4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/11/08/...
I’ve made it no secret that I love Peter Grant/Rivers of London, and right now, it’s easily one of my favorite urban fantasy series. But for the last few books, our characters have been floundering in their hunt for the Faceless Man, the main baddie who has been a constant thorn in the Met’s side since the very beginning, and I was starting to worry that the lack of progress might soon be blowing up in all our faces. Luckily though, those wondering if we’ll ever get to see the end of this Faceless Man’s saga will be pleased to know, Lies Sleeping has the final showdown and answers you’re looking for. After seven books, this resolution was a long time coming, and it was awesome.
Needless to say, if you’re not caught up with the series yet, be aware this review may contain references to events from the previous books, so only read on if you’ve read finished The Hanging Tree to avoid any potential spoilers. Since the last time we saw him, Peter has received a promotion on the police force and is now playing a key role in the operation to take down the Faceless Man, now identified as Martin Chorley, as well as his associate Lesley May, a one-time friend of our protagonist. Chorley’s grand plan for London has also been revealed, involving a dastardly plot to lure out one of the city’s oldest and most deranged gods—a supernatural killer with whom series fans should be very familiar.
For this dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Peter and his mentor Thomas Nightingale must shore up their resources and gather all the support they can get, calling in help from all corners including the regular police force, history and archeology experts, and even Arthurian scholars. But unfortunately for Peter, Lesley knows all his usual tricks, and worse, where to hit him where it hurts the most. Chorley is up to something big, and no matter how well the Folly plans, their target always seems to be a few steps ahead, constantly slipping through their fingers.
Peter’s resolve has been tested before, but never like this. Lies Sleeping is the big shakeup this series needed, after all the breaks and build-up, and I think it succeeded in delivering both thrilling action and emotional impact. If the goal of the previous book was to bring us back into the thick of things and ramp up the momentum, then this one valiantly took up the baton and ran it to the finish line. I was also ecstatic that I got most of what I’d wished for, number one on that list being more Nightingale in action. While I’m not usually one for literary crushes, I’ve got it seriously bad for that guy. When all is said and done though, taking down the Faceless Man was very much a team effort, and I’m glad we also got the second item on my wishlist, which was seeing more involvement from the rest of the supporting cast. As I expected, Guleed has become a regular, and even more exciting is the fact she’s being brought onto the Falcon magical scene. Abigail becoming a fixture at the Folly was a nice surprise too, after getting know her well from The Furthest Station novella.
Once more, I also found the humor in Lies Sleeping to be on the more muted side, but in this case, I think it’s okay, and even appropriate. Peter still makes me smile occasionally with his dry, sardonic wit, but this was probably one of the more serious sequels, because of all that it had to deal with. Over the course of this series, Peter has matured as a person, taking matters more seriously in both his professional and personal life, becoming a better police officer and a wizard while also settling into a stable relationship with Bev. Still, there are also certain things that never change, and Peter’s mega blind spot with regards to Lesley was the cause of much teeth grinding on my part. There was a moment too where I felt the plot might be falling into a repetitive pattern, but fortunately, Aaronovitch was able to pull things back on track following a lull around the halfway point and save the situation in time for the big finale. Personally, I found the climax to be a bit confusing, in the way things related to the genius loci usually are when it comes to these books, so I suppose that’s nothing new. Regardless, those who have always appreciated this series’ attention to the history and mythology associated with London will find lots of like about this book, I expect.
And finally, Lies Sleeping has the unmistakable feel of a conclusion, though I do sincerely hope that this is just a wrap for the Faceless Man arc, and not for the series itself. It would be cruel to end things right as we’re seeing so much promise for our side characters, not to mention the big news dropped on us in the final few pages, but if this is going to be it, I’m also happy with how things played out. There are a few loose threads I wouldn’t mind seeing addressed, but overall I was impressed with how many conflicts were resolved by strongly tying them back to the series’ roots, i.e. where it all began in Rivers of London. I have no idea where Ben Aaronovitch will take this world and his characters next, but I’ll be crossing my fingers for more.
I’ve made it no secret that I love Peter Grant/Rivers of London, and right now, it’s easily one of my favorite urban fantasy series. But for the last few books, our characters have been floundering in their hunt for the Faceless Man, the main baddie who has been a constant thorn in the Met’s side since the very beginning, and I was starting to worry that the lack of progress might soon be blowing up in all our faces. Luckily though, those wondering if we’ll ever get to see the end of this Faceless Man’s saga will be pleased to know, Lies Sleeping has the final showdown and answers you’re looking for. After seven books, this resolution was a long time coming, and it was awesome.
Needless to say, if you’re not caught up with the series yet, be aware this review may contain references to events from the previous books, so only read on if you’ve read finished The Hanging Tree to avoid any potential spoilers. Since the last time we saw him, Peter has received a promotion on the police force and is now playing a key role in the operation to take down the Faceless Man, now identified as Martin Chorley, as well as his associate Lesley May, a one-time friend of our protagonist. Chorley’s grand plan for London has also been revealed, involving a dastardly plot to lure out one of the city’s oldest and most deranged gods—a supernatural killer with whom series fans should be very familiar.
For this dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Peter and his mentor Thomas Nightingale must shore up their resources and gather all the support they can get, calling in help from all corners including the regular police force, history and archeology experts, and even Arthurian scholars. But unfortunately for Peter, Lesley knows all his usual tricks, and worse, where to hit him where it hurts the most. Chorley is up to something big, and no matter how well the Folly plans, their target always seems to be a few steps ahead, constantly slipping through their fingers.
