4-4.5 out of 5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
I've loved the Rivers of London books since I read the first one. The world building in this series is exceptional, and it's great to find an urban fantasy series that knows its stuff, and isn't just an excuse for weird smutty romance.
Peter's voice is one of my favourites in contemporary fantasy, and its cool to watch him mature throughout the series.
Stone and Sky packs up the whole gang - Peter and fam, Nightingale, Abigail + foxes and a few others - and transports them to Scotland to help Walid check out reports of a big cat that may be 'popping' in from other wheres to snack on local sheep. Peter manages to get involved in a questionable local death involving Folly-worthy 'fishmen' and some questionable practices offshore.
The action hops back and forth between Peter, his mum and dad, Nightingale and Abigail trying to track down the creature, Abigail's vacation crush, and some weird stuff about offshore oil rigs - you know, a typical vacation. The somewhat scattered plotting that results from all these points of view is pretty typical, I think, of how stuff never goes the way you think it will on a family vacation. I loved all the different voices in this book.
At least some prior knowledge of the world and characters is necessary, or a reader will get confused about who all these people are.
Recommend to fans of early Dresden Files and Paul Cornell.

Stone and Sky is the latest in the long running Rivers of London series from Ben Aaronovitch. And while it isn't the first to take place mostly outside London, its the first to take place in Scotland. And Aberdeen, no less, a place with a rich history of strange goings on, industrial skulduggery and difficult loyalties. Aaronovitch brings our erstwhile protagonist, Peter Grant, up to Aberdeen on holiday with his family, and...well, things go off the rails shortly thereafter. A seagull may have been involved. The less said, the better.
One of the strengths of this series has always been its sense of place. Aaronovitch has a love of London, plainly. And that affection for the city has worked its way into the stories he tells, from the mini-infodumps Peter does for the reader about architecture and history, to the lavishly detailed descriptions of museums and not-entirely-random tower blocks. Coming to another place, another space with its own history and culture...well. It works! I don't get quite the same amount energy and enthusiasm for the life and history of Aberdeen in this story as for London in others, but the energy is still there. Aberdeen is a city that pretends to be grey and dour, with the sea roaring over the long strands of beach, its heritage blended with a corporate vision of oil rigs from horizon to horizon. That vision and the city itself feel like they're being scaled back, here. This is a city which has had its boom, built like there was no tomorrow, and is now faltering as revenues drop off. The bright lights are no longer quite so bright. The big money jobs are fewer and further between. The guarantee of steady work is slowly slipping away. But for all that, the city still has a heart, still thrums with the kind of energy you get with access to ready money that can be made by, well, making something. This isn't London, no, but if its different, its roots go as deeply. There are families here that can find ancestors too far back to matter, and some of them are...well, more than a little strange. There's parvenus and nouveau riche and there's pubs where you probably won't set foot unless your dad and his dad drank there before you. There's a sense of a city which is changing, though whether that is for the better is anyone's guess. And Aaronovitch builds that sense, builds that fluidity into the text, at the same time as we see the solidity of the town itself, the grey stone that gets everywhere, the sheer density of the material, the ardent solidarity of people who know who they are, and where they're from - even as that understanding of where they're going slips away a little every day.

Which is a long-winded way of saying, yes, this is Aberdeen. A place with a real heart, a real soul, that's been knocked down and got up again a few times, and still has a laugh in it for everyone that spends their time there. And to be fair, we get to see some of the countryside, too. And if it has less cultural weight, you can still feel the warmth and other-ness of those crofts and hollows, those liminal spaces which aren't entirely human (and may or may not be populated by talking foxes).

On the topic of talking foxes...this is, I think, the first Peter Grant book with multiple points of view. There's a sprawling cast, most of them familiar from other stories in the "mainline" series, and some who presumably turned up in the various multimedia spinoffs. It feels a bit overwhelming at first, but after a few chapters, things settle down. Peter gets the lion's share of the time on page, but his somewhat roguish apprentice-family-member Abigail features heavily, finding her life more than a little upended by the locals -both human and non. I rather like Abigail, but she's definitely bringing a youthful energy (and syntax) that takes a bit of getting used to. By contrast, Peter Grant is now a liottle slower, a little more methodical, a little more...dare I say it, thoughtful? And a father - which is a joy to see, incidentally. They're not exactly a dynamic duo, but both of them are smart, charming, streetwise sorts, and entertaining to read.

