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Rivers of London #9
Amongst Our Weapons
Now in hardcover, the ninth book of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.
This next book in the bestselling UK series follows Peter Grant, an ordinary constable turned magician's apprentice, as he solves crimes across London in a sensational blend of inventive urban fantasy, gripping mystery thriller, and hilarious fantasy caper.
This next book in the bestselling UK series follows Peter Grant, an ordinary constable turned magician's apprentice, as he solves crimes across London in a sensational blend of inventive urban fantasy, gripping mystery thriller, and hilarious fantasy caper.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2022
About the author
Ben Aaronovitch
151 books11.8k followersBen 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.
Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,181 reviews
April 23, 2022
By book 9 of the series the world of it is cozily familiar. We know the basic outlines of what we are getting — familiar characters pop in and out, a running architectural commentary, a bit of police procedural and a barrage of excellent one-liners. Everything you’d expect from a Peter Grant book — and by this time, if you got to book 9, you know you like all that. (And if you are for some weird reason starting the series with this book, stop and go back to book 1 because - seriously?).
I was comfortable with this book, and that’s alright. I got what I expected and spent a pleasant few days in the company of Peter Grant, an apprentice to London magical detective Thomas Nightingale in the Folly, “the Special Assessment Unit, famed throughout the Met as purveyors of weird bollocks, sudden violent upsets and, worse, poor detection rates” and a decent copper with a penchant for scientific approach to magical experimentation. There’s a supernatural murder to solve while Peter’s twins with Beverley the river goddess are about to be born, and a few old friends or perhaps foes make an appearance, and Peter comes up with an interesting theory about magic.
Was this my favorite book of the series? Hardly (that would be book 7, actually). Some of it may be my fault because I haven’t done a series reread prior to diving into this one, and it’s been years since I’ve read the first few books. Inevitably some of the memories of events a few books ago got a bit foggy, and seeing some characters from books past did not bring back all the warm fuzzies that more recent memories of them would have, and a few details from back then felt just a bit fuzzy. (Plus I haven’t read the extended set of connected novellas and short stories set in this universe, so that probably also affects my levels of attachment to some characters - sorry, foxes, I just don’t care *that much* about you).
I wish Nightingale got to play a larger part in this story. I used to love the relationship between him and Peter (sensei and student, wonderfully done), but here he’s mostly in the background while a new trainee for whom I don’t quite care gets more page time than him. And the plot — despite many plot threads continuing and converging, the main story felt a bit thin. Some important plot points - those damn rings - never really get proper closure (unless that’s for the future books?), making it feel almost like Aaronovitch got distracted and never really closed the loop here.
But in the end, despite some gripes, the narrative voice and tone remain good, and there are promises of interesting things still to come, and maybe Peter and Lesley will eventually come to some sort of understanding, and I will probably check out the tenth book in a few years, so I guess Peter Grant and I are still alright.
3.5 stars.
—————
Buddy read with Allie and Carol.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
“Most plain clothes officers don’t routinely carry their ASP with them, but then most plain clothes officers aren’t called upon to face down unicorns, sentient mold, and the occasional carnivorous tree.”
I was comfortable with this book, and that’s alright. I got what I expected and spent a pleasant few days in the company of Peter Grant, an apprentice to London magical detective Thomas Nightingale in the Folly, “the Special Assessment Unit, famed throughout the Met as purveyors of weird bollocks, sudden violent upsets and, worse, poor detection rates” and a decent copper with a penchant for scientific approach to magical experimentation. There’s a supernatural murder to solve while Peter’s twins with Beverley the river goddess are about to be born, and a few old friends or perhaps foes make an appearance, and Peter comes up with an interesting theory about magic.
“This is what’s known as operational flexibility, and definitely not making it up as you go along.”
Was this my favorite book of the series? Hardly (that would be book 7, actually). Some of it may be my fault because I haven’t done a series reread prior to diving into this one, and it’s been years since I’ve read the first few books. Inevitably some of the memories of events a few books ago got a bit foggy, and seeing some characters from books past did not bring back all the warm fuzzies that more recent memories of them would have, and a few details from back then felt just a bit fuzzy. (Plus I haven’t read the extended set of connected novellas and short stories set in this universe, so that probably also affects my levels of attachment to some characters - sorry, foxes, I just don’t care *that much* about you).
“[…] You can’t show weakness to posh people or they’ll mercilessly take advantage. I think it’s something they learn at school in between conversational French and practical condescension.”
I wish Nightingale got to play a larger part in this story. I used to love the relationship between him and Peter (sensei and student, wonderfully done), but here he’s mostly in the background while a new trainee for whom I don’t quite care gets more page time than him. And the plot — despite many plot threads continuing and converging, the main story felt a bit thin. Some important plot points - those damn rings - never really get proper closure (unless that’s for the future books?), making it feel almost like Aaronovitch got distracted and never really closed the loop here.
“Then you check for paraphernalia, always bearing in mind that the line between cosplay, magic practice, and niche sex play can get pretty blurry.”
But in the end, despite some gripes, the narrative voice and tone remain good, and there are promises of interesting things still to come, and maybe Peter and Lesley will eventually come to some sort of understanding, and I will probably check out the tenth book in a few years, so I guess Peter Grant and I are still alright.
3.5 stars.
—————
Buddy read with Allie and Carol.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
August 9, 2022
Here’s what you need to know: while I generally am unable to be an audio book listener, audio is absolutely the best way to consume the Peter Grant series. Although I haven’t encountered a story about how reader Kobna Holdbrook Smith was chosen, I can tell you that he and author Ben Aaronovitch have since formed a fantastic artistic collaboration. The series is set in London and fully embraces the regional and immigrant diversity with recurring characters from Scotland, early 20th century upper-class Brit, a Fula from Sierra Leone (Peter’s mum), a Somali (Guleed). Note I’m saying ‘recurring,’ and nothing about the regular but intermittent appearances from my own favorites, the sarcastic Welsh pathologist, the Cockney Zachary Palmer and the hail-from-working-class-Manchester, Seawoll.
This affiliation is evidenced even way back in 2012, when Ben writes on his blog:
“Kobna Holbrook-Smith, acting god, will be narrating the book again and because he did such a good job with the multitude of accents in the last book(1) I’ve thrown in a couple of new ones just to stretch him a bit.
(1) His rendition of the Irregulars out for a night on the tiles had me in stitches.”
