Rivers of London (novel)
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| Author | Ben Aaronovitch |
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| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Urban Fantasy |
| Publisher | Gollancz |
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Publication date
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10 January 2011 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback), e-book |
| Pages | 392 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 660533764 |
| Followed by | Moon Over Soho (2011) |
Rivers of London (Midnight Riot in the US) is the first novel in the series of the same name by English author Ben Aaronovitch. The novel was released on 10 January 2011 through Gollancz and was well received by critics, earning a Galaxy National Book Awards nomination for Aaronovitch in the New Writer of the Year award.
The novel centres around the adventures of Peter Grant, a young officer in the Metropolitan Police; who, following an unexpected encounter with a ghost, is recruited into the small branch of the Met that deals with magic and the supernatural.
Peter Grant, having become the first English apprentice wizard in over seventy years, must immediately deal with two different but ultimately inter-related cases. In one he must find what is possessing ordinary people and turning them into vicious killers, and in the second he must broker a peace between the two warring gods of the River Thames and their respective families.
The Gollancz cover is based upon a detail from Stephen Walter's artwork The Island.
The American edition of the book shows a figure in silhouette carrying a gun in one hand, with a ball of fire floating in the other. Earlier editions of the cover showed the character's face in photographic detail, but a later version reduced this to a silhouette. This change drew criticism for appearing to intentionally disguise the fact that the book's protagonist was black, and Del Rey later changed their cover policy. Having adopted the UK style "Walters" covers for the release of Whispers Under Ground, they announced that new editions of Midnight Riot will match the British cover.
The novel draws a great deal on the historical and mythological background of London and the Thames Valley.
Some of the characters are strongly associated with the River Thames and its tributaries. Most prominent after the Thames itself include Beverley Brook, Lady Ty, Oxley, Lea and mentions are given to the Effra, Ash, Brent and Crane.
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