Resistance is futile

If you could sum up Rivers of London in three words, what would they be?

New, Different, Fun

What other book might you compare Rivers of London to, and why?

Cannot think of a comparison to make - for me it's completely new

What does Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

His narration is so much more than just a reading, his voice and talent bring the story to life - no mean feat with all the different characters

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Think you know London? Think again?

Any additional comments?

I resisted these books, kept seeing them recommended, now I wish I'd gone for them straight away, a great find

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Harry Potter grows up and moves to London

This book is a great find - it's almost like a Harry Potter story for adults, set in London. The narrator is brilliant - very believable and engaging. Definitely one to try.

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Harry Potter for crime lovers

Gripping tale, surprised me with it's bloodthirsty I ness at times. Loved the characters, will definitely continue the series despite the fact that I don't normally like any supernatural stuff in novels. The reader's voice is great - listened for hours. Managed female and male voices convincingly. And in many different accents.

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A decent read, but too many similarities.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, provided they don't have a lot of prior experience with the genre.

Would you be willing to try another book from Ben Aaronovitch? Why or why not?

Yes, though probably not in this series.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith?

Probably.

Did Rivers of London inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

When I read the synopsis I was immediately struck by how similar it sounds to the Dresden Files, a series of which I’ve been a fan from the first book, and which nearly put me off giving Rivers of London a fair try. After listening to the book I’m still struck by the similarities and I’m likely not going to read the next one in this series.
Another thing that struck me was the sheer amount of detail, which was nice in scenes where the main character was standing around or actively observing, but it seemed a bit unrealistic in the faster scenes. Who is going to note a lot of detail or comment on health and safety rules when running away from a screaming mob after all?
The narration was good and consistent in terms of voices and accents, though other people on here have commented that it takes a while to get used to the reading style and I have to agree with that.
Does that mean I consider this to be a bad read?
No, it’s fast paced and captivating enough to be quite a decent read, but for me personally it doesn’t do much that’s fresh or from a completely different angle than I’m used to. If, however, you haven’t done much reading in the urban fantasy genre, then this may be a series that offers you a decent starting point.

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Amusing story, excellent narration

I had avoided this book in the shops, as I find Harry Potter very irritating and thought this might be similar.

In fact, I enjoyed the audiobook very much. There was just a bit of the wizard stuff, but it was not twee, winsome, or Disneyfied, and in some ways it reminded me of books by Christopher Fowler. Can it really be a coincidence that so many writers portray London as a place where hidden worlds and energies collide?

The narration could hardly have been bettered. Each character has their own accent which is appropriate and flawless, and therefore the story carries more conviction. I have already bought the next in the series.

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Wish I had found this series sooner :D

Loved this book and the fact that it's based in modern day London.
Love the narrator and did end up getting a slight accent when talking to my husband the other day after listening to all 4books back to back!! (I did how ever have to go to work.. but you get my meaning)
Brilliantly origional for me, I've been listening/reading alot of american books lately and has been nice to have a place in a book that i can relate to also the jargan..
I giggled out loud in parts.
Love the different characters and the adult intereactions and implications.
I have even referred friends and random people in bookshops to these books!!!
As you can guess I'm sold and would like to ask you to come join me in my revelry of these books..

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Definitely worth the effort

It took a while to get attached to this book - although I was enjoying it was on a rather superficial level. However, a couple of hours in or so and the spell was woven and I was completely addicted, downloading the following 2 books immediately and devouring those too.

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Wow!

What a very clever and amusing book. The mixture of crime drama and fantasy kept me engrossed from start to finish. I loved the idea of the keepers of the rivers and the family feuds between them. I also loved the layers of history woven through the story. I played it on a long drive from Glasgow to France and the time flew by. Highly recommended

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A very nice experience.

A very nice reader in comparison with so many sci-fi / fantasy books. The story is fun and moves along quickly. Very good.

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Almost perfect Audiobook

A killer combination of an excellent story and a perfect performance.

Don't be put off by thinking this is a Harry Potter Rip off. I'm a massive Neil Gaiman fan and think it's more in keeping with American God's or Neverwhere.

Peter Grant, newly graduated police officer ends up discovering a whole strange underworld to London.

the book achieves 5 stars as this isn't only a great adventure, but the author also really knows London inside out. He also has a great way of dropping humour and charisma into each character.

Kobna Holbrook Smith has the most amazing voice and uses his acting skills to bring each of the characters to life.

probably one of the best Audiobook I have listened to.

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