Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder; when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Lots of London/British references (that I didn't get...)
3 stars
Cool urban fantasy set up in London. It's got the Dresden Files vibe. It's full of British slang, which was not familiar to me. I'm not knowledgeable in the London geography so I must have missed tons of references. It was still a nice read for me, but I guess I was discouraged to go on with the series because it seemed very niche and more interesting for people who know London culture.
Really good overall, but there were a couple spots where pacing seemed a little thrown off by jumps forward and then backing up to fill in what happened.
Audiobook. Oh I really enjoyed this! Interesting urban fantasy that also has humor. Will definitely continue with this series. Narration was good as well.
The audiobook production was fantastic. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith was amazing. He not only captured Peter Grant's internal voice, he magnificently portrayed the varied cast of characters. He was so brilliant I'm not sure I can't not listen to the rest of the series in audiobook.
The premise of this book, a police officer who learns about the supernatural and joins the secret branch of the police that deals with all things magic, etc. (of which, including him, there are two individuals) is intriguing. But the execution is where the book shines. For one, it's funny, and that's no mean feat. Peter is snarky as hell and I love it.
And the plot has a couple different threads that both give the reader a crash course in this world Aaronovitch has created, while moving things along at a nice clip.
Now, on to the problematic aspects. For one, this book more …
The audiobook production was fantastic. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith was amazing. He not only captured Peter Grant's internal voice, he magnificently portrayed the varied cast of characters. He was so brilliant I'm not sure I can't not listen to the rest of the series in audiobook.
The premise of this book, a police officer who learns about the supernatural and joins the secret branch of the police that deals with all things magic, etc. (of which, including him, there are two individuals) is intriguing. But the execution is where the book shines. For one, it's funny, and that's no mean feat. Peter is snarky as hell and I love it.
And the plot has a couple different threads that both give the reader a crash course in this world Aaronovitch has created, while moving things along at a nice clip.
Now, on to the problematic aspects. For one, this book more or less fails the Bechdel test, which is kind of appalling considering there are a number of strong female characters (though to be fair, one of those characters doesn't speak).
Also, Peter Grant's internal narrative was very much a horny guy. I could have done with a bit less musings on how he was attracted to Lesley or Beverly, or observations on women's bustlines or cleavages.
Usually, that would have annoyed me much more than it did. I can't decide if it was the excellent narration or the fact that the characterization of Peter was good enough that I didn't feel it detracted from him.
