What do you think?
Rate this book
The Reaper
Brought to you by Penguin.
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER. JOIN HIM.
From a thrilling debut voice comes a dark and gripping urban fantasy, set in the heart of a hidden world beneath the streets of London - Perfect for fans of Legendborn and Ben Aaronovitch.
Amy is an empath, able to sense the auras of the supernatural creatures that stalk London at night. But sorely lacking in knowledge, she spends night after night searching for answers.
Gerald is a Reaper—a weapon for hire—on the verge of his Awakening. Of coming into his power and becoming the man his family need him to be. The man they demand he be.
When Amy stumbles onto Gerald one night, she notices his strange aura, unlike anything she has seen before. And so, against her better judgement she helps him. In thanks he makes her an offer she can't become his partner and he will introduce her to a world she has only ever felt the shallow surface the underworld.
And their first mission find a girl who vanished into thin air.
'A truly amazing first book' CHARLAINE HARRIS
Jackson P. Brown 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER. JOIN HIM.
From a thrilling debut voice comes a dark and gripping urban fantasy, set in the heart of a hidden world beneath the streets of London - Perfect for fans of Legendborn and Ben Aaronovitch.
Amy is an empath, able to sense the auras of the supernatural creatures that stalk London at night. But sorely lacking in knowledge, she spends night after night searching for answers.
Gerald is a Reaper—a weapon for hire—on the verge of his Awakening. Of coming into his power and becoming the man his family need him to be. The man they demand he be.
When Amy stumbles onto Gerald one night, she notices his strange aura, unlike anything she has seen before. And so, against her better judgement she helps him. In thanks he makes her an offer she can't become his partner and he will introduce her to a world she has only ever felt the shallow surface the underworld.
And their first mission find a girl who vanished into thin air.
'A truly amazing first book' CHARLAINE HARRIS
Jackson P. Brown 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Audible Audio
Published July 10, 2025
18 people are currently reading
1909 people want to read
About the author
Jackson P. Brown
1 book50 followers Jackson P. Brown is a writer from London, an anime and manga enthusiast, and the founder of Black Girl Writers — a mentoring programme for aspiring Black writers.
After winning Penguin Random House’s #WriteNow competition in 2020, she signed a 3-book deal with Del Rey UK for her debut adult fantasy series, GETHSEMANE.
Set in modern London, the story reimagines the Grim Reaper as smooth-talking, tea-drinking Gerald Reaper - a supernatural assassin hired to kill elites and aristocrats - who encounters Jamaican empath Amy St Clair in Camden Town. The unlikely duo team up to solve fantastical mysteries whilst maintaining the secrecy of London’s underground magic city, Downstairs.
After winning Penguin Random House’s #WriteNow competition in 2020, she signed a 3-book deal with Del Rey UK for her debut adult fantasy series, GETHSEMANE.
Set in modern London, the story reimagines the Grim Reaper as smooth-talking, tea-drinking Gerald Reaper - a supernatural assassin hired to kill elites and aristocrats - who encounters Jamaican empath Amy St Clair in Camden Town. The unlikely duo team up to solve fantastical mysteries whilst maintaining the secrecy of London’s underground magic city, Downstairs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 23, 2025
Blog | Instagram
Rating: 3 stars
I had high hopes for 'The Reaper' because of its fascinating premise and world, but sadly, the story's delivery failed to hold my interest.
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟
Storyline: 🌟🌟
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
I'll start with the positives. The creative world, filled with various supernatural beings from a hidden world beneath ours, stands out as a highlight of this book. It's a rich backdrop that adds an exciting layer to the story. I also appreciated the serious themes, such as grooming, justice, and social inequality, which add much-needed depth to what otherwise feels like a Young Adult fantasy. Plus, the story wraps up nicely, with a surprising reveal that I didn't see coming.
"Stranger things have happened."
However, between the underwhelming opening scene and the storyline not gaining momentum until about halfway through, I struggled to stay invested in this book. It didn't help that the writing style leaned heavily towards telling rather than showing, and some parts were overloaded with unnecessary details, while others could have used more.
"You can only get better by trying again."
The main characters, Amy and Gerald, have some depth through their tragic backstories and shared feelings of loneliness. I wasn't convinced by their growth or able to form a strong connection to them, though, as they seemed somewhat generic. The points of view from several supporting characters also added little to the story, making the cast largely forgettable, despite a few cute dynamics.
You can also find more of my thoughts and discussion questions on my blog! - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Rating: 3 stars
I had high hopes for 'The Reaper' because of its fascinating premise and world, but sadly, the story's delivery failed to hold my interest.
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟
Storyline: 🌟🌟
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
I'll start with the positives. The creative world, filled with various supernatural beings from a hidden world beneath ours, stands out as a highlight of this book. It's a rich backdrop that adds an exciting layer to the story. I also appreciated the serious themes, such as grooming, justice, and social inequality, which add much-needed depth to what otherwise feels like a Young Adult fantasy. Plus, the story wraps up nicely, with a surprising reveal that I didn't see coming.
"Stranger things have happened."
However, between the underwhelming opening scene and the storyline not gaining momentum until about halfway through, I struggled to stay invested in this book. It didn't help that the writing style leaned heavily towards telling rather than showing, and some parts were overloaded with unnecessary details, while others could have used more.
"You can only get better by trying again."
The main characters, Amy and Gerald, have some depth through their tragic backstories and shared feelings of loneliness. I wasn't convinced by their growth or able to form a strong connection to them, though, as they seemed somewhat generic. The points of view from several supporting characters also added little to the story, making the cast largely forgettable, despite a few cute dynamics.
You can also find more of my thoughts and discussion questions on my blog! - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
dnf
August 21, 2025Not rating this because I only made it a third of the way through. I can see the author's vision, but this really does feel like a published first draft. Reams and reams of dead space, one singular character wandering around silently looking at things, the dearth of any dialogue or secondary characters (and I mean that; there are no characters except for the protagonist and her love interest), and the stilted interactions between the two leads just did nothing for me. This was just criminally underbaked. What really killed it for me was that the protagonist had zero motivation. I'm not buying what's driving her, and I don't see why either of us should care about that one day however many months ago when Gerald had a conniption in an alleyway. That's between him and god babe. You live in London. Get a hobby.
Want to read
June 6, 2025Author said on a Reddit AMA she was inspired by Mort and the book has elements of The City we Became. She mentioned others but I don't care. This is a story about a polite, tea-drinking Grim Reaper and if he could be friends with my fave cat-loving Death... I quite simply need this book.
June 7, 2025
I would like to thank Cornerstone Books and Jackson P. Brown for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. What drew me to this book was the idea of the grim reaper reimagined working alongside an empath in a part of London, but not the one we know.
The plot sets its own pace and is easy to follow. I really enjoyed the first part of the story as it introduces both characters, their personalities and backgrounds altering from the viewpoint of each and telling the story from different perspectives. The characters themselves are intriguing and cover a wide spectrum of supernatural races which I found fascinating.
The authors world building is very detailed and atmospheric especially her reimagining of ‘underground London’ which was particularly detailed and easy to imagine yourself there. From the houses to the streets everything is built with an otherworldly feel which fits perfectly with characters and mood.
I did however struggle a bit later on in the book as it got a bit political for my personal tastes and I got confused as to where it was going. This book does deal with real world problems so I applaud the author for tackling them in her own way. The ending I found was a bit anti climactic but still good fun.
To summarise, an enjoyable supernatural book with a good plot, amazing places and fascinating characters. I’d say this is for the young adult audience and they would maybe feel more connected to the characters. I myself had fun reading it.
The plot sets its own pace and is easy to follow. I really enjoyed the first part of the story as it introduces both characters, their personalities and backgrounds altering from the viewpoint of each and telling the story from different perspectives. The characters themselves are intriguing and cover a wide spectrum of supernatural races which I found fascinating.
The authors world building is very detailed and atmospheric especially her reimagining of ‘underground London’ which was particularly detailed and easy to imagine yourself there. From the houses to the streets everything is built with an otherworldly feel which fits perfectly with characters and mood.
I did however struggle a bit later on in the book as it got a bit political for my personal tastes and I got confused as to where it was going. This book does deal with real world problems so I applaud the author for tackling them in her own way. The ending I found was a bit anti climactic but still good fun.
To summarise, an enjoyable supernatural book with a good plot, amazing places and fascinating characters. I’d say this is for the young adult audience and they would maybe feel more connected to the characters. I myself had fun reading it.
December 30, 2024
I don’t usually read, fantasy novels but I was intrigued by the blur of this book, and I thought that this would be up my street.
I really liked the first part of this story and liked the character of Amy and discovering of what it is like to be an Empath and meeting Gerald the Reaper and the bond between them. Then it went into a type of political drama that I was not expecting at all. And because of that I got lost and couldn’t really decipher what was going on and I felt quite confused with it all. 3 stars from me.
