The Rook

Dec 12, 2011

Theresa rated it

"The Rook" is basically the story of two Myfanwy Thomases. The first one we never officially meet: she exists in the letters (a suitcase full) that she writes to the second Myfanwy-- the one who wakes up with two black eyes and her memory scrubbed. The idea of having Myfawny write letters to herself is a clever device that neatly side-steppes the common predictability of a story centered around an amnesiac. Myfawny has the information she needs at hand-- If only she can read the letter...more"The Rook" is basically the story of two Myfanwy Thomases. The first one we never officially meet: she exists in the letters (a suitcase full) that she writes to the second Myfanwy-- the one who wakes up with two black eyes and her memory scrubbed. The idea of having Myfawny write letters to herself is a clever device that neatly side-steppes the common predictability of a story centered around an amnesiac. Myfawny has the information she needs at hand-- If only she can read the letters fast enough.

But there is so much more to "The Rook" than someone trying to shake loose some lost memories. The Myfawny who only survives through the letters is as distinct a personality as the one who wakes up. The letters she writes, each starting with the salutation Dear You, are meticulously detailed and act as a window to the past and introduce each key character along the way. The structure of the story is inventive and greatly satisfying because Myfawny literally acts as her own protector and doesn't need to rely on some half-baked romantic interest to save her.

The story is an urban fantasy, of sorts, in that it is set in modern day London. But the supernatural agency that Myfanwy works for exists in its own little world with posh offices and an elaborate boarding school that churns out a devoted army of supernatural agents ready to defend the world against all otherworldly threats. The old Myfanwy had the power, but not the motivation to use it, and made her way up the power structure by an uncommon talent for organization. But the new Myfanwy only has the letters, written by her hyper-organized alter-ego, to guide her and a new willingness to use her powers--and her journey is by turns harrowing and hilarious.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Rook." I loved the way the story was told from the alternating perspectives of Myfanwy's letters and the real-time person trying to sort out her bizarre circumstances. But it isn't only that literary device that makes this a great book. It's also tremendously imaginative. There might be times where certain ideas seem borrowed, like that of a boarding school for super-powered children, but O'Malley's version is gloriously strange and humorous in it's own very unique way. This is a book with dragons and vampires and people with tentacles and tear-gas emitting sweat. This isn't some lightweight paranormal fantasy, it's a book you can sink your teeth into. It's complex, original, sometimes violent and altogether satisfying. The minute I was done with it I wanted to sit down and read it again.

4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars.(less)

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Feb 10, 2012

Jeffrey rated it

Shelves: read-in-2012, supernatural, mystery, urban-fantasy

The Rook by Daniel O’ Malley is a startingly well executed and engaging debut novel with a Jason Bourne like spy, but set in a supernatural urban fantasy setting. The spy in question, Myfawany Alice Thomas is one of several fantastical beings who guard unknowing England from supernatural and otherworldly attacks. But she has been mindwiped by one of her fellow guardians and must both discover who the traitor is and why she was targeted before it is too late. Her predecessor in body, a chief ad...moreThe Rook by Daniel O’ Malley is a startingly well executed and engaging debut novel with a Jason Bourne like spy, but set in a supernatural urban fantasy setting. The spy in question, Myfawany Alice Thomas is one of several fantastical beings who guard unknowing England from supernatural and otherworldly attacks. But she has been mindwiped by one of her fellow guardians and must both discover who the traitor is and why she was targeted before it is too late. Her predecessor in body, a chief administrator of the Supernatural spy service, has left her detailed notebooks filled with bios of the main characters and information about her life and the world she now lives in.

When she awakes in a field surrounded by unknown dead people, she must fool her closest allies and enemies into thinking she is still the Myfawany that they have known all their lives. The notebooks allow the author to provide the reader with the same information that Myfawany is learning. They provide both a way to describe the world and are a marvelous guide. Her fellow Lords are otherworldly in every way.

The other Rook is a multibody being controlled by one mind, who is able to control each body separately. The Lady in charge of the organization is a powerful dream walker who invades dreams. Another Lord was a famous warrior. There is a vampire as well. It will not be easy to find who killed her mind.

Although the old Myfawany has been a power for her whole life, she does not like to use her mysterious powers against others. The other Lords have looked down on her, but she was able to become a Rook because of her genius of organization. The old Myfawany is something of a wimp. The new Myfawany has inherited her predecessor's genius of organization, but is also much more kick ass and as she discovers her powers and their uses, she learns that her powers are much more powerful than the ruling elite understood. The little mouse has gained big big teeth.

The mystery is well thought out, the action scenes are engaging and often funny and although this reader was able to figure out the clues to the bad guy before the conclusion, the fun of this book is in the story, the character, the verve of the story telling and the language of the novel. At times a mystery, spy novel, urban fantasy and funny to boot, the novel never failed to hold my attention.

