The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1) by Daniel O'Malley

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So, can I do it? Write x number of reviews in one day (I think this is review #4)? No, I’ve been lazy, not reading a ton of books today. More gibberish: I’ve read 8 works so far this year, only three of them being lesbian fiction, and there’s no real rhyme nor reason for the weird wandering genre game I’ve been doing reading wise (short story shifter fantasy; British police mystery; urban fantasy mystery; fake relationship romance; time travel science fiction mystery; horror zombies; British urban fantasy mystery; romance; - oh, I guess there was more connection between the genres).

Right, so this is the British Urban Fantasy Mystery. As the book description notes right at the beginning – this book begins immediately with someone blinking and looking around at dead bodies wearing latex gloves. In the rain. In the park. With no idea who she might be. Except – she found a letter in her pocket telling her who she had been. Who had occupied her body before she appeared. For, you see, Myfanwy (a Welsh name, pronounced, by Myfanwy, like Tiffany, Miffany; though I kept pronouncing it as My-fanny) Thomas has had her memories wiped, and the person now in her body? Well, that’s still Myfanwy, with access to her ‘powers’, and some ‘muscle memory’, but none of the negatives that come from having grown up like Myfanwy (who had a personality that was shy and fragile due to her upbringing). The new woman calls herself Myfanwy to differentiate herself from the prior occupier of her body, who she calls Thomas.

Right, so, Myfanwy was given two choices (after securing herself a place to stay and hide while reading the choices): go to the bank, open box A to go make her own life somewhere outside England rolling in fabulous wads of cash; or open box B and continue MyFanwy Thomas’ life – there’s a bit of ‘I’ve power, wealth, and responsibility’, but no real mention of what said life consists of. Naturally, and you know she’d pick this for the book to exist – she chose box . . . . A. Well, I’d probably have chosen A. And she was going to pick A – all the way until the people in the bank, all wearing latex gloves, tried to kill her. Which pissed her off, causing her to open box . . . which was it again, oh right, B. And the positives and negatives that come along with having wealth, power, and responsibility, while not knowing just who you are, or what you are supposed to be doing.

Myfanwy Thomas is: a Rook. That’s right, there’s this King, see, King Louis the 13th, and he has humans dressed up as chess pieces, and he moves them around. When a piece ‘gets captured’ – he cuts off their head. Heh, no. The group Rook Thomas is a member of, the Chequy, just use the chess thing for organizational reasons (though their King and Queen are Lord & Lady – since it’s difficult to have a ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ when the country is ruled by a different King/Queen (which is vaguely humorous to me when I recall just reading a book by Peter Lovesey about a real life person in Bath England who was the ‘King’ of Bath because he was the top . . . um . . I forget the word now, but he was the ‘top’ in Bath, top minister of ceremonies or something – apparently around the same time the fake Chequy was organizing itself and dropping King and Queen from their top roles, the real life world 1700s was using those terms for people who were not King and Queen – as in not head of the British government (actually, the Chequy sprang up a century earlier in the 1600s).

Right, that was a weird diversion by me.

Thomas works as a Rook for the Chequy – which is a member of the ‘court’. There are two heads: Lord & Lady. Then below that are the Bishops who do . . . um . . . Bishop stuff (not connected to religion, but to chess pieces); below them are two Knights (using a different title that I can’t recall now, something like Chevalier) who deal with international affairs; and two Rooks – who deal with domestic affairs. Below them are the Pawns. Pawns are ‘powered people’ but not members of the court. Everyone already mentioned are ‘powered’ people. Also, in addition, are the ‘non-powered’ people, and they are called ‘Retainers’.

I’m dumping information on people, eh? Lots and lots of information. Well, that’s what the original Rook Thomas did – she was informed, notes the book that she would have her memory wiped and someone else would end up blinking and waking up in her body – but without any memory. So Rook Thomas wrote a bunch of letters to herself – the book is filled with these letters dumping information on newborn-Myfanwy and the reader. The beginning information dumps were quite intriguing and fun to read. Somewhere along the line, though, it became tedious to read a scene, have the scene break in the middle, have a letter, and then go back to the scene. I started skimming those letter sections. *shrugs* Eh, I’d probably dislike the book if I had chosen to wade through everything there.

Right, so – Rook Thomas, sorry, the new one not the old, has to operate in this world where she’s highly placed, with great power and responsibility, while hiding she has amnesia and hasn’t a real clue what she’s supposed to be doing. While knowing someone is trying to kill her. As the book unfolds, she ‘deals with’ various administrative things, handle crisis, ‘sit-in’ on interrogations, and learn about herself and her powers.

