Rivers of London / Peter Grant Books in Order
How to Read the Rivers of London / Peter Grant series
Standalone stories, but characters and relationships develop across the series.
Publication order gives the best experience for the Rivers of London / Peter Grant series. Each book has a complete central plot with its own mystery and resolution, but character relationships and ongoing developments carry across the series. Readers who begin later in the series will understand the main events yet miss the deepening friendships, Peter’s magical growth, and context for recurring supernatural elements that add significant depth.
About the Rivers of London / Peter Grant series
Series Premise
The Rivers of London / Peter Grant series follows a police constable who joins the Folly, London’s secret magical police unit. Each book combines modern police work with investigations into magical crimes, gods, and ancient beings hidden in the city.
Main Characters
Peter Grant serves as the witty and resourceful central protagonist, a mixed-race police officer learning to wield magic. He works closely with Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last official wizard in Britain, and builds relationships with various river gods and supernatural beings throughout the series.
Setting
The series is set in contemporary London, where the magical and mundane worlds overlap in the city’s streets, rivers, and historic buildings, blending real locations with hidden magical realms.
Tone & Themes
The tone is humorous, clever, and suspenseful with a strong sense of place. Central themes include balancing the ordinary and the extraordinary, cultural identity and heritage, the ethics of power, and the coexistence of magic and modern life.
Is This Series Worth Reading?
This series appeals to readers who enjoy urban fantasy with police procedurals, witty narration, and richly detailed London settings. It suits fans of Ben Aaronovitch’s blend of magic, mystery, and dry British humor.
Content Warnings and Heat Level
Moderate violence and crime scene details; some strong language; mild romantic elements; suitable for adult readers.
The Rivers of London / Peter Grant series offers clever supernatural mysteries grounded in a believable modern London. Its structure rewards sequential reading while delivering satisfying individual cases. The mix of magic, humor, and sharp observation creates a distinctive and highly engaging urban fantasy series.
FAQ
16 books total: 10 main + 5 extra stories + 1 companion book
No new book in the series is currently scheduled. The latest book, Stone and Sky, was published in July 2025.
Stone and Sky was published in July 2025.
The first book in the series is Midnight Riot, published in January 2011.
The series primarily falls into the Urban Fantasy genre.
It’s best to read the series in order. Each book has its own story, but ongoing character arcs and relationships develop across the series.
The Rivers of London / Peter Grant series follows a police constable who joins the Folly, London’s secret magical police unit. Each book combines modern police work with investigations into magical crimes, gods, and ancient beings hidden in the city.
The series does not currently have a new book scheduled.