August 21, 2025
Hello urban fantasy set in London! This was super unique and I enjoyed the different supernatural beings and the magic systems in place. A lot of this story is the mystery/political intrigue elements which I wish was a little more pacy. Very light romance which is more of a suggestion of friends to lovers thana love story.
If you love London and all of its dark corners, you'll enjoy how real this feels.
If you love London and all of its dark corners, you'll enjoy how real this feels.
June 9, 2025
(I won a physical ARC from YALC)
Rating - 4⭐️
This was an excellent debut! This is an urban fantasy set in London with a cast of BIPOC characters.
Amy is a human empath who teams up with Gerald, a Grim Reaper assassin born with a killing curse, to hunt down a criminal warlock👀. While Gerald is taught to feel nothing, Amy feels everything and I really liked this balance between them🫶🏻.
I loved the discussion about the morality of killing, conscience, and guilt. The plot is centred around politics and corruption which felt very relevant to the real world🙂↕️.
I liked the humour and entertaining interactions 😂. There was also found family between a large cast of characters who were vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, mages, wraiths, and of course our human MC and the Grim Reaper MMC🤗.
I’m getting a vibe of a potential friends to lovers arc👀?? AND IM HERE FOR IT👏🏻!! I could sense a slow burn and OMG I just know it’s gonna burn GOOD🤭. It’s quite rare to see a series really taking its time to establish a friendship between characters first before jumping straight to the potential romantic development so I loved seeing the organic growth in their relationship. I’m excited to see what could happen in the sequel after that ending👀👀!!
Rating - 4⭐️
This was an excellent debut! This is an urban fantasy set in London with a cast of BIPOC characters.
Amy is a human empath who teams up with Gerald, a Grim Reaper assassin born with a killing curse, to hunt down a criminal warlock👀. While Gerald is taught to feel nothing, Amy feels everything and I really liked this balance between them🫶🏻.
I loved the discussion about the morality of killing, conscience, and guilt. The plot is centred around politics and corruption which felt very relevant to the real world🙂↕️.
I liked the humour and entertaining interactions 😂. There was also found family between a large cast of characters who were vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, mages, wraiths, and of course our human MC and the Grim Reaper MMC🤗.
I’m getting a vibe of a potential friends to lovers arc👀?? AND IM HERE FOR IT👏🏻!! I could sense a slow burn and OMG I just know it’s gonna burn GOOD🤭. It’s quite rare to see a series really taking its time to establish a friendship between characters first before jumping straight to the potential romantic development so I loved seeing the organic growth in their relationship. I’m excited to see what could happen in the sequel after that ending👀👀!!
June 7, 2025
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)
The Reaper is an urban fantasy set in London, with a Jamaican empath and the kindest Reaper in history of Reapers. I truly enjoyed this book, and I believe that it definitely deserves more hype.
Amy is our empath. She has grown up with her grandmother who she inherited this gift from. Now that her grandmother is gone, Amy is lonely and a bit lost, so she goes out and observes any supernatural beings she can find. She has notebooks (colour-coded, too!) with her findings and observations throughout the years, which she writes as letters to her grandmother as a way to stay close to her and share with her what she finds. Amy is brave but also logical. She takes risks but backs away when she realizes there's nothing she can do and chooses self-preservation. Whereas I sort of understand that maybe some people think "well if she isn't doing anything, why go and check it out?", I didn't see it like that. Amy is a curious woman, with morals and survival instinct. She wants to see and discover, but she also doesn't want to die. I liked that about her. I also liked that she wasn't judgy. She didn't judge or look down on any supernatural being, no matter their appearance, way of living, or job.
Our Reaper, Gerald, is a conundrum. He is so kind, gentle, and polite; he talks to every being with a smile and genuine sweet politeness that he is literally melting hearts everywhere! I loved him! And I found his character development fascinating. It's not that he goes from selfish and evil to a moral teddybear, no. He grows as a person. He realizes that there are plenty ways to be a Reaper that don't include torture after every mistake. He feels deeply, especially regret, and due to his teachings while growing up, he beats himself up for every mistake. A scene between him and his best friend was soothing, self-reflective, and I loved how Gerald learned to forgive himself and go on.
Blythe, Gerald's best friend, is a delight!! He scowls at every turn, and it feels like the one thing he likes is Gerald even though he scowled at him, too, haha. I loved him so much!!!!
The worldbuilding was inclusive and fascinating. The way the author weaves different backgrounds and incorporates them to an urban fantasy set in London was truly interesting. I'd love to see what more worlds this author comes up with. However, I'd like a faster pace and more suspense during mystery solving.
Other than that, this was a great read!! More people should be talking about it! I believe that there is a book two planned, and I will certainly read it as soon as possible! What a marvellous debut!
The Reaper is an urban fantasy set in London, with a Jamaican empath and the kindest Reaper in history of Reapers. I truly enjoyed this book, and I believe that it definitely deserves more hype.
Amy is our empath. She has grown up with her grandmother who she inherited this gift from. Now that her grandmother is gone, Amy is lonely and a bit lost, so she goes out and observes any supernatural beings she can find. She has notebooks (colour-coded, too!) with her findings and observations throughout the years, which she writes as letters to her grandmother as a way to stay close to her and share with her what she finds. Amy is brave but also logical. She takes risks but backs away when she realizes there's nothing she can do and chooses self-preservation. Whereas I sort of understand that maybe some people think "well if she isn't doing anything, why go and check it out?", I didn't see it like that. Amy is a curious woman, with morals and survival instinct. She wants to see and discover, but she also doesn't want to die. I liked that about her. I also liked that she wasn't judgy. She didn't judge or look down on any supernatural being, no matter their appearance, way of living, or job.
Our Reaper, Gerald, is a conundrum. He is so kind, gentle, and polite; he talks to every being with a smile and genuine sweet politeness that he is literally melting hearts everywhere! I loved him! And I found his character development fascinating. It's not that he goes from selfish and evil to a moral teddybear, no. He grows as a person. He realizes that there are plenty ways to be a Reaper that don't include torture after every mistake. He feels deeply, especially regret, and due to his teachings while growing up, he beats himself up for every mistake. A scene between him and his best friend was soothing, self-reflective, and I loved how Gerald learned to forgive himself and go on.
Blythe, Gerald's best friend, is a delight!! He scowls at every turn, and it feels like the one thing he likes is Gerald even though he scowled at him, too, haha. I loved him so much!!!!
The worldbuilding was inclusive and fascinating. The way the author weaves different backgrounds and incorporates them to an urban fantasy set in London was truly interesting. I'd love to see what more worlds this author comes up with. However, I'd like a faster pace and more suspense during mystery solving.
Other than that, this was a great read!! More people should be talking about it! I believe that there is a book two planned, and I will certainly read it as soon as possible! What a marvellous debut!
July 12, 2025
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.25 stars.
Urban fantasy following Amy, an empath, and Gerald, a reaper, as their lives intertwine.
I enjoyed the world-building as we are introduced to the world of Downers, magical beings who live in an underground city away from the Uppers, who are normal humans. It was interesting getting to grips with the main characters' powers, especially Amy's who has the ability to sense auras, and people's intentions within said auras.
I just got a little bored with the plot and didn't find that aspect of the book super engaging. The dialogue also felt slightly stilted to me at times.
An interesting world though, and one I'd be happy to return to.
3.25 stars.
Urban fantasy following Amy, an empath, and Gerald, a reaper, as their lives intertwine.
I enjoyed the world-building as we are introduced to the world of Downers, magical beings who live in an underground city away from the Uppers, who are normal humans. It was interesting getting to grips with the main characters' powers, especially Amy's who has the ability to sense auras, and people's intentions within said auras.
I just got a little bored with the plot and didn't find that aspect of the book super engaging. The dialogue also felt slightly stilted to me at times.
An interesting world though, and one I'd be happy to return to.
March 28, 2025
The Reaper by Jackson P. Brown was one of the most enjoyable, unexpected reads I’ve had in a while. It’s the kind of book that blends genres and tones in the most fascinating way - almost like a dark fantasy comedy sketch that somehow manages to be both hilarious and thrilling at the same time. It’s quirky, sharp, and entirely gripping. I absolutely loved it.
What made The Reaper so fun was the unpredictability of it all. Amy’s naivety and Gerald’s intense sense of duty create a unique chemistry between them. It feels like a partnership made in chaos, but their dynamic really works.
The world-building was absolutely fascinating too. I loved the idea of this secret underground city, filled with things Amy has only ever felt faint traces of. It gave the book a rich, immersive feel without being overly complex or bogged down with excessive details. Everything about the setting felt fresh, and the mix of dark fantasy elements with hints of humor added a unique flavor that kept me laughing and on edge at the same time.
