Rivers of London (novel)
Encyclopedia
Rivers of London is the first novel in the series of the same name by English
author Ben Aaronovitch
. The novel was released on 10th January 2011 through Gollancz
and was well received by critics, earning a Galaxy National Book Awards
nomination for Aaronovitch in the New Writer of the Year award.
; who, following an unexpected encounter with a ghost, is recruited into the small branch of the Met that deals with magic and the supernatural.
Peter Grant, having become the first English apprentice wizard in sixty years, must immediately deal with two different, but ultimately inter-related cases. In one he must find what is possessing ordinary people and turning them into vicious killers and in the second he must broker a peace between the two warring gods of the River Thames.
The US cover has caused some controversy with on-line reviewers of the novel with respect to the ethnicity of the cover model, or obfuscation of such. The founder of on-line Sci-fi reviewers SF Reviews, Thomas Wagner, commented that the initial cover design was somewhat commendable as it showed that the publishers, Del Rey
, "weren't about to Michael Jacksonize the book's hero and magically turn him the color of driven snow."; however this cover was changed such that the entire figure on the cover was in silhouette. To this Wagner opined that "Someone at the company looked at it, decided more had to be done to protect potential book buyers from having to see the SCARY SCARY BLACK MAN on the cover, and ordered more concealment done.". Wagners opinion on this was mirrored by Neth of Nethspace, who agreed that this appeared to be "yet another case of a white-washed cover" although did comment that this was "more by omission than outright misrepresentation". This was again noted on the blog of Sci-fi author K. C. Shaw, who even doubted the ethnicity of the original model. Writing for The Macomb Daily, journalist Steve Bitsoli also picked up on this, stating that "while NOT showing that the character is black may not necessarily be racist, to alter the illustration to disguise the fact that the man IS black seems awfully suspicious.".
and its tributaries. Most prominent after the Thames itself include Beverley Brook
, Lady Ty
, Oxley, Lea and mentions are given to the Effra
, Ash, Brent
and Crane
.
Writing for the The Morning Star
Mat Coward stated, of Aaronovitch himself, "he can really write, with a light touch to his humour and characters that really stand out." and followed this with "This novel is a pure delight and I can't wait for the next in the series.". Fellow writer Sam Downing praised the novels humour and characters and found it "one of those 'Aww, I’m at the office already? I wanna keep reading nooooow'-style books.". The novel was also well reviewed by Saxon Bullock of SFX who awarded it five out of five stars and stated the novel was "Witty, imaginative and gripping, Rivers of London is a great example of how it's not always about having an astoundingly new idea.", praising Aaronovitch's knowledge of London and his fresh and "clever" approach. Rivers of London was also well reviewed by Fantasy Book Review, with reviewer Joshua Hill stating "Ben Aaronovitch has written a book that never left me disappointed in the choices he made as author, nor in the choices of his characters.", referring partly to the characters subdued reaction to the supernatural, which is uncommon in this genre. He further states that "All in all, you have to read this book. Whether you like good writing, good fantasy or urban fantasy, good characters, or simply a breath-taking story set in a breath-taking world, this book is for you.".
The novel did not, however, receive universal praise. In a review for SF Reviews, website founder Thomas Wagner awarded the novel three out of a possible five stars, stating that "the more frenzied and harrowing the action becomes, the more it feels exhausting and excessive rather than thrilling." and citing the novels inconsistent tone as another detractor. Tempering this, however, he does describe the novel's plot as "surprising and imaginative" and the novel as a whole "highly energized". In a review for Londonist the reviewer found the plot to be unbelievable, stating that "Emotion is almost entirely absent." and quipping "If you’re looking for a deep novel, this is more trickling Walbrook than mighty Thames.". They do, however, also praise the "pace, ingenuity and creativity" of Aaronovitch's début.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
author Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight...
