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Publication
Little, Brown and Company (2016), 585 pages
Description
"In this spirited sequel to the acclaimed The Rook, Myfanwy Thomas returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic -- and slimy -- supernatural war. When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers--and the bureaucratic finesse--to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries: The Checquy--the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and ... The Grafters--a centuries-old supernatural threat. But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women who absolutely hate each other, can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war. Stiletto is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks, from an author who "adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof " (Booklist)"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Narilka
"You're a tool, to be used and directed for the good of the people. Sometimes you'll be a scalpel, cutting out disease. Sometimes you'll be a sword, and you'll take on threats with all the strength you can muster. And sometimes...you'll be a stiletto, a hidden weapon that slides quietly into the
Merger talks have begun between two top secret organizations: The Checquy, a centuries old British organization that protects the people from supernatural threats, and the Grafters, their mortal enemies. A delegation of Grafters has been sent to London for the talks and it's not long after they arrive that there's a strange increase in supernatural attacks. The negotiations are at works as tempers flare and old hatreds are renewed on both sides. A temporary peace exists but for how long?
Stiletto is the second book in The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley. This one picks up right where The Rook leaves off with an uneasy truce between the Checquy and the Grafters as they work to negotiate a merger. This time around the story focuses on two young girls who get swept up in the mysterious attacks through no fault of their own. Fans of Myfanwy Thomas do not fret! While Myfanwy is no longer the star of the story she does have a supporting and important part to play. I admit I was a bit sad when I realized this would not be a Myfanwy story, though I can see why. I'm not sure if a second book using Myfanwy's amnesia as a main plot device would've worked out very well given that by the end of The RookMyfanwy has definitely proved herself capable and was no longer handicapped by her condition. Instead, we're immediately introduced to our new heroines. Felicity Clements, Pawn of the Checquy Group, wants nothing more than to be a soldier and hopes to join the elite fighting group, the Barghests, one day. Odette Leliefeld, the second youngest member of the Grafter delegation and a direct descendant of their leader, mostly just wants to see some sights in the city and be spared from having to deal with too much of the "unnaturalness" of their new allies. Odette somehow manages to make herself the poster child for Checquy hatred of the Grafters and Pawn Leliefeld is assigned to be her bodyguard. Born to hate each other, the two find they must work together if the alliance between their people is to be successful.
The story is slow going in the beginning. The first chapter had me giggling at the ridiculous situation the first new character is put in. This immediately segues into an introduction of the second character and several info dumps. The pacing drags. Unlike the flashbacks used in the first book, the info dumps in the first half of the story slow everything way down and are almost boring. Things pick up significantly in the second half of the book as the action and mystery take center stage and the info dumps phase out.
That said, the rest of O'Malley's writing is in top form. He smoothly works the humour in with the weird and the wonderful. His action scenes are fast paced and the mystery of just who or what is behind the attacks is engaging. While the negotiations between the Checquy and Grafters is the main bulk of the story, I love how he uses Felicity and Odette's budding friendship to represent the tensions and teamwork between the two groups as a whole. The breadth of supernatural powers displayed by members on both sides is just as creative and astounding as it was the first time around. O'Malley's creativity is amazing!
Overall I really enjoyed the book. No, it's not The Rook and that's ok. I hope there will be further books in the series.
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heart."Merger talks have begun between two top secret organizations: The Checquy, a centuries old British organization that protects the people from supernatural threats, and the Grafters, their mortal enemies. A delegation of Grafters has been sent to London for the talks and it's not long after they arrive that there's a strange increase in supernatural attacks. The negotiations are at works as tempers flare and old hatreds are renewed on both sides. A temporary peace exists but for how long?
Stiletto is the second book in The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley. This one picks up right where The Rook leaves off with an uneasy truce between the Checquy and the Grafters as they work to negotiate a merger. This time around the story focuses on two young girls who get swept up in the mysterious attacks through no fault of their own. Fans of Myfanwy Thomas do not fret! While Myfanwy is no longer the star of the story she does have a supporting and important part to play. I admit I was a bit sad when I realized this would not be a Myfanwy story, though I can see why. I'm not sure if a second book using Myfanwy's amnesia as a main plot device would've worked out very well given that by the end of The Rook
The story is slow going in the beginning. The first chapter had me giggling at the ridiculous situation the first new character is put in. This immediately segues into an introduction of the second character and several info dumps. The pacing drags. Unlike the flashbacks used in the first book, the info dumps in the first half of the story slow everything way down and are almost boring. Things pick up significantly in the second half of the book as the action and mystery take center stage and the info dumps phase out.
That said, the rest of O'Malley's writing is in top form. He smoothly works the humour in with the weird and the wonderful. His action scenes are fast paced and the mystery of just who or what is behind the attacks is engaging. While the negotiations between the Checquy and Grafters is the main bulk of the story, I love how he uses Felicity and Odette's budding friendship to represent the tensions and teamwork between the two groups as a whole. The breadth of supernatural powers displayed by members on both sides is just as creative and astounding as it was the first time around. O'Malley's creativity is amazing!
Overall I really enjoyed the book. No, it's not The Rook and that's ok. I hope there will be further books in the series.
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LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Supernatural adversaries struggle to make peace.
Extended review:
As I recall Stiletto a perilous six weeks after finishing it, it's mostly not a story.