I honestly cannot wait for book two. There’s so much potential for these characters and this world to grow, and I’m already eager to see where the story takes them next. If you’re a fan of dark fantasy, supernatural intrigue, and characters that feel both relatable and fantastical, The Reaper is absolutely worth the read. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much to DelRey for gifting me this e-arc for review!
What made The Reaper so fun was the unpredictability of it all. Amy’s naivety and Gerald’s intense sense of duty create a unique chemistry between them. It feels like a partnership made in chaos, but their dynamic really works.
The world-building was absolutely fascinating too. I loved the idea of this secret underground city, filled with things Amy has only ever felt faint traces of. It gave the book a rich, immersive feel without being overly complex or bogged down with excessive details. Everything about the setting felt fresh, and the mix of dark fantasy elements with hints of humor added a unique flavor that kept me laughing and on edge at the same time.
I honestly cannot wait for book two. There’s so much potential for these characters and this world to grow, and I’m already eager to see where the story takes them next. If you’re a fan of dark fantasy, supernatural intrigue, and characters that feel both relatable and fantastical, The Reaper is absolutely worth the read. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much to DelRey for gifting me this e-arc for review!
December 14, 2024
Just give me a minute to really soak in the amazing story line of The Reaper...
This was an incredible read, two lonely souls coming together, building a strong relationship and the world building!
The author has done an incredible job with all the magical characters and we get full descriptions on vampires, wraiths and werewolfs!!
The Grim Reaper himself!! I fell so easily for Gerald his character is the opposite if what you would think a reaper would be like and Amy just makes him even softer 😭
This book is very deep and deals with issues in society that have been occuring in the real world and politics and how messy (EVIL) it can be.
A full cast of POC is also so so needed and this book smashed it especially with it being set in London. That prob was my favourite thing!!!
This was an incredible read, two lonely souls coming together, building a strong relationship and the world building!
The author has done an incredible job with all the magical characters and we get full descriptions on vampires, wraiths and werewolfs!!
The Grim Reaper himself!! I fell so easily for Gerald his character is the opposite if what you would think a reaper would be like and Amy just makes him even softer 😭
This book is very deep and deals with issues in society that have been occuring in the real world and politics and how messy (EVIL) it can be.
A full cast of POC is also so so needed and this book smashed it especially with it being set in London. That prob was my favourite thing!!!
June 10, 2025
I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this through Netgalley. It caught my eye, then I saw that Samantha Shannon had loved it and I was sold, so I was thrilled for the notification that I was allowed to read it early!
An Urban Fantasy, set in London (we love a London setting) with heavy BIPOC rep and some queer rep too (this is more subtle.) I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The Grim Reaper finds a human empath with extraordinarily refined abilities and they team up for a mission.
We have the supernatural world, witches, warlock, vampires, werewolves, basilisks. We have corruption and politics. We have characters who feel isolated due to their abilities. This was a fun book to read.
I felt like it could have done with more depth to it. London felt like a setting rather than a mercurial character. I liked our characters, rooted for them, but didn’t emotionally connect with them, they didn’t quite leap of the page for me.
That said, I enjoyed this book, I think many of you would enjoy this book when it releases on 10th July. It’s a strong debut by Jackson P Brown and I look forward to their future works!
3.5/5
An Urban Fantasy, set in London (we love a London setting) with heavy BIPOC rep and some queer rep too (this is more subtle.) I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The Grim Reaper finds a human empath with extraordinarily refined abilities and they team up for a mission.
We have the supernatural world, witches, warlock, vampires, werewolves, basilisks. We have corruption and politics. We have characters who feel isolated due to their abilities. This was a fun book to read.
I felt like it could have done with more depth to it. London felt like a setting rather than a mercurial character. I liked our characters, rooted for them, but didn’t emotionally connect with them, they didn’t quite leap of the page for me.
That said, I enjoyed this book, I think many of you would enjoy this book when it releases on 10th July. It’s a strong debut by Jackson P Brown and I look forward to their future works!
3.5/5
June 4, 2025
Thank you for an early review copy of The Reaper.
The book follows Amy, an empath with Jamaican heritage and Gerald, who is essentially the grim reaper. The story incorporates the mortal world of London as we know it along with a mirror image "below" that houses ghouls, warlocks, witches, vampires and all manor of other worldly beings.
We are introduced to Amy following the death of her grandmother as she stumbles upon Gerald undergoing some sort of transformation in a London street. He follows her, and impressed with her heightened empath ability, invites her to work with him. So follows a chase through the Downstairs as they work to keep this hidden from us mere mortals.
I took my time reading this, often leaving it for a few days and coming back to it. I found it easy to follow but also didn't have the urge to want to pick it up and finish it quickly. A number of things were confusing. The first scene when Amy meets Gerald and the certain action that is occurring seemed a little out of place and I expected some sort of explanation of this at some point in the story but it never came (excuse the pun) It then felt like a pointless scene with no real purpose. I expected maybe more spice (and just to be clear this book does not need spice) as it is quite a graphic scene but there was none.
The chapter numbering was quite confusing and the chapters towards the end of the book from Ulrich and Hollows POV didn't really serve a purpose. I didn't feel like I gained anything through reading them. Obviously there had to be some POV as Gerald couldn't enter and I found that to take away from the suspense of finding Amy. The element of adding in current political issues was insightful and brave but almost wasn't enough. i wasn't sure if it was trying to be a dark fantasy novel a political middle finger?
The twist at the end, while I didn't see it coming, I also felt it was anti climatic. That particular character wasn't given much air time in the book, i didn't even see them as secondary and honestly my first thought was it was another character. I wanted some sort of relationship to form between Amy and Gerald and was disappointed when, although it was very vaguely alluded to, nothing happened. The ending also hasn't given me any real urge to read a book 2, unless this is more like a series of different events within each book (similar to Rivers of London)
I do want to be clear that I received a very early version of this book. The punctuation wasn't great and the layout wasn't ideal, especially when a large group of characters was talking in one scene. It also means that some of the above may have been addressed or amended since the time of me receiving it.
Despite all the above, this has the potential to be brilliant. Both Amy and Gerald are brilliantly written characters, both likeable, despite your urge to remember that Gerald is the creator of death. I found their relationship and interactions interesting and intellectual and the inclusion of small segments of Amy's Caribbean heritage a really great addition, she is unlike a character I have met before and that was refreshing. The background characters were also enjoyable to meet and learn about and the attention and detail to their different elements was really well done.
I liked the introduction of the downstairs and the detail to London and it's counterpart. It had a really great mix of plot and setting/surroundings. I think I would purchase the book on release because I would like to see and read the changes since the early edition I have. In terms of the cover I have seen two different ones. The above, which to me gives futuristic Ready Player One vibes which I don't think is in keeping with the genre of the book. the other one showing Amy in the foreground and the Reaper at the back is perfect and I think is a perfect representation of the both of them.
I would definitely pick up this book to read once published and would potentially look for more from this author in the future.
The book follows Amy, an empath with Jamaican heritage and Gerald, who is essentially the grim reaper. The story incorporates the mortal world of London as we know it along with a mirror image "below" that houses ghouls, warlocks, witches, vampires and all manor of other worldly beings.
We are introduced to Amy following the death of her grandmother as she stumbles upon Gerald undergoing some sort of transformation in a London street. He follows her, and impressed with her heightened empath ability, invites her to work with him. So follows a chase through the Downstairs as they work to keep this hidden from us mere mortals.
I took my time reading this, often leaving it for a few days and coming back to it. I found it easy to follow but also didn't have the urge to want to pick it up and finish it quickly. A number of things were confusing. The first scene when Amy meets Gerald and the certain action that is occurring seemed a little out of place and I expected some sort of explanation of this at some point in the story but it never came (excuse the pun) It then felt like a pointless scene with no real purpose. I expected maybe more spice (and just to be clear this book does not need spice) as it is quite a graphic scene but there was none.
The chapter numbering was quite confusing and the chapters towards the end of the book from Ulrich and Hollows POV didn't really serve a purpose. I didn't feel like I gained anything through reading them. Obviously there had to be some POV as Gerald couldn't enter and I found that to take away from the suspense of finding Amy. The element of adding in current political issues was insightful and brave but almost wasn't enough. i wasn't sure if it was trying to be a dark fantasy novel a political middle finger?
The twist at the end, while I didn't see it coming, I also felt it was anti climatic. That particular character wasn't given much air time in the book, i didn't even see them as secondary and honestly my first thought was it was another character. I wanted some sort of relationship to form between Amy and Gerald and was disappointed when, although it was very vaguely alluded to, nothing happened. The ending also hasn't given me any real urge to read a book 2, unless this is more like a series of different events within each book (similar to Rivers of London)
I do want to be clear that I received a very early version of this book. The punctuation wasn't great and the layout wasn't ideal, especially when a large group of characters was talking in one scene. It also means that some of the above may have been addressed or amended since the time of me receiving it.
Despite all the above, this has the potential to be brilliant. Both Amy and Gerald are brilliantly written characters, both likeable, despite your urge to remember that Gerald is the creator of death. I found their relationship and interactions interesting and intellectual and the inclusion of small segments of Amy's Caribbean heritage a really great addition, she is unlike a character I have met before and that was refreshing. The background characters were also enjoyable to meet and learn about and the attention and detail to their different elements was really well done.
I liked the introduction of the downstairs and the detail to London and it's counterpart. It had a really great mix of plot and setting/surroundings. I think I would purchase the book on release because I would like to see and read the changes since the early edition I have. In terms of the cover I have seen two different ones. The above, which to me gives futuristic Ready Player One vibes which I don't think is in keeping with the genre of the book. the other one showing Amy in the foreground and the Reaper at the back is perfect and I think is a perfect representation of the both of them.
I would definitely pick up this book to read once published and would potentially look for more from this author in the future.
August 2, 2025
I really wanted to love this one but it felt a lot more like a political thriller than it did a fantasy book
June 15, 2025
This absolutely slaps. If you don’t have this on your preorders, or to-read list, you’re missing out!! I don’t normally read urban fantasy, but I’m so glad I read this because I’m obsessed.
Set in London, where supernatural creatures live underneath a human city, an empath called Amy teams up with a Grim Reaper, an assassin for hire, to track down two criminals. What I loved was that behind the action of a supernatural secret service, and the intense fight scenes, was the political commentary on refugees and corruption.
I just loved Amy so much. Despite her empathic powers, she feels very human and real. Her reactions to the supernatural world was very relatable and rooted in real world experiences. Her partnership with Gerald never feels unbalanced, and she brings out a new perspective. I loved her interactions with the side characters in particular, since she refuses to be cowed by her human nature.
Gerald?? An icon truly. He’s a grim reaper that drinks tea, doesn’t know what the phrase bad boy is, and suffers from emotional trauma. He feels ageless; at times he’s weary from all the killing, in others he’s youthful and earnest. His morals are often dubious due to his role, but I found his willingness to listen to Amy’s concerns refreshing. I love how quietly charming, and sincere he is. Everyone becomes flustered around him, and Gerald is completely unaware of the effect he has on people.
This book deals with some very dark themes that are directly connected to our world. The exploitation of refugees and the violent deportation of immigrants is a very real issue that is explored through Amy and Gerald’s hunt for two criminals. The anger and injustice they feel is representative of our feels towards the people that lead our countries. This book just proves that reading is and should be political.
I really hope this book is apart of a wider series. I need more from Amy and Gerald, and all the other amazing characters that are introduced in this book. It’s so brilliantly written and had so many layers to it!!
Thank you to the publisher for my arc. All thoughts are my own!
Publishes; 10th July
Set in London, where supernatural creatures live underneath a human city, an empath called Amy teams up with a Grim Reaper, an assassin for hire, to track down two criminals. What I loved was that behind the action of a supernatural secret service, and the intense fight scenes, was the political commentary on refugees and corruption.
I just loved Amy so much. Despite her empathic powers, she feels very human and real. Her reactions to the supernatural world was very relatable and rooted in real world experiences. Her partnership with Gerald never feels unbalanced, and she brings out a new perspective. I loved her interactions with the side characters in particular, since she refuses to be cowed by her human nature.
Gerald?? An icon truly. He’s a grim reaper that drinks tea, doesn’t know what the phrase bad boy is, and suffers from emotional trauma. He feels ageless; at times he’s weary from all the killing, in others he’s youthful and earnest. His morals are often dubious due to his role, but I found his willingness to listen to Amy’s concerns refreshing. I love how quietly charming, and sincere he is. Everyone becomes flustered around him, and Gerald is completely unaware of the effect he has on people.
This book deals with some very dark themes that are directly connected to our world. The exploitation of refugees and the violent deportation of immigrants is a very real issue that is explored through Amy and Gerald’s hunt for two criminals. The anger and injustice they feel is representative of our feels towards the people that lead our countries. This book just proves that reading is and should be political.
I really hope this book is apart of a wider series. I need more from Amy and Gerald, and all the other amazing characters that are introduced in this book. It’s so brilliantly written and had so many layers to it!!
Thank you to the publisher for my arc. All thoughts are my own!
Publishes; 10th July
June 20, 2025
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🫑/5
TW - alcohol consumption, death of a grandparent (past, recounted, Parkinson’s, infection), drugs (mentioned incl weed), parental abandonment (past, mentioned), breaking and entering, stalking, serial killers (past, mentioned), murder, blood, smoking (scs), human trafficking incl physical abuse and murder, (illegal) immigration, parricide (scs, mentioned, knife violence), paedophilia and grooming (scs, mentioned), domestic violence (scs, mentioned and some on page), physical violence, drug addicts (sc’s parents, crack, past, mentioned), rehab (mentioned), vaping (sc, mentioned), supernatural sickness (scs, mentioned), house fire (FMC’s home, arson), grief, nightmares, xenophobia (supernaturals and non supernaturals), racism (incl past use of the n word towards a sc, mentioned), suicide (sc, mentioned), parental neglect (scs, past, implied), parental abuse (scs, past, recounted), animal sacrifice (mentioned as an example), imprisonment (scs), kidnapping, captivity, animal killing (scs, rat, for food), gun violence, blood and blood drinking, organised crime, extortion, gore, knife violence
Tropes - urban fantasy / paranormal
Representation - Black MCs, queer scs
I would like to preface this review with this book is outside of my chosen genre. I wanted to give it a try because of the cover, Black MCs and the fact that the FMC is from South London, like me 🤪.
I was immediately intrigued by the setting of this story and the world building. As a London girlie, I was really happy with the London setting, especially the South London setting on page. Often, in my experience, books set in London are subject to "central London" and describe the city through a tourist's lens, usually because the author writing it isn't from here. The setting in the descriptions allowed me to feel more immersed into the story as someone that is familiar with the city however, I think it could go either way if the reader isn't. They could either very immersed due to the detailed descriptions or feel like they're reading filler.
While I enjoyed the setting as well as the bones of the story and yes, I did just rave about the descriptions of London, I do feel like some things were overly described. Like there was just... so much of it. In a way that is unfamiliar to me. I don't know if that's a genre thing but for me, it was a lot and, at times, had me feeling like I was wading through the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters.
Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪
🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List / The Naughtier List
TW/CW not to be repurposed by authors / publishers for website / book / content use without permission
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🫑/5
TW - alcohol consumption, death of a grandparent (past, recounted, Parkinson’s, infection), drugs (mentioned incl weed), parental abandonment (past, mentioned), breaking and entering, stalking, serial killers (past, mentioned), murder, blood, smoking (scs), human trafficking incl physical abuse and murder, (illegal) immigration, parricide (scs, mentioned, knife violence), paedophilia and grooming (scs, mentioned), domestic violence (scs, mentioned and some on page), physical violence, drug addicts (sc’s parents, crack, past, mentioned), rehab (mentioned), vaping (sc, mentioned), supernatural sickness (scs, mentioned), house fire (FMC’s home, arson), grief, nightmares, xenophobia (supernaturals and non supernaturals), racism (incl past use of the n word towards a sc, mentioned), suicide (sc, mentioned), parental neglect (scs, past, implied), parental abuse (scs, past, recounted), animal sacrifice (mentioned as an example), imprisonment (scs), kidnapping, captivity, animal killing (scs, rat, for food), gun violence, blood and blood drinking, organised crime, extortion, gore, knife violence
Tropes - urban fantasy / paranormal
Representation - Black MCs, queer scs
I would like to preface this review with this book is outside of my chosen genre. I wanted to give it a try because of the cover, Black MCs and the fact that the FMC is from South London, like me 🤪.
I was immediately intrigued by the setting of this story and the world building. As a London girlie, I was really happy with the London setting, especially the South London setting on page. Often, in my experience, books set in London are subject to "central London" and describe the city through a tourist's lens, usually because the author writing it isn't from here. The setting in the descriptions allowed me to feel more immersed into the story as someone that is familiar with the city however, I think it could go either way if the reader isn't. They could either very immersed due to the detailed descriptions or feel like they're reading filler.
While I enjoyed the setting as well as the bones of the story and yes, I did just rave about the descriptions of London, I do feel like some things were overly described. Like there was just... so much of it. In a way that is unfamiliar to me. I don't know if that's a genre thing but for me, it was a lot and, at times, had me feeling like I was wading through the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters.
Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪
🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List / The Naughtier List
TW/CW not to be repurposed by authors / publishers for website / book / content use without permission
August 5, 2025
In a world where empathy can be mistaken as weakness, it's refreshing to read about it as powerful.