It’s occurred to me that a strange sort of synergy can develop like this, perhaps much like the writers of a long-running television show and the equally long-running cast. At times, it can even a case of mutual craft, as Ben states during an interview promoting The Hanging Tree: “I like listening – his Nightingale’s very good, I’ve started to think, when I write Nightingale, I’ve started to think with Kobna’s version of Nightingale, which is quite funny.”
Thinking more about this relationship between author and the reader in this case has me considering Ben’s history as a writer in television seriels (Dr. Who and Jupiter Moon) and musing on the Peter Grant series as being perhaps more akin to television episodes than a traditional ‘book’ series. Perhaps that’s why it can be challenging for some readers who are looking for a consistant and overarcing plot that connects books together. It’s worth noting that Ben continues this thought further in the interview:
I: – and also what is the biggest change in the audio editions, since Kobna started?
KHS: Well, the audio editions is just the books, aren’t they?
BA: Yes, the audio editions is just the books. But, but, I do actually now write a little bit with one ear on the audio sometimes, you know, I think “How will this sound when Kobna reads it?”, and I think “It’ll sound even better with a really obscure accent from somewhere.” Or “How many alliterations can I get into one sentence?”
And, actually – sometimes I go back and I think – I can’t leave that in, Kobna won’t be able to say that. You see, Peter has this tendency to run sentences into sentences into sentences, with lots of subordinate clauses, and I just think – and every time I try and change it I drop out of Peter’s voice. As long as he – I just feel really sorry for Kobna sometimes, going “Is there a full stop in the house?”
I’m convinced this synergy and playfulness is all to the good for listeners. In fact, knowing how the two have worked together, I haven’t even read this book yet. Eventually, I will–I did, after all, order my signed Waterstones copy (one of my last remaining autobuy series). But I might just listen to Kobna again before then.
Reference links to be found on my blog: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2022/...
This affiliation is evidenced even way back in 2012, when Ben writes on his blog:
“Kobna Holbrook-Smith, acting god, will be narrating the book again and because he did such a good job with the multitude of accents in the last book(1) I’ve thrown in a couple of new ones just to stretch him a bit.
(1) His rendition of the Irregulars out for a night on the tiles had me in stitches.”
It’s occurred to me that a strange sort of synergy can develop like this, perhaps much like the writers of a long-running television show and the equally long-running cast. At times, it can even a case of mutual craft, as Ben states during an interview promoting The Hanging Tree: “I like listening – his Nightingale’s very good, I’ve started to think, when I write Nightingale, I’ve started to think with Kobna’s version of Nightingale, which is quite funny.”
Thinking more about this relationship between author and the reader in this case has me considering Ben’s history as a writer in television seriels (Dr. Who and Jupiter Moon) and musing on the Peter Grant series as being perhaps more akin to television episodes than a traditional ‘book’ series. Perhaps that’s why it can be challenging for some readers who are looking for a consistant and overarcing plot that connects books together. It’s worth noting that Ben continues this thought further in the interview:
I: – and also what is the biggest change in the audio editions, since Kobna started?
KHS: Well, the audio editions is just the books, aren’t they?
BA: Yes, the audio editions is just the books. But, but, I do actually now write a little bit with one ear on the audio sometimes, you know, I think “How will this sound when Kobna reads it?”, and I think “It’ll sound even better with a really obscure accent from somewhere.” Or “How many alliterations can I get into one sentence?”
And, actually – sometimes I go back and I think – I can’t leave that in, Kobna won’t be able to say that. You see, Peter has this tendency to run sentences into sentences into sentences, with lots of subordinate clauses, and I just think – and every time I try and change it I drop out of Peter’s voice. As long as he – I just feel really sorry for Kobna sometimes, going “Is there a full stop in the house?”
I’m convinced this synergy and playfulness is all to the good for listeners. In fact, knowing how the two have worked together, I haven’t even read this book yet. Eventually, I will–I did, after all, order my signed Waterstones copy (one of my last remaining autobuy series). But I might just listen to Kobna again before then.
Reference links to be found on my blog: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2022/...
February 3, 2022
Nightingale has become the most criminally underutilized character in these books; it drives me insane.
February 13, 2022
Readable but rote. The plot is a bit of a retread of some previous books, and I never found myself at all invested in what happened to the characters at the centre of it—there was a lack of tension to it all that I found reminiscent of False Value, the previous installment in the series. I appreciate the clear work that Ben Aaronovitch is putting into broadening the scope of his magical world and having Peter learn new things about how it works and the possibilities of magic, but I did get the feeling while reading that Aaronovitch doesn't feel very driven to write the series anymore and is simply going through the motions because it's been so successful. Mostly, though, I'm just a bit sad that Peter and Nightingale don't even seem like friends anymore, when their partnership/mentorship was one of the things I enjoyed most about the first few RoL books.
May 3, 2022
Any book which contains the line "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" has to be good in my opinion. I grew up with Monty Python and remain very attached to the series. There are many funny comments in this book but that one pleased me in particular .
Amongst Our Weapons is, I suppose, standard 'Rivers of London' fare, but there is nothing wrong with that. We get Nightingale, Peter, Beverley, Lesley and all the rest with an excellent story, lots of magic, foxes, the birth of twin girls and, if you listen to the audio, it is all read to you by a really brilliant narrator.
I must admit I would like more Nightingale. He is a superb character and does not get enough chance to shine. Peter is great and is developing into a whole new kind of magician. Lesley intrigues me. I always liked her in the early books and she was quite a sympathetic character in this one.
I enjoy this series very much and look forward to each instalment. Just don't retire Nightingale yet!
Amongst Our Weapons is, I suppose, standard 'Rivers of London' fare, but there is nothing wrong with that. We get Nightingale, Peter, Beverley, Lesley and all the rest with an excellent story, lots of magic, foxes, the birth of twin girls and, if you listen to the audio, it is all read to you by a really brilliant narrator.
I must admit I would like more Nightingale. He is a superb character and does not get enough chance to shine. Peter is great and is developing into a whole new kind of magician. Lesley intrigues me. I always liked her in the early books and she was quite a sympathetic character in this one.
I enjoy this series very much and look forward to each instalment. Just don't retire Nightingale yet!
April 23, 2022
A mysterious death in the silver vaults leads Peter on a merry chase that even leads outside of London where we finally learn more about the freaky secret magical societies in England from WW2 (the Sons of Weyland and the Society of the Wise) - though the Society of the Rose, a parallel group women established after the men kicked them out to secure royal patronage (and to protect their bruised egos), was most noteworthy.
