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thequiltyreader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Physical abuse, Addiction, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide, Death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Blood, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Torture, Gore, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
extrey_extrey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, and Torture
selimhannah's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Vomit, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, and Excrement
searobin's review against another edition
- 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
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!
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Medical content, Gun violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Death, Addiction, Misogyny, and Sexual content
gitanita's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Cursing and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content
freya163's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Child death
rivikah's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Body horror
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Drug abuse, Islamophobia, Murder, and Rape
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Things I liked:
- Having a POC protagonist and going into detail about the struggles of his childhood was interesting.
- I really loved the idea that every river in London was represented by a character that was either chosen by the river or born into the family of rivers.
- I liked Nightingale's character and, ironically for a mystery book, the fact that his past wasn't spelled out and gave him some sorely needed intrigue.
Things I didn't like:
- The protagonist didn't really have a strong character or any flaws that weren't certain characters bashing us over the head with "oh you have a shit home life and you fucked up your education" or "you need to be more focused". To me those aren't really flaws, or at the very least strong flaws that could cause interesting conflict in the story.
- On a similar side note,
while it was nice to have the protagonist and the rivers be POC/mixed as generations went along, I feel like the author was trying to express how they were both African-British families from a different diaspora from one another, but didn't. The rivers family seem to have some kind of West African/Yoruba heritage, but the protagonist was just "African-British". - As mentioned above, the story suffered from too many ideas that didn't mesh well together. In particular, I feel as if the story suddenly spinned into
acting out the play of Punch and Judy, with the culprit being the ghost of an actor for Punch out of nowhere. . This also meant the titular rivers of London characters felt superfluous in a book that was named after them. The tensions between the two river families went nowhere and was an absolute waste.
I think the author should have leaned more into the idea of people being forced to act out the roles of fictional characters if he wanted to include this element in the book - Part of me should have honestly expected this but some of the descriptions of the women were a bit leery.
- cw for rape
Towards the end, a bit character ends up having part of his penis bitten off after trying to force himself onto someone and we're expected to sympathise with him. Nah mate, you got what you deserved for forcing yourself on someone.
Graphic: Vomit, Gore, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Rape
imds's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Addiction, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Child death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical trauma