Andy Redsmith is hilarious. I love Inspector Paris and this whole crew and this story is absolutely binge-worthy. It's both gritty and funny, with a bit of inappropriate humor mixed in with the action. I originally had the Audiobook but I honestly gave up on the Audiobook version and downloaded the e-book because I wanted the rest of the story, but dreaded having to endure listening to it.

5 Star story

I was given a free copy of this Audiobook by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Nick Paris is in his forties, he is a police inspector, heavy smoker and he is best in investigation when he’s hammered, so his boss supplies him with whiskey.
When he’s called to investigate the death of a pixie, who has been nailed to a cross at a backyard in a rich neighborhood, no amount of whiskey will help him. Things get even more complicated when he is visited by a crow, who’s most important question is: “Got smoke?” and by an elf with a stepdaughter, stone troll, who are asking for asylum. And that's just the beginning :)
This funny story is filled with word plays, paranormal criminal mysteries, brilliant characters and hints to a pop-culture.
So if you’d take some typical detective from scandi noir - middle aged, problems with family, excess smoking and drinking - and place him in Manchester and let him solve a paranormal crime with his paranormal side-kicks, you get a fantastic scandi blank.

Good read!

Breaking the Lore by Andy Redsmith was brilliantly written. The characters were well-crafted and the plot left me wanting to continue reading to the next book. Wow. Hope to read more from this author. Truly fun and highly recommended novel.

This was a free ARC via NetGalley and Canelo, in return for an unbiased review. The description billed it as being for fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Terry Pratchett. Humour though is a fine art - too heavy handed and it becomes cheap and hokey. The sadly fell into the latter camp. Some of the "funny quips/names" were too damn obvious. Instead of smoothly fitting into the flow of the narrative, it felt like Redsmith had thought up funny puns and then created a plot to string them together. Living Dr Stone. Code name for the dead fairy is Gerry Pacemaker (fairy cross no mercy). Cassandra saying it's a shame the elves don't come from Booksh - when asked why, she says then they'd be... "Booksh elves". You can almost see the author dancing around and pointing, "See what I did there?". Or Cassandra asking about housing demons in a gym because then you'd be... exercising your demons. And the worst example of the author being smug about a pun he must have spent ages waiting to use, for a demon leader who has an aardvark familiar, and then - being hoist by his own pet aardvark.

Sadly this knocked it down from a 3 star OK book, to one that just irritated. I slogged through the last 40% of it.

This review is delayed as I forgot it was a NetGalley one on my Kindle... sorry for that, I've now created a new Kindle category for NetGalley books.

Breaking the Lore reminded me a lot of Rivers of London, in a good way. Except instead of being set in London, Breaking the Lore takes place in Manchester - always nice to see a different bit of the UK being featured! It was funny and kooky and a straight up urban fantasy. Inspector Nick Paris is suddenly exposed to a world that he doesn't quite believe in. There's a dead fairy in his jurisdiction. What's a man supposed to do about that?

This is a solid three star read: fun, enjoyable, a light cosy crime novel that makes it easy to turn the pages and laugh. It's got a quirky dad-humour vibe and a cast of colourful characters, but there is nothing truly memorable about this book. And that's okay.

This is a fun first book in a new urban fantasy series. When a fairy is found murdered, it sends a signal to the other magical folk - and lets humans know they're real. Inspector Nick Paris is tasked with finding out what's really going on, which sees him sucked into a world of witches, demons, and dragons.

I really enjoyed this, but there was one tiny niggle: the puns. Ever since Piers Anthony, puns seem to be a staple of the genre. Sometimes they work; sometimes not so much. In this case, it's more of the latter, as they don't really add to the plot or improve characterisation because they occur randomly and with different character.

Still, that was the only real criticism I had of this and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I took part in the blog tour for Breaking the Lore last year, but I did not get the book read in time to post a review because I was in the midst of a terrible reading slump (#justpregnancythings).

Breaking the Lore follows a detective called Nick Paris who is investigating a rather mysterious suspected murder. The victim has been found crucified in someone’s back garden… But they’re a fairy, so they’re only a couple of feet off of the ground. Paris can almost believe that it’s a hoax, until a talking crow turns up on his doorstep and starts warning him about a demon threat. Huh.

