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The Neon Court (Matthew Swift #3)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 788 ratings · 75 reviews

War is coming to London. A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead and all fingers point towards their ancient enemy - The Tribe. And when magicians go to war, everyone loses.

But Matthew Swift has his own concerns. He has been summoned abruptly, body and soul, to a burning tower and to the dead body of Oda, warrior of The Order and known associate of Swift. There's a hole in her...more

Hardcover, 512 pages

Published March 24th 2011 by Orbit (first published February 3rd 2011)

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Community Reviews

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May 21, 2013 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: f, hum, uf

This is my favorite (so far) of the Matthew Swift books.

a. For once he is being assisted by a couple people who are not hoping that he and the big bad will take each other out. (The "we'll use you until you die" mentality of the other two books made me sad. Characters keep saying the angels are crazy dangerous, but have they noticed how Matthew spends his time? He eats cheap street food, lives out of a bag, and seems to mostly occupy himself by wandering the city as rhythm dictates and occasiona...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Fyonfyon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: altered-reality, all-time-favourites

The third in Kate Griffin's Matthew Swfit series was my favourite by far. Describing why might prove a bit tricky due to spoilers - especially for those unfamiliar with the series - but I'll do my best.

By now I was totally up to speed with this particular take on London and the urban magic that infuses it. As before, this concept continues to develop and expand with a level of creativity that at times touches the 'inspired' level. Anyone capable of harnessing the concept of the Night Bus so well...more The third in Kate Griffin's Matthew Swfit series was my favourite by far. Describing why might prove a bit tricky due to spoilers - especially for those unfamiliar with the series - but I'll do my best.

By now I was totally up to speed with this particular take on London and the urban magic that infuses it. As before, this concept continues to develop and expand with a level of creativity that at times touches the 'inspired' level. Anyone capable of harnessing the concept of the Night Bus so well is a genius (Potter may be in for an unpleasant surprise should he attempt a trip on this particular bastion of London transport). The nuances and details that feed through the action are what really make this series for me and the flair is undeniable.

By this time though, it's not just the quickfire dialogue and well-visualised action sequences that played the biggest role in how I felt about the book. The expansion of certain characters around Matthew (Penny is a great counterpoint to the sometimes brooding/melancholic turn he can take) gives this book a bit of heft that the others didn't have. I thought the way in which Oda's storyline developed was excellent - though as a niggle her backstory didn't seem to match up to the one given in Madness of Angels, but that could have been deliberate.

In terms of the enemy/big bad/thing most likely to kill the few remaining cast members I was familiar with, I didn't really see how the Death of Cities was going to be topped. In a way, despite the wider scope that Blackout took, the driving concept behind this threat was the best one yet. It drives a plot that - while perhaps not as frenetic as the second - slowly but steadily builds to a tense and devasting climax in Trafalgar Square that I don't think I've seen bettered recently. I could fling some terms such as pathos and hubris, but essentially what I mean it that once this once picks up (and you might not notice at first because this plot is a sneaky little bugger at times) this particular tale is all out, balls to wall, awesome. Can't wait for book four - I've even bloody pre-ordered it.(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Alytha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here's the description from her website:

When the city was founded, he was the mad native spirit that waited in the dark, on the edge of the torchlight. When the streets were cobbled over, he became the footsteps heard on stone that you cannot see. When the Victorians introduced street lighting, he was the shadow who always shied away from the light, and when the gas went out, there he was. The shadow at the end of the alley, the footsteps half-heard in the night.

A daimyo of the Neon Court is dea...more Here's the description from her website:

When the city was founded, he was the mad native spirit that waited in the dark, on the edge of the torchlight. When the streets were cobbled over, he became the footsteps heard on stone that you cannot see. When the Victorians introduced street lighting, he was the shadow who always shied away from the light, and when the gas went out, there he was. The shadow at the end of the alley, the footsteps half-heard in the night.

