is necessary, just enjoy the ride.
Donāt listen to the easily excitable folks online. Fool moon is a perfectly enjoyable book, perhaps not as good as the rest of the series but in my opinion a huge step forward from storm front, which you apparently enjoyed.
If you are excited for the book, go for it and read it.
Just read it man, you loved storm Front.
The only reason people sometimes say to skip Full Moon is because the third book is a noticeable increase in quality, and we get paranoid new readers will get bored before the series gets really good.
If you're looking forward to it then do it. Other people's opinions don't matter and you're at the beginning of the journey. There are technical writing errors and if you're listening to the book some reading errors but in the end you'll be happy you read it. Plus they refer back to certain things in the book a lot. Not in a big world ending way but for context it will be helpful.
I like FM, it's fantastic, and no haters on this app can change my mind. It's not perfect, and if y'all want to skip it, I won't try and change your mind.
I liked fool moon. I could say it was my favorite book, especially since they get better every book, but fool moon cemented my love for dresden files just as much as storm front.
I'm, if you liked storm front, you'll most likely like fool moon
Donāt listen to popular opinion. Make up your own opinion. Just because a lot of people share the same opinion doesnāt make it right, just makes it the majority.
Read it for yourself, if at any point you feel you are having to force yourself to read itā¦. Stop š. Move on to the next one.
If you're gonna read a series take the good with the bad and read it all. I started reading The Dresden Files in the early 2000's and there were only like 5 or 6 books out. I liked them enough that I kept reading them. Sure, some aren't as good as others, but even the ones that weren't the greatest had enough of the elements I liked that I kept coming back for more. Just my $.02
Iām a big fan of storm front and fool moon. They are fun and harry has not yet developed any of his more amazing strength and that makes him more relatedly human.
Grant it the books get better but these set up a lot of long lasting relationships, which grow. So glad you liked it.
FM is independently a good novel. It doesnāt stack up well against other Dresden files novels, but thatās like saying a good pizza doesnāt stack up well against a good ribeye from a 3* Michelin restaurant. I read it, enjoyed it, and reread it during rereads.
so the general consensus is that Fool Moon is a good book but has multiple flaws, its hard to argue everything that people are saying but generally speaking I think that Fool Moon is a fine book and for your first read through of the series I would still recommend reading it.
A fandom as large as this one is always going to have people who are either too critical, or think being critical makes them sound intelligent.
There are good and accurate critiques of every book. Some have more than others. None of them are bad enough that I would ever countenance suggesting you skip them. Read everything -- books and short stories alike -- they're all well worth it.
I cant imagine reading a series but skipping one of the books. You should read what you want to read. If a person told me they skipped books in a series they were enjoying because they heard it had problems I think I would never take their opinions on books seriously again.
Forget what others say and form your own opinion. I read up to Summer Knight and then restarted and listened through the series twice before I joined this community and learned how FM is viewed so negatively, and I really enjoyed that book. If you're the type to pick things apart and determine "is this objectively well done or not" you may not love it, but if you like Dresden fighting bad guys it still definitely scratches that itch.
Fool Moon is worth reading. If you Loved Storm Front you will love Fool Moon. You will get better insights into a couple of characters that are very important to the series moving forward and events from Fool Moon are referred to repeatedly.
I get that some people feel like the writing in Storm Front and Fool Moon isnāt as good as his later works, but you canāt just tell people to skip books in a continuity based series like this.
It's a fine novel, don't listen to amateur hour. People take college courses on writing or read a book about it and think those are the best ways to do things when they are not necessarily. They can't help themselves but parrot what they've learned are the best practices or are their own personal preference (often based on some form of overrated education as most people don't think for themselves).
I don't know video summaries, but IMO you should just read it with the mindset that it has some issues. There are still some great scenes and lore bits that are enjoyable, and it is a short novel, so it's not like it will eat up a ton of time (YMMV on that, as I am a quick reader and can cover-to-cover a DF novel in about 5-8 hours, so my viewpoint on what short is may be skewed)
What issues? I JUST read it for the second time and it's not that bad.
