Very Important Question for philomytha

[shimotsuki]

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.

But first, a crucial question for philomytha: Last night[*] I got hold of a copy of Whispers Underground, which appears to be #3 in the Rivers of London series. I have #1 on order from interlibrary loan, but it isn't here yet. So my question is, can I start with #3 and read out of sequence, or will I regret it? ;)

For everyone who hasn't been following philomytha's remarks about this series, it's apparently a gritty London-based mystery series. With secret wizards on the police force. Sounds like it pushes most of my buttons.

[*]I also found a copy of Sharing Knife: Legacy in the same used bookstore. It was a good book-scrounging night!
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Comments

[philomytha.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

*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.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed it a lot - witty, clever, and being the daughter of a policeman I loved the adherence to procedures and investigation. I've given the book to my dad, while I get my hands on the next one. Definitely an excellent rec! :D

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

That's -- rather frightening! Although I do confess that I was hoping some people might see this post and be intrigued. We can almost have a book discussion post now, between us and katyhasclogs and philomytha. I wonder if we can corrupt huldrejenta?

The library notified me today at 4:35 that they had the first book for me. I got there at 4:45, just as they'd locked the doors for the evening. One big drawback (the only one? lol) to being on Spring Break is that everything on campus shuts down early!

I wasn't planning to even go to campus tomorrow -- thought I might work at home. Now I may have to, just to get the book! Grrr.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

It's as though we're doing the summer read a little early, only this time we all settled on the same book with no discussion needed. Hope the library has actually let you borrow the book by now, rather than just tell you they've got it, lol.

I have mentioned the corruption to huldrejenta, so hopefully she'll drop by.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

After the library sending the e-mail on Monday at 4:35 that they had the book, only to have already locked their main doors at 4:45 when I got there, by Wednesday they had sent another e-mail saying, "We see you haven't picked your book up yet; do you want it, or should we send it back to the originating library?" Double grr! But I have it now, and I'm nearly through, although I have to admit I'm having trouble picking it back up tonight because I have a feeling something tense and scary is about to happen. ;P

Have you started the series yet? I have been enjoying #1 and will, um, politely request #2 from the library in the next few days -- I'll have to get that one sent out from somewhere by interlibrary loan, too, but I've found my own copy of #3 and I've seen that the town library (though not the university one, which is closer) has #4.

Good work on corrupting huldrejenta!

[huldrejenta.livejournal.com]

Consider me corrupted!

gilpin25 did mention this, but with everything going on I completely forgot about it until now. These sound great - I'll check and see where I can get them :D

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

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.livejournal.com]

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.