It's mostly a showcase of O'Malley's seemingly limitless capacity for seemingly offhand invention--bizarre and formidable special
It's also a catalogue of supernatural effects--such as a house whose second floor, if you go there, can ruin your credit rating; or the invasion of someone's dreams, or seeing the entire history of an object, or being able to remote-control someone else's actions. There's a dress that purrs.
One has the impression that the author must tote around a capacious notebook and be constantly scribbling additions to lists. I'll bet it's hard to carry on an ordinary conversation with him.
More: The author delves into medical details as vividly as Cutting for Stone. He lavishes attention on wardrobes and attire. He goes to some lengths to depict the level of discomfort that some people experience with social events.
These may be effective in themselves, but there does not appear to be much of a purpose to all this in terms of either character or plot. Instead it feels a lot like authorial self-indulgence.
Many character interactions are simply disappointing. Myfanwy, whom we followed here from The Rook, stays mostly in the background. The interesting Shantay makes only a cameo appearance. There's plenty about Felicity and Odette, but we don't really see a transforming moment and, such as it is, it is not experienced reciprocally--more as a fait accompli.
The author's habit of varying interchangeable names (for example, first and last names, or names and titles) is sometimes confusing. We may not realize at once that he's talking about the same character, especially when it's been a while since the character's last appearance; for instance, I kept forgetting who Marcel was--he was never really distinct to me.
The reader's knowledge of the story's background is taken for granted. We are not given many reminders to help us recall such characters and entities as Gestalt and Bishop Aldrich. I read The Rook in June of 2013, and three years later I don't remember anything about some people being traitors and moles, but that was important in this story.
In fact, I don't remember much plot at all.
What I mostly remember about The Rook is being taken someplace that was active, surprising, and fraught with danger. In contrast, what I mostly remember about Stiletto is special effects. And clumsy infodumps.
As for making peace with historical enemies, I guess that's in there somewhere.
I probably won't be in such a rush to get hold of a third installment, if there is one. Showmanship is great, but there has to be some substance too, or what is there to hold us? Nonetheless, this book ends with an obvious hook for a sequel while leaving no clue where a suitable adversary might come from. I hope it doesn't devolve into an action comic with superheroes saving the world from one megalomaniac villain after another while engaging in petty rivalries among themselves.
As before, there are some good lines, some arresting images, and some grammatical lapses and misuses of words that someone ought to have looked up. One glaring fault with The Rook that does not obtrude quite so much here is the amateurish use and overuse of dialogue tags. On one page of Stiletto (368), people say things thoughtfully, tartly, sniffily, hesitantly, and flatly. Oddly, there appeared to be some pretty clean editing up to page 496, and then suddenly the editing seemed to go light, as if a looming deadline had reduced attention to such constructions as "A call of 'Come!' came..." and "came the whispered reply."
In the end, I didn't dislike the book; I just felt let down by it. Perhaps that's just the price of anticipation.
Extended review:
As I recall Stiletto a perilous six weeks after finishing it, it's mostly not a story.
It's mostly a showcase of O'Malley's seemingly limitless capacity for seemingly offhand invention--bizarre and formidable special
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powers just mentioned in passing: for example, one person can summon and command wasps, and another disrupts mathematics (page 489), and one little boy has the humble ability to increase the nutritional value of root vegetables (page 135).It's also a catalogue of supernatural effects--such as a house whose second floor, if you go there, can ruin your credit rating; or the invasion of someone's dreams, or seeing the entire history of an object, or being able to remote-control someone else's actions. There's a dress that purrs.
One has the impression that the author must tote around a capacious notebook and be constantly scribbling additions to lists. I'll bet it's hard to carry on an ordinary conversation with him.
More: The author delves into medical details as vividly as Cutting for Stone. He lavishes attention on wardrobes and attire. He goes to some lengths to depict the level of discomfort that some people experience with social events.
These may be effective in themselves, but there does not appear to be much of a purpose to all this in terms of either character or plot. Instead it feels a lot like authorial self-indulgence.
Many character interactions are simply disappointing. Myfanwy, whom we followed here from The Rook, stays mostly in the background. The interesting Shantay makes only a cameo appearance. There's plenty about Felicity and Odette, but we don't really see a transforming moment and, such as it is, it is not experienced reciprocally--more as a fait accompli.
The author's habit of varying interchangeable names (for example, first and last names, or names and titles) is sometimes confusing. We may not realize at once that he's talking about the same character, especially when it's been a while since the character's last appearance; for instance, I kept forgetting who Marcel was--he was never really distinct to me.
The reader's knowledge of the story's background is taken for granted. We are not given many reminders to help us recall such characters and entities as Gestalt and Bishop Aldrich. I read The Rook in June of 2013, and three years later I don't remember anything about some people being traitors and moles, but that was important in this story.
In fact, I don't remember much plot at all.
What I mostly remember about The Rook is being taken someplace that was active, surprising, and fraught with danger. In contrast, what I mostly remember about Stiletto is special effects. And clumsy infodumps.
As for making peace with historical enemies, I guess that's in there somewhere.
I probably won't be in such a rush to get hold of a third installment, if there is one. Showmanship is great, but there has to be some substance too, or what is there to hold us? Nonetheless, this book ends with an obvious hook for a sequel while leaving no clue where a suitable adversary might come from. I hope it doesn't devolve into an action comic with superheroes saving the world from one megalomaniac villain after another while engaging in petty rivalries among themselves.
