Book Review — The Rook

[sg_popup id=”1″ event=”onload”][/sg_popup]  The Rook

“The Rook” by Daniel O’Malley is a wonderfully inventive, witty, thoughtful book that can be, at times, dead serious and laugh out loud hilarious. It is part spy novel, part whodunit, part fantasy, and all entertaining.

Myfanwy (rhymes with “Tiffany”) Thomas awakens beaten and bloody in a London park surrounded by dead bodies, all wearing latex gloves, and no memory whatsoever. Apparently, Myfanwy knew this would happen, though not how or who would do it. She has left for herself a series of notes and other evidence that will help the memory-less Myfanwy solve the mystery.

Myfanwy learns that she is a high ranking official in a secret governmental agency that deals with the supernatural, known as the Checquy. Myfanwy herself has superpowers, though she has to figure out what they are. And who she is. And who everyone else is, all the while pretending that nothing has happened out of the ordinary (though who is to say what ordinary is?) so as to throw the traitor(s) off the scent.

Fantasy novels and whodunits alike tend to be somewhat formulaic. This novel completely ignores the formulas. It is creative, unique, and unexpected. An extra bonus is a super-smart female protagonist who has a libido, but no real interest in romance. And she does the saving.

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