I like to
write reviews for the books I read in a timely manner. The life I live these days
often does not allow it – at least without me losing a lot of sleep, something
that I really cannot afford to do. So, it comes to me writing up ‘mini-reviews’
for two books by Kate Griffin I read a number of months ago. Why did they get put off so long
when I read and reviewed others since? Not because they are bad, or that I
didn’t enjoy them. Both are good books that I enjoyed quite a bit. Mostly
because they are books from an established series and I don’t really have that
much to add to what I’ve already said before about A Madness of Angels and The Midnight Mayor (really, read those reviews, because what I write below is
terribly brief and general).
Both The Neon Court and The Minority Council continue the story of Matthew Swift, urban
sorcerer and the Midnight Mayor of London. Matthew is an eccentric, half-crazy
character (in every sense of the word) who always surprises with his creative
problem solving capabilities (think understatement here). In combination with
the unique flavor of urban magic that Griffin has created, London transforms
from the mundane into a magical wonderland where a pile of garbage just might
come alive and try to kill you.
These books
feature typical urban issues such as gang turf wars, religious zealotry, drug
addiction, business and political conflict, and alderman wrapped in Griffin’s
truly modern magical realization. This is a reflection (in part) of Griffin’s
continued maturing as a writer, though for me, the biggest draw to these books
and the London of Griffin’s vision is simply it being a whole lot of fun to
read about.
As I’ve
mentioned above, I enjoy Griffin’s version of a magically-infused London and
look forward to reading more. While The
Minority Council is (seemingly) the last book about Matthew Swift, her
world lives on through a new protagonist in a new series – Magicals Anonymous
(Book 1 – Stray Souls, Book 2 – The Glass God), and I believe that
Matthew makes an appearance or two in them as well.
And I simply
must say, Kelly, the Personal Assistant to The Midnight Mayor, is one of my
favorite characters in genre. Her role is relatively minor, often comic relief,
and perfect.
Matthew Swift Series
A Madness of Angels (my review, Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
The Midnight Mayor (my review, Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
The Neon Court (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
The Minority Council (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
Magicals Anonymous Series
Stray Souls (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
The Glass
God (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
