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Rivers of London
(Rivers of London #1)
by
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’
...more
Paperback, 392 pages
Published
2011
by Gollancz
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The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
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Start your review of Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)

Apr 14, 2013
Patrick
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-would-blurb
Great book. Urban fantasy. You should read it.
Why? Here's why....
1. It's witty.
2. It's not cliché.
3. It's smart.
4. It's set in London, and written by someone who obviously knows London.
5. The main character has a great voice.
5. The language is great. (See below.)
6. It hasn't been dumbed down for the American audience.
Well… okay. They did change the title in the US from "Rivers of London" to "Midnight Riot." That was a shame.
But they left a lot of good stuff in. I don't think I've ever ...more

Jun 28, 2012
Nataliya
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Nataliya by:
Catie
Shelves:
2012-reads,
location-is-the-true-protagonist
Rivers of London is a fun mix of so many things that I love in my pleasure reads - the geekiness and the science¹, the dry British humor², and the magical/mythical/phantasmagorical stuff in a big city³. What's not to like?

¹ My whole life, basically. Really.
² Examples - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, even some of China Miéville's stuff.
³ Examples - Harry Dresden books, China Miéville, Neil Gaiman, even Sir Terry.

¹ My whole life, basically. Really.
² Examples - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, even some of China Miéville's stuff.
³ Examples - Harry Dresden books, China Miéville, Neil Gaiman, even Sir Terry.
"Carved above the lintel were the words SCIENTIA POTESTAS EST. Science points east, I...more

Well, I'm always looking for a great Urban fantasy book series, and this one is another one I'll be following with joy! Very much in the style of Harry Dresden, and my other fave, the Alex Verus series. This series is set in modern-day London, and features a black male lead character, who's a cop, and finds himself drafted into the magical investigation unit arm of the police. I love the sensibility of this book, it's incredibly dark at the same time, quippy! The worldbuilding is very interestin
...more

May 20, 2013
Julio Genao
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Julio by:
Erika
city people be like:

first of all, i wasn't too keen on what happens to lesley, but i guess you can't make an omelette without—
*ducks flung shoe*
anyway.
this painfully-white guy i used to know read this book too, and he said aaronovitch's handling of race annoyed him, because while there is awesomeness like various london water goddesses being nigerians, aaronovitch himself is not nigerian, and people who speak authoritatively about races not their own are typically embarrassing and distasteful. ...more

first of all, i wasn't too keen on what happens to lesley, but i guess you can't make an omelette without—
*ducks flung shoe*
anyway.
this painfully-white guy i used to know read this book too, and he said aaronovitch's handling of race annoyed him, because while there is awesomeness like various london water goddesses being nigerians, aaronovitch himself is not nigerian, and people who speak authoritatively about races not their own are typically embarrassing and distasteful. ...more

Rivers of London (U.S. title: Midnight Riot) by Ben Aaronovitch, 2011
I received this book as a gift a rather long time ago. It sat in my to-be-read pile for far too long because, I am embarrassed to admit, of its cover, which looked dreary and literary.
I should instead have looked at the first page, which opens:
“It started at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo, tripped over a body in front of the West P ...more
I received this book as a gift a rather long time ago. It sat in my to-be-read pile for far too long because, I am embarrassed to admit, of its cover, which looked dreary and literary.
I should instead have looked at the first page, which opens:
“It started at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo, tripped over a body in front of the West P ...more

I'm giving this top marks for an UF for several reasons.
1. Plain enjoyment! (This one should be obvious but it doesn't always work even with a lot of other titles I respect across the board. I may love bits and pieces of them, but then you come across writing that is a breeze to fall into and enjoy throughout, and then you know you've got a real winner on your hands. That's this one.)
2. Geeky, rather a loser London Police Constable with a bit of a new magical talent, a heavy steeping of modern s ...more
1. Plain enjoyment! (This one should be obvious but it doesn't always work even with a lot of other titles I respect across the board. I may love bits and pieces of them, but then you come across writing that is a breeze to fall into and enjoy throughout, and then you know you've got a real winner on your hands. That's this one.)
2. Geeky, rather a loser London Police Constable with a bit of a new magical talent, a heavy steeping of modern s ...more

