Moon over Soho / Ben Aaronovitch

Moon over Soho

(Peter Grant #2)

by Ben Aaronovitch

fantasy, humour, horror

copyright 2011

read in July 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

I recently read (and reviewed) the sixth book in this Peter Grant series. At the time, I was disappointed. Now I can understand why. The early books -- such as Soho -- mix magic with mundane police work; it's an excellent mix. The Hanging Tree (book six) has lost that contradictory humour.

Moon over Soho also continues to provide the "background material" which I so enjoy in the early Peter Grant books. Material which may -- or may not -- be true...

There are little snippets about London, its history and culture and structure. Told by someone who seems -- as do I -- to love the city. There is snide commentary on human nature, told with humour. Adding little to the story but greatly to the enjoyment of reading. Much of this extra material -- extra depth -- is missing from the later book.

This book two is, again, a "police procedural" with magic. Okay, there are the "paratroopers" who work outside the legal procedures. Who destroy evil without the fuss and bother of a trial. Yet the hero tells them that this is not how it is done -- this is not how we follow the established law of the land. And the law of the land is important.

Right has might. Might does not make it right.

This following of correct process is both humorous and "right". It raises the book above being a wham-bang magical fantasy adventure, to an entertaining fight against wrong, with legal right being clearly distinguished from illegal wrong. It keeps the story clearly within contemporary society... plus magic.

It's a while since I read book one, yet I believe that there has been a shift, from one to two. Book one was for young adults. Book two has more sex and more swearing. I do not class book two as being for anyone other than adults.

There is also a stronger element of horror. Which I may not have even noticed -- except that it is mentioned, several times, in later books.

Later books refer to a particular scene in an abandoned nightclub. Refer to it as being something particularly horrible. No worse that the climax to book one -- in my opinion -- yet I have added "horror" to the categories for this book. Because I don't want to disagree with the author :-)

And as an aside:

While browsing books I came across a graphic novel of a Peter Grant story. I had a look at just a few pages... and did not like it. First, I prefer the image of the hero from my own imagination. Second, another key character is totally at odds with the way in which I see him. And third... there were some series of frames with no text... and I prefer to read between the lines of text, rather than interpret the meaning of pictures. No matter how well drawn they may be.

But that's just my own preference.

As is every other opinion in these reviews :-)

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31jul22: I have read it again.

This time I read book one immediately followed by this book two. The difference is noticeable.

This book has a lot more violence and a lot of explicit sex. Definitely a shift out of "young adult"

And yes, it is definitely horror: the evil magic is nasty. With -- typical of horror -- a lot of people saying, "Oooh that's nasty, don't look." 

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"Lawyers pay for their mistakes, doctors bury them, architects grow ivy on them. And consultants charge for them."

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