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sian_h's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Such an amazing novel. I absolutely devoured it.
A woman wakes up, wet and beaten, surrounded by bodies wearing latex gloves. An intriguing start. The story follows the story of the person now inhabiting Myfanwy Thomas, no memories and only letters from the former Thomas to guide her.
The book has a Men In Black feel, with the whole secret supernatural security organisation. Its pretty awesome to watch as Myfanwy becomes her own person separate from the identity of Thomas.
I found it really page turning and didn't guess the traitor so I was trying to figure it out right to the end. Really excited for Stiletto!
A woman wakes up, wet and beaten, surrounded by bodies wearing latex gloves. An intriguing start. The story follows the story of the person now inhabiting Myfanwy Thomas, no memories and only letters from the former Thomas to guide her.
The book has a Men In Black feel, with the whole secret supernatural security organisation. Its pretty awesome to watch as Myfanwy becomes her own person separate from the identity of Thomas.
I found it really page turning and didn't guess the traitor so I was trying to figure it out right to the end. Really excited for Stiletto!
mbpartlow's review against another edition
5.0
What a romp! What if you could wake up and become a totally new you?
From the inside cover: With no memory of who she is or how she got there, Myfanwy must follow the instructions that her former self left behind to discover her identity and escape those who want to destroy her.
It goes on, including the phrase "suspenseful and hilarious," which is absolutely true.
Myfanwy works for a mysterious government organization, and her new self rises to the occasion in ways her old self never could.
This book begs to be the first in a series.
From the inside cover: With no memory of who she is or how she got there, Myfanwy must follow the instructions that her former self left behind to discover her identity and escape those who want to destroy her.
It goes on, including the phrase "suspenseful and hilarious," which is absolutely true.
Myfanwy works for a mysterious government organization, and her new self rises to the occasion in ways her old self never could.
This book begs to be the first in a series.
alexandra_ninelives's review against another edition
4.0
This was my second reread of this book and I have to say it still felt like the first time because I have the memory of a fish. I only vaguely remembered one “plot twist” and that’s it.
The first 88% of this book is AMAZING. Unique, charming, interesting. I like Rook Thomas. I like her earlier version and I think the second version is a badass. So, the premise of this book is that Rook Thomas loses her memory one day and does not know anything about her life up until the point where she awakes surrounded by corpses. It’s fun to see her read her letters and learn about her role. I especially love that she doesn’t let anyone bring her down anymore.
When we get to the big reveal is the moment it all falls apart. Literally anyone else would have been a better choice. Plus the reason for all this. I just think the author had a great idea and did not know how to end it so he threw a dart and here we are.
I really wish Gestalt was a main character in this story. It was fascinating. I think we should have a spin off series about his bodies.
I heard a lot of mixed things about the rest of this series but I’m excited to see where it all goes.
The first 88% of this book is AMAZING. Unique, charming, interesting. I like Rook Thomas. I like her earlier version and I think the second version is a badass. So, the premise of this book is that Rook Thomas loses her memory one day and does not know anything about her life up until the point where she awakes surrounded by corpses. It’s fun to see her read her letters and learn about her role. I especially love that she doesn’t let anyone bring her down anymore.
When we get to the big reveal is the moment it all falls apart. Literally anyone else would have been a better choice. Plus the reason for all this. I just think the author had a great idea and did not know how to end it so he threw a dart and here we are.
I really wish Gestalt was a main character in this story. It was fascinating. I think we should have a spin off series about his bodies.
I heard a lot of mixed things about the rest of this series but I’m excited to see where it all goes.
hellobookbird's review against another edition
4.0
The body you are wearing used to be mine.
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.
"This should be a pleasant little interview. All I have to do is put on my scary face."
"You have a scary face?" Ingrid sounded skeptical.
"Yes," said Myfanwy indignantly. "I have a very scary face."
Ingrid surveyed her for a moment. "You may wish to take off the cardigan then, Rook Thomas," she advised tactfully. "The flowers on the pocket detract somewhat from your menace."
Let me start by saying thrillers are not usually my cup of tea but I absolutely LOVED this book and I am so glad I made it my mission to finally get through some of my TBR (from 2016!) and didn't just pass this by.
Myfanwy ("miff-ann-ee") wakes up surrounded by dead bodies with no knowledge of who she is, how she got there, or why there are dead bodies surrounding her. With a note in her pocket (beginning with: "The body you're wearing used to be mine."), she soon finds herself caught up in a complicated life she never asked for.
Her former life left a series of notes and a binder to help her navigate her way through the basics of her job at a secret supernatural agency known as the Checquy Group, how she lost her memory, who is out to get her, and how to stay alive. The notes are how you learn about the world and how it works but for all that they infodump I really, really enjoyed them because they're written in conversational discourse of Myfanwy's prior life. Honestly, I feel like if I had a history professor that could summarize history like Myfanwy, I would have done way better in school.
