Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch - Review

 

A fun read in an interestingly created version of modern London. Peter Grant is a rookie London cop who happens to see a ghost shortly after a murder. Peter intercepts the ghost and interviews him. Needless to say he's reluctant to admit how he got information on the murderer, but he's also a bit of a smartass so when one fellow asks him who he was talking to he makes it sound like a joke and mouths off that he's interviewed a ghost. The fellow reacts far differently than Peter expected, and thus begins Peter's sudden apprenticeship to DCI Thomas Nightingale, a special sort of detective in a special branch of the Met, oh, and as a practitioner of magic.

Interesting characters, and the mystery has enough twists to surprise. And I loved the whole concept of 'The Rivers of London.' Too bad the US publisher didn't keep that name for the book.

I look forward to reading 'Moon Over Soho'.

(I won this book through a DelReySpectra contest) (  )

Review - Elfland by Freda Warrington

Although Elfland begins slowly, it quickly expands outward in both scope and character development. The story follows two families, both Aetherial (Fay) living on Earth. But the gates that allow the Aetherial to travel between the world of men and the world of Fay are closed. The Gatekeeper senses a threat to the existence of both worlds and refused to allow anyone through. The consequences and the roots of that decision drive the book.

I enjoyed the book tremendously, particularly the second half. Well developed characters, an inventive view of fairies, and what the world might be like of they lived among us.

The plot is convoluted enough to hold your interest and the characters are drawn well and are conflicted and confusing enough for you to want to learn their fates.

Well written, exciting, recommended! (  )