If I’m being honest, I HATED the first 10% of this book, subconsciously abandoning it and completely forgetting I’d even started it until I pulled it out of my TBR jar. Malbus, the talking crow, is the best part of the book, so when he was found decapitated I was absolutely distraught – how could you kill off such a promising character after they’ve delivered such an ominous warning to our protagonist? Little did I know that the crow who was found decapitated wasn’t Malbus. He comes back into the story shortly after the place where I originally abandoned it, and as soon as he came back I started absolutely loving this clusterfuck of craziness.

If you love J.R.R. Tolkien’s world but find yourself craving an alcoholic British cop in the midst of the magical drama, this is the book for you. Fairies, dwarves, elves, demons – everything you could possibly imagine is present in this novel, and although it gets utterly wacky at points (a particular scene featuring Malbus serenading a conference of the best and brightest members of the police force springs to mind…) it’s a charming cheese fest and it works beautifully.

My only warning is that you need to love puns to read this book, because even though I’m a huge lover of pun-based jokes I still found myself rolling my eyes and groaning at a few of the jokes which are cracked. If you don’t like hammy humour then I’d definitely recommend skipping this book, because it’s a big part of Redsmith’s writing style and at points it strays dangerously close to ‘too much’ territory.

Since finishing Breaking the Lore I’ve discovered that the second book in this series, Know Your Rites, was released last July, so I’m planning on picking this up at some point in the next couple of months. I’m so glad I finally finished Breaking the Lore – I had completely forgotten that I’d started it, and if I hadn’t picked it out of my jar it might have been years before I attempted to tackle it again, but this was the perfect lighthearted read to ensure I started March off on the right note.

Wonderful book!
Really liked reading this fresh and outstanding book. It was a real pleasure to read it.
Thanks for the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance

Love the introductory sentence as it really sets the scene for a very different novel.
Inspector Paris and Manchester seem to go together well. This is book 1 in a new series that I really want to read more of. The Sergeant is wonderfully dumb and there is plenty of grisly and sarcastic humour to keep me interested. Fairies being crucified is new to me, but then it was new to everyone as Paris says ‘How do you kill somebody who doesn’t exist?’ ie a fairy!
We are then introduced to a talking crow, a female baby rock troll princess, an elf, and the Vanethria and yet more such creatures who shouldn’t exist. All of which with a sly humour and great writing style.

A funny stroll down the urban fantasy route, Breaking the Lore follows logical and level headed Nick Paris as a cynical police inspector who unwittingly becomes embroiled in the magical underworld of Manchester.

I was drawn to this initially because of the setting. I use to live in Manchester, and a lot of urban fantasy relies on the lure of that behemoth that is London to carry the story, so I was intrigued to see how this would work in a more Northern setting. For the most part, it copes well. The writing never takes itself too seriously, throwing pun after pun that most of the time land. The world building is decent too, and I never felt out of my depth or bogged down by pointless descriptions and explanations. The pacing is also good, with plenty of action from the very beginning to drag the reader into the plot and keep them interested.

Nick Paris, and the many colourful characters we meets along the way are also well developed and anything but one dimensional. I liked Nick’s often deadpan approach to anything remotely removed from the ‘norm’. He’s like the straight man to every comedic double act. Except the other comedian is a chain smoking crow.

Funny, with a side of dad humour, take on the urban fantasy genre. It’s unique enough to keep you reading, without the intensity or heavy reading of the big guns in the genre.

Breaking the Lore is the first book in a new urban fantasy cozy mystery series by Andy Redsmith. Released 15th April 2019 from Canelo, it's 321 pages and available in ebook format.

This is an urban fantasy police procedural by a new-to-me author and it's a good one. The book literally grabbed me by the hair from the first line and didn't let go. Check out the first two lines:

Discovering fairies at the bottom of the garden is supposed to be good luck. Except when the fairy has been crucified.



The book opens with Paris standing over the corpse of the aforementioned fairy. He's surprised as anyone to find out that fairies and other supernatural beings (dwarves, trolls, demons, etc) are real, and potentially much more genetically similar to humans than anyone thought.

