Book #47 of 2016:

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

The Rook begins like a Jason Bourne story, with its main character surrounded by assailants she has apparently killed but with no memory of anything before that moment. In execution, it’s more like Octavia Butler’s excellent vampire novel Fledgling, since our amnesiac heroine must quickly learn the rules of the supernatural group she finds herself in upon waking – but with the added wrinkle that this character decides to keep her memory loss a secret from the group while she hunts for the traitor behind her attack. In the process, she must learn all she can about who she used to be, while also discovering for herself who she is now and trying not to alert anyone in her organization with the discrepancies between the two.

This is a solid enough hook, and the character of Myfanwy Thomas is well-developed throughout the story. The worldbuilding is fun too, although the Checquy – a British secret agency tasked with defending the realm against supernatural threats – might be the most inept such organization since Torchwood. The plot is very rough in parts, however, especially when it deals with the secret traitor and their plans. We don’t get to spend enough time with the various characters in the Checquy to really be able to predict who the traitor might be, or to be particularly invested in their reveal near the story’s end. But as a whole, The Rook is a compelling entry into the world of Myfanwy Thomas and the Checquy, with the potential for excellence in its sequels.

★★★☆☆

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