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lightreads ([personal profile] lightreads) wrote2014-11-20 11:05 pm
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Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

Foxglove Summer (Peter Grant, #5)Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So when the summary of this book came out – Peter goes to the countryside – I assumed it would be a monster-of-the-week book. And it is, though clearly also a lot of setup. Which is actually the salient feature of this book – it convinced me that Aaronovitch hasn't even put all his pieces on the board yet, let alone started moving them.

So anyway. Yes, this book suffers from a tragic deficit of Nightingale. And also a tragic deficit of London, a character in her own right. And yes, the ending is abrupt as hell. (And speaking of, apparently only the Waterstones edition has the short story epilogue? I can only assume to boost special edition sales. What is this dead tree bullshit, I ask you?)

But, Peter is still Peter. And there actually is enough architecture in the country for him to geek over. And the occasionally slow march of this book's rather obvious plot was interrupted, every fifty pages or so, by Peter wham breaking my heart out of nowhere. So yeah. Still worth it.

P.s. This book does present an obvious theory about the Faceless Man's identity/origins, which is so obvious I can only assume it's not true? We'll see.



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gnomad: Red Squid, Yellow Background (Default)

[personal profile] gnomad 2014-11-21 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I'm thinking the Faceless thing might be too obvious. The fans on tumblr think it's him, and the people on tumblr are seriously the world's worst at getting plots before they happen. They are so bad at guessing plots that it becomes embarrassment squick reading for me, so whenever they are firmly convinced of something, I am called upon to question what I know.
metaphortunate: (Default)

[personal profile] metaphortunate 2014-11-21 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
Aaah! Didn't know this was out! This is excellent news.

Books like this are designed for me. I am so incredibly crap at guessing plots. I don't think I'm a stupid person, but for some reason, that's my blind spot. And I don't mind, because it means I enjoy these extremely obvious books more than anyone else.
readerjane: Book Cat (Default)

[personal profile] readerjane 2014-11-21 11:46 am (UTC)(link)
*sniff* Not available in my region yet. *looks piteous*
monanotlisa: Elliot Knight fancast as Peter Grant, smiling very slightly, with a Rivers of London book cover backdrop (Peter Grant - Rivers of London)

[personal profile] monanotlisa 2017-04-17 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
it convinced me that Aaronovitch hasn't even put all his pieces on the board yet, let alone started moving them.

Yes! I recalled Peter's musings about fairies -- Midsummernight's Dream, to be precise -- earlier and how I had wondered even then how this particular changeling lore would fit into the universe as Nightingale knows it; PRESTO, here we go exploring it!

Yes, this book suffers from a tragic deficit of Nightingale.

There is much hotness and also mystery with the Nightingale, it's true...but I tend to find myself so terribly distracted when he's nearby that I was almost-glad we got a book for Countryside Magic and Beverley Brook Having Her Own Agenda.

This book does present an obvious theory about the Faceless Man's identity/origins, which is so obvious I can only assume it's not true? We'll see

Wait, what? If you can state your speculation without any THE HANGING TREE spoilers, that'd be grand. (I'm not usually stupid when consuming books or media, but now I feel that way.)
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