Waiting on Wednesday 06/11/14

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy's Pick:

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronvitch: October 7, 2014 (DAW)

My urban fantasy crush is Peter Grant, London Metropolitan Police constable and wizard. I love these books! Foxglove Summer is the fifth installment (that is such a lovely title) and it's set to drop this fall, with the US release slightly behind the UK one. At least this time we don't have to wait half a year like I did with the last book.

"In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London - to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can't take the London out of the copper. 

Travelling west with Beverley Brook Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what's more all the shops are closed by 4pm..."

Book Review: Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 4 of Peter Grant

Publisher: DAW (US: February 4, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars
 

New rule: if you are an urban fantasy starring a London policeman-turned-wizard named Peter Grant, then I MUST READ YOU. Let's just say I have waited a long time for this! After devouring the first three books last spring, I was left with a void that only this series' dry wit and magical action could provide, and now book four has finally made its way to the US.

Ben Aaronovitch does not hold back for Peter's latest adventure, which involves our favorite magician-constable working to solve yet another string of odd deaths happening around the city. The first red flag goes up when a chance car accident leads him to a murder victim, who may have a link to the mysterious "Faceless Man." That's the big baddie that Peter and his supervisor Nightingale have been hunting over the course of the last couple of books.

As such, Broken Homes probably wouldn't be the best jumping on point if you're new to the series, albeit the central plot within the bigger picture is still wildly entertaining. When it is discovered that the odd deaths are all connected to a controversial housing estate "designed by a nutter, built by charlatans, and inhabited by the truly desperate", Peter and his fellow investigators come up with an insane plan to get to the bottom of the mystery. What do they do? They move in and go under cover. Trouble ensues. And with that, tons of amusement for readers.

Here's why I think it would be a good idea to at least tackle the previous book first before reading this one: if you're not familiar with the overall story arc with the Faceless Man, the first half of the book will probably feel pretty slow. I personally was interested in the investigations because a lot of it had to do with uncovering the identity of the enemy and trying to capture him, but without that context I think a lot of the happenings will feel disjointed or only tenuously connected.

But as someone who has been following this series, I think it is clearly starting to come into its own. With that comes a greater appreciation for the little quirks only found in these books, like London's rivers personified as semi-divine spirits, Peter's esoteric interests into the city's architecture or even his frequent funny jabs at the Metropolitan Police. All this made even some of the more low-key bits of the book very fascinating and engaging -- such as the scene with the spring celebration, or descriptions of Peter's magical training sessions.

However, I have to say the second half of the book -- which includes the subsequent build-up to the climax -- and ending is simply phenomenal. As the main protagonist and narrator, I thought Peter would always be my favorite character in these books, but Nightingale may have just given him a run for his money. His anachronisms and total fail with modern technologies notwithstanding, the guy is awesome. You might think you know wizarding duels, but you don't -- not until you read about the one near the end of this book, with Nightingale versus the Russian Night Witch. I think I may have a crush.

Then, there's the climax and the shocking "twist". I put the quotations there because I'm not sure how truly surprising it is if you've been following the series and the characters. It was shocking yes, but it wasn't completely unexpected. The clues leading up to it weren't entirely subtle, though that might just be me. All the same, the excitement and snappy pace in these final chapters will make you ache for more, and leave you desperate to find out what happens next.

Sigh, which leads me back to this familiar place, of pining for the next book. The waiting does not get easier!

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to DAW Books!

Mogsy: Favorite Quote From A Favorite Book

"It’s a truism in policing that witnesses and statements are fine but nothing beats empirical physical evidence. Actually it isn’t a truism because most policemen think the word empirical is something to do with Darth Vader, but it damn well should be."

-- Peter Grant

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 

(BiblioSanctum Review)

Book Review: Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch

Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch

Wow, never have I snapped up and read all the currently available books in a series so quickly. With my enthusiasm waning for Harry Dresden in light of the new direction the Dresden Files series has taken in the last few books, someone else has recently dethroned him as my favorite leading man in urban fantasy fiction. Peter Grant is my master now!

I'm really enjoying this series. I probably didn't like this book as much as the two preceding it, but then again, Rivers of London (review here) was excellent and the sequel Moon Over Soho (review here) was even better, so I knew that was going to be hard to top.