. The novel was released on 10th January 2011 through Gollancz
Gollancz
Gollancz often refers to the British publishing house Victor Gollancz Ltd.Gollancz, a family name originating from the Polish town Gołańcz , is mainly known as the name of a prominent British Jewish family, including:* Sir Hermann Gollancz , rabbi* Sir Israel Gollancz , scholar of...
and was well received by critics, earning a Galaxy National Book Awards
Galaxy National Book Awards
The Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
nomination for Aaronovitch in the New Writer of the Year award.
Plot
The novel centres around the adventures of Peter Grant, a young officer in the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
; who, following an unexpected encounter with a ghost, is recruited into the small branch of the Met that deals with magic and the supernatural.
Peter Grant, having become the first English apprentice wizard in sixty years, must immediately deal with two different, but ultimately inter-related cases. In one he must find what is possessing ordinary people and turning them into vicious killers and in the second he must broker a peace between the two warring gods of the River Thames.
Characters introduced in this novel
- Police Constable Lesley May; an officer in the Metropolitan Police who, having completed her mandatory probationary period, is expected to go far.
- Police Constable Peter Grant; an officer in the Metropolitan Police who, having completed his mandatory probationary period, is expected to do paperwork.
- Inspector Neblett; Peter and Lesley's shift commander and line manager at Charing CrossCharing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
Police Station. - Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale; head of the Folly and the last officially sanctioned English Wizard.
- Dr Abdul Haqq Walid; world renowned gastroenterologist and cytopathologist.
- Detective Chief Inspector Alexander Seawoll; The SIO (Senior Investigation Officer) of the MIT (Murder Investigation Team) assigned to investigate the death of William Skirmish.
- Detective Sergeant Miriam Stephanopoulos; DCI Seawoll's case manager.
- August Coopertown; Danish expatriateExpatriateAn expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
living in HampsteadHampsteadHampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
. - Brandon Coopertown; her husband.
- Molly; The Folly's domestic helper, of unknown species.
- Mama Thames; Goddess of the River ThamesRiver ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. - Beverley Brook; "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of a small riverBeverley BrookBeverley Brook is a minor English urban river about 14.3 km long located in south-west London. It rises at Cuddington Recreation Park in Worcester Park, flows through Motspur Park, New Malden, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes...
in South London. - Frank Caffrey; LFB (London Fire BrigadeLondon Fire BrigadeThe London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
) Fire Investigator, ex-para and a key "associate" of the Folly. - Father Thames; aka "The Old Man of the River" God of the River Thames or at least the bits above Teddington LockTeddington LockTeddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
. - Oxley; one of the "sons" of Father Thames and his chief negotiator.
- Anna Maria de Burgh Coppinger; aka Isis, wife of Oxley.
- Cecilia Tyburn Thames; aka Lady Ty, another "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River Tyburn.
- Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Folsom; a highly placed ally of Lady Ty.
- Fleet; another "daughter" of Mama Thames goddess of the River FleetRiver FleetThe River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. Its two headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath; each is now dammed into a series of ponds made in the 18th century, the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds. At the south edge of Hampstead Heath these two streams flow...
. - Lea; the senior most "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River Lea. It's strongly implied that she pre-dates Mama Thames but as a tributary of the Thames has accepted her authority.
- Brent; a nursery age "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River BrentRiver BrentThe Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is 17.9 miles long, running north-east to south-west, and it joins the Thames on the Tideway at Brentford, Hounslow.- Hydronymy and etymology :...
. - Ash; a "son" of Father Thames and god of the River Ash.
- Richard "Lord" Grant; Peter's father.
