I read this book a little while a go but I don't think that enough people know about it so I thought I'd just pop it on my blog and share a few of my thoughts with you.
Like the majority of my favourite books this one has a fantasy element to it in the form of magic, wizards, vampires and the rivers of London actually being real life "people". As well as this awesome mixture of fantastical beings the book is set in London, my spiritual home and one of the best cities in the world. So, all in all, it has pretty much everything I could ever want from a story. Peter Grant is a PC in the Metropolitan Police and desperate to play with the big boys, despite not noticing the vital clues that make up a crime scene and could potentially solve the case. One night he is helping out on a case in Covent Garden and meets a ghost, as you do, and is soon introduced to the hidden magical world of the city and the secret branch of the Met that no one knows about. Grant is soon thrown in to numerous cases that have a magical influence over them and must learn not only to deal with these cases properly but also to become a trained wizard himself. I don't want to say much more because the story is a mystery at its heart and the less you know the more you will enjoy it. After all, what's the point in a mystery if you already know the elements that make it up? The narration and dialogue are naturally witty, not a single line seems out of place or self indulgent, which makes the book an absolute pleasure to read. In addition to this every single character is unique and intriguing in their own way, particularly DCI Nightingale who is Grant's mentor throughout and doesn't seem to understand the modern world in which he currently lives. What I liked most about this book is that despite it being place din the fantasy genre it doesn't forget its setting. The way the characters speak to each other and the reactions that they have to the ridiculous situations that they find themselves in are exactly how you would expect normal people, never mind Londoners, to react. There is no flowery language or an attempt to be the next King Arthur, these are just a couple of police officers trying to settle a few magical disputes across London. I mean, really, what more could you want from a book?
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