It will be interesting to see how O’Malley can handle the next book without relying on the informational paragraphs that infused this novel. I have no doubt he will handle it well.

This is a great read and should be on your to read very soon pile.
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Feb 13, 2012

Jeanette rated it

Shelves: all-fiction, science-fiction, europe-and-british-isles, did-not-work-for-me

Latex gloves...They're not just for proctologists anymore.

This was a promising plot idea from a decent writer who got carried away by his own cleverness. He lost me after about 100 pages.

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Feb 14, 2012

Kathie rated it

This book is. So. Good. I can't stop reading it, can't read it fast enough. I mean, I am in peril of not returning it in time! All those pesky things that get in the way of happy reading. This book would be delightful for a book discussion. There are so many layers and with two different perspectives, it is a nice challenge to keep up with the characters, but not at all frustrating. The premise, that the world is full of people with...abilities who must be monitored and in some cases, cont...more

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Feb 10, 2012

Rachel rated it

Interesting book about a female Jason Bourne (from The Bourne Identity (the movie, I’ve never read the book)) in an adult Harry Potter-esque world. The woman, Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany), opens her eyes to find herself in a park, soaking wet, surrounded by dead bodies with no memory (she has no memory, although I suppose the bodies don’t either, right?). In her pocket are two letters that lead her to safety, begin her journey to figure out who she is, and lead her back to her place as ‘Rook’ ...more

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Feb 08, 2012

Andrea Patrick rated it

Recommended to Andrea by: Jonathan Patrick

Almost perfect. O'Malley's main character is an amnesiac, and before she lost her memory (she knew it was going to happen), she wrote letters to herself. In the beginning of the book, that's no problem, and it's written well. But later in the book, the letters are written less like letters and more as if they were flashbacks. Too much detail to be believable as letters. In a book like this -- where the jacket also reads: "Or: Her Masjesty's Supernatural Secret Service", one naturally m...moreAlmost perfect. O'Malley's main character is an amnesiac, and before she lost her memory (she knew it was going to happen), she wrote letters to herself. In the beginning of the book, that's no problem, and it's written well. But later in the book, the letters are written less like letters and more as if they were flashbacks. Too much detail to be believable as letters. In a book like this -- where the jacket also reads: "Or: Her Masjesty's Supernatural Secret Service", one naturally must suspend some disbelief, and the meat of the book is clever. I've been trying to figure out a way for O'Malley to achieve the results he has, but by another method, and I'm stuck. I'm not certain they are essential. In fact, I'm not sure if the main character's amnesia is even essential to the plot. Her not knowing anything and having to discover it is a device to let the audience learn about this universe, and I like the lessons he seems to be trying to impart by juxtaposing the two personalities of main character (before and after the memory loss), but that almost seems like too much when it's combined with the rest of the content.

Oh, and someone needs to read Stephen King's On Writing. Daniel, dear, your main character's name is unpronounceable, even to her. It's Welsh. It's "Myfanwy". And she (knowingly, incorrectly) pronounces it to rhyme with "Tiffany". Why, Daniel, why?

Jasper Fforde is another author that packs almost too much into his fiction - fantastical plots, characters, and a whole universe that is sort of like ours but most assuredly is not ours -- but he does it much more elegantly. O'Malley is a man writing a woman as a main character (like many of Fforde's books), and he does it pretty well, except for one major thing -- where the hell is her sex drive? She's 31, single, not unattractive, smart, has never had a relationship, and the most action she ever talks about is an offhanded "He was hot." It's not that I want a bodice-ripper, it's just that a libido is a pretty essential part of the human makeup and it's just not present here. Maybe he was trying to avoid a strange "Chick Lit" label? Myfanwy is ridiculously prudish without seeming to realize it, and that just rang false.

Besides my nitpicking, though, it was loads of fun and very hard to put down. I would read another book by this author, particularly if it was set in this universe, but I just don't know where else he could go with this. Of course, that's what I thought about Jasper Fforde when I first read him, but writers of Fforde's caliber are hard to come by.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012

Naberius rated it

Shelves: want

How about this: Imaginative. Clever. Engaging. And that's just the main character! I loved this book. Loved it so much that I started recommending it to people when I was halfway through it, and when I was done, didn't want to return it to the library (but I did).

As you can see from the above summary (I love that GoodReads does all the heavy lifting so I don't have to write a summary, myself), Myfanwy (pronounced Miffany ... like Tiffany but with an M) wakes up with no recoll...moreHow about this: Imaginative. Clever. Engaging. And that's just the main character! I loved this book. Loved it so much that I started recommending it to people when I was halfway through it, and when I was done, didn't want to return it to the library (but I did).