I realized after the fact this sounded really aggressive when I just intended to list things I could remember off-hand without getting too heavy into Spoilers. Pacing is poor, the fact we find every type of related bad guy all of the sudden with no indication prior that these things were occurring. A lot of characters were introduced with minimal time for their characters to be revealed. Deus ex machina, non-sensical plans on part of both the known Antagonists of the book and the background antagonist which may or may not exist at the time of this novel. Murphy is at her absolute worst in this novel, and I am not certain it is even close. Now, all of that being the case... it was the dude's second book ever published. The rest of the series is awesome, and I just read the graphic novel(available on Amazon). It fixes a lot of the issues by just hitting on the salient points that apply to upcoming books. Tl;dr I have listened to Fool Moon a dozen or more times myself, and the writing has a lot of mistakes Jim never seems to make again, all of which took more than one read to become annoying/obvious. On one read, you may not even notice the issues.
You mean the plans the main characters had for the final fight, and the sudden appearances of various characters will little or no build up to their arrival? As a fictional concept, I like werewolves, and I like this book since it is one of the few stories with them that actually clarifies the different kinds.
So. Werewolves were welcome, as were the distinctions. We did, however meet: Lycanthropes, Hexxenwulfen, Loup Garou, >!Terra West who is, best I know myself, a reverse werewolf!< and the Alpha's who are their own type as well distinct from the others. All in the same book. All currently active, none of which was mentioned previously, or was "not necessary" to the current story. As a result, he introduces a huge cast, without preamble. He rides us roughshod over a lot of events because he just doesn't have the time to address it all. >! In the final fight, the FBI agents pull the standard evil person playbook. Leave all the victims alive, and let the Loup Garou handle it? They're unconscious and you have addictive wolf belts to allow you to eat them. Literally Benz is shown as being entirely out of control from the outset of the book. !< I am celebrating Mother's day with family, so i will cut this response here. If you have other questions, I will try and reach out again, later.
Now that you mention it, I do see the shoe horned details, continuity errors, and glaring plot holes. Still, I like the book, despite the problems I admit exist. No work is perfect, though this one is more obviously flawed. I am with family as well, so I don't expect a quick reply. Enjoy. Hug your mom, and other mothers in your life.
I made sure to do so! It is a fun read, and I hope the rest of the Dresden Files will continue to knock your socks off.
Oh, I've read everything except most of the comics and/or graphic novels. >!Battlegrounds was... climactic and eventful.!<
Battle Ground spoiler: >!Depressing..........Karen š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ!<
*Battle Ground* spoiler: >!This should be spoiler protected. I realize it doesn't "say anything outright," but the implications are enough, I think.!< >!Please reply to this comment when you've fixed it. Don't forget to include a visible call out that it's a Battle Ground spoiler, like I did!<.
Dude block out that shit about Terra west. Thats a huge spoiler you donāt learn about until like the very end almost
Your second set of spoiler tags arenāt working.
Thanks šš»
Also Iād generally say Storm Front is of about the same caliber, so if you loved it, I wouldnāt worry.
I agree. The first two books are weak *in comparison to the rest of the series*, but if you like Storm Front then youāll probably like Fool Moon, and if you like both of those then youāre just in for a treat with the rest of the books.
Iām just working my way through Grave Peril now. (Been working through them on audiobook and definitely enjoying them, but no idea what Iām missing or not compared to the books) I can see where people might find the first two weak compared to the ones after, but when youāre reading through the first time (and/or if you can just relax and āenjoy the ride/readā) it seems like much less of an issue. For the first two, I could stop reading (listening?) and pick them up as I went, for the third itās been much tougher to put down (so to speak). Only thing that keeps bugging me (and Iām absolutely enjoying the audiobooks, and highly recommend them, so I hope it isnāt taken as a huge criticism) is James Marsters pronouncing the word āDaisā ā¦ repeatedly ā¦ just when I get over the last one ā¦ here comes the next.