As before, there are some good lines, some arresting images, and some grammatical lapses and misuses of words that someone ought to have looked up. One glaring fault with The Rook that does not obtrude quite so much here is the amateurish use and overuse of dialogue tags. On one page of Stiletto (368), people say things thoughtfully, tartly, sniffily, hesitantly, and flatly. Oddly, there appeared to be some pretty clean editing up to page 496, and then suddenly the editing seemed to go light, as if a looming deadline had reduced attention to such constructions as "A call of 'Come!' came..." and "came the whispered reply."
In the end, I didn't dislike the book; I just felt let down by it. Perhaps that's just the price of anticipation.
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Stiletto is the sequel to The Rook, and I’m happy to say that it’s just as much fun as its predecessor. The Checquy files feel like a breath of fresh air in urban fantasy. They’re funny and inventive, and I love how friendships between women are at the forefront. Unfortunately, it’s hard
After years of enmity, the the Checquy (an organization of people with supernatural abilities working for the British government) is merging with the Grafters (a Belgian based group who use science and surgery to give themselves remarkable abilities). But these two groups have hated each other for hundreds of years and such hatred and distrust doesn’t dispel overnight, and a series of mysterious attacks are threatening the merger. Stuck in the middle are two women from each side: Odette, a young grafter surgeon, and Felicity, the Checquy pawn assigned as her bodyguard. Can the two work together? Could they even become friends?
I was worried that the change in protagonists would make me like Stiletto less than The Rook, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. I can actually see why O’Malley made that decision. Myfawny has already had most of her character arc, and since she’s an amnesiac, she doesn’t have the memories of growing up hating the Grafters like Felicity does. Felicity and Odette are able to give a much more comprehensive view of the merger, plus the focus on Odette allows us to see things from the Grafters perspective. Plus, I came to really love both Felicity and Odette. They both have some awesome moments, and I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to read a fantasy book focusing on the relationship between two women.
I also adore Stiletto‘s humor. There were many points in the novel where I’d chuckle out loud at some particular off hand line. I think it’s helped a lot by how new the premise feels for urban fantasy. The plot structure and world building are nothing like the norm, and the supernatural powers feel more like X-Men than your usual werewolves and vampires. Oh, and for some reason a five hundred year old man playing games on his smartphone cracks me up.
Stiletto does have a few flaws. It has several sections where it goes into history lessons, which dragged at the pacing some. The beginning was also rocky, and I felt like Felicity’s introduction was stereotypical and lazy. She’s doing surveillance in an alley. Two guys come along and start making rape threats. She and another female Checquy agent use their powers to beat them up. While I may have groaned some, I am glad I kept reading.
Stiletto has solidified The Checquy Files as one of my favorite urban fantasy series. If you’re looking for a story that’s fun, humorous, original, and has great female characters, these are some books that I would highly recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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for me to talk about the plot of Stiletto at all without mentioning some spoilers for The Rook. So be forewarned.After years of enmity, the the Checquy (an organization of people with supernatural abilities working for the British government) is merging with the Grafters (a Belgian based group who use science and surgery to give themselves remarkable abilities). But these two groups have hated each other for hundreds of years and such hatred and distrust doesn’t dispel overnight, and a series of mysterious attacks are threatening the merger. Stuck in the middle are two women from each side: Odette, a young grafter surgeon, and Felicity, the Checquy pawn assigned as her bodyguard. Can the two work together? Could they even become friends?
I was worried that the change in protagonists would make me like Stiletto less than The Rook, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. I can actually see why O’Malley made that decision. Myfawny has already had most of her character arc, and since she’s an amnesiac, she doesn’t have the memories of growing up hating the Grafters like Felicity does. Felicity and Odette are able to give a much more comprehensive view of the merger, plus the focus on Odette allows us to see things from the Grafters perspective. Plus, I came to really love both Felicity and Odette. They both have some awesome moments, and I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to read a fantasy book focusing on the relationship between two women.
I also adore Stiletto‘s humor. There were many points in the novel where I’d chuckle out loud at some particular off hand line. I think it’s helped a lot by how new the premise feels for urban fantasy. The plot structure and world building are nothing like the norm, and the supernatural powers feel more like X-Men than your usual werewolves and vampires. Oh, and for some reason a five hundred year old man playing games on his smartphone cracks me up.
Stiletto does have a few flaws. It has several sections where it goes into history lessons, which dragged at the pacing some. The beginning was also rocky, and I felt like Felicity’s introduction was stereotypical and lazy. She’s doing surveillance in an alley. Two guys come along and start making rape threats. She and another female Checquy agent use their powers to beat them up. While I may have groaned some, I am glad I kept reading.
Stiletto has solidified The Checquy Files as one of my favorite urban fantasy series. If you’re looking for a story that’s fun, humorous, original, and has great female characters, these are some books that I would highly recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member John_Warner
Unknown to most of humanity, there is exists two paranormal adversarial organizations: the Checquy and the Grafters. The Checquy, introduced in the first novel in the Rook Files series, is a clandestine governmental agency comprised of humans with innate supernatural abilities used for the
Although Rook Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) Thomas reappears in this novel to facilitate the alliance between the two organizations, much of the sequel is told from the perspective of Odette, a Grafter diplomat, and Felicity, a Checquy soldier, who has been assigned as her bodyguard, during the negotiations.
I have enjoyed reading this series and hope it continues. It is not necessary to read its predecessor, The Rook, to enjoy Stiletto since it includes the backstory.