The Reaper is unique Urban Fantasy set in a supernatural split of London between upstairs and downstairs. Amy is a librarian and human Empath, and Gerald is a reserved gentleman and thee Grim Reaper. His weapon? His hands. 😏
When Amy first encounters Gerald, he's not like any creature she's studied before, but soon this unlikely pair balance each other as they team up to solve crimes (and, ahem, carry out assassinations).
IF THIS SOUNDS INTRIGUING TO YOU, PLEASE GIVE IT A GO. (We need the sequel.)
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! The vibes were vibinggg. There's so much to love in this story: BIPOC cast, London (my fave) setting, new Grim Reaper lore, supernatural friends, found family, political/social commentary, maaaybe friends to lovers slow burn??? 👀
Samantha Shannon reading and reviewing The Reaper put it on my radar, and I yapped about it to anyone who will listen before it even came out. I've never ordered a book internationally before, but I preordered The Reaper because I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. (I'm in the U.S.) I'm manifesting an American publisher picks it up so this book becomes more easily accessible here.✨
The Reaper is unique Urban Fantasy set in a supernatural split of London between upstairs and downstairs. Amy is a librarian and human Empath, and Gerald is a reserved gentleman and thee Grim Reaper. His weapon? His hands. 😏
When Amy first encounters Gerald, he's not like any creature she's studied before, but soon this unlikely pair balance each other as they team up to solve crimes (and, ahem, carry out assassinations).
IF THIS SOUNDS INTRIGUING TO YOU, PLEASE GIVE IT A GO. (We need the sequel.)
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! The vibes were vibinggg. There's so much to love in this story: BIPOC cast, London (my fave) setting, new Grim Reaper lore, supernatural friends, found family, political/social commentary, maaaybe friends to lovers slow burn??? 👀
Samantha Shannon reading and reviewing The Reaper put it on my radar, and I yapped about it to anyone who will listen before it even came out. I've never ordered a book internationally before, but I preordered The Reaper because I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. (I'm in the U.S.) I'm manifesting an American publisher picks it up so this book becomes more easily accessible here.✨
August 22, 2025
Have you ever had the PERFECT cup of tea? I mean the right temperature, the right amounts of the ingredients you love. Every single thing about it is exactly as you like it. That first sip of incandescent joy. That immaculate taste… is The Reaper. This is an incredible debut novel.
First of all, the FMC is a Jamaican empath. And the author worked her Caribbean identity into the very fabric of this book. Dear Caribbean people, ALL of our business is in here. It was comforting to read, and also I feel exposed lol! Like, wow, you had to show all of that to everybody? Wooo!!!!
Which leads me to the lore in this book. WOW! I loved it. From why our FMC was the way she was, to our MMC’s family origin. My brain kept going yes, yes, yes, give me more. And Jackson P. Brown did exactly that. Every faction has a story, and you learn this story along the way. It is not draggy; it adds to the overall plot step by step, and you feel as though you are getting small unveilings of little mysteries section by section.
Absolutely enchanting.
The plot was solid. It mixed well with the MMC’s character development. My guy had to come to some harsh realizations. His entire world got shaken up in the beginning, and it kept rocking and rolling throughout. In fact, in the early part of Book 2, he is about to get another surprise lol! One I cannot wait to read about.
Now there are some dark themes in this one, so please, for your safety, read the triggers before diving in. That said, the villains? Complex. They evoke many emotions. They made this book better. Added twists, and made you think about how people ended up where they did. Life is not always fair.
Much of this book is going to live rent-free in my head from now on. As it should, I think.
Altogether, for me, this was an adventurous and satisfying read. I clapped and cheered when I read that last line. My insides felt satiated and joyful.
Jackson P. Brown, you are an autobuy author for me now.
Oh, and on a side note, the audiobook for this is magical, especially if British accents hit your happy spot ;)
First of all, the FMC is a Jamaican empath. And the author worked her Caribbean identity into the very fabric of this book. Dear Caribbean people, ALL of our business is in here. It was comforting to read, and also I feel exposed lol! Like, wow, you had to show all of that to everybody? Wooo!!!!
Which leads me to the lore in this book. WOW! I loved it. From why our FMC was the way she was, to our MMC’s family origin. My brain kept going yes, yes, yes, give me more. And Jackson P. Brown did exactly that. Every faction has a story, and you learn this story along the way. It is not draggy; it adds to the overall plot step by step, and you feel as though you are getting small unveilings of little mysteries section by section.
Absolutely enchanting.
The plot was solid. It mixed well with the MMC’s character development. My guy had to come to some harsh realizations. His entire world got shaken up in the beginning, and it kept rocking and rolling throughout. In fact, in the early part of Book 2, he is about to get another surprise lol! One I cannot wait to read about.
Now there are some dark themes in this one, so please, for your safety, read the triggers before diving in. That said, the villains? Complex. They evoke many emotions. They made this book better. Added twists, and made you think about how people ended up where they did. Life is not always fair.
Much of this book is going to live rent-free in my head from now on. As it should, I think.
Altogether, for me, this was an adventurous and satisfying read. I clapped and cheered when I read that last line. My insides felt satiated and joyful.
Jackson P. Brown, you are an autobuy author for me now.
Oh, and on a side note, the audiobook for this is magical, especially if British accents hit your happy spot ;)
October 3, 2025
Jackson P. Brown’s debut novel really surprised me. It starts off in such a cosy, almost slice-of-life way (there’s even a whole chapter about making breakfast!) that felt perfect for October reading. But as the story unfolds, the tone shifts into something darker and moodier, almost like a detective noir. That blend between cosy character interactions and eerie, shadowy atmosphere kept me hooked.
One of the things I loved most was the way the book describes both the “upstairs” world (London) and the “downstairs” world, it was insanely descriptive but in the best way. Not the kind of prose you can skim; you want to savor every word. The writing is vivid, imaginative, and immersive.
The characters are another strong point. They all felt oddly likeable, even when they weren’t exactly “good.” Amy, our main character, sometimes felt a little awkward to me, but that made sense given her upbringing and how being an empath has affected her social skills. What really stood out was the way characters often saw themselves one way, but Amy would give us the insights into who they really were. That added so much depth, especially with the Reaper himself, who hides his emotions in a way that ultimately harms him and influences his actions. That theme really resonated with me.
If I have one critique, it’s that I wanted a bit more character development, and the pacing was a little slow for my liking. That said, once it got there, I loved the noir, investigative vibe. It honestly reminded me of TV shows like Medium or that Sleepy Hollow detective series. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking this story would work brilliantly as a TV adaptation or even a comic.
Overall, The Reaper is a strong, atmospheric debut that balances cosiness with darkness in a really intriguing way. I’m definitely excited to see what Jackson P. Brown writes next.
One of the things I loved most was the way the book describes both the “upstairs” world (London) and the “downstairs” world, it was insanely descriptive but in the best way. Not the kind of prose you can skim; you want to savor every word. The writing is vivid, imaginative, and immersive.
The characters are another strong point. They all felt oddly likeable, even when they weren’t exactly “good.” Amy, our main character, sometimes felt a little awkward to me, but that made sense given her upbringing and how being an empath has affected her social skills. What really stood out was the way characters often saw themselves one way, but Amy would give us the insights into who they really were. That added so much depth, especially with the Reaper himself, who hides his emotions in a way that ultimately harms him and influences his actions. That theme really resonated with me.
If I have one critique, it’s that I wanted a bit more character development, and the pacing was a little slow for my liking. That said, once it got there, I loved the noir, investigative vibe. It honestly reminded me of TV shows like Medium or that Sleepy Hollow detective series. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking this story would work brilliantly as a TV adaptation or even a comic.
Overall, The Reaper is a strong, atmospheric debut that balances cosiness with darkness in a really intriguing way. I’m definitely excited to see what Jackson P. Brown writes next.
August 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Del Rey UK for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.
TW: death, body horror, abuse, torture, violence, blood, grief
Within Camden, another version of London exists- one populated by witches, vampires, werewolves and wraiths and most importantly of all, the Reaper. Amy has long known she’s an empath, capable of seeing the auras of supernatural creatures, but it’s only the recent death of her grandmother that’s driven her to seek out the “others” living among humanity in London. Lacking in knowledge, and eager to learn more, Amy watches and takes notes. Gerald is a Reaper- a killer for hire- and a significant one for his tribe, though he finds little joy in the murdering side of his work. On the verge of Awakening abilities that will make him more powerful, but more difficult to control his bloodlust, Gerald is determined not to let his family down. When Amy stumbles across Gerald one night, she notices his strange aura. Offering him aid after he collapses, Gerald makes her an offer: to become his partner and he’ll show her the shadowy underworld she’s determined to find. All they have to do is to find a girl who vanished into thin air.