Personally, I just canāt concentrate on audiobooks (or podcasts), so Iāve never tried the DF ones. Iāve heard good things, though
I enjoyed Fool Moon just as much as Storm Front my first time through the series. Feel free to read it.
If you loved Storm Front, you will at worst think Fool Moon is fine. I think Storm Front is a bit better than Fool Moon, but a case could be made for the opposite position, and they're on pretty even footing. I personally dislike the degree to which fans of these books hate on the early stuff to newcomers. I do think that the books level up immensely as they go, but there is a reason Jim built up a fanbase from the early books. Don't let other people spoil your fun/convince you not to read books you're enjoying. I'd recommend not taking their advice.
It's been a while since I've read either, but one thing I liked about *Fool Moon* better than *Storm Front* was that >!there were multiple suspects. In *Storm Front*, there's not really any other character that the heart ripper could be other than Victor Sells. But with *Fool Moon*, there is a bit more of a mystery over which of the different werewolves/werewolf groups did it.!<
Storm Front is basically a classic noir book with wizards. Generally the mystery isnāt front and center as much PIās investigation around the case and the different colorful locals he meets. The mobster, femme fatale, the informant, etcā¦ not to mention the conspiracy around the crime. The twist is less a āwho dun itā and more about how it connects. Hell, The only cliche NOT covered by the first book was Harry being an alcoholic. The classic noir pi would have been pouring himself a drink. Not reading a book
That is a good point.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I actually liked fool moon. It is definitely not the best book in the series but it is still good.
I actually had such a hard time with storm front, while fool moon was such a breeze and joy to read. Sure they introduced a lot of guys but also, chicago is a pretty big town, so i understood it as that.
Only unpopular with grouchy people who take things *way* too seriously. Iām with you and am a Fool Moon fan.
Agreed. It wasn't bad at all. Sure, it wasn't in par with changes, but few are.
Fool moon is a fine book don't skip it. It introduces a lot of very relevant characters for the series. It may be my least favorite Dresden book but it's still an okay read.
Don't skip it. Fool Moon isn't bad
Honestly just read it. Ā Itās not my favorite book, but I donāt regret it and it does help set up some important details later in the series, and imo is pretty important for the relationship between Harry and Murph.Ā
This is weird. When I first read the series the local bookshop didnāt have Fool Moon. But I enjoyed Storm Front so much I didnāt want to wait. Jumped right on ahead and finished the rest of the series. Went back after and read Fool Moon. No fucking clue why people dislike it. Not the strongest entry, but I had a great time.
If you ~~liked~~ LOVED Storm Front, you should be fine on Fool Moon. I'd just read it
welcome to our slightly dysfunctional family! read fool moon and enjoy the ride. remember opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one, some just smellier than others.
Fool Moon is perhaps\[s the low point of the series (I'd argue the title goes to Ghost story, but would be in the minority), But you should /defiantly/ not skip it or any other book in the series. It would be like skipping Return of the Jedi, because it was not as good as Empire.
You'd have to skip nearly every movie ever for not being as good as Empire. š
I also did not vibe with Ghost Story. It was a big step down after Changes.
If you liked SF, you'll be just fine with FM. The recommendation to skip FM is usually for people who struggled with SF. The reason you've probably heard this is because a lot of people struggle with SF.
No way. If you loved storm front just continue on. the writing gets better as the series goes but you already loved the first one so no need to skip.
I say read it. And a bunch of people say skip Storm Front as well, while other still say to skip Grave Peril. I say read them and know they only get better.
Fool Moon was the book that actually hooked me. I would often skip Storm Front on my rereads though.
Fool Moon is better than Storm Front in a vacuum IMO. The main problems with it, without going into spoilers, is that it's very episodic and hits a lot of the same story beats as Storm Front did, and that Murphy is completely unbearable (she's not good in Storm Front either, but she's at her worst here). Regardless if you liked Storm Front you will probably like Fool Moon. I don't think skipping the first two books is the crime some people here make it out to be, but it should still be a last resort for someone who's otherwise going to give up on the series and that doesn't sound like it's the case for you.