And then there's the story. Which I promise I won't spoil. But it delves into local folklore, it pokes around the bones of local history, modern and...other, and it gives us both people and the supernatural at their best and worst. There's some fine investigative work, and if you run alongside Peter and Abigail, they give you enough information to figure out what's going on before all is revealed. Because this is a mystery, even if it has a big seagull. And it's a character piece, which isn't afraid to delve into its characters and try and show us who they want to be as well as who they are. And it's a social story, about class and wealth and power, and what anyone is willing to do to get or keep those things. And, also, there's the occasional fireball, just to keep things interesting.

Stone and Sky may not be in London, but it's a fine Rivers of London book, and if you're a fan of the series, definitely worth picking up.

A new Peter Grant. It‘s been a while. Peter, with more or less his whole family, his dad‘s band, Abigail plus fox, and Nightingale are headed up North in a combination of having a holiday (Peter et al.) and investigating some weird bollocks (Nightingale, etc.).

We alternate between two storylines, told by Peter and Abigail. Here is where my issues started. I found that distracting. I wasn’t exactly underwhelmed, but the story felt disjointed and never gelled into a cohesive, gripping tale. My mind kept wandering off, I could have stopped reading at any time. The plot was ok, the sleuthing as well, although there wasn’t a lot of suspense. It all sort of ambled along in a friendly and comforting way. I never developed much interest. But this is not the fresh and funny Peter Grant of the early books. I think I am pretty much done with the series. I might pick up the next book in the series, if it gets very good reviews by my reading buddies.

What I did like:
The Scottish setting. Peter’s architectural nerdiness is always fun. The visual of the Aquaman ending was appreciated, I won‘t be able to get Jason Momoa out of my head for days now. I enjoyed the foxes and the various pop culture references. The new supernatural people were a good addition.

Audiobook:
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is very good, as always. He is like comfort food. I also liked that there is an additional female narrator for Abigail. They did a good job with the Scottish accents.

3.5 mermaids, rounded up to 4 for old times sake. 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️½

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Stone and Sky is the 10th urban fantasy/murder mystery in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. Released (in the USA) 8th July 2025 by Astra on their DAW Books imprint, it's 304 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This series is a strong favorite. The books are very very well written, taut, engaging, brilliantly plotted, and satisfying. Although it could be read as a standalone, there are long standing interrelationships which have developed over the course of the series which will give spoilers for some of the earlier books if read out of order.

Aaronovitch is a gifted author with a razor wit and a prodigious talent for descriptive narrative and sly cultural in jokes. The dialogue is never clunky, the world building and magic systems are virtuoso, and the book will swallow readers whole.

Although there are many (MANY!) interwoven multi-book plot threads in this series, it works reasonably well as a standalone. The series is top-notch start to finish, however, and highly recommended for an extended binge read.

Five stars for the series as a whole, four and a half stars for this installment. As stated, it would be an -excellent- choice for public or home library acquisition, or for a very satisfying long binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Rivers of London series is consistently an enjoyable one and Stone & Sky is no different in that respect. While I do think, to some extent, it should have remained a 7 book series, once the big bad of the first arc was dealt with, each new adventure is still one I know I'll enjoy on picking up. Stone & Sky takes us to Scotland, out of the usual location for these books, and so it gives us a whole new playground for Peter and Abigail's adventures. This is the first book which is dual POV, which works well here because there's multiple strands of the investigation happening. Overall, this was a fun read, though again, lacking the tie-in to a larger plot that the first few books had and maybe marginally weaker for it.

I've been a big fan of this series since the start and am grateful to the publisher for the advance reader copy. I actually prefer these books as audiobooks because the narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is perfect. That said, I also enjoy reading the ebooks.