‘The Reaper’ is a really strong debut, establishing a secret underground world of the supernatural within London, with two powerful lead POV characters. I enjoyed Amy’s curiosity a lot, even as much of it is driven by guilt after the loss of her grandmother, and her methodical ways of tracking various creatures through the streets. I loved how she met Gerald and how he was the exact opposite of what you’d expect a Grim Reaper character to be- his incredible politeness and friendliness was one of the parts that stood out to me most, especially because he doesn’t want to be defined by his abilities. His powers are terrifying the few times we truly see them (especially from Amy’s perspective) and the respect his position gains him in the underworld is well written. London feels like a character all of its own, both Above and Below, and I really liked how Amy is forced to reconsider the world she grew up in. However, there were times when the language was a little stilted, it felt a little overlong and some of the side characters (primarily ones further into the book) were hard to keep track of because they didn’t all stand out to me. I am glad I read this and I know I’ll be picking up the sequel!
TW: death, body horror, abuse, torture, violence, blood, grief
Within Camden, another version of London exists- one populated by witches, vampires, werewolves and wraiths and most importantly of all, the Reaper. Amy has long known she’s an empath, capable of seeing the auras of supernatural creatures, but it’s only the recent death of her grandmother that’s driven her to seek out the “others” living among humanity in London. Lacking in knowledge, and eager to learn more, Amy watches and takes notes. Gerald is a Reaper- a killer for hire- and a significant one for his tribe, though he finds little joy in the murdering side of his work. On the verge of Awakening abilities that will make him more powerful, but more difficult to control his bloodlust, Gerald is determined not to let his family down. When Amy stumbles across Gerald one night, she notices his strange aura. Offering him aid after he collapses, Gerald makes her an offer: to become his partner and he’ll show her the shadowy underworld she’s determined to find. All they have to do is to find a girl who vanished into thin air.
‘The Reaper’ is a really strong debut, establishing a secret underground world of the supernatural within London, with two powerful lead POV characters. I enjoyed Amy’s curiosity a lot, even as much of it is driven by guilt after the loss of her grandmother, and her methodical ways of tracking various creatures through the streets. I loved how she met Gerald and how he was the exact opposite of what you’d expect a Grim Reaper character to be- his incredible politeness and friendliness was one of the parts that stood out to me most, especially because he doesn’t want to be defined by his abilities. His powers are terrifying the few times we truly see them (especially from Amy’s perspective) and the respect his position gains him in the underworld is well written. London feels like a character all of its own, both Above and Below, and I really liked how Amy is forced to reconsider the world she grew up in. However, there were times when the language was a little stilted, it felt a little overlong and some of the side characters (primarily ones further into the book) were hard to keep track of because they didn’t all stand out to me. I am glad I read this and I know I’ll be picking up the sequel!
July 26, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up ✨
A reimagined grim reaper working alongside an empath, amongst the bustling streets of London - including a reimagining of an ‘underground London’ - that had me instantly intrigued.
The world building was so fleshed out, that I feel like even if I hadn’t lived in London for 7 years, I’d still have such a clear image of the streets and buildings and businesses mentioned! I also really enjoyed the fantasy elements of an ‘underground London’ that really brought the otherworldly elements of this book to life.
The characters were engaging and leveled and flawed, facing real world problems and those of the supernatural kind. I really felt like I wanted to know more about them and their individual stories and to see how their involvement with each other would progress and that’s exactly what I got!
This book has a great blend of otherworldly problems and real life struggles/issues, as well as political intrigue, supernatural fights and characters with emotional depth, blossoming relationships and that give you just enough insight into what they are about it, whilst leaving you wanting to see what will happen in their story next. An enjoyable read that was easy to follow!
Thank you to Del Rey and Penguin Random House for a proof copy of this book!
A reimagined grim reaper working alongside an empath, amongst the bustling streets of London - including a reimagining of an ‘underground London’ - that had me instantly intrigued.
The world building was so fleshed out, that I feel like even if I hadn’t lived in London for 7 years, I’d still have such a clear image of the streets and buildings and businesses mentioned! I also really enjoyed the fantasy elements of an ‘underground London’ that really brought the otherworldly elements of this book to life.
The characters were engaging and leveled and flawed, facing real world problems and those of the supernatural kind. I really felt like I wanted to know more about them and their individual stories and to see how their involvement with each other would progress and that’s exactly what I got!
This book has a great blend of otherworldly problems and real life struggles/issues, as well as political intrigue, supernatural fights and characters with emotional depth, blossoming relationships and that give you just enough insight into what they are about it, whilst leaving you wanting to see what will happen in their story next. An enjoyable read that was easy to follow!
Thank you to Del Rey and Penguin Random House for a proof copy of this book!
November 26, 2025
4.25 ⭐️ A very witty, intense debut! There’s not a single dull moment in this book, with a lovable cast of characters and a fresh story. I absolutely loved Amy, and the unapologetic way she is truly her own person. Can’t wait to read more from Jackson P Brown!
Read
August 27, 2025DNF @ 20%
Read
September 4, 2025I really struggled with this book. as a mood reader, I found it difficult to get through and finish (which is admittedly my fault, and I should’ve left this for another time when I was actually in the mood for it). I will be rereading the reaper at a later date when I’m looking for something more like this.
I found the characters fairly bland and uninteresting. the plot could’ve been tightened up a little bit more for better pacing.
the humour was really on point and I actually really loved the little jokes that were sprinkled throughout the book. the world building and setting were very interesting, but my mind kept wandering while I was reading.
I found the characters fairly bland and uninteresting. the plot could’ve been tightened up a little bit more for better pacing.
the humour was really on point and I actually really loved the little jokes that were sprinkled throughout the book. the world building and setting were very interesting, but my mind kept wandering while I was reading.
Read
November 18, 2025I unfortunately had to DNF this book. The writing style just didn’t work for me and really took me out of the story. It very descriptive, too descriptive. Most of what I read was descriptions of what the main character ate and saw and where she walked and the setting which was not relevant to the narrative. Some description is good but this was just too much.
I struggled with the style I just couldn’t continue with it, it was not for me. Which was a shame, I like the premise.
I struggled with the style I just couldn’t continue with it, it was not for me. Which was a shame, I like the premise.
December 27, 2025
Inventive and authentic. An eclectic and inspired urban fantasy with good London vibes and Caribbean nuances which i enjoyed.
March 20, 2025
Jackson P. Brown’s The Reaper is an urban fantasy novel set in London, following Amy, a librarian who is pulled into a world of spirits, reapers, and supernatural crime. Teaming up with Gerald, a grim reaper with his own complicated past, she navigates a city teeming with restless ghosts, shady supernatural factions, and a brewing war between reapers and something much darker.
Brown’s version of London felt alive to me. The book’s setting is a highlight, painting a vivid, multilayered city where the mundane and the magical constantly interact. The incorporation of Caribbean cultural elements adds richness to the worldbuilding, making the magic and mythology feel distinct from more common Western-centric urban fantasy traditions. Amy is a solitary figure, wrapped up in her own history of living with her nan, who is deceased by the time the book starts. This was probably my favourite element of the book, and I could have really enjoyed an Amy book that was more focused on her life and smaller adventures.
Amy’s empath abilities were interesting. I liked that she was powerful, but it was a bit of a double standard that the magic folk were so exclusionary of her for the most part. Surely a human who has a strong supernatural ability might as well be included within magical life? I did like that the book outlined why Amy would struggle growing up with empath abilities. I did find it a bit strange that certain supers were so heavily impacted by Amy. One of the vampires gets into a bloodlust when he smells Amy, which overpowers him to the point that he has to immediately feed on another team-mate. I found this a bit unsettling, as the vampire is otherwise depicted as a reliable member of the team. Nobody else seems concerned about this power dynamic and no discussion is had of what to do with Amy’s level of influence.
Amy and Gerald’s relationship is the heart of this story. Amy, as a protagonist, is compelling, her perspective was refreshing and she serves as an engaging lead. Gerald, meanwhile, is a gruff but charismatic presence, offering a nice contrast to Amy’s more modern sensibilities. Their evolving partnership, built on uneasy trust, was one of the most satisfying elements of the story. In terms of action, there are some cinematic fight scenes, with Brown balancing fast-paced combat and character events. The book doesn’t shy away from the darker side of supernatural London, there are so many occult side characters and there is involvement from the supernatural police, as well as a second, more secretive secret magic crime-solving squad.
While the story is primarily Amy and Gerald’s, in the latter portion the book frequently jumps between perspectives, which sometimes felt jarring. Some of these shifts deepened the world, but others disrupted the momentum, especially when they involved side characters whose arcs weren’t as gripping as Amy’s or Gerald’s. The antagonists in The Reaper had a lot of potential but felt a bit underdeveloped to me. The major threats were intimidating on paper, but their motivations and presence didn’t feel as strong as they could have been. More time spent fleshing out their goals and personalities would have made them more compelling and heightened the stakes.
