Easily the most enjoyable read of the summer, this tale of treachery in Britain's Secret Service for supernatural threats centers on an agent who has quite literally lost her mind and must "catch up" to what's going on via a series of letters written by her brain's previous occupant before one of the organization's other agents kills her. Myfawny Thomas comes to learn that she is an upper-level bureaucrat within the governmental Chequy organization with a particular talent for neutralizing the nervous systems of anyone who threatens her. Her fellow agents include one who releases nerve gas through his skin, a contortionist, one who can liquify and reform metal with his bare hands, a vampire, and Gestalt--one mind that can move himself/herself among four bodies. As she struggles to identify the traitor from the clues her former self has left her, Myfawny must also take on immediate threats from the Chequy's arch enemy, the Grifters, including a rapidly growing fungus with telepathic communication powers. Action scenes are written with panache as the heroine must figure out how to use her powers on the fly while conquering her gag reflex at the same time.
Myfawny is actually two distinct characters: the pre-amnesiac one is shy and submissive, but a tenacious investigator of the organization's financial history and current practices. The present amnesiac is tough and assertive, with quite a temper and a dry sense of humor. Myfawny's potential antagonists are less well-developed, but are given just enough background to make them interesting beyond their peculiar skill sets. The Rook is an entertaining blend of roller coaster action, mystery, and the supernatural. O'Malley adds a totally new spin on the problems of memory loss. Fun, fun, fun!!
No comments:
Post a Comment