Throughout it all there's snarking, friendships, and plenty of information to keep you entertained while you try to unravel the mystery.
What a wild ride.
Highly recommended for anyone that likes their paranormal weird.
anothersoprano22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
xcaity's review against another edition
5.0
I can't believe I had never heard of this book before I saw it on my friend's husband's bookshelf. It's totally my type of book! Urban fantasy & and a badass heroine (as someone else said, not necessarily badass in that she'll kick your ass, but badass in that she will deal with everything happening but she's going to eat her candy bar first).
There is a LOT of info-dump in this, and usually that's not something that will hold my attention, but O'Malley does it in a really good way. You're learning it all right along with the protag, which makes it better somehow.
I'm excited to get started on the sequel.
There is a LOT of info-dump in this, and usually that's not something that will hold my attention, but O'Malley does it in a really good way. You're learning it all right along with the protag, which makes it better somehow.
I'm excited to get started on the sequel.
timinbc's review against another edition
5.0
Let's see .. if you liked Carriger's Protectorate and Stross's Laundry series and Jasper Fforde's Tuesday Next series -- you'll love this.
It's got attitude, it's well written and it flows along nicely. It has interesting characters, lots of supernatural ideas jammed into a framework that insists this is all perfectly normal. Strong female characters, without the men being caricatures.
We follow two stories, one current and one in the recent past, as the current person learns what came before her situation. Works well.
It's often funny, but there's the sort of gore you might expect when dealing with supernatural entities of varying strength. There's a multi-bodied person, a vampire, sapient goo, a memory erasure with advance notice, ... and lots, lots more.
I'll even give this extra for being quite long, because when one has a good read going one wants it to last a while.
I look forward to #2.
It's got attitude, it's well written and it flows along nicely. It has interesting characters, lots of supernatural ideas jammed into a framework that insists this is all perfectly normal. Strong female characters, without the men being caricatures.
We follow two stories, one current and one in the recent past, as the current person learns what came before her situation. Works well.
It's often funny, but there's the sort of gore you might expect when dealing with supernatural entities of varying strength. There's a multi-bodied person, a vampire, sapient goo, a memory erasure with advance notice, ... and lots, lots more.
I'll even give this extra for being quite long, because when one has a good read going one wants it to last a while.
I look forward to #2.
astrireads's review against another edition
3.0
A good and intriguing supernatural book, but felt a little off in some parts to me. Reading the sequel would not be a priority for me.
beachybookstack's review against another edition
5.0
This book was funny, it was a bit gross, and it was good. I was sure to keep track of my favorite little snippets of sarcasm or offhand humor as I read on the Goodreads app. The "gross" part weren't necessarily disturbing or scary, but instead gave you the feeling of needing a shower. The flesh cube assault for example.
I thought the letters to the new Myfanwy were a clever plot device, because how else would an amnesiatic person ever navigate their life. A few of the letters dragged on, but for the most part they made for interesting background information. As for Myfanwy herself, I liked her as a protagonist. She was an Ms Self-Doubt or insanely cocky like alot of female protagonists. She even manages to interact and make friends with two other women in the course of this one novel--practically unheard of.
Gestalt was quite the character, I liked the idea of him in general. It makes for a good villain when he's got bodies all over the place. A hive mind was just creepy enough to make me suspect him throughout the story, despite my general suspicions being a bit off.
I kept reading and reading when I could, getting 10 or 20 pages at a time before falling asleep. I wanted to know who was behind it all and what the hell would happen with the Grafters. The skin-less man in the fish tank was hilarious to me, no clue why. Maybe because I imagined him with a ridiculous almost-Arnold accent splashing about like a frustrated blob.
I'll likely read the sequel whenever it comes out. Recommended**
I thought the letters to the new Myfanwy were a clever plot device, because how else would an amnesiatic person ever navigate their life. A few of the letters dragged on, but for the most part they made for interesting background information. As for Myfanwy herself, I liked her as a protagonist. She was an Ms Self-Doubt or insanely cocky like alot of female protagonists. She even manages to interact and make friends with two other women in the course of this one novel--practically unheard of.
Gestalt was quite the character, I liked the idea of him in general. It makes for a good villain when he's got bodies all over the place. A hive mind was just creepy enough to make me suspect him throughout the story, despite my general suspicions being a bit off.
I kept reading and reading when I could, getting 10 or 20 pages at a time before falling asleep. I wanted to know who was behind it all and what the hell would happen with the Grafters. The skin-less man in the fish tank was hilarious to me, no clue why. Maybe because I imagined him with a ridiculous almost-Arnold accent splashing about like a frustrated blob.
I'll likely read the sequel whenever it comes out. Recommended**