The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A woman wakes up with two black eyes and no memories. Through a series of letters left by her ‘predecessor’, she discovers her name is Myfany Thomas, and she has powers, and a super top secret job in a super top secret organisation, the Cheque.
Throughout the story we discover alongside Myfany, through these letters from her past self, what her life was, and could be again if she so chooses. But returning to the Cheque, an organisation that deals with supernatural threats, means once again exposing herself to the person who tried to destroy her.
My favourite thing about this book was learning about the Cheque and the supernatural world that ‘normal’ people are kept ignorant about. I am a sucker for urban fantasy that puts an emphasis on the governing bodies of supernatural communities living in our world (à la Fables and the Mariaverse), so that aspect of this story was exceptionally appealing to me, though if you aren’t a fan of world building, this may be less enjoyable for you.
The letters left for Myfany by her former self introduced a fascinating dynamic in the way the story unfolds, and in the way the readers, and Myfany herself, interact with it. We get almost a split timeline as we read former Myfany’s letters alongside Myfany. It allows us an insider view point as she explains her work, her colleagues, and the events that lead up to her memory loss. For some, this may feel a little info dumpy, but I believe it was interspersed appropriately through current events, and I found myself enamoured by former Myfany. I also felt the impending sense of loss as I read more and more of her letters.
Current Myfany was also fun to follow. Despite the troubles facing her, she manages to keep a level head and it becomes clear that some of former Myfany’s instincts remain. She is determined and brave, but also expresses an empathy and vulnerability (who doesn’t love a strong female protagonist who doesn’t disregard her more ‘feminine’ traits to attain said strength). The only thing I didn’t like about Myfany, and one of the things that irked me about the book in general, was her stance on particular types of clothing. Whenever a woman wore revealing clothing, Myfany would immediately think of a prostitute or exotic dancer, which rubbed me the wrong way. It also popped up more frequently than I would have expected.
I cannot say much about Myfany’s work or colleagues without spoiling things, but the work was fascinating and her colleagues engaging. I was especially intrigued by Gestalt and Alrich.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book, and I plan to read the sequel soon. The Rook will forever hold special memories for me, as I received it as a gift from a friend (thank you Rob!). If you enjoy urban fantasy, the supernatural, and X-Men vibes in your books, then definitely check out The Rook by Daniel O’Malley!
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Rebecka O'Malley 