A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead. So are two warriors of the Tribe. And a freshly-prophesied ‘chosen one’ is missing. Each side blames the other and Matthew Swift is right in the middle of it, trying to keep the peace. Because when magicians go to war, everyone loses. But Swift has even bigger problems. A dead woman is trying to kill him and the city itself is under attack from a force of unimaginable power. As if trying to stay one step ahead of an assassin and juggling magical politics weren’t challenging enough, Swift must also find a way to defeat a primal threat from humanity’s darkest nightmares. Or there may not be a London left to fight over …
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I quite like this series, mainly because London is one of my favourite cities, and I find it easy to imagine that all the life, love, work, hatred and other emotions of the people who have been living in that place for thousands of years can create a life and magic of its own for the city. I also know central London well enough that I can mostly picture the location in my mind. :)

The books are well-written with good pacing, and a sometimes almost Gaimanesque style (the first book, A Madness of Angels, was dubbed "Neverwhere for the digital age" by some reviewer. Although I don't think she's quite there yet, the direction is set)

They also borrow a bit from other urban magic series like the Dresden Files or the Felix Castor book, with a smart-ass magician protagonist who doesn't show other, generally older magical entities the respect they think they deserve, and gets beaten up a lot.
There's also a bit of a negative element to this, as, like Harry, Matthew seems to go for an entire book at a time without food or sleep, and doesn't even seem to have a place to stay, carrying all his belongings with him in his satchel. As there is supposed to be a year between each novel, I'm kinda asking myself what he does in between, and where he stays. You'd think that the office of Midnight Mayor would come with a flat and an income.
In general, I liked it though, the plotlines are well written, and for the Darkness one, reasonably creepy. Especially if you're a bit sensitive about eyes...
If you like urban fantasy and/or London, I recommend having a look at this series :)
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Nov 26, 2011 Tal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dont-own, sf-fantasy

War is coming to London. A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead and all fingers point towards their ancient enemy – The Tribe. And when magicians go to war, everyone loses.

But Matthew Swift has his own concerns. He has been summoned abruptly, body and soul, to a burning tower and to the dead body of Oda, warrior of The Order and known associate of Swift. There’s a hole in her heart and the symbol of the Midnight Mayor drawn in her own blood. Except, she is still walking and talking and has a nasty...more

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May 31, 2011 Chris King Elfland's 2nd Cousin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, Emma Bull

NOTE: This review was originally published at The King of Elfland's 2nd Cousin on March 29, 2011. If you like it, check out some of my other reviews there!

Like many of my favorite fantasy finds, I first came across Kate Griffin’s Matthew Swift novels while on a business trip to London. This is kind of appropriate, considering how central London is to Griffin’s impressive urban fantasies. In her third Matthew Swift novel, The Neon Court, Griffin continues to impress with her unique take on contem...more

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May 19, 2011 Oflo rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the first books I nabbed on a new kindle. It did not diminish the reading at all. Although I miss the pretty cover placed next to the others in the series I still could not put the book down. This third installment of the Matthew Swift series was, yet again, action packed and in it we say goodbye to yet another powerful character. One of the best things about Griffin's writing is that she will kill off characters in amazing and powerful ways. These aren't usually characters you j...more

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Apr 21, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have read the first three of the Matthew Swift series and enjoyed them: The Madness of Angels, The Midnight Mayor and The Neon Court. Swift was a human sorcerer who was killed and brought back to life infused somehow with the Blue Electric Angels of the telephone wires. The magic Griffin gives us is Urban Magic, born of the pulsing life and power of the cities.

Griffin’s style will have a lot to do with whether or not you like these books. It is dark, chaotic, almost stream-of-consciousness. He...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Shdnx rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, urban-fantasy

Amazing. Kate Griffin (the author) keeps rocking. This form of writing is really like art - although unfortunately you wouldn't be able to tell from the instant-mindless-entertainment books (like urban fantasy and paranormal romance today).

