The Rivers of London is a good series and I’ve enjoyed the previous volumes, so I was quite excited with new release.

What to Expect

Expect another typical Peter Grant supernatural crime blend, reading like a modern British police procedural novel except that the crimes (and police people) deal with magic. By now Aaronovitch is well into stride, and carries the series well with fluent writing and engaging characters.

This time it’s about events set in motion during the Inquisition period of Spain. Aaronovitch concocts a wonderful blend of historical detail, modern policing method, and a demi-monde of the supernatural living just under the eyes of normal people.

What I liked

As the novel deals with events dating back to the inquisition, everything from the title onwards is steeped with pop references to Monty Python’s sketch. Plenty of light-hearted jokes, action, and occasional serious moment keep this novel and series very entertaining.

What to be aware of

This is book 9 of the series, with established characters and background stories. It’s nice to see Aaronovitch dropping hints about a larger arc (once the previous one has finished two books ago), but this really isn’t the place to start.

Felix’s Review

As usual, Felix is amazed by the concepts of modern policing. Considering his world had precious little law enforcement (and in fact he was often hired to deal with troublesome occult hooligans), he finds the full force of forensic and organised police method brought to bear on the supernatural world somewhere between exhilarating and frightening.

Summary

If you’ve read the series so far, this is definitely a good continuation. If not, why? Go back to Rivers of London and enjoy a standout urban fantasy.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.

Come meet Felix and his world on the free short stories and novels!