Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

Amongst Our Weapons

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (432p) ISBN: 9781473226685

 

Amongst Our Weapons

Amongst Our Weapons

This is the final full book in the Rivers of London series until July, it’s also almost the end of my Riverathon where I read everything in the universe in chronological order.

I wasn’t sure where the series was going after the last installment, but I don’t think anyone was expecting this…

Alongside all the normal worries that come with being a magical cop, Peter is about to become a father at any moment and Bev will kill him if he isn’t there on time.

Mystical murders, wings of fire, Lesley causing mayhem once more, ghost pilots, new Rivers, and Peter goes to the North!

>I love how every book and graphic novel in the series keeps showing Peter growing in power and confidence and he is also growing a large network of people who believe in him and work with him. No wonder Nightingale feels as he does.

I really loved this story and for me is one of the best in the series; fast, intricate, deep, and world building at its best.

Now to finish off a few short stories and graphic novel and wait for Stone and Sky in July

False Value

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (432p) ISBN: 9781473207875

 

False Value

False Value

Another expansion of the Rivers of London universe with more practitioners from different ‘schools’ joining in the fun.

Peter takes a job at the Serios Cybernetics Company as a part of the security staff and is tasked with sniffing out a rat.

Can it all be that easy though, especially when you have billionaire tech bros chasing down old tech that is inextricably linked with magic, I mean what could go wrong?

Mixing with the nerd and the necrotic is going to be a challenge, but this is also on top of the twins that are due at any moment.

This outing in the Riververse is twisty and a wee bit convoluted but it rewards close reading as there are so many threads that are starting to show a world that is far deeper than Nightingale and other British practitioners thought was out there.

As always we get hints of Peter’s growing powers, fifth level spells and all.

We also finally get a look into that shielded room in The Folly’s basement.

The Dungeon Dimensions, it’s all I’m saying.

Now only got one novel, four graphic novels, and a handful of short stories to go to have read the whole universe in chronological order in anticipation of July’s new release.

The October Man

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (192p) ISBN: 9781473224322

 

The October Man

The October Man

Here the Rivers of London universe Expands to Germany where we meet Tobias Winter once more, previously in Moment Three: Tobias Winter – Meckenheim 2012 (Tales from the Folly).

in this we learn what has happened to the German magic tradition and knowledge after the war, find mor Genuis Loci, explore German history further back than the wars and continue with an excellent magic police procedural.

Rivers are returning and making strange familial relationships between daughter/mother/daughter??? There are more revelations about The Black Library, Ettersburg, Nightingale in the war, and the Nazis. There’s a feeling that this world will keep on expanding but will eventually all fold back into that devastating event.

Wine, revelry, worship, love, and murder all make for a really fast-paced and interesting novella once more.

We also get introduced to a new apprentice in the form of Vanessa Summer (strange little town she comes from…) as the “Agreements” seen to have broken down and magic is on the increase.

Only two more books, a few short stories, and four graphic novels until I’ve finished this Riverathon and waiting for the next book in the series.

Lies Sleeping

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (416p) ISBN: 9781473207837

 

Lies Sleeping

Lies Sleeping

The Faceless Man’s (Martin Chorley, as was revealed in the last book) plans seem to be coming to a conclusion and Lesley seems more and more central to them.

This, the seventh in the main storyline, is a much faster paced book than most of the others and draws a lot of the London police service into The Folly, folding different lines of enquiry and investigations together into a more or less overarching plan.

Various disparate threads and theories all weave together and give an even greater insight in to the power and history of the various Rivers and British history.

It really is hold onto your seat and go along for the ride as Peter and the various expanding mystical Scooby Gang get together to close in on Lesley and Martin.

Mr Punch even makes another appearance and we learn more of his background.

Really enjoyed this and it leaves so much open for exploration in further stories.

What Abigail Did That Summer

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (208p) ISBN: 9781473224353

 

What Abigail Did That Summer

What Abigail Did That Summer

You know that summer when Peter was galavanting around in Herefordshire having a great time?

Yeah well Abigail also had to deal with a missing persons case, but not with the same media circus that the two young girls got.

But at least there were foxes to help…

I love Abigail as a character, she often feels more real than a lot of the other characters in this series and her adventures seem more light-hearted but they are just as deep and dark as all the others in the series.

In this adventure Abigail uses her friendship with the talking foxes to bolster her own abilities and razor-sharp intelligence to find out why teenagers are going briefly missing and then showing up with no recollection of where they’ve been or what they’ve been doing.

We meet a dead sorceress, another genius loci, ghosts, and spy foxes – and maybe another spy organisation…

Filling out Abigail a bit more and rounding out her character so she was not just a mini-Peter this is another cracking story in the Rivers of London -athon I’m on.

Broken Homes

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (368p) ISBN: 9780575132481

 

Broken Homes

Broken Homes

Another into the reread marathon and this really feels like we are starting to get into the real meat of the series.

Multiple deaths, glamours, and suspicious goings on in South London with the spectre of the Faceless Man at every turn makes this another great read in the series.

In this episode we are gradually being led to more branches of formal magic outside the British establishments Newtonian method, this time industrial German.

This did take a bit more concentration than the other books so far as threads and ideas were woven into each other and seemingly unrelated bits all came together into one thread.

Lots of reoccurring characters from various parts of the police and demi monde was nice and gives their characters a lot more flesh and opportunities for the future.

Oh and the twist at the end though sort of expected was worth the wait.

Still loving listening to these on audiobook with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith adding so much to the story.

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