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The Rook: A Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 8,074 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Myfanwy Thomas awakens in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, she must trust the instructions left by her former in order to survive. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization, and this person wants her dead.
Battling to save herself, Myfanwy will encounter a person with four bodies, a woman who can enter her dreams, children transformed into deadly fighters, and terrifyingly vast conspiracy.
Suspenseful and hilarious, The Rook is an outrageously imaginative thriller for readers who like their espionage with a dollop of purple slime.
"Utterly convincing and engrossing -- -totally thought-through and frequently hilarious....Even this aging, jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic was blown away."-Lev Grossman, Time
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"Story about a Secret British Agency that protects the world from the supernatural. I enjoyed it and I felt that while the idea of a secret agency protecting us from the supernatural seems cliched, this book was extremely fresh and original. The supernatural threats were some I have never seen before. The super powers that the good and the bad guys have are also very original. Hopefully this becomes a BBC TV show."
— Michael (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“O’Malley’s impressive debut [is] a supernatural detective thriller distinguished by its adept use of humor…Dry wit, surprising reversals of fortune, and a clever if offbeat plot make this a winner. Dr. Who fans will find a lot to like.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Exquisitely clever, inventive, and entertaining.”
— Barnes&Noble.com -
“The pace never lets up in this entertaining high-action read…O’Malley has fashioned a near-perfect supernatural thriller. The heroine is appealing, the villains all monsters or freaks, and something unexpected happens on almost every page. Don’t start this book unless you’ve got lots of time, because you won’t want to put it down. It’s that good.”
— Library Journal -
“Adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof…O’Malley is a nimble writer, effortlessly leaping back and forth between comedy and action.”
— Booklist -
“Peppered with sly humor, referential social commentary, and the ironic, double-layered self-awareness that will have genre fans believing Buffy the Vampire Slayer has joined Ghostbusters.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
A near-perfect supernatural thriller...Don't start this book unless you've got lots of time, because you won't want to put it down. It's that good.
— David Keymer, Library Journal -
The Rook is going to kick off my Best Books of the Year list. The opening page alone is a gem, and the narrative just keeps getting better...This is wonderful entertainment.
— Charlaine Harris, on her blog -
The Rook has got it all: secret powers, mysterious organizations, dark corners...twisted scientists, and a duck that can see the future...Hands down I have not enjoyed a good supernatural novel this much for quite some time...It's just that good.
— James Floyd Kelly, Wired.com -
A beguiling and inventive first novel...The Rook is expertly written...full of narrative energy.
— David Walton, Cleveland Plain Dealer -
A creative mix of suspense, the supernatural, and espionage thrills. It's loaded with dry wit and doesn't take itself too seriously...Certainly one of the most unusual stories you will read this year.
— Christian DuChateau, CNN.com -
Great, rattling fun, as if Neil Gaiman took Buffy the Vampire Slayer and crossed it with Torchwood... Throughout a rip-roaring narrative, O'Malley off-handedly weaves deadpan humor.
— Joyce Saenz Harris, Dallas Morning News -
Adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof....O'Malley is a nimble writer, effortlessly leaping back and forth between comedy and action.
— David Pitt, Booklist -
Peppered with sly humor, referential social commentary, and the ironic, double-layered self-awareness that will have genre fans believing Buffy the Vampire Slayer has joined Ghostbusters.
— Kirkus -
Wholly refreshing...If you like Harry Potter, Buffy, X-Men, or any assorted series that mixes humor and the supernatural, you'll probably love The Rook."—Alex Zalben, MTV Geek
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Impressive....Dry wit, surprising reversals of fortune, and a clever if offbeat plot make this a winner.
— Publishers Weekly
Awards
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Winner of the 2012 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
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A #1 iBooks bestseller in Science Fiction & Fantasy
The Rook Listener Reviews
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pcollums, 2/16/2021
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Matthew Mottershead, 3/16/2020
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" Definitely strange and maybe a tad long-winded in places but it was amazingly creative and really funny at times. It was a nice departure from the more girly things I've been ready lately. "
— Jackie, 2/10/2014 -
" Fun book along the clever humor along the lines of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl or Douglas Adams. I liked it a lot! "
— anguinea, 2/3/2014 -
" Awesome. Very well written. Waiting for the second one! "
— Heather, 1/30/2014 -
" Really enjoyed this book. I would say it's kind of like Harry Potter on steroids. Highly recommend. "
— Rob, 1/24/2014 -
" Kind of a slow, confusing start but it gelled nicely as it went along. British paranormal fiction, with a nice feminine slant. Nice stuff. "
— Thomas, 1/23/2014 -
" Please, please, please, please, PLEASE let the author write a sequel! I LOVED this book. "
— Jenn, 1/18/2014 -
" Supernatural secret service mystery set in UK. A little formulaic but I had to know what happened... "
— Keith, 1/15/2014 -
" The narrative in this book pulls you in and then keeps you there. I was hoping to read this book on my commute to and from work, but that resolve quickly faded. Excellent modern fantasy. "
— Rekesh, 12/26/2013 -
" Really enjoyed this one a lot. "
— Scott, 12/25/2013 -
" This was a fantastic read that was difficult to put down. The characters, plot, and world were engaging and I look forward stories in this universe. "
— Paul, 12/25/2013 -
" What a story! I was initially a little skeptical, but the characters and plot quickly got under my skin (pun totally intended). I wish there were a sequel so I know how the merger goes. "
— Erica, 11/23/2013 -
" I adore this book. It was amusing and the characters were wonderful. "
— Suzanne, 8/2/2013 -
" This book goes fun to boring quickly and it keeps doing that over and over and over. I found my mind wondering all over the place while trying to read this. "
— Jake, 7/20/2013 -
" I did not finish the book. It sounded like it was going to be good, but I was partly bored and partly confused. I need to connect with a character and I did not in this book. "
— Marta, 6/19/2013 -
" Thoroughly enjoyable action story. A little too much "before I kill you at the end of the story, I will tell you all about my evil plan". But still, quite a fun read. "
— Catherine, 4/8/2013 -
" This was a really good book. "
— Sarah, 3/23/2013 -
" So far it's different. "
— Jessica, 12/9/2012 -
" This book was odd to me. Interesting and not really my style as it's more about monsters and sci fi then Im used to. Overall it was ok if you're into that genre. "
— Tiffany, 10/11/2012 -
" I really enjoyed this book, however there is quite a bit of swearing in it. "
— Michelle, 9/21/2012 -
" I found that two thirds of the book held my interest with hopes for exciting twists and turns ... However, from that point on it became disappointing. "
— Donna, 9/7/2012 -
" An intriguing and fun read. This was a self-chosen Christmas present and made a great holiday read. "
— Ladybythelake, 6/15/2012
About Daniel O’Malley
Daniel O’Malley graduated from Michigan State University and earned a master’s degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He then returned to his childhood home, Australia. He now works for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, writing press releases for government investigations of plane crashes and runaway boats.
About Susan Duerden
Susan Duerden is an actress and an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. Her reading of The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht earned her an AudioFile Best Voice Award and a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award. She has won ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. Here career spans film, television, theater, voice-overs, and animation. She has played critically acclaimed and award-winning theatrical roles on London’s West End and Off Broadway; acted in the features Lovewrecked and Flushed Away; and held a recurring role on ABC’s Lost.