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jefferz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It took me longer than it should've to learn that Rivers of London was released in the US as "Midnight Riot" hence why it took me so long to read this despite it being high on my to-read list. In hindsight the rename makes perfect sense as Midnight Riot is a much more appropriate title for the better of two core plot/cases covered in book (not to mention that the series this book ended up starting is also called Rivers of London).
Confusion on its dual-title release aside, I wanted to like Midnight Riot a lot more than I did as it has such an exciting premise. Peter Grant is a probationary constable/loose police officer who is assigned as an apprentice to Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale after having a run-in with a ghost while on surveillance duty following a grisly beheading murder at Covent Garden (as in the actual real Covent Garden, all locations are either real-life places or are heavily inspired fictional interpretations on boroughs of London). In training as both a supernatural investigative officer and a magic user, Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale team-up to unravel the truth behind a series of seemingly random murders who’s only connection is their location at Covent Garden and sudden rage experienced by various perpetrators. It’s a serial murder investigation in a modern urban fantasy setting combined with magic apprenticeship, fantasy creatures like river trolls, river spirits, vampires, the works.
I was pleased to see how strong the London setting, history and tone runs throughout Midnight Riot. The writing style and narrative tone screams of British humor full of lowkey tongue in cheek jokes, sparring banter, and typical London slang and mannerisms. It has a casual style that's never laugh out loud funny but nonetheless cheeky to read. The book also heavily incorporates real London locals and history into the plot which on one hand felt authentic, albeit sometimes hard to follow for myself as a non-British reader. I often felt like I was missing a lot of references and was constantly googling locations and events that were quite foreign to me (little did I know there’s a handy official google maps created by the author Ben Aaronovitch for quick reference). There’s been a bit of surge in British-set books and movies lately written by non-British writers that have felt contrived; this series is anything but.
Unfortunately despite the effective setting and lore established, I found the actual reading experience to be a mixed bag. Midnight Riot’s pacing and narrative felt disjointed due to the decision of focusing on two plot points. The first is the aforementioned series of murders in Covent Garden. The second is a growing conflict between Mother Thames and Old Father Thames, two powerful river entities (hence the “rivers of London” bit) and their anthropomorphized families engaged in a turf war of sorts. The two stories don’t really work with each other and frankly it felt like the Rivers of London plot constantly derailed the momentum of the Midnight Riot investigation story. The book frequently switches back and forth by deploying Peter to different locations for each of the two cases with almost no transition or purpose. The two cases also have almost no impact on each other than the inclusion of Beverly as a sidekick companion and one of Mother Thames’ daughters representing the physical Beverly Brook in suburban London. Although The Rivers of London greatly expands the fantasy lore of magical entities and powers, I found it to be rather boring to read. Its inclusion almost feels like it exists to add length to what was probably a concise yet short novella what would’ve been stronger as an independent story.
The other main drawback is character development. Peter Grant has an interesting background being mixed race and African roots through his mother's family; this is highlighted on more than one occasion beyond his physical looks. However apart from Peter, characterization feels under-development and the sheer number of characters are tough to follow. The various river spirits are easy to track due to their distinctive looks and personalities, but countless superiors in the Metropolitan Police Force and other affiliated agencies are a lot. They’re also introduced in rapid succession and most are slight variations on standard police/supervisory stereotypes which quickly blended together for me (there's a distinctive "riot" scene that has many officers and superiors responding and I had a hard time remembering who was who and had what responsibilities).
The characterization and writing is also quite overtly masculine, aka the book constantly sexualizes its female characters both in descriptions and Peter’s longing gaze. On one hand it is fine if the internal thoughts are appropriate to the characterization or events unfolding, but the description of women’s assets, actions (loose coworker Leslie shares a bed with him naked for literally no reason randomly just for kicks?) and Peter’s horny thoughts are just thrown in haphazardly. Their sudden appearances constantly interrupted the flow and my interest in the story and had me eye-rolling “really?” when it frequently came up. The sexual maturity and writing feels like that of an adolescent teenager rather than a strapping young adult which conflicts with the otherwise straight-laced narrative.
Ultimately, I do plan to at least read the next book before making a call on this series. On paper there are so many great things in Midnight Riot and the mystery investigation is interesting, the pacing is just slow and narrative disjointed and loose. The lore and setting is great but the plot is all over the place and random. I’ve heard that subsequent books in this procedural series are more focused so we’ll if Moon Over Soho and keep me interested.