As you can see from the above summary (I love that GoodReads does all the heavy lifting so I don't have to write a summary, myself), Myfanwy (pronounced Miffany ... like Tiffany but with an M) wakes up with no recollection of who she is. Luckily, her previous self has left her all kinds of notes, which tell her a bit about herself, and her work. I really loved this idea, that a character is discovering who they are, while we are, based on notes left by themselves. And the world O'Malley has created here is our world, with just that bit of a supernatural twist to make it fun. So there are plenty of things that are recognizable, and then new things thrown in (kind of like the show Supernatural... or Sanctuary). I liked how the author gave us this secret organization, full of its own odd characters (some likeable, some dangerous... some both), and a mystery to figure out. Going through it, I had my suspicions about who might have wanted Myfanwy dead.... and then would frequently change my mind and choose another person. Loved it.

And Myfanwy? She's a treat of a character -- practical, clever, a bit ruthless once she becomes comfortable with herself, and with a good sense of humor. It's obvious that the Myfanwy we meet at the beginning is not really the same woman she was before. It's almost like she's able to shed the somewhat timid person she was before, and just be a bit more confident --- after all, she doesn't have much to lose. As her previous self explains, she has risen to the top ranks in the organization by being a superior administrator ---- but it turns out that there is much more to Myfanwy than meets the eye. As she discovers things about herself (not just from the notes and letters and large binder of material she's left for herself), she really turns out to be quite extraordinary.

I think the author did a great job with not only the storyline, characters, and pacing .... but he also does an exceptional job of writing a female main character. What I mean is: I never stop believing her for a moment. What I sometimes find in stories, when authors write a main character of the opposite sex, that there is something that gives me pause, or gets me stuck momentarily. It is a fact that men and women use language differently (linguistics), and this is the kind of thing that can happen where I'm reading along and suddenly there's a trip ...... I think to myself, a woman (because I'm female), just wouldn't say that that way. The one example that always stands out in my mind is Robert Hellenga's book, The Sixteen Pleasure, where all was going swimmingly until the main character said something so ... male. This never happened in this story. That's one of the things that really made this a wonderful read for me.

Full review on my blog: fluidityoftime.blogspot.com (less)

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Jan 13, 2012

Will rated it

So the protagonist wakes up with amnesia into a complex and deadly situation. This in principle isn't different from Memento or Jason Bourne or many other situations, but there are two things that make this far more entertaining -- Myfanwy Thomas is a female bureaucrat who has no combat skills, and in her previous life, she knew that her memory would be gone and so left notes for her amnesiac self, who is none too happy to be dropped in the middle of this.

But that's the first third ...more

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Jan 12, 2012

Qwill / The Qwillery rated it

When I think of The Rook the first word that comes to mind is 'fun.' Great fun actually. But to simply say that The Rook is 'fun' would be facile on my part. The Rook is a terrific read for a lot of reasons.

Foremost The Rook is very well written. The mystery of why Myfanwy Thomas is without her memory and who did what to whom is hard to crack. As soon as I'd thought I'd figured it out, the story proved me wrong. Not because of authorial plot shenanigans, but because the unraveling of...moreWhen I think of The Rook the first word that comes to mind is 'fun.' Great fun actually. But to simply say that The Rook is 'fun' would be facile on my part. The Rook is a terrific read for a lot of reasons.

Foremost The Rook is very well written. The mystery of why Myfanwy Thomas is without her memory and who did what to whom is hard to crack. As soon as I'd thought I'd figured it out, the story proved me wrong. Not because of authorial plot shenanigans, but because the unraveling of the mystery was very well handled. I really enjoyed how this is done with new Myfanwy being aided by information left behind by old Myfanwy. Myfanwy is a wonderful character. She's trying to figure out how to do her job as Rook and racing against time to find who in the Chequy harmed her and why. The Rook is not a short read (nearly 500 pages), but I barely noticed the length.

The Chequy is itself amazing. It's a fantastical governmental agency. Think FBI/CIA rolled into one that handles supernatural threats. Yes, other supernatural agencies exist in literature, but none quite like the Chequy. How the Chequy functions is explained well, but never bogs down the story. I really enjoyed seeing how the Chequy works, how threats are handled, and meeting the people with whom Myfanwy works, despite that fact that one of them wants her erased. Mr. O'Malley's scrupulous attention to detail creates a believable, if somewhat unusual, governmental agency.

The upper echelon of the Chequy are fascinating characters themselves. Because Myfanwy is trying to figure out which of them might be after her, we get to know each of them well. I certainly enjoyed learning about them and their powers... and trying to figure out who did it and why.

