Maria de Burgh Coppinger; aka Isis, wife of Oxley. Cecilia Tyburn Thames; aka Lady Ty, another "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River Tyburn. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Folsom; a highly placed ally of Lady Ty. Fleet; another "daughter" of Mama Thames goddess of the River Fleet. Lea; the most senior "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River Lea. It's strongly implied that she pre-dates Mama Thames but as a tributary of the Thames has accepted her authority. Brent; a nursery age "daughter" of Mama Thames and goddess of the River Brent. Ash; a "son" of Father Thames and god of the River Ash. Richard "Lord" Grant; Peter's father, a jazz musician and heroin addict. Isaac Newton; the founder of Modern Magic (in addition to his more widely known scientific achievements). Henry Pyke; vengeful revenant actor, formerly of The Theatre Royal, Covent Garden Cover artwork 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. Background The novel draws a great deal on the historical and mythological background of London and the Thames Valley. The rivers 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. Reception The novel was well received, with reviewers citing Aaronovitch's juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane and his storytelling prowess as the novel's main attractors. Writing for The Morning Star Mat Coward stated, of Aaronovitch himself, "he can really write, with a light touch to his humour and characters that really stand out." and followed this with "This novel is a pure delight and I can't wait for the next in the series." Fellow writer Sam Downing praised