This is a fun little novella set in the Rivers of London world, but I’d recommend having read at least one of those before diving into this. You CAN read this as a standalone, but I think you’ll get way more out of it if you’re familiar with this universe.

Welcome to the Harlem Renaissance, 1920’s New York City. The jazz scene is in full swing as we’re introduced to Augustus Berrycloth-Young, British ex-pat, magician, and former schoolmate of one Thomas Nightingale. Gussie, as he’s known, is very aristocratic, very dandy, and very gay. I absolutely LOVE the setting of the queer community in 20’s Harlem and the cast of characters we meet. The voice is very, very different from Peter Grant, and honestly I found Gussie very annoying at the beginning. He grew on me though, and once Nightingale showed up on the scene things picked up quickly and I found myself Gussie as the reluctant hero.

Nightingale is in search of a magical object and needs Gussie’s help. He reluctantly tries to balance helping Nightingale while hiding the truth of who he is – a queer man in a society that does not approve.

I enjoyed seeing pre-war Nightingale, but there wasn’t very much magic evident in this story, which is always a bit of a let-down. Despite that it’s still pretty action packed, and the climax at the titular Masquerade was a great bit of fun. All in all, this is a lighthearted and fast paced novella that any Rivers of London fan will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is the earliest set story in the Rivers of London series and is works for both new and old fans. Augustus has moved from London to New York and has set himself up nicely when his old school friend Thomas Nightingale comes to town on Folly business. Jazz features in this since Augustus is a big fan of it. It was nice to see someone who knew Nightingale from before the War and the New York Jazz scene features quite a bit in this since Nightingale’s quarry is involved with this a bit. Overall, a great story and maybe we will see more of Gussie down the line.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher on Netgalley

I really like the Rivers of London series, and this is a little detour from the main story arc that I had a ton of fun with! It's set in 1920s NYC and written from the perspective of Augustus "Gussie" Berrycloth-Young. (Don't worry if you don't recognize him: I'm pretty sure he's a new character.) He's having an amazing time listening to jazz and falling in love in the New World when his old boarding school prefect, Thomas Nightingale, shows up on (what Gussie assumes is) a mission from the Folly.

The novella is a mix of amateur sleuth procedural, historical "slice of life" full of little historical details, and a new perspective on pre-WWII Nightingale. I'd recommend it for fans of the series, but not necessarily as a starting place. In other words, if you just read this review and have no idea what "the Folly" is, or why a reader might be intrigued by reading about young Nightingale breaking a little protocol, you probably don't want to pick this up. But if you DO, you'll be pleased with this one.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.

The protagonist of the book is annoying, frustratingly stupid, and passive. I love the vibe of the setting, exploring the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s New York, especially the jazz and queer communities. However, my love for the vibrant setting could not overpower the dull narrator. I hated this book.

This book also has disappointingly little Nightingale content. Heartbreaking for me.

A review video including this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle.

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

The novella Masquerades of Spring fills in some of Nightingale's background from a case he worked in the US. It's a fun read told from the pov of Augustus Berrycloth-Young set in 19020s New York CIty. Masquerades underlying case contains the usual twists and turns one comes to expect in the Rivers of London series. Recommended for fans of the series.

Augustus Berrycloth-Young is a Englishman living in 1920's New York, partially to keep clear of the Folly, when Thomas Nightingale came waltzing into his self-imposed exile. They had gone to school together and both were practitioners of magic. Nightingale was on the trail of a cursed magical saxophone that raised Molly's interest. Lucky, Berrycloth-Young had the right sort of acquaintances to aid their endeavors. Interesting side story in the Rivers of London series that provides a mad-cap adventure in America that ends well.

Thanks Netgalley and Subterranean Press for the chance to read this title.

This is the first novella I've read by BA....but I'll be reading more
This was supplied by Net Galley and the publisher
So thank you
I'll try not to give spoilers
This short story is set in New York in the 1920's era
Around the growing Jazz age and prohibition
The narrative is written in a way that you would expect for the given character
So with the eras slang used a lot...you need to spell check the slang,.if not explained


The only real spoiler
It's very Gay
I mentioned this only as a trigger warning
Me I loved it, the story and the way it was presented
Additional
I spotted a historical mistake
The big baddie says boasting "my ancestors fought at Valley Forge"
There was no battle @ Valley Forge.... except maybe fighting over food

Another excellent book by Aaronovitch. I really liked the characters and the very detailed descriptions of period NY - especially of Harlem. Augustus Berrycloth-Young "Gussie" is the engaging center of this mystery and I enjoyed the crossover with Folly characters. It definitely has a different tone than the novels set in London which rings true of the dandy, , azz age era of New York City. Highly recommend!

Rivers of London is one of my all-time favorite series. I love everything about it - the characters, the world-building, the plot lines, the narration of the audiobooks (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is PHENOMENAL). The only thing I don't love is the wait between books. I'm not a graphic novel person, so those don't help. These novellas that help flesh out the universe do though, and this one was particularly entertaining for me since it showcased Nightingale in his younger days.

The pacing and plot were, as always, spot-on and kept me engaged from start to finish. The characters and world-building are where Aaronovitch really shines though, and this time around was no exception. I loved Gussie and his Old New York, and the interplay between him and The Nightingale was redolent of the relationship between the latter and Peter, without feeling like a knock-off version. This was a great way to spend time in the Rivers world while waiting for the next main novel!