Crap. I forgot that. That was supposed to be up there before I started giving titles and stuff. Right, so, Chequy is a secret organization that handles fantasy type creatures, like demons, and witches, and the like – though not ‘handle’ in the same way the Spanish Inquisition would handle a witch (toss suspected witch into river – if she floats, is witch! Or something like that). No, the Chequy is more likely to pull a witch into their organization than kill, unless they can’t – then kill away.

This was a fun, humorous, mysterious, enjoyable book. As long as I didn’t let myself get bogged down in all those letters.

I liked the personality on display for Myfanwy except for one specific thing that seemed somewhat out of character – she kept drooling over every halfway decent looking man around her (okay, not really, more that she just kept making note of how gorgeous certain men around her were, and – once or twice, feeling vaguely sad she hadn’t/hasn’t slept with them).

Heheheh – I was now going to put down some of the funny bits I found in the book. Only to notice all of them are just so bloody. I mean, literally. The first I’d highlighted noted an appointment book so thick it could bludgeon a cow; a second highlight noted that Myfanwy had raised her voice and cut through the chattering like a scythe through a poodle; third one mentions ‘Myfanwy looked as if she had bathed in the blood of ten fashion designers.’ Apparently I find humor in violence. I feel sad about myself.

The ones not directly violent are connected – like the one where Myfanwy was going to go to an interview – an interrogation, and it was pointed out that her flower covered cardigan might detract from her ‘scary face’. And another had someone ask if Myfanwy wanted to go clubbing, and Myfanwy inquired as to what was being clubbed –

”A few of us are going clubbing and I thought that if you weren’t busy, you might want to come.”

“Clubbing? Clubbing what?” asked Myfanwy.

“What?”

“Do you mean self-defense?”

“What are you talking about?” asked the girl whose world did not consist primarily of supernatural security.

Part of the fun of this book was watching someone bouncing around with amnesia trying to not trip themselves up, while acting completely (by accident) unlike the way the former occupant of her body acted (and therefore causing people to sit up and stare at her). So, while there is a sequel, I’m slightly less inclined to track it down and read it. At least not right away. That little aspect would be somewhat . . . well, not so much gone as been covered. By this book here.

Right, what’d I put down as my rating?

Rating: 4.55

January 9 2018 (gah, how many of these reviews have I inserted 2017 instead of 2018? Mmphs – I didn’t this time, but I started to do so).



View all my reviews

Puss in Prada by Marie Jacquelyn

Puss in Prada by Marie Jacquelyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Considering how competent, interesting, and well-written this story here is, and how it is the only thing out under this name, I assume two things – that the author either publishes under at least one other name, and/or has written some fanfiction stuff (though nothing about the story screams ‘fanfiction graduate’ – as in, none of the little habits of fanfiction authors snuck into this story here). At least, I hope there are other stuff out by this author, because I’ve rather liked what I’ve seen so far.

This is the second time I’ve read this specific short story about the talking cat. It has a lot going for it – a good solid story with everything you might desire for a solid story (except for sex, but we are talking about a talking cat here).

The story is relatively simple to explain: prior to the start of this story, a man of 25 has spent his life doing massive amounts of drugs, drinking, not taking his medication (never explained what exactly the medication was for), and being a real asshole of a man and boyfriend. One night, on the way home from a party during which the man had consumed a large quantity of alcohol, some or all of which was ‘probably laced with something’, the man almost drives over a woman. He misses and attempts to go help her. She promptly curses him. Because, you know, that happens and stuff. Whereupon he was turned into a cat. He’s able to get help from his ex-boyfriend, despite a) ex-boyfriend; b) being a cat and attempting to be said cat while using the phone. Oh, right, he retained the ability to speak English (well, I should say that he retained his language skills, whatever they might have been previous to the transformation).

That man, Alexander, has spent the last few years as a cat living with that ex-boyfriend previously mentioned but not named (he being the fabulously well-muscled and tall Ethan). He’s retained his personality and ability to write (poorly, slowly, one letter poked at a time), which is important because he was a successful author before being turned into a cat, and is still able to write books – at least two of which have appeared since being turned into a cat (though he hasn’t been writing much lately – his agent is constantly screaming at him).

I’m not sure what I’d think of this story if it was altered somehow. As in, if it was Alex the human and Ethan the human – with Alex maybe living with Ethan because of some illness or something. But as a cute fluffy kitty-cat, his personality is perfect for kitty, and there’s a fun story to be found and read.

Great story, but just a tiny bit missing so it doesn’t rise to the top level of things I’ve read more than once (as in, the exclusive six star shelf), but a quite good story none-the-less.

Rating: 5.0

January 2 2018



View all my reviews

Undead (Undead, #1) by Kirsty McKay

Undead by Kirsty McKay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Told from the point of view of a young woman named Bobby, a native of the UK who has spent enough time in the USA to mess up her accent and therefore be made fun of by co-students, who is now returning from a school ski trip (a school Bobby has not yet joined, but will shortly since they have just moved back to the UK (they being Bobby and her mother, 'mum', but not dad since dad's dead - though glimpses of him are seen in flashes - ETA: flashes = flashbacks. ETA added because remembered this be a zombie book, dad not zombie).

The book opens with Bobby resting her face against a bus window watching as her classmates head to a café through the snowy-blizzard like conditions to eat some food. She's tired of being near people who make fun of her, had prepared a sandwich for herself before the bus trip started (the bus trip, by the way, to take the kids from the ski location to . . . well, never actually stated). Eventually she's left on the bus with only the bus driver, one of the teachers, and Smitty, a young rebellious man - co-student. Smitty is being forced to remain on the bus due to . . . um, reasons (stuff he did or didn’t do or whatever). He, Smitty, convinces the teacher to go get him a sandwich. Leaving the bus down to the bus driver, Smitty, and Bobby.

Somewhere along the line, either before or after the bus experiences a few bumps, a car slams into the back of the bus. The bus driver exits to investigate. Leaving Bobby and Smitty alone. But not for long, for suddenly one of the more popular girls on the trip, Alice, ends up on the bus, collapsed on the stairs in her skirt (like on the cover of the book – re: cover, Alice is not the main character, who is wearing pants, and neither Alice nor Bobby ever weld an axe (though Smitty does at some point). She’d been yelling at them. Something about all of them being dead and to close the bus doors.

And so, things proceed. The people on the bus gaze at the café through binoculars, see everyone slumped over (everyone they can see). Then Smitty remembers the bus driver is out there somewhere and goes and gets him – only to find him slumped over injured. Alice locks Smitty, the driver, and Bobby out, but the driver revives enough to indicate how to open the door from the outside.

Meanwhile, many attempts are made to make phones and/or radios work. None of the attempts work. Eventually it is decided to attempt to go the gas station. Which is where Gareth and … um, Pete, I think his name is Pete, are added to the small group of people wondering just what is up, what’s going on. Mind I’ve already overlooked the fact that the teacher had returned to the bus at some point, pounded on the door, and wanted in. Many indications, though, were there that the teacher was no longer human. As happens more times than I’d like to see, one of the characters is reluctant to use the Z word, you know, Zombie. But he’d been zombified.

Right, so – everyone but a few school students, and a gas station attendant had been turned into zombies. In their set of resources the kids have everyone’s luggage, and a bus. And no way to contact anyone. And so they wander around attempting to figure out how to save themselves, exploding things, picking up other live humans, getting trapped, escaping, etc. etc. All against the backdrop of some snowy location in Scotland.

Interesting enough zombie book. I suppose the one negative I can immediately note is the part where the author was good at creating teenage characters (as opposed to a bunch of adults in teenage bodies). A negative because . . . well, it’s exhausting reading a bunch of whiny, posing, vicious people interacting and attempting to live. (But then I remember the few scenes I’ve caught here or there from that Walking Dead show and . . . well, heh. Actually, I’m thinking more of the 14 or 15 graphic novels I’d read in that series before the show ever aired, but I have seen a few episodes from that series).

There is a sequel. I’ve no idea what the sequel is about and/or if the same characters are in it. I do not know if I’ll read that sequel.

Rating: 4.15

January 5 2018



View all my reviews

Beau Death (Peter Diamond, #17) by Peter Lovesey

Beau Death by Peter Lovesey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’ve read every book by Lovesey, put out under that name at least (and not counting short story collections), except for the last two books in the Bertie series. Well, there are a few others – at some point a ton of nonfiction sports books suddenly appeared on his profile here at GoodReads, no idea if those books are really by him or not (I think I looked it up once and found that they were in fact by the same author who writes mysteries) and I’ve not read any of those nonfiction books; and a few of the books he published under other names have been rereleased under the Lovesey name – haven’t read any of those either (at least not under the Lovesey name, I’ve read a few books by Lovesey put out under other names, some of which might have been later rereleased under the Lovesey name). That’s probably something close to 30 books (17 Peter Diamond books, 8 Sergeant Cribb books, 1 of the Bertie books, the two Inspector Henrietta Mallin books which aren’t part of the Diamond series, and various stand-alones). (I’ve also read all of Phil Lovesey’s adult level psychological thrillers, which is only important in that I liked them, he’s Peter Lovesey’s son, and I’ve always wondered if he’d ever step in to ‘help’ like Dick Francis and W.E.B. Griffin’s sons have stepped in to help their father’s writing careers; which I’ve only thought about because Lovesey is getting up there in years and each book that appears seems like a gift).

