Now in paperback, the eighth book of the bestselling Rivers of London series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence … genius Terrence Skinner’s brand new London start up—the Serious Cybernetics Company.
Drawn into the orbit of Old Street’s famous ‘silicon roundabout’, Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant’s favourite son.
Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological—and just as dangerous.
more
Excellent like always. I had a brief scare at the beginning that Peter wouldn’t be his usual copper self, but luckily that didn’t turn out to be the case. The first part of the book was slightly unusual, as it was told in alternating chapters set in the present and the past, but once that was over, the story advanced in the usual meandering manner where the reader isn’t entirely sure what’s going on until it’s all over. There was a bit more Beverly in this book than before–she is pregnant after all–and she is becoming a real person, but the other side characters still remain a bit two dimensional. That includes the staples like Nightingale and Sargeant Guleed. There was some mayhem at the end, but Peter managed not to destroy half of London this time round. I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or not about that.
What can I say? It’s always a treat to wander back into the Peter Grant world.
This was a yet another amazing installment of the series and, while it had all the attitude, magic, and snarky humor you expect from the Rivers of London series, did have a different feel to it..not in a bad way, but the story seemed a bit less complex and maybe a little less fantastically fun than the others. Still, I did enjoy the twist on AI technology.
by the way, if you find yourself a little confused at the start and are scratching your head wondering if you missed something in the previous books, don’t worry. Keep reading and it will all become clear.
Finally, I would gladly read this book a dozen more times, but I did miss spending time at the Folly with Nightingale, Molly, and Tobey.
I’ve read—or listened to—every book and graphic novel in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series. Peter Grant is a bit impulsive and his sometimes ill-advised choices make for interesting twists and turns. His world is peopled with many scene-stealingly interesting folk that you’ll always be happy to see even if it’s just to pop in for a moment. I was happy to see the talking foxes make a brief appearance in the outing along with Abagail and Foxglove, two more recently introduced characters I’ve grown to love. Start with The Rivers of London (UK title)/Midnight Riot (US title), but get here fast and don’t skip October Man about Peter and NIghtengale’s counterparts in Germany.
I’ve been following Peter Grant’s adventures, so was happy to delve in to this new instalment.
*** What to expect
This novel is the first after the closure of the previous arc in Lies Sleeping. None of the old enemies appear (though don’t worry, the good side-characters are still there), and instead more of the world and background of magic is explored.
Without going into spoilers, DC Grant’s current case involves some magical technology — old ways and new ways of working magic. The story jumps back and forth in time, as the Aaronovitch masterfully reveals both current events and those the preceded them. Once the premise has been settled, the rest of the novel zips along to the twist conclusion.
In short, this is everything you’d expect from a Rivers of London novel, now that we have moved past the faceless man to new territory.
*** What I liked
I generally like Aaronovitch’s writing style, the systematic approach to both magic and police procedures. He has an outstanding voice in the world of paranormal investigators, striking a balance between the mysterious and the realistic.
I also like Aaronovitch treatment of people as people, all inclusive without being in-your-face. The characters are all realistic humans, which is what’s important.
*** What to be aware of
Plenty of the world building has been done in the preceding novels. It’s a reasonable point to jump into the series if you don’t mind the deep end, but purists might want to read from the start.
*** Summary
Highly recommended for fans of the series (duh). If you haven’t read any of the novels before, you can start here – just expect a bit of raised eyebrows at some aspects of Grant’s life.
—
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A Story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.