Scan barcode
spinebenderreviews's reviews
697 reviews
The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
funny
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
The Masquerades of Spring is a Rivers of London novella set in 1920s New York. It introduces an entirely new character, Augustus Berrycloth-Young, whose foppish life of leisure is interrupted by a surprise visit from Thomas Nightingale, who has arrived from London on a case.
I really loved this novella. I loved delving into the queer and Black subcultures of 1920s New York and I found Augustus a very enjoyable narrator to read. The novella doesn't shy away from the evils of the period - segregation, rampant racism and homophobia - but it takes care to also show the joy and community that could be found at the same time. The mystery itself is a nothing case but I was having such a good time I truly didn't care. I hope we get to revisit Augustus and co again in the future.
I really loved this novella. I loved delving into the queer and Black subcultures of 1920s New York and I found Augustus a very enjoyable narrator to read. The novella doesn't shy away from the evils of the period - segregation, rampant racism and homophobia - but it takes care to also show the joy and community that could be found at the same time. The mystery itself is a nothing case but I was having such a good time I truly didn't care. I hope we get to revisit Augustus and co again in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement and Slavery
Lore Olympus: Volume Seven by Rachel Smythe
adventurous
dark
funny
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? Yes
4.0
As always with this series, if you care about myth retellings sticking pretty closely to the original myths, this isn't the series for you.
I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous volume! It finally feels like all the plots are finally coming to fruition. It's satisfying to see Persephone finally having some agency and making choices for herself, without cowing to what other people what for her. It's nice to see herstarting to make progress in terms of dealing with her sexual assault through therapy.
However the will-they-won't-they is so dragged out at this point in a way that makes these characters feel like they are teens on a CW show. It's all very high school and while Persephone is 19, Hades is thousands of years old. So why is he acting just as immature as Persephone? It's frustrating to read.
Tl;dr it's better than the previous volume but still retains some of the same problems.
I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous volume! It finally feels like all the plots are finally coming to fruition. It's satisfying to see Persephone finally having some agency and making choices for herself, without cowing to what other people what for her. It's nice to see her
However the will-they-won't-they is so dragged out at this point in a way that makes these characters feel like they are teens on a CW show. It's all very high school and while Persephone is 19, Hades is thousands of years old. So why is he acting just as immature as Persephone? It's frustrating to read.
Tl;dr it's better than the previous volume but still retains some of the same problems.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Rivers of London Vol. 12: Stray Cat Blues by Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I'm doing a collective review for all of the graphic novels from the Rivers of London series that I've read this year, because I don't have much to say about them individually. I only read the graphic novels because they keep getting referenced in the novels and I hate being out of the loop. But I haven't really enjoyed any of them and I feel that they would be better served as short stories to be honest. The art isn't really to my taste either, though that's not a knock against it, that's just a personal preference thing. The one thing about the art that does genuinely annoy me is that on occasion Guleed is drawn bare-armed in t-shirts. No hijabi I've ever met wears a t-shirt without something long-sleeved underneath it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Rivers of London Vol. 11: Here Be Dragons by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
For my short review of the Rivers of London graphic novels I've read in 2024, see my review of Volume 12: Stray Cat Blues.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Blood, and Cultural appropriation
Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Winter's Gift is the first story in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series that is set in the USA. It follows FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds as she investigates a report of odd happenings in a small Wisconsin town.
I had issues with this novella. Part of what makes the Rivers of London series so good is that Aaronovitch is very good at portraying the ways class, race and gender impact British society. But he doesn't have the same insight into US society and it shows. I also just don't find Reynolds compelling because she doesn't feel like a character, she feels like a stereotype of a Christian white woman from the South, racism and all (though Reynolds' racism is more of the microaggression variety).
I did like the horror aspects of the book. They felt well described and appropriately chilling. I enjoyed learning a little more about American magic systems, both imported and indigenous. The actual mystery itself was interesting, but the reveal at the end was too on the nose in execution.
I had issues with this novella. Part of what makes the Rivers of London series so good is that Aaronovitch is very good at portraying the ways class, race and gender impact British society. But he doesn't have the same insight into US society and it shows. I also just don't find Reynolds compelling because she doesn't feel like a character, she feels like a stereotype of a Christian white woman from the South, racism and all (though Reynolds' racism is more of the microaggression variety).