The Matthew Swift series is exactly what an urban fantasy series should be like, but only a very few - so very few, like The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - manages to provide: thoughtful, mind-expanding entertainment.

I only very recently discovered how deeply...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Scruffy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mathew Swift is a dead sourceror who has been inhabited by the supernatural force of the Blue Electric Angels. So in concept he is similar to other urban fantasy characters like Felix Castor and Preacher's Jessie Custer. However the way Kate Griffin has handled the character is quite different. Mathew Swift and the Angels are not two separate personalities they have merged to form one new personality. Some one who is not quite sure if he is one or many, I or we. It's quite a unique piece of char...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Pippa Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had a mixed reaction to this book. On the one hand, I loved the whole magic system - the idea that an urban magician would use sodium street lights and electricity and rubbish in the same way that an old-fashioned wizard would use elements like earth and fire. The details about London were thorough, sometimes too much so. I found the use of first person didn't irritate me as much as it does in some books, but the MC's constant switching from 'I' to 'we' confused me. By about halfway through, I...more

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Apr 16, 2013 William Crosby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Imaginative.

To read this, I found it best to simply accept the alternative logic of this story's world.

Lots of philosophical discussions intermixed with bizarreness.

This story also presents issues I had never though of before, for example: "If a ghost taps its foot unseen in the forest does the foot tap?" For that matter, if a dead creature was in the mirror and bulging the glass to get out and then disappeared, was it ever there? In this book, I would not count on it just being an hallucination...more

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May 26, 2011 Vanessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Matthew Swift is the epitome of the urban sorcerer. Proof: he takes the bus. But there are ways he's not your usual sorcerer, the least of which being that he serves as the Midnight Mayor of London. You see, he also shares a body with the blue electric angels. And he's got a conscience.

Being the Midnight Mayor is not all roses and bon bons. Sure he's got a fleet of aldermen to do his bidding...assuming they'd listen to him (it's hard to take a guy seriously when he wears t-shirts and grubby jean...more Matthew Swift is the epitome of the urban sorcerer. Proof: he takes the bus. But there are ways he's not your usual sorcerer, the least of which being that he serves as the Midnight Mayor of London. You see, he also shares a body with the blue electric angels. And he's got a conscience.

Being the Midnight Mayor is not all roses and bon bons. Sure he's got a fleet of aldermen to do his bidding...assuming they'd listen to him (it's hard to take a guy seriously when he wears t-shirts and grubby jeans). And sure he's powerful enough to have defeated the destroyer of cities in THE MIDNIGHT MAYOR. But now in THE NEON COURT, the underground Tribe and the fae Neon Court have declared war over a murder—with London as the battleground—unless Swift delivers the chosen one.

THE NEON COURT starts off chaotic, like the others, jumping right into the action. We're swiftly caught up in Swift's dilemma: Oda, the psycho from the previous novels has somehow summoned Swift into a burning building, with her blood all over the floor and a hole in her heart.

But what does Oda's rather fatal condition and the war have to do with each other? Well, it takes the entire novel to figure it out.

If you enjoyed A MADNESS OF ANGELS and THE MIDNIGHT MAYOR, then THE NEON COURT is more of the same awesomeness. Kate Griffin has kept a consistent momentum and voice across the series, even if the plots are somewhat similar: everyone in London is gonna die unless Swift saves them. And he's the only one who can do it.

Swift is a rather complicated character. He's easy enough to like, and his first-person PoV is entertaining to follow. Well, except for the fact that he also uses 'we', when referring to himself and the angels that inhabit his body—and therein stems the complications of personality. The electric blue angels are pure energy, magical beings without thought of the future, who take action when they see the need. But they're forever bound to a mortal body that must deal with the consequences of those actions. It makes for an interesting dynamic. Fortunately, Swift isn't a wimp or else the angels would have killed him long ago from sheer negligence. He's clever and creative, as he moves around London, trying to help Oda, and stop the war between the Neon Court and the Tribe. Poor guy wants to do the right thing, but sometimes it's just impossible to do.

