London Falling

Disclaimer: I received an ARC PDF of this book from netgalley.com. It's something I've been wanting to read and I'm so glad I got the chance to write this review.

Wow... just wow. London Falling is Paul Cornell's first novel and it's described as “urban fantasy.” However, it's more than just this. Parts urban fantasy, horror, and police procedure, this book is vastly unique and different than anything else in the genre today. It's the story of a British police unit trying to track down a “serial killer,” who just happens to be a paranormal entity. Our team is sharp, using police logic and good knowledge to active their goals, rather than turning to magic or unknown fantasy means. I loved how well this worked and am very amazed that it was pulled off so well in writing. I'm sure that if this becomes a series we'll see a bit more of fantasy but this is a great way to push the reader into the world that Cornell is slowly building around us.

This book kept me guessing the entire way through. Cornell is an amazing author and I'm surprised at the intricate book he's written for all of us. As I live on “the other side of the pond,” some of the slang was hard to digest but thankfully there's a glossary included for some of the more obscure stuff. Everything about this book was tight. The story flowed, the action was fun, and the characters flawed but with good purpose. The ending, left wide open, begs for more books to come. I know I'm hoping that we'll get more about this new perspective on urban fantasy.

Bottom Line: This is a genre changer for urban fantasy. I'm sure not everyone will like it but I think everyone should read it. It's that impressive.