Thank you to Ben Aaronovitch, DAW, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Rivers of London is one of my favorite series, so when I saw there was a new book coming out I was so excited. While it starts slow, and I was initially a little thrown by the dual POVs when the main installments of the series usually solely feature Peter Grant, I quickly adjusted and the pace picks up fairly quickly. I enjoyed revisiting all the characters I’ve grown to love, and I particularly appreciated seeing Peter mature as both a new father and an apprentice wizard. This was a very witty, well-plotted novel and an excellent addition to the series. Now I have to wait for the next one!

Almost everyone with a connection to the Folly has decided to join Dr Walid on holiday to Scotland. It seems an old friend from college sent him some samples from a dead sheep that might have been attacked by a large cat. So a camping holiday to do some hunting for Nightingale, Abigail to see magic outside a urban setting, Peter to have a beach holiday with his entire family, his Dad to play some jazz with his band, and his Mom to ride herd on everyone. Of course there is more than a mysterious large cat that appears and disappears in the area, turns out there was some sort of man killed and Peter is roped into that investigation. Everyone gets a turn on the page but the main focus is on Peter and Abigail each working on what appears to be different cases. This is a great story that really takes advantage of the setting in Scotland and maybe we can get more about magic around the entire island.

The 10th book in the Rivers of London series follows sergeant Peter Grant on a holiday up to Aberdeen. While I’m a fan of many of these books which follow the adventures of an officer in the magic division of the metropolitan police, this one was something of a miss for me. The last few entries have felt a little disjointed from the rest of the series to me, I suspect relying on the novellas which I haven’t read. This book additionally suffered from being multi-pov. In such a short page count having two povs engaged in two different plotlines just didn’t really work for me. This book also suffers from using Scottish dialogue inconsistently, with characters foregoing it in one sentence and then using it in the next, which was jarring, and while it was perfectly understandable to me I suspect that non-British readers may struggle to understand it. That said, the ending of the book hinted at a return to more of an overarching subplot in the future of the series which I look forward to.
Overall I felt this was a step down in quality to the previous books, and I hope Aaranovitch will switch back to single pov books for the next entries to the series.

Beautiful cover, as usual, but for me, the Rivers of London series has gone down a bit in writing quality since the first three.
Yes, the characters have expanded as the series goes on, and it was interesting to see Peter and Bev with their twins (although anyone I know with twins of this age barely manages to wash their hair, let alone solve mysteries, but then they're not river goddesses); great too to see ancillary characters like Dr Walid, and of course, the brilliant Abigail, and the fabulous foxes, get more more attention, but overall the whole thing was rather lacking in depth.
The plot was fun, if a bit predictable (wasn't hard to see that we were going to be rescuing kids at some point), and even though Aaronovitch either has lots of informative friends in the police force, or does lots of research, the "this is how real police work" shtick gets a bit tiresome.
A fun, light read, and yes, I would still read whatever the author puts out next, but I wouldn't be expecting my world to be rocked.
My thanks to Netgalley for the DRC, all opinions are my own.

First let me say that I LOVE this series. The books. The audiobooks. The cover art. Everything about it (even the graphic novels, and I'm not generally a fan) is fabulous and creative and fun. That said, this was not one of my favorite books...

I loved the bits with Peter and Beverly solving the mystery. I found the Abigail sections to read more like YA blossoming romance/coming-of-age than I expected, and while I get that she's growing up and into herself, I found those bits way less interesting. I like her best when she's working with the Foxes to pursue magical critters and explore her formidable talents (intellectual and magical), and those parts of the book were fabulous as always. I read this series for the magic, not for tales of burgeoning romance... It's fine but felt like a distraction.

To that end, I wanted more Nightingale, more Wahid, and more investigation into the Market and the strange creatures and parallel worlds that aren't really parallel worlds (allokosmos is such a fabulous concept). I still enjoyed it, because I always love a trip into Peter's world, but wish there had been more focus on that world and its newly discovered inhabitants...

