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A review by bronzeageholly
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
In general, the book has a very interesting concept. I went into it with no clue what the plot would be like and I was intrigued and then hooked very quickly by the great pace and immersive scene setting.
The main character isn’t exactly cool or exceptional and I kind of like that everything mystical or brilliant just happens around him and he stumbles through it all. He doesn’t seem too fazed by much of the magic or even his own abilities (which is perhaps a point missed), but despite this he is very inquisitive about the mechanics of it which is great for a main character and I appreciate the effort in that side of the world building.
What I really didn’t like, though, is that the guy is casually creepy all the time about women’s bodies - sexualising and oogling is pretty much always his immediate thought when he meets a woman. Hints that other characters are aware and critical of his creepiness did make it bearable, however. I slowly realised he’s a magical touch-starved idiot, a lover a dreamer a fighter a loser, and I have a soft spot for those kinds of characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, Racism, Sexism, and Addiction