The Rivers of London series, by Ben Aaronovitch, was one of the first long fiction series I indulged in when I was younger, and it made me feel like magic was as real as physics. If you’re ready to embark on your journey, then you’ll need to know the proper reading order.
Reading orders of Rivers of London
The Rivers of London series consists of novels, novellas, a short story collection, and graphic novels. The novels tell the main story, with the novellas providing context and world-building. The graphic novels and short story collections provide extra stories and hijinx into the world.
The graphic novels and short story collection don’t really add too much to the main storyline, although they add color and context to the world and its characters, as well as being great reads in their own right. You could always read all of the mainline novels and novellas and then visit the graphic novels after if you wish, to satiate your Rivers of London cravings until more installments are published.
Note that the Rivers of London series is not finished. More of everything is planned, including a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG).
Mainline Rivers of London publication reading order
Excluding the graphic novels but including the novels, novellas, and short story collection, this reading order goes over the main story of Rivers of London, with the novellas adding context and appropriate world-building.
As far as the main entries are concerned, the publication is the chronological order of events, aside from certain novellas. This means there are minimal benefits to messing around the with the reading order, and no one has come forward with a unique reading order for us to consider.
This is the reading order I’m currently following, and is the most straightforward way to take in the wonderfully confusing plot:
- Rivers of London (called Midnight Riot in the US)
- Moon over Soho
- Whispers Underground
- Broken Homes
- Foxglove Summer
- The Hanging Tree
- The Furthest Station (novella)
- Lies Sleeping
- The October Man (novella)
- False Value
- Tales from the Folly (short story collection)
- What Abigail Did That Summer (novella)
- Amongst Our Weapons
- Winter’s Gifts (novella)
- The Masquerades of Spring (coming September 2024)
Reading the novellas alongside the novels in publication order is simpler, even if What Abigail Did That Summer is a little out of synchronization. But if you really want to enjoy Rivers of London in timeline order, alongside all the graphic novels, then read on.
Full Rivers of London and graphic novels chronological order
The following reading order is the ultimate reading guide for Rivers of London in timeline order. Reading the story in this way isn’t really recommended, and after I’ll tell you how I’d recommend you enjoy the chronological reading order of Rivers of London.
The short story collection for Rivers of London, Tales from the Folly, is dissected among this list, so its various stories are placed alongside the other titles in chronological order.
- Action At A Distance (graphic novel)
- Nightingale: London 1966 (Tales from the Folly)
- Dedicated Follower of Fashion (Tales from the Folly)
- Rivers of London (called Midnight Riot in the US)
- The Home Crowd Advantage (Tales from the Folly)
- Tobias Winter (Tales from the Folly)
- Moon over Soho
- The Domestic (Tales from the Folly)
- Whispers Underground
- The Cockpit (Tales from the Folly)
- Broken Homes
- Body Work (graphic novel)
- Foxglove Summer
- What Abigail Did That Summer (novella)
- The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Granny (Tales from the Folly)
- Night Witch (graphic novel)
- Favourite Uncle (Tales from the Folly)
- Black Mould (graphic novel)
- King Of The Rats (Tales from the Folly)
- The Furthest Station (novella)
- Detective Stories (graphic novel)
- Reynolds (Tales from the Folly)
- Cry Fox (graphic novel)
- Waterweed (graphic novel)
- The Hanging Tree
- A Rare Book Of Cunning Device (Tales from the Folly)
- The October Man (novella)
- Lies Sleeping
- Three Rivers, Two Husbands, And A Baby (Tales from the Folly)
- The Fey And The Furious (graphic novel)
- False Value
- Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List (Tales from the Folly)
- Amongst Our Weapons
- Monday Monday (graphic novel)
- Deadly Ever After (graphic novel)
- Winter’s Gifts (novella)
- Here Be Dragons (graphic novel)
- The Masquerades of Spring (coming September 2024 with unknown chronology)
There we have it! All 37 entries into the Rivers of London series.
Although it may make sense to start reading it in chronological order right away, I would hold off doing that immediately. I’d strongly recommend you read Rivers of London first. This will introduce the characters and themes and preserve the mystery and the unknown that really pedals the enjoyment of that entry.
After reading Rivers of London, you can then go back and read all the entries in chronological order if that’s how you’ll enjoy the series. You can read as many of the mainline stories until you decide you’re comfortable to start reading all the graphic novels and the short story collection to expand the world even further.
With this knowledge at hand, I’d suggest you pick an order you’re comfortable with and get reading. Because once you start to get wrapped up in the Rivers of London world, there’ll be no stopping you.