Mr. O'Malley has infused The Rook with wry humor, unusual supernatural beings, and a deeply absorbing mystery. The Rook made me laugh out loud, entertained me, and kept me fascinated from start to finish.

I give The Rook 5 Qwills.

Originally posted at The Qwillery.(less)

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Jan 07, 2012

Krystal added it

Shelves: arc

Myfanwy's life is complicated. She tells her tale via letters and a body that she apparently inhabits. She discovers that she has not really lost her memory, but shifted to another body. She left herself letters detailing how to keep herself safe and is able to learn about the events that led up to this point in time. The reader will enjoy learning about Myfanwy alongside Myfanwy in possibly the best way to get to know a main character an author has ever crafted. Myfanwy is in danger, but s...more

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Feb 19, 2012

Julia is currently reading it

I'm being critical here but I hate the main characters name.

Good book so far though, I like how the author tries to make you part of the book. I'm sure that will change later on but so far it's great.

I haven't been lost at all and everything makes sense and is well thought out and relayed to the reader. Which I wasn't really expecting.

Page 127 and I feel like nothings happened yet. It's interesting but interesting because of all the information that Myfanwy is needing to process. But nothings ...more

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Feb 12, 2012

Fantasynibbles rated it

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one. And it doesn’t disappoint…much…well, maybe just little bit. It’s a fun read, a paranormal ‘whodunnit’, with an unusual narrative style and a hugely imaginative concept behind it. There’s a likeable protagonist, and an intelligent and engaging plot. So why am I not raving about it? I think if I’d read this before any Ben Aaronovitch I would have been a bit more Wowed by it. It’s entertaining, but there are an awful lot of borrowed ideas in there. ...more

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Jan 27, 2012

Jeff Raymond rated it

Shelves: all-time-favorites, read-fantasy

I'll put this out there immediately - this is likely to be a front runner for my favorite book of 2012. I've not been able to get into urban fantasy, but this book may have changed my mind on the genre on a whole. It's that good.

The book benefits by not wasting much time at all. Myfawny Thomas wakes up with a bunch of bodies littered around her and no recollection of who she is, what happened, or how she got there. There is, however, a note in her pocket that starts to explain th...more

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Feb 06, 2012

J. rated it

A high-ranking operative in the organization protecting Britain from supernatural threats knows that she is going to lose her memory; scratch that, she will have her memory stolen, by a traitor. She's not going to be able to stop it. Even if it weren't oracularly inevitable, she's not much of a fighter. But she certainly is a planner. And she's going to do everything she can to ensure that, after she loses every memory, every scrap of experience that makes her who she is, the person who opens u...more

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John E. Branch Jr. It's good to see a genuine review from you. Clearly you know much (at least a lot more than I do) about these fields of modern fantasy, urban fantasy,...more
Feb 09, 2012 05:25am

J. John E. wrote: "It's good to see a genuine review from you. Clearly you know much (at least a lot more than I do) about these fields of modern fa...more
Feb 10, 2012 08:23am

John E. Branch Jr. Your plan sounds good. I try to post some kind of impressions when I can't think of anything else to do. Admittedly, I also spin out little essays tha...more
Feb 11, 2012 10:22am

Jan 28, 2012

Misty Hudelson rated it

Shelves: fantasy

I don't remember how this book popped onto my radar, but I ended up with the sample on my Nook and was intrigued enough to want more. The story starts a bit slowly at first because the world and situation is being processed not only by a reader who knows nothing but also the protagonist who wakes into this world surrounded by gloved dead bodies in the rain and no memory of who she is or what has happened. Once the plot does start moving though it doesn't slow down and continues to hold your atte...more

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Jan 18, 2012

Andrew Jacobson rated it

Shelves: favorites

The Rook: A Novel by Daniel O’Malley (New York: Little Brown and Company, 2012. 482pp.) This review is also available at wherepenmeetspaper.blogspot.com - Check it out for more reviews

Daniel O’Malley is a first-time author. He works for the Australian government, managing media relations for the agency that investigates transportation accidents. He also holds a master’s degree in medieval history from Ohio State University.

Ghostbusters!

Though I sometimes hate to ad...more

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Jan 12, 2012

Becky rated it

Shelves: favorites

Myfanwy Thomas opens her eyes to see a ring of bodies surrounding her and finds a letter in her pocket explaining what must be done next. She has no memory of who she is, what she does, or how she ended up in this place. The letter leads her to a safe place where she is given a choice, adopt the life she seems to have taken over, or run. Though her choice might be clear, extenuating circumstances force her to become Rook Thomas. As she reads the old Thomas's notes, explaining the organization sh...more

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Jan 25, 2012

TheBookSmugglers rated it

Shelves: notable-reads-of-2012

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Myfanwy Thomas - pronounced "Miff-uh-nee" like Tiffany - awakens in the rain, with no memory of who she is or why she is surrounded by a bunch of dead people all of whom are wearing latex gloves. The only clue she finds are two envelopes in her jacket pocket (numbered "1" and "2"), and when she opens "1" she finds a letter addressed to her...from her.

