the novel's humour and characters and found it "one of those 'Aww, I’m at the office already? I wanna keep reading nooooow'-style books." The novel was also well reviewed by Saxon Bullock of SFX who awarded it five out of five stars and stated the novel was "Witty, imaginative and gripping, Rivers of London is a great example of how it's not always about having an astoundingly new idea.", praising Aaronovitch's knowledge of London and his fresh and "clever" approach. Rivers of London was also well reviewed by Fantasy Book Review, with reviewer Joshua Hill stating "Ben Aaronovitch has written a book that never left me disappointed in the choices he made as author, nor in the choices of his characters.", referring partly to the characters subdued reaction to the supernatural, which is uncommon in this genre. He further states that "All in all, you have to read this book. Whether you like good writing, good fantasy or urban fantasy, good characters, or simply a breath-taking story set in a breath-taking world, this book is for you." The novel did not, however, receive universal praise. Writing for SF Reviews, Thomas Wagner awarded the novel three out of a possible five stars, stating that "the more frenzied and harrowing the action becomes, the more it feels exhausting and excessive rather than thrilling." and citing the novel's inconsistent tone as another detractor. Tempering this, however, he does describe the novel's plot as "surprising and imaginative" and the novel as a whole "highly energized". In a review for Londonist, Matt Brown found the plot to be unbelievable, stating that "Emotion is almost entirely absent." and quipping "If you’re looking for a deep novel, this is more trickling Walbrook than mighty Thames." He does, however, also praise the book's "pace, ingenuity and creativity". The unabridged audio recording of the novel, read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, was well received and was shortlisted for the Crimefest Award 2012. Foreign editions As well as the American edition, Rivers of London has been translated into 14 languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Hungarian, Portuguese, Japanese and Czech. References Peter Grant (book series) 2011 British novels Novels by Ben Aaronovitch English fantasy novels Novels set in London Culture associated with the River Thames Bureaucracy in fiction Victor Gollancz Ltd books