The story begins with a strange murder in the London Underground, and as usual, strange murders always lead to a call to The Folly, home of the Metropolitan Police's two-man paranormal investigative unit. And thus Peter is dragged into a messy case involving a dead American exchange student who is also the son of a rich and powerful U.S. Senator. Added to that is The Folly's ongoing manhunt for "The Faceless Man", the rogue wizard who wreaked havoc and almost got Peter killed in the last book.

Actually, I'd thought this book would take up that thread directly, following through on the mystery behind who The Faceless Man is and ending that story arc, but apparently not. It seems the author has plans instead to expand that particular plot line over the course of future books, an indication that the scope of this series will be getting bigger and bigger. I'm not sure how I feel about that; on the one hand, I'm glad there are ambitious plans for these novels, but on the other, a part of me still prefers the one-contained-mystery-per-book-at-a-time kind of format.

Already, this book feels like there's a lot more happening in it than the others. With the exception of a couple scenes, the story didn't feel as suspenseful because the mystery was "diluted" amidst all that was going on. Maybe that's also why its chapters were organized into what happened by days of the week this time, to help keep track of all the events over time.  There seems to be a lot more exposition as well, and sadly -- at least it feels this way to me -- less history about London and less of Peter experimenting with magic using science, which were the two things I'd loved best about the first two books. Actually, there's just not as much magic, period.

Despite that, there were some things I really liked about this book, not the least of all Lesley's bigger role in this series. I wasn't happy at all about what happened to her in the first book, and good to know she wasn't just some shallow, throwaway plot device never to have a more important purpose again. There are also a few scenes which I felt were done extremely well, especially a particular one near the end in the eerie confines of the underground tunnels. Very imaginative and atmospheric.

Anyway, I'm glad that I'm all caught up now, but unfortunately that also means it's going to be a long and difficult wait for the end of July, which is when the next book comes out.

Final verdict:

 4 of 5 stars

Book Review: Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

I don't know what it is about the Peter Grant series, but this is only the second installment and already I am completed addicted. I've not been a fan of urban fantasy for very long, but over the years I have come to appreciate the particular brand of "fun and fluffiness" that's so characteristic of books like this. They're reliable entertainment -- I know even before I crack the cover that I'll have a good time, and I'm hardly ever disappointed. 

As it happens, Moon Over Soho was even better than I expected, because I found I could hardly put it down once I started. The story begins just several months after the events of the first book Rivers of London/Midnight Riot (and you can see my review for book one here), but police constable and apprentice magician Peter Grant is already called upon to investigate a series of curious deaths around the Soho area in the West End of London. It appears a troubling number of jazz musicians have been keeling over dead after their gigs, apparently from "natural" causes such as aneurysms or heart failure, but the discovery of thaumaturgical residue on the bodies makes Peter suspect magical foul play.

I was also surprised to see that a seemingly minor event from the last book, one I'd thought was originally thrown in at the end for some perverse comic relief, actually turned out to be the basis for another major plot thread in this novel. The details are a little disturbing and really much too outrageous to try to explain, so let's just leave it at that. I'd rather not spoil it, anyhow.

That said, while the adventures of Peter and his dry sardonic British wit (especially in his zinging of everything from the bureaucracy of the London Metropolitan Police to post-modern architecture) continue to delight and make me laugh out loud, there is definitely a darker, more sinister tone to this book. Not only are a few of the crime scene scenarios somewhat disturbing, there were also a few parts where I actually found myself downright creeped out -- but in the good, spine-tingling-edge-of-your-seat kind of way.

There are also a couple of traditions I'm glad to see this book continuing. The first is the ever phenomenal characterization of London as a charming, vibrant and multicultural city. The author likes to inject random and interesting facts about London's description, history, and people in the course of his storytelling, and all that attention to detail truly brings this magnificent city to life in these books.

The second is the "science" behind the magic. The magical systems and how they work in this series are still not very clear, and here the reader is almost as lost as Peter when it comes to trying to figure it out. Peter, however, persists in experimenting with his powers using logic and scientific theory, and even though some of his results and "explanations" make things even more confusing and harder to understand, I do like his unique approach and am interested to see how the series' concept of magic will continue to develop in future books.

Speaking of which, contrary to the first book which in my opinion wrapped up quite nicely, Moon Over Soho has the distinct feel of a "Part I". This series is definitely building into something bigger, and I can't wait to get my hands on the third book so I can find out what happens.