The Reaper is a solid urban fantasy debut, blending a well-realized London setting with supernatural intrigue and Caribbean heritage. While the shifting perspectives and underdeveloped antagonists detracted a bit from the overall pacing, the novel’s strengths are its atmosphere, action, and central duo. I feel that it is a worthwhile read for fans of supernatural thrillers. If you enjoy books with lots of supernatural intrigue and a London that feels like a character in its own right, this is one to check out.
Thank you to Netgalley and Goblin Booth Productions for a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Brown’s version of London felt alive to me. The book’s setting is a highlight, painting a vivid, multilayered city where the mundane and the magical constantly interact. The incorporation of Caribbean cultural elements adds richness to the worldbuilding, making the magic and mythology feel distinct from more common Western-centric urban fantasy traditions. Amy is a solitary figure, wrapped up in her own history of living with her nan, who is deceased by the time the book starts. This was probably my favourite element of the book, and I could have really enjoyed an Amy book that was more focused on her life and smaller adventures.
Amy’s empath abilities were interesting. I liked that she was powerful, but it was a bit of a double standard that the magic folk were so exclusionary of her for the most part. Surely a human who has a strong supernatural ability might as well be included within magical life? I did like that the book outlined why Amy would struggle growing up with empath abilities. I did find it a bit strange that certain supers were so heavily impacted by Amy. One of the vampires gets into a bloodlust when he smells Amy, which overpowers him to the point that he has to immediately feed on another team-mate. I found this a bit unsettling, as the vampire is otherwise depicted as a reliable member of the team. Nobody else seems concerned about this power dynamic and no discussion is had of what to do with Amy’s level of influence.
Amy and Gerald’s relationship is the heart of this story. Amy, as a protagonist, is compelling, her perspective was refreshing and she serves as an engaging lead. Gerald, meanwhile, is a gruff but charismatic presence, offering a nice contrast to Amy’s more modern sensibilities. Their evolving partnership, built on uneasy trust, was one of the most satisfying elements of the story. In terms of action, there are some cinematic fight scenes, with Brown balancing fast-paced combat and character events. The book doesn’t shy away from the darker side of supernatural London, there are so many occult side characters and there is involvement from the supernatural police, as well as a second, more secretive secret magic crime-solving squad.
While the story is primarily Amy and Gerald’s, in the latter portion the book frequently jumps between perspectives, which sometimes felt jarring. Some of these shifts deepened the world, but others disrupted the momentum, especially when they involved side characters whose arcs weren’t as gripping as Amy’s or Gerald’s. The antagonists in The Reaper had a lot of potential but felt a bit underdeveloped to me. The major threats were intimidating on paper, but their motivations and presence didn’t feel as strong as they could have been. More time spent fleshing out their goals and personalities would have made them more compelling and heightened the stakes.
The Reaper is a solid urban fantasy debut, blending a well-realized London setting with supernatural intrigue and Caribbean heritage. While the shifting perspectives and underdeveloped antagonists detracted a bit from the overall pacing, the novel’s strengths are its atmosphere, action, and central duo. I feel that it is a worthwhile read for fans of supernatural thrillers. If you enjoy books with lots of supernatural intrigue and a London that feels like a character in its own right, this is one to check out.
Thank you to Netgalley and Goblin Booth Productions for a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 15, 2025
This book lands somewhere between 'author really wanted to make anime' and 'Ebony Dark'ness Demetia Raven Way'. The premise should be so exciting but somehow the author sucked all of the momentum out of the beginning.
Every single boring detail is described. I can only assume someone must have told the author that specificity helps worldbuilding, but clearly no one told her that some details just don't matter. Brown namedrops things in London like the number of the bus route or being on Holborn Hill or Camden. It makes sense if you know London but adds nothing at all if you don't, because at no point does she give detail or context on what those places are like or what we the reader should associate with those places or why they're important.
Author also namedrops brands as if that also adds to the worldbuilding but it just means the description reads like this: 'a half-eaten bag of Butterkist toffee popcorn'. Girl, are these pages ad sponsored??
Also, the only thing that happens in Chapter 2 is Amy wakes up and eats a bowl of cornmeal porridge. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to describing her cornmeal prep, the things in her flat that reminds her of her grandmother (which is everything, because it's her grandmother's flat) and the exact contents of her cupboards and fruit bowl. Bananas, tangerines, a mango and plums, if you were interested. And no, they're not plot relevant. None of the description is plot relevant.
As for characterisation - I struggled to take either main character seriously. In the first chapter, Amy is investigating suspected vampires. She thinks a vampire has lured a girl down in the Dishoom toilets so she goes down to the toilets to see. She finds that a vampire has indeed lured a girl down and proceeds to... do nothing!! Oh no! She just leaves the toilet and the girl to Dishoom vampire-y fate. Literally just goes and gets the bus home. And then a few chapters later she's thinking 'Can't believe I didn't do anything about that girl the vampire was killing in the Dishroom toilet' and I'm sat here like Girl, me either!
And as for Gerald... "'Amy,' said Gerald, turning towards her. 'I'm Gethsemane Phoenix Sekou Reaper. I'm the Grim Reaper, in fact.'" How am I supposed to take that seriously? I really wasn't kidding about this book landing like My Immortal. The whole thing just feels like the author is a teenager who watched Bleach a few too many times.
I see the author drumming up press and writing articles about how hard it is to get attention as an author of colour. There's a really good point here about how each publishing imprint prioritises only a few books a year and it can be difficult to get traction as a debut if not a lead title. But ngl I wouldn't have put a major marketing budget behind this one either.
Every single boring detail is described. I can only assume someone must have told the author that specificity helps worldbuilding, but clearly no one told her that some details just don't matter. Brown namedrops things in London like the number of the bus route or being on Holborn Hill or Camden. It makes sense if you know London but adds nothing at all if you don't, because at no point does she give detail or context on what those places are like or what we the reader should associate with those places or why they're important.
Author also namedrops brands as if that also adds to the worldbuilding but it just means the description reads like this: 'a half-eaten bag of Butterkist toffee popcorn'. Girl, are these pages ad sponsored??
Also, the only thing that happens in Chapter 2 is Amy wakes up and eats a bowl of cornmeal porridge. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to describing her cornmeal prep, the things in her flat that reminds her of her grandmother (which is everything, because it's her grandmother's flat) and the exact contents of her cupboards and fruit bowl. Bananas, tangerines, a mango and plums, if you were interested. And no, they're not plot relevant. None of the description is plot relevant.
As for characterisation - I struggled to take either main character seriously. In the first chapter, Amy is investigating suspected vampires. She thinks a vampire has lured a girl down in the Dishoom toilets so she goes down to the toilets to see. She finds that a vampire has indeed lured a girl down and proceeds to... do nothing!! Oh no! She just leaves the toilet and the girl to Dishoom vampire-y fate. Literally just goes and gets the bus home. And then a few chapters later she's thinking 'Can't believe I didn't do anything about that girl the vampire was killing in the Dishroom toilet' and I'm sat here like Girl, me either!
And as for Gerald... "'Amy,' said Gerald, turning towards her. 'I'm Gethsemane Phoenix Sekou Reaper. I'm the Grim Reaper, in fact.'" How am I supposed to take that seriously? I really wasn't kidding about this book landing like My Immortal. The whole thing just feels like the author is a teenager who watched Bleach a few too many times.
I see the author drumming up press and writing articles about how hard it is to get attention as an author of colour. There's a really good point here about how each publishing imprint prioritises only a few books a year and it can be difficult to get traction as a debut if not a lead title. But ngl I wouldn't have put a major marketing budget behind this one either.
August 13, 2025
Ok, Geständnis zuerst: ich bin bei Büchern von Schwarzen Autor:innen und Protagonist:innen immer ein bisschen positiv voreingenommen — und ja, hier war das abolut gerechtfertigt! Jackson P. Brown, eine Londoner Autorin und Gründerin des Mentoring-Programms „Black Girl Writers“, hat mit The Reaper ein Debüt vorgelegt, das mich gleichzeitig zum Lachen, zum Luftanhalten und am Ende mit einem freudigen „Wann kommt Band 2?!“ zurückgelassen hat.