Confusion on its dual-title release aside, I wanted to like Midnight Riot a lot more than I did as it has such an exciting premise. Peter Grant is a probationary constable/loose police officer who is assigned as an apprentice to Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale after having a run-in with a ghost while on surveillance duty following a grisly beheading murder at Covent Garden (as in the actual real Covent Garden, all locations are either real-life places or are heavily inspired fictional interpretations on boroughs of London). In training as both a supernatural investigative officer and a magic user, Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale team-up to unravel the truth behind a series of seemingly random murders who’s only connection is their location at Covent Garden and sudden rage experienced by various perpetrators. It’s a serial murder investigation in a modern urban fantasy setting combined with magic apprenticeship, fantasy creatures like river trolls, river spirits, vampires, the works.
I was pleased to see how strong the London setting, history and tone runs throughout Midnight Riot. The writing style and narrative tone screams of British humor full of lowkey tongue in cheek jokes, sparring banter, and typical London slang and mannerisms. It has a casual style that's never laugh out loud funny but nonetheless cheeky to read. The book also heavily incorporates real London locals and history into the plot which on one hand felt authentic, albeit sometimes hard to follow for myself as a non-British reader. I often felt like I was missing a lot of references and was constantly googling locations and events that were quite foreign to me (little did I know there’s a handy official google maps created by the author Ben Aaronovitch for quick reference). There’s been a bit of surge in British-set books and movies lately written by non-British writers that have felt contrived; this series is anything but.
Unfortunately despite the effective setting and lore established, I found the actual reading experience to be a mixed bag. Midnight Riot’s pacing and narrative felt disjointed due to the decision of focusing on two plot points. The first is the aforementioned series of murders in Covent Garden. The second is a growing conflict between Mother Thames and Old Father Thames, two powerful river entities (hence the “rivers of London” bit) and their anthropomorphized families engaged in a turf war of sorts. The two stories don’t really work with each other and frankly it felt like the Rivers of London plot constantly derailed the momentum of the Midnight Riot investigation story. The book frequently switches back and forth by deploying Peter to different locations for each of the two cases with almost no transition or purpose. The two cases also have almost no impact on each other than the inclusion of Beverly as a sidekick companion and one of Mother Thames’ daughters representing the physical Beverly Brook in suburban London. Although The Rivers of London greatly expands the fantasy lore of magical entities and powers, I found it to be rather boring to read. Its inclusion almost feels like it exists to add length to what was probably a concise yet short novella what would’ve been stronger as an independent story.
The other main drawback is character development. Peter Grant has an interesting background being mixed race and African roots through his mother's family; this is highlighted on more than one occasion beyond his physical looks. However apart from Peter, characterization feels under-development and the sheer number of characters are tough to follow. The various river spirits are easy to track due to their distinctive looks and personalities, but countless superiors in the Metropolitan Police Force and other affiliated agencies are a lot. They’re also introduced in rapid succession and most are slight variations on standard police/supervisory stereotypes which quickly blended together for me (there's a distinctive "riot" scene that has many officers and superiors responding and I had a hard time remembering who was who and had what responsibilities).
The characterization and writing is also quite overtly masculine, aka the book constantly sexualizes its female characters both in descriptions and Peter’s longing gaze. On one hand it is fine if the internal thoughts are appropriate to the characterization or events unfolding, but the description of women’s assets, actions (loose coworker Leslie shares a bed with him naked for literally no reason randomly just for kicks?) and Peter’s horny thoughts are just thrown in haphazardly. Their sudden appearances constantly interrupted the flow and my interest in the story and had me eye-rolling “really?” when it frequently came up. The sexual maturity and writing feels like that of an adolescent teenager rather than a strapping young adult which conflicts with the otherwise straight-laced narrative.
Ultimately, I do plan to at least read the next book before making a call on this series. On paper there are so many great things in Midnight Riot and the mystery investigation is interesting, the pacing is just slow and narrative disjointed and loose. The lore and setting is great but the plot is all over the place and random. I’ve heard that subsequent books in this procedural series are more focused so we’ll if Moon Over Soho and keep me interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
extrey_extrey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
searobin's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
The misogyny, fat-phobia, and horniness was very off-putting. I wanted to DNF this book, but it was for book club so I didn't.
I think the premise had a lot of potential, and I did enjoy some aspects of the storyline, but it was not executed well.
I would absolutely love a book (not by this author) from the perspective of Mother Thames, or one her tributaries, though!
I think the premise had a lot of potential, and I did enjoy some aspects of the storyline, but it was not executed well.
I would absolutely love a book (not by this author) from the perspective of Mother Thames, or one her tributaries, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
gitanita's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Peter Grant is a young copper in modern-day London who is about to be assigned to a unit. He would like to become a detective, but, although he is really intelligent, he is easily distracted. Because of that he also managed only a C in national exams despite having a great understanding of math, physics, chemistry and knowing all sorts of historical and other facts.
