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isabellabaker's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
reader457692's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
sashapasha's review
3.0
I was a lot more interested in the characters than the mystery, but it was an enjoyable and fresh take on urban fantasy.
blamelucy's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
plnodwyer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
Competent. But Charles Stross's "Laundry" series does the same thing better. That doesn't mean you shouldn't read Aaronovitch.
I suspect this one is aimed at a younger audience, perhaps going for Harry Potter graduates. I won't blame the author for the Potter connection in the cover blurb.
There are too many typos and misused words, and the author leaves us unclear as to whether he really does understand pronouns. Is he trying to make Peter more "relatable" by having him fight with grammar as so many others do?
I started the series with this book. Probably missed a few references, such as what Molly is, but I didn't feel as if I was adrift.
The plot was not bad, but nothing special. As others have noted, it mixes realistic urban with fantasy quite well. Although it's hard to believe the existence of magic could stay secret very long in this world.
I suspect this one is aimed at a younger audience, perhaps going for Harry Potter graduates. I won't blame the author for the Potter connection in the cover blurb.
There are too many typos and misused words, and the author leaves us unclear as to whether he really does understand pronouns. Is he trying to make Peter more "relatable" by having him fight with grammar as so many others do?
I started the series with this book. Probably missed a few references, such as what Molly is, but I didn't feel as if I was adrift.
The plot was not bad, but nothing special. As others have noted, it mixes realistic urban with fantasy quite well. Although it's hard to believe the existence of magic could stay secret very long in this world.
tregina's review against another edition
4.0
There's such a strange dissonance that goes on in my head when I read this series because I really, really enjoy them and yet I'm always left just a little bit unsatisfied. Not in the sense of immediately wanting to read more (though I do--when's the next book coming out again?) but that there should have been just that little bit more to it.
One thing I love about Aaronovitch, that I think he does particularly well in this book, is repurpose language to suit new contexts, especially verbs. It's very evocative without ever feeling overdone. I may come back and write more about this one, because I have Thoughts.
One thing I love about Aaronovitch, that I think he does particularly well in this book, is repurpose language to suit new contexts, especially verbs. It's very evocative without ever feeling overdone. I may come back and write more about this one, because I have Thoughts.
hirvimaki's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable entry into the Rivers of London series, but it spins its wheels a bit. The baffling part was the non-existent clash between Kimberley Reynolds' strict Christian faith and all things magical. This, in fact, does not happen. At all. And maybe I was waiting for it to.