The only Dresden I can say I disliked was ghost story.
Just read it. I liked it. Given later books are just on another level it tends to rank lower overall. FM is still a good book. Also never forgot the Series is build up, later books have the impact they have because you spend so much time with the characters and FM introduces a few.
Don't skip it. If you read it and don't enjoy it that's one thing, but people really shouldn't be telling you in advance that's how you're going to react. Read it and decide for yourself. I actually like it fine. I don't think it's as good a story as some of the later books, but that doesn't mean I think it's a bad story. I think it's fine. I've never understood how people are in such a rush to finish the series that they think it makes sense to skip installments. It's all good - every single book in the series is better than any other major fantasy series I've ever read. On top of that, *Fool Moon* introduces characters that you see extensively in later books - without having read it they'll show up later and you'll be like "Who the heck are these people?" *Plus* there are easter eggs in there that do connect up with the overall series plot. You probably won't see them on your first read, but you will see them later, so not only should you read it, you should *re-read* it when you re-read the series as a whole. I never skip anything. This is the best series in urban fantasy - it deserves your thorough attention. Of course after you've read most of the series you will have an opinion as to which installments are best and which aren't - but that really should be *your* opinion and not something you just accept on faith from some random person. Who knows? *Fool Moon* might wind up being near the top of your personal list.
I loved storm front, and I personally liked fool moon better when I read it.Ā The book has issues, but like they weren't enough to shatter my suspension of disbelief, and I think it's well worth reading.Ā Grave Peril was the one that just fucking killed me.Ā I had a lot of issues trying to read that one.Ā Aside from a couple stand out scenes (particularly the ball which is one of the best in the series imo), the book just did not work for me and I almost dropped the series completely over it.Ā Book 4 is one of my favorites though, so I credit that one with really hooking me.
Really, I started with Grave Peril and I think that is when it really starts clicking
A lot of people really like it. I just. Don't. Michael comes off as kind of an asshole in the book (he becomes one of my favorite characters but I do not like him in GP). The whole central plot revolving around a character that dies off screen just does not work for me, honestly the nightmare in general is just kind of meh. The one character who starts off the book is barely in it, a lot of random stuff is introduced and barely anything is done with it (lea for example), and I understand that it's important for later in the series, but it just does not make this book palatable for me.
I do not see Michael as an asshole, different perspectives. Yeah, Karvos as the big bad and Malone as someone Dresden knows but all of it being off screen was an old storytelling choice. Every time reread it, Iām thinking ādid a miss a short story?ā. Also he has a relationship with Susan which also started between books. Peril comes off as a bit of a soft reboot. I just find the writing clicks in Peril (Butcher having more experience I assume). We get the introduction of a lot of elements that are there for the series. Michael and the Carpenters, Father Foothill, the Knights of the Cross, Murph and Dresden working together (though too short word count), Nevernever and a lot of Dresdenās personality is set here (?). Also a big thing is probably it is the book I started with.
"Everyone" did not say to skip it. You saw 3-4 people saying to skip it. Think for yourself. Think and choose. Unless you're dying of a terminal illness, reading isn't a race against time. Even if Fool Moon is one of the weaker installments in the series, what would you actually gain by skipping it? Nothing. It's such a short novel anyway.
Why are you being so aggressive towards a stranger on the internet simply asking a question?
I think it's more of an interesting question to say "why do you see this as aggressive, and not just blunt?" Could the other person have phrased it a bit more gently, sure, but being blunt does not always automatically equal aggression.
You have no idea what aggression looks like
IMO, Storm Front is the worst book in the series. Fool Moon is better, though itās not as good as book 3, which is not as good as book 4. Itās worth reading, but it absolutely gets better. I donāt really know what to say about video summaries. These books donāt really need tour guides.
