O'Malley, Daniel ; The Rook ; Informal Buddy Read ; Start Date 14 Dec 2014

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

What is a Buddy Read?

This is an "Informal Buddy Read"
An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book. An example is here.

Book synopsis
"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, THE ROOK is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

reserved

[Erin]

Very excited about this one.

[Snowtulip]

I've been so intrigued about this one!

[Snowtulip]

I'm going to start this tonight, glad to hear it's intriguing so far!

[Snowtulip]

(view spoiler)[It definately is an immense amount of prepartion! I also keep going back to the bank scene when she had to decide if she wanted to flee (take box 1) or stay and fight (box 2)...what a decision, fleeing sounded good :D (hide spoiler)].

I've just made it to Ch. 6

[Snowtulip]

I just finished Ch.14, I'm hoping to have more time tomorrow to get further along :)

I agree, the book as taken off, I am completely riveted by the world that's been created and I'm really liking the chapter switches of letters and present time.

(view spoiler)[I'm completely curious what's going on with Alrich, since he was mentioned by broken sentences before we even met him. I also personally want a bunny named Wolfgang! (hide spoiler)]

[Snowtulip]

I just finished the other book I was reading Agnes, so my plan is to catch up on reading this, it was hard to put down last night, so now I can focus!

[Snowtulip]

Finally catching up, up to Ch. 27(view spoiler)[craziness!!! The treachery and all the people killed. Gestalt's grand plan still needs to unfold, he has to be secretly funding Camp Caius???? I'm gladd that Myfanwy met her sister, but now i'm hesitant about the timing of this (hide spoiler)]

Must read on, the plot thickens!

[Snowtulip]

Finished (view spoiler)[wow, that last quarter was so action packed. Completely icked by Gestalt having his own baby. Plots and twists that I didn't see coming...completely creative storyline. So is it me, or am I really latching on to an issue about to come from her sister and meeting her brother? During that last chapter Myfanwy indicated that Bronwyn was distracted...just speculating :D (hide spoiler)]

[Snowtulip]

I agree on the ending :) I really wish book 2 was out, but I will wait patiently...kind of!

[Rebecca NJ]

My librarian recommended this book to me - I plan to start after the holidays.

[Snowtulip]

Rebecca, it's an action packed book, I hope you enjoy it!

[Rebecca NJ]

Snowtulip wrote: "Rebecca, it's an action packed book, I hope you enjoy it!"

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it. It's just finding the time, lol!

[Rebecca NJ]

I started this last night and I don't want to put it down!

Chapters 1-5
(view spoiler)[I love how the book is set up with all the bits of information that old Myfanwy has set up for herself. I like the little snippets of what the Checquy does and what roles everyone has. The concept of a chessboard system is really interesting. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebecca NJ]

Agnès wrote: "So I've read the first five chapters of The Rook.... (view spoiler)[[I wonder how much time did Myfanwy had to prepare herself to her loss of memory (hide spoiler)]"

(view spoiler)[I agree. The organization she had for all the information and even to setting up the options Myfanwy had when she first woke up. (hide spoiler)]

[Snowtulip]

Rebecca, (view spoiler)[I also liked the old with the new, it really gave that good condensed history to help understand the politics at work, but then we still get all the good action, so I didn't feel bogged down (hide spoiler)]

[Rebecca NJ]

Snowtulip - (view spoiler)[That's a good point. All the details are there but it's spread out enough with some action in between that we are overwhelmed with the history of the agency. (hide spoiler)]