One night, Peter and his partner Lesley are assigned to guard the perimeter of a gruesome beheading. While waiting for Lesley to get them coffee, Peter meets a ghost that tells him he has information on the murder. Peter, naturally, thinks he's gone crazy, but still he goes back to the same place to confirm that he actually saw a ghost. While there, he meets a strange detective called Nightingale, and soon Peter is transferred from a boring desk job to a Metropolitan police unit specialised in dealing with the supernatural world that lives in the shadows of London and England. Under Nightingale's guidance, Peter will train to become a magician (yes, in this world you are not necessarily born to magic) and try to solve a string of terrible attacks and murders caused by an unknown supernatural force.
I really liked the world Aaronovitch built. There is mention of known supernatural beings like ghosts and vampires, but there is also something new, England's rivers, those around the "Mother River" Thames (it included) are river gods and goddesses. Thames is divided between Father and Mother Thames, who are by the way, archenemies, and their sons and daughters" who are Thames' tributaries.
All of the main characters are very likable. Peter is intelligent, quick-thinking, a fast learner, and loyal to his friends. On the other hand, he can't help but think "dirty thoughts" about his partner Lesley and Beverly Brook, one of Mama Thames' daughters. That was the only part of the story that bothered me, because it was really unnecessary as it made me roll my eyes at Peter and think less of him. Other than that, the story was really interesting and fast-paced. This is the first book of a series of nine, with lots of short stories, but prequel to the first and in between the main books. I recommend it for a light, funny read.
One night, Peter and his partner Lesley are assigned to guard the perimeter of a gruesome beheading. While waiting for Lesley to get them coffee, Peter meets a ghost that tells him he has information on the murder. Peter, naturally, thinks he's gone crazy, but still he goes back to the same place to confirm that he actually saw a ghost. While there, he meets a strange detective called Nightingale, and soon Peter is transferred from a boring desk job to a Metropolitan police unit specialised in dealing with the supernatural world that lives in the shadows of London and England. Under Nightingale's guidance, Peter will train to become a magician (yes, in this world you are not necessarily born to magic) and try to solve a string of terrible attacks and murders caused by an unknown supernatural force.
I really liked the world Aaronovitch built. There is mention of known supernatural beings like ghosts and vampires, but there is also something new, England's rivers, those around the "Mother River" Thames (it included) are river gods and goddesses. Thames is divided between Father and Mother Thames, who are by the way, archenemies, and their sons and daughters" who are Thames' tributaries.
All of the main characters are very likable. Peter is intelligent, quick-thinking, a fast learner, and loyal to his friends. On the other hand, he can't help but think "dirty thoughts" about his partner Lesley and Beverly Brook, one of Mama Thames' daughters. That was the only part of the story that bothered me, because it was really unnecessary as it made me roll my eyes at Peter and think less of him. Other than that, the story was really interesting and fast-paced. This is the first book of a series of nine, with lots of short stories, but prequel to the first and in between the main books. I recommend it for a light, funny read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content
sirswanny's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
pureferret's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The pacing of the boot is perfect. Nothing seems to drag, despite the main character frequently monologuing dur ng action scenes, and it some how working. The audiobook I listened to was fantastically narrated as well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
strangeeigenfunction's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
I see a lot of comparisons to the Dresden Files, which I cannot provide, being unfamiliar with them. To me this feels something like Jasper Fforde was told to write a Discworld Watch novel but set it in London and include magic and copious historical details. I like it! (especially as someone who has feelings about a totally different river in an entirely different part of the world)
I can, however, definitely see how people could be annoyed by Grant's tendency to be sexually attracted to women at relatively inappropriate times (there's definitely sexism, though I'd stop short of saying the book expresses a notable level of hatred towards women, aside perhaps from the historical Punch & Judy story) and I expect people with only slightly less tolerance for historical details or technobabble might get bored here.
I can, however, definitely see how people could be annoyed by Grant's tendency to be sexually attracted to women at relatively inappropriate times (there's definitely sexism, though I'd stop short of saying the book expresses a notable level of hatred towards women, aside perhaps from the historical Punch & Judy story) and I expect people with only slightly less tolerance for historical details or technobabble might get bored here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Excrement
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Sexism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, and Rape
fairweather_fox's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Medical content, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment
paintedthree's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved this book. The worldbuilding was great, and the fantasy elements were truly captivating. I loved the characters (99% of the time, the main character just loves to go on about how horny he is) and the plot. I'll definitely be reading the sequel at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
Minor: Child death and Death