Originally, the reason why the death is treated as a murder that is the Folly's case is that the victim was desperate to get a ring back from a jeweler (as if his life depended on it) - well, and how the victim was killed. The ring in question had an outlandish inscription. Yep, definite LOTR vibe.
But there is something else afoot (yes, more than potential LOTR-like jewelry) because not only is Lesley back and teasing Peter with messages that even the talking foxes deliver, but there are also Bible study groups and we either have an Angel of Death involved or there are actual aliens. What that could have to do with LOTR-like rings though …
Bev is still pregnant, by the way. Though the twins should be born any day now. It was really nice to see Peter and his family life. Not least because it had some seriously funny moments that had nothing to do with the fact that Peter's other half is a river goddess.
What I also very much enjoyed seeing is that more cops are being trained now. Not trained properly like Peter or his cousin, Abigail. But at least enough in order to be able to handle the initial stages of any given investigation once Peter is too taken up by three river deities in his home. I mean, Old Man Nightingale can't do everything by himself and Abigail is still too young (or so the adults keep insisting).
I was also very pleasantly surprised how well Seawoll fit into the magical realm. He even said the words "magic" and "wizards" this time (without suffering a total breakdown)! *lol*
From the first sentence on, it was like putting on my favorite sweater. The world is that cozy despite the stakes being quite high. Meeting certain characters again was nothing short of heart-warming and the continuing education of not only Peter and Abigail but also the reader(s) is wonderful. Not to mention the situation humour that often ends in bizarrely hilarious moments.
I'm still hoping that the Folly will soon start branching out - not just with "mundane" colleagues, but with actual apprentices and lots thereof. Maybe the cooperation with the Society of the Rose will help with that. Cooperation with the magical institutions in other countries will. We'll see. I'm definitely still hooked.
Originally, the reason why the death is treated as a murder that is the Folly's case is that the victim was desperate to get a ring back from a jeweler (as if his life depended on it) - well, and how the victim was killed. The ring in question had an outlandish inscription. Yep, definite LOTR vibe.
But there is something else afoot (yes, more than potential LOTR-like jewelry) because not only is Lesley back and teasing Peter with messages that even the talking foxes deliver, but there are also Bible study groups and we either have an Angel of Death involved or there are actual aliens. What that could have to do with LOTR-like rings though …
Bev is still pregnant, by the way. Though the twins should be born any day now. It was really nice to see Peter and his family life. Not least because it had some seriously funny moments that had nothing to do with the fact that Peter's other half is a river goddess.
What I also very much enjoyed seeing is that more cops are being trained now. Not trained properly like Peter or his cousin, Abigail. But at least enough in order to be able to handle the initial stages of any given investigation once Peter is too taken up by three river deities in his home. I mean, Old Man Nightingale can't do everything by himself and Abigail is still too young (or so the adults keep insisting).
I was also very pleasantly surprised how well Seawoll fit into the magical realm. He even said the words "magic" and "wizards" this time (without suffering a total breakdown)! *lol*
From the first sentence on, it was like putting on my favorite sweater. The world is that cozy despite the stakes being quite high. Meeting certain characters again was nothing short of heart-warming and the continuing education of not only Peter and Abigail but also the reader(s) is wonderful. Not to mention the situation humour that often ends in bizarrely hilarious moments.
I'm still hoping that the Folly will soon start branching out - not just with "mundane" colleagues, but with actual apprentices and lots thereof. Maybe the cooperation with the Society of the Rose will help with that. Cooperation with the magical institutions in other countries will. We'll see. I'm definitely still hooked.
July 9, 2023
4 stars
This was my first outing with Peter Grant and the team from The Folly, and I have to say, it was a very enjoyable one.
If you’re a Monty Python fan, the title “Amongst Our Weapons” will have set off alarm bells on sight. You might have thought – okay, maybe it’s just a coincidence and I’m reading too much into it.
But then this gem of an exchange happens and your eyes start glowing…
But we kind of were!
Joining a series at book 9 always brings problems: characters you’re expected to know (and love…or hate), vague references to events in past books, and the latest developments in on-going series plots.
All of that lies in wait for the new reader here, too, no denying it.
The English wit, however, is spot on. I laughed out loud several times. The story is maybe a bit thin, but since this is my first "Rivers" I have no point of comparison.
What it very clearly is, though, is full of clever and unique characters. I could guess this is probably something series fans have seen a lot of already and may not be so enjoyable for them (the 9th time round)...or maybe it very much is.
Niggle Time:
I always have one HUGE niggle when it comes to novels that majorly feature magic and performing magic. Happened in Harry Potter, happens here.
Basically everything you could ACTUALLY do is poo-pooed as pointless fluff that only idiots partake in and which doesn't work: Tarot cards and divination, scrying, channelling, energy work, paranormal sciences, numerology and mathematical horoscopes such as the Jewish Kabbalah.
But total fantasy hogwash - brandishing around zapping magical wands, casting flashy spells in Latin, marrying river gods, flying on broomsticks – oh yeah, that’s all very real and good and always works to keep some evil demons off your tail or lasso a fleeing wizard. 🙄
If the authors of these books want to avoid the accusation of “promoting New Age nonsense,” then they could just leave references to these real practices out entirely – not waste a syllable on them. Making a special point of slamming them really stands out. And not in a good way.
At least Aaronovitch gets the science in his occult science and mythology right. The explanations presented in the novel, esp about vestigia, are completely correct.
This was my first outing with Peter Grant and the team from The Folly, and I have to say, it was a very enjoyable one.
If you’re a Monty Python fan, the title “Amongst Our Weapons” will have set off alarm bells on sight. You might have thought – okay, maybe it’s just a coincidence and I’m reading too much into it.
But then this gem of an exchange happens and your eyes start glowing…
But we kind of were!
Joining a series at book 9 always brings problems: characters you’re expected to know (and love…or hate), vague references to events in past books, and the latest developments in on-going series plots.
All of that lies in wait for the new reader here, too, no denying it.
The English wit, however, is spot on. I laughed out loud several times. The story is maybe a bit thin, but since this is my first "Rivers" I have no point of comparison.
What it very clearly is, though, is full of clever and unique characters. I could guess this is probably something series fans have seen a lot of already and may not be so enjoyable for them (the 9th time round)...or maybe it very much is.
Niggle Time:
I always have one HUGE niggle when it comes to novels that majorly feature magic and performing magic. Happened in Harry Potter, happens here.
