Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley

This is a long overdue review. The blog being down and me being generally busy with life and other things means that I cobbled this review from notes and other postings.

This was an eagerly anticipated sequel to The Rook. I read Stiletto without rereading The Rook so I forgot a lot, but you can really read it as a standalone.

All in all, I liked it and found it almost as addictive as the first. I liked the new characters and the new arc featuring the merger. This novel has a ton of world building which is fun and as a fatansy/sci-fi series should. There’s a little of side stories and tidbits. My favourite was Marcel’s story which read like a mini WWII novel (and there are many of those on the market). I found The Roock was not British or English enough; the editing and writing for that part of the world and those characters were lacking. This one was better that way. I believed the characters were British and European.

There was not enough Myfanwy. She continues to grow and I missed her POV in this novel. I do like that this series seems focused on interesting and distinct female protagonists and characters. All three central characters come from different backgrounds and experiences.

Finally, this book is squickier than the last book and in general compared to many other books I read. I’m generally fine these kind of details in books (less so in movies and TV), but this will bother more readers.

To avoid spoiling the book, I will say that there is a villain in this series and Myfawny has a true nemesis. Personally, they are one of the creepiest and darkest villains in a series I’ve read in awhile. I kinda wish the author would introduce a new nemesis for Myfanwny. Hopefully when the take down happens, it will be sweet and worthwhile.

Read September 6-8, 2016.

This was my 42nd book of the year. In 2015, I only managed 42 books. While I will read more books for the rest of the year; the autumn is much busier than I anticipated. As I get older, I still read as fast and love books. They are one of my constant pleasures and hobbies; however, life does get in the way. I have more responsibilities in all areas of my life. Most days, I wish I could forget it all and read and read.

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