As a result of the events at the end of THE MIDNIGHT MAYOR, Swift now finds himself with an apprentice: Penny. One can't let a powerful sorceress loose on the city without proper training first. Like Swift, she's no wimp, but then again she's new to this whole magic business, and sees things for the first time that are mighty troubling. Their interactions are entertaining; the dialogue gets silly at times, but on the whole it's clever and snappy. Oda, whom we knew little about in previous novels other than she's a psycho, magic-hating, gun-toting, religious zealot, gets more back story. It's presentend in clunky way, but is still important to the story.

Griffin must have decided to have a little fun with this story, so she took the 'chosen one' trope and turned it on its head. What does it mean to be 'chosen'? Who does the choosing? She also explores themes of relationships—but not the romantic kind, her books don't have the sexuality found in the majority of urban fantasy. Here, it's the relationships between siblings, co-workers, the people you hardly know but who seem to affect you, nevertheless, and how these relationships shape events.

One of the best things about this series is the urban magic, how it's called up by the routines of life and environment that is the city. Griffin's prose brings out the details: the smells, the sights, the sounds that makes the city hum with the magic energy that people like Swift can tap. The prose will catch some readers off guard, especially those who like reading urban fantasy, because it's less straightforward. The pace is consistent and quick, but is still slowed down by the more descriptive prose.

By the time I got to the climax, I was all wrung out. Swift seems like he's going to fall apart at any moment. I have no idea how he's going to possibly survive. Every horribly imaginable thing has happened. And it all leads up to a...climax that falls a tad short. It does all make sense, and if I'm being honest it did make me tear up a little, but it didn't quite match the rest of the story. It works. Mostly. But in THE NEON COURT it's the journey more than the destination.

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: Penny the wise-cracking apprentice has a serious potty mouth.
Violence: Yep. Poor Swift gets beat up a lot. There's quite a few fights and graphic imagery. The body count gets uncomfortably high.
Sex: Not even the least whiff of romance.(less)

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May 13, 2011 Sean the Bookonaut rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-review

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Neon Court: Or, the Betrayal of Matthew Swift is the third book in Kate Griffin’s Urban Fantasy series. Kate Griffin also happens to be the pseudonym of Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Award nominated childrens/young adult author.

Kate has been writing and published since she was 14 and it shows. The Neon Court is mature writing, both in content and style.

The nigh time urban landscape of London is described in beautifully evocative prose, Griffin paints London in phrases that leaves the reader wi...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Carole-Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

As a conclusion to this trilogy (I think), this was a rip-roaring, high-speed, tumultuous romp, and it never once let up the pace.
I have enjoyed all 3 books - which, in essence, take Urban Fantasy to a new level - and VERY cleverly done indeed.

For non-UK denizens, it could be quite confusing if you didn't have a sound knowledge of London and its environs; and the language at times could be even more confusing (I found some street-speech a little difficult).
But to anyone who knows London well, it...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Lindsay Stares rated it 4 of 5 stars

Premise: Matthew Swift, Midnight Mayor of London (that's a sort of magical enforcer/leader/diplomat) has just a couple of problems. First, two of the larger magical factions, the Neon Court and the Tribe, are on the brink of war over a murder. Second, an sometime friend of his seems to have a nasty case of should-be-dead-but-somehow-isn't. Somewhere in all this is a prophecy, a conspiracy, and an encroaching evil dangerous enough to give the most powerful beings in London nightmares. Can he save...more Premise: Matthew Swift, Midnight Mayor of London (that's a sort of magical enforcer/leader/diplomat) has just a couple of problems. First, two of the larger magical factions, the Neon Court and the Tribe, are on the brink of war over a murder. Second, an sometime friend of his seems to have a nasty case of should-be-dead-but-somehow-isn't. Somewhere in all this is a prophecy, a conspiracy, and an encroaching evil dangerous enough to give the most powerful beings in London nightmares. Can he save the city, his friends, and himself?

