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My name is Peter Grant, and I'm a keeper of the secret flame. Truth be told, there's a lot I still don't know. My superior Nightingale is trying to teach me proper schooling for a magician's apprentice. But even he doesn't have all the answers. A mutilated body in Crawley means another murderer is on the loose. But then I get word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle. Just the typical day for a magician constable.Tags
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Peter Grant — Scotland Yard constable and apprentice wizard — is back in the fourth book in Aaronovitch’s [Rivers of London] series. Grant is once again preoccupied with studying for his detective’s badge on the one hand and increasing his knowledge of magical formae on the other under the tutelage of his police wizard boss, Nightingale, and alongside his fellow constable/apprentice Lesley, who is still recovering from her close encounter with the Faceless Man, an evil “practitioner” of magic.
That would seem to be enough to keep even a curious wizardling busy but Grant also has to contend with working a series of murder cases that may or may not be connected, both to each other and to the Faceless Man. The investigation show more takes Peter and Leslie — and canine magic detector Toby — undercover at a bizarre tower housing estate built by a German architect who may have known a thing or two about magic himself.
I enjoyed the story line of Broken Homes, which as typical for Aaronovitch is almost impossibly convoluted and involves river spirits, a perpetually stoned friend of goblins, a Russian nightwitch and a pair of woodland nymphs, but what happened in the final quarter of the book pretty much blew my mind with a plot twist I did not see coming in the slightest. After taking a few days to mull it over, I’ve decided the plot twist is legit and not just stapled on to create a cliffhanger for the next installment, which leaves me anxiously waiting for Book Five. show less
That would seem to be enough to keep even a curious wizardling busy but Grant also has to contend with working a series of murder cases that may or may not be connected, both to each other and to the Faceless Man. The investigation show more takes Peter and Leslie — and canine magic detector Toby — undercover at a bizarre tower housing estate built by a German architect who may have known a thing or two about magic himself.
I enjoyed the story line of Broken Homes, which as typical for Aaronovitch is almost impossibly convoluted and involves river spirits, a perpetually stoned friend of goblins, a Russian nightwitch and a pair of woodland nymphs, but what happened in the final quarter of the book pretty much blew my mind with a plot twist I did not see coming in the slightest. After taking a few days to mull it over, I’ve decided the plot twist is legit and not just stapled on to create a cliffhanger for the next installment, which leaves me anxiously waiting for Book Five. show less
∫Other reviewers have said that this is more a middle novel in a series, and a set-up for what comes next. While this is true as far as it goes, I think it's one of the tightest of this series. It reminds me of the second book in most trilogies; the arc of the book itself is somewhat subsumed to the arc of the series as a whole.
Don't start here. Too much won't make any sense without the background, and there's very little fill-in; it just starts to GO and doesn't stop.
I love this series. It's a unique blend of urban fantasy, horror, humor, and police procedural. Peter is growing as a character, as are the people around him, all of whom are interesting. Things happen that cannot be ignored or undone and that drive events in future show more books. It's all written in Peter's voice, so we see things only through his eyes- and while he's not an unreliable narrator, he's not everywhere and knowing everything so nor are we. I like that. Everyone has his/her own motivations and struggles, from the minor to the gigantic. We're learning more about the way magic works, and also about the "demi-monde"- the more magical creatures in the world.
Highly recommended, both as a series and as a novel... but if you're not up-to-date in the series, catch up before this one! The first is "Midnight Riot" or "Rivers of London". show less
Don't start here. Too much won't make any sense without the background, and there's very little fill-in; it just starts to GO and doesn't stop.
I love this series. It's a unique blend of urban fantasy, horror, humor, and police procedural. Peter is growing as a character, as are the people around him, all of whom are interesting. Things happen that cannot be ignored or undone and that drive events in future show more books. It's all written in Peter's voice, so we see things only through his eyes- and while he's not an unreliable narrator, he's not everywhere and knowing everything so nor are we. I like that. Everyone has his/her own motivations and struggles, from the minor to the gigantic. We're learning more about the way magic works, and also about the "demi-monde"- the more magical creatures in the world.
