Where's My Bookmark: The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

"Dear You, The body you are wearing used to be mine."

In the list of intriguing first lines, Daniel O'Malley's opening line from The Rook is definitely tops. And from there forward, the tale gets profoundly more intriguing and amusing.

Myfanwy Thomas opens her eyes to see a ring of bodies surrounding her and finds a letter in her pocket explaining what must be done next. She has no memory of who she is, what she does, or how she ended up in this place. The letter leads her to a safe place where she is given a choice, adopt the life she seems to have taken over, or run. Though her choice might be clear, extenuating circumstances force her to become Rook Thomas. As she reads the old Thomas's notes, explaining the organization she works for (The Checquy), what a Rook does, and all manner of strange things, the new Myfanwy takes to her life and position in a way that the old Thomas never seemed comfortable with.

This is another one of those amazingly fun books that's hard to pin down but is an absolute must read. The narrative is funny, at times laugh out loud so, the story is quirky, and I imagine the mind behind it (O'Malley) is brilliant.

The structure is interesting as well. The character has no knowledge of these things, and so the story unfolds as two tales, that of the new Myfanwy and that of the old. The new Myfanwy is our narrator and the old tells her tale through letters and notes written for her "replacement."

I have to say, as my first official 2012 read (started and finished in the new year) The Rook will go down as my first favorite of the new year as well!

The Rook officially hits shelves on Jan 11. For more on O'Malley and The Rook, visit: http://www.rookfiles.com/