Right, so the above was a bunch of gibberish about how I’ve read a lot of books with Lovesey’s name on the cover and have tended to rather enjoy my time inhabiting those books. Not exactly exciting reading, my paragraph I mean, but meh.

This specific book finds grumpy old Peter Diamond with several mysteries to solve. Though first he isn’t even certain the case he is assigned has any relevance to modern times. Or, to put it differently since, yes it does (modern or historical corpse, it'd have relevance to modern times), whether or not anyone could actually be found to face punishment for the crime he is investigating. For, you see, Diamond’s case involves a skeleton found in an attic. The skeleton was found in a condemned building and found after a wrecking ball slammed into the building, exposing the body. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the police can’t actually get at the body for a while because the floor is too fragile. So there’s a lot of time to speculate, and one of the things that the huge staff point out is what people have phoned in to say – which includes a bit about how the skeleton has a striking resemblance to Beau Nash – a fella who was huge in Bath in the 1700s, and whose grave, supposedly, is unknown. Could that skeleton be Beau Nash? Well, as noted, the police can’t get to the body quickly due to fragile floors and stuff, so there’s a lot of time to investigate the idea. There’s a lot of back and forth as to whether or not it could be before the body could actually be examined.

Several other mysteries crop up for Diamond and his team to investigate over the course of this book, including bones found in the garden of the same building the skeleton was found; and a much more modern murder that occurs during the book, in front of a good portion of the area police but out of their sight.

A good book that entertained me, though not the best book I’ve read by Lovesey, neither in or out of the Diamond series.

Rating: 4.25

January 2 2018



View all my reviews

Who'd Have Thought by G. Benson

Who'd Have Thought by G. Benson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think most people have read this, not really but let's pretend, so I'll not work too hard on a review.

So - characters: Sam (41 - I do not believe ever explicitly stated, but is 20 years older than brother, and 15 years older than Hayden (though I've a vague recollection of Hayden, at some point, noting that she was six years older than Jon, but that might be a faulty memory)) and Hayden (26 - for some reason I always think people are 26, let's pretend this is accurate since it corresponds to the age gap between Sam and Jon, and between Sam and Hayden); doctor and nurse; lily white (with red hair, emerald eyes, and pale skin with freckles) and mixed race (Latina and whatever pops was - there was an impression given that he was some form of non-Latino).
Side Characters of Note: On the friend side - Sam apparently has none, though everything is from Hayden's perspective so not sure; on Hayden's side we get Luce (an individual, as it is put in the book, born in the body of a female, but is in fact agender).
On family side we get: more distant that Luce & Sam; Sam brings in Jon (important to the story to note: gay man of around the age of 21), and in the distance barely seen, but felt heavily, are Sam's parents. Hayden brings in: Javi - 4 year old nephew, Sofia - slightly older sister (and mother of Javi), Abuela - 71 year old grandmother of Sofia and Hayden Alexandrja (hmm, spelling there probably off), and Paolo - Sofia and Hayden's mother - there's a much hated father, but never seen.
On work side: reoccurring characters of little actual substance (like Trisha and 'twitchy intern'), and those with slightly more than little actual substance - like Clemmie - 'coffee girl' and Luce's crush.
PLUS: Frank the cat (Hayden's fat cat)

POV: Solo from Hayden's perspective.

Plot: For reasons which are kept secretive throughout much of the book - Sam desires to find someone to marry, specifically a woman - an arranged fake relationship - but not for green card purposes (the only thing she'll admit up front). For this arranged relationship, 40,000 (20,000 when start month of dating; 20,000 when marriage occurs month after dating started) upfront, and $200,000 in a year or 'however long it takes' (pfft).

For reasons which become quickly realized, though still somewhat hidden until later in the book, Hayden has money issues. And sleep issues. And likes wandering the internet in the early morning hours - where she happened to see an advertisement for an arranged relationship with 'lots of compensation'. She, 'jokingly', replies to that ad. Whereupon it is revealed that the ad had been placed by someone from the same hospital she works at - and, even worse, someone she hates. Still --- the arrangement proceeds.

Reasons for my less than highest ratings: I liked what occurred in this book, found it funny, liked the romance, for the most part, liked the cat to an extent, but something was keeping me from rating this higher than I did. It finally hit me why - I did not really like Jon (who kept popping in and out of Sam's apartment without warning), the family dynamics on display (and here I'm more talking about Hayden's family not Sam's, weird I know), and, while it somewhat pains me to admit, I didn't really like the one friend Hayden seemed to have (having just one friend, by the way, seemed vaguely out of character for Hayden). *shrugs*

On the other hand, I thought in between rating and writing review, that there's a good chance I probably would rate this book higher after a reread. Possible, I suppose.

Rating: 4.5

January 3 2018



View all my reviews