I did like the horror aspects of the book. They felt well described and appropriately chilling. I enjoyed learning a little more about American magic systems, both imported and indigenous. The actual mystery itself was interesting, but the reveal at the end was too on the nose in execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism
Rivers of London Vol. 10: Deadly Ever After by Andrew Cartmel, Celeste Bronfman, Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
For my short review of the Rivers of London graphic novels I've read in 2024, see my review of Volume 12: Stray Cat Blues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Fatphobia
Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.0
Amongst Our Weapons is book nine in the Rivers of London series in which a murderous angel is on the loose and it's a fight against time to solve the mystery because Beverley is due to give birth any day.
This book was...fine. A totally okay read. But I don't know that it has the same magic to it that some of the earlier books in the series did. It felt a bit like a paint by numbers plot without much to make it stand out from any other urban fantasy novel. The fatphobia that is present throughout the series was particularly irritating in this one. And I find myself getting ever more tired of Lesley as a character. I feel like her story should have been wrapped up by now and the more it drags out, the more she annoys me.
But there were aspects of the book I enjoyed.I enjoyed revisiting Caroline and learning more about the Sons of Wayland. I enjoyed spending more time with Seawoll, who I find an increasingly interesting side character. Danni as a newbie to the world of magic was a fun addition and we got more Goblin Market lore. And the twins are finally here!
I'm still enjoying the world so I'll continue reading the books, but I do hope that things get back on track before too long.
This book was...fine. A totally okay read. But I don't know that it has the same magic to it that some of the earlier books in the series did. It felt a bit like a paint by numbers plot without much to make it stand out from any other urban fantasy novel. The fatphobia that is present throughout the series was particularly irritating in this one. And I find myself getting ever more tired of Lesley as a character. I feel like her story should have been wrapped up by now and the more it drags out, the more she annoys me.
But there were aspects of the book I enjoyed.
I'm still enjoying the world so I'll continue reading the books, but I do hope that things get back on track before too long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Medical content
Minor: Deadnaming and Racism
Rivers Of London Vol. 9: Monday, Monday by Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For my short review of the Rivers of London graphic novels I've read in 2024, see my review of Volume 12: Stray Cat Blues.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Child abuse
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What Abigail Did That Summer is a novella set in the world of Rivers of London which focuses on Peter's cousin, Abigail Kamara. Since Abigail was introduced in book two, she has been showing up increasingly but hasn't had a lot of focus on her besides how she can help Peter in his investigations.
Abigail's POV is an interesting one. Getting a look at her family dynamics from the inside really shows the ways in which she is the glass child of the family, due to her parents' focus on her brother and his chronic illness. This unintentional neglect means that she is able to wander at will, as she does in this novella.
The mystery at the centre of this story is honestly not as interesting to me as everything else going on. I was more invested in Abigail's interactions with the demi-monde, her friendship with Simon, and her relationship with the foxes. I really loved getting to learn more about the foxes and their mythology.
However, the mystery offers great insight into how Abigail operates and why. She is reluctant to trust adults, as she has never been able to in the past, but this gets her into trouble when she comes up against something more dangerous than she can handle. I suspect that this will come up again later down the line.
Abigail's POV is an interesting one. Getting a look at her family dynamics from the inside really shows the ways in which she is the glass child of the family, due to her parents' focus on her brother and his chronic illness. This unintentional neglect means that she is able to wander at will, as she does in this novella.
The mystery at the centre of this story is honestly not as interesting to me as everything else going on. I was more invested in Abigail's interactions with the demi-monde, her friendship with Simon, and her relationship with the foxes. I really loved getting to learn more about the foxes and their mythology.
However, the mystery offers great insight into how Abigail operates and why. She is reluctant to trust adults, as she has never been able to in the past, but this gets her into trouble when she comes up against something more dangerous than she can handle. I suspect that this will come up again later down the line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Self harm
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Racism
Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection by Ben Aaronovitch
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Tales of the Folly collects short stories from the Rivers of London series.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection. The stories offer an opportunity to do some extracurricular worldbuilding for aspects of the magic system that don't get mentioned in the main books or aren't enough to build a whole novel on. I thought A Dedicated Follower of Fashion was a particularly fun story and enjoyed getting to spend some time in Abigail's head in Favourite Uncle. Well worth the read!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection. The stories offer an opportunity to do some extracurricular worldbuilding for aspects of the magic system that don't get mentioned in the main books or aren't enough to build a whole novel on. I thought A Dedicated Follower of Fashion was a particularly fun story and enjoyed getting to spend some time in Abigail's head in Favourite Uncle. Well worth the read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Murder