Foxes for Christmas

Rivers of London #0.4

by Ben Aaronovitch

Moment Nine

Curl up with your favourite seasonal beverage and enjoy this story of hope, brandy and foxes.

Violet Portchester, The Chilterns, Christmas Eve 1946

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction, Animals, Holiday

5 pages, ebook

First published December 23, 2021

About the author

Ben Aaronovitch's career started with a bang writing for Doctor Who, subsided in the middle and then, as is traditional, a third act resurgence with the bestselling Rivers of London series.

Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Who are you really?’ asked Violet.
‘For your own safety,’ said Johnny. ‘It’s best if you don’t know the truth.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Your head might explode,’ said Sandy.
Johnny sighed and turned to Sandy.
'We’ve talked about this,’ he said. ‘That doesn’t happen.’
‘Yes it does,’ said Sandy. ‘All the time.’

Ever wondered why the foxes celebrate Violet Night instead of Christmas?

I was only going to read one Rivers of London moment today, but then I saw that there was another Christmas-themed talking foxes story and I just couldn't resist. This time it's 1946 and the foxes are on the hunt for dinner, but not necessarily in the way you might expect. This short tale is ridiculously adorable and festive, and I love the foxes more than ever now that I've read it.

4.25 stars, rounded down.

[Ronda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sighs contently* A heart-warming tale from the Rivers of London universe so of course it's full of magic and ... talking foxes! Some of my favorite characters here. :D

It's 1946 and the winter is harsh. But a woman called Violet is getting a very special Christmas gift indeed - as is the local parliament of foxes. *chuckles*

The good and the bad getting what each deserves - so cozy (though I would have preferred a little more magic)!

You can read it for free here: https://mailchi.mp/e646f1b0a7d4/ben-a...

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxes for Christmas ( A short but sweet Moment 09 )
(https://mailchi.mp/e646f1b0a7d4/ben-a...)
Starring Violet Portchester, The Chilterns,
Christmas Eve 1946
How the Parliament of Foxes and Violet Portchester helped each other

in the year 1946. The war was over but the nation was still paying the price. Food, fuel and merriment were all rationed and the citizens of Britain huddled in their under heated homes and awaited a bleak Christmas morn.

And none were more cold, huddled and bleak than Violet Portchester, aged spinster of the ancient parish of Swinfaeder in the Chilterns.

While the foxes came in search of food (of which there was none), they were grateful to Violet.

So the foxes stayed with Violet all through that terrible winter and a merry time was had by all except for the local villagers who found themselves inexplicably short of food, coal and brandy.

And so it was that the Parliament of Foxes survived to multiply and prosper.

‘And this is why we celebrate Violet Night instead of Christmas,’ says Indigo.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3⭐ A Christmas trifle. Short and sweet.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable fox story. Available for free here.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read the Rivers of London series and although it has been in my TBR endless pile, I have not touched it yet. I read Foxes because I needed a Christmas short story full of magic and less dead bodies floating around and although this is not exactly Disney (thanks the heavens!) it is heartwarming and magical.

Now excuse me while I start the series….this sample was that good!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply adorable. I think the foxes are my favorite characters. There are a couple of foxes in my neighborhood. My neighbor feeds them. I wonder if they talk.

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting little Christmas short

[Wulf Krueger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly just a "moment" but a nice, kind and amusing one.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tricksie foxeses!

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Eve, 1946, and what does ageing spinster, Violet Portchester, literally starving to death, do when her house fills with foxes looking for food? When the Chief Hunt, on the trail of the foxes, comes knocking on the door, Violet surprises both the hunters and the foxes. Very short, but undeniably sweet.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story. One of Aaronovitch's Moments but this one is actually a complete story. I adored this line:

Living, as she did, in a small cottage beside a mysterious wood she was naturally shunned by the local villagers as being a witch or, even more deadly, a character from an Agatha Christie novel.

Available here.

[Daemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me longer than it should have by far to realize this story was an email update for subscribers to the Rivers of London email list! (and was therefore not available anywhere as an ebook.... here's a link to it: https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=... ) - but I was delighted when I did. Gotta love some talking foxes!

[Suvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly cute and wholesome for this time of year. More foxes, please!

PS. Chronologically, Miroslav’s Fabulous Hand should be read before this, but annoyingly, it's only available in the Waterstones special edition of Amongst our Weapons (and in a Czech anthology). There's no way I'm going to pay for that, so the perfectionistic side of my brain is in pain.

[Brok3n · Rating 5 out of 5]

See review of Tales from the Folly at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... .

[Rachreads22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely little moment! I had looked at the reviews beforehand and, on the advice of one in particular, waited til I had finished 'what Abigail did that summer'. This was a good call as it definitely made more sense after that!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an adorable and funny little nugget of a story. The foxes are always charming.

"Living, as she did, in a small cottage beside a mysterious wood she was naturally shunned by the local villagers as being a witch or, even more deadly, a character from an Agatha Christie novel."

[Jessica Patzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oookay... that was... kinda cute, I guess. I definitely feel like there's context I'm missing. I do like that foxes are magical enough to speak, though. Talking foxes are up there with talking cats for me.

[Karyn Silverman]

Love it

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet!

[Michael Stanziano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short & sweet.
Only gripe is Goodreads having it as “0.4”. Definitely should be after “What Abigail Did That Summer”.

[Emy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and rather lovely :) I may be biased as a fox fan...

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this was brilliant. Just the right level of fox snark AND a stellar Miss Marple joke.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Kind of cute foxes, although I wonder if this really isn't a prequel. Probably something that should be read later after reading a book that has Violet, or Indigo, in it?

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tiny little story of the Rivers of London universe foxes. Very fun.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet short Christmas/winter interlude. Not sure I should have read this as the first in the series as I don’t recognize any of the characters, but I’m sure it will all make sense eventually.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful little story that tells all us foxes why we all need to celebrate the kind Violet nights that happen every year.

You know why, you sly foxes, you, so don't go a-fibbing.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short but absolutely charming and festive moment! I adore the foxes in the series!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://mailchi.mp/e646f1b0a7d4/ben-a...