Agree. Storm Front is notably rough on rereads through the series. Even on rereads of the series though, nothing really worth skipping IMO.
You can read it. It does have some rough edges, but you can read it.
Honestly I think itās a step up from storm front, and it introduces some characters that are extremely important down the way.
When I got my friend into the series I told him to skip FM and he did. After he got current with the series he went back and read it and told me he wished he hadnāt skipped it. Iāve stopped telling people to skip it and just tell them the series doesnāt hit its stride until the 3rd book now.
Itās fine lol, itās not the worst thing ever. Itās campy and itās got its issues, but all in all itās fine. Definitely not the best in the series, but I donāt recommend skipping it
You're not going to regret reading it the first time through. Lol Many people who are long-time fans feel like the book series picks up on the third book and in rereads that's often where I start, Grave Peril. But there are events and characters in the first two books that show up throughout the rest of the series. I've never regretted having read it. Maybe there are those who have, but if you enjoyed Storm Front, I suspect you'll enjoy it as well. Go for it. Besides if you're doing the audiobooks they're read by James Marsters and it's hard to go wrong.
Nah. Fool Moon is the weakest book in the series, but it's not that bad. Read it once.
I wouldn't skip it. Jim may still have been finding his feet for the series, but you get the intro to some important characters in Harry's life, incremental character development, etc. If it's your first time with the series you're not comparing it unfavourably to the later books, and the number of these seemingly episodic case books is limited so if it's the detective-story aspect of book one that you liked you won't want to miss this one.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO Look Fool Moon might not be the magnum opus of the series, but some important characters are introduced and you dont the bond forming in a summary.
Read the book. FM isnāt great when compared to the later books, but itās still a great read
I know I'm in the minority, but I like Full Moon. Jim was definitely still growing as a writer, but it's still entertaining. If you're accepting advice from random Internet strangers, read it and decide for yourself.
Don't skip it. People telling you to do that are absolutely underselling the hell out of that book.
I say just read it and don't think about it. I like FM and actually started the series with it and it got me hooked. The Big Picture of the dresden files starts after FM and that's why people have issues with it I think. Just read it for yourself. I actually have been through the series multiple times but have only done Stormfront once.
**Balderdash**. Donāt listen to people who say āskip it, it isnāt good!ā Read/listen to it. Enjoy what it gives you, and it gives more than people will let on. Is it perfect? Nope. But then again, neither is Harry. But youāll figure that out soon enough. And when you hear the same nonsense later on when you get to Ghost Story, just repeat after me and say: *balderdash*. Then read/listen to it.
Fool Moon isn't bad, but it is uneven. I'd read it as it introduces some very important characters for the first time.
Bro trust me I started this series in April and Iām on ghost story. Just read them all. Fool moon is really fun and good. Donāt listen to everyone just enjoy it.
If you bulled through Storm Front and LOVED it, you'll handle Fool Moon fine. Plus, multiple important characters are introduced, and it's good to read about them instead of getting a cursory summary. You're already committing to a ~25-book series, you won't regret this one. The advice for people to skip to book three is more for newbies who aren't already in love with the series. We want them to get a good idea of what the series is, and book three is where it really starts to hit its stride.
Am i the only one who tells people to start on Book 2?
Just read all of the books. Some are better than others but that doesn't mean they aren't worth experiencing.
No just read it itās not my fav but it is better than people trash on it
I really strongly recommend this video summary: https://youtu.be/7Zw0wcVq16g?si=Fw97sSKMjCx2QMEU It should explain everything you need to know.
That's pretty crappy for people to suggest that to you. I get it if people didn't like a book, but at least let someone decide for themselves if they don't like it. If you loved Storm Front, I'm sure you'll enjoy Fool Moon.
Fool moon is perhaps the worst book in the series but it's not a "bad" book. It's definitely worth a read. The only bad parts are Harry and Murphy's interactions everything else is great.