Highly recommended, both as a series and as a novel... but if you're not up-to-date in the series, catch up before this one! The first is "Midnight Riot" or "Rivers of London". show less
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 more of 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 this latest adventure, which involves our favorite magician constable working out to solve another series of odd deaths happening around the city. The first red flag goes up when a chance car accident leads them to a murder victim, who may have a link to the mysterious "Faceless Man", the big baddie that Peter and his supervisor show more Nightingale has been hunting for the last couple 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 linked 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 it, tons of amusement for the 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 myself was interested in the investigations because I knew 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, and perhaps with that comes a greater appreciation for the little quirks only found in these books. There's of course London's rivers personified as semi-divine spirits, and Peter's esoteric interests into the city's architecture or even his frequent funny jabs at the Metropolitan Police. All of this made even some of the more low-key bits in the book still 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 give him a run for his money. His anachronisms and total fail with modern technologies notwithstanding, the guy is totally awesome. You don't know wizard duels until you read about the one near the end 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 characters. Shocking yes, but it wasn't completely unexpected, and I the clues leading up to it weren't entirely subtle, though that might just be me. The excitement and snappy pace in these final chapters will make you ache for more though, and leave you desperate to find out what happens next.
Sigh, which leads me back here to this familiar place again, waiting for the next book. It doesn't get easier. show less
Ben Aaronovitch does not hold back for this latest adventure, which involves our favorite magician constable working out to solve another series of odd deaths happening around the city. The first red flag goes up when a chance car accident leads them to a murder victim, who may have a link to the mysterious "Faceless Man", the big baddie that Peter and his supervisor show more Nightingale has been hunting for the last couple 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 linked 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 it, tons of amusement for the 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 myself was interested in the investigations because I knew 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, and perhaps with that comes a greater appreciation for the little quirks only found in these books. There's of course London's rivers personified as semi-divine spirits, and Peter's esoteric interests into the city's architecture or even his frequent funny jabs at the Metropolitan Police. All of this made even some of the more low-key bits in the book still 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 give him a run for his money. His anachronisms and total fail with modern technologies notwithstanding, the guy is totally awesome. You don't know wizard duels until you read about the one near the end 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 characters. Shocking yes, but it wasn't completely unexpected, and I the clues leading up to it weren't entirely subtle, though that might just be me. The excitement and snappy pace in these final chapters will make you ache for more though, and leave you desperate to find out what happens next.
Sigh, which leads me back here to this familiar place again, waiting for the next book. It doesn't get easier. show less
Peter Grant's latest case takes him south of the river, to the Elephant and Castle area of town. A set of mysterious deaths has led him here to a depressing housing estate, where he and Lesley go undercover in their efforts to unearth the Faceless Man… hopefully without destroying too many important London landmarks or riling up the river spirits.
I was tremendously excited to read this book and enjoyed it very much, although I can sense a reread of the other installments is in order -- it's been a while (and a great many books have passed) since I first read this book's predecessor, Whispers Underground. There were references to characters and situations that I knew I had read about before, but it took me a while to remember the exact show more circumstances or details. So this is probably a book best enjoyed after reading the others.
However, if you have been reading the other books, there's more to love in this one: Peter's narrative voice is a treat as always, Nightingale develops a mildly sardonic streak, and Molly comes forward a bit more than I remember her doing in previous books. The end is a smashing cliffhanger that had me yelling in surprise. Really looking forward to the next book! show less
I was tremendously excited to read this book and enjoyed it very much, although I can sense a reread of the other installments is in order -- it's been a while (and a great many books have passed) since I first read this book's predecessor, Whispers Underground. There were references to characters and situations that I knew I had read about before, but it took me a while to remember the exact show more circumstances or details. So this is probably a book best enjoyed after reading the others.
However, if you have been reading the other books, there's more to love in this one: Peter's narrative voice is a treat as always, Nightingale develops a mildly sardonic streak, and Molly comes forward a bit more than I remember her doing in previous books. The end is a smashing cliffhanger that had me yelling in surprise. Really looking forward to the next book! show less
Architecture, apprentice wizard PC Peter Grant's favourite hobby subject, takes centre stage in this, the 4th installment of the Rivers of London series. A famous German architect has built a series of high-rise apartments, at the time prized for their innovative design, now are fighting demolition. But there is more to the buildings than meets the eye. They have a structure that appears to channel magic, and the arch enemy of the series, the faceless man, wants to get his hands on this huge well of power. Peter and Leslie go under-cover in the block, to try to sniff out the faceless man's plan and hopefully foil it and catch him in the process.
This, as usual, is very much the tip of the iceberg where the labyrinthine plot goes. It is show more at times difficult to follow as usual, but that's not such a big deal, when the pace of the plot moves along so well, and there are regular dramatic scenes, as well as some hefty plot twists, especially one towards the end here. And again the book is written with such wit, such gritty attention to Met Police detail that it feels both funny, dark and immersive, as do the others.
