An excellent addition to the series. A new reader will be diving in without eight books of history, but Aaronovitch does a decent job of reinforcing world setting details while expanding the story and forwarding the plot. Peter Grant remains an endearing protagonist, and it is wonderful to see his moments of joy.

Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth of the Rivers of London series from Ben Aaronovitch featuring DC Peter Grant and DCI Thomas Nightingale. They both work in a special London unit to address crimes with magic involved. In this urban fantasy series, Peter is an apprentice wizard and his skills have greatly developed since he was first discovered due to his ability to converse with ghosts. Now there is something very bizarre, and deadly, happening. An apparent “Angel of death” is killing people in the city. Why? And are more at risk? And why is former colleague Lesley showing up in the same locations as these deaths? And on a major personal note, Peter and wife Beverley, of the giant Rivers clan, are expecting twin daughters…very soon.

Action packed and full of descriptions and activities revealing advances made in Peter’s magical education, this was a great way for me to re-enter the series though I see there are past episodes I do want to read. Where did those foxes come from?

I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a police procedural and would like to try one with a magical bent and a sense of humor. It creates its own reality within London, England, and the world, coexisting with our own. I suggest beginning with the first book if possible to get to know the characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!
I love everything Ben Aaronovitc writes! Was very excited to read this latest Peter Grant book and it does not disappoint.
The author's portrayal of the London he (and Peter) sees is mesmerizing, and I always finish these books too fast.
Peter's world is very full, he's about to become a dad, and the Folly is undergoing serious renovations (because the establishment is getting on board with all the magic stuff?), and there's a serial killer about!
I love the evolving narrative, I love Peter's voice and the humour, I love the crazy plots and fairies and foxes...can't wait to see what happens next!
p.s. I reread the whole canon before I read this one!

Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth outing for Peter Grant and the residents of The Folly by Ben Aaronovitch. Released 12th April 2022 by DAW, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback is due out in second quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This series is a permanent feature on my must read list. The books are very very well written, taut, engaging, brilliantly plotted, and satisfying. This time Peter & co are looking into peculiar magical deaths which leave the victims with missing viscera (hearts, specifically), and no signs of vestigia/magic use on the part of those responsible. As always, readers get a look into his unusual life (he and his partner who happens to be a sort of demi-demi-goddess and who is currently expecting twins).

Aaronovitch is a gifted author with a razor wit and a prodigious talent for descriptive narrative. The dialogue is never clunky, the world building and magic systems are virtuoso, and the story is varied and engaging.

Since there are so many interwoven multi-book plot threads in this series, it wouldn't work very well as a standalone. I strongly recommend reading the series start to finish, they're wonderful. This one is very much in the same pattern as the other books in the series and for me, that was a definite benefit. Pure escapist fantasy mystery police procedurals are the bees' knees and this one is a great example.

Five stars for the series as a whole, four stars for this installment.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read.

Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth book in the Rivers Of London series by best-selling British author, Ben Aaronovitch. When DC Peter Grant is called to the London Silver Vaults, he brings along his Special Assessment Unit trainee, DC Danni Wickford. Witnesses describe a flash of light before David Moore falls down dead, with a neat hole in his chest, and his heart scooped out. No vestigia, though.

Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David’s flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.

Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David’s uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that’s when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.

And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.

The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.

River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.

Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and DAW Publishing

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book.

I read the first of the Rivers of London series some time ago and really enjoyed it. I've been a little slack in reading the rest in the series, mostly because I couldn't get them from the library. So I snapped this up when it became available.

This is the ninth in the series. While I think it would have been useful to read the previous in the series for context, it wasn't necessary to enjoy it. Peter again investigates a fascinating mystery, while supporting his heavily pregnant partner Bev. Peter is relatable and endearing and the story clips along. This was a great, easy read and I will do better to read the earlier books in the series!

Peter Grant, with the magical branch of the London Police and soon to be the father of twins, has a new case. There have been several disturbing murders, all related to rings given out at a student Bible study group in Manchester over 30 years ago. Can Peter and his colleagues protect the other members of the group before the avenging angel takes them out? If you enjoy the combination of dry British humor and magic and haven't read the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, you're in for a treat. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

While I enjoyed this entry in the Rivers of London, I found myself missing the magic (no pun intended) of the early volumes. I enjoyed watching Peter find his way through his new London and now it just seems "old hat" and he's pretty jaded. I'm not giving up on the series but I think it needs something to renew the sense of wonder (and danger). A little less grit and a little more mystery.

I was allowed to access an ARC copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: murder, gore, blood, torture, violence, mention of religious persecution

This is the most amazing series and I have no idea how it flies under the radar, since I never hear anyone mentioning it! Well, except for the amazing friend who mentioned it to me. And since it’s one of those super underrated series, I honestly didn’t even know that the ninth book had come out, but I saw it on NetGalley and requested it without even looking at the release date. Which was in April of 2022—5 months ago. So I did what any reasonable book blogger does when I got approved, and dropped everything to reread all of the previous 8 books. Let me tell you, the audiobooks are FANTASTIC. It put me in the right frame of mind to start this, and it didn’t let me down.

Peter is about to become a father, but that doesn’t stop him from having responsibilities at work. He’s expanding the influence of the Folly, recruiting new officers and taking a hand in actively training them in the field. When we encounter him, he’s working with a new one, Danni. They’re checking out a new crime scene that appears to be Falcon-related (aka magic or weird bollocks, as the police like to call it). And it is, but it’s a tough one.

As Peter gets drawn deeper into the case, he encounters magical powers like he’s never seen before, and as you can guess, he gets drawn into danger as usual. It’s concerning to the people around him, especially since he’s on the verge of fatherhood, and doesn’t seem to be taking that into account.

But the mystery is fascinating. There’s action and it’s always interesting, especially as Peter continues his learning and increases his abilities. One thing I love about this series is that it never gets boring or formulaic. There’s always a lot going on, both in Peter’s personal life and his professional life. The story involves the case he’s working on, how it ties into the magical world, his research into spells and the past, Nightingale’s own personal history (especially at Ettersburg during WWII), everything going on in the demimonde and within Peter’s own personal circle of friends and family, as well as the loose end with Lesley May, who absolutely shows up. You know she wouldn’t stay away for long.

Overall, I loved this book and felt like it was a strong addition to the series. Each one is a fresh and unique story, and this one is no different. This book is a bumpy ride full of action, magic, and risks, as Peter gets the last of his taste for danger out of his system before settling down into fatherhood and discovering what comes next for him and the Folly. Definitely a book (and series) not to miss, especially if you like urban fantasy with more than a little bit of dry humor with your crime solving.

Best. Series. EVER! Seriously I cannot say enough good things about this series or about how Aaronovitch manages to keep Peter's world fresh and evolving and dangerous on new levels with every book, without ever devolving into trope or repetition or over the top inanity...

In this latest story we once again see our Intrepid Protagonist desperately trying to navigate the multiple circles in which he travels, overlapping his personal and professional lives in a way that is endearing, hilarious, and surprisingly fraught with danger. I'm eager to see the twin storyline develop, and would dearly love to see Nightingale back in the thick of things in a way that he hasn't been since the early books. But honestly, wherever these books go I'm fine with it - Aaronovitch has a knack for pulling me into his world and while it is a world that I would probably be too scared to live in, I dearly love to visit it through every new book!

