Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1) in The Folly Irregulars

May 04, 2016 carol. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: represent, urban-fantasy, supernatural-mystery

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 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 current police vernacular. I also found his Danish and Jamaican accents amusing. Ever since an unfortunate experience with the Stephanie Plum audio, I'm particularly impressed when actors are able to voice characters of the opposite sex without making it sound fake. Holbrook Smith is able to give Leslie a decent voicing, but it really shines when (view spoiler) I did feel like quite a few bit characters ended up with a Jamaican-sounding accent, which may or may not reflect London demographics.

Interestingly, I noted that I didn't find the audio version quite as funny as I found the paper version. As an American, I wonder if this is an example of the 'dry' British humor, that the pause or infliction I expect is missing. I certainly found phrases snicker-out-loud funny when my inside voice read it. That said, his reading of the following dialogue made me laugh out loud:

“You don’t think she and Nightingale…?” asked Lesley.
“Ew,” said Beverley. “That’s just wrong.”
“I thought you and her were friends?” I asked.
“Yeah, but she’s like a creature of the night,” said Beverley. “And he’s old.”

I will note that there were two moments in later chapters when it sounded as if the recording was taken up weeks or months later. It was still the same reader, but something about the tone of the recording and the closeness of the voice changed. I did love the jazz introduction between chapters.

Overall, a great audio. I'll definitely continue revisiting the series through audio.
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Nov 16, 2016 James rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasies, barrels-of-laughs, favourites, 2016-reads

The first book of six (though hopefully more, preferably infinite—please?), Rivers of London is Ben Aaronovitch’s great start to what could be a beautiful relationship between us. The Dresden Files were close, but no cigar (could be its lack of Britishisms, of which Aaronovitch provides plenty). The funny is spot-on (pop-culture references abound, but sparingly enough to be effective, and also to break the tension where needed), yet not such that it preempts the drama, both being well-balanced. ...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Mimi rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, urban-fantasy, favorites, 2013, my-kindle, paranormal, first-in-series

One of the best urban fantasies I've read in awhile. I love everything about this book.

If you like your urban fiction to have flavors of modern-day London and you like your London stories to have London-specific historical accounts popping up every so often, then look no further. This book could fill that void in your reading reservoir (river pun intended).

Peter Grant, a young officer in training, is done with his interim year, though his prospects for an exciting career in law enforcement are n ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Nyssa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: magic, mystery, series-book-1, urban-fantasy, 2011-2020, speculative-fiction, format-electronic, fantasy, weird-fantasy, paranormal-supernatural

2nd Review (5/10/17):
Rating: 4.0

Rereading this so closely to the first time dulled the experience a bit. I still liked what I liked, but I also picked up on a few typographical errors that I either missed or ignored the first time around.

****************************************
Original Rating & Review:
Rating: 4.5

I have been looking forward to reading this series for a while, and this first book did not disappoint.

The Pros:
Peter Grant. What I like the most about Peter is that he is ...more

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Dec 13, 2016 Melora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Really enjoyed this. The only other distinctly "Urban Fantasy" series I've read, as best I remember, is set in Chicago, and despite my early qualms about some similarities this soon proved to be quite distinctive, and I like it better. Not only does London have more allure, for me, than Chicago, but the protagonist here is less... chauvinistic, and the supporting cast is more interesting. Also, there are elements of the "Police Procedural," another new genre for me, which add a nice change of pa ...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Patricia Burroughs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-isles, fantasy

Did I honestly never review this? This is one of my current go-to 'comfort listens' from audible, this and all the others in the series. Plus I bought them in ebook to read, as well. The world of Peter Grant is amazing, the characters are awesome, and the exploration of Londons we have never seen is fascinating. And by that, I mean the various cultural divides and ebbs and flows between old school literary tropes [Guv, that be you.] and immigrant communities, and everything between. ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Scott Firestone rated it really liked it

Peter Grant is a Probationary Constable, which means he's still waiting to see where, exactly, he'll be assigned once he's a "real policeman." Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be assigned to a unit that mostly deals with mounds of paperwork and details. Hardly the life he envisioned.

But at a murder scene he gets clues to the murder from...a ghost, and it turns his world upside down. He's recruited into a very exclusive arm of the police, charged with investigating crimes involving magic and m Peter Grant is a Probationary Constable, which means he's still waiting to see where, exactly, he'll be assigned once he's a "real policeman." Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be assigned to a unit that mostly deals with mounds of paperwork and details. Hardly the life he envisioned.

But at a murder scene he gets clues to the murder from...a ghost, and it turns his world upside down. He's recruited into a very exclusive arm of the police, charged with investigating crimes involving magic and monsters. As London is gripped by a series of inexplicable murders, Peter must learn to deal with river gods, overcome demon possessions, and throw a proper fireball. All in a day's work for a copper.

Let's rapid-fire examine this book.

* It's very, very British. Incredibly British. There's a crap-ton of British terms, slang, and colloquialisms here, and it's AWESOME. I'm so glad they didn't dumb that down or Americanize it, because it's charming, and adds to the flavor and ambiance.