I hadn't read the two books that come before this one, and through much of the book that wasn't a problem. A few times, though, complicated consequences from the earlier volumes came up, and I think I could have followed the minor characters more easily if I had more context.

I especially liked the details of this book; the writing was strong in tactile imagery. The imagination and originality of the setting was fantastic, but it fell apart for me a little in the big picture. The plot hangs together well, I just at some point found it less compelling than I did when it started, although I couldn't put my finger on why.

I did really like it, I just wanted slightly more, perhaps a more satisfying climax.

The main character, Matthew Swift, was wonderful. There was a touch of modern noir here between the darkness of the setting and Swift's habit of getting himself beaten up. He means well, but doesn't always know the right thing to do, and has a propensity to just bull ahead into a dangerous situation and make it up as he goes. I admire that.

I liked Penny the wiseass sidekick, and I liked the completely realized, complex flavors of the different factions warring in the city. The magic is really cool, this specifically urban magic bound up in public transit and electricity and litter.

One bit of the plot which I loved was a nice twist where Griffin put enough subtle information in so that as the reader, I realized something was wrong before the characters did.

Overall it's a very inventive world with well drawn characters, although something in the plot, maybe the tension, didn't entirely coalesce for me. I'll look for the previous volumes, though, and look forward to more work from this author.

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Mar 15, 2011 Rosalind M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I agree with one of the other reviewers-- you either love this series or you hate it. The writing style is heavy on run-on sentences, but the characters are rich and multidimensional. Kate Griffin has some intriguing ideas about urban magic; the real power-wielders in her world are always the unexpected players. She also has no fear about doing away with characters her readers have become absorbed with.

This book was a little bloodier than I remember the others being (though Matthew himself never...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I've been a huge fan of the series since I first discovered A Madness of Angels. Griffin's world of Urban Fantasy makes me think of what Jim Butcher would do if he was stuck on an island with a copy of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, a complete collection of the Hellblazer comics, and no coffee. The world that main character Matthew Swift lives in is one of an amazing mythos, but it's a very modern one. There are beings within it that are from folklore (Such as the Neon Court in this book.) but they'r...more

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Oct 04, 2012 MsSherlocked rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

In summary: Part 3 of the saga of Matthew Swift continues in the same wonderful vein as its predecessors, and is a must-read for fans of the series.

Recommended for: Anyone who has read the first two books. This is not something that can be picked up and truly enjoyed without context.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Detailed review: The Neon Court follows the standard formula used in A Madness of Angels and The Midnight Mayor; Matthew is attacked at night at somewhere that is not central London, gets his arse kic...more

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Jan 19, 2013 John Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was first introduced to the Urban Fantasy genera when I was in high school watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and playing the various World of Darkness role playing games. Ever since I have loved the idea of the hidden world of magic existing side by side with our own. While the Dresden Files is still my favorite Urban Fantasy series the Matthew Swift series by Kate Griffin is rocking up to my second. The first book A Madness of Angels was a little slow to start but a very enjoyable read, the s...more I was first introduced to the Urban Fantasy genera when I was in high school watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and playing the various World of Darkness role playing games. Ever since I have loved the idea of the hidden world of magic existing side by side with our own. While the Dresden Files is still my favorite Urban Fantasy series the Matthew Swift series by Kate Griffin is rocking up to my second. The first book A Madness of Angels was a little slow to start but a very enjoyable read, the second book The Midnight Mayor was everything I could have asked for in a sequel and this third book had not disappointed.

In this book we find Matthew Swift drawn into a war between the Neon Court and the Tribe. A daimyo of the court has been murdered and the court blames the Tribe. Things are further complicated by the fact that both sides are searching for a prophesied chosen one that with help either side destroy the other. Matthew doesn't believe in this chosen one nonsense but he must find her to prevent the war, save the city, and discover why the sun isn't rising.

