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The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)

Daniel O'Malley

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: July 1, 2013

Discussion: Sci-fi & Fantasy Literature

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Sci-fi & Fantasy Literature

August 2016 Read: Ancillary Justice
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What Members Thought

Jul 29, 2016 Maggie rated it it was amazing

This book starts out with an I-can’t-catch-my-breath downhill rollercoaster feeling and keeps twisting and turning until I had to put the book down, utterly worn out from Myfawny Thomas’s adventures. I was drawn in hook, line, and sinker into this paranormal storyline. It’s like London’s version of Men in Black. Myfawny (pronounced to rhyme with Tiffany) wakes up with her mind wiped, but her former self leaving her clues all over creation and back as to who she is/was and what she’s about. As wi ...more

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Jun 24, 2013 KWinks rated it liked it

I didn't love this as much as I wanted to because it goes off the rails in some parts on tangents that have nothing to do with the main story. It's not a bad read, it's just long for no reason. The storytelling really excelled when O'Malley described action scenes and slugged to a stop when it came to personal relationships. I may or may not read the sequel. I recommend this to fans of Jasper Fforde. Also, I think this book deserved a more unique cover, this one is too subtle and does not reflec ...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Cornerofmadness rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's a rare thing for me to give a book a 5 star rating but The Rook is, in my opinion, deserving of it. After all, it's half epistolary novel with no real action until about 200 pages of nearly 500 and yet all that exposition works so very well. Myfanwy Thomas opens the novel waking up with complete amnesia and surrounded by dead bodies. The only clue to her life is a letter in her pocket telling her she can go to one safety deposit box and disappear as a whole new person with a new name or ope It's a rare thing for me to give a book a 5 star rating but The Rook is, in my opinion, deserving of it. After all, it's half epistolary novel with no real action until about 200 pages of nearly 500 and yet all that exposition works so very well. Myfanwy Thomas opens the novel waking up with complete amnesia and surrounded by dead bodies. The only clue to her life is a letter in her pocket telling her she can go to one safety deposit box and disappear as a whole new person with a new name or open box B and find out who she was because who she had been had been warned by psychics her memories would be scooped out of her.

Myfanwy chooses to find out who she was, helped along by another attack on her already battered body and her ability to make things happen to other people. As she starts reading all the paperwork her former self left behind, and there is plenty, letters about herself, letters about the Checquy where she works, letters about every member of the court that Myfanwy could come into contact with. The Checquy is like the X-Men meets MI-6. Everyone there has preternatural abilities except the retainers. Anyone wearing purple is a retainer, a normal human. Myfanwy's retainer is her secretary Ingrid, her very own very capable Moneypenny.

Myfanwy's ability is to take over people's nervous system at a touch. She's already learned that she can do it without touching. As she reads on, Myfanwy realizes she was a mousy little thing that everyone used as a doormat. Her other superpower was being an administrator and that's what got her elevated to the high rank of 'rook.' The other rook is Gestalt, quadruplets, (twin boys, a fraternal brother and a sister) who excel at kicking ass and only have one mind between the four puppet bodies. It's such a great idea for a character.

Myfanwy has two challenges, the first is to find out who tried to make her a mindless body and the other is the reappearance after several centuries of the alchemist grafters from Belgian who can make chimeric monsters of themselves and others. They are the sworn enemies of the Checquy.

I had four favorite characters, Myfanwy, Ingrid, Alrich and Gestalt which means I was sure most would die or be the villain. I was luckier than most this time but not one hundred percent. Myfanwy is a fascinating character. In fact, losing her memories might actually be the best thing that ever happened to her because the new Myfanwy is tough, able and takes her coworkers by complete surprise with this newfound grit.

Myfanwy's world is a fascinating one. It's a series but happily this is a complete story in and of itself. If you like strong women and well plotted stories (that didn't seem nearly as long as it was) you'll like this one. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
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May 30, 2012 Meghan rated it liked it

Overall this was a fun read for a little escapism during long days at work or to have somewhere for my mind to drift away to after an exceptionally terrible commute. At first I was bothered by what seemed to be a lack of plot- one of the devices the author employs is a letter writing schtick to dump loads of information in very little time so that you are 'caught up' with all the back story and other pertinent information so that the plot can then finally move along. I still wish that this infor ...more

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Jan 17, 2014 Lisa Martincik rated it really liked it

Shelves: sff

A bit heavy on exposition, and possesses a couple disheartening moments of creeping sexism, but a really fun read.

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Nov 17, 2012 Trish Heinrich rated it it was amazing

Love, love, loved this book. I hope there is a sequel because I totally fell in love wih this world and this heroine.

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Oct 14, 2015 Adriel rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf

Solid fun, exciting mystery. I liked the unusual structure, with superpowers and secret government organizations, but all so British. The main character has lost all her memories, and so the story has a very unique perspective of someone trying to figure out their old life, which was crazy. A bit violent for my usual taste, but highly recommended.

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