A review by noonjinx
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

adventurous dark funny informative lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A really good contemporary urban fantasy mash up of police investigation and supernatural thriller. It's dark, mysterious, exciting and funny. Nicely paced and plotted with some great twists that I didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series. Apparently there's a TV adaptation coming and I think it's perfect material for that.

The book is a lovely first person narrative full of dry humour. There are lots of wonderful pop culture references, some of them so subtle that I'm sure must have missed others. All of the characters are great. Even the bit parts have quirks and attitudes and you can tell they have backstories and feel they live outside the book. Mother Thames and her daughters are awesome. What really shines through is the author's obvious love of London in every grimy detail.

I thought the opening was a little contrived but if you push through that it's well worth it. I guess the author needed to get his main character signed up before things really start going. Once you're a few chapters in, you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
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