New York City, New York.
Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young - fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad - as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.
That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone - which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows...

This is a fun novella. Gussie is a great narrator and it was good to see Nightingale through the eyes of someone besides Peter Grant. Aaronovitch has become a must read for me.
Highly recommended for fans of the Rivers of London series.

Augustus Berrycloth-Young "Gussie" leads a charmed life in the Jazz Age of New York City. His routine is interrupted when Thomas Nightingale, an old acquaintance, arrives with a cryptic mission involving an ancient saxophone. Gussie embarks on a journey to smoky jazz clubs that pulse with music and danger.

This book makes astute observations about society and the social injustice of the 1920s in the US. I speculate that some of these practices still happen today. It was a great way to present this history. The jazz music serves as a metaphor for freedom and self-expression. The storyline kept my interest, and the ending shocked me, and I did not see it coming.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Subterranean Press.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This is another side-book in the Rivers of London series, this time taking us back in time almost a century for a story that involves the Nightingale, the NYC jazz scene, gangsters, and of course magical creatures. Great fun, fast read, and a drag ball. Who could ask for more?

We’re back with Nightingale on a new adventure across the pond but this time with a new lovable narrator - Gussie. I did really enjoy how much I feel like I learned about culture in 1920s Harlem, which is not something I would expect out of the Rivers of London series. But overall I’d say this short edition was exceptionally meh. My largest complaint is that throughout the book the author used 70 words in place of 5 and fighting through the extra language just made it difficult and less engaging to read. There were also parts of the story that were hard to follow with new characters coming in and out. While not a bad read, it just seems a slightly unnecessary edition to an otherwise good series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

Fun story. I haven't read any of the other books in this world yet, but it wasn't necessary to understand the plot. I enjoyed the playful tone and all the talk about what people were wearing.

Augustus Berrycloth-Young, a Bertie Wooster type, is living in Prohibition-era New York and far from the magic of his youth when Nightingale comes to call, looking for information on a cursed saxophone. Augustus, our narrator, enlists his lover and his knowledge of Harlem to figure things out. Slight and reflective of Aaronovitch’s interest in exploring the corners of his universe rather than continuing with the characters we know.

Perfectly fine short novella from Ben. Ben unfortunately has not been able to write in the voice of his new characters and they all sound very much the same. It's always interesting to see something from Nightengale's perspective but this didn't vibe with me.

For the legions of <I> Rivers of London</I> fans, this <I> Rivers-</I>adjacent short novel will be a welcome return to the world where Thomas Nightingale, wizard for the Crown, is on his rounds, foiling evil.

The novel begins with Gussie Berrycloth-Young, a gadabout magic-worker who sensibly left the shores of England for Jazz-Age New York—the better to avoid getting caught for the kinds of trouble he often finds himself amidst. Augustus and his amour—a male African-American jazz critic named Lucy—are caught up in Nightingale's search for the source of some bewitched musical instruments.

Light-hearted, a romp, with nod to Wodehouse's Jeeves, this little story is a real delight. For those benighted souls who do not know Aaronovitch's work, well, here's a nice appetizer! And the rest of us will gobble it up as a snack until the next big <I> Rivers</I> comes along.

Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press (@SubPress) for the electronic ARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Augustus-Berrycloth-Young is a wealthy young Englishman happily ensconced in 1920s New York City enjoying jazz and forbidden love. When his old school friend, Thomas Nightingale, arrives in search of the origins of an unusual old saxophone Gussie is thrust into the midst of an investigation and the rescue of a magical being when all he wants to do is enjoy the jazz clubs and the company of his lover.
Set in the 1920s this is, I believe, the earliest time frame of any of the Rivers of London series, certainly the only familiar character involved is Thomas Nightingale. While familiarity with the series is a plus this can be read as a stand-alone since the necessary background information is imparted seamlessly in the context of the narrative. If you are familiar with the series this is an interesting glimpse into Nightingale’s somewhat mysterious past.
As a novella this is a quick read, the action moves along steadily and reaches a good conclusion. Along the way we become interested in Gussie and his lover Lucy as well as the jazz culture and the realities of corrupt police during Prohibition. The story is very much based in the culture of Harlem jazz and the queer community so if gay love bothers you then this is an entry in the series you might want to skip. Personally I’d enjoy a few more entries in the series focusing on Gussie and how, as a rich, white, English practitioner of magic, he fits in with both the black jazz community as well as the hints that maybe some of Lucy’s friends may not be as ignorant of magic as they should be. The entry as well as the whole series are highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Masquerades of Spring is a prequel novella to the Richard Grant core series that takes place in 1920's New York City. What story set in that time wouldn't be complete without some type of magical instrument? While this novella was better than the last one I read (Winter's Gift), I still feel like it misses some of the magic of the core series. The story started off well, but then I feel like it lost its way a little bit at the halfway mark.

It was still a fun romp through the Rivers of London world, but unless you're caught up on the core series, you can save this one for later.

A prequel to The Rivers of London series, featuring Nightingale in his prime and a school chum named Gussie, all set in Jazz Era New York. Felt a little lighter in supernatural terms but immensely readable, funny and diverse - queer and Black history converging as well. I had an arc and highly recommend.