TL;DR: A police procedural but with magic, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch is an easy urban fantasy read but lacks character depth.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Peter Grant is on the cusp of finishing his probationary period as a constable with the Met when a particularly gruesome murder occurs. While standing guard at the crime scene, he has a conversation with a witness. Unfortunately, that witness is a ghost and what ensues diverts Peter from a career in cop data entry and into the world of magic.
Ask anyone in any urban fantasy fan group what book to read after reading the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and you will invariably get The Rivers of London series as a recommendation. After floundering around for a good read, I decided to dive into this series and see what the fuss is about. It’s not as good as the Dresden series, but it’s not bad either. For all that and more, I gave this one 4 stars.
The Plot
Peter Grant doesn’t have a fantastic future ahead of him at the Met. For some reason, he’s been assigned a data entry position once he finishes his probationary term. So, it’s probably for the best when a ghost talks to him at a murder scene, because maybe he can pull a rabbit out of his hat (or a murderer) and save his career from the dulldrums.
After getting a good tip from an unlikely witness – a ghost – Peter drags his friend Lesley along to pursue it. What ensues is a deep dive into the world of magic and mythical creatures. He also becomes an apprentice to magic and all the painful practicing that involves, while rushing around the city trying to stop more murders from occurring. Can he unmask the killer and save the city or will he be too late?
What I liked & liked less
I liked this book. I liked the world building, the heavy historical information provided by the author, and the well-researched life of a constable. There’s humor and a lot of chases through the streets of London (and beyond).
Peter Grant is a likeable character. He has humor, he makes mistakes, and he generally gets in the middle of a lot of situations that create even more conflict for him. However, he has no fatal flaw. His inability to pay attention to details is more of a plot device than a flaw as it is used to keep the identity of the murderer from Peter… but not unfortunately the reader.
This means his character is not as deep as I like my book characters to be. While he has some growth across the few books I’ve read (I’m on Book 3 now), it’s not enough to keep me interested. The reason Harry Dresden is so beloved is because he’s a mess, but he learns from and pays for his mistakes (and then goes on to make new ones). Peter almost has Teflon skin; nothing really sticks, and he doesn’t face any serious punishment, from any quarter.
The world building is fully fleshed out and how it’s handled by the rest of the world (they don’t know about it) makes sense. It includes a good system in place by the police force, which allows Peter and his supervisor, DCI Nightingale, to do what needs to be done. The mythology is deep and rooted in the history of London, which is fun.
Speaking of London, it’s obvious that the author lives in London and loves it. There is a lot of historical information provided that isn’t always directly connected to the mystery, and some that is. Chelsea Market is a particular favorite, based on how many of his novels he places there.
The supporting cast is varied and unique enough to stand out from the crowd. I like the different types of police personalities in the book, and I also love the inclusion of Peter’s family’s culture (Nigerian) as it brings a different perspective to the character and how he sees the world. However, here again, I’m not as invested in them as I’d like to be.
To Sum Up (Too Late!)
If you like a urban fantasy with a heavy police procedural feel, you’ll like this book. If you’re looking for a different take on mythology and its ties to historical London, you’ll also like this book. I found it easy to read, but also easy for my attention to wander away from it. It is well-written, well-researched, and the pacing is good. However, the depth of the characters is lacking and the bad guys are easy to spot. For all that and more, I give it 4 stars.
About the Author
Ben Aaronovitch’s career started with a bang writing for Doctor Who, subsided in the middle and then, as is traditional, a third act resurgence with the bestselling Rivers of London series.
Born and raised in London he says that he’ll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
If you wish to purchase this book, pick your vendor of choice, or just cave to the man and get it from Amazon.
This fills in the Mundane Jobs for my Fantasy Bingo 2023 card.