It has all the surface similarities to that series - a magically-inclined PI constable collaborating with the police force of a big city to solve magical crimes, while interacting with a slew of mythical creatures and engaging in self-deprecating pop-culture-references-laden humor ( and, in case of Peter Grant, lacking the borderline-misogynous chivalry).īut before you, those who do not share my affection for the Dresden universe, run away screaming from this book, please listen - it apparently appealed even to those who cannot stand Harry Dresden. Had I stumbled on the lair of dangerous plant geneticists?'The US-titled Midnight Riot (which used to be called Rivers of London before some American publisher undoubtedly decided that the target audience should NOT be aspiring US-based geographers) is a great read for me, a self-proclaimed devout Dresdenite (as in Harry Dresden, the Chicago wizard for hire, and not so much the German city). Science points east, I wondered? Science is portentous, yes? Science protests too much. ' Carved above the lintel were the words SCIENTIA POTESTAS EST.

³ Examples - Harry Dresden books, China Miéville, Neil Gaiman, even Sir Terry. ² Examples - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, even some of China Miéville's stuff.

Rivers of London is a fun mix of so many things that I love in my pleasure reads - the geekiness and the science¹, the dry British humor², and the magical/mythical/phantasmagorical stuff in a big city³. It's a horse apiece, really.įor the rest of you who realize that one of the main joys of reading (if not life itself) is learning and broadening your experience of the world… well… this book is for you. Or you could jump into a dry well and kill yourself. If you have a problem with that? Well, I guess you can go back to watching Entourage and re-reading Twilight. You might occationally have to absorb some information, learn a new word or two, and figure things out from context clues. If you don't know anything at all about London, Brittish slang, or culture other than the last three decades of American history, this book might stretch you a little bit. It's rare that someone references Tolkien, Newton, and The Last Airbender all in one book. I don't think I've ever read anything else published in the US that has as much legitimate British slang in it. They did change the title in the US from 'Rivers of London' to 'Midnight Riot.' That was a shame.īut they left a lot of good stuff in.

It hasn't been dumbed down for the American audience. It's set in London, and written by someone who obviously knows London.Ħ.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch