The Dresden Files

Book Two: Fool Moon

by Jim Butcher

We revisit Harry Dresden a year later after the events of Book One: Storm Front. This book deals with werewolves and how they fit into the world of the Dresden Files. We are introduced to various types of werewolves as well as characters we’ve met before. We get see more of Karrin Murphy and her relationship with Harry Dresden. In this book it’s a little frosty as Murphy is still mad about Harry lying to her in the previous book. There is more conflict between them in previous stories. However, by the end of this book they are back on track due to them being force to work together to survive.

This book was the book that really drew me into The Dresden Files when I read it for the first time. With these books about magic and wizards, often times one of the rules of the story is that magic has to remain separate from normal humans as the humans can never find out about this hidden magical world. That is not the case with The Dresden Files and in this book, the hidden world of werewolves is brutally revealed to the humans of Chicago, especially with the Chicago PD. The scene were the loup-garu escapes from his cell and goes on a killing rampage is really intense and traumatic for the characters. It’s this daring storytelling that keeps me coming back for more Dresden Files.

In comparison to the rest of the books that follow this one, we don’t see much of werewolves, we do see the Alphas show up here and there as they work with Dresden on various things. But the werewolves aren’t a central storyline, at least up to where the story has been revealed so far. But the concept of someone who is gunning for Dresden from the shadows is a good one and I hope it shows up later in the main storyline.

Check out our podcast review of Fool Moon below!

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What follows is a spoiler filled summary of Book Two - Fool Moon.

Harry Dresden is back! In this second novel in The Dresden Files, Fool Moon, Harry is back on the case. It’s a year later and Harry hasn’t been getting as much work from the Chicago PD, leading him to wonder if Lieutenant Karrin Murphy is upset with him. Harry is at MacAnally’s meeting with a former student of his, Kim Delaney. She has a paper with some symbols on it and is asking Harry questions about them. Harry is reticent to tell her as it is dangerous knowledge. Kim gets frustrated and leaves just as Murphy shows up. Karrin grabs the paper and pockets it for later.

Murphy tells Dresden that there has been another murder involving the supernatural, and she needs his help. They drive out to the crime scene and interestingly enough the murder involves Gentleman Johnny Marcone again, as one of his men has been killed. Harry looks around and sees a wolf print left behind in the blood. Harry realizes it’s a full moon and that the murder involves werewolves.

There is also an FBI team involved as there have been several murders like this one and Chicago PD had called in the FBI for help. This FBI team is very territorial and doesn’t like Murphy and her group. The FBI kicks Murphy and Dresden off the crime scene and Murphy takes Dresden back to the pub. On the way, Murphy tells him that she can’t trust him due to last years investigation (in Book One) as Harry had held things back from her to protect her. Murphy didn’t appreciate this and it put her in a bad spot with the PD. Harry apologizes and they agree to not hide things from each other.

Harry is dropped off and sees that someone had been following them. Harry uses a magical tracking spell to hopefully track someone that had been involved in the killings as he had taken some of the victim’s blood from the crime scene. Harry is led to a locked up department store and finds some young kids (older teens/young 20 somethings) there. Harry is wondering what is going on and does’t believe these kids are the killers, when a lady shows up. This lady is the one that had been following him and Murphy back from the crime scene. She tells them to come with her and they leave the store. Harry tries to follow them but is intercepted by a werewolf who he fights off. Harry loses track of them and as he leaves the warehouse he is knocked down by someone who ends up being Murphy. She had followed the person who was following them to the store.

Harry tells Murphy about what he saw in the department store, but doesn’t believe the kids are ruthless enough to commit murders and he thinks the woman who showed up is involved but not necessarily was the werewolf killer. Harry goes back home and presses Bob the Skull for information about werewolves.

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Harry learns that there are several types of werewolves:

1 - The Classic Werewolf - uses a spell to turn into a werewolf and back to human again. This werewolf can be hurt just like a normal wolf.

2 - The Hexen-Wulf - uses a magical wolf hide belt that is worn and when magic words are spoken, the user turn into a werewolf with bestial rage, but the user maintains your own intellect and reason.

3 - The Lycanthrope - channels a spirit of rage. The Lycanthrope never transforms into a werewolf, but turns into a beast inside his head when the spirit takes over making him more aggressive, stronger, and resistant to injury.

4 - The Loup-Garou - the Loup-Garou is the strongest werewolf. They have been cursed them to become a wolf-like demon around the full moon. This werewolf has supernatural speed and power, as well as supernatural ferocity. They are able to recover almost instantaneously from injuries and are immune to poison and sorcery that goes for their brains. However, they can be killed by a silver weapon, but the silver has to have been inherited from a family member.

Harry learns that it’s most likely a Loup-Garou that is doing the killings for the past few weeks, as they are happening around the full moon. Harry takes his report of werewolves to the PD and runs into Susan Rodriguez there. They talk and Susan tries to get information from Harry, but isn’t able to. Harry next runs into the lead FBI agent, Agent Denton, and they talk. Harry gives Denton the werewolf report to give to Murphy as he is headed into Murphy’s office for a meeting. When leaving the PD he runs into another FBI agent who tells him about a gang that are suspect called the Street Wolves. Harry goes to follow that lead and check it out.