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protection of society from supernatural threats. The Grafters are skilled scientists who have bio-engineered their bodies with supernatural abilities and extended lives. Although the two groups have been in war for centuries, a contingent seeks an alliance to end the conflict. However, there is a sub-element of the grafters who want the hostility to continue.Although Rook Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) Thomas reappears in this novel to facilitate the alliance between the two organizations, much of the sequel is told from the perspective of Odette, a Grafter diplomat, and Felicity, a Checquy soldier, who has been assigned as her bodyguard, during the negotiations.
I have enjoyed reading this series and hope it continues. It is not necessary to read its predecessor, The Rook, to enjoy Stiletto since it includes the backstory.
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LibraryThing member TadAD
I enjoyed this second book in O’Malley’s series just as much as the first, The Rook. Although it’s somewhat hard to call anything in the urban fantasy genre really novel, this one has that feel. This isn’t another re-hashing of a vampire/zombie/werewolf novel. Instead, we've got the
I liked the characters; the plots are fast-paced and fun. What's not to like? About the only complaint I can make is that O’Malley writes too slowly—four years between these books—I hope we don’t end up with another G. R. R. Martin on our hands.
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supernaturally-gifted secret agents that guard Great Britain forming an uneasy alliance with the super-scientists of the Continent to face off against an implacable and somewhat mysterious enemy. All with lots of humor and absurdity thrown in.I liked the characters; the plots are fast-paced and fun. What's not to like? About the only complaint I can make is that O’Malley writes too slowly—four years between these books—I hope we don’t end up with another G. R. R. Martin on our hands.
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This is second book in the The Checquy Files. While it is a stand alone book, it will make a bit more sense if you read the first book in the series, "The Rook". This book leaves off where the last one finished. The Checquy (British Secret Organization devoted to protecting the UK from the unknown)
Where the book shines is the pacing. All parts are fast, well written, and fun to read. Its a strange mix of not serious enough and very serious - which leaves the reader a bit disoriented. I love the characters, all of them are well written, manages to stay away from stereotypes, any tropes used are twisted into something new. The author manages to capture human motivations extremely well. The enemy manages to be believable, as well as being extremely evil. The plot fits well with the over all story.
The side story of people being speared in their houses, could almost have been left out, except it adds a bit of morbid comic relief, as well as give us a glimpse of everybody's favorite American Spy.
I think I liked this one much better than the first - the world is more settled, and a bit more believable. One thing really bothered me - Odette, a Grafter of great skill, who is capable of splicing different organs into her body, altering her DNA to make it better, hasn't rid herself of needing tampons. I would think this is the first priority of any female Grafter. Even with all the wonderfully written female characters, this is something a man would never even consider :)
I really like this book - it has everything needed for a lazy Saturday read, and its also well written.
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and the Grafters (a group of Belgium mad scientists who have taken body modification to a new extreme) are joining forces - but there is a problem - the two groups really don't like each other, and on top of it, there's someone attacking the peace conference with the intent to break it up. Its up to a two women, one from the Checquy and one from the Grafters, to figure out what is happening.Where the book shines is the pacing. All parts are fast, well written, and fun to read. Its a strange mix of not serious enough and very serious - which leaves the reader a bit disoriented. I love the characters, all of them are well written, manages to stay away from stereotypes, any tropes used are twisted into something new. The author manages to capture human motivations extremely well. The enemy manages to be believable, as well as being extremely evil. The plot fits well with the over all story.
The side story of people being speared in their houses, could almost have been left out, except it adds a bit of morbid comic relief, as well as give us a glimpse of everybody's favorite American Spy.
I think I liked this one much better than the first - the world is more settled, and a bit more believable. One thing really bothered me - Odette, a Grafter of great skill, who is capable of splicing different organs into her body, altering her DNA to make it better, hasn't rid herself of needing tampons. I would think this is the first priority of any female Grafter. Even with all the wonderfully written female characters, this is something a man would never even consider :)
I really like this book - it has everything needed for a lazy Saturday read, and its also well written.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Not as good as the first, but definitely as rambling. I listened to the audio, straight from the first book, The Rook and the narrator changed. Moira Quirk does a credible job, but I listened to both too close together not to notice the difference in voices and styles and it was a bit jarring.
I
I
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was also disappointed that this story has multiple POVs and very little page time is given over to Myfanwy Thomas, even though the summary would seem to indicate she's the central character. She is not. Mostly this story is told from the POV of a grafter character. Understanding came before acceptance, but once I did accept it, the story was interesting enough to keep me listening. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
When I saw that Daniel O'Malley had released a sequel to "The Rook", I immediately downloaded it and moved it to the top of my TBR.
The first in the series introduced us to the secret government organization tasked with protecting the general population from things of which they are completely
This one was no different. Again led by strong women, this is a must-read for every fan of science fiction, fantasy, and feminism. It is a roller coaster of a story, well-written, and cleverly full of twists and turns.
Some highlights:
•I am absolutely appalled to have you here, but I am also extremely well mannered and so I shall conceal that fact from you.
•"But I hate her," protested Odette. "Oh, I'm sure you think you do," said Marcel cheerfully, "but you're still young. It takes decades to really hate someone."
•The color could perhaps have been descried as sky blue, but it was the blue of a sky that would drive even the cheeriest and most tuneful of novice nuns to slash her wrists. It was a blue that had given up.
See? Wicked good! Highly recommended.