Final verdict:

 5 of 5 stars

Cover Lover - Rivers and Riots

Welcome to Cover Lover, a feature on this blog dedicated to book covers! For a long time, I'd wanted a place where I can share some of my favorite covers, or talk about any that might have caught my eye. So when I came across this idea on fellow gamer/book lover Angelya's site The Oaken Bookcase, I jumped at the opportunity to adopt it as well. The "meme" was originally created by another friend of mine, Jaedia, on her book blog Once Upon A Time, so be sure to check out both their sites and take a look at some of the covers they have featured.

A few weeks ago, I finished a book called Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. A friend had to lend me their copy, because like a few others, I initially had difficulty finding one for myself. It wasn't until later that I realized why -- turns out, the US version of the book goes under the different title of Midnight Riot. Curious as to why, I decided to do some digging around.

And in doing so, I discovered that the two versions also have vastly different covers.

The original Gollancz cover

US cover

I love the original cover. And after reading the novel, I think I prefer it even more. Based upon a detail from a drawing called The Island by UK artist Stephen Walter, the Gollancz cover isn't as bombastic but still manages to capture the quirkiness of the story, and better yet, the liveliness and rich history of a big city like London. It has charm. It's different and unique.

The US cover on the other hand? I'm sorry, but no. I'll give that it's colorful and flashy, but if I'd walked by that on a bookstore shelf I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance. They've pretty much reduced the cover to look like every other convention standard urban fantasy out there! A shame, since the book was so awesome.

Not to mention, the American edition's cover apparently drew a bit of controversy a while back. The publisher Del Rey was criticized for changing an earlier version of the image -- which showed the character's face in more detail -- to the silhouette shown above, thus hiding the book's protagonist Peter Grant's ethnic background as the son of a native London jazz musician and an immigrant mother from Sierra Leone.

Honestly, it seemed like it was a bad idea to change the covers all around. Fortunately, sounds like Del Rey later changed their cover policy to announce that new editions of the book will now have the British cover, and so will the third Peter Grant book Whispers Under Ground and hopefully all future ones in the series as well. Great to hear, since those maps by Stephen Walter really are quite beautiful. Regardless, these are some fascinating stories behind the covers for sure.

Feel free to check out my review of Rivers of London here.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London (AKA Midnight Riot in the US) by Ben Aaronovitch

I didn't even get past a quarter of the way through this book before I thought to myself, "Okay, this one is totally going on my 'favorites' shelf." In a word, it was fun. So, so fun. I really can't think of any other book in recent memory that has made me laugh out loud so much.

It definitely helps if you're a fan of the kind of paranormal action-adventures by Jim Butcher or similar authors, but somehow, I think even non-readers of the urban fantasy genre would enjoy this book. First of all, I don't even know if "urban fantasy" would most accurately describe it, as there is also so much of the book that sets it apart and makes it an original and refreshing read.

I suppose it's best to describe Rivers of London as a police procedural mixed with a heavy dose of the supernatural, topped with a dash of dark comedy, mystery and action. The book features Peter Grant, a London Metropolitan Police constable fresh out of probationary hoping to be assigned a decent permanent post, until one day while working on a case he finds himself encountering a ghost. His impromptu interview with the dead witness brings him to the attention of detective Thomas Nightingale, who is also a wizard and the only member of the Met's little-known paranormal investigative unit. Peter becomes Nightingale's apprentice, and soon the two are running all over the city trying to solve a series of murders involving exploding faces.

The book is also almost like a love letter to London. Rich descriptions of the city's history, landmarks and architecture fill its pages, instilling everything with feeling and practically making the setting itself a character all its own. And I haven't even gotten around to talking about all of the rivers in and around London being personified as semi-divine spirits, which I feel is probably one of the most unique and defining concepts in the novel.

As the main protagonist and narrator, Peter Grant pretty much single-handedly made this book amazing for me. I love his dry British wit. I love the unruffled way he approaches weird X-Files moments like ghosts and exploding faces with nothing more than a shrug and a c'est la vie. I love the fact that he is inherently a "good guy" who wants to be a policeman for the right reasons. I love that he tries to approach magic with a scientific mind.

It is that last point about Peter that really resonated with me, because I'd like to think I would react much the same way in his shoes. Also, it is the "science-y" bits in Rivers of London that in my opinion roots the story more to reality than a lot of other books in the genre. That said, sometimes the magic system still has that unfinished, not-entirely-developed feel to it, but I imagine this will be further explored in subsequent novels in the series. Speaking of which, I'm off to find the sequel.

Final verdict:

 

5 of 5 stars