Harry goes to talk with the Street Wolves and finds them angry and not willing to talk. They’ve heard about Harry Dresden and know that he works with the police. Harry realizes that they are a group of Lycanthorpes and their leader, Parker, is in charge. Parker is able to hold some of the gang members back while Harry fights them off and escapes, but not before Harry does a soul gaze into Parker’s soul. Harry realizes that they aren’t involved in the murders, but also knows that Parker and the Street Wolves will be coming after him at some point. Harry returns to his office and finds Marcone there waiting for him.

Marcone wants to hire Dresden for his security detail and will pay him whatever salary he wants. Dresden realizes he could set himself up for life, but then he would be on the payroll of Marcone. Harry doesn’t want to work with Marcone and they argue and Harry kicks him out of his office. On his way out, Marcone tells Harry to check out a guy named Harley MacFinn and the Northwest Passage project.

Harry returns home and in his basement lab, he summons a demon that he’s talked to before, Chaunzaggoroth (aka Chauncey) to ask him about Harley MacFinn and the Northwest Passage. Chauncey has the info but will exchange it for one of Dresden’s names, he already has two of them and is looking for Harry’s full name so that he can have power of Harry and make him do what he wants. Harry gives him another piece of his name, . Chauncey tells Harry that MacFinn is descended from a cursed ancestor, Saint Patrick, and that the curse still exists with him. MacFinn is a Loup-Garou and changes every full moon, he gives Harry MacFinn’s address. Chauncey then tries to get another piece of Harry’s name by telling him that his mother and the unnatural deaths of both his parents. His mother was known in the underworld and “Her coming was awaited with great anticipation, but in the end, The Dark Prince lost her.” This is new news to Harry and Chauncey tries to bait him into giving him his full name in exchange for that information. Dresden doesn’t fall for it and sends him back to the underworld.

Just then Murphy calls about a murder and it’s at MacFinn’s address! Dresden goes there and meets with Murphy who is angry and short with him. Dresden finds that his apprentice, Kim Delaney, is there and she has been murdered. She is lying within one of the magical circles that she was asking Harry about while at MacAnally’s. Harry realizes that since he didn’t share that info with her, Kim wasn’t able to complete the circle of protection and as a result she is dead. Murphy shows Harry a picture of MacFinn with a woman, and he recognizes that it is the woman who they followed to the department store earlier.

Murphy takes Harry downstairs where they find a big walk-in vault and inside they find a completed circle like the one attempted upstairs, but it has been deliberately marred so that it couldn’t work correctly. Harry figures out that Kim was trying to get the correct information from him so that she could help MacFinn complete his circle of protection, but he wouldn’t give it to her and that he contributed to this situation.

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Murphy is mad at him and shows him the paper that Kim had at the bar and confronts him about being involved. She arrests Harry for obstruction and conspiracy to commit murder. As she is walking him to the police car and puts him in the back, the FBI agents have shown up and so they all go inside the home leaving Harry alone. A woman shows up, the same woman from the photo, and she identifies herself as Tera West and that she is Harley MacFinn’s fiancé. She helps Harry escape so that they can go find MacFinn and help him not to murder any more people. As they are escaping the police come back and see him leaving so they chase Dresden and Tera. Dresden is shot in the shoulder in the escape, but Tera and Harry are able to get away.

Harry wakes up in a strange bed in a strange room. His wound has been dressed and Terra is there. She gives him a shirt and tells him that they have to leave, she knows where Harley is and they must go there now. Harry wants some answers and tries to soul gaze Terra, but nothing happens. He realizes Terra is not human. The two head off into the woods and end up finding Harley, but he is deranged and attacks Harry, so he uses his magic to knock him down, which calms him down enough for Terra and Harry to talk with him. Harley tells Dresden how he was working with Kim Delaney because someone intentionally broke his containment circle and they were trying to fix it. Harley doesn’t know who would intentionally do that to him. He talked about the Northwest Passage project and how he would use that as a sanctuary for him to be able to roam free while he turns into a werewolf. Harry asks Tera about the kids, Georgia and Billy and it appears that Harley isn’t aware of that relationship. They then hear people coming through the trees looking for them, and it turns out to be the police and FBI searching for them. They split up and try to escape the search net. Harry and Tera end up at the meeting place, but Harley has been captured and taken to jail at Chicago PD precinct. Harry calls Susan to come pick them up and promises her a story for her help.