Cover Artwork and Controversy
The Gollancz cover is based upon a detail from Stephen Walter's 'The Island.'The US cover has caused some controversy with on-line reviewers of the novel with respect to the ethnicity of the cover model, or obfuscation of such. The founder of on-line Sci-fi reviewers SF Reviews, Thomas Wagner, commented that the initial cover design was somewhat commendable as it showed that the publishers, Del Rey
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
, "weren't about to Michael Jacksonize the book's hero and magically turn him the color of driven snow."; however this cover was changed such that the entire figure on the cover was in silhouette. To this Wagner opined that "Someone at the company looked at it, decided more had to be done to protect potential book buyers from having to see the SCARY SCARY BLACK MAN on the cover, and ordered more concealment done.". Wagners opinion on this was mirrored by Neth of Nethspace, who agreed that this appeared to be "yet another case of a white-washed cover" although did comment that this was "more by omission than outright misrepresentation". This was again noted on the blog of Sci-fi author K. C. Shaw, who even doubted the ethnicity of the original model. Writing for The Macomb Daily, journalist Steve Bitsoli also picked up on this, stating that "while NOT showing that the character is black may not necessarily be racist, to alter the illustration to disguise the fact that the man IS black seems awfully suspicious.".
Background
The novel draws a great deal on the historical and mythological background of London and the Thames Valley.The Rivers
Some of the characters are strongly associated with the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and its tributaries. Most prominent after the Thames itself include Beverley Brook
Beverley Brook
Beverley Brook is a minor English urban river about 14.3 km long located in south-west London. It rises at Cuddington Recreation Park in Worcester Park, flows through Motspur Park, New Malden, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes...
, Lady Ty
Tyburn (stream)
The Tyburn is a stream in London, which runs underground from South Hampstead through St. James's Park to meet the River Thames at Pimlico near Vauxhall Bridge. It is not to be confused with the Tyburn Brook which is a tributary of the River Westbourne....
, Oxley, Lea and mentions are given to the Effra
River Effra
The River Effra is a river in south London, England. It is now mainly underground. The name cannot be traced back much earlier than 1840 , so speculation that it came from a Celtic word for torrent is unwarranted...
, Ash, Brent
River Brent
The Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is 17.9 miles long, running north-east to south-west, and it joins the Thames on the Tideway at Brentford, Hounslow.- Hydronymy and etymology :...
and Crane
River Crane, London
The River Crane is a river in west London, England, and is a tributary of the River Thames.-Location:The River Crane is 8.5 miles in length...
.
Reception
The novel was well received, with reviewers citing Aaronovitch's juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane and his storytelling prowess as the novels main attractors.Writing for the The Morning Star
The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
Mat Coward stated, of Aaronovitch himself, "he can really write, with a light touch to his humour and characters that really stand out." and followed this with "This novel is a pure delight and I can't wait for the next in the series.". Fellow writer Sam Downing praised the novels humour and characters and found it "one of those 'Aww, I’m at the office already? I wanna keep reading nooooow'-style books.". The novel was also well reviewed by Saxon Bullock of SFX who awarded it five out of five stars and stated the novel was "Witty, imaginative and gripping, Rivers of London is a great example of how it's not always about having an astoundingly new idea.", praising Aaronovitch's knowledge of London and his fresh and "clever" approach. Rivers of London was also well reviewed by Fantasy Book Review, with reviewer Joshua Hill stating "Ben Aaronovitch has written a book that never left me disappointed in the choices he made as author, nor in the choices of his characters.", referring partly to the characters subdued reaction to the supernatural, which is uncommon in this genre. He further states that "All in all, you have to read this book. Whether you like good writing, good fantasy or urban fantasy, good characters, or simply a breath-taking story set in a breath-taking world, this book is for you.".
The novel did not, however, receive universal praise. In a review for SF Reviews, website founder Thomas Wagner awarded the novel three out of a possible five stars, stating that "the more frenzied and harrowing the action becomes, the more it feels exhausting and excessive rather than thrilling." and citing the novels inconsistent tone as another detractor. Tempering this, however, he does describe the novel's plot as "surprising and imaginative" and the novel as a whole "highly energized". In a review for Londonist the reviewer found the plot to be unbelievable, stating that "Emotion is almost entirely absent." and quipping "If you’re looking for a deep novel, this is more trickling Walbrook than mighty Thames.". They do, however, also praise the "pace, ingenuity and creativity" of Aaronovitch's début.
External links
- The Island by Stephen Walter