The 10th novel in the UF series Rivers of London, finds our intrepid apprentice wizard Peter Grant having to juggle multiple responsibilities while ostensibly on vacation in Scotland with his family. Of course there's an unexplained potential "Falcon" mystery to solve what with ginormous black panthers, merman, and possibly even a dragon? involved. Not to mention having to wrangle two toddlers, a river goddess wife, and interact with the local constabulary. The story occurs through two parallel viewpoints, Peter's, and the younger Folly apprentice wizard in training Abigail. An easy enjoyable read and I already can't wait for the next installment!

Fun, action packed and lots of great characters. Loved this book and loved the strong female leads, talking foxes and other magical wonders. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Another great installment of the Rivers of London series! I think I might be too far down the rabbit hole, but I definitely heard Kobna Holdbrook-Smith in my head while reading. He just is Peter's voice at this point.

I did enjoy this book but during it I felt like I was missing things. It has been 3 years since I read book 9 and it was hard to remember non-main characters. I had to google a few. I don't think the narrator switching between Peter and Abigail helped with that. I understand why it was from both POVs but that also decreased the plot energy. It also seemed to happen randomly.

Definitely planning a reread of the series now.

Stone and Sky is another delightful entry in the Rivers of London series. Peter Grant’s trip to Scotland is anything but relaxing, filled with magical mishaps, quirky characters, and the kind of dry humor we’ve come to love. The change of scenery brings fresh challenges and a new layer to the magical world Aaronovitch has built. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy with a British twist, this one’s a must-read!

Stone and Sky is the newest Rivers of London novel, in which Peter Grant and co. (the whole co., aside from Molly, it seems) are in Scotland for holiday and some field work when they're dragged into some very nefarious goings-on among the supernatural and magic practitioners of Aberdeen and the North Sea. The plot ties nicely into the horrible effects of deep-sea drilling for oil, and Bev gets a chance in the spotlight as an action hero. Chapters narrated by Abigail enliven those narrated by Peter, which are a bit plodding at times and could use some tightening up. Readers will need to know a lot about what's gone before in this series if they're to make sense of this episode, but it's certain to please fans.

I am love with these books. I know there are some who seem to have a problem with the tone of the books and the writing style but I really enjoy the world and the characters so very much. It is fun.

It’s been a long, long time since I read an Aaronovitch before listening. Something about how Kobna reads has just worked so much better for me than the cadence of the writing. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I even read The Hanging Tree–I’ve just listened to it unnumerable times. So when I opened Stone and Sky, I wasn’t sure what I would find. Turns out it was really, really good, albeit a little weird with an adult–and sexual–Abigail’s point of view and virtually no architecture. As I said, very weird. And light at only 300 pages. There’s a whole novella missing!

It appears we have leapt forward in time a couple of years. The twins are talking and Abigail is an adult. I had the strangest feeling that I missed a whole book in there, but I suppose I didn’t. The story is mostly told in Peter’s voice, with the occasional chapter from Abigail. The story starts when an old friend of Dr. Walhid’s in Scotland contacts him to tell him about some mysterious sheep deaths. Abigail and Nightingale plan to come investigate. Of course Peter thinks he needs to keep an eye on them, and Beverly thinks it would be a ducky vacation with the family. (Can you imagine my happy wiggles when I discovered it will be in Scotland?! I cannae wait for Kobna!!). Of course, things happen. Peter hooks up with local law enforcement for some police work–giving rise to more networking–and Abby reaches out to the local foxes.

I’m sure I have lots of bits to quote, but let’s be honest; it’s like an awful tease when I really just want to hear it read (July 3, it’s on the calendar). Watch for updates!



Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the advance copy. All opinions my own.

