Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

8 reviews

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing and Drug use

Minor: Sexual content

aseel_reads's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This had promise, a supernatural force at the London police, investigating crime but man this wasn't great. Super slow and just kind of boring? Maybe better as a physical read but such a proling process for no reason as an audiobook. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Drug abuse, Islamophobia, Murder, and Rape

raquel_rqlh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny informative lighthearted mysterious medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, and Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness and Medical content

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Alcohol, Child death, Gore, Cursing, Murder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Sexual assault, and Blood

Minor: Racism and Xenophobia

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Gun violence, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, and Medical content

Minor: Sexual violence, Drug use, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Excrement

decembermagpie's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug abuse, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, and Physical abuse

Minor: Addiction

joneva's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, and Murder

carolined's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This book was only published in 2011 but it has aged really badly. 

I only finished it because I had the audio book on in the background and the audio book narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, does a grest job. 

I think the author was trying to make the protagonist a relatable, bumbling fellow, as you would find in a Neil Gaiman or a TomHolt book but in 2021 I am am no longer willing to embrace police officers as sympathetic protagonists, especially ones that joke with their colleagues about police brutality, concealing evidence, and real life atrocities like the shooting of Charles de Menezes. Also, as other reviewers have mentioned the protagonist ogles every woman he comes across and talks about his penis far more than is warranted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and Racism

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse