Cheri reviewed The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1) by Daniel O'Malley
Review of 'The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
4.5 stars - I love this book. It's just so much fun to listen to. Enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time around.
512 pages
English language
Published Nov. 6, 2012
The Rook is the 2012 debut novel of Australian author Daniel O'Malley. It follows protagonist Myfanwy Thomas as she attempts to re-integrate into her life of administrating a clandestine government organization responsible for protecting the U.K. from supernatural threats. Following a mysteriously induced bout of amnesia, she works to uncover the identity of a traitor inside the organization while simultaneously keeping her amnesia a secret. The title of the book is a reference to Thomas' rank in her organization, the Checquy. The sequel Stiletto was simultaneously released in the United States and United Kingdom on 14 June 2016 through Little, Brown and Company.
4.5 stars - I love this book. It's just so much fun to listen to. Enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time around.
I loved the crap out of this book, totally surprised me, in the best way. I just have this thing for books about the supernatural in the UK, like Harry Potter or Peter Grant. Now I have a new heroine, Myfanwy Thomas.
Said heroine comes to at the start of the book, with chapped lips, two black eyes and a circle of dead men around her, remembering absolutely nothing. In her coat pockets she finds letters adressed to her by the original owner of this body, one Myfanwy Thomas, who happens to be an agent in the Checquy, something like a supernatural version of the MI5, keeping the UK safe from harm. Myfanwy has the rank of Rook, and thanks to the letters the other Myfanwy left her, she knows that she was betrayed by a member of the court of the Checquy? But which one? And that's before an …
I loved the crap out of this book, totally surprised me, in the best way. I just have this thing for books about the supernatural in the UK, like Harry Potter or Peter Grant. Now I have a new heroine, Myfanwy Thomas.
Said heroine comes to at the start of the book, with chapped lips, two black eyes and a circle of dead men around her, remembering absolutely nothing. In her coat pockets she finds letters adressed to her by the original owner of this body, one Myfanwy Thomas, who happens to be an agent in the Checquy, something like a supernatural version of the MI5, keeping the UK safe from harm. Myfanwy has the rank of Rook, and thanks to the letters the other Myfanwy left her, she knows that she was betrayed by a member of the court of the Checquy? But which one? And that's before an ominous organisation from Belgium called the Grafters tries to invade.
I found this story captivating, funny and mysterious up to the end. I liked both the Myfanwy before her brain was wiped, who we get to know through her many letters to her successor and the newer one we meet. Looking forward to the next book!
I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. A friend read it, didn't tell me anything about it, and I didn't read the blurb before I dove in. I didn't even look very closely at the cover, which would have given me some clues. I did later see that someone had compared it to X-Men meets X-Files and that seems about right.
I was hooked from beginning to end and am a little sad to say goodbye to some of the characters. I've heard the second book in the series isn't like the first - still good, but pretty different - and I don't think I'm ready to tackle that one just yet.
One thing I didn't expect was to laugh as much as I did. What a great story and a great main character. I certainly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys political intrigue …
I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. A friend read it, didn't tell me anything about it, and I didn't read the blurb before I dove in. I didn't even look very closely at the cover, which would have given me some clues. I did later see that someone had compared it to X-Men meets X-Files and that seems about right.
I was hooked from beginning to end and am a little sad to say goodbye to some of the characters. I've heard the second book in the series isn't like the first - still good, but pretty different - and I don't think I'm ready to tackle that one just yet.
One thing I didn't expect was to laugh as much as I did. What a great story and a great main character. I certainly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys political intrigue and science fiction.
Oh, and the narrator did a great job on the many different voices. Her inflections during narration, though, kept pulling me out of the story. Not too badly but enough to think repeatedly, "please change that!" I understand that she doesn't do the second book so I'll be interested to know how I like the new narrator once I get around to it.
Une histoire d'espions surnaturels, avec bien plus de pouvoirs à la x-men que de monstruosités classiques.
Le contraste entre le caractère de l'ancienne Thomas et celui de la nouvelle donne une couleur très girly à ce livre, à un point tel que j'ai parfois eu l'impression de tomber dans de la Chick lit.
Dans l'ensemble un assez bon roman, surtout grâce à certains personnages secondaires absolument fascinants (typiquement les conspirateurs belges).