Kevin E Daniels and Kaykay Davis-daniels Disciplinary Review

**SPOILER ALERT**

My book reviews are written as a discussion of a book, and non equally an advertisement.  Please be aware that there may be information that some would consider  spoilers and continue on at your ain hazard!

I recently read a list of people's top books of 2012.  One reader recommended 3 books that I had read and enjoyed, and the fourth volume was The Rook, which I had non read.  Since we seemed to take a similar taste in books, I decided to requite this 1 a adventure.  Here's what I thought:

Plot?

A daughter wakes up in someone else's body, and that trunk has special abilities (like controlling other people'due south bodies).  The previous occupant of the body has left the new girl instructions on how to take over her life (or she could only run abroad and live comfortably- but and then we wouldn't exist reading a book about information technology).  Oh- and the trunk's original owner is a high ranking member of a hugger-mugger British force that fights bad supernatural guys.  The New Girl takes over the body and does a better job with it than the previous owner.

While reading the book, I was not certain whether the Original Girl had amnesia and couldn't remember herself, or if the New Girl was someone who had a previous trunk, but had taken over a new 1.  Come up to find out, the Original Daughter had part of her memory wiped, then she couldn't remember who she was, which I suppose freed her up to be a bad ass.  A amend plot twist might have been the option that someone split had taken over her torso.

The plot is interesting, simply standard.  Girl loses retention (although no one seems to notice due to all-encompassing documentation left by the Original Girl).  Girl discovers traitor.  Girl kicks supernatural booty.  In that location were some 'plot holes' for me- for case, this is a summit surreptitious organization that recruits members as children, and does their best to hide and protect them (for case, by tracking anyone who even googles one of their names).  But they don't alter the kids names?  Myfawny'southward sis finds her considering of tax records.  If yous don't want to be found, step 1 is irresolute your name.  There is one part where she says "Information technology'due south not a case of putting all your eggs in one basket; information technology'southward a thing of keeping your valuables in a rubber".  (Referring to the fact that all the recruited children- and some adults- are all kept at the same estate).  I thought this saying was stupid, because if you had several valuables, you would keep them in split up safes- at separate locations.  What a lame style to validate why you got all the kids together.

Plot Score: iii/5

Location, Location, Location?

This book takes place in London, by and large at facilities run by the Checquy Group (the supernatural super hugger-mugger British spy bureau).  Even though this was a super cool hugger-mugger spy agency, it just didn't come to life for me in that mode.  There are a few secret passages- merely one leads to her onsite residence, which she was afraid to even re-style later on the previous male occupant left.

Location Score: 2/five

Characters and Relationship?

The Original Girl – Myfanwy (Miffany- rhymes with Tiffany) had cool supernatural abilities, and is one of the nigh powerful people in Checquy grouping, but she is meek and timid and always afraid.  Just the blazon of character that is unworthy of a volume.  The New Girl- also Myfawny Thomas, takes more than of an aggressive role.  I'1000 non certain how a memory wipe would make you starting kick major haul, but it worked for Myfanwy.

Although there was no romance in this book, Myfawny did make 2 friends, both were developed very rapidly (Shantay- who became her BFF after 1 conversation) and Bronwyn, the Original Girls sister (they were separated when Bronwyn was 3 and Myfawny was vii-9, and so no need to tie up lose ends on why they didn't remember the same stuff).  I felt information technology was odd that someone waking up in this blazon of scenario starts to latch onto strangers and developing BFFs after a conversation.  Her executive assistance, Ingrid Woodhouse, was developed more than slowly, over the course of the book, which was more realistic.

Character Score: 2/v

Bigger Pregnant?

None.

Bigger Meaning Score: 0/5

Style

This is where the book really fell apart for me.   This is what I like to call a 'skim volume'.  There is no reason to read every give-and-take, considering most of information technology makes no difference- in fact, in that location are entire capacity y'all can skip (the tiring messages the Original Girl wrote to the New Girl).  I had originally liked the concept of getting glimpses of the Original Girl through letters (why wouldn't she go out video letters then that the New Girl could encounter her mannerisms- which would help with blending in), just subsequently a while, it just was information overload.  I don't need the consummate history of every graphic symbol she comes across!  And at one indicate, these summary notes would pause upwards the little bit of action that the volume contained.  I felt this volume could have been cut downward by about 100 pages (It was a full of 487 pages).  At 1 point she lists well-nigh 80 types of manifestations, couldn't you lot go with 2 or 3 and exit information technology at that?  Who is reading all that?  It adds zilch to the advancement of the story.

The other result I had with the Original Girls letters, is that she would write them as if the letters were a novel- for instance she wrote

"Practiced evening, Sir Henry," I said demurely. "Welcome."

Who writes in a journal like that?  Did she actually think that she spoke 'demurely'?  Then she would have journal entries where she could simply partially remember things.  Does the Original Girl call back everything- down to how she spoke, or tin can she not even recall a conversation properly?  Option one…and stick with information technology.

Fashion Score: 1/v

Final Notes?

-At first the letters from the Original Daughter were interesting, but after a while I but started skipping those chapters…ho-hum!

-Once a book is on the same listing with 'Name of the Wind', information technology has a huge expectation to live upwards to.  Perhaps my expectations were besides high for me to really enjoy this one.

-The magical children at the manor reminded me of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  Any ane else get that feeling?

Total Score and Recommendation

eight/25 – Skip it.  If you desire an entertaining supernatural read that is lighthearted, read Kevin Hearne'south Iron Druid series or Patricia Brigss Mercedes Thompson series.

Tagged: KayKay Daniel O'Malley Sci Fi

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Source: https://kaykaysnoveljourneys.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/kaykay-cbr5-review-02-the-rook-daniel-omalley/

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