I'm sorry to say Stone and Sky is the weakest book in the Rivers of London series so far. I have some specific gripes. Instead of being told from Peter's first-person perspective in past tense, this book alternates between Peter's and Abigail's perspective (and Abigail's chapters are narrated in present tense). While this isn't my preference, it wouldn't have bothered me if I liked to story more. Plot-wise, the setup of a mysterious large animal killing sheep in Scotland drawing Dr. Walid, Nightingale, and Peter (and family, including Abigail) up to check out if the cause is weird bollocks or not. While Peter did sleuth around and figure out a lot of what was going on, half the story was Abigail falling in love with a mermaid. Nightingale was barely there, and while magic was involved, it was kind of secondary to corporate malfeasance.

I still enjoyed it enough to finish, but I have a creeping feeling that Aaronovitch is trying to sunset Peter's story and pass the torch to Abigail. Not sure I am interested in her as a main character.

This is my favorite urban fantasy series and Peter Grant is my favorite MC of all time. That said, this story lived up to all of my love for these books. Set in Scotland, the author gave us a new setting and set of mythical/folkloric beings to add to the supporting characters. I loved that everyone was on this holiday - Peter's parents, his twins, as well as Nightingale and Abigail. I liked the dual story from Peter and Abigail's viewpoints.
I highly recommend this whole series to all who love the fantasy/sci fi/urban fantasy vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

DS Peter Grant and his extended family are trying to take a holiday in Scotland - Aberdeen to be precise. There's his partner, Beverley, a minor riber goddess, their twins, cousin Abigal (and DCI Nightingale who is training her in the arcane arts). And then there's Peter's mum and his dad, and old jazz musician, plus his band and their disreputable manager. Dad and the band have a gig at the Lemon Tree, a well known Aberdeen venue. It turns out to be a working holiday as a strange corpse (with gills) turns up, and Abigail's talking foxes spot some strange things. Expect giant seagulls, corrupt oil companies, selkies, mermaids, the local police force and some very strange goings-on culminating in danger on board an oil platform in the stormy North Sea. T(I was particularly intrigued because in my muso days, I played a gig at the Lemon Tree, and stayed in Foot Dee (Fitty) which gets regular mentions.) The story was entertaining, but not my favourite Rivers of London book. This is from both Peter's viewpoint and Abigail's as the story diverges and comes back together. I did find Abigail's teen slang a bit wearing, and wonder how that part of the book will age, as slang changes so rapidly. It's good addition to the Rivers of London series, but not the place to start.

Peter Grant and company are in Scotland, actually around the city of Aberdeen, on a holiday. Of sorts. Nightingale and Abigail were there to check on large cat sightings that left no scat. Peter was there on vacation with Bev and their twins. Peter's mom and dad were along to visit the jazz scene in Aberdeen. But the best laid plans so often go awry and this one did big times. The cat was real, sort of. But then Peter got called in as a consult on a murder case of a man who appeared to have gills which led to a missing persons case which led to giant sea gulls and other magical creatures. Meanwhile, Abigail and the foxes plus Nightingale had tracked down the cat, found evidence of magic, and Abigail had been bitten by the love bug. In all a fun read with plenty of action and pathos in a right proper combination!

Thanks Net Galley and Daw for the chance to read this title!

I adore this series. It drew me in within the first few paragraphs. I enjoyed spending a few more hours with Peter and his world. (Even if it wasn’t in London)

As always, I enjoy Peter's cheekiness and the weird bollocks.

A bit of a departure from the normal books in this series, as Abigail's tale (which as you might expect with a teenager, is a bit preoccupied with her romantic interest) is interwoven with Peter's case. When Nightingale takes Abigail to hunt a mysterious big cat in Scotland, this somehow turns into the entire crew (Wallid obviously tags along, and Bev decides that she, Peter, and the twins need a holiday there. And Peter's mum and dad come too, and the bad because gigs. Lol it's kind of ridiculous and I am amused) visiting Aberdeen. Peter gets sucked into helping the local police with their Falcon case. I enjoyed the new kinds of magical creatures. I'm not sure what certain events portend going forward, but I am looking forward to it.