They had back to Harry’s apartment in Susan’s car and Tera distracts the undercover cops by stripping down naked and walking down the street. Harry is able to get some supplies and a disguise from his apartment. They head to the police station and Harry disguises himself as a janitor and uses a spell to make him appear very unnoticeable to others. Harry makes his way to the holding cells so he can help Harley not turn. But he is too late as Harley has transformed into the loup-garu and has started killing the prisoners. He is able to bend the bars due to his super strength and he can’t be contained. He starts killing cops when Murphy shows up. Murphy’s bullets are effective as she has forged bullets of silver that she inherited. However, she only has a .22 caliber pistol and they aren’t very powerful. The bullets do chase the loup-garu away to a different section of the precinct. Murphy tells an officer to take Harry away as he is still under arrest. Harry goes back to the offices with the officer, and sees his blasting rod that had been taken from him when he got arrested at MacFinn’s house. He grabs that and goes to fight the loup-garu. He follows the gunshots and chaos and finds the loup-garu attacking Murphy!

Harry runs to help, but Carmichael gets there first and is able to get the loup-garu off of Murphy but is killed himself in the process. Dresden uses his fuego spell to chase the loup-garu off, and then uses a thaumaturgy spell to attack it from a distance causing it to go to ground until the sun came up. Harry leaves the precinct with the help of Susan and Tera and as they are driving away, they realize they are being followed. Harry instructs Susan to meet up later and tells her to go to the nearest payphone and call the police to tell them where he is. Harry jumps out of the car and then uses a spell to pop the vehicles tires of the people that were following Harry. The car rolls but then they get out of the truck and it’s Parker and the Street Wolves. Harry is out of strength and so his magic is weak and the Street Wolves beat him up badly and take him prisoner and go back to their garage.

Harry comes to with Parker and one of his followers as they are waiting for Marcone to show up and are arguing about who’s really running their gang. Harry goads Parker into anger and as Parker is about to hit him with a tire iron, Marcone shows up to calm things down.

Marcone tells Parker that he will be taking the wizard, which Parker hadn’t agreed to and takes exception to. Parker’s guys attack Marcone and his man while Harry tries to escape during the commotion. Harry runs out the door and into the FBI agents. They go into the garage to help the Street Wolves, but Marcone and his man escape. Harry is confronted by one of the FBI agents but Harry notices the hexenwulf belt and takes it off of the Agent and is able to question him. The FBI Agents showed up to Chicago to go after Marcone and his gang as they were getting away with a lot of crimes and they didn’t have the evidence on them. They got help from the Street Wolves to target Marcone and then they were going to pin it all on MacFinn. They were the ones that damaged MacFinn’s containment circle. Harry takes the agent’s belt and tells him to have the agents meet him at moonrise to settle all of this once and for all. Dresden leaves with Tera and the Alphas (the teenage werewolves that Tera had enlisted help from). The Alphas go back to one of their member’s homes, and regroup. They come up with a plan to infiltrate Marcone’s estate and take on the FBI agents. Susan volunteers to drive them there in the Alphas’ van.

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Dresden, the Alphas, and Tera infiltrate Marcone’s estate, but once inside their plan goes out the window and everything falls apart. Harry had gotten separated from the others and while waiting for them, time passed and he realizes something has gone wrong. He sees one of the Alphas in wolf form running and then getting taken down by a dart. The FBI agents and Marcone show up and they are looking for Dresden as everyone else has been captured. Dresden realizes that Marcone doesn’t know the agents are going to double cross him. Dresden ends up getting captured and then the agents turn on Marcone and capture him too.

They are all put into a pit to wait for MacFinn, who’s changed into the loup-garu, to come and kill them. Marcone has a knife and is able to cut a rope to allow for Dresden and Tera to escape the pit. Dresden has a hexenwulf belt that he is able to use to change into a werewolf. He hunts down the agents and they end up killing each other in the confusion, all except for Denton the lead agent. Harry tracks him down and they fight in wolf form. Harry comes out on top and is about to kill Denton when Susan shows up to see what’s going on and Harry realizes he needs to not kill Denton or he won’t be able to come back from being a werewolf. He lets Denton live and takes his hexenwulf belt and also takes his off.

Murphy shows up with the Alphas and tells them that the loup-garu is coming. Dresden tells Susan to take the Alphas back to the van and leave. Harry and Murphy stay behind to face the loup-garu. Harry realizes he has some inherited silver in the form of his mother’s silver pendant that he wears. He uses this as a weapon and is able to take out the loup-garu, who then changes back into Harley MacFinn and then dies happy as the curse is taken from him. At the same time, Murphy shoots Denton who was coming up behind Harry to kill him. Murphy and Dresden burn all of the hexenwulf pelts so that they can’t be used again.

Afterwards, Marcone is arrested for various infractions, but nothing sticks due to his connections. Tera and Harry meet for one final time, and Harry realizes that Tera isn’t a werewolf, but is a wolf that can turn into human form. Harry and Susan are still a couple and keep dating. Dresden and Murphy go to Carmichael’s funeral as well as Kim Delaney’s funeral. They are able to repair their friendship for the future. Harry has a sneaking suspicion that with all of the crazy events of the last few months, that someone is out to kill him and is using round about methods to do so.

Next up is the graphic novel original story - Ghoul Goblin.

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