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The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)

Daniel O'Malley

Start date: March 21, 2015

Finish date: April 18, 2015

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Mike Wilson

Why we're reading this: March 2015 group contemporary novel discussion
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What Members Thought

Jan 31, 2012 Jeffrey rated it it was amazing

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

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 admi 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 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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36 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: queued-read, audiobook, psychic, epistolary-narrative, favorites, to-buy-wish-list, yearly-reading-challenge, laughed-myself-silly-while-reading, heroine-i-adore, amnesia

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an excellent selection for audiobook. The narrator does a great job of immersing the listener in the world. She brings Myfanwy to life and makes her thoroughly lovable. I loved experiencing how Myfanwy processes her world as a newly born personality, a complete amnesiac who relies on the extensive note-taking and letters that her prior personality had prepared. Myfanwy is a closet bad*ss, and it was awesome that she kept everyone guessing at her hidden dept ...more

27 likes · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2012 Sgorman10 rated it it was amazing

Good debut - smartly written, some humor mixed in and plenty of action/suspense to keep you turning the pages. Think Lovecraft meets Bond with a very spunky, strong female lead. Recommended.

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