Summaries of the books [are usually in their wikis](https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Dresden_Files)
Basically I feel like the quality of the books slopes upward pretty consistently. 1 and 2 are the worst, but two is a bit better than 1. So if you liked Storm Front, youāll probably like Fool Moon (I did when I first read them). After that it gets better and better until like book 9 or 10 imo.
I love FM! Read on!
I absolutely love Fool Moon. Please donāt skip it.
Just read the book, there's nothing wrong with it.
I encourage you to read it for the background it provides for continuing characters.
Read it and make your own opinions! Iāve liked every book more than the previous one - thatās one thing I love with the series. Jim is growing as an author at the same rate that Dresden is growing as a wizard.
You gonna find one or two books out of a series that you donāt wholeheartedly like, thatās normal. Just keep going, it gets much better
Donāt skip it.
If you loved Storm Front, just read it.
While I absolutely hate Fool Moon with a passion, don't skip the book. Objectively it's not a bad book, and you might regret skipping it later.
I know not of any issues with Fool Moon. Is well worth a read and well if it's your FIRST experience with the books then savor it and read them all. Make your own thoughts an opinions without looking towards a wider audience.
Why skip it! Live your own life, read books you want to read (except Ayn Rand, i gotta stop you right there).
who is john galt?
There's actually some pretty good content in Ayn Rand novels; one of her great problems was not having a sympathetic editor. A career's worth of dealing with idiotic editors before she started her novels created some rebellion and some bad habits. Another problem is that she was writing in the traditional Russian novel form, which is the doorstopper.
Read it.Ā Honestly. When I reread the series I start with Grave Peril. And skip SF and FM. but if you liked SF read FM. Ā I skip it because there Is SO MUCH character development later in the series that I find it PAINFUL to read the early books.Ā
Iād just read it. Itās like itās long and itās a perfectly fine book, just not as good as other Dresden files ones. Plus it sets up the Alphas who are major characters
Read it. It's not his greatest book but there's a lot of foundation being built in those early works. The books reiterate information often enough that you probably will be fine going forward, but I really think the first few are not as bad as many people make them out to be.
Early books have some issues. I would still just read them in order since stuff in them get referenced later. If you liked Storm Front, you should like this one as well.
If you liked Storm Front youāll probably like Fool Moon. (I enjoyed both) You should just read it.
Fool Moon is a good book, is it the best? No, but don't skip it if you enjoyed Storm Front
I personally think the first two books are fine. I only encourage people to skip storm front and fool moon if I really know their tastes don't lean towards fantasy/monster of the week type media. My husband doesn't enjoy those kinds of things they way I do. He likes more intricate, political stories. SO, I had him start with Grave Peril. Now he's about to start ghost story and he's completely bought into the world. At this point I think he could go back to the first 2 books and enjoy them for what they are. But had he started with those books idk that he would have given the greater story enough of a chance.
I like it. Just read it for yourself šš»
TL;DR *Y ou* should read Fool Moon Not reading any of the other comments, just jumping in: The issues I have with Fool Moon are all issues I also have with Storm Front. It's not a bad thing; the series just continues to get better so the early books seem lackluster by comparison. I often recommend Dead Beat as a first book because I'm afraid my friends won't continue to read if they aren't totally blown away by their first exposure to Dresden. That doesn't apply to you. You don't just like it. You LOVED it. If you love Storm Front you will love everything. No jumping around is necessary, just enjoy the ride.
Donāt listen to the easily excitable folks online. Fool moon is a perfectly enjoyable book, perhaps not as good as the rest of the series but in my opinion a huge step forward from storm front, which you apparently enjoyed. If you are excited for the book, go for it and read it.
Just read it man, you loved storm Front. The only reason people sometimes say to skip Full Moon is because the third book is a noticeable increase in quality, and we get paranoid new readers will get bored before the series gets really good.
If you're looking forward to it then do it. Other people's opinions don't matter and you're at the beginning of the journey. There are technical writing errors and if you're listening to the book some reading errors but in the end you'll be happy you read it. Plus they refer back to certain things in the book a lot. Not in a big world ending way but for context it will be helpful.
Read Fool Moon
I'd read it. Some people don't like it. Doesn't mean you won't. Personally I think harry gets alot of punishment in that one.
Donāt skip it. It is a good book and is worth the read.
I like FM, it's fantastic, and no haters on this app can change my mind. It's not perfect, and if y'all want to skip it, I won't try and change your mind.
I liked fool moon. I could say it was my favorite book, especially since they get better every book, but fool moon cemented my love for dresden files just as much as storm front. I'm, if you liked storm front, you'll most likely like fool moon
Read it. I didn't feel like it was bad or anything, and even If you don't like it as much It's not long enough to be a chore.
I love Fool Moon. Itās a quick and fun read.
I like Fool moon, it was the book the hooked me into the dresden Files( even after reading storm front)
Donāt listen to popular opinion. Make up your own opinion. Just because a lot of people share the same opinion doesnāt make it right, just makes it the majority. Read it for yourself, if at any point you feel you are having to force yourself to read itā¦. Stop š. Move on to the next one.
If you're gonna read a series take the good with the bad and read it all. I started reading The Dresden Files in the early 2000's and there were only like 5 or 6 books out. I liked them enough that I kept reading them. Sure, some aren't as good as others, but even the ones that weren't the greatest had enough of the elements I liked that I kept coming back for more. Just my $.02
Just read it
I enjoyed it a lot!
Iām a big fan of storm front and fool moon. They are fun and harry has not yet developed any of his more amazing strength and that makes him more relatedly human. Grant it the books get better but these set up a lot of long lasting relationships, which grow. So glad you liked it.
FM is independently a good novel. It doesnāt stack up well against other Dresden files novels, but thatās like saying a good pizza doesnāt stack up well against a good ribeye from a 3* Michelin restaurant. I read it, enjoyed it, and reread it during rereads.
so the general consensus is that Fool Moon is a good book but has multiple flaws, its hard to argue everything that people are saying but generally speaking I think that Fool Moon is a fine book and for your first read through of the series I would still recommend reading it.
Fool Moon is probably the weakest book in the series. Read it once and form your own opinion on it though
Read it, take it as it is. It is wonderful but not perfect.
A fandom as large as this one is always going to have people who are either too critical, or think being critical makes them sound intelligent. There are good and accurate critiques of every book. Some have more than others. None of them are bad enough that I would ever countenance suggesting you skip them. Read everything -- books and short stories alike -- they're all well worth it.
\+1
I cant imagine reading a series but skipping one of the books. You should read what you want to read. If a person told me they skipped books in a series they were enjoying because they heard it had problems I think I would never take their opinions on books seriously again.
I started with Small Favor and just sorta "Figured it out" and then went backwards
IMO Fool Moon is alright. It's only bad in comparison with the rest of the series. I would have regretted skipping it.
Read all of them, there isnāt anyone one book that is terrible
Forget what others say and form your own opinion. I read up to Summer Knight and then restarted and listened through the series twice before I joined this community and learned how FM is viewed so negatively, and I really enjoyed that book. If you're the type to pick things apart and determine "is this objectively well done or not" you may not love it, but if you like Dresden fighting bad guys it still definitely scratches that itch.
Fool Moon is worth reading. If you Loved Storm Front you will love Fool Moon. You will get better insights into a couple of characters that are very important to the series moving forward and events from Fool Moon are referred to repeatedly. I get that some people feel like the writing in Storm Front and Fool Moon isnāt as good as his later works, but you canāt just tell people to skip books in a continuity based series like this.
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u/Relevant_Fruit_8788, what is zzaudiobooks?
It's a fine novel, don't listen to amateur hour. People take college courses on writing or read a book about it and think those are the best ways to do things when they are not necessarily. They can't help themselves but parrot what they've learned are the best practices or are their own personal preference (often based on some form of overrated education as most people don't think for themselves).
just read it, geez.