It has been a while since I’ve been in the company of members of the Folly, the contingent of the London police tasked with dealing with things magical. So it has been a delight to join Nightingale and Peter, as well as Abigail and her compatriot, Indigo the talking fox. As Stone and Sky begins, these three, as well as Peter’s wife Beverly, the river goddess, and their two year old twins, Peter’s parents and his father’s jazz band, and Dr. Walid, arrive in Scotland. Those connected with the Folly, including the highly educated doctor, are in search of a mutant panther. Everyone else is on vacation. Peter had hopes of being on vacation but…

This is new territory for the team. They don’t know the players in Aberdeen and the area and they don’t have contacts in the police of fae world, or not many. Nightingale’s history goes way back but he hasn’t seen anything quite like this out of place animal. As the family vacations, the team gets to work, learning about the fae world of Scotland, trying to figure out what this mutant animal might foretell. Abigail is a new character for me so she was fun to watch developing as well as her relationship with Indigo and the mysterious Ione. There is a rogue plot to uncover that will need the team to unravel.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys mystery with a paranormal and magical twist and enough sly humor to satisfy. Aaronovitch has built a great world and keeps it going very nicely. This book can be read without reading all of the series but at least some familiarity with the characters and concepts would be very useful, if not necessary, for full enjoyment.

Thanks to DAW books for an advanced copy of this book. This review is my own.

This is already book 10 in the main Rivers of London series, on top of which there are some in-between books and comics that I haven’t all read. There’s a two-year time jump between this and book 9, and Peter’s twins that were born at the end of the previous book are now two years old and a handful.

Peter and Bev are on a holiday in Aberdeen of all places, and they’ve taken half the Folly, his parents and his dad’s jazz band with them. They end up camping in the garden of a colleague of Dr Walid, who has sent Walid samples of a dead sheep killed by something that’s not native to Scotland. Walid’s there to investigate.

Peter’s holiday starts well, with beach days with his family while Nightingale and Abigail investigate the mysterious animal and his dad performs with his band. But when an assault victim turns out to have gills, he’s called in to consult the local police. It leads to a full-blown investigation of not only a murder but a missing person, a summoner of weird creatures, a crooked oil company, and forced labour of people who are not quite human.

Meanwhile, Abigail and Nightingale investigate what turns out to be a black leopard, but not quite. They’re not the only people after the creature. A young woman is hunting it too. Abigail is instantly attracted and the two end up having a nice holiday romance. And it turns out, Ione isn’t quite human either.

This was a nice holiday read but not among the best Rivers of London books. I’m not entirely sure it was even a very good book. For one, the structure where both Peter and Abigail had their POV chapters left both their stories lacking. Admittedly, neither of them had enough to do to fill the entire book, but the separation of the storylines didn’t form a satisfying whole. Abigail is also in mourning of someone, but since I haven’t read the book where the death took place, I wasn’t entirely invested, though the grief felt real.

There were too many characters with nothing to do. Peter’s dad and his band were probably supposed to be the comic relief, but all their scenes turned out to be fillers. I don’t think Richard said a word, at least not in direct dialogue. Peter’s mom at least was given a role as a cook and a babysitter, but she didn’t contribute much to the story either. Nightingale, likewise, was underused. Abigail would ditch him constantly, and then call him to help, after which his contribution was covered with a couple of lines. The solutions to the mysteries were mostly accidental.

The narrative as a whole was heavy on telling and not showing, which gave it a slightly distant feel. It was bogged down by description of everything in Aberdeen, but like always, not the main characters. I always find this irking. I read a lot and can’t remember what the main characters of a series I’ve last read three years ago look like, and as six years has gone since the start of the series, there must’ve been changes. Abigail, for one, is no longer a little girl. The stakes were low throughout, the bad guys were mostly human, and nothing blew up. Peter had almost no role in solving things. And there were a few plot holes that were ignored.

The rest is very spoilery, so stop reading here if you haven’t read the book yet.

Here are some plot holes that bugged me after I’d finished. Who ransacked the home and office of the missing woman and why, if they thought she was dead and her contribution for the work was done already? Why did the people who rescued her lock her up when it would’ve been in their interest to let her go to the police? How were the selkies captured when they appeared to be very powerful and also so secretive that other water creatures didn’t even know about them? Why did the panther roam the forests if it was summoned in the city? If it was summoned by using the circle in the forest, why was it covered in a century’s worth of soil? If it was the same panther that had roamed there for centuries, why would they assume that it would go away once the summoner was dealt with?

