The seventh 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.The Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an … key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice.
But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.
To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch….
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I’ve read all the previous books in the “Rivers of London” series, including the short novella and enjoyed all of them, more or less, this installment belongs to the ‘more’ category. We get our charming narrator Peter, funnier than ever, and his co-workers fighting magical crimes in England’s capital. I loved that we got plenty of Nightingale , he is a great character. Tons of action, but plenty of down time with Peter’s love interest the goddess Bev. Fun read.
This latest installment in the author’s Rivers of London series is fabulous. Aaronovitch knows London like the back of his hand and when he threads magic through the everyday world of the City, it’s a combination I can’t resist. (Also, the audio book read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is outstanding.)
I heard someone recommend the Rivers of London series on the radio and intrigued, went in search of the books and the author. I fell in love with Peter Grant, the young black cop who, left to guard a murder scene in Covent Garden in the middle of the night, encounters a ghost. Goddesses, demons, destruction on an epic scale and enormous fun. I recommended the books to my daughter andwe are both waiting with bated breath for the new one out in February.
Lies Sleeping brings to a close (mostly) events that started in the first Rivers of London novel novel.
*** What to expect
The novel opens with a police resolution to consolidate all of the previous major cases into one operation, to bring down the people responsible. As can be expected, Aaronovitch brings in many aspects of previous novels and comics in a (semi) closure to the arc of the series. It’s not completely over yet, but it is definitely an end of a big chapter in Grant’s life.
There’s the usual Peter Grant mayhem, historical English trivia, charming characters and locations, and references to previous events. This novel (and the series) will only make sense if read in order.
*** What I liked
I generally love Aaronovitch’s style, the wit and how Grant takes a modern policeman’s and semi-scientific attitudes towards the magic he learns, and how he tries to map out (or create) modern police procedures to deal with the paranormal and supernatural. The characters are mostly realistic and approachable and the plot moves fast.
*** What to be aware of
By personal taste, I was a bit disappointed with the resolution. It’s realistic and in-line with the characters in some aspects, but there is something lacking in the way of how we (me) want to stories to be. There’s also the whole bit of the dream-scape, which, again, didn’t quite do it for me.
Also, it should be obvious that at this point it really doesn’t make sense to jump in at the middle. The series is best read in order. The comics are not mandatory, but there are references to events from them. You can take them as off-page short cases, but if you’re a true Peter Grant fan you’ll want to read them in the correct place between the novels as well.
*** Summary
An good continuation of the series, closing off a big chapter while leaving some things open for the future. Definitely read the series in order, but if you liked the previous volumes you’ll want to read this book.
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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
The first book will probably always be my favorite, but this seventh installment of the Peter Grant series is running a tight second! Although there are one or two parts that didn’t quite seem to relate to anything (I may have just been tired when reading them), the majority of the book blends together with a perfect pace, plenty of humor, and a terrific plot. And the ending only leaves you wanting more.
It was also fun to see the return of some of the points from Book One (Rivers of London or Midnight Riot, depending on where you live), but I especially liked the nods to tales from the comic book series (you don’t HAVE to read them to understand the story, but they’ll add that little extra dash of enjoyment).
Another delicious installment – woven into these clever books is a clear-eyed critique of London’s architectural landscape which is not what you might expect from novels rooted in wizardry and the supernatural.
Perhaps my favourite in the series so far, even though Peter didn’t blow up half the London in the end, which was a bit disappointing. Solid police procedural was very solid this time round, but managed not to become boring. Peter is coming to terms with his type of policing and all things magic, which makes the ending all the more cruel. The final showdown between him and the faceless man was over faster than I anticipated, but I doubt things are done with in that storyline.
My only gripe, as always with these books, is the character descriptions. In a series this long, all characters should be given some meat around their bones when they’re mentioned for the first time in a book, no matter how in detail they may have been described in earlier books – which they never are. Half the time it was like Peter was surrounded by paper-cuts, for all that I knew who they were or what their position in his life was. Not even his girlfriend is described. Architecture gets more loving descriptions than she does. The same eye for detail should be given to characters to make them seem like living and breathing people.
Great series. Makes you eager for the next book in the series. This is #6.
This is the seventh in Aaronovitch’s “Rivers of London” series, and one of the best, if not the very best, for my taste. Peter Grant is his usual snarky, ungrammatical, but humane self, and the action is fast and furious.
Lies Sleeping, the latest volume in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series is a solid addition to the series. I normally don’t read much fantasy, but the not-quite-magical-realism in the series is fun and engaging. The culturally diverse characters are a plus, as well.
Urban Fantasy at its best. I’ve read the whole series thus far, but listed to this one on Audible. It was great.
Love characters and the story but the extensive architectural information he seems compelled to include, makes me want to just stop reading this series.