Philip K. Booker

During one of the earliest blockade actions of the Civil War, Sergeant Alexander Philips of the United States Marine Corps witnesses an unspeakable horror. With no explanation, he finds himself in charge of a group of hotheads and misfits in a strange, unorthodox unit. His new commander is the enigmatic Lieutenant Addison Green, who knows nothing about the military, but a great deal about something else entirely. He comes bearing a collection of weapons geared toward fighting something other than Confederates.

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is Chicago's only openly practicing wizard. He is also dead broke. His vast knowledge and magical skills are unfortunately matched by his talent for making powerful enemies and alienating friends. With little more than his integrity left, he accepts an offer of work from Lt. Karin Murphy of Chicago's Special Investigations Unit. He wants to redeem himself in Murphy's eyes and make enough money to quiet his rumbling stomach.

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.