The Tyburn gallows

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tyburn's Gallows ( The Hanging Tree ) is the sixth novel in the Rivers of London series by British author Ben Aaronovitch . It was published in English in 2016 and in German on dtv in May 2017 .

content

The previous book's adventure in Herefordshire left protagonist Peter Grant deeply involved in a relationship with Beverley Brook, the resourceful young woman who saved him from being captured by the Fairy Queen. Beverley is the patron goddess of Beverley Brook , a small river in south London, and can often swim through its waters. Peter now spends a lot of time - especially his nights - in Beverley's comfortable and spacious riverside house. There he receives the call that catapults him into the whirlwind of a new adventure.

A bunch of teenagers breaking into a luxurious apartment and having a wild sex and drug party that ends with one of them dead from an overdose is a police matter - but not really for Grant, whose special police role is the cases are with magic. One of the youngsters involved, however, was the daughter of a very magical creature - Cecilia Tyburn Thames, aka Lady Ty, who is the goddess of the River Tyburn and the older and far stricter sister of Peter's friend. Peter owes Lady Ty a favor for saving his life once, and she wants her daughter Olivia to have no trouble with the law - which Peter cannot deliver lightly.

Peter's involvement in the case soon deepens when an autopsy by pathologists who know about magic reveals that the dead girl Christina Chorley died not only from a drug overdose, but also from a savage and excessive use of magic.

In collaboration with the Muslim policewoman Sahra Guleed, Peter throws himself into the investigation. To further confuse the subject, traces emerge of a long-lost manuscript by Isaac Newton who secretly founded modern magic. This lost Third Principia is supposed to deal with alchemy, the philosopher's stone and maybe even with eternal life. Various magically inclined people and groups are involved in the search for this treasure:

  • Viscountess Helena Linden-Limmer, heir to a long line of witches and sorceresses who despise male-dominated magic, and her daughter Caroline, who wants to learn to fly without wings or mechanical aids
  • Some American wizards, known as the Virginia Gentlemen, with ties to the US intelligence community
  • Various not-fully-human beings collectively known as the Demi-moons. Their favorite hangout is the eerie Chestnut Tree Pub, built around the still-existing Tyburn Tree where London criminals were hanged (the Hanging Tree of the English title).
  • In particular, a specific inhabitant of these demi-moons known as Reynard Fossman (Reynard the Fox).
  • Sir William Tyburn - a former deity of the River Tyburn. He was killed by industrial pollution in the river in the 19th century and suddenly appears again.

For Peter Grant and his mentor, the experienced magician Nightingale, there is an explosive showdown with their archenemy - the very powerful and extremely ruthless faceless magician. Also included is renegade cop Lesley May - once Peter Grant's valued colleague, with whom he was deeply in love, but now the cunning and highly resourceful accomplice of The Faceless Man.

The faceless magician and Lesley manage to escape. However, the faceless magician is no longer faceless. His real name and background have been revealed, and a wealth of information about his background and motivations: an English upper-class nationalist, a romantic who revered the Middle Ages and Alfred the Great and the English dreams of ruling the world again, admired ...

In the course of events, Newton's famous Third Principia had fallen into the hands of Lady Helena Linden-Limmer - and Nightingale is content to leave her to decipher her dark Latin.

Bestseller list

The Tyburn Gallows was the first book in the Peter Grant series, which reached number 1 on the SPIEGEL paperback bestseller list .

criticism

The Westfälische Anzeiger praises the novel: "It is told in an exciting way, with a passion for pointed formulations about architecture, jazz, sexual orientation, racism (Peter's mother is African) and other phenomena of the 21st century." Liza Bourke wrote for Tor.com : “The central mysteries of The Hanging Tree are a little confused and confusing at times, but the tone and characters of the novel more than make up for minor flaws. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm really looking forward to what's next for Peter and his tricky relationship with the rest of the Metropolitan Police . ”(" The central mysteries of The Hanging Tree are at times a little tangled and confused , but the novel's voice and characters more than make up for any minor defects. I truly enjoyed this book, and I really look forward to whatever comes next for Peter and his awkward relationship with the rest of the Metropolitan Police. ")

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Gallows of Tyburn , dtv.de
  2. ↑ Reading for the summer: Book tips from the editors: What we're currently reading , Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung , June 24, 2017
  3. ↑ Carolin Albrand recommends Ben Aaronovitch - "Rivers of London: The Peter Grant Series" , ard.de, December 22, 2016
  4. ↑ Ben Aaronovitch for the first time at number 1 on the bestseller list , book report , May 10, 2017
  5. ↑ Ben Aaronovitch's novel "The Gallows of Tyburn" , wa.de August 16, 2017
  6. ↑ Magic and Other Weird Bollocks: The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch , Tor.com , Jan. 30, 2017