About the book
Rivers of London is the first novel in the series of the same name by English author Ben Aaronovitch. The novel was released on 10 January 2011 through Gollancz and was well received by critics, earning a Galaxy National Book Awards nomination for Aaronovitch in the New Writer of the Year award.
The novel centres around the adventures of Peter Grant, a young officer in the Metropolitan Police; who, following an unexpected encounter with a ghost, is recruited into the small branch of the Met that deals with magic and the supernatural.
Peter Grant, having become the first English apprentice wizard in fifty years, must immediately deal with two different but ultimately inter-related cases. In one he must find what is possessing ordinary people and turning them into vicious killers, and in the second he must broker a peace between the two warring gods of the River Thames.
Review by Devonshire Reading Group:
A fantasy detective novel, unashamedly influenced by both Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes. An easy read, the plot revolves around the young constable Peter Grant drawn into a magical underground version of London where the rivers are each owned by a spirit. The plot moves at a steady pace with some twists and the book is clearly the first of a series.
3 stars out of 5
Hampshire Library Service 