I love the world of magic Kate Griffin has crafted for this series. London is such an old city with so many secrets in and history that it just screams for a series like this. The concept that magic has moved to the cities as we have and how that has changed magic is such a fresh idea. One of my favorite aspects is that there are, I hate to use this word but can't think of anything better, but tropes of the the city that are spirits given life: The Night Bus that only comes when you are uncomfortable, tired, and can take you where you are not supposed to be able to go. The Guardian of London that is a dragon made of street signs and breaths car exhaust. The Beggar King and the Bag Lady who are the guardian spirits of the cities vagrants. It is such a detailed world and between this and I am looking forward to future books of this series as much as I am looking forward to the future Dresden Files books.(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Night Watch or Neverwhere

Shelves: fantasy, feypunk, pocmaincharacters, urban-fantasy

Matthew Swift was a sorcerer's apprentice, but he died.

Then he came back.

Now Matthew Swift is the Midnight Mayor, with responsibility for all of London. So when a mystical war threatens between the Neon Court (the fairy court, transformed by the modern age, who prize beauty over truth and style over freedom) and the Tribe (self-mutilating transhumanists whose magic derives only from themselves), he has to deal with it. And when a "chosen one" is prophecied, he has to find her, no matter how sill...more Matthew Swift was a sorcerer's apprentice, but he died.

Then he came back.

Now Matthew Swift is the Midnight Mayor, with responsibility for all of London. So when a mystical war threatens between the Neon Court (the fairy court, transformed by the modern age, who prize beauty over truth and style over freedom) and the Tribe (self-mutilating transhumanists whose magic derives only from themselves), he has to deal with it. And when a "chosen one" is prophecied, he has to find her, no matter how silly he thinks the concept. And when the sun goes out, and London is cut off from the rest of the world, it's up to Matthew Swift to find out why.

The magic system is breathtakingly inventive. Swift is a city sorcerer, meaning he draws his magics from the rules and legends of London. He draws acid from rain and coalesces it into an attack; he transforms a discarded plastic bag into a flying eagle; he traps monsters on street corners with the rules of the crosswalk. The magic surprises me every time. But there's logic to it, a certain internal consistency that holds it back from just doing whatever would be most convenient for the story.

The characters are pretty fab, too. Matthew, whose idea of diplomacy is to let someone beat him up for a while. Oda, a modern-day palidan. Penny, a sorceress so powerful that she nearly accidentally destroyed the city, who is nevertheless too scared of her aunt to let anyone bleed on her aunt's car. Dees, a financial planner who wears uncomfortable heels and transforms into a metal dragon if threatened.

But truthfully, this just isn't quite as incredibly excellent as the first two books in the series. Most of my disappointment is because Oda (view spoiler) My other problem is that, after all the desperate last stands and clever magic fueled by fairy-tale logic (all of which is stone-cold awesome), the last chapter is Matthew explaining the whole plot to someone. A disappointing end!

I think my standards were just too high for this book. Still, this remains the most entrancing, enthralling urban fantasy series I've ever read. It's both funny and grim, unpretentious but with a lot to say. (less)

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Jan 05, 2012 J.A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-dark-fantastic, london-underground, court-summons

“What evil lurks in the stab wounds to the heart of a woman who should be deceased, not possessed?” That is the riddle Matthew Swift must unravel after he is unwittingly summoned into a burning building and finds his conjoined selves lying in a pool of another person’s blood. That person turns out to be Swift’s compatriot Oda, who asks him to help her, and to kill her. Someone else has clearly made an attempt at the latter, but Oda is unnaturally clinging to life. Oda, otherwise known to Swift a...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Miranda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, supernatural

Another amazing addition to the series. Griffin brings delightful new concepts and characters as well as cleverly working in old ones in each book. Though it would be very hard for her to top herself with the previous two books in the series, The Neon Court certainly remains on par. These books are by far my favorites. Their inventiveness, emotion, setting and description, characters and amazing new ideas are only a few of the reasons why I love them. I would recommend the Matthew Swift series t...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This set of books is a bit like Marmite. You either love them or you hate them.

