Comments | shimotsuki: Very Important Question for philomytha

shimotsuki

Very Important Question for philomytha

Mar 08, 2014 13:05

It's Spring Break this week! I'll be back later with an Accountability Post (haven't done one of those for a while, which may explain a lot, lol) -- and to catch up with posts on my f-list. For now, my guy and I are about to go on a geology hike with friends, enjoying the warm sunny weather after a few chilly days of rain and sleet ( Read more... )

life, books

Comments 15

philomytha March 8 2014, 18:41:04 UTC

I would say read it in order. There's an interesting plot twist at the end of the first book, and another one at the end of the second book (and one at the end of the fourth book too; seems to be a bit of a pattern), and the third book will give the game away. Also, it's a lot of fun discovering the magical world and the people in it alongside Peter.

ETA: incidentally, have I linked you to the first couple of chapters of the first book available free online from the publisher? It's a good way to be sure you'll like the narrative style and voice, which is a huge part of the book's charm. http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2012/07/rivers-of-london-chapter-one/ (I'm not sure whether it's my computer or their website, but the formatting is slightly wonky to me. Also you will discover that the American editions mysteriously choose to change Lesley to Leslie.)

shimotsuki March 9 2014, 02:52:01 UTC

Thanks for the advice! I usually do try to read any series in order, precisely because of possible plot twists, but sometimes it matters more than others. So I will wait patiently for my library to find Rivers of London (apparently retitled Midnight Riot for the US market -- why do they do that?!), and then I'll put in for #2 also, before I peek at my freshly acquired Whispers Underground.

And, thanks for the link. That will keep me busy in the meantime, heh.

philomytha March 10 2014, 14:11:01 UTC

Despite my advice, if it was me I know I would just be plunging in with the third book and never minding the continuity and spoilers. I respect your self-discipline!

shimotsuki March 11 2014, 03:24:31 UTC

It may be self-discipline, or it may be work and a fic project competing for my time? ;) In any case, the library's got the first book for me now, so I can pick it up tomorrow.

(I did read the first five chapters online, and I'm definitely interested in more.)

gilpin25 March 9 2014, 18:20:27 UTC

*blinks at screen* How do you do this, Professor Trelawney?!

katyhasclogs recommended these to me on FB only last week. Bought the first one today. Spooky!

katyhasclogs March 10 2014, 14:06:00 UTC

I know, doesn't she have perfect timing!

I can't wait to discuss them with everyone, so no pressure, but you'd both better get reading, lol. :D

gilpin25 March 10 2014, 20:36:26 UTC

This time last week I'd never heard of the books. Since then, there's been you, the lad in Waterstones who talked enthusiastically for ten minutes about the series and would probably still be doing so if the queue behind me hadn't been glaring, and now this. It's like the world is on a publicity drive for them, lol.

I've got One Million Lovely Letters to finish off first, which I thought I might find a bit too something or other. But it's like the title. :)

shimotsuki March 11 2014, 04:06:17 UTC

Tell that to the library! ;) I was working on campus today, which may have been almost entirely so that I would be on the spot if the book came in, and kept obsessively refreshing my interlibrary loan patron page. They finally sent me the notification that the book was in -- right before shutting the library down for the night at 4:45!

I may or may not be able to go in to get it tomorrow. Grr.

Thread 9

katyhasclogs March 10 2014, 14:01:00 UTC

Ooh I'm so excited you're reading these!

I read the whole lot in a week, spent a day feeling sad that there wasn't any more and the solved the problem by going back to the beginning and re-reading more slowly. I'm about a third of the way through Whispers Underground right now (and if I have a favourite, it's that one).

I agree with philomytha about reading them in order if you can. They're not quite self-contained detective novels - the story sort of accumulates as the books go on.

secret wizards on the police force. Sounds like it pushes most of my buttons.

And geeky in-jokes. And Pratchett references. Seriously, they're a delight.

shimotsuki March 11 2014, 03:37:41 UTC

This is excellent timing for you to be corrupting gilpin25! I was hoping I'd be able to lure someone into reading these with me. (I've been watching philomytha talk about these for ages now, but I've finally gotten around to doing something about it myself...)

Pratchett references? Even better! I did enjoy Nightingale's pained look when Peter asked him about Harry Potter, lol.