Nov 27, 2010
Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
BBC Fans
Recommended to Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) by:
Michelle
Midnight Riot is the kind of book that people like me, absolute anglophile and devoted BBC lover, couldn’t help but like. The humor and the texture to the narrative in this book reads delightfully British, but in a fashion that suggests that England isn’t just Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. It’s also Doctor Who, Blake’s Seven, Being Human, Law and Order: UK, and Luther. It’s upper crust and working class. It’s a mix of past and present. Even deeper, it’s the everyday lives of Britons, not all N
...more

Posted at Shelf Inflicted
I’m a fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, even though I got tired and stopped reading after #9. After a while the stories became too repetitive and I didn’t see any significant growth in Harry’s character. His smart-ass comments that were amusing in the earlier books started getting annoying towards the end.
In the hopes I would find a fun read similar to the Dresden books, I picked up Midnight Riot. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great one either. Peter Gr ...more
I’m a fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, even though I got tired and stopped reading after #9. After a while the stories became too repetitive and I didn’t see any significant growth in Harry’s character. His smart-ass comments that were amusing in the earlier books started getting annoying towards the end.
In the hopes I would find a fun read similar to the Dresden books, I picked up Midnight Riot. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great one either. Peter Gr ...more

Sep 08, 2017
Luffy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
literary,
page-turner,
pretty-good,
superb-characterization,
roman-policier,
popular
Peter Grant is a Probationary Constable, a term I wasn't familiar with until I began reading. At the beginning the London of Peter Grant is a normal one. The genre is not in Fantasy waters from the beginning. But then Grant witnesses a ghost at a crime scene.
The author reminds me of Ian Rankin when there is police procedure of the mudane type, and Jim Butcher when magic is involved. I liked how imperfect the hero, Peter Grant, is. There is, however, always a trade off. I found the writing style ...more
The author reminds me of Ian Rankin when there is police procedure of the mudane type, and Jim Butcher when magic is involved. I liked how imperfect the hero, Peter Grant, is. There is, however, always a trade off. I found the writing style ...more

Thoughts on the book:
my review.
Thoughts on the audio version:
As many people have noted, Kobna Holbrook Smith is a fabulous reader. Turns out he is an actor and director is well, with a long list of tv credits, which is kind of a bummer because I hope he continues to have time for the Peter Grant series.
Holbrook Smith is clearly a talented voice actor who can understandably convey a range of London accents, from that of an 19th century itenerant to Nightingale's 'posh' early 20th century to curre ...more
my review.
Thoughts on the audio version:
As many people have noted, Kobna Holbrook Smith is a fabulous reader. Turns out he is an actor and director is well, with a long list of tv credits, which is kind of a bummer because I hope he continues to have time for the Peter Grant series.
Holbrook Smith is clearly a talented voice actor who can understandably convey a range of London accents, from that of an 19th century itenerant to Nightingale's 'posh' early 20th century to curre ...more


Goddammit. I wanted to like this one. I really, really, really did. It has a lot going for it. Midnight Riot, also known as Rivers of London across the pond, has, while not the most original premise, certainly an engaging voice. It's got that dry British humor going on, an initially likable hero, an intriguing world and diverse cast, a science(ish)-based magic system, and a POC protagonist who doesn't read like a white guy with a paint job. It was close, SO CLOSE, to enjoyable.
Unfortunately, ...more

I enjoyed this book, so much that I didn't want to review it right away because I was still immersed in Peter Grant's London. It's the urban fantasy take on the detective novel, a police procedural that gives a close-up view of a modern London with undercurrents of magic and magical beings. I love the tone of this book--it's wry and humorous, but doesn't let the humor take over the scene. It's one thing to be ready with a quick line, another entirely to go through one's entire life wisecracking,
...more