Dear You, The body you are wearing used t...moreOriginally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Myfanwy Thomas - pronounced "Miff-uh-nee" like Tiffany - awakens in the rain, with no memory of who she is or why she is surrounded by a bunch of dead people all of whom are wearing latex gloves. The only clue she finds are two envelopes in her jacket pocket (numbered "1" and "2"), and when she opens "1" she finds a letter addressed to her...from her.

Dear You, The body you are wearing used to be mine.

With those opening lines, and a brief explanation, Myfanwy is given two choices - to start a new life away from the dangers that landed her into the mess of dead bodies and amnesia in the rain, or to take the red pill and stay in Wonderland to see just how deep the rabbit-hole goes. In the tradition of pissed off, inquisitive heroes, Myfanwy takes the red pill and is drawn into a world of supernatural abilities, of a powerful secret organization called the Chequy that is tasked with the job of keeping Brittan and the rest of the world safe (and ignorant!) of routine paranormal threats. It turns out, Myfanwy Thomas is a powerful member of the Chequy Court - a Rook - and someone else, very powerful and one of her colleagues and friends, is responsible for her attempted murder and memory-stealing. With only the letters of the departed ghost of the old Myfanwy Thomas to guide her, the new Myfanwy must pretend that all is well and carry on with business as usual, but discover the villain before he or she succeeds in his or her dastardly plan.

I was excited to start reading The Rook, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. And dear readers, I was completely taken by surprise because I LOVED this book from cover to cover. I loved the worldbuilding and the concept of the Chequy with its underlying mythology - the UK-centric organization was a nice twist, too (note: there is a US-based branch of the Chequy, called the Croatoan - nice historical touch there, right?! - but the UK is much more of a supernatural hotspot). I loved the chess-themed concept of the organization, with two Rooks, Bishops, Chevaliers (aka Knights) on the Court, supported by supernatural abilitied Pawns and non-superpowered Retainers in administrative roles.

While The Rook uses some very familiar Urban Fantasy tropes - the amnesiac heroine, the secret organization of powerful/supernatural ability individuals, for example - the writing is refreshingly free of the regular cliches and uses an exceptionally clever plot device to add depth and context to the novel. The implementation of the old Myfanwy narrating her story via posthumous messages is brilliant, simple and effective, and I loved how very DIFFERENT the old and new Myfanwys are from each other, but equally awesome. The older iteration is a brilliant administrator that was afraid of using her powers, timid around the high-powered males that push her around, but manages to outsmart and out-plan those who underestimated her gumption. The new Myfanwy is more direct, willing to use her particular abilities, not afraid to stand up to the other Court members, and out for vengeance for the woman she used to be. The juxtaposition is absolutely brilliant, and I loved learning more about both Myfanwys through the letters and dossiers sprinkled throughout the text from the woman that was, and the struggles of the newborn in her body as she comes to grips with the overall mystery of her attacker.

Most of all, I LOVED LOVED LOVED that there were NONE of the tried and tired UF cliches in the writing - there's no tepid love interest (seriously, the woman just lost all scraps of her identity and inner being - she doesn't need to dive into some insipid relationship before she knows who she is), none of the wise-cracking, dead broke, super abrasive, dead-end job, down on her luck, underachieving heroine characterization so typical in the UF genre. I found it incredibly refreshing that the older Myfanwy is a badass only when it comes to paperwork and planning - which is much cooler and memorable than being an abrasive wise-cracking protagonist. I also loved the narration choice of third person limited, as opposed to the first person shooter that characterizes much of the contemporary genre (with the exception of the letters from the Myfanwy-that-was, but those are pretty awesomely done).

Not to mention the fact that the overarching mystery - tied into a full scale invasion of Brittan by some nasty adversaries, complete with treason and power-hunger - is pretty damn impressive.

Basically, dear readers, it comes down to this: if you're looking for the antidote to the same old, lackluster, run-of-the-mill UF, look no further. The Rook is awesome. I can only hope for more Myfanwy in the future.(less)

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Jan 29, 2012

Erika rated it

· review of another edition

I just finished reading this book and find myself wishing it was longer, or that I had a 2nd book in the series to pick up (hopefully there will be another).

I LOVED this book! The best description I can come up with is that this is a mix of the Bourne Identity and X-Men. It was totally enjoyable and the author is very witty and humorous. I loved the dialogue.

