Chapter 4: Rivers of London
Here we are again, my bookworms! I decided to write another book review as I find them very fun and I know a lot of you are always on the lookout for new books to add to your TBR pile.
On today's checklist, we have a recent favorite of mine (lol aren't they all my favs at the moment) called "Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch, the first in a quite long series!
My opinion (spoiler-free, as always): This book is not super complex, but I love how the writer has gotten inside the head of the main character, a highly analytical, down-to-earth police officer.
Title (as mentioned previously): "Rivers of London"
Genre: Urban Fantasy, but, at its core, it's a mystery/police novel.
Synopsis (taken, once more from Amazon, as I know some of you are looking for a synopsis when searching books for TBR and I like making things easier)"
"My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly valuable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.
Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ... and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.
The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying."
I really enjoy reading this book, I am at the second volume and I find Ben's humor absolutely, 100% relatable. Peter is one of the most lovable characters, I am so in love with his caustic nature and his approach to being a police officer which is, least to say, a bit unorthodox at times. The novel is written from 1st POV but it's extremely good!
The only downside is Peter approaches the magic with a more scientific point-of-view and, for people who don't enjoy all these details, it can be boring to read about it. But, honestly, Peter has such a refreshing view and I love him too much not to recommend this book to you guys.
So, let's rate it, shall we?
Plot: 10/10 (original idea and the mystery is super intriguing)
Characters: 10/10 (my favorite is of course Peter, but I do love all the others, especially Nightingale, Peter's governor)
Worldbuilding: 8/10 (while Ben has done an outstanding job adding originality and magic to London, I would have liked a bit more. Maybe I'm too used with hardcore magic worlds, but sometimes I felt the book lacked…pizzazz.)
Title: 10/10 (perfectly chosen)
Pacing: 10/10 (it is a bit fast-paced, but I never felt like I was losing track of where the story was heading)
Prose: 10/10 (While on the more simplistic style, Ben is concise and to the point and I loved it without a fault)
So, that's all about "Rivers of London". I hope you guys will love it as much as I do, it definitely occupies a part of my heart now! As a writer who is currently working on the second draft, I can feel Ben's style creeping into my own and changing the tone of my story. Some may think that's a bad thing, but I for one, take it as a sign the story has touched me and holds a dear place in my heart, that is why I just had to tell you bookworms about it.
Cheers, and, as always, have a great reading session!
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