Well, this was something different. It had to grow on me. Which, in the end it did. Fun characters, out of the box weird story, humor here and there and all playing in London, one of my most favorite cities in the world. Many streets I could envisage for me, especially Covent Garden, the prime place of crime. It is of course a fantasy story, a young man, starting out as a cop, turns into a learning wizard cop. No, it's not like Harry Potter.... it's kind of a weird fantasy story playing in Londo
...more

The books starts off quite promisingly, with a mysterious murder in the centre of London, only to change its focus almost immediately and take us through a boring and totally mundane sub-plot about two opposing factions of rivers, whose petty conflict nobody cares about, least of all the reader. Apparently, they disturb "The Queen's Peace", so a scuffle amongst youngsters in Richmond is more important than a beheading in Covent Garden. Go figure...
So for the better part of the first half of the ...more
So for the better part of the first half of the ...more

Oh my gaaaaawd, you know what I’ve just discovered? This is the first novel I’ve five-starred in nearly 20 GODDAMN MONTHS (the last being a re-read of Chuck Bukowski’s Pulp, thank you GR stats)!! The hell with it, this calls for an adult beverage - this is a motherloving EVENT! Join me, won’t you? I know you’re all secret alcoholics too… ah booze, you beautiful beast you… slurp…
Peter Grant is the London Metropolitan Police’s newest recruit, hoping for a fun, rewarding placement that’s not gonna ...more
Peter Grant is the London Metropolitan Police’s newest recruit, hoping for a fun, rewarding placement that’s not gonna ...more

Mar 07, 2018
Mario the lone bookwolf
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aaronovitch-ben
One of the best crime, fantasy, horror mixes next to Jim Butchers Dresden files
A kind film-noir hommage and persiflage at the same time.
It´s a love letter to London and especially for native Londoners, there may be the one or other bonus.
Especially the horror parts are well written.
A kind film-noir hommage and persiflage at the same time.
It´s a love letter to London and especially for native Londoners, there may be the one or other bonus.
Especially the horror parts are well written.

Too. Much. Fun.
But not too much. Just the right amount of fun. Ladies and gentleman, if you're looking for a relatively light read, with overtones of the theatre and English puppetry, and undertones of feuding rivers and power struggles, all sifted through the eyes of a police constable who has just discovered that magic is real, and he's been chosen to police it, then this is the book for you!
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enfo ...more
But not too much. Just the right amount of fun. Ladies and gentleman, if you're looking for a relatively light read, with overtones of the theatre and English puppetry, and undertones of feuding rivers and power struggles, all sifted through the eyes of a police constable who has just discovered that magic is real, and he's been chosen to police it, then this is the book for you!
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enfo ...more

UPDATE 27 June 2013: A TV series is on the way! Maybe 2014!
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with ...more
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with ...more

London’s Burning with a great urban fantasy series, beginning with this gem.
Ben Aaronovitch's 2011 novel, originally titled Rivers of London in the UK, starts the Peter Grant series of police procedurals that includes magic walking the lanes and etched in the stones.
Peter Grant’s Career Opportunities included a time in the police academy and he was ready for getting payed for playing Police and Thieves for real. Then he happens upon a ghost amidst some already strange occurrences and we’re off o ...more
Ben Aaronovitch's 2011 novel, originally titled Rivers of London in the UK, starts the Peter Grant series of police procedurals that includes magic walking the lanes and etched in the stones.
Peter Grant’s Career Opportunities included a time in the police academy and he was ready for getting payed for playing Police and Thieves for real. Then he happens upon a ghost amidst some already strange occurrences and we’re off o ...more

"When I’m considering this I find it helpful to quote the wisdom of my father, who once told me, Who knows why the fuck anything happens?”
Funny, fresh and awesomely weird. I still have some minor complaints, but I couldn't put this down 😯
...more

