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infinite_kay's review against another edition
3.0
Oh The Rook, The Rook; what to say about you?
It’s not that you were bad; you had, in fact, all the necessary elements to make me fall in love with you. A great setting (I can’t resist an undercover supernatural governmental organisation!). A intriguing main character. A fantastic cast of secondary characters. A complex mystery with a detailed plot. Really, I should have fallen in love with you. But I didn’t.
I want to believe it is a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. Had we met earlier or later in life, I probably would have enjoyed our time together much more. I won’t lie, there were some great moments there. I thought Myfanwy was clever and fun to be around. I loved how the superpowers worked, and how original they were. It felt fresh and new and very different from all the urban fantasy books I have read in the past. It created great scenes, too, whether it was in a “simple” interrogatory or an action sequence. Also, very, very creepy villains!
Myfanwy was a great character, being herself one of the book’s mysteries. I liked that the Myfanwy from before the incident had left all these instructions to the memory-less Myfanwy. It was a bit like reading the biography of an unknown yet important woman, but the Checquy’s organization is so huge and intricate that it kept me interested.
But there were also moments where I just felt myself struggling through the pages. I would sit down for ten minutes, and not manage to turn a page. I got bored in places, even though the story kept on revealing new details and offering new mysteries. I still can’t pinpoint why, exactly. Maybe the abundance of details was a bit much to take as I was getting ready to get back to university? If I compare you, dear The Rook, to other novels of a similar nature I have had the opportunity to read, I have to admit that you were a bit much to take in.
I really wish I could give you a more positive review. Still, three stars isn’t bad. I can recognize that you had strong qualities, aspects that distinguish you from other books and make you more difficult to categorize. I’m even willing to keep you on my shelf, in case I feel like giving you another try later in life. For now though, I can’t really do much more than say you were okay.
But I swear to you : it’s not you, it’s me. I’m pretty sure of that.
It’s not that you were bad; you had, in fact, all the necessary elements to make me fall in love with you. A great setting (I can’t resist an undercover supernatural governmental organisation!). A intriguing main character. A fantastic cast of secondary characters. A complex mystery with a detailed plot. Really, I should have fallen in love with you. But I didn’t.
I want to believe it is a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. Had we met earlier or later in life, I probably would have enjoyed our time together much more. I won’t lie, there were some great moments there. I thought Myfanwy was clever and fun to be around. I loved how the superpowers worked, and how original they were. It felt fresh and new and very different from all the urban fantasy books I have read in the past. It created great scenes, too, whether it was in a “simple” interrogatory or an action sequence. Also, very, very creepy villains!
Myfanwy was a great character, being herself one of the book’s mysteries. I liked that the Myfanwy from before the incident had left all these instructions to the memory-less Myfanwy. It was a bit like reading the biography of an unknown yet important woman, but the Checquy’s organization is so huge and intricate that it kept me interested.
But there were also moments where I just felt myself struggling through the pages. I would sit down for ten minutes, and not manage to turn a page. I got bored in places, even though the story kept on revealing new details and offering new mysteries. I still can’t pinpoint why, exactly. Maybe the abundance of details was a bit much to take as I was getting ready to get back to university? If I compare you, dear The Rook, to other novels of a similar nature I have had the opportunity to read, I have to admit that you were a bit much to take in.
I really wish I could give you a more positive review. Still, three stars isn’t bad. I can recognize that you had strong qualities, aspects that distinguish you from other books and make you more difficult to categorize. I’m even willing to keep you on my shelf, in case I feel like giving you another try later in life. For now though, I can’t really do much more than say you were okay.