A mass migration from London to Aberdeen

IT ALL STARTED when Dr. Brian Robertson, retired GP, enthusiastic amateur ecologist and self-confessed cryptid aficionado, stumbled over a dead sheep a few kilometers west of the town of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire.*

Brian contacts his old friend Dr Walid about his strange discovery, and before long a migration of a dozen Folly-associated folks is camped out in Brian's garden. You're probably wondering, given the small size of the Folly's payroll, how we get up to a dozen. Well, Nightingale decides that it is time to take his apprentice Abigail Kamara out into the field to broaden her experience. Peter and Bev decide to come along as a holiday. The twins, now two years old, of course come along. And Peter's mother, who has expansive ideas of Family, attaches herself to the excursion. She brings Peter's father along. And since Peter's father is now performing again, his band, Lord Grant's Irregulars comes with to do a few shows in the Aberdeen area, accompanied by their now-manager Zach Taylor. I believe that adds up to 13 persons. Sadly, Molly and Foxglove remain in London.

Stone and Sky is the tenth full-length novel in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series. Novel nine, Amongst Our Weapons, ended with Nightingale loosing a bombshell -- he intends to retire, leaving Peter in charge of the Folly. Nightingale is not gone yet, but Peter, with the weight of incipient professional responsibility on him, not to mention domestic responsibility in the form of a wife and two children, is ever so slightly more subdued than in past books.

Abigail, in contrast, is not in the least subdued. She seems a bit matured, in the sense that she doesn't think of "Olds" with the unbridled contempt of her earlier effusions. She clearly respects Nightingale and even, somewhat surreptitiously, Peter and Bev. Or maybe she IS a bit subdued. Abigail is carrying a weight -- her brother Paul died of the chronic illness his family has been living with for all his years.

Of course, the vacation becomes less relaxing when the local police involve Peter in the investigation of a murder and a missing person, both cases involving "weird bollocks," of the sort that the Folly exists to deal with.

Most of the story is told in chapters whose point-of-view alternates between Peter and Abigail. There's a nice contrast here. Peter is more staid and more concerned with police procedural details. And architecture, of course. (To summarize, Aberdeen is built of granite.) Abigail is much less restrained.

I enjoyed this addition to the Rivers of London series. It broadened and advanced the development of Peter and Abigail's characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for and advance reader copy of Stone and Sky. Release date 8-Jul-2025.

*This quote is from an advance reader copy, and may change before publication. It will be corrected if necessary on release.

I discovered the Rivers of London series last year and binged the entire thing. There’s something magical about Aaronovitch’s writing and the way he blends the magical elements with the everyday life of a cop in London. Peter is, by far, one of my favorite urban fantasy characters to date.

In Stone & Sky, Peter is trying to have a nice, relaxing vacation in Scotland – which was always doomed to fail. Things take a darker turn, as they are wont to do, and he and the crew find themselves trying to solve yet another mystery, yet another murder. In this book we shake things up a little by adding a new POV from Abigail, so chapters are split between her and Peter. Aaronvitch is really great at writing different character voices, and they were very distinct, and it was fun seeing the foxes more up close from Abigail’s perspective. That said, I missed having more of Peter’s dry wit and sarcasm. His delivery, and the way he has adapted to the supernatural world, is really what drew me into the series, and I missed it being front and center.

Not going to lie, I was also a little taken aback at the Neil Gaiman reference. It wasn’t a big deal, but it also wouldn’t have been a big deal just to not include it, so it comes across tone deaf. The book was enjoyable, but that did leave a sour taste.

Overall, this is another great entry in the Rivers of London series. It’s not my favorite of them all, but it’s still a 4-star read, and I’d strongly recommend this series to anyone looking for new urban fantasy, especially if you like your humor dry and British.

If you’re looking forward to this as well, it’s being released on July 8! Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was a lot of fun, mostly switching between Peter and Abigail as viewpoint characters. I like how the series slowly changes with every book -- we see Peter and Bev's twins quite a bit in this one, and there's a new setting (Scotland) and new magical creatures. Also ties in with current events too and has a good mystery/police procedural set up, plus some fun action. It is hard to keep a series going strong at book #10!

