Fool Moon (novel)

infobox Book |
name =
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Jim Butcher
illustrator =
cover_artist = Lee MacLeod
country = United States
language = English
series = The Dresden Files
genre = Science fiction, Fantasy novel
publisher = Penguin Putnam
release_date = January 1, 2001
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback) & AudioBook (Audio Cassette & Audio CD)
pages = 352 pp (first edition, paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0-4514-5812-5 (first edition, paperback)
preceded_by = Storm Front
followed_by = Grave Peril

"Fool Moon" is a 2001 contemporary fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher. It is the second novel in The Dresden Files, which follows the character of Harry Dresden, present-day Chicago's only professional wizard.

Plot

Kim Delaney is paying for a steak dinner at McAnally's tavern. All Dresden had to do was tell her how to complete and empower a magical circle for holding demigods and archangels and demons—something that the White Council would not condone. Dresden withholds the esoteric information, so Kim won't be executed by the White Council wardens. Kim thinks he’s patronizing her, so she leaves in a huff.

Police detective Karrin Murphy enters McAnally's and asks Dresden to consult on a homicide. She's still angry that Dresden didn’t give her the names of wizards that could have done the triple murder (in "Storm Front"). Ever since Marcone spread the rumor that Dresden was on contract to off the ThirdEye dealers, Murphy’s been under investigation by Internal Affairs. Now, her job is on the line unless she can crack a series of full moon murders. The most recent murder is particularly bad. Marcone's goon was gutted and shredded in a pool of blood. The only clue is a wolfish paw print. Dresden follows a lead that takes him into a confrontation with a gang of teenage werewolves and their pack leader, Tera West.

Surviving that meeting, Dresden writes a complete guide to werewolves for Murphy. Bob had provided him with intel on all four kinds of wolven theriomorphs, were-creatures: hexenwolves, werewolves, lycanthropes, and loup-garous. At the police station, he gets a tip from FBI Agent Harris that the Streetwolves biker gang might know something about the murder of Marcone’s goon. It’s a set up. The Streetwolves and their packleader Parker are lycanthropes. Dresden escapes unscathed, but has earned a new set of enemies that want him dead.

Just when things couldn’t get much worse, Marcone shows up in Dresden’s office. He wants to buy…err…hire Dresden as his security adviser. It's clear Marcone wants Dresden for a bodyguard to kill the were-creatures that are after him. Dresden refuses. Marcone’s money is dirty. On his way out the door, Marcone drops a hint that these killings are connected to Harley MacFinn and his Northwest Passage Project. Dresden is sorely tempted to remove Marcone and make the world a better place. But, " [t] hat was black magic, and it was easy to use. Easy and fun. Like Legos."

Finally, a clue that doesn’t lead to a near-death experience. Dresden’s arrested. Kim Delaney’s shredded body is found in MacFinn’s apartment next to a summoning circle. When Murphy had hired Dresden at McAnally’s, she had pocketed Kim’s summoning circle drawing. Here is yet another dead woman linked to Dresden—it’s like Linda Randall all over again (in "Storm Front"). To express her displeasure at Dresden’s withholding vital evidence, Murphy beats the crap out of him and has Carmichael lock him in a cop car. Tera West busts him loose. Before the moon rises, she wants Dresden to draw the containment circle around her fiancée, Harley MacFinn, a loup-garou.

Dresden is shot during the escape. Tera gives him an ultimatum: "Run or die." Bleeding and in agony, Dresden runs until he passes out. He awakes, safe and bandaged. But he and Tera are miles from Chicago and moonrise is coming. Desperate, he calls Susan and bums a ride. Susan is less than thrilled to meet a naked were-woman named Tera. Dresden promises a great story. He tells her about the murders, Marcone, and the Northwest Passage Project. Unable to resist an exclusive story, Susan drives them back to Chicago.

Murphy arrested and jailed MacFinn in his human form. Dresden goes to the station to get MacFinn, but the moon rises. MacFinn changes into a loup-garou. It slaughters the suspects in the holding cells, the desk sergeant, and Murphy’s staff. Dresden blows it through the wall with a firebolt. The loup-garou gets up and lopes off to avenge itself upon its enemy, the man who opposes the Northwest Passage Project: Marcone.