The plotting is taut but not too fast and the dramatic tension is perfectly tuned throughout. There is little actual gore and the language is mild (a few bloody hells, and that's about it). I have to say a bit about the author's command of dialogue driven plot. The dialogue is bloody brilliant. The characters live and breathe and I was not yanked out of the story one single time by any of the characters delivering a clunky bit of dialogue. There were several encounters which actually really made me laugh.

I can certainly understand the comparisons to Aaronovitch's Rivers of London though to me they're very different books. I would say Kadrey's Sandman Slim series would be a nearer comparison, though I think if this series lives up to its potential, it'll edge Sandman Slim out of my top 5 urban fantasy favourite series. (and Kadrey's books have a lot more gore). It's probably worth noting for readers from North America, the slang and spelling and idiom are British English. It shouldn't be a problem, just remember fag = cigarette, torch = flashlight and you're good to go.

I am ashamed to admit that I missed the publication date on this book (I try very very hard not to do that) and it languished in my TBR/review pile for a lot longer than it should have. The only upside is that now I hopefully have a shorter wait to queue up for the next books in the series.

Five stars. Really well done.

Oh this book! It's been a while since a book has made me snigger whilst reading and Breaking The Lore succeeded more than once. I was reading this on the train and I'm pretty sure this is why people were giving me odd looks...

Compared to Ben Aaronovitch and Douglas Adams, Breaking The Lore is the story of Inspector Nick Paris, or Mr. Parrots if you're a dwarf, Nipparis if you're a (friendly) demon, who would like us to think he's a tough, hard-drinking, Northern police officer but when faced with the execution of a fifteen centimetre tall fairy, he's anything but. Confronted by the fact that magic does indeed exist, the inspector's investigation team soon consists of some interesting characters including his sergeant, Bonetti, not the brightest spark in the box but you have to admire someone who thinks Finding Nemo is a documentary! There's Cassandra, their 'magical' expert and human, a chivalrous elf, a troll princess, a demon Knight, and a talking crow with a penchant for cigarettes!

Breaking The Lore is a pun-filled, fantastical detective novel with plenty to recommend it. At 321 pages it was the perfect length to get to know our motley collection of characters, to be introduced to a side of Manchester that we never knew we wanted to exist, and to get completely absorbed by centaurs and the king & queen of the fairies. The queen, by the way, is not called Titania but Gladys, short for Gladioli! The mystery has plenty of magic filled twists and turns which will keep you guessing until the very end, the whole explanation for the existence of magic is almost completely plausible, and while this first adventure is all wrapped up by the end of the story I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Mr. Parrots does next.

I had such fun reading this book, it’s so original and such a delight. I wonder if it’s anything like the book of Ben Aaronovitch? I’ve a couple of his books I haven’t read now I want to check them out if they are in a similar vein. The book reminded me of the TV series Charmed for some reason. This is a good thing. I’m a mega fan of Charmed; the original one, not that trashy tween remake that’s on now. Breaking the Lore is one of the funniest and most original books I’ve ever read. Despite the impending demon invasion and all that, this is not a dark book, a little sombre at times but full of delight and fun, the kind of book it’s a sheer pleasure to read. I looked forward to Paris’s next adventure.

I liked this book, it's fun and quirky and not really like anything I've read before. It was a little bit slow in places and a little bit repetitive and there was something about Andy's writing style that niggled me a little bit, but overall this was a good read - a little bit different. I'll be keeping an eye out for more in the series.

A huge thank you to Canelo Publishing for sending a copy over and asking me to take part in this blog tour.

What a joy to read. From beginning to end this book had me smiling and giggling. From the wonderfully corny puns to a dwarf unable to get Nick Paris' name right.

It's rare that I enjoy or will even consider picking up a crime novel but the synopsis of this one had me sold. I loved Rivers of London and from the comparison, I knew I'd enjoy this. The plot moves with a good pace and you're never quite sure what the turn of the page is going to bring. It could be a run of the mill nutjob or a talking crow...This kept me hooked.

The characters were so fun but my favourite was definitely Malbus the talking crow. He had a penchant for cigarettes and wine gums. Had some of the best lines in the book and just made me smile every time he was on the page.

I hope there's going to be more books with these characters. They're a rare find.

A British crime novel that mixes humor and magic? As a fan of Ben Aaronovitch and Jasper fforde this felt like it should be right up my alley. But sadly, the writing was stodgy and dull, and I lost interest fairly quickly. Just couldn't finish this one.