* Wait, except for the title, which was stupidly changed to Midnight Riot for the US version. Is there a more vague and awful title than Midnight Riot? Probably. But that title still sucks. Rivers of London is evocative, and SUPER integral to the plot (that's not a spoiler). Ugh. American publishers are the worst.

* If you read this book and don't fall in love with the city of London, then I'm not sure we can still be friends. Because Aaronovitch obviously loves London, and by the end you will, too.

* Peter Grant is a terrific character, and his voice is a breath of fresh air. He's smart, witty, complex, self-deprecating, geeky, sarcastic, and so very human.

* I appreciate that as Peter's learning to be a wizard, it doesn't come easily. It should take time. IT'S MAGIC. Harry Potter he ain't, and that's good.

* You can't swing an undead vampire without running into comparisons with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series. I admit I only read the first Dresden Files book but it SUUUUUUUUUUCKED. Laughably terrible. Not funny. Painful. This is no Dresden Files. This is so good.

* Speaking of funny, why are the English more funny than Americans when it comes to the written word? I don't know, but "funny" American writers usually come across as trying too hard. Pratchett's genuinely made me shoot liquid out of my nose. And while this isn't a "comedy," I found myself chuckling, laughing, and reading with a giant grin on my face, because it's just naturally funny and charming. Nothing forced.

So why "only" four stars, you ask? Because...the main plot wasn't actually compelling. It's convoluted, and I mixed-up characters a couple of times. I think I got it eventually, but it was all kinda..."Huh." But I didn't care, because the characters and the city and Peter's voice were enough to keep me going. And keep me going further into the series. What a wonderful find this is. ...more

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Aug 19, 2014 Holly Booms Walsh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, urban-fantasy, paranormal-fiction, vampire, magic, ghost, crime, detective, police-procedural, audible

This was the closest to the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher that I have come so far. It's a police procedural, with the protagonist being a British constable who discovers that magic is real and that some of the crimes he is investigating are really caused by things that go bump in the night. The book is set in London, by someone that really knows London. It has the feel of London, with the racial diversity, British slang, young Brit way of life (clubs, pubs, kebabs, curries, and flats with l This was the closest to the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher that I have come so far. It's a police procedural, with the protagonist being a British constable who discovers that magic is real and that some of the crimes he is investigating are really caused by things that go bump in the night. The book is set in London, by someone that really knows London. It has the feel of London, with the racial diversity, British slang, young Brit way of life (clubs, pubs, kebabs, curries, and flats with laundry on the floor), and a generous dollop of well-researched London history. I very much enjoyed the idea of the Thames and its "daughter" waterways being manifested by human-seeming spirits with distinct personalities and agendas. There is a lot of (dry or earthy) humor and humanity in the writing, which flows very naturally and is easy to get swept up in. It felt rather Dr. Who-esque. Like Dresden, there is an apprentice system for learning magic, and the protagonist is taken under the wing of an Inspector in a special "supernatural" wing of the constabulary.

What was somewhat lackluster: The pacing was odd. The story ran in fits and starts, with lags here and there. The teacher of our constable is injured and out of commission and thus unable to advise our hero for a big chunk of the book. The ending was rather far-fetched, involving a near-death experiment and time travel that seemed to come out of nowhere. After the ending, there is a bizarre episode after the resolution of the actual main plotline, which felt like the preview chapter of the next book. The main character is a likeable fellow mostly, but is quite juvenile sexually - commenting on cleavage and despite budding relationships with two female characters, is seemingly bumblingly teenage in his thoughts about them. The villian of the piece ends up to be re-enacting the old Punch and Judy tale, which is, quite frankly, ridiculous. It lessened the level of tension inherent in the solving of the crime for me. While I appreciated that the magic system was something that anyone could learn and the magical abilities were kept to a relatively conservative level in power and affect, our hero learned way too fast and too easily for the short period of time covered in the book.

3.5 stars, particularly for the easy, almost effortless style of the writing and the wonderful feel of the London setting. The narration was beautifully done, smooth, with all the right pacing, humor, and sarcasm, and excellent accents. ...more

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Dec 10, 2014 Natalie aka Tannat rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, fiction, read-in-2015, on-shelf

Although Rivers of London isn't a perfect title, it certainly suits the book better than Midnight Riot. (view spoiler)

Not a perfect book either, but it starts off with a lot of energy and although it slows down as the story progresses, it doesn't completely lose its momentum. Following the ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Paul Sparks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

June 7, 2016 finished audio and enjoyed it more than the print. Mainly because of the narrator.

Probably would have enjoyed it more if I was more of an anglophile. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book.

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Aug 11, 2012 Snicketts rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, favorites, magical-realism

Loved it. Perfect mix of humour, gore, thriller and fantasy. Peter Grant is very human, warts and all and I'm looking forward to learning more about Nightingale. Off to d/l the second one. ...more

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Jul 10, 2015 Rosey Waters rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: category-fiction, author-male, tag-genre-fantasy, type-full-length, 4-star-reads

This was fun and interesting and amusing. I really like Peter, and am totally starting up the next book as soon as it becomes available at the library.

See Robots Read for a full review.

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