The first Rivers Of London novel proper I've read since the very beginning of lockdown, and at least now the in-person interactions no longer feel stranger than the local deities and talking foxes. But there is a definite sense of the series having reached the point of setting creep, the various occult factions and powers we've brushed up against in previous volumes multiplied to the point that they're now also impinging on each other and the world is starting to feel a mite crowded. On top of which, this volume uses the introduction of a new trainee for Peter as an excuse to add yet further elements, with him – and us – seeing the whole shebang through her newcomer's eyes and realising that sure, if there are wizards and unicorns and ghosts, why shouldn't there also be angels and aliens? Not that I'm confirming or denying that there are, mind. At this point in the series I've read more than enough police interviews to know better than that. And the cast really has extended to the point that it feels more and more like a procedural with a side order of wizard school story; there's a discussion of plans to start scaling up the number of magically trained personnel, and in the meantime we've got Peter sharing much of the narrative not just with Nightingale and Guleed, but with less occult capable characters who once played more of a background role, such as senior coppers Stephanopoulos and Seawoll. Hell, there's even a guest spot for a DC Monkfish, who sadly doesn't do the catchphrase. And the more police characters we see, the stranger it feels to someone reading in 2022 that, while they may have their annoying habits or abrasive ways, each and every one of these Met employees is fundamentally a good egg. Which, again, at this point starts to feel weirder than the magic. Heavens know I'm far too much of a centrist dad to start bleating about 'copaganda', but when Aaronovitch is so ready with the deserved jabs at public sector cuts, gentrification and buy to leave, it feels weird that the digs at the Met's more spectacularly fucked tendencies never go past unseen, implied or very minor characters. Not that this is the only time I felt a mark had been slightly missed; there's a crack about how "posh kids that fail to reach Oxbridge generally go to Bristol, Edinburgh or, for the true walk of shame, Exeter" where the omission of Durham felt very strange, and – which is a rather bigger issue – a general sense of a Chosen One nimbus coalescing around Peter when precisely the delight of him was surely that he wasn't anything of the sort, he was a Londoner who got mixed up in all this and handled it just fine simply through having the gifts of a Londoner. On which note, it was a bit of a blow when, released from my own week-long lockdown after a touch of the old Miley, I thought reading this would be the perfect accompaniment for my first trip back into the Smoke - and after a few obliging pages of 'oooh, I know that square', all of a sudden the action shifted to bloody Glossop.

Set against all of which, it's never not fun spending time with Peter's voice, and his world, and as the book opens one big ongoing storyline is definitely making progress because his twins with Beverley are very nearly due, and dear heavens [minor and oblique spoiler, I guess] there's even a little detail which made me go a bit misty-eyed about them, and I say that as someone who can't abide babies. Though I suppose these ones are demigods, and thus better.

(Netgalley ARC. For the US release, I believe, as it's been out a while here. In the before-times I would have read it by now, but I no longer have convenient access to a library with free reservations as I did when I used to work...well, between several of the non-Glossop locations of this story, as it happens)

This is the latest fun, witty and entertaining addition in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series featuring DC Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, of the London Special Assessment Unit headed by his boss, DCI Thomas Nightingale, part of the London police that deals with cases involving magic and all the weird stuff. In this story, it all begins when Peter and his apprentice trainee, DC Danni Wickford from Kingston CID are called by DI Miriam Stephanapoulis to attend a crime scene at the London Silver Vaults, for longer than a century known for the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It is heavily protected, it boasts more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than you can imagine.

It is not somewhere you would expect a brutal magical murder to take place and for the killer to simply disappear with reports of blinding lights, yet that is exactly what happens at Samuel Arnold and Co, run by silver dealer Phillip, where the victim had wanted to get hold of a specific ring. The victim turns out to be David Moore, as the police delve into his life, it turns out that he was one of the members of a religious group many years ago in Manchester. They discover another body, this time tortured, but with a similar MO, and old foe, Lesley May, gets in touch. Before you know it, Peter, Danni and DCI Alexander Seawoll are hotfooting it to Manchester and the North, to look into the Sons of Wayward old storage archive. They learn of 7 silver rings, of a stolen lamp, of the escaping Angel of Death with a deadly burning spear, and uncover a mystery that goes back centuries to the Spanish Inquisition.

There is a comforting familiarity to reading this addition to this much loved series and the return of a wonderful cast of diverse characters, that include the able and stylish hajib wearing DS Sahra Guleed, Peter's mother, the foxes, and more. There is a serious sense of urgency with Peter under pressure to solve this case as soon as possible, his partner, the River Goddess Beverley is expecting twins any day now. His life is set to change in more ways than he can imagine, both personally with the impact of becoming a father of twins, and professionally in the future. Looking forward with great anticipation to how all this pans out in the next book! Many thanks to the publisher for the book.

Rivers of London series has advanced to its ninth book, plus a couple of shorter ones in between. Amongst Our Weapons finds Peter slightly more mature than he’s been. After all, he’s about to become a father to twins, the mother of whom is his river goddess girlfriend Beverly, aka one of the rivers of London.

An angel of death is targeting former members of a prayer group. Not that Peter believes angels exist, even if he’s seen a few odd things during his career as a detective constable of weird bollocks, aka The Folly. Helping him solve the case is a new apprentice Danni, who’s a no-nonsense woman, but otherwise unmemorable, Sahra Guleed, his usual partner who is emerging as a distinctive character in what is otherwise quite an unmemorable cast, and of course Thomas Nightingale, his supervisor in magical crime.

This was pretty much a standard fare: a police procedural interspersed with architectural musings, historical accounts, and talking foxes. The superior officers took a more hands-on approach than usually, Peter’s former friend, current foe Leslie made an appearance, and nothing blew up. Much. And in the end, the world welcomed two new, tiny rivers. If it wasn’t quite as gripping as some of the earlier books, it was nontheless an entertaining affair, and I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.

The cover and the contents mirror each other: definitely a Rivers of London book, but somewhat dull.

Yes, we are finally to the age of The Twins. But that (and many other plot threads) hint at change to come in the future books rather than actually deliver change to the narrative now.

My full video breakdown of this book: https://youtu.be/Xab5Hf2yPe4

The audiobook, as always, is fantastic. If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend reading this series that way.

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Amongst Our Weapons is Ben Aaronovitch’s ninth book in the Rivers of London series. This time Detective Constable Peter Grant and his Special Assessment Unit is involved in the investigation of a murder that occurred at the London Silver Vaults, the location of the largest collection of silver for sale in the world.

The urban fantasy once again takes the reader on an investigation like no other. Part police procedural and part fantastical, Amongst Our Weapons has an interesting cast of characters and an imaginative and entertaining plot.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, this series will definitely appeal. However, in order to fully appreciate Mr Aaronovitch’s books, I would highly recommend that they be read in order, since each one tends to build and expand on the previous book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Yessss! Rivers of London is maybe my favorite book series right now, and <i>Amongst Our Weapons</i> is a great new addition! The supporting characters are always fun and funny and we get to spend some extra special time with Seawoll which is excellent.

Absolutely pick this up if you are already a fan of the Folly, otherwise I'd suggest you start from the beginning as a lot of this series builds on the previous ones.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was provided an ARC of this book from Daw Books/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. FWIW I also purchased a hard copy and will likely purchase the audio version later this year. All the hearts for Rivers of London!

P.C. Peter Grant is married to Beverley Brooke, the avatar of that particular London River. He is not only a policeman, but also a wizard in training because magic is real and is a continuing threat to public safety around the world. Beverley is pregnant and Peter is investigating several murders where the victims hearts have been excised cleanly. Someone is killing the members of a religious cult that met for a while when they were all in university together. The head of the group found some rings...little did he know how important those rings were. How can the police track down the five remaining members of the group before they are all killed? Another enjoyable read in the Rivers of London series. The world building is excellent.

The mystery at the center of Amongst Our Weapons, your latest urban fantasy novel, begins with a murder at the London Silver Vaults. Peter Grant, the hero of the series and a police detective specializing in investigating paranormal crimes, is called to the scene along with his counterpart, Sahra Guleed, and his boss, Thomas Nightingale (Peter also brings with him his trainee/apprentice, Danni, whom he and Nightingale have recently recruited).

The murder took place at one of the underground stores. The victim, David Moore, had leveled a pistol at the shopkeeper, silver dealer Phillip Arnold, and demanded a ring that he’d once given to his ex-wife and that she told him she had left at Phillip’s shop. The ring sounded like a puzzle ring, and it bore alchemical or mystical symbols. Phillip had been unable to help; the shop had no record of such a ring and he could not find it anywhere.

The robbery, says Phillip, was interrupted by a flash of blinding light. A moment later David Moore was lying on the floor, a huge hole carved out of his chest.

An autopsy reveals that whatever blasted the cavernous hole in David Moore’s chest also shot a metal cylinder into his body, and the cylinder had the magical signature known as vestigia, which is made up of faint sensory impressions. Clearly the murder was paranormal in some way, but the type of magic it involved is not one that Peter and Nightingale are familiar with.

This is a partial review. The complete review can be found here: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/review-amongst-our-weapons-by-ben-aaronovitch/

You know I skipped over books six-eight in my enthusiasm to read the ARC of this one… I’m even more eager to catch up after reading this one. I really like this author’s world building and Peter is a likable character. Combine that with a fondness for a cozy, not too scary mystery from time to time and these books have been just about perfect reads!