These aren’t necessarily serious issues, but combined with the narrative as a whole, it gives a notion that the book was a holiday work for the author too. Nevertheless, it entertained me enough to give it three stars, maybe even 3,5 rounded down. And I’m not ready to give up Peter and his gang. But I’m hoping for a more substantial story next time round.

Peter Grant is back...and this time he's in Scotland!

I have been a fan of the Ben Aaronovitch classic Rivers of London series since very early on (I used to read this series in the most appropriate place, the London bus) and it's always fun to see our policeman hero, Peter, as a fish out of water outside of London. I would suggest that anyone interested should probably start with the original Rivers of London - as it is helpful to watch Peter grow as a magician and the motley band of heroes associated with the Folly continue to develop.

I do appreciate that this book was the first one which interceded Peter's POV with that of apprentice wizard Abigail - Abigail is such a curious character, even as she is going through some trauma, and it makes a great contrast with Peter, whose cheerful acceptance of the strange makes him unflappable, but not always willing to ask questions.

I'm always excited when I see a new Rivers of London book hit the bookshelf and this one is no exception. Aaronovitch weaved the local politics and changes in Aberdeen (and the oil industry) as neatly as his native London. I'd recommend this one to both fans of Columbo and the Discworld series.

Stone and Sky is the newest Rivers of London novel by bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch. Each book is loaded with real locations and history, along with commentary on architecture and both the positive and negative changes to London and its surrounding areas. As a modern-day detective mystery series, that's interesting enough; throw in a hidden subculture with practitioners of Newtonian magic and you have a world of secrets woven throughout 'the capital of the world'. At least, that's what Aaronovitch calls it, and having been born and raised in London, he says he will leave when they prise London from his cold dead fingers. He's a master storyteller using a very tangible city with a complex history as his backdrop.

Peter Grant is an officer of the Metropolitan Police. After a case involving ghosts, Peter comes to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale - the last officially sanctioned English Wizard. Peter becomes the first apprentice wizard in sixty years, specializing in weird police cases. He's young and has a relaxed demeanor at odds with Nightingale's posh and restrained personality. Peter brings technology and procedure to the team, and together they use magic to keep the queen's peace.

The Rivers of London series is one of the best urban fantasy series I've read, fully grounded in modern day London, though this particular book explores the Scottish coast and the city of Aberdeen. In this book, Peter, Beverly, their twin girls, Nightingale, Dr. Walid, Abigail, a talking fox, and Peter's parents all head to Aberdeenshire, Scotland to investigate a weird death... of a sheep. They caravan up in three vehicles and literally camp out in the back yard of the "self-confessed cryptid aficionado" friend of Dr. Walid. It's a family vacation, band tour, and work trip all in one.

It is lovely to see Peter and Beverly as parents, and how they're surrounded with people (and foxes) willing to lend a hand. They've built a community and add to it with every case.

There's a skilful balance in the book, splitting the narrative and giving equal time to both Peter and Abigail. I do wonder if this is a precursor to handing the series over to Abigail and the foxes, or maybe testing the waters of doing so. I'm ambivalent about it, honestly, but I'll reserve judgement for the future and keep an open mind for whatever comes next. Regardless, the series is incredible and Aaronovitch is a master storyteller.

I not only preordered the audiobook from Audible, but I've ordered my ticket for a book signing event in Cambridge to not only get my copy of the hardback book, but to have the author sign it in person. That's a first for me and I'm so excited to meet him.