“You put a spell on the dog," I said as we left the house.
"Just a small one," said Nightingale.
"So magic is real," I said. "Which makes you a...what?"
"A wizard."
"Like Harry Potter?"
Nightingale sighed. "No," he said. "Not like Harry Potter."
"In what way?"
"I'm not a fictional character," said Nightingale.”
2META4ME :D
I loved this little gem.
It was hilarious, snarky, well paced and good hearted. A funny, easily digestible read that is eager to delight the reader.
Where do I start with the many ...more
"Just a small one," said Nightingale.
"So magic is real," I said. "Which makes you a...what?"
"A wizard."
"Like Harry Potter?"
Nightingale sighed. "No," he said. "Not like Harry Potter."
"In what way?"
"I'm not a fictional character," said Nightingale.”
2META4ME :D
I loved this little gem.
It was hilarious, snarky, well paced and good hearted. A funny, easily digestible read that is eager to delight the reader.
Where do I start with the many ...more

Apr 29, 2011
Catie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Catie by:
Regina
I have to admit that a moderate portion of my liking for this book is probably due to the fact that I am one of those Americans who is instantly charmed when faced with a page of British slang and references. I don’t know if it’s in the genetic memory or what, but I pathetically cannot help myself! Guh…it’s like thar speakin’ mah language but diffrint! However, this book isn’t just a compendium of British slang. I found quite a lot more to love within these pages.
Peter Grant is a young constable ...more
Peter Grant is a young constable ...more

Peter Grant dreams of becoming a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Being granted the dreadful assignment of Case Progression Unit, Grant did everything he could so that he may be promoted to detective. His uncanny ability of seeing ghosts was his ticket to his dream. Brutal murders lurk in the city and the gods apparently meddles too.
Peter Grant was really likeable, but only during the first half of the novel. I got bored after about 50% because nothing grand was happening. Nothing gru ...more
Peter Grant was really likeable, but only during the first half of the novel. I got bored after about 50% because nothing grand was happening. Nothing gru ...more

May 05, 2016
Adina
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy-pr,
fantasy-sf
A British Dresen Files set in London.
As I said in a previous review, I love London. It feels like a second home to me and every time I go there (at least once/year) I marvel at its beauty. Ben Aaronovitch also loves London. It is clear from the way the city is described in this novel, being one of the main characters and not only a setting.
There is also a fair amount of dry British humor which I enjoy so how could I not like this book?
My only complain is with the story. The author intersects t ...more
As I said in a previous review, I love London. It feels like a second home to me and every time I go there (at least once/year) I marvel at its beauty. Ben Aaronovitch also loves London. It is clear from the way the city is described in this novel, being one of the main characters and not only a setting.
There is also a fair amount of dry British humor which I enjoy so how could I not like this book?
My only complain is with the story. The author intersects t ...more

Aug 08, 2016
Orient
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everybody, who like magic, action and detectives
Recommended to Orient by:
Milda Page Runner
This night I had a problem to solve: to read this book till the end or to sleep. And I thought: hell, why do I need sleep when I’m on a date with Peter Grant <3
The idea to present an ordinary human, who reveals super powers in himself, is not quite new, but in “Rivers of London”, the plot, the setting, and the main characters are new and interesting to me and they definitely helped me to have an extremely fun reading experience.
Ben Aaronovitch surprised me with a wise plot, because I found a mi ...more

The idea to present an ordinary human, who reveals super powers in himself, is not quite new, but in “Rivers of London”, the plot, the setting, and the main characters are new and interesting to me and they definitely helped me to have an extremely fun reading experience.
Ben Aaronovitch surprised me with a wise plot, because I found a mi ...more