The first in the series introduced us to the secret government organization tasked with protecting the general population from things of which they are completely
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ignorant. Kind of like "Men in Black". With a kick-ass woman as the lead, I devoured the more-than-600-page book in just a few days.This one was no different. Again led by strong women, this is a must-read for every fan of science fiction, fantasy, and feminism. It is a roller coaster of a story, well-written, and cleverly full of twists and turns.
Some highlights:
•I am absolutely appalled to have you here, but I am also extremely well mannered and so I shall conceal that fact from you.
•"But I hate her," protested Odette. "Oh, I'm sure you think you do," said Marcel cheerfully, "but you're still young. It takes decades to really hate someone."
•The color could perhaps have been descried as sky blue, but it was the blue of a sky that would drive even the cheeriest and most tuneful of novice nuns to slash her wrists. It was a blue that had given up.
See? Wicked good! Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member infjsarah
Another enjoyable read from Daniel O'Malley. Learning more about the Grafters as they do (or perhaps do not) attempt a peaceful merger with the Chequy. I found the conclusion a most accurate representation of the idea of "pawns" that the author has built into this fantasy world.
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
Again a great book. I was a bit disappointed that Myfanwy didn't play a larger role in this book, but then I got engrossed and I didn't mind so much anymore. I liked the little sideline of the serial killer, and of course I also liked the intricacies of the main story line, but I did feel that it
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was drawn out a bit. Some scenes felt repetitive. Again some weird-looking flesh cube or flesh whatever, again some social mishap. I didn't mind too much, though, because it was an enjoyable read with some great humor. Also some great female roles. The majority actually, now that I think about it. Great! Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Sequel to The Rook, though instead of focusing on magic secret agent Myfanwy Thomas, POV shifts to two new female characters, one a Pawn of the secret British magical agency the Chequy and the other a Grafter—a member of the Continental organization of self-modifying,
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biotech-so-advanced-it’s-like-magic people who have been at war with the Chequy for centuries (and that includes a few people who’ve been around the entire time). The Chequy and the Grafters have a fragile truce, but a series of gruesome attacks threatens to derail it. Fans of The Laundry Files will find similar wry bureaucrats here, though less Lovecraft and more Frankenstein. Show Less
LibraryThing member adamwolf
I liked it! I liked The Rook slightly better, but this was pretty good. A lot of stuff is going on, but it's clear, and the author plays it clean with any twists.
LibraryThing member jsburbidge
A nice followup to The Rook. Thomas is no longer the central character, although she wanders through the plot; the viewpoint characters are junior members of the Chequy and the Grafters, now trying to negotiate a merger, and opposed by a rogue faction. (Just to avoid too much focus on one problem
O'Malley's prose is readable, his plotting good, and his characters rounded enough to support this extended visit with them. Well-done for what it is: a fun action novel with no real pretense at any great depths.
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in a chaotic world, there's an unrelated freelance problem out there as well, and paths cross at a critical time.)O'Malley's prose is readable, his plotting good, and his characters rounded enough to support this extended visit with them. Well-done for what it is: a fun action novel with no real pretense at any great depths.
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LibraryThing member LongDogMom
After reading The Rook, years ago, I was so disappointed to find that there was no sequel, so when I saw Stiletto on the shelves of my local bookstore I was beyond excited. It did not disappoint. In fact, I think it might be my favourite read of the entire year. It was funny and well written and
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creative and I just could not put it down. I blame Daniel O'Malley for the fact that I'm stumbling around through lack of sleep! LOL! I loved The Rook, and yet I think I enjoyed Stiletto even more! I hope we don't have to wait quite as long for the next installment of the Checquy Files!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member jdifelice
This book was amazing. The world, the characters, the writing and the plot were just so good, and I couldn't get enough of it.
The world created in The Rook was built upon and expanded in very intricate ways. I loved the little info dumpy bits because they flowed well with the story and really
This book introduces two new POV characters and they were so well drawn out and developed. I really enjoyed both Odette and Felicity. Myfanwy was a major character in this book still and I enjoyed getting to see her as well and I enjoyed her funny quips and reactions.
I laughed out loud so many times while reading this. It was so funny and clever and the things that made me laugh were so circumstantial and just really had to do with knowing the characters well. Daniel O'Malley really did a great job.
The writing was really good. It flowed well, the sentences were well crafted and the story was really engaging. I really enjoyed the plot as well. I like the new antagonists and how they fit into the story and how some twists were thrown in. I really enjoyed the foresight and explanations given as to how things were happening and going down as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and how the world was explored. I cannot wait for more!
The world created in The Rook was built upon and expanded in very intricate ways. I loved the little info dumpy bits because they flowed well with the story and really
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enhanced what I was reading. I really enjoyed learning more about the Grafters and their history and more about the Chequey as well. This book introduces two new POV characters and they were so well drawn out and developed. I really enjoyed both Odette and Felicity. Myfanwy was a major character in this book still and I enjoyed getting to see her as well and I enjoyed her funny quips and reactions.
I laughed out loud so many times while reading this. It was so funny and clever and the things that made me laugh were so circumstantial and just really had to do with knowing the characters well. Daniel O'Malley really did a great job.
The writing was really good. It flowed well, the sentences were well crafted and the story was really engaging. I really enjoyed the plot as well. I like the new antagonists and how they fit into the story and how some twists were thrown in. I really enjoyed the foresight and explanations given as to how things were happening and going down as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and how the world was explored. I cannot wait for more!