Fans of the previous two books in this series will be well satisfied. I personally was somewhat worried that 'The Neon Court' wouldn't meet expectations. However, my worries were shortlived. As soon as I'd read the first page it was like putting on a favourite pair of comfy shoes!

As always, Griffin's imagery is brilliant and paints a great picture in the minds eye. 'The Neon Court' certainly doesn't lack imagination....more

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Apr 06, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I LOVE THESE BOOKS! They're so good you don't want to put them down and, yet, so good you want to put them down. Because you know if you keep reading you're going to finish and if you finish you'll have to go back to the monotony that is OTHER books.

I love the ideas born from this authors imagination! Kate Griffin obviously has a deep love for, and knowledge of London; a unique way of seeing the city and, literally, bringing it to life in the pages of these books.

This book, the third in the se...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Princessjay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

3.5 STARS

A third installment in the same dark, intense, urban-fantasy style of grime and grit. If you liked the first 2, you will like this third.

However, reading three iterations of this series, the flaws are becoming more obvious through repetition. There is little to no character growth. Individual lives are rather worthless -- potentially fascinating characters drop like flies through out. Breathless, driving-ahead action without a chance to rest; no rhythm and flow, but one head-long rush....more

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Apr 11, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

One of the interesting things about any piece of fantasy literature is how many different ways there can be write the fae into them. Literally picking the fae up out of the woods and moving their home into the city does add a new lovely of ferocity to them - I think Simon Greene would approve.

This is not a series for anyone to read out of order, since it deals so heavily with the development of the different parts of Matthew Swifts' life - this book was mostly about him trying to understand the...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not a bad book. I don't feel like it advanced any of the characters significantly, they pretty much wound up in the same place they started. Descriptions of London are still as evocative as the first book, but they are starting to feel a little repetitive and tired (even though they aren't actual repeats.) Guess I'm just getting tired of the style after three books. Not sure if I will read the next one.

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Jul 24, 2011 Aspen Junge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ripping-good-yarns

Yet another week in the life of the Midnight Mayor, this time dealing with a feud between two rival constituencies; the Neon Court on the one hand and the Tribe on the other. Meanwhile something is up with his best enemy Oda. Per usual, the third book in the series is a roller-coaster ride of urban magic and mayhem, which barely leaves the reader, or the characters, time to breathe.

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Apr 15, 2013 Psychophant rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, series, present

The third book in the Matthew Swift, it continues the series mix of London love, physical and mental punishment of the main protagonist, and lots of casualties.

Despite the character getting more power, the balance of menace and magic is very well done, and once again London is the real main character.

More of the same, but still fresh and exciting.

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Sep 27, 2011 Rob rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love a book where you have to go back and re-read some things, because the author just revealed something that changes the way you view things that already happened in the book. Also, I was laughing enough while reading that I had to keep commenting to Amy how funny the book was. Kate is a brilliant writer. I hope there are many more Swift books.

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About Kate Griffin

Kate Griffin is the pen name under which Catherine Webb writes fantasy novels for adults.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

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The Minority Council (Matthew Swift, #4)

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Quotes from The Neon Court

“It's the new me," I explained, waving my hands jazz-style in greeting. "Matthew Swift, Midnight fucking Mayor - I've got multicoloured highlighters and everything.” — 18 people liked it

“You know, yeah, it seems to me like there are two kinds of chosen one. There's the kinda who gets chosen for a thing without any say, like someone who gets picked- kings and queens and shit. Then there's the other kind of chosen one; the guy who stands up when everyone else is afraid, when no one else can decide. Guy who chooses to fight, or do the thing that no one else will, 'cause it has to be done, yeah? I mean, most times, that guy's a total shit. And sometimes he's the hero. Seems to me that you're a bit of both.” — 8 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8348904-the-neon-court?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305862238l/8348904.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8348904-the-neon-court?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Neon Court by Kate Griffin[/url]

The Neon Court (Matthew Swift #3)

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