Ben Aaronovitch: Moon over Soho, Whispers under Ground, Broken Homes, Foxglove Summer (Book Review)

[selenak]

Aka, I read my way through the rest of the Rivers of London series. Now some commenters to my review of the first volume had an "even/uneven numbers" theory similar to the Star Trek movies. My own experience was that the degree to which I liked an individual entry was directly related to the Lesley content of same. Much Lesley in 3 and 4 meant these were my favourites.



Seriously though, I thought the second book was the weakest. It fleshed out Peter's parents, but the whole "Jazz vampire" concept was too twee even for this DW veteran to buy, or rather: this Being Human veteran. Because when it comes to "woman is a succubus without knowing it, finds out, has life threatening crisis", Yvonne from the third season of Being Human is the new golden standard of how to make such a character non-misogynistic and a three dimensional, non-clichéd individual with a strong personality instead. And What's her name from "Moon over Soho" and her two comrades fall way short of it.

Mind you, there was long term foreshadowing when Lesley said "what magic can do, magic can undo". I figured then there'd be future dark side temptation in store for her, but when it came it still caught me by surprise. I wasn't kidding about the amount of Lesley May directly relating to my book enjoyment, btw. Back in the first volume, I was so horrified and sad when it looked like she was doomed because she was my favourite among the characters, and so relieved when she survived it instead of dying to motivate Peter. And I was thrilled when she returned to the page full time, so to speak, in the third volume, as Peter's partner in wizard apprenticeship along with being his partner in policing. The two of them press every buddy cops button I didn't know I have. Also, when a drunken Lesley told Peter Harry Potter was surely more fun and he thought sure, but that Harry never had to bring a drunken Hermione home, I immediately wanted that fanfiction where Harry has to bring Drunk!Hermione home to her dentist parents. And suddenly wondered whether the whole series started as Ben Aaronovitch writing HP future fic with Harry and Hermione as augurs. Surely not. Or?

One thing about the world building which never fails to amuse and impress me is that poor Dr. Polidori, he who was the fifth wheel in the Haunted Summer of 1816 with Byron, Shelley, Mary and Claire, really spend his time writing key works on magic, and that the series villain is counting on his opponents' geekdom by using Tolkien runes for his taunting messages.

Speaking of said villain: he's functional as supervillains go, but so far the Faceless Man only really connected emotionally with me when he bribed Lesley with the restoration of her ruined face, otherwise he's a plot device more than a person. Otoh I really liked the supporting villain of Broken Homes being a Russian Night Witch in both the WWII and the magical sense. (BTW, until she showed up, I wondered whether the fact Nightingale ages backwards means he's not really from the early 20th century originally but is Merlin without remembering it or just pretending otherwise, but since the Night Witch in question also ages backwards, I suppose not. I was very glad she survived the book and took up residence in the Folly, and felt let down when she wasn't in the fifth novel, due to Peter making his trip to the countryside then. In my mind, she's played, of course, by Lena Olin.

So I hear the sixth volume is due this autumn? Excellent. *pre-orders*

Comments

[wee_warrior]

Now that I can actually talk about the content, instead of just mumble darkly into my non-existent beard: you've pretty much hit the points I disliked about Moon Over Soho, including the lack of Lesley - who definitely is my favourite character, too. In fact, I needed a moment to get used to *that* twist, although it does unfortunately make sense. I share your reservations about the main villain. I guess he might do his name a little too much justice.

To get back to the even, odd numbers curse: I actually really loved Broken Homes, but at the same time, the plot fell completely flat for me. The setting was great, though, and the "guest characters," too - I very much hope we'll get to revisit the inhabitants of Skygarden Tower.

The creatures I enjoyed so much due to Aaronovitch's (at least to me) unusual depiction were the unicorns in Foxglove Summer, of course! Also, as always, hurrah for extremely strange and unpleasant elves - although I would be angry, too, if some Romans build roads through my forest. That just completely ruins the view.

[selenak]

Well, a Roman's gotta do what a Roman's gotta do, which is road building. :) Yes, the dangerous unicorns and odd elves were great, though I thought the twist on the changeling trope didn't really work for me. I mean, I get the ideological statement - Victoria wanted the daughter back she'd raised, not the one she was genetically related to, because parent-child relationships are created by actual time together, nurture trumps nature etc. -, but the whole identical Nicoles due to promiscous Derek etc. were too far fetched for me - what is this, a Victorian novel? It would have worked better without everyone being related, I think.

[wee_warrior]

Identical Nicoles: I thought that was because Derek wasn't entirely human - at least it seemed to me that way. Aaronovitch muddled that a bit because it's never spelled out, but a human man who is somehow so irresistible that not only human women fly to his heroic chest, but also an elf queen, and it results in a child every time? My guess was that he was probably the child of a river, because we get hints that that might result in being rather unusual in this book. I also believe we might not be quite finished yet with that little town - the old magician and his bee granddaughter live there, and won't there be a river god(dess?) soon who is essentially Peter's child? And they kind of have to look after elven!raised Nicole, she can hardly just hang around with her biological family as a sort of identical cousin.

[kerkevik_2014]

I, Claudius icon!

SQUEEEE!!!

I think qualifies here :-)

kerk

[monanotlisa]

the second book was the weakest. It fleshed out Peter's parents, but the whole "Jazz vampire" concept was too twee

For real.

there was long term foreshadowing when Lesley said "what magic can do, magic can undo". I figured then there'd be future dark side temptation in store for her

I am, as ever, impressed with your ability to pick up clues along the way -- as I've described in my recent reviews, Lesley's emotional arc is understandable for me, but I couldn't easily pinpoint statements in the narrative.

I really liked the supporting villain of Broken Homes being a Russian Night Witch in both the WWII and the magical sense.

Me too! It turned out she wasn't a cardboard cutout but an actual person, admittedly one with very few scruples...but neither particularly malicious nor irrational.

[selenak]

I would really read a spin off about the Russian Night Witches. Especially after getting to know Svetlana Alexejevitch personally this year. Her "Der Krieg hat kein weibliches Gesicht" about the Soviet women who fought in WWII is such an amazing book.

BTW, since you've read Ben Aaranovitch's books now, aren't you curious about the Doctor Who episodes he wrote back in the 80s? Featuring the Seventh Doctor, Ace, the Brig coming out of retirement, the new female Brig, and Arthurian knights from out of space. Also Jean Marsh as Morgana Le Fay.