Great to jump back into this series. I enjoyed the dual storylines that lead to a divergence at the end, picking up pieces from each side and being able put them together before the main characters. It was a fresh way to write the book for this series.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

As a longtime fan of the Rivers of London series, I was excited to dive into Stone and Sky, the latest installment from Ben Aaronovitch. This time, the story takes a detour north as our familiar cast heads to Scotland. Nightingale and Abdul travel to Aberdeenshire to investigate some mysterious attacks on livestock—incidents that don’t seem to involve your run-of-the-mill predators. Nightingale sees an opportunity for mentorship and invites his apprentice, Abigail, to join them. Meanwhile, Beverly, Peter's river goddess wife, decides a Scottish holiday sounds perfect and ropes Peter and the twins into tagging along.

Things take a darker turn when Peter is called to consult on a local murder case. The body bears some very odd features, and from there, the situation escalates into a string of increasingly strange occurrences—including eldritch horrors like seagulls with teeth (yes, really). Peter uncovers a missing person case that seems tied to the bizarre goings-on, and eventually, his investigation overlaps with Nightingale and Abigail’s hunt for the unknown predator.

As always, Aaronovitch blends the magical with the mundane in a way that feels entirely natural. His dry humor and the engaging interplay between characters are very much present, which is always a highlight of the series. The way magic is embedded into the real world is so seamless that it never feels forced or out of place.

That said, this entry didn't quite grip me the way previous books have. The pacing felt a little slow at the start, with a heavy focus on the architecture and layout of Aberdeen that dragged a bit for me. The introduction of a large cast of new characters also made it harder to keep track of who was who. This book also leans heavily on the reader's familiarity with the series—newcomers might find themselves lost without the context from earlier books.

One change I appreciated was the greater focus on Abigail. The story alternates between her and Peter’s perspectives, and it was interesting to get deeper into her character. Still, I found myself missing more of Peter and Nightingale’s dynamic, especially in the action scenes.

Overall, Stone and Sky is a solid addition to the series, with plenty of trademark wit and magical intrigue. While it may not be my favorite of the bunch, fans of the series will still find much to enjoy—just be prepared for a slower start and a slightly more complex web of characters.

Many thanks to DAW publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. The views expressed are my own.

I mean, this is a Rivers of London novel, so obviously it's entertaining and humorous and full of magic. Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, and Beverly all make an appearance, and this time they're in Scotland chasing down a magical panther. If you've enjoyed the previous Rivers of London novels, there's a pretty good chance that you'll enjoy this one too.

At the same time, however, I don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much as the previous installments. Maybe it's the lack of a London backdrop, or maybe it's because there's more focus on Abigail (and therefore less on Peter) this time around? I dunno. The story starts out pretty slow, too. It's still an enjoyable read, but at the same time it's definitely no Broken Homes or The Hanging Tree.

Also, is anyone else incapable of keeping the characters straight with these novels?? It's certainly not unique to this book, but Aaronovitch has a tendency to briefly introduce a bazillion side characters, disappear them for a hundred pages or so, and then bring them back and expect you to remember who the heck they are. My Swiss cheese brain can't handle it, and I'm seriously going to have start taking notes whenever a new character is brought into the story.

Still, this one is pretty fun. Like the previous novels, it's very, very British, both in humor and in vocabulary. There's more of Abigail than I recall there being in previous installments, which can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how much, well … how much you like Abigail, obviously. There are the usual werelights and impellos and the demi-monde, and Indigo and the other talking foxes are an integral part of the storyline. (Yay! I love the talking foxes!) Basically, it has everything you'd expect of a Rivers of London novel but in an unfamiliar “nowhere near the rivers of London” setting.

So, yeah. Is this book as good as the previous installments? Eh, perhaps not. But is it worth a read if you're a fan of the series? Definitely. I'll happily keep reading these novels for as long as Ben Aaronovitch keeps writing them.

3.7 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 8, 2025.

I didn't hugely enjoy this. Peter - and the gang - end up off on holiday and solve crime in Scotland. The POV switching is interesting if somewhat disjointed but the basic story just follows the usual formula. Interesting hints of something building in the background was much more appealing. A shoutout to Neil Gaiman in a book being published in mid 2025 feels like a mis-step as well as repeated shoutouts to Brewdog, a company repeatedly in the news for employee relations.