“Typically, a constable only sits in the commissioner’s anti-room when he’s been very brave, or very stupid, and I really couldn’t tell which one applied to me.”
Rivers of London is an urban fantasy story set in modern London. After constant recommendations from my dad, and then my brother recently, I decided to finally dive into this popular series. Thank you to them for pushing me into this read.
Rivers of London is a unique story that is full of dry humour, engaging plot, unique characters, and ...more
Rivers of London is an urban fantasy story set in modern London. After constant recommendations from my dad, and then my brother recently, I decided to finally dive into this popular series. Thank you to them for pushing me into this read.
Rivers of London is a unique story that is full of dry humour, engaging plot, unique characters, and ...more

Note: This book is AKA Midnight Riot in the US. Review originally posted at The BiblioSanctum.
I didn't even get past a quarter of the way through this book before I thought to myself, "Okay, this one is totally going on my 'favorites' shelf." In a word, it was fun. So, so fun. I really can't think of any other book in recent memory that has made me laugh out loud so much.
It definitely helps if you're a fan of the kind of paranormal action-adventures by Jim Butcher or similar authors, but someho ...more
I didn't even get past a quarter of the way through this book before I thought to myself, "Okay, this one is totally going on my 'favorites' shelf." In a word, it was fun. So, so fun. I really can't think of any other book in recent memory that has made me laugh out loud so much.
It definitely helps if you're a fan of the kind of paranormal action-adventures by Jim Butcher or similar authors, but someho ...more

This is a contemporary urban fantasy with aspects of mystery, magic and a London police procedural. It is an amazing walk through one of the world’s most written about cities, but in a way that will make me look up many of the locales used by Aaronovitch the next time I get there. And, it is really about “the rivers of London.”
Peter Grant starts off as a probationary constable with London’s Metropolitan Police Services. His multiple academic degrees (mostly scientific) don’t seem to be helping h ...more
Peter Grant starts off as a probationary constable with London’s Metropolitan Police Services. His multiple academic degrees (mostly scientific) don’t seem to be helping h ...more

Apr 12, 2011
new_user
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to new_user by:
Dr. Who fans
Shelves:
racially-diverse,
urban-fantasy
Ben Aaronovitch is funny. Midnight Riot's appeal stems from protagonist Peter Grant's humor:
"Do we have a plan B?"Aaronovitch delivers on his claims and doesn't make the mistake of claiming t ...more
"Molly can do haemomancy," said Nightingale [...] "It might be possible to find [the suspect] that way."
"Why can’t we do it that way now?" I asked.
"Because the odds are five to one against you surviving the experience," said Nightingale.
"So, yeah," I said. "Probably best not to do it that way now, then."

This was an interesting story involving a policeman, old London river gods and magic and I did enjoy it. However I was not fully convinced and I may not follow up the series. To be fair I was listening to this on audiobook and I did not like the reader very much. Why would they use someone who takes loud, wet breaths between sentences? Very annoying. So maybe I will give this series a second chance but read the book myself next time.
Amendment 11th May 2019
Now I have listened to several more book ...more
Amendment 11th May 2019
Now I have listened to several more book ...more
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Ben Aaronovitch's career started with a bang writing for Doctor Who, subsided in the middle and then, as is traditional, a third act resurgence with the bestselling Rivers of London series.
Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
...more
Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
...more
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Rivers of London
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“Carved above the lintel were the words SCIENTIA POTESTAS EST. Science points east, I wondered? Science is portentous, yes? Science protests too much. Scientific potatoes rule. Had I stumbled on the lair of dangerous plant geneticists?”
—
105 likes
“You put a spell on the dog," I said as we left the house.
"Just a small one," said Nightingale.
"So magic is real," I said. "Which makes you a...what?"
"A wizard."
"Like Harry Potter?"
Nightingale sighed. "No," he said. "Not like Harry Potter."
"In what way?"
"I'm not a fictional character," said Nightingale.”
—
105 likes
More quotes…
"Just a small one," said Nightingale.
"So magic is real," I said. "Which makes you a...what?"
"A wizard."
"Like Harry Potter?"
Nightingale sighed. "No," he said. "Not like Harry Potter."
"In what way?"
"I'm not a fictional character," said Nightingale.”