Another very strong chapter in the story, and I'm moving straight to the next novel right now! show less
This, as usual, is very much the tip of the iceberg where the labyrinthine plot goes. It is show more at times difficult to follow as usual, but that's not such a big deal, when the pace of the plot moves along so well, and there are regular dramatic scenes, as well as some hefty plot twists, especially one towards the end here. And again the book is written with such wit, such gritty attention to Met Police detail that it feels both funny, dark and immersive, as do the others.
Another very strong chapter in the story, and I'm moving straight to the next novel right now! show less
Paranormal procedural mysteries with a heavy hand for architecture, urban planning, and jazz. Yeah, it's not everyone's cuppa, but I freaking love this series. In this particular entry, Grant is dealing with the kind of hideous high-rise so common to housing projects for the poor in big cities. My Le Corbusier rant is long and full of vitriol, so I won't go into it here, plus Aaronovitch makes it sound better coming out of Peter Grant. Here I'll just point out that associating evil with these kinds of projects is a natural. And there are all kinds of geeky Dr. Who and Harry Potter jokes, so, yay!
Personal copy because after starting the sample I could not wait to read the rest.
Personal copy because after starting the sample I could not wait to read the rest.
LESLEY! You two time, backstabbing, shit on the people that care about you, wanker you better have a good reason for this ending! end rant This book just proved why you're my favorite character. sobs at the beauty of the reveal
Holy wow that was a book. I can't even still believe how it ended.
As with the other books in the series, this mystery takes you deeper into the magical realm of London. I love exploring all of the weirdities with Peter. His commentary is spot on, and I love how well these books are written. They are more like a journal or pub chat than just a story told from Peter's perspective.
The faceless man becomes more of a flawed human in this book, than the mysterious villain he was in the last book. Dying to know his show more backstory, and what has led him onto this path of destruction. It's all too calculated to be the ravings of a mad man bent on death.
I also noticed that Peter only used maybe one reference to other IPs in this book, and that leads me to believe that he is owning the magical universe he is apart of more, and not needing to compare it to other books he's read.
Can't wait to read the next installment! show less
Holy wow that was a book. I can't even still believe how it ended.
As with the other books in the series, this mystery takes you deeper into the magical realm of London. I love exploring all of the weirdities with Peter. His commentary is spot on, and I love how well these books are written. They are more like a journal or pub chat than just a story told from Peter's perspective.
The faceless man becomes more of a flawed human in this book, than the mysterious villain he was in the last book. Dying to know his show more backstory, and what has led him onto this path of destruction. It's all too calculated to be the ravings of a mad man bent on death.
I also noticed that Peter only used maybe one reference to other IPs in this book, and that leads me to believe that he is owning the magical universe he is apart of more, and not needing to compare it to other books he's read.
Can't wait to read the next installment! show less
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- Canonical title
- Broken Homes
- Original title
- Broken Homes
- Original publication date
- 2013-07-25
- People/Characters
- Peter Grant (Constable); Thomas Nightingale (DCI); Lesley May; Abdul Haqq Walid; The Faceless Man; Varvara "Varenka" Sidorovna Tamonina (show all 11); Zachary Palmer; Abigail Kamara; Neckinger; Oberon; Effra
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- Epigraph
- The problem of the house is a problem of the epoch. The equilibrium of society today depends upon it. Architecture has for its first duty, in this period of renewal, that of bringing about a revision of values, a revision of ... (show all)the constituent elements of the house. We must create the mass production spirit.
Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier) - Dedication
- This book is dedicated to all the people who get up and do something about it, whatever "it" is and however small the thing it is that they do.
- First words
- At twenty-three minutes past eleven Robert Weil drove his 53 registered Volvo V70 across the bridge that links Pease Pottage, the improbably named English village, with Pease Pottage, the motorway service station.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'If she gets in touch with you, will you let me know?' I asked.
'What do you think?'
I thought that there was not a chance in hell he would.
'Fair enough,' I said and went home. - Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.087663
Classifications
- Genres
- Fantasy, Fiction and Literature, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 823.087663 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Speculative fiction Fantasy fiction Urban fantasy
- LCC
- PR6101 .A76 .B76 — Language and Literature English English Literature 2001-
- BISAC
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- (4.02)
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 26
- ASINs
- 16