But I swear to you : it’s not you, it’s me. I’m pretty sure of that.
libliz's review against another edition
2.0
The pacing of this book is VERY strange. Any attempt the author makes to personalize his amnesiac protagonist seems forced. I'll pass on any sequels.
alisposato's review against another edition
This genre is normally not my thing but this book was thoroughly entertaining.
andreacpowers's review against another edition
3.0
Very lightweight. Entertaining but I'm not going back for the second volume.
em_poleca's review against another edition
5.0
Pełna opinia na: eM poleca: Wieża
Naprawdę nie jestem w stanie sobie przypomnieć, kiedy ostatnio tak szybko wciągnęła się w lekturę. Ale nie powinno to dziwić, skoro już od pierwszej strony wskakujemy w sam środek wydarzeń, gdzie główna bohaterka budzi się w parku otoczona zwłokami. Co więcej, okazuje się, że Myfanwy (tak, za każdym razem kiedy o niej wspominam muszę sprawdzić czy się nie pomyliłam pisząc jej imię) straciła pamięć, a w kieszeni płaszcza znajduje list, który napisała… ona sama.
4,5/5
Naprawdę nie jestem w stanie sobie przypomnieć, kiedy ostatnio tak szybko wciągnęła się w lekturę. Ale nie powinno to dziwić, skoro już od pierwszej strony wskakujemy w sam środek wydarzeń, gdzie główna bohaterka budzi się w parku otoczona zwłokami. Co więcej, okazuje się, że Myfanwy (tak, za każdym razem kiedy o niej wspominam muszę sprawdzić czy się nie pomyliłam pisząc jej imię) straciła pamięć, a w kieszeni płaszcza znajduje list, który napisała… ona sama.
4,5/5
heliofoe's review against another edition
4.0
Requires concentration because there's a lot of backstory, but emotionally it's a happy light read provided you like supernatural political mystery.
umar_l's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointed! This book had so much potential. As another reviewer mentioned, the writing was just off. Surprised at the rave reviews that miss the fact that this is a badly written novel.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. This book.
I really enjoyed where this book was going. That first chapter was pretty exciting.
Then... it got problematic. Problematic when you found that the character was not questioning her 'fish out of water' predicament that she was now in. At times, I almost forgot she lost her memory.
We are the introduced to characters that just pop up to 'make the job interesting', but are not exactly 'friend material'.
I think the biggest problem I had with the book was... I didn't understand it. There were these portions of the book that had to do with the backstory on how she lost her memory... and I know that if read, it will explain everything. I felt like I still didn't understand. Then there was something to do about this ancient group of people wanting to infiltrate the modern world.
I'm gonna be honest. I had less than 100 pages to read but I stopped. I couldn't finish.
I really enjoyed where this book was going. That first chapter was pretty exciting.
Then... it got problematic. Problematic when you found that the character was not questioning her 'fish out of water' predicament that she was now in. At times, I almost forgot she lost her memory.
We are the introduced to characters that just pop up to 'make the job interesting', but are not exactly 'friend material'.
I think the biggest problem I had with the book was... I didn't understand it. There were these portions of the book that had to do with the backstory on how she lost her memory... and I know that if read, it will explain everything. I felt like I still didn't understand. Then there was something to do about this ancient group of people wanting to infiltrate the modern world.
I'm gonna be honest. I had less than 100 pages to read but I stopped. I couldn't finish.
joshbritiffe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Rook is an interesting take on epistolary. We see the main characters flaws highlighted in the notes left behind, after her memory is wiped — only to follow her as a strong woman, shoulders lite of any trauma, as she sets out to investigate her own … murdered-psyche.
I truly loved the administrative nature presented in this world of supernatural events — we’re so used to seeing X-Men style works, whilst The Rook grounds this trope in the bureaucracy of The Bourne Identity (this antecedents used within the blurb).
It is information heavy, but pace in a way that makes it engaging to like-minded readers. For those in need of a lighter book, The Rook may not be for you. It was, unfortunately, subjected to a poorly developed television show — which I would not recommend watching.
I truly loved the administrative nature presented in this world of supernatural events — we’re so used to seeing X-Men style works, whilst The Rook grounds this trope in the bureaucracy of The Bourne Identity (this antecedents used within the blurb).
It is information heavy, but pace in a way that makes it engaging to like-minded readers. For those in need of a lighter book, The Rook may not be for you. It was, unfortunately, subjected to a poorly developed television show — which I would not recommend watching.