Die Geschichte spielt in einem übernatürlichen London: das normale „Oben“ und das gefährlich funkelnde „Unten“ — eine Unterwelt voller Kreaturen, Magie und absurder, dunkler Logik. Amy St. Clair (von Oben) ist Empathin. Ihre Gabe ist kein überzogenes Super-Ding mit Laserstrahlen und explodierenden Planeten; es ist dieses feine Wahrnehmen von Stimmungen und Auren, das so nahbar wirkt, weil wir alle einen mehr oder weniger großen Teil davon in uns stecken haben. Amy ist tough, aber verletzlich; sie hat gelernt, dass Jammern nichts bringt — und das bringt sie auf eine Weise zum Handeln, die ich unheimlich bewundert habe. Gerald — unser Reaper — ist zugleich eine subversive, traurige und manchmal geradezu entzückend höfliche Version des Sensenmanns, die sich so langsam mal von der Herkunftsfamilie lösen sollte. Diese Figurenkonstellation passt soooo gut!
Was mich begeistert hat: Browns Talent, die Unterwelt mit kleinen, bizarren Kreaturen und Nebenfiguren zu bevölkern, ohne dass die Welt überfrachtet wirkt. Jede Nebenfigur hat für mich Gewicht — nicht nur Füllmaterial, sondern Motor, Kontrapunkt oder Spiegel für Amy und Gerald. Neben der Figurenzeichnung ist der Mix aus Urban Fantasy und Thriller-Elementen einfahc nur großartig.
Pacing und Storyaufbau waren für mich nahezu perfekt: kein unnötiges Herumgerede, aber genug Raum für Gefühle, Zwischentöne und die langsame, glaubhafte Entwicklung des Reapers. Der Plot hat mich nicht losgelassen, manchmal wollte ich vielleicht etwas mehr über den Hintergrund der Nebenfiguren wissen – aber das kann ja noch kommen!
Amy fühlt sich für mich wie eine Freundin an, die ich anrufen würde, wenn mir nachts jemand im Park hinterhergeht — sie ist empathisch genug, die Gefahr zu spüren, und mutig genug, sich ihr zu stellen. Dass die Protagonistin eine Schwarze Frau ist, war für meine Leseerfahrung nicht nur repräsentativ, sondern tief bereichernd; Brown schreibt diese Perspektive mit Wärme, Nuancen und ohne Klischees. Das hat mir sehr, sehr viel bedeutet.
Für Fans von urbaner, emotionaler Fantasy mit starken Figuren, scharfem Humor und einer Unterwelt, die gleichzeitig gruselig und bezaubernd ist: lesen. Und liebe Jackson P. Brown — danke für Amy, Gerald und all die wundervollen, schrägen Nebenfiguren. Ich hoffe sehr, dass wir mehr von dieser Welt sehen.
Die Geschichte spielt in einem übernatürlichen London: das normale „Oben“ und das gefährlich funkelnde „Unten“ — eine Unterwelt voller Kreaturen, Magie und absurder, dunkler Logik. Amy St. Clair (von Oben) ist Empathin. Ihre Gabe ist kein überzogenes Super-Ding mit Laserstrahlen und explodierenden Planeten; es ist dieses feine Wahrnehmen von Stimmungen und Auren, das so nahbar wirkt, weil wir alle einen mehr oder weniger großen Teil davon in uns stecken haben. Amy ist tough, aber verletzlich; sie hat gelernt, dass Jammern nichts bringt — und das bringt sie auf eine Weise zum Handeln, die ich unheimlich bewundert habe. Gerald — unser Reaper — ist zugleich eine subversive, traurige und manchmal geradezu entzückend höfliche Version des Sensenmanns, die sich so langsam mal von der Herkunftsfamilie lösen sollte. Diese Figurenkonstellation passt soooo gut!
Was mich begeistert hat: Browns Talent, die Unterwelt mit kleinen, bizarren Kreaturen und Nebenfiguren zu bevölkern, ohne dass die Welt überfrachtet wirkt. Jede Nebenfigur hat für mich Gewicht — nicht nur Füllmaterial, sondern Motor, Kontrapunkt oder Spiegel für Amy und Gerald. Neben der Figurenzeichnung ist der Mix aus Urban Fantasy und Thriller-Elementen einfahc nur großartig.
Pacing und Storyaufbau waren für mich nahezu perfekt: kein unnötiges Herumgerede, aber genug Raum für Gefühle, Zwischentöne und die langsame, glaubhafte Entwicklung des Reapers. Der Plot hat mich nicht losgelassen, manchmal wollte ich vielleicht etwas mehr über den Hintergrund der Nebenfiguren wissen – aber das kann ja noch kommen!
Amy fühlt sich für mich wie eine Freundin an, die ich anrufen würde, wenn mir nachts jemand im Park hinterhergeht — sie ist empathisch genug, die Gefahr zu spüren, und mutig genug, sich ihr zu stellen. Dass die Protagonistin eine Schwarze Frau ist, war für meine Leseerfahrung nicht nur repräsentativ, sondern tief bereichernd; Brown schreibt diese Perspektive mit Wärme, Nuancen und ohne Klischees. Das hat mir sehr, sehr viel bedeutet.
Für Fans von urbaner, emotionaler Fantasy mit starken Figuren, scharfem Humor und einer Unterwelt, die gleichzeitig gruselig und bezaubernd ist: lesen. Und liebe Jackson P. Brown — danke für Amy, Gerald und all die wundervollen, schrägen Nebenfiguren. Ich hoffe sehr, dass wir mehr von dieser Welt sehen.
July 6, 2025
What a fantastic read and a great take on the story of the Grim Reaper and other magical beings.
Amy, an empath, stumbles upon Gerald, a reaper, during his awakening and joins him on an unexpected journey into a new world.
It was refreshing for a fantasy book to have an older female main character. While it's fantastic for teens to have an FMC around their age and read their coming of age - what about us older readers? So I am thrilled that our protagonist, Amy, is 29.
The urban setting for this was fantastic and it was great to have such a familiar setting - while I'm not a London native, I do visit often so it was nice to have that familiarity of the areas I knew, it helped it feel more real to me.
I loved the venture into the magical realm - the Downstairs - as a copy of the city above, with so many means of access within London - to those in the know at least! With this, I really enjoyed the variety of magical beings - their skills and powers were a great mix, but based on that which I was already familiar with. I enjoyed how some powers mirrored our own human technology (but no spoilers as to what!)
The banter between all the characters was fantastic and felt natural. Everything flowed well and felt so much more casual than some fantasies can often feel. It really helped me connect with the characters and become attached to them. I enjoyed that later within the books we got chapters from new characters as we met them and became familiar with them.
Amy's powers were fantastic and one I haven't seen within a book before. I also enjoyed the fact that rather than being a full-on magical being, she's more like an "enhanced" human. Alongside that, I enjoyed the take on the Reapers, with it being a curse and leaving them unable to touch anything with their bare hands without killing them. I also liked the aspect of them being from their own tribe, rather than just some "mystical beings" and they just look like normal humans (aside from the skeleton hands.
The only thing I didn't get on with so much was the conversation between Blythe & Gerald - it all felt very forced and stilted compared to everyone else, but that may well just be down to Blythe's personality.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic read, especially for older readers, and I can't wait to see what becomes of this series - I'll definitely be picking up the other books! I'd love to see more backstory for everyone within the wider cast of characters.
With thanks to Netgalley and Cornerstone for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Amy, an empath, stumbles upon Gerald, a reaper, during his awakening and joins him on an unexpected journey into a new world.
It was refreshing for a fantasy book to have an older female main character. While it's fantastic for teens to have an FMC around their age and read their coming of age - what about us older readers? So I am thrilled that our protagonist, Amy, is 29.
The urban setting for this was fantastic and it was great to have such a familiar setting - while I'm not a London native, I do visit often so it was nice to have that familiarity of the areas I knew, it helped it feel more real to me.
I loved the venture into the magical realm - the Downstairs - as a copy of the city above, with so many means of access within London - to those in the know at least! With this, I really enjoyed the variety of magical beings - their skills and powers were a great mix, but based on that which I was already familiar with. I enjoyed how some powers mirrored our own human technology (but no spoilers as to what!)
The banter between all the characters was fantastic and felt natural. Everything flowed well and felt so much more casual than some fantasies can often feel. It really helped me connect with the characters and become attached to them. I enjoyed that later within the books we got chapters from new characters as we met them and became familiar with them.
Amy's powers were fantastic and one I haven't seen within a book before. I also enjoyed the fact that rather than being a full-on magical being, she's more like an "enhanced" human. Alongside that, I enjoyed the take on the Reapers, with it being a curse and leaving them unable to touch anything with their bare hands without killing them. I also liked the aspect of them being from their own tribe, rather than just some "mystical beings" and they just look like normal humans (aside from the skeleton hands.
The only thing I didn't get on with so much was the conversation between Blythe & Gerald - it all felt very forced and stilted compared to everyone else, but that may well just be down to Blythe's personality.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic read, especially for older readers, and I can't wait to see what becomes of this series - I'll definitely be picking up the other books! I'd love to see more backstory for everyone within the wider cast of characters.
With thanks to Netgalley and Cornerstone for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews