Inexplicably long-winded. If you like heavily descriptive prose — so much so that the book is 524 pages long when it could have easily been half of that — you'll love A Madness of Angels.

And don't get me wrong. I thought the prose was essential in the nature of Matthew and the angel's personalities. Especially given the concept of urban magic and the important of everything around us.

But really, it dragged. It took me quite a while to finish this novel, but I was satisfied with the plot, characters, and ending well enough. ( )

Before I get into an actual review of this novel, let me just express how annoyed I am about authors using pseudonyms, and then not telling their readers. I read Catherine Webb's first novels and absolutely loved them, but up until now had been living under the impression that she had disappeared into the ether and never written anything else. Seriously. Thankfully, some algorhythm on Goodreads was doing its job because I was recommended this book anyways.

I'm seriously glad that I did decide to finally read this book (after putting it on my list, and then letting it sit there for a few years, whoops), because this author writes urban fantasy exactly how I like it. Fantastic characters, led by the sorcerer Matthew Swift, traipse around London on a journey to discover who (and why) brought Matthew back from the dead and to defeat the reigning Tower. Swift is such an amusing character on his own (we get a sense of his own self, which is highly distrustful and kind of random), but he becomes even more intriguing when readers realize that he isn't just back from the dead - he contains within himself the Electric Blue Angels, a being/beings of some indeterminate power brought to life by the emotion invested by humanity in the phone lines. This being - only one of the many that Griffin/Webb introduces, along with a myriad of human magic wielders - is case and point of her understanding of the possibilities of urban magic. Like the forests have their dryads and treemen, the urban magical landscape has it's own native beings created as a result of the rampant growth of the urban world alongside humans.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series, since Matthew is sure to have even more at stake now that he has defeated his first foe and made himself (and the Electric Blue Angels) known to the wider magical community. Will he go back to teaching magic in the greatest traditions of sorcery and form new allies, or will he continue the alliance with the Whites? Either way he'll eventually have to face the anti-magic consortium (if not the ascerbic Oda). ( )

Brilliant. Original, detailed and gripping. A pleasure to read. As much of a love of for London as Ben Aaronvitch's series with a large extra helping of magic.

I had a few issues with the description of Chapel Market and the RBS building would never have graffiti on it and there are no benches on the bit of the Reagents Canal where he sat talking to foxes, and if youre heading to Piccadilly in a rush from Charing Cross there are quicker ways to go than via Leicester Square. But other than that... :p ( )

There were a couple of things I liked about this book – the shifting dual identity of the protagonist, with changing pronouns, was intriguing and inspiring for my own writing. The descriptions of magical London were lovely too.

But the problem here is that I didn't like any of the characters. Not a one. I felt no emotional connection to the protagonist, I didn't care about any of the betrayals or character deaths. I think the problem is that he starts the story with no living friends at all, with the possible exception of Dana Mikeda, and she doesn't show up until the end. It's hard to feel anything for a character who has no meaningful connections to other people. ( )

Hugely enjoyable. Really fun. Though part of that may have been my reading it as a strage, "London Above" continuation of Gaiman's 'Neverwhere.'

I'm looking forward to the next volumes. ( )