So the story starts with the main character, Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced Miffany), wakes up with no memory of who she...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Laura rated it

Shelves: review-copy, sf-fantasy, thriller

4.5 stars

My Top 10 Reasons for liking The Rook:

10) It's a good thriller, with secret agents, characters with questionable loyalties, and multiple action sequences. Myfanwy (she explains that it rhymes with Tiffany) can really kick butt!

9) The world building was very complete, and although the basic concept isn't at all new (people among us with special powers, and a secret branch of government to deal with the problems among them), I did feel like this ...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it

Shelves: fantasy, kindle

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/01/rev...

The Rook was another pleasant surprise for me this year. When I started, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but very quickly became absorbed in Myfanwy’s story. It gets off to a fairly creepy start with Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) Thomas coming to, in a park in London, surrounded by a gaggle of dead bodies wearing latex gloves. Intriguing, yes? Oh yes. Soon Myfanwy realizes she’s part of a super secret organizati...moreYou may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/01/rev...

The Rook was another pleasant surprise for me this year. When I started, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but very quickly became absorbed in Myfanwy’s story. It gets off to a fairly creepy start with Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) Thomas coming to, in a park in London, surrounded by a gaggle of dead bodies wearing latex gloves. Intriguing, yes? Oh yes. Soon Myfanwy realizes she’s part of a super secret organization called the Chequy that has been put in place to protect the unsuspecting public from supernatural baddies. Wait, did I mention she’s lost her memory? Good thing her former self, going on premonitions from more than one individual, has left her prepared by way of a rather thorough binder full of info, to notes left in every jacket pocket. This sets up pretty well who Myfanwy Thomas was before she lost her memory: very organized, dependable, and, oh look!, she’s also a Rook. A Rook’s status is important, and she also realizes that she has some very special powers…

The Rook goes back in forth between events as they happen, and the notes and info that Myfanwy left for herself, so you get to know the former Myfanwy, as well as the current Myfanwy, who turns out to be not near as much of a wallflower as she was before. It provides a great contrast, and you’ll find yourself turning pages very quickly, since the author uses this method to tease the reader. Just when something not-so-good is about to happen, the book will go to a bit of related history that Myfanwy has written that’s somehow connected to the ongoing events and we also get to know many of her supporting cast this way. So, we have Myfanwy trying to acclimate herself back into the Chequy, coming to terms with her new self, and also trying to solve the mystery of just who it is that wants her dead. Then there are the Grafters¸ an ancient, evil organization that takes Dr. Frankenstein’s experiments to a whole, other, terrifying new level. The Rook has a bit of everything, from a secret Estate (school) that procures children with special “talents” for inclusion in the Chequy, members with many different and fascinating talents, like the Gestalt, which is four bodies that share one mind (creepy, yes?), Myfanwy’s intrepid secretary, Ingrid, who she would be lost without, Eldritch horrors menacing the public at every turn (tentacles! fungus!), a sexy vampire operative and ever so much more! I could write pages about all the cool, paranormal awesomeness in this book, but that would take away the fun, yes? Dry, wry, British wit is ever present and I found myself chuckling almost as much as I cringed (and you will cringe). The author has built a rich, fascinating world populated with characters that stretched the limits of my imagination in a wonderful way. I found myself sad to see this one end and will keep my fingers crossed for more. Can’t wait to see what else Daniel O’Malley has up his sleeve!(less)

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Jan 31, 2012

Jay rated it

A woman wakes up in the middle of a park surrounded by dead bodies with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a not in her jacket from her pre-amnesiac self that explains that she has been betrayed by a member of the secret agency to which she belongs and she now has a choice to flee or stay and find out the identity of the traitor. So naturally she proceeds to go on a rampage and discover who was behind this treachery right?

Well not exactly.

First she goes...moreA woman wakes up in the middle of a park surrounded by dead bodies with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a not in her jacket from her pre-amnesiac self that explains that she has been betrayed by a member of the secret agency to which she belongs and she now has a choice to flee or stay and find out the identity of the traitor. So naturally she proceeds to go on a rampage and discover who was behind this treachery right?

Well not exactly.

First she goes to a bank to recover some items the note indicated were in a lock box, then she checks into a hotel and reads a book that was left to her by the person she was before her memory was wiped. Ok, so now with her bearings fully caught she kicks into super hero mode and begins a ruthless hunt for the ones who have destroyed her life.

Nope.

Instead she reports to work at the Checquy, a super secret spy agency that is home to people with various super human powers where she works as a high level bureaucrat. Hmmm, alright not exactly what I expected but now that she is on the inside again she can begin her search in earnest. Oh, except we get to read about her shuffling through paper work, attending meetings and carrying on with other mundane tasks that are required of her position in the Checquy. After about 250 pages of this type of stuff some of which are broken up by pointless notes that were written by the person she was before her memory was taken the action finally starts and quickly devolves into a convoluted story with an overly complicated plot with a seemingly pointless conclusion.

