Scan barcode
A review by grogu_djarin
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall Thoughts:
This is my favorite book in the series so far! It tied together a lot of loose threads from the earlier books in a satisfying way while at the same time it expanded the lore in a significant way. The case is probably the least interesting part of the book, and least interesting case in the series so far, but everything else about the book more than makes up for it.
This also feels like the end of a chapter in the series and the start of a new one, while still leaving plenty of threads to explore later on. It's pretty clear from the beginning that Peter is growing into his own and not quite as bumbling as he used to be concerning magic and the Folly has grown into an increasingly capable unit with a greater number of allies. I'm curious if this means they'll begin facing more dangerous threats down the line.
This is my favorite book in the series so far! It tied together a lot of loose threads from the earlier books in a satisfying way while at the same time it expanded the lore in a significant way. The case is probably the least interesting part of the book, and least interesting case in the series so far, but everything else about the book more than makes up for it.
This also feels like the end of a chapter in the series and the start of a new one, while still leaving plenty of threads to explore later on. It's pretty clear from the beginning that Peter is growing into his own and not quite as bumbling as he used to be concerning magic and the Folly has grown into an increasingly capable unit with a greater number of allies. I'm curious if this means they'll begin facing more dangerous threats down the line.
Likes:
- Peter is at his most capable in this book and really starting to hit his stride. While he's still not yet at Nightingale levels, he's a lot more useful to the team.
- It gave satisfying resolutions/continuations of earlier plot threads and laid the foundation for more to come.
- I thought there was great use of some of the side characters, in particular Sahra Guleed.
Dislikes:
- A few comics happen in between this one and the prior book Foxglove Summer and the events of those comics are referenced in a few places. As someone that didn't read them, this left me confused in a few spots.
- The actual case in the book is the least interesting one by far, but partly because it ends up sidelined for a lot of the story, which isn't particularly a bad thing because the rest of it was great! The result is that the book feels a bit like it drags whenever it comes around to the case again.
Other Notes:
- NA
Would Recommend To:
- Anyone who has read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series. I'd say this is the book everything has been building up to so if you've enjoyed them so far, you'll definitely like this one!
Do Not Recommend To:
- Anyone who hasn't read the earlier Rivers of London books. This builds off the earlier ones in substantial ways and you'll be lost without reading them!