Now a STARZ TV showed bassed on this novel and its sequel Stilleto, this novel is about a woman, Rook Myfanwy [pronounded Mif-any]Thomas, who wakes up surrounded by dead people wearing latex gloves that she has just killed and must make a decision about what to do. In her jacket is an envelope with instructions on what to do and a hotel to go to and check into under a certain name where she'll be safe. There she finds another envelope that tells her she can either agree to be Rook Thomas and continue on with her life and find out who did this to her or she can choose option B and just start over under another name. She chooses option B and goes to the bank until she finds out that the people who did this to her are still after her and try to take her out at the bank which causes her to change her mind and choose Option A especially after she knocks out a group of people wearing latex gloves. So she goes back to the apartment and pretends to be the Rook Thomas. Luckily its the weekend and she has a couple of days to spend going through the suitcase and the letters and purple binder Rook Thomas left behind that tell her all she needs to know to be her.
It seems that Myfanwy received several messages from people letting her know that her memory would be taken from her and she'd be standing in the rain with several dead bodies with latex gloves around her and someone else's eyes would open up inside her body. So she had spent some time preparing for this moment while also trying to figure out who did it.
When Myfanwy was nine she was taken from her English parents, which is how the British organization Checquy [pronounced Sheck-ay] Group worked with kids with supernatural abilities. Most kids with abilities were discovered in the womb or shortly after birth and their parents were happy to be rid of a child whom they did not know how to deal with. But even if they wanted to keep them they weren't offered this choice. The families were paid monthly for the services of their offspring. Myfanwy has the ability to control people's systems within their bodies, such as their nervous systems or their digestive systems. They can put someone to sleep or make them hungry, or worse. As a child she was very shy and therefore her abilities, while great, she herself was useless in using them and therefore it was pointless to put her in the field, but she had a real head for figures and therefore she made it to the High Court and the position of Rook based on her skills in the office. Pawn is the lowest position then there's Rook, then comes to Chevalier, then Bishop, then Lord and Lady. All High Court positions have special abilities. Lady Ferrier knows immediately that Thomas has lost her memory and promises to keep her secret because she owes Thomas a debt.
Thomas was a meek, and mild person who was really good at paperwork. The woman who comes into replace her isn't sure how to portray her so she just wings it and ends up portraying Thomas as more assertive and proactive. Her assistant, Ingrid, is invaluable in helping her through this without actually telling her what is going on. A creature is caught and being interrogated in the Rookery and Rook Gerhart who has four bodies but only one mind, and is the one who does most of the fieldwork for the High Court for the Rookery, acts like an asshole to Myfanwy. The creature being interrogated dies. But not before going crazy and hulking out and saying something. Myfanwy has Dr. Clovis whom she had thought was torturing the creature, but was in fact, just compelling him to tell him what he knew without pain, examine the tape frame for frame to get what he said. And it turns out that the creature was from Belgium and a Gestalt, a group from Belgium who had centuries ago modified themselves and their abilities and invaded the Isle of Wright and were narrowly defeated by the British, though they didn't know that. They believed the British held many more reserves of soldiers to come back at them and attack them so they surrendered to their terms. No more experimentation, but every so often you'd hear a rumor of something, but nothing would come of it. It appears that they never stopped and have plans to invade England.
It also appears that they have infiltrated the High Court and members of the Pawns and others without abilities who work for the Checquy. And Myfanwy is sent to Bath, a once very popular place for supernatural things but not so much anymore, for a highly unusual happening to deal with since Rook Gestalt is unavailable. A fungus has taken over a group of people inside a house and every time you send anyone in to take care of it that get caught up in it too. Except for the Pawns who attack it who get killed. When they send in the special forces of the Pawns but they don't get killed, Myfawny goes in with the American Bishop who is there visiting and manages to take care of the problem and finds out who one of the traitors is.
This book is told in the unique way of the new Myfanwy's viewpoint as well as letters and the folder entries of the old Myfanwy. You get a sense of the similarities and differences between the two women and how they have grown together to form a whole new woman. The abilities people have are truly bizarre and sometimes funny. You get the feeling the author was having a great laugh at making this book during that part. This really is an incredible book that hooks you right from page one and keeps you going right to the end. I really loved this book and the world that was created within its pages. You don't know who to trust or who will make it till the end of the book. I give it five out of five stars.
Quotes
“Yes, Minister, it turns out there was a mysterious force that caused your plane crash. Yes. Yes. What was it? We call it gravity.” He sighed as he picked up the phone connected to me. “You know, Rook Thomas, this is why we keep ourselves secret. People look for the most supernatural excuses. No wonder the age of reason was welcome. It finally allowed the supernatural to take a break.”
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 69)
The noble investors, however, had some different ideas. With
the sort of power, these new processes granted them, the member of the brotherhood
were in the perfect position to seize power. In any other country a, a massive,
bloody war would have ensued. Horrors would have stalked the land, unholy
amalgamations of flesh would have fought on the fields, and the nights would
have held, new, unspeakable terrors.
Fortunately, this is Belgium we’re talking about.
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 104)
She’d found a battery-powered item in the drawer of the
bedside table but she was somewhat wary of using it. Admittedly it is still mine. And it’s only ever been used on my body. But
not by me. That is an aspect of amnesia that people don’t normally talk about.
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 198)
“No,” Shantay said in a stage whisper. She was holding her large pistol in her hand and
looking very tense. “What is wrong with
you?” Myfanwy whispered back, “You look like you expect someone to grab your
ass.” “I’d be okay with that, as long as it was a person,” whispered Shantay, “It’s
when it’s the décor reaching out to cop a feel that I get nervous.”
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 233-4)
“You’re a very glass-half-empty person aren’t you?” observed
Myfanwy. “That’s experience talking,” said Shanray. “In these situations, the glass
is always half empty.” “Always?” “Always,” confirmed the Bishop. “Right until
it fills up with some sort of spectral blood that grows into a demonic entity.”
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 235)
“That should be a pleasant little interview. All I have
to do is put on my scary face.” “You have a scary face?” Ingrid sounded
skeptical. “Yes,” said Myfanwy indignantly. “I have a very scary face.” Indrid
surveyed her for a moment. “You may wish to take off the cardigan then, Rook
Thomas,” she advised tactfully, “The flowers on the pockets detract somewhat
from your menace.”
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 287)
“All righty,” Myfanwy said, “what are you suggesting I
wear, because—oh hell no. That is not
going on my body.” “Why? What’s wrong with it?” asked Bronwyn. Compared to
Brownsyn’s outfit it was quite modest, but compared to Bronwyn’s outfit, outright
nudity was quite modest. “Because it suggests that I’d gladly trade sex for a
cocktail. In fact, it suggests that I might even trade sex for eye contact.”
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 314)
You need to find yourself a man and use him.
-Daniel O’Malley (The Rook p 333)
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