The idea of this book is very intriguing yet poorly executed. The majority of the story is told through flash backs either in the form of notes, journal entries or other characters recounting past events to the amnesiac protagonist. The use of so many flash backs kills all the tension in the action because the events have happened in the past and the outcome is known. These flash backs are also in awkward places in the book; appearing in the middle of the action scenes and breaking up the flow of the story.

Despite the interesting concept of a secret agency that houses humans with special powers that fight against monsters, demons and other supernatural organisms, this book falls flat due to its uneven pacing, long winded passages about the more mundane aspects of running a spy agency and nonsensical plot.
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Feb 19, 2012

Kevin Hearne rated it

You guys will enjoy this. I was recommended the title by a friend of mine in the League of Reluctant Adults, author Jaye Wells. She wrote a blurb for it, which you'll see on the back cover. It was quite enjoyable, and I found myself wanting to know even more about the world. I do hope he'll write another book with the further adventures of Rook Thomas.

Basically, this is about a paranormal Secret Service in Britain. There's an American counterpart that split off from the Brits after th...more

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Feb 20, 2012

Alice rated it

Recommends it for: Paranormal mystery readers, people with a lot of patience

3 and a half stars. This was a very fun read and I will definitely read the sequel. The premise is fantastic: Myfanwy Thomas comes to life in the rain in a field surrounded by corpses. Having completely lost her memory, she is guided by letters left to her from her former self. Oh, and she's also a super high-up muckety muck in a paranormal MI-5 with superpowers. The Rook tells how this new Myfanwy handles taking on the role of her former self, while trying to ferret out a traitor in the ranks, ...more

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Jan 26, 2012

Kai rated it

Shelves: first-reads

In the Rook, the character Myfanwy Thomas woke up with several dead bodies around her. She has no idea of who she is or where she is. She found a little on her and from there, she had to absorb who she is and whether if she could trust the letter. Thinking she was safe, she went to the bank and defended herself against an attack against her. She could have gone and made a different life for herself but due to the attack, she went to find out who has destroy her former life. She emerged a st...more

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Jan 13, 2012

Rachell rated it

Warning: Don't start this book if you have to get anything done within, say, the next two days (depending on your reading speed).

Without giving any of its delicious secrets away, I will say that The Rook is expertly plotted, with a fast-paced mystery that will engross you, sharply drawn characters that will engage you (including a believable heroine that you can't help rooting for, something of a rarity in genre novels), a fascinatingly strange (yet familiar) world that will suck you ...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Vicky rated it

This is a very good paranormal dramedy. It starts with a woman awakening in a park in the pouring rain surrounded by a lot of dead people wearing surgical gloves. No idea who she is and why she's there. She finds a note in the pocket of her jacket from the former occupant of her body telling her that this was expected and where to go to and what to do initially.
The former occupant was a high-level administrator in a secret agency that handles paranormal occurances in Great Britain. So the...more

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Jan 15, 2012

Cheryl rated it

I just finished The Rook and I began to worry about writing a review that would due the rating I plan to give this book some justice. I started making notes about my impressions before I was even a quarter through the book. It made such an impression on me that I went to find the author's website so that I could follow him on Twitter. I started feeding my thoughts into Goodreads as I got through different parts of the book, which is something I never do. I typically post Twitter updates but this...moreI just finished The Rook and I began to worry about writing a review that would due the rating I plan to give this book some justice. I started making notes about my impressions before I was even a quarter through the book. It made such an impression on me that I went to find the author's website so that I could follow him on Twitter. I started feeding my thoughts into Goodreads as I got through different parts of the book, which is something I never do. I typically post Twitter updates but this seemed easier so that it would note the percentage I was at on my Kindle Fire when I made my note. I stopped reading yesterday and became concerned that I would not get to see more of this intriguing story after I finished the book. I jumped on the Internet and went to Daniel O’Malley’s website and saw that he has plans to do more stories in the Chequy world. As I finished posting an update early yesterday on Goodreads I caught a glimpse of the overall ratings of the book and thought impossible. We all read something and get vastly different impressions of what we read. Some things work for us and some things don’t. The beginning of this book did move so fast and have such a convoluted beginning that I had to re-read some parts. When I caught on to how things worked I knew I was one of the people for whom this book worked very much.

The Rook was one of those books that I knew I wanted to read and was watching for at least a month before its release date. I was drawn to it just from reading the synopsis and kept hoping for it to be released early. I bought and downloaded it first thing the morning it was released and made the mistake of taking a peek at it before starting work. It was a mistake because I was so totally enthralled that I wanted to send an email that I was leaving for the day and go find a good cup of coffee and a quiet, comfortable place to read for hours. I did tear myself from the book until that night and was really happy that I did not have to teach at the university that night.