Basically everything you could ACTUALLY do is poo-pooed as pointless fluff that only idiots partake in and which doesn't work: Tarot cards and divination, scrying, channelling, energy work, paranormal sciences, numerology and mathematical horoscopes such as the Jewish Kabbalah.
But total fantasy hogwash - brandishing around zapping magical wands, casting flashy spells in Latin, marrying river gods, flying on broomsticks – oh yeah, that’s all very real and good and always works to keep some evil demons off your tail or lasso a fleeing wizard. 🙄
If the authors of these books want to avoid the accusation of “promoting New Age nonsense,” then they could just leave references to these real practices out entirely – not waste a syllable on them. Making a special point of slamming them really stands out. And not in a good way.
At least Aaronovitch gets the science in his occult science and mythology right. The explanations presented in the novel, esp about vestigia, are completely correct.
April 23, 2022
No doubt about it, these Rivers of London books are something special.
Low-key nerdy, competently police procedural, and very magical, it's the modern-day London and deep worldbuilding (and by deep I mean, chock full of tiny details that add up to something great) that makes this a must-read every time a new one comes out.
This one was no different and this particular plot got me all revved up. Angels? Different agencies? A mystery bordered on the fantastic? Yep, it was all there and I was all for it.
No spoilers, but I loved seeing a recurring character and getting more details about all the other magical traditions. Our main plot and main characters were great, of course, but all together, I was thrilled.
Low-key nerdy, competently police procedural, and very magical, it's the modern-day London and deep worldbuilding (and by deep I mean, chock full of tiny details that add up to something great) that makes this a must-read every time a new one comes out.
This one was no different and this particular plot got me all revved up. Angels? Different agencies? A mystery bordered on the fantastic? Yep, it was all there and I was all for it.
No spoilers, but I loved seeing a recurring character and getting more details about all the other magical traditions. Our main plot and main characters were great, of course, but all together, I was thrilled.
September 14, 2023
Audiobook
This series is always so enjoyable and has the perfect narrator. I always look forward to a new book in the series coming out and know I won't be disappointed.
This series is always so enjoyable and has the perfect narrator. I always look forward to a new book in the series coming out and know I won't be disappointed.
May 20, 2022
I love the little details of these urban fantasy novels, like the shelter for cat-women or the talking fox/messengers. And of course, there are the river gods. The plot of this book was sort of convoluted. It involved The Inquisition, an avenging angel, ghosts, a prayer group and some mysterious rings. Fortunately, there was a handy recap of all of the clues in the middle of the book. As usual, the most wonderful thing about this book was the narrator of the audiobook, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. He is perfection. Although this is the ninth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
April 28, 2022
Proper police procedural, puns and pop culture references, stellar audiobook narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
The Sons of Weyland make another appearance. The mystery plot is decent, but left me pretty lukewarm. Although it did developed in a great direction towards the end. The history excursion was very informative, entertaining and quite heartbreaking.
Great action scenes. I also love the architectural excursions.
Peter‘s homelife is the most entertaining part, with Beverly heavily pregnant and foxes running amok around his home and extended family. Love the foxes and the diggy thing. And I wish Peter‘s mum had a catering service. All we need then would be a teleporter. Bonus points for mentions of Star Trek.
I am looking forward to what Peter is going to set in motion regarding the procedures for weird bollocks, training, collaborations with other agencies and countries… Come to think of it, the teamwork and development of all the additional characters besides Nightingale and Peter is one of the nicest elements. Seawoll is really growing on me.
The Sons of Weyland make another appearance. The mystery plot is decent, but left me pretty lukewarm. Although it did developed in a great direction towards the end. The history excursion was very informative, entertaining and quite heartbreaking.
Great action scenes. I also love the architectural excursions.
Peter‘s homelife is the most entertaining part, with Beverly heavily pregnant and foxes running amok around his home and extended family. Love the foxes and the diggy thing. And I wish Peter‘s mum had a catering service. All we need then would be a teleporter. Bonus points for mentions of Star Trek.
I am looking forward to what Peter is going to set in motion regarding the procedures for weird bollocks, training, collaborations with other agencies and countries… Come to think of it, the teamwork and development of all the additional characters besides Nightingale and Peter is one of the nicest elements. Seawoll is really growing on me.
December 29, 2022
3.0⭐
A shaggy dog of a book. The whole thing riffs off a classic Monty Python sketch.
Detective Constable Peter Grant of London's magic police aka the Folly investigates a series of supernatural murders linked to medieval persecution and relics.
It's got everything fans of the series want, from sarcastic banter to talking foxes; loads of nerd nods referencing everything from Star Trek, to Lord of the Rings, Dr. Who, the aforementioned Monty Python.
By now the series is formulaic, with repeating plot points and dialogue. Who cares? It's light entertainment, happy ending guaranteed. A better than average urban fantasy, for those who like the genre.
A shaggy dog of a book. The whole thing riffs off a classic Monty Python sketch.
Detective Constable Peter Grant of London's magic police aka the Folly investigates a series of supernatural murders linked to medieval persecution and relics.
It's got everything fans of the series want, from sarcastic banter to talking foxes; loads of nerd nods referencing everything from Star Trek, to Lord of the Rings, Dr. Who, the aforementioned Monty Python.
By now the series is formulaic, with repeating plot points and dialogue. Who cares? It's light entertainment, happy ending guaranteed. A better than average urban fantasy, for those who like the genre.
April 11, 2022
I loved being back in this world but I found the story itself a bit of a damp squib- very underwhelming.
March 11, 2022
Advance copy from NetGalley.
I liked seeing Peter, Nightingale, and the gang, but the plot this time around didn’t really grab me. It felt like there was more exposition than usual, and I found myself wishing I had waited for the audiobook and the dulcet tones of Kobna Holbrook-Smith. I’m a little weary of Leslie’s appearances at this stage too.
Not to be missed, of course, but it wasn’t my favorite of the series.
I liked seeing Peter, Nightingale, and the gang, but the plot this time around didn’t really grab me. It felt like there was more exposition than usual, and I found myself wishing I had waited for the audiobook and the dulcet tones of Kobna Holbrook-Smith. I’m a little weary of Leslie’s appearances at this stage too.
Not to be missed, of course, but it wasn’t my favorite of the series.
May 17, 2022
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/05/10/...
Every time I come to a Rivers of London book, it’s like putting on a cozy sweater or snuggling under a warm blanket. Part of it is the comfort of returning to a series I love, and another part of it is knowing that I’m pretty much guaranteed a good story. That’s because Detective Constable and wizard apprentice Peter Grant is always on an interesting case.
Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth volume of the series by Ben Aaronovitch, and picks up not long after the previous book. Peter is about to be a father to twins, with Beverly’s due date coming up fast. The hidden world of magic isn’t going to rest though, and as the story opens, our protagonist is investigating a murder at the London Silver Vaults with his partner Sahra Guleed. As usual, nothing is as it seems. The victim, who had been in the middle of trying to rob the place, was apparently interrupted by a flash of blinding light. The next moment, he was dead on the floor with a hole in his chest. All witnesses to the scene have also seemed to develop memory loss, unable to provide the police with anything useful.
Gradually, Peter works out some of the details. The dead man had been after a ring—and it’s a very special ring by the sounds of it. Peter has no doubt it was magical, based on the descriptions of its markings and symbols. The problem though, is that no record of it exists at the Vaults, and that’s not the strangest part. Peter is finding it difficult to read the vestigia surrounding the entire crime scene, and not even his mentor DCI Thomas Nightingale can make much sense of it.
Traveling around London and beyond, Amongst Our Weapons takes us on another whirlwind paranormal journey that should be a real treat to fans of the author and series. Is it the best book of the bunch? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun. In fact, this is probably one of the better installments, with a solid mystery at its core. The plot is well-paced and entertaining, introducing even more new elements into the world of Rivers of London, which is impressive and pretty damn cool considering we’re nine books deep at this point. There’s still absolutely plenty to keep longtime readers entertained, and as always, there’s something to learn at every turn—especially if those little nuggets of architectural history are something you enjoy.
The evolution of Peter Grant is also amazing to witness. He’s come a long way since the first book, becoming a skilled wizard in his own right, even though Nightingale is still the magical heavyweight. As Peter’s career continues to flourish though, so too does his personal life. I like that Beverly has become a steady presence in his inner circle, and that they are now a family. Guleed is also a great supporting character and I’m happy to be seeing more of her with each book.
As for the negatives, I feel the fact that Aaronovitch keeps bringing back elements from earlier on can be a sticking point for some. Don’t get me wrong, I generally don’t mind when subsequent books build on what came before, because that’s how great series are made, especially in the urban fantasy genre. Plus, there are certain things that I’m glad have stuck around, like the foxes. That said though, as much as I understand the need for an arch nemesis for Peter, it still bugs me a little that Lesley is like a canker sore that keeps coming back. I suppose it’d help if I found her more interesting, but I don’t. A completely fresh story arc with a new villain—new everything—might be something this series needs in the near future, but on the positive side, at least we’ve mostly moved on from the Faceless Man which is a huge relief.
On the whole, Amongst Our Weapons might not have been the best book of the series, but it was still a strong entry. Having read all the previous books in print, this was also my first experience with a Rivers of London audiobook, and holy crap guys, the hype is real. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a fantastic narrator and now I understand why his Peter Grant has so many fans. For the next book, I’m definitely coming back to the audio.
Every time I come to a Rivers of London book, it’s like putting on a cozy sweater or snuggling under a warm blanket. Part of it is the comfort of returning to a series I love, and another part of it is knowing that I’m pretty much guaranteed a good story. That’s because Detective Constable and wizard apprentice Peter Grant is always on an interesting case.
Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth volume of the series by Ben Aaronovitch, and picks up not long after the previous book. Peter is about to be a father to twins, with Beverly’s due date coming up fast. The hidden world of magic isn’t going to rest though, and as the story opens, our protagonist is investigating a murder at the London Silver Vaults with his partner Sahra Guleed. As usual, nothing is as it seems. The victim, who had been in the middle of trying to rob the place, was apparently interrupted by a flash of blinding light. The next moment, he was dead on the floor with a hole in his chest. All witnesses to the scene have also seemed to develop memory loss, unable to provide the police with anything useful.
Gradually, Peter works out some of the details. The dead man had been after a ring—and it’s a very special ring by the sounds of it. Peter has no doubt it was magical, based on the descriptions of its markings and symbols. The problem though, is that no record of it exists at the Vaults, and that’s not the strangest part. Peter is finding it difficult to read the vestigia surrounding the entire crime scene, and not even his mentor DCI Thomas Nightingale can make much sense of it.
Traveling around London and beyond, Amongst Our Weapons takes us on another whirlwind paranormal journey that should be a real treat to fans of the author and series. Is it the best book of the bunch? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun. In fact, this is probably one of the better installments, with a solid mystery at its core. The plot is well-paced and entertaining, introducing even more new elements into the world of Rivers of London, which is impressive and pretty damn cool considering we’re nine books deep at this point. There’s still absolutely plenty to keep longtime readers entertained, and as always, there’s something to learn at every turn—especially if those little nuggets of architectural history are something you enjoy.
The evolution of Peter Grant is also amazing to witness. He’s come a long way since the first book, becoming a skilled wizard in his own right, even though Nightingale is still the magical heavyweight. As Peter’s career continues to flourish though, so too does his personal life. I like that Beverly has become a steady presence in his inner circle, and that they are now a family. Guleed is also a great supporting character and I’m happy to be seeing more of her with each book.
As for the negatives, I feel the fact that Aaronovitch keeps bringing back elements from earlier on can be a sticking point for some. Don’t get me wrong, I generally don’t mind when subsequent books build on what came before, because that’s how great series are made, especially in the urban fantasy genre. Plus, there are certain things that I’m glad have stuck around, like the foxes. That said though, as much as I understand the need for an arch nemesis for Peter, it still bugs me a little that Lesley is like a canker sore that keeps coming back. I suppose it’d help if I found her more interesting, but I don’t. A completely fresh story arc with a new villain—new everything—might be something this series needs in the near future, but on the positive side, at least we’ve mostly moved on from the Faceless Man which is a huge relief.
On the whole, Amongst Our Weapons might not have been the best book of the series, but it was still a strong entry. Having read all the previous books in print, this was also my first experience with a Rivers of London audiobook, and holy crap guys, the hype is real. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a fantastic narrator and now I understand why his Peter Grant has so many fans. For the next book, I’m definitely coming back to the audio.
December 6, 2022
Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth book in the Rivers Of London series by best-selling British author, Ben Aaronovitch. When DC Peter Grant is called to the London Silver Vaults, he brings along his Special Assessment Unit trainee, DC Danni Wickford. Witnesses describe a flash of light before David Moore falls down dead, with a neat hole in his chest, and his heart scooped out. No vestigia, though.
Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David’s flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.
Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David’s uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that’s when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.
And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.
The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.
River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.
Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and DAW Publishing
Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David’s flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.
Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David’s uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that’s when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.
And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.
The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.
River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.
Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and DAW Publishing
April 14, 2022
I was hoping this book would bring back the graceful passages and innovative plots of the first books, but, in my opinion, it was the final disappointment in the series.
There is no more elegant, witty, funny commentaries/references.
All encounters have a little boring action and the same results (everyone escapes).
There is no more detective work - the discoveries only come with someone doing a full exposition of the case.
The characters are getting more and more uninteresting (Leslie appearances have no more sense) and the only one that remains interesting - Nightingale - is shamefully underused.
This one is probably my last book on the series. And how sad is to say this - i can still remember the excitement when i discovered this series' innovations in the urban fantasy genre as if it were today!
There is no more elegant, witty, funny commentaries/references.
All encounters have a little boring action and the same results (everyone escapes).
There is no more detective work - the discoveries only come with someone doing a full exposition of the case.
The characters are getting more and more uninteresting (Leslie appearances have no more sense) and the only one that remains interesting - Nightingale - is shamefully underused.
This one is probably my last book on the series. And how sad is to say this - i can still remember the excitement when i discovered this series' innovations in the urban fantasy genre as if it were today!
October 11, 2022
Halloween Bingo 2022
I love the London of Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale. Yes, this is book nine and Aaronovitch trots out many of the characters that we have come to know and love. Peter's dad gets to play his trumpet, his mom gets to cook her blazing hot food for the house full of birthing guests. Foxes frolick through all of it. Zack gets invited to the “christening.” Guleed, Stephanopoulos, and Seawoll are all present and accounted for. Even Lesley shows up, but despite her mission, she shows she still has some fondness for her old friend Peter.
Some folks complain that “nothing much happens.” I guess dealing with an Angel of Death is nothing much? Making contacts to expand the Folly's sphere of influence is not important? (At one point, Beverley accuses Peter of being a compulsive networker). Expanding the family is always significant. But really, I just enjoy hanging out in magical London. Peter and companyl don't have to do much to entertain me.
I always appreciate Aaronovitch’s pop culture references and his amusing phrasing and word play. I learn a new British slang word or two with each installment. This was one of my selected birthday books and it was a good choice. Plus, it delightfully filled the Darkest London square of my Bingo card.
I love the London of Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale. Yes, this is book nine and Aaronovitch trots out many of the characters that we have come to know and love. Peter's dad gets to play his trumpet, his mom gets to cook her blazing hot food for the house full of birthing guests. Foxes frolick through all of it. Zack gets invited to the “christening.” Guleed, Stephanopoulos, and Seawoll are all present and accounted for. Even Lesley shows up, but despite her mission, she shows she still has some fondness for her old friend Peter.
Some folks complain that “nothing much happens.” I guess dealing with an Angel of Death is nothing much? Making contacts to expand the Folly's sphere of influence is not important? (At one point, Beverley accuses Peter of being a compulsive networker). Expanding the family is always significant. But really, I just enjoy hanging out in magical London. Peter and companyl don't have to do much to entertain me.
I always appreciate Aaronovitch’s pop culture references and his amusing phrasing and word play. I learn a new British slang word or two with each installment. This was one of my selected birthday books and it was a good choice. Plus, it delightfully filled the Darkest London square of my Bingo card.
April 20, 2022
I really enjoyed this latest book in the Rivers of London series: magic rings, an angel of death, talking foxes, and (of course) interference from Lesley May. The plot didn’t lag at all and I could have happily read it all in one sitting if I’d had the chance. A nod to Monty Python gave me a chuckle. I don’t miss the over arching faceless man plot - it’s great that the series is going in a new direction. I have to say though - more Nightingale, not less Nightingale!!!
March 14, 2023
SO much better than previous book in the series. Looking forward to the next one now.
September 9, 2022
I think it’s time for me to put a pin in this series. I haven’t enjoyed it for a while now and the book seems to be signaling some characters are going to be gone in a few. I just have zero interest to keep reading about Peter and Beverly and everything else going on in London that mere mortals don’t know about anymore. It’s not a bad book, just a very boring one. It goes on forever it feels like. And we still have zero resolution once again with Lesley. I just want her killed off or gone entirely at this point. She’s becoming just as annoying as the Faceless Man.
“Amongst Our Weapons” follows Peter as he is preparing for the birth of twins with Beverly. Peter and the Folly associates as I now call them are trying to track down someone who has somehow snuck into the London Silver Vaults, murdered someone, and then disappeared. Of course something magical is afoot. And it’s up to Peter to figure it out and stop it.
Peter is fine as our main character. I am just sad that once again Nightingale barely fits in this. And then the ending leaves us with a wrinkle in Peter and Nightingale’s futures. I just don’t think I want to continue reading if the book shifts in the way that it is being proposed right now.
Lesley is a murderer. I am going to keep saying that because it feels like every five seconds Peter forgets. I don’t know if we are doing the whole redemption arc of her character or what, but I am not really interested in it.
Beverly, her sisters, that whole thing have never interested me at all and I am still wholly uninterested. I feel bad because I still have never bought them being in love. I am interested to see if a showdown between Beverly and Lesley will ever happen though. There still seems to be feelings of I don’t know, jealousy there.
The writing was fine. As I said, not a bad book, just not interesting. It does enlarge the world building of “Rivers of London” though. I just found my attention wandering while reading. I used to love the little historical notes that Aaronovitch would include on things, but this time I felt just irritated and started to skip over them.
The pace was up and down though. You just keep waiting for things to get on after a while.
The ending was as I said interesting cause it’s showing us a different path than what I thought would happen with this series. I wonder if fans will continue to read?
“Amongst Our Weapons” follows Peter as he is preparing for the birth of twins with Beverly. Peter and the Folly associates as I now call them are trying to track down someone who has somehow snuck into the London Silver Vaults, murdered someone, and then disappeared. Of course something magical is afoot. And it’s up to Peter to figure it out and stop it.
Peter is fine as our main character. I am just sad that once again Nightingale barely fits in this. And then the ending leaves us with a wrinkle in Peter and Nightingale’s futures. I just don’t think I want to continue reading if the book shifts in the way that it is being proposed right now.
Lesley is a murderer. I am going to keep saying that because it feels like every five seconds Peter forgets. I don’t know if we are doing the whole redemption arc of her character or what, but I am not really interested in it.
Beverly, her sisters, that whole thing have never interested me at all and I am still wholly uninterested. I feel bad because I still have never bought them being in love. I am interested to see if a showdown between Beverly and Lesley will ever happen though. There still seems to be feelings of I don’t know, jealousy there.
The writing was fine. As I said, not a bad book, just not interesting. It does enlarge the world building of “Rivers of London” though. I just found my attention wandering while reading. I used to love the little historical notes that Aaronovitch would include on things, but this time I felt just irritated and started to skip over them.
The pace was up and down though. You just keep waiting for things to get on after a while.
The ending was as I said interesting cause it’s showing us a different path than what I thought would happen with this series. I wonder if fans will continue to read?
January 20, 2023
Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth book in the Rivers Of London series by best-selling British author, Ben Aaronovitch. The audio version is narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. DC Peter Grant is called to the London Silver Vaults, he brings along his Special Assessment Unit trainee, DC Danni Wickford. Witnesses describe a flash of light before David Moore falls down dead, with a neat hole in his chest, and his heart scooped out. No vestigia, though.
Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David’s flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.
Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David’s uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that’s when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.
And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.
The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.
River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.
Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!
Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David’s flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.
Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David’s uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that’s when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.
And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.
The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.
River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.
Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!
June 17, 2023
”I didn’t expects the Spanish Inquisition”
This simple nod to geek culture buried in a drive-by bit of dialogue elucidates the witty charm of this series while simultaneously stating the heart of this book’s plot. In this ninth offering of the ongoing adventures of Peter Grant, detective and wizard in a special, magical branch of the London force, the case indeed centers around lethal magic formed and loosed by the infamous Spanish Inquisition.
This book comes roaring back from the slightly below par book eight. The case of the moment provides a complex, sympathetic antagonist, and fast paced action and suspense. Meanwhile, the longest running ongoing story line of the series is seamlessly weaved into the plot. The dialogue is sharp, and the characters compelling. All the elements that have made this the best ongoing series in urban fantasy are here in force.
Two notes: to fully appreciate this book, you really need to read the series from the beginning. As in the similar Dresden Files series, to fully know and appreciate the large cast of characters it is best to follow their introductions and development from the beginning and in order. Secondly, even if you don’t usually do audiobooks you really should here. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a fantastic voice actor who give unique life to a large cast of characters, and if you aren’t listening to his reading you are missing one of the great joys of the series.
This simple nod to geek culture buried in a drive-by bit of dialogue elucidates the witty charm of this series while simultaneously stating the heart of this book’s plot. In this ninth offering of the ongoing adventures of Peter Grant, detective and wizard in a special, magical branch of the London force, the case indeed centers around lethal magic formed and loosed by the infamous Spanish Inquisition.
This book comes roaring back from the slightly below par book eight. The case of the moment provides a complex, sympathetic antagonist, and fast paced action and suspense. Meanwhile, the longest running ongoing story line of the series is seamlessly weaved into the plot. The dialogue is sharp, and the characters compelling. All the elements that have made this the best ongoing series in urban fantasy are here in force.
Two notes: to fully appreciate this book, you really need to read the series from the beginning. As in the similar Dresden Files series, to fully know and appreciate the large cast of characters it is best to follow their introductions and development from the beginning and in order. Secondly, even if you don’t usually do audiobooks you really should here. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a fantastic voice actor who give unique life to a large cast of characters, and if you aren’t listening to his reading you are missing one of the great joys of the series.
August 11, 2023
Not entirely what to do with myself now. I promised myself after the Game of Thrones series debacle (ie no end except the rubbish we got on tv) that I'd never read another series unless the author had finished writing them. However I got suckered into the Rivers of London series by all those so-called friends who kept telling me how good it was. So I crumbled. And now I'm in the doldrums because I'm all up to date. Boo!
The latest in the series has us waiting with Peter to welcome the twins into the world but first he has to solve the puzzle of why random people are turning up dead with holes in their chest, what it's got to do with the London Silver Vaults, why there are reports of an angelic alien and why Lesley is so keen on helping.
As usual we have a tight plot, excellent dialogue, hilarious scenarios plus one-liners to die for. As usual I wanted more Nightingale and more Foxglove + Molly but I did get foxes galore. (I've suggested my mum offer the foxes in her garden some cheese puffs in the hope I can get a dialogue going).
Still the part that really appeals to me is the humanity of these books. Peter is a thoroughly decent bloke of a character who loves his missus, loves his job and has a streak of compassion a mile wide. The fact that he's (so far) botched every attempt to catch Lesley should raise more concerns than it does but then I'm not sure I want him to.
This book (like all the others) leaves us on enough open ends to fill another dozen books so I'm hopeful that Mr Aaronovitch doesn't go all George RR Martin on me and I can expect the next instalment sooner rather than never.
My praise, as always, extends to the wonderful narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. He is a master at this.
The latest in the series has us waiting with Peter to welcome the twins into the world but first he has to solve the puzzle of why random people are turning up dead with holes in their chest, what it's got to do with the London Silver Vaults, why there are reports of an angelic alien and why Lesley is so keen on helping.
As usual we have a tight plot, excellent dialogue, hilarious scenarios plus one-liners to die for. As usual I wanted more Nightingale and more Foxglove + Molly but I did get foxes galore. (I've suggested my mum offer the foxes in her garden some cheese puffs in the hope I can get a dialogue going).
Still the part that really appeals to me is the humanity of these books. Peter is a thoroughly decent bloke of a character who loves his missus, loves his job and has a streak of compassion a mile wide. The fact that he's (so far) botched every attempt to catch Lesley should raise more concerns than it does but then I'm not sure I want him to.
This book (like all the others) leaves us on enough open ends to fill another dozen books so I'm hopeful that Mr Aaronovitch doesn't go all George RR Martin on me and I can expect the next instalment sooner rather than never.
My praise, as always, extends to the wonderful narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. He is a master at this.
February 13, 2023
English version below
*************
Dieser Band der Peter Grant-Reihe hat mir wieder ausgesprochen gut gefallen.
Peter trifft auf einen beeindruckenden flammenden Racheengel, wir als Leser lernen eine Menge über die Inquisition und die jüdische Bevölkerung im mittelalterlichen Spanien und auch anderswann und anderswo.
Auch gefallen hat mir, dass sich das Personal des Folly erweitert und die reguläre Polizei zunehmend weniger Berührungsängste mit den magischen Kollegen hat.
Der absolute Höhepunkt war natürlich, dass Peter Vater geworden ist. Ich bin immer ganz hingerissen von den Familienbeziehungen von Peters Freundin und auch Peters eigene Familie ist nicht zu verachten.
Insgesamt ein ausgezeichnet gelungener Band mit viel Humor, der mir 5 Sterne wert war.
------------------------------
I really enjoyed this book in the Peter Grant series.
Peter meets an impressive flaming avenging angel, we as readers learn a lot about the Inquisition and the Jewish population in medieval Spain and elsewhere and elsewhen too.
I also liked the fact that the Folly's staff is expanding and that the regular police are less and less afraid of contact with their magical colleagues.
The absolute highlight was of course that Peter became a father. I am always smitten with the family connections of Peter's girlfriend and Peter's own family is not to be despised either.
All in all, an excellently successful volume with a lot of humor, which was worth 5 stars to me.
*************
Dieser Band der Peter Grant-Reihe hat mir wieder ausgesprochen gut gefallen.
Peter trifft auf einen beeindruckenden flammenden Racheengel, wir als Leser lernen eine Menge über die Inquisition und die jüdische Bevölkerung im mittelalterlichen Spanien und auch anderswann und anderswo.
Auch gefallen hat mir, dass sich das Personal des Folly erweitert und die reguläre Polizei zunehmend weniger Berührungsängste mit den magischen Kollegen hat.
Der absolute Höhepunkt war natürlich, dass Peter Vater geworden ist. Ich bin immer ganz hingerissen von den Familienbeziehungen von Peters Freundin und auch Peters eigene Familie ist nicht zu verachten.
Insgesamt ein ausgezeichnet gelungener Band mit viel Humor, der mir 5 Sterne wert war.
------------------------------
I really enjoyed this book in the Peter Grant series.
Peter meets an impressive flaming avenging angel, we as readers learn a lot about the Inquisition and the Jewish population in medieval Spain and elsewhere and elsewhen too.
I also liked the fact that the Folly's staff is expanding and that the regular police are less and less afraid of contact with their magical colleagues.
The absolute highlight was of course that Peter became a father. I am always smitten with the family connections of Peter's girlfriend and Peter's own family is not to be despised either.
All in all, an excellently successful volume with a lot of humor, which was worth 5 stars to me.
April 5, 2022
Well, another fabulous book in the Rivers of London series, the Waterstones edition has another short story as an extra dealing with Nightingale's experiences pre war and in World War 2. Both the novel and short are once again, full of action, humour and wonder. As I try to avoid spoilers I will only say that Mr Aaronovitch has put in a few pointers as to where he intends to take the series in the future and I cannot wait. The only complaint I would make about these books is I cannot wait to read them and as soon as my copy of the book was delivered and collected I had started it and finished it, now I am going to have to wait impatiently for the next instalment. It really does make me sympathise with those that are waiting on the conclusion of GRRM's opus.
March 18, 2023
4.5⭐️ I love this series, and this instalment didn't disappoint. This authors characters are well honed and brilliantly structured set in a world that is so well versed. For me, this series is now a comfort read that I thoroughly enjoy every minute of.
April 13, 2022
So good!
Start with book 1. Multifaceted characters, wonderful world building and great plot.
I need to backtrack a few books and see if I can work out what is happening with the foxes.
Start with book 1. Multifaceted characters, wonderful world building and great plot.
I need to backtrack a few books and see if I can work out what is happening with the foxes.
October 19, 2022
Peter Grant, with the magical branch of the London Police and soon to be the father of twins, has a new case. There have been several disturbing murders, all related to rings given out at a student Bible study group in Manchester over 30 years ago. Can Peter and his colleagues protect the other members of the group before the avenging angel takes them out? If you enjoy the combination of dry British humor and magic and haven't read the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, you're in for a treat. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
May 14, 2022
Finally! I’m free of this book! I used to really like this world and its rather unique inhabitants as well as the stories Ben Aaronovitch so expertly told us.
This time around, though, I was bored by the lacklustre story at the centre of “Amongst Our Weapons”: An “Angel of Death” is killing the owners of some obscure rings with Lesley being on the hunt for said rings. Peter does his best to prevent further deaths.
Through 80% of this instalment in the series, I only read it in bed because it served as a perfect sleeping drug. The abysmal pacing, being told about Beverly’s pregnancy (mostly referred to as “the bulge” which felt derogatory even though it most certainly wasn’t meant like that), quite a few encounters with the culprit but hardly any progress until the very end - it all made for a veritable snoozefest.
Nightingale is mostly around and yet feels strangely absent - he doesn’t have much of a role at all.
Fortunately, there were a few redeeming moments: Peter refuses to lay a trap to just plain kill the culprit but looks for a better solution. Lesley plays a much better role than previously and - very importantly - the foxes are back. Not as prominently as they deserve but at least they’re there and hilarious as ever.
And, of course, Beverly’s and Peter’s twins are finally born!
Still, “Amongst Our Weapons” read like Aaronovitch has lost any real intrinsic motivation to write these novels. He routinely wrote another entry which will, undoubtedly, sell well but his heart doesn’t seem to be in it anymore.
A sad two stars out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This time around, though, I was bored by the lacklustre story at the centre of “Amongst Our Weapons”: An “Angel of Death” is killing the owners of some obscure rings with Lesley being on the hunt for said rings. Peter does his best to prevent further deaths.
Through 80% of this instalment in the series, I only read it in bed because it served as a perfect sleeping drug. The abysmal pacing, being told about Beverly’s pregnancy (mostly referred to as “the bulge” which felt derogatory even though it most certainly wasn’t meant like that), quite a few encounters with the culprit but hardly any progress until the very end - it all made for a veritable snoozefest.
Nightingale is mostly around and yet feels strangely absent - he doesn’t have much of a role at all.
Fortunately, there were a few redeeming moments: Peter refuses to lay a trap to just plain kill the culprit but looks for a better solution. Lesley plays a much better role than previously and - very importantly - the foxes are back. Not as prominently as they deserve but at least they’re there and hilarious as ever.
And, of course, Beverly’s and Peter’s twins are finally born!
Still, “Amongst Our Weapons” read like Aaronovitch has lost any real intrinsic motivation to write these novels. He routinely wrote another entry which will, undoubtedly, sell well but his heart doesn’t seem to be in it anymore.
A sad two stars out of five.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
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