Rivers of London

by Ben Aaronovitch

400 pages

Published March 27, 2011 by Gollancz.

ISBN:: 978-0-575-09756-8
OCLC Number:: 660533764

View on OpenLibrary

(62 reviews)

1 edition

Jon Nixon reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

A really good contemporary urban fantasy mash up of police investigation and supernatural thriller. It's dark, mysterious, exciting and funny. Nicely paced and plotted with some great twists that I didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series. Apparently there's a TV adaptation coming and I think it's perfect material for that.

The book is a lovely first person narrative full of dry humour. There are lots of wonderful pop culture references, some of them so subtle that I'm sure must have missed others. All of the characters are great. Even the bit parts have quirks and attitudes and you can tell they have backstories and feel they live outside the book. Mother Thames and her daughters are awesome. What really shines through is the author's obvious love of London in every grimy detail.

I thought the opening was a little contrived but if you push …

ish-i-ness reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

If you're really bored and you like mystery thrillers and/or supernatural stuff but you want something that at least attempts to be literary, I guess this is a good option? It it's a huge mess and it doesn't really have much to say in the end despite indications in the beginning that it might.

drizzy reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Keep breathing, I said. It’s a habit you don’t want to break.

This has been one fun book. Witty, quite funny and full ofmagic. There were a few dry spells (Ha! Get it?) here and there, but Istill consider this a successful combination of Neil Gaiman'sNeverwhere and more traditional CSI/detective books. There's London,there's magic, there is science and fake history. And there's amurderous something on the loose. Have I mentioned personificationsof London rivers? I have a feeling that knowing London layout andhistory better would make this an even more enjoyable read, but it alsodidn't take away much.I'll definitely continue the series, the premise is interesting enoughand there are a lot of characters I want to meet again. Until nexttime!

Michael P reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Excellent modern paranormal with a British twist.

I enjoy the pace of the story, the characters, and the mysteries surrounding the paranormal in this setting.

Enno reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was another nice start to a new series of books that I'm going to read the rest of when I get my hands on them. It's got magic, wizards, crime, it's set in London, what more can you ask for? Maybe a less rushed conclusion. The character of Molly did not really make a lot of sense to me, and ended up being a bit of a deus ex machina?

franksbooks reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A nice intro to Peter Grant. I’m curious to find out more about him though - not enough character development and too much “pace” makes Gavin take a star away.

SharonC reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Fun, fast story with a great setting--agree with comparisons to American Gods and Dresden Files. Lighter in tone than either of those. Good for the gloomy days of late January.

Robin reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Part Ian Rankin, part Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), this was a good story that was difficult to put down. I'm glad there is a sequel.

Realistic Pessimist reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Review of 'Rivers of London' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

It's like not much has changed since James Bond. I cringed already at the opening, a trying-too-hard-dude self introduction. In the tradition of classic crime stories from the perspective of a heterosexual male it was hard to focus on the funny and smart bits of the story while all women seem to be there for the main character's sexual projections. None of them adds an interesting or important bit to the story, those who are powerful realise their power mostly by sexual temptation. Oh, there is an equally clichéd exemption: the tough dyke. But even in her true core the hero reveals a soft pink reminder of femininity to the reader.
Until 2/3s of the story I was willing to swallow this frequently used stereotyped setting, but after that the story itself crumbled and lost its grip on me. Through the rest of it I waited for a witty twist, …