Creating a fantasy world that appeals to readers is difficult, everyone has their own preconceptions of what should be in this world, what the creatures look like, and how they behave. The key is perhaps to hold back on the descriptions of your fantasy creatures and let your reader imagine them. This is what I like to do, but in this mystery the creatures are so well defined, it leaves little to the imagination.

Once you've achieved this, the next obstacle is how to create a story that fits in with the world you've created, and entertains your reader. I have no problem believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden, or another world running parallel to ours, but largely unseen by humans. However, some of the descriptions of the creatures living in this fantasy world didn't resonate. Believable characters or ones you can empathise, are important for the reader to connect to the story. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that connection with any of the characters in this story.

Inspector Paris is amusing, but his addiction to cigarettes and whiskey, apparently supported by his employers didn't ring true. A functioning alcoholic for a detective is not a new concept, but this didn't fit with his almost naive belief in the supernatural. unless of course, they are part of his drunken haze?

The story fits into the cozy mystery genre, but the supernatural elements, if any, are usually implied rather than implict.as in this case. I admire the courage to merge genres but maybe the fantasy needs taming a little and the mystery deepening for it to work effectively.

The pacing and plot are good. The dynamics between the main players believable, and often amusing, If you are looking for a lighthearted read, and enjoy this type of urban fantasy, this is worth a read.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

All the elements for an awesome urban fantasy were there: magical creatures crossing into our world, a dry sense of humour, and a couple of quirky mysteries to boot. Yet it just didn’t quite get there for me. It was a fun and quick read and I did enjoy it, just not nearly as much as I’d hoped.

My main problem with Breaking the Lore was that it felt like the author was trying too hard to be clever. The jokes were often quite funny, but they were just so incessant. Several times I felt as if I was reading a 300+ page book of Dad Jokes.

Our main character is the only reason I didn’t like this book more. He was so rude to everyone around him, especially poor Sgt. Bonetti who was nothing but loyal and sweet. I get having characters who are unlikable, but for me Inspector Paris had no redeeming qualities till the end. I have no idea why everyone around him put up with him for so long.

I’m not trying to be disparaging because I really did like the book. And I’m sure this humour works for a lot of people. It usually does for me, god knows I love dry British humour, but Nick Paris’s constant eye rolling and snarkiness were over the top.

That aside, all the other characters were fantastic. I mean, who wouldn’t love a demon with a heart of gold or a crow who does wicked Queen covers? The cast of characters in this were endearing and hilarious, so it was a shame they were all brought down by a certain inspector’s grumpiness. I would love to see more of the motley crew of elves, dwarfs, demons, and fairies that filled this story.

This light-hearted, almost cozy, urban fantasy was a good end-of-semester read. My thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review!

Nick Paris, a Manchester Police Inspector, is shocked to see his newest victim is a crucified woman who is only fifteen centimeters tall. But this is only the tip of the iceburg - apparantly the world is full of mythical creatures who have previously been keeping out of sight - and it is rumored demons are coming. I enjoyed discovering what was happening, and I liked Nick, and I especially liked his expert advisor Cassandra, who was just so happy and interested to see magic in the world. The book was full of puns and humor - some were a little corny, but many made me laugh, especially since it was never taking itself too seriously. I also like that this is a fantasy book that I can recommend to even my more sensitive family members that don't like a lot of blood and gore in their books.

This was a fun, light and humorous cosy urban fantasy with all sorts of magical creatures from the magic realm popping up into the real world, making the life of Manchester Inspector Paris and his team difficult. It all starts with a dead fairy and features a cigarette smoking talking crow, a rock troll and her guardian elf, a huge friendly demon as well as numerous dwarves and a large number of not so friendly demons called the Vanethria. Sometimes the humour was just a little too trite for me but generally it's all good fun, more Fforde than Aaranovitch or Butcher. The characters are well done, Inspector Paris likes to apply logic all his investigations and deep thinking (usually over a few glasses of whisky) but doesn't seem at all fazed by the sudden appearance of all sorts of magical creatures. His band of helpers includes the stocky stoic Sergent Bonetti and a rather attractive witch called Cassandra. Together they must find out why all theses creatures are turning up in Manchester and what it is the Vanethria are up to. I'll be interested to see where this series goes next.