A review by leahsbooks
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

adventurous funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

This was my first time reading a book in this series as an audiobook, and I loved the narrator. He did a great job, and actually sounded exactly like I had imagined Peter to sound like. 

I was a little thrown off with the storyline, since it started out suddenly and I wasn't sure if I had just forgotten what had happened in the previous book (because it's been a while since I read it), or if it just didn't explain what was going on well. It got explained later on, but it was very confusing at first. The first part of the book has a timeline that jumps back and forth over a period of time, and it added to the confusion. I didn't really see how it was helpful.

I've consistently enjoyed these books, but this turned out to be my least favorite one in the series. I loved stepping back into Peter's world of dry humor, self-deprecating wit, and magic. Seeing his relationship with Beverley grow as he prepares to become a father to twins was one of the better moments in the story. However, a lot of my favorite character interactions were missing - there were minimal appearances from Guleed, Peter's parents, Beverley's sisters, Nightingale, Walid, even Lesley, basically all of the characters who make the books so engaging. 

The plot just felt convoluted, with a cast of characters who didn't feel well-developed enough to stand out. I couldn't differentiate between any of them for the majority of the book, and struggled to stay engaged with the story. Maybe this was because the long-running Faceless Man plot had finally wrapped up? I'm not sure, but since I've made it 8 books into the series, I obviously love these books, and plan to continue reading. I'm hoping the next book is back up to the exacting standards that the previous books were.