Friday Five – More Fictional London Favourites

I can’t find who started the Friday Five book blog meme. It seems to crop up in many different style such as “Five for Friday”, “Five on Friday” , “FridayFive Challenge”. I also can’t find a topic list like you would have for the Six on Sunday meme. Therefore I am just doing my own thing and setting my own topics just so I can chat books with you.

This weeks topic is

Five Fictional Londons

I am just back from a trip to London to see the Mousetrap (more on that later in the week) and it got me thinking about one of the very first posts I ever wrote on my blog. I called it a bookish babble and i talked about all the Urban fantasies set in a fictionalised London that I loved. I have read a lot more now and I think some of the list needs to be updated to include new London based favourites. But first here is the original list:

PC Peter Grant Series – Ben Aaronovich 
Neverwhere – Nail Gaiman
London Falling – Shadow Police – Paul Cornell
The City’s Son – The Skyscraper Throne – Tom Pollock
Darker Shades Trilogy – V.E Schwab 
The Invisible Library – Genevieve Cogman

And now the new list of Five More fictional Londons

Time Police Series
Jodi Taylor

Doing Time Review

Set in the same universe as the Chronicles of St Mary’s this series follows the Time police. The Time Police Headquarters are based inside a renovated Battersea PowerStation in the future (time unstated) and the novels I have read so far have spent a lot of time there. We are starting to get a picture of what is happening in the world during this time and getting a real feel for this futuristic. I have read two books in this series but I still need to write my review for Hard Time which I finished in the last Days of December 2022. I received Saving Time for Christmas and I am hoping to start it ASAP.

Alex Verus Series
Benedict Jacka

Fated Review
Cursed Review

This series is part of my Slay the Series TBR and I am keen to get up to date with them. Another magic under the surface of London style books we get to explore many different locations. It is centred mainly around Camden where Alex runs his shop, but we do get out and about in the city discovering all the magical elements that live there. I am tempted to make this series my March series to slay. There are 10 more books in this series I need to read though and with how slow I have been reading lately that might be a bit of an ask.

Crow Investigations
Sarah Painter

The Night Raven Review

I wish this series was on my Slay the Series TBR but that project is about finishing the books already on my shelves not about buying more and I only just received book 2. This is such an interesting concept, the MC is returning home to London and the magical gangs. I just loved how detailed all the history of the families/gangs were. I am so curious to keep going and with 8 books in the series it seems like I have lots to keep my returning to this London.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
Garth Nix

My Review

This magical London takes us back in time. It is set in an alternative 1983 London and has a secret society of old legend fighting booksellers. I loved the 1980’s punkish vibes that this London had as it mixed with the Arthurian legends and English folklore. It was such a fun twist on the paranormal London trope.

Threadneedle
Cari Thomas

My Review

 I love when a book lets you discover a secret magical world hidden behind what appears to be mundane London setting. That is exactly what Threadneedle does with its worldbuilding. We have vintage shops filled with magical items, magical libraries buried under the British library and nightclubs that resemble the fairy court scenes from Shakespeare! All this is tucked into modern British living, it makes the magical world seem accessible. Its a magical London I would want to live in.

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Do you have any Festive Mysteries that you would recommend?

I would love to chat all things bookish with you! You can comment down below or find me on Twitter or Goodreads!

Happy Reading!