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LibraryThing member drmaf
Not quite as good as The Rook, but then the Rook was a tour-de-force that would be hard to top. Perhaps the sidelining of the redoubtable Myfanwy, who steps aside as the central protagonist here, takes away a bit of the book's wow factor, but the account of the uneasy coming together of ancient
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arch-enemies the Checquy and the Grafters works well enough, and the tension is really wracked up when it becomes clear a ruthless third force is determined to stop the rapprochement at all cost. A damn high quality piece of breathtaking urban fantasy, Harry Potter, the X-Files and Doctor Who all rolled into one, wonderful stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
*Free e-book ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss/Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review. No money or other goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*
In the long-awaited sequel to The Rook, negotiations with the Broederschaap (commonly called "Grafters") and Checquey -
If you blend together Supernatural and Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, you might come up with something like this madcap adventure fantasy. The basis of the Checquey is that they are a government entity, but they are secret: the people themselves making up the "Court" (yes, very like chess) have some sort of extra-human, totally non-scientific abilities. They are also employed in getting rid of any supernatural threats to the realm. The Grafters, on the other end, have been the enemies of the Checquey but are actually quite scientific - albeit a few thousand years' worth of knowledge ahead of everyone else. Now that they are ostensibly on the same side, forces are definitely at work to make sure that the collaboration fails before it has a chance to begin. Odette's entourage and Rook Thomas race against the clock to better their foes, all the while dealing with the odd supernatural mishap like serial killer by crystal. If you enjoy fantasy and don't mind more than a touch of the absurd, I highly recommend the series.
In the long-awaited sequel to The Rook, negotiations with the Broederschaap (commonly called "Grafters") and Checquey -
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two highly secret organizations, one based on science and reason and the other on the supernatural but nonetheless is part of the British government - are continuing. Odette, a young member of the Broederschaap and Pawn of the Checquey Felicity both come to the forefront of the story as we get more of the history of the Grafters and why they would want to join with their up to now mortal enemies. Rook Myfwanwy Thomas also makes her appearances, working behind the scenes to ensure the whole thing doesn't blow up into war.If you blend together Supernatural and Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, you might come up with something like this madcap adventure fantasy. The basis of the Checquey is that they are a government entity, but they are secret: the people themselves making up the "Court" (yes, very like chess) have some sort of extra-human, totally non-scientific abilities. They are also employed in getting rid of any supernatural threats to the realm. The Grafters, on the other end, have been the enemies of the Checquey but are actually quite scientific - albeit a few thousand years' worth of knowledge ahead of everyone else. Now that they are ostensibly on the same side, forces are definitely at work to make sure that the collaboration fails before it has a chance to begin. Odette's entourage and Rook Thomas race against the clock to better their foes, all the while dealing with the odd supernatural mishap like serial killer by crystal. If you enjoy fantasy and don't mind more than a touch of the absurd, I highly recommend the series.
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LibraryThing member nicolewbrown
In this sequel to The Rook, the merger between the Grafters and the Checquy is taking place. The Grafters are believers in science and are way far ahead of today's scienctists to the point that they are deemed unnatural by the Checquy and the Checquy have supernatural abilities that make them seem
Ernst, the head of the Grafters is hiding something. There is a group out there hunting down his people and it turns out that they have followed them to England. He doesn't want to tell Rook Thomas who is brokering the deal because he is afraid it will destroy the deal so he plans on dealing with it himself. He sends his best soldiers after them and they all get killed.
His descendant, Odette, is a bit of a mess. She can't seem to go a day without destroying an outfit. The first one gets blood on it when she tries to help someone in the medical area where she was touring when someone came in injured. As she is a surgeon she jumped in to help to hold onto a blood vessel. He was going to lose a foot but she said she could save it. That's when they found out she was a Grafter and the mood turned sour and she was taken from the room. The next day her dress got ruined by someone who emitted a smoke of some sort onto it while he told her off. The next day her and her new minder Felicity Clemmens who has the ability to touch an object and see inside it and know its history are sent to look at a giant whale-like creature that Felicity needs to see inside of. Of course, Odette grabs at the chance to go inside the creature through one of its blowholes. Then the animal wakes up and both Felicity and Odette and the group she's with are stuck inside the animal and they must be blasted out with fire. Her next outfit gets bloody from trying to help her Uncle Marcel try to save Rook Thomas's life at the Ascot.
Someone keeps trying to grab Odette, but Felicity stops them every time. Odette's friends and Uncle were all killed by the group called the Antagonists who are the ones that are after the Grafters and are also now going after the Checquy and are the ones trying to kidnap Odette. Who are these Antagonists? Can the Grafters be trusted? They're not being honest with the Checquy. The Antagonists will make a huge statement harming many people all over the United Kingdom. They don't care who they hurt. They want to disrupt the negotiations between the Checquy and the Grafters.
This book was a worthy successor to the first book. I love Felicity. She would rather fight off ten attackers than go to a fancy party. Odette, you feel sorry for because she just wants to help people with her surgeon's skills which are quite excellent and she isn't allowed to do so very often because of people's ignorance of science. It's also nice to see Rook Thomas again. I do hope that O'Malley writes another book in this series. This was a fabulous book and I give it five out of five stars.
Quotes
Fine. Go, then. Strive not to get killed. You’ve no idea how much it would inconvenience me.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 56)
The difference between a security guard and a prison guard is one order from the boss.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 90)
Oh, I’m sure you think you do, but you’re still young. It takes decades to really hate someone.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 232)
“So you clone things?” “We can,” said Marcel. “We don’t, though, not usually. Of course, we grow bits of people, but we don’t make whole people.” “Why not?” asked Eckhart. “We prefer to have sex,” said Ernst. “Plus, anyone who wants to clone himself is usually an asshole. You don’t want any more of those running around than absolutely necessary.”
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 408)
“I hate to say it, but his dress is the worst crime against nature I have ever seen in my life.” Felicty cringed a little. The dress lay on the bed, malignant and resentful, like an angry jellyfish. It was technically an evening gown, in the same way that dirt is technically edible. The benighted designer was apparently committed to the principle of “accentuate the negative” and had made the assumption that whoever wore it would have cubical breasts. There were folds and pleats where God and decreed that no folds or pleats ought ever to be, and some sort of structure had been built into the back giving the impression of a prolapsed bustle. The Color could perhaps have been described as sky blue, but it was the blue of a sky that would drive even the cheeriest and most tuneful of novice nuns to slash her wrists. It was a blue that had given up.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 461)
Good to see combat, anyways. Do me proud. Endeavor not to get killed or eaten. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your coat.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 500)
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scary to the Grafters. Both sides hate each other going back to the 1600s when the Grafters invaded England and lost and King Charles II had them all killed off and their research burned. However, some escaped with some research and remained in hiding until now.Ernst, the head of the Grafters is hiding something. There is a group out there hunting down his people and it turns out that they have followed them to England. He doesn't want to tell Rook Thomas who is brokering the deal because he is afraid it will destroy the deal so he plans on dealing with it himself. He sends his best soldiers after them and they all get killed.
His descendant, Odette, is a bit of a mess. She can't seem to go a day without destroying an outfit. The first one gets blood on it when she tries to help someone in the medical area where she was touring when someone came in injured. As she is a surgeon she jumped in to help to hold onto a blood vessel. He was going to lose a foot but she said she could save it. That's when they found out she was a Grafter and the mood turned sour and she was taken from the room. The next day her dress got ruined by someone who emitted a smoke of some sort onto it while he told her off. The next day her and her new minder Felicity Clemmens who has the ability to touch an object and see inside it and know its history are sent to look at a giant whale-like creature that Felicity needs to see inside of. Of course, Odette grabs at the chance to go inside the creature through one of its blowholes. Then the animal wakes up and both Felicity and Odette and the group she's with are stuck inside the animal and they must be blasted out with fire. Her next outfit gets bloody from trying to help her Uncle Marcel try to save Rook Thomas's life at the Ascot.
Someone keeps trying to grab Odette, but Felicity stops them every time. Odette's friends and Uncle were all killed by the group called the Antagonists who are the ones that are after the Grafters and are also now going after the Checquy and are the ones trying to kidnap Odette. Who are these Antagonists? Can the Grafters be trusted? They're not being honest with the Checquy. The Antagonists will make a huge statement harming many people all over the United Kingdom. They don't care who they hurt. They want to disrupt the negotiations between the Checquy and the Grafters.
This book was a worthy successor to the first book. I love Felicity. She would rather fight off ten attackers than go to a fancy party. Odette, you feel sorry for because she just wants to help people with her surgeon's skills which are quite excellent and she isn't allowed to do so very often because of people's ignorance of science. It's also nice to see Rook Thomas again. I do hope that O'Malley writes another book in this series. This was a fabulous book and I give it five out of five stars.
Quotes
Fine. Go, then. Strive not to get killed. You’ve no idea how much it would inconvenience me.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 56)
The difference between a security guard and a prison guard is one order from the boss.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 90)
Oh, I’m sure you think you do, but you’re still young. It takes decades to really hate someone.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 232)
“So you clone things?” “We can,” said Marcel. “We don’t, though, not usually. Of course, we grow bits of people, but we don’t make whole people.” “Why not?” asked Eckhart. “We prefer to have sex,” said Ernst. “Plus, anyone who wants to clone himself is usually an asshole. You don’t want any more of those running around than absolutely necessary.”
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 408)
“I hate to say it, but his dress is the worst crime against nature I have ever seen in my life.” Felicty cringed a little. The dress lay on the bed, malignant and resentful, like an angry jellyfish. It was technically an evening gown, in the same way that dirt is technically edible. The benighted designer was apparently committed to the principle of “accentuate the negative” and had made the assumption that whoever wore it would have cubical breasts. There were folds and pleats where God and decreed that no folds or pleats ought ever to be, and some sort of structure had been built into the back giving the impression of a prolapsed bustle. The Color could perhaps have been described as sky blue, but it was the blue of a sky that would drive even the cheeriest and most tuneful of novice nuns to slash her wrists. It was a blue that had given up.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 461)
Good to see combat, anyways. Do me proud. Endeavor not to get killed or eaten. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your coat.
-Daniel O’Malley (Stiletto p 500)
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LibraryThing member BillieBook
While slow in spots, I appreciated the increase in scope and the introduction of new characters. I hope that the introduction of these new elements means that we'll be seeing more stories about the Checquy.
LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
Myfanwy is back once again in this long awaited sequel to The Rook. This time she takes a back seat to two new main characters Felicity and Odette. Two characters that you will quickly fall in love with as a new threat has arrived. It was a long wait, but oh so worth it! Fans you will not be
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disappointed and may just love this one even more. I did! Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Sequel to the Rook (which you really ought to read first, although this book does have a few annoying but probably insuficient recaps if you haven't), but following some other characters instead of Miss annoying name Thomas. As per the ending of the Rook, the Brotherhood and chequy are going to
We follow one monster - a Pawn called Felicity who can read the past history of objects close to her, and a scientist called Odette, who is a direct (6th) descendant of one of the original founding fathers, adn part of delegation invited to London to negotiate the terms of the merger. Felicity is soon tasked to be minder and bodyguard fro Odette. Symptomatic of both organisations both girls are not entirely pleased with the idea of cooperating with their ancestral enemies, but under strict orders from their bosses they are prepared to discover that the other is mostly human. Sadly not all of both operations are quite as open minded. And of course having eliminated the cause of the last great strife, O'Malley invents a new enemy to inveigle itself into the plot.
This is even less convincing than the Rook was, despite not suffering from the massive plot holes, it never really engages, and the choppy jumps between felicity and odette (and then randomly miss annoying name thomas now and again) doesn't help. It is clever with some neat explanations for the puzzles offered early in the book. But somehow there's a lack of cohesion, and post hoc explanations for events that seemed random at the time aren't the answer. The characterisation remains great, and there's a good sense of development as the two women work out their differences. The leaders remain aloof and naive which is another oddity. What made the Rook innovative - the memory loss - cannot be repeated, and this I suspect is the reason why the sequel is just not as good. It is innovative, but not to the same degree, with far more attempts to be gross and funny, neither of which really works.
It is clever, and if enjoyed Rook more than I did, you'll probably enjoy this too. Its certainly far from a bad book, but just not quite as funny or clever as it's trying to be.
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merge into one big happy family of weird monsters and mad scientists. We follow one monster - a Pawn called Felicity who can read the past history of objects close to her, and a scientist called Odette, who is a direct (6th) descendant of one of the original founding fathers, adn part of delegation invited to London to negotiate the terms of the merger. Felicity is soon tasked to be minder and bodyguard fro Odette. Symptomatic of both organisations both girls are not entirely pleased with the idea of cooperating with their ancestral enemies, but under strict orders from their bosses they are prepared to discover that the other is mostly human. Sadly not all of both operations are quite as open minded. And of course having eliminated the cause of the last great strife, O'Malley invents a new enemy to inveigle itself into the plot.
This is even less convincing than the Rook was, despite not suffering from the massive plot holes, it never really engages, and the choppy jumps between felicity and odette (and then randomly miss annoying name thomas now and again) doesn't help. It is clever with some neat explanations for the puzzles offered early in the book. But somehow there's a lack of cohesion, and post hoc explanations for events that seemed random at the time aren't the answer. The characterisation remains great, and there's a good sense of development as the two women work out their differences. The leaders remain aloof and naive which is another oddity. What made the Rook innovative - the memory loss - cannot be repeated, and this I suspect is the reason why the sequel is just not as good. It is innovative, but not to the same degree, with far more attempts to be gross and funny, neither of which really works.
It is clever, and if enjoyed Rook more than I did, you'll probably enjoy this too. Its certainly far from a bad book, but just not quite as funny or clever as it's trying to be.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
paranormal superspies vs. scientifically-augmented supersurgeons, with odd monsters thrown in (fantasy adventure some spoofing). Let's hope the third one is just as good as the first and second, and that it doesn't take as long for O'Malley to write it.
LibraryThing member vpfluke
I am not going to write a real review, but just to note ideas on Bruckner's Symphony Number 8 at midchapter 23 on page 264 (hardbound). There are comments on the symbolism from Wikipedia about death (death march) and transfiguration of the Deutscher Michel figure. This corresponds with the sciences
The second concerns whether Alessio really did die or the prose just points to his death in an ambiguous way. I believe Alessio is a plot figure sometimes called "Fifth Business" (see Robertson Davies). This is where a non-important character is crucial to the turn of the story.
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fro Odette's and Felicity's medical tribulations.The second concerns whether Alessio really did die or the prose just points to his death in an ambiguous way. I believe Alessio is a plot figure sometimes called "Fifth Business" (see Robertson Davies). This is where a non-important character is crucial to the turn of the story.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
In an impressive follow-up to the mind-bending Rook, O'Malley almost immediately manages to turn the hated, extremely creepy bad guys from book one into sympathetic and intriguing protagonists. Rarely have I seen such a compelling about-face -- the Grafters retain their disturbing natures, but in
Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
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the steadily unfolding plot, we gain an utterly new perspective, and the book is incredibly hard to put down. Myfanwy Thomas is back (yay!) and complex negotiations in high level spy-vs-spy continues. Sufficiently gross for middle school boys (as I found out this week, when I spoke to one reading The Rook), yet sophisticated in plot and morality, with adventure that never stops and a lovely wry humor, these books are fast becoming tops on my favorites list. Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
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LibraryThing member amcheri
I liked this book as much as the first in the series. Very fun read with engaging characters and situations and I will absolutely read the next in the series, if there is one. Please let there be a next in the series. Daniel O'Malley writes great women and such fun situations. I definitely
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recommend this series. Fun! Show Less
Awards
Aurealis Award (Shortlist — 2016)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — Fantasy — 2017)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2016)
Language
Original publication date
2016-06-14
Other editions
Stiletto: A Novel (The Rook Files) by Daniel O'Malley (Hardcover)