I don't know if it is because I read this book rather than listen to it but , although I thoroughly loved the story, some of the phonetic accents and colloquial language did keep jarring with me and kept taking me out of the story so it didn't quite flow as well as it could. Probably didn't help that it was set in Scotland. Hence dropping one star.
Now, that said, I am about half way through the Audiobook and, so far, having a much better time of things...
So... an old friend of Dr Walid's contacts him cos there have been some mysterious sheep deaths up near him, which he would like his opinion on. Walid tells Nightingale who agrees to acompany him, with protege and apprentice Abigail in tow. Once Bev hears of it, it also becomes a great holiday idea for her and Peter, and the twins! And then Peter's parents get in on the act, and, well, why not bring the whole band with them on a mini tour too... Oh yeah, and Abigail brings Indigo too...
So... basically, we have all the usual faces, just in Scotland...
As well as them, we also have quite a few episode cast. Many many bit part players... One for the trusty notebook I thought, which kept them straight in my head, especially as often there were quite long gaps between introduction and when their parts really kicked in...
And the weird stuff... Well... that was all a bit special too. Mostly centred around the sea and shenanigans from a company. But I can't and won't go into detail. We also have a bit of a coming of age for Abigail as she develops a major crush on one of the locals. Which does help her in her own grief. Indigo also has her own fun with the local foxes who are brilliant!
The story is told from both Peter's and Abi's perspectives. I have never really been the biggest fan of Abi and this book kinda cements this as I really much preferred Peter's parts. Especially the shouty cop he overhears in the police station, and some of us will know exactly who that was! It was, on occasion, like reading two completely different books - one a weirdy-b police procedural, the other a YA coming of age. And I know which of these I prefer! The switching also added to the disjointed feeling the book gave me overall...
Anyway, it all did come together at the end and, more importantly, I think, has given the author a bit more food for thought and foundations to build on in subsequent books.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

London's number two wizard cop Peter Grant is supposed to be on vacation in Scotland with his extended family. Naturally, a distinctly inhuman corpse, a missing scientist, and a large number of unusually violent gulls pop up, giving Peter the chance to vex the local constabulary with weird bollocks. Meanwhile, his teenage cousin Abigail, apprentice wizard, gets her own chapters wherein she tracks a fae panther and meets some very interesting folks. Peter's twin toddlers add adorable extra chaos. The change in scenery is fun and the sass is on point, but the sheer number of characters old and new means they all get short-changed.

Stone and Sky delivers another engaging, magic-infused mystery with Detective Sergeant Peter Grant at the helm, this time trading London's familiar chaos for the eerie calm of the Scottish Highlands. What starts as a simple holiday quickly turns into something far stranger, with ancient powers, odd sightings, and weather patterns that seem just a little too deliberate. The atmosphere is rich, the humor sharp, and Grant’s voice as dryly entertaining as ever. While the plot occasionally drifts like the mists over the loch, the payoff is satisfying, and the sky, well, there’s definitely something up there. Four stars for another solid entry in the series.

I’ve been a big fan of the Rivers of London series since the beginning and really enjoyed this latest instalment.

I did initially find the dual perspectives (I think this is the first book this has appeared in) a bit grating but once I settled in I found the book compulsively readable and Abigail’s perspective helped to expand the story.

I would definitely recommend for fans of the series.

I really wish we could do half points as this was a solid 3.5 star read for me, and now I am stuck thinking if I should round up or down.

This is the latest in the Rivers of London series, which I really enjoyed in the past (I got to Foxglove Summer, but then a pretty long reading slump hit, and I lost my way in the seies a bit).

Just like the previous entries, Stone and Sky is a fun supernatural detective. This time, the team/family are in Scotland on holiday/work trip.

What I really enjoyed:
- Abigail: as I haven't read a few of the previous books, Abi is a new character for me and I loved her here! Her half of the story (we get dual POVs - Abigail and Peter) was more entertaining for me than Peter's. Her voice came so clear that I got an instant picture of who she was. I also loved her brief interactions with Nightingale, and Indigo is awesome!
- The humour
- The setting - Scotland adds both to the atmosphere and the humour

What I enjoyed less:
- Perhaps this is because I came into this book without having read a few of the last novellas and as a result I wasn't as invested in Peter's family life as I should have been, but I didn't enjoy the time with the family that much. I love Beverly and I really liked her getting involved in the investigation towards to end, but spending time with kids made me want to skip forward.
- Not enough Nightingale for me. I understand why (a few leading characters with parallel plots means others will have less attention), but I still wish there was a bit more of him here.

Overall, a solid read that will definitely be enjoyable for fans of the series.

P.S. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.