Dresden is on his way to catch the loup-garou when he is captured by Parker and the Streetwolves. They take him to their lair, the Full Moon Garage, so they dismember him for their entertainment. Dresden is inadvertently saved by a shoot out among the lycanthrope Streetwolves, Johnny Marcone, and the FBI. The FBI agents each touch a talisman belt around their waists and change into were-creatures: hexenwolves. They exterminate Parker and the Streetwolves. Marcone and Hendricks escape. Tera and the Alpha werewolves rescue Dresden. And, Dresden captures FBI Agent Harris.

Harris explains that Denton and the hexenwolves were behind all the full moon killings. The plan is to kill Marcone and make Chicago a better place. They set up MacFinn to take the fall. Yeah, a bunch of innocent people were killed each full moon, Harris admits, but it’s just collateral damage. Marcone’s a monster; he’s got to go. Harris doesn’t realize that the belts have turned Denton and the agents into uncontrollable, murderous monsters.

Disgusted, Dresden keeps Harris' talisman belt. Dresden, Susan, Tera, and the Alphas regroup at a safe house to bandage their wounds and figure out their next move. They decide the best move is to take on the hexenwolves all at once. Otherwise, Denton will pick them off one by one. He'd probably kill Susan just to wrap up the loose ends. Susan and Dresden have a few quiet moments before the final battle. She changes his bandages, changes his outlook, and gifts him with a black, leather duster. Then, it's show time.

At moonrise, they pile into a rented van and head to Marcone’s estate to save him from MacFinn. If Dresden cannot corral MacFinn, he'll have to kill him. In Marcone’s backyard, a running battle ensues. The attacks are complicated by betrayal and killing bloodlust. Dresden uses the talisman belt. The killing power of his wolven form makes his heart sing. At the end of the blood bath, MacFinn's curse is lifted. Dresden and Murphy burn the hexenwolves' belts before Chicago PD arrives. Susan evacuates the Aphas. Chicago PD arrests Marcone on general principles. And, Tera changes from human form into a wolf and returns to her family in the Northwest. Dresden realizes there are wolves who can shapeshift into human form. He promises to keep his mind "even more open to the realms of possibility."

Plot points introduced

* Werewolves: According to Bob, early on in the novel, there are at least four different variations of werewolves, all with different magical properties, strengths and weaknesses. Dresden encounters all four variations throughout the book.
* Dresden's enemy: At the end of the novel, Dresden concludes from the events in "Storm Front" and "Fool Moon" that there is a powerful magical being who is working specifically against him.

List of Characters

Returning Characters

* Harry Dresden: The protagonist; a professional wizard.
* Lieutenant Karrin Murphy: The Director of Special Investigations, Chicago PD.
* Detective Ron Carmichael: Murphy's partner at SI.
* Gentleman Johnny Marcone: The crime lord of Chicago.
* Susan Rodriguez: A reporter at the Midwester "Arcane" and Dresden's love interest.
* Bob: An intelligent air spirit who resides inside a skull in Dresden's sub-basement laboratory.
* Hendricks: One of Gentleman Johnny Marcone’s bodyguards.
* Mister: Dresden's 30+ pound house cat.
* Mac: The owner-operator of McAnally's tavern.

Characters introduced in this novel

* FBI Agent Denton: FBI investigative team leader.
* FBI Agents Benn, Harris and Wilson: Members of Denton's FBI team.
* Kim Delaney: A young woman being mentored by Dresden in the magical arts.
* Harley MacFinn: A millionaire environmentalist with lupine qualities.
* Tera West: A mysterious woman with lupine qualities and the fiancée of MacFinn.
* The Alphas: A gang of college-age men and women who have werewolf abilities.
* Billy Borden: One of the Alphas.
* Georgia: One of the Alphas.
* Chaunzaggoroth: A demon informant; Dresden calls him "Chauncy."
* The Streetwolves: A Chicago biker gang of lycanthropes.
* Parker: The leader of the Streetwolves.
* Detective John Stallings: An officer and a friend at SI.
* Detective Rudolph: A new officer at SI.

Fool Moon in Other Media

External links

* [http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/2/ "Fool Moon"] The website summary of Storm Front and the first chapter to preview.

References