Daniel O'Malley

I loved the first two books in the series and when I saw this one, I could not wait to buy it and start reading it. Well, it blew me away! Right from the beginning it was hard to put down. So much happens throughout. I am not usually a fan of two different timelines and two different stories, but both were so interesting that it didn't bother me at all. Frankly. he could have written two books with how much was in this one!

It was fascinating to get a glimpse of the how the Checquy (the show more secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats) operated during WWII, and how they trained their unusual operatives (humans born with unusual powers) and the very rigid dynamics of an organization that sometimes had to make very difficult decisions that seemed harsh but necessary. Their demand of total loyalty from their people, to really the point of them not having the freedom to live their own lives honestly, or even vote. They could not even participate in the war, or any political event in fear that if the other side had supernaturals, it could end up becoming a dangerous war of powers that would likely decimate humankind for good. But it's clear that aside from their powers and this life they have chosen and the oaths they have taken, knowing full well that if they break them it means their life is forfeit, they are still human beings who have the same feelings and emotions we all have. This book really went devled into the difficult and complex situation of being part of this secret organization that meant lying to your loved ones and giving up so much of your own life and autonomy... there were no good solutions either way when it came right down to it. Being born different was always going to make life much more complicated, and in some cases, the powers were so dangerous that just by living the person, or even the infant, was a threat to humanity.

I thoroughly enjoyed how much O'Malley got into the worldbuilding and expanded on the background of the Checquy, especially seeing it through the two different timelines and experiences of the main characters on a more personal level. It helped the reader see the good and bad aspects of the organization and how people dealt with it.

Some of them were brought up from infancy within the organization, but still struggled within the rigid rule structure amid the emotional and stressful sight of bombs dropping on their country and killing those they loved, and being told they could do nothing... and even being forced to think about how to fit in to the Nazis structure if they won the war. The cognitive dissonance alone was virtually tearing apart one of the best agents they had, and sworn to secrecy, she couldn't even tell her friends to help her cope. Others dealt with suddenly having to lie to family or how to cope with a dangerous power that came out of nowhere and they had no idea how to handle.
It offered many different perspectives on an imperfect agency that just didn't know way that they could operate that would be fair for everyone, and therefore clung tight to the rules they had put in place to try to weather through.

I really enjoyed Lyn's story as well. Seeing her struggle to find her place as an adult inside the organization that she felt both grateful to, and terrified of, was interesting. And I felt that she grew a lot and found herself through all that happened, and that it helped make the best of a dark situation that could have ended so badly. The book tied things up nicely by the end, and I can't help but hope to read more of the Checquy and the people involved. Their stories are all so different and interesting. I think it went far beyond the usual urban fantasy and I found the psychological aspects of their humanity compelling, as they tried to do their jobs within the supernatural world into which they were thrust by simply being born different.

Overall, I found the entire book entertaining and it kept me turning the pages late into the night. show less

A woman wakes up in a garden, surrounded by several men in latex gloves, and with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Fortunately, Myfanwy (rhymes with "Tiffany") Thomas left her future self some notes: she is a Rook of the Checquy, a secret society who takes care of supernatural threats to Britain. The only trouble is that someone in the court is out to kill her. Can she find the traitor in time?

I almost don't want to say anything more about the book, because seeing how everything show more develops is more than half the fun. I found it hilarious, page-turning fun and loved the inventive premise of a whole new personality just dumped into a woman and trying to figure out how to use her supernatural powers and deal with a life already there while trying not to let anyone know she was different. I also liked the former Myfanwy, and the way her letters and meticulous notes allowed the present Myfanwy and reader to learn more details (contrived, yes, but in a good way). On the one hand, I can't believe I missed this book when it was new, but on the other it was perfect timing to read this now when the sequel comes out in a few months. This may be a fun recommendation for fans of zany mashups like Thursday Next. show less

4.5 stars, but I rounded up because it was so fun and imaginative. The idea of a supernatural secret service had instant appeal for me, and this book had been recommended by a couple of friends. The dry humor and silliness that permeated the book was a delightful surprise and had me laughing out loud all the way through. This would have been perfect on audio with Stephen Fry as the reader. I actually started this on audio, but the reader (who was not Stephen Fry) made me tense, so I switched show more to the book.

The two versions of Myfanwy were distinctly characterized and both likeable, and I loved the character of Ingrid. With so many people dropping like flies, I was glad she was spared I hope to see more of Alrich and Eckhart in the next book.

The ending was a little drawn out, with more time spent explaining than I liked, hence the 1/2 star downgrade. But there was still so much humor and cleverness, it didn't bother me too much.

Highly recommended. Looking forward to the next installment. It will be interesting to see what he does now that there are no more letters to intersperse with the present-day narrative . show less

Suspense, mystery, a strong female lead, paranormal, humor. The Rook has it all. Myfanwy (pronounced like Tiffany with an M instead of a T) Thomas wakes up in a park surrounded by dead bodies. She has total amnesia. Her life is in danger. Help comes from the most unexpected place, a letter in her jacket pocket.

Through that first letter in her jacket pocket, Myfanwy discovers her name and takes the first steps to save her life. A series of numbered envelopes, each containing another batch of show more information, and a purple binder are all she has to guide her. The only person she can trust is the author of the letters and creator of the binder, herself. “Forewarned is forearmed” take on a whole new meaning in The Rook.

The story kept my interest to the point where I stayed up very late at night just to finish the book. The mystery of how Myfanwy lost her memory was wrapped in the mystery of what did she actually know that made her a target. She is surrounded by spies, literally. She works for the Checquy , the paranormal equivalent of MI5. Think James Bond but much, much cooler. The author’s use of the letters and the binder to provide backstories was genius. Myfanwy is one of the best written females I have ever encountered. Due to the amnesia, she is an evolving personality and it is marvelous to watch. The paranormal aspects of the story were great. There were the old favorites, like a vampire, but some very fresh and surprising superpowers.

The narration and production values were first rate. Susan Duerden did an excellent job. She brings that right amount of sinister, humor or decency to each character. She did the main character, both before and after amnesia, with very subtle shading and inflection. She did multiple women, each with their own voice. Her men were fantastic. Really fantastic. Her accents were also extremely well done. Myfanwy has several conversations with a Belgian “gentleman”. Had I read those exchanges I would have been somewhat amused. Hearing Ms. Duerdan narrate them I was laughing out loud.

I purchased The Rook in January of 2014 at my son’s advice (It is one of his favorite books). I finally listened to it. As a “mea culpa” to not trusting my son’s recommendations, I will be pre-ordering the audiobook format of the sequel as soon as it is available. show less