Peter’s resolve has been tested before, but never like this. Lies Sleeping is the big shakeup this series needed, after all the breaks and build-up, and I think it succeeded in delivering both thrilling action and emotional impact. If the goal of the previous book was to bring us back into the thick of things and ramp up the momentum, then this one valiantly took up the baton and ran it to the finish line. I was also ecstatic that I got most of what I’d wished for, number one on that list being more Nightingale in action. While I’m not usually one for literary crushes, I’ve got it seriously bad for that guy. When all is said and done though, taking down the Faceless Man was very much a team effort, and I’m glad we also got the second item on my wishlist, which was seeing more involvement from the rest of the supporting cast. As I expected, Guleed has become a regular, and even more exciting is the fact she’s being brought onto the Falcon magical scene. Abigail becoming a fixture at the Folly was a nice surprise too, after getting know her well from The Furthest Station novella.
Once more, I also found the humor in Lies Sleeping to be on the more muted side, but in this case, I think it’s okay, and even appropriate. Peter still makes me smile occasionally with his dry, sardonic wit, but this was probably one of the more serious sequels, because of all that it had to deal with. Over the course of this series, Peter has matured as a person, taking matters more seriously in both his professional and personal life, becoming a better police officer and a wizard while also settling into a stable relationship with Bev. Still, there are also certain things that never change, and Peter’s mega blind spot with regards to Lesley was the cause of much teeth grinding on my part. There was a moment too where I felt the plot might be falling into a repetitive pattern, but fortunately, Aaronovitch was able to pull things back on track following a lull around the halfway point and save the situation in time for the big finale. Personally, I found the climax to be a bit confusing, in the way things related to the genius loci usually are when it comes to these books, so I suppose that’s nothing new. Regardless, those who have always appreciated this series’ attention to the history and mythology associated with London will find lots of like about this book, I expect.
And finally, Lies Sleeping has the unmistakable feel of a conclusion, though I do sincerely hope that this is just a wrap for the Faceless Man arc, and not for the series itself. It would be cruel to end things right as we’re seeing so much promise for our side characters, not to mention the big news dropped on us in the final few pages, but if this is going to be it, I’m also happy with how things played out. There are a few loose threads I wouldn’t mind seeing addressed, but overall I was impressed with how many conflicts were resolved by strongly tying them back to the series’ roots, i.e. where it all began in Rivers of London. I have no idea where Ben Aaronovitch will take this world and his characters next, but I’ll be crossing my fingers for more.
Lies Sleeping is an exciting installment because Peter has finally made detective and this story brings about many new changes and developments for him. I also liked that there were some new characters introduced as well as a major reveal about Mr. Lies Sleeping - Ben Aaronovitch - A deadly history. A dangerous mystery. And a dark plan coming to light. IN LONDON, THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD. LIES SLEEPING. Martin Chorley - aka the Faceless Man - wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run.
Join Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, for a brand new case . . .Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in Londons two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.To save his beloved city Peters going to need help from his former best friend and colleagueLesley Maywho brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch . . ....
Lies Sleeping Reviews
- This book follows The Hanging Tree (Peter Grant, #6) (my review) and ends (maybe?) The Faceless Man #2 story arc. In the process it advances the teeming multitude of long-term series plots, including the important Lesley May plot-line while creating more. I frankly found this book to be too much a tangled spaghetti of plots and characters to be truly enjoyable.
I’ve been a long-term fan of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London. I typically listen to them on audiobook, although I have read several...more - My favorite Peter Grant so far.
“When you’re police, an interesting lie can be as useful as the truth. Sometimes more so.”
“We seem to be sitting around waiting for the next fucking disaster,” he said, which went into the official log as—DCI Seawoll felt that our operational posture was too reactive.
“None of this was real. But I’ve learned that just because something isn’t real doesn’t mean it’s not important.” - Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Another strong installment in the Rivers of London series. The battles with the dark side are becoming more and more frequent, now that we know the Faceless Man and see more of his plans. But this one takes some even twistier twists and turnier turns and ends up in a place I didn't really expect.
I had grown tired of this series after book 4, and took a VERY long break. In fact, I hadn't entirely p...more - I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley.
Thank you, Net Galley, I love this series. I can't wait until the audio book is out because all the characters are voiced by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith even when I'm reading the ARC. Action, magic, creepiness, and police procedural all wrapped up into one, and I'm only in the middle of the first chapter. I have still pre-ordered the audio book, though, because the writing really comes alive when Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reads it.
Update: Lots more history...more - Although it started kind of slow and it took me a little to get used again to the rhythm and Aaronovitch's writing, of course I ended up liking this a lot, as expected.
- Another great installment in this excellent series.
One small caveat though.
I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but now that I'm not reading it anymore, I'm having some trouble recalling the scattered sequence of events. The plot and mystery are fairly clear-cut, as is the ending, but the way in which the investigation is moved along from one point to another is... hard to recall... for some reason.
Or maybe I'm just getting old and my recall reserve is quickly dwindling. - Coming back to Peter Grant is always a super-huge breath of fresh air. Every time I pick up one of these books, I know I'm going to be blown away by hugely interesting details, a very tongue-in-cheek Deputy-Constable's wry humor, and a richly imagined and described London.
Oh, yeah, and Peter's a wizard. Working as a cop.
Always under the bureaucratic nightmare, wishing things hadn't gone so bad with his previous partner, having sexytimes with a river... it's all GOOD. Even the takeout and stakeou...more - This is one of my all-time favourite series – and this installment was eagerly awaited and did not disappoint, as usual. There is just something charming and compulsive about this series that makes me very happy.
I won’t write about the plot so much, because doing so invariably would spoil the books that came before (and what twists and turns there were) except to say that I found the way the story went and how some parts wrapped up highly satisfying. I know that there is a novella coming out in...more