This book has something for just about everyone. If you want a mystery, it is there. If you love action, the fight scenes with cool supernatural powers are there. If you like a bit of horror or gore, there is a bit of that too. It is not for romance readers, though there are a couple of irons in the fire that might prove interesting. One of the great things about this book that I wanted to mention separately was the author’s humor. I finally used the highlight feature of my Kindle Fire because there were several parts in this book that literally made me laugh out loud. A great example was when Myfanwy and her assistant Ingrid left a very important meeting and Myfanwy was still feeling things out from the memory loss. She asked Ingrid her impressions from the meeting and the scene went something like this. “Yes, I want to hear your thoughts on what we jus t saw”, Myfanwy said enthusiastically. “Did you think I brought you along for kicks? That was a classic date, with snacks and a show, and now I expect you to deliver the goods”. There are so many more humorous situations throughout the book.

Let’s take a look at the characters. Our heroine with the oddly pronounced Welsh name Myfanwy is pretty much the kind to whom most of us can relate. She is thrown into her world in the most terrorizing circumstances, with no memory and surrounded by dead bodies. We follow the person that Myfanwy becomes in her new life as she learns about her important position in a secret organization. She doesn’t just jump in and suddenly know how her powers work and kick butt in the name of justice. She has serious growing pains as she is thrown into situation after situation where she has to learn not only who she is becoming, but she also has to learn who Myfanwy was before things unfolded. Ingrid is a bit of a wild card because she is the person closest to Myfanwy as her executive assistant. There is an intricate system in place in the Chequy that utilizes some of the nomenclature of the game of chess. One of the characters that came in towards the end that I really liked was L’il Pawn Alan (No this is not his name or title. He is Pawn Alan but his stature and personality earned him this nickname in Myfanwy’s head) who, like Myfanwy, turns out to be more than meets the eye.

I can say that this book was a wonderful experience and I definitely look forward to more work from Daniel O’Malley despite him being an MSU graduate when Michigan is clearly the best!

Review can also be seen at LadyTechiesBookMusings.Blogspot.com
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Feb 15, 2012

Chad rated it

I wanted to like this book more, but it's rough around the edges. The letter portions, supposedly written by a main character in first person, are very awkwardly constructed. Nobody writes letters in the form of dialog and narrative like that. A central conceit of the story (that Myfanwy must convince everyone else she hasn't lost her memory) also seems simply abandoned by the middle of the book. It's rarely mentioned again, and that fascinating element should have been explored more. Myfan...more

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Feb 17, 2012

Kara-karina rated it

Egalley thanks to Little, brown & Co
What a clever, clever book! Without any doubts it's going to be one of the most memorable reads of this year for me the likes of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus.

In short, if you like Men in Black and Hellboy, this is British version of it, and a delightful at that, with self-deprecating humour and snarky personal assistants.

Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced like Tiffany with M) loses all her memories in a botched attempt...moreEgalley thanks to Little, brown & Co
What a clever, clever book! Without any doubts it's going to be one of the most memorable reads of this year for me the likes of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus.

In short, if you like Men in Black and Hellboy, this is British version of it, and a delightful at that, with self-deprecating humour and snarky personal assistants.

Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced like Tiffany with M) loses all her memories in a botched attempt of assassination. She is a high-ranking member of The Chequy, a super secret organisation which has been controlling and suppressing supernatural occurrences in Britain for centuries. Myfanwy before the amnesia left her new self thorough letters and descriptions of her life because her loss of memories was prophesied, but now this new strange woman has to pick up the pieces and lead day to day domestic operations of Chequy, because the alternative is death. Nobody leaves Chequy alive, it's just not an option.

Oh, and she needs to find the traitor who tried to kill her. No biggie. Just a day of work in the office.

What I found fascinating were the different characters belonging to The Chequy. You see, they don't work much with sophisticated weaponry, it's more like their bodies are the weapons. Myfanwy for example can manipulate biological responses of any body close to her, her counterpart, Gestalt has one powerful brain shared between four bodies who can work simultaneously in different parts of the world, another member of the organisation can walk through dreams of random people, and yet another has an affinity to metal...

...and it gets even more fascinating when you start reading about the big threat to The Chequy - The Grafters, who work with genetic modifications.

The old Myfanwy is an essential pencil pusher, a bureaucrat and a damn good administrator, but new Myfanwy has to take on a much more active role in the field, and it's so much fun, peeps! None of the other characters are there to be just props, they are alive, very interesting and have fascinating personalities.

I really want to spill all the beans here, but I don't want to spoil all your fun, so just READ IT. Highly recommended, hilarious and extremely clever.(less)

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