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Blitz: A Novel (The Rook Files) Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 1,362 ratings

In this historical fantasy, a new recruit to the most powerful supernatural intelligence agency on Earth is accused of going rogue—and must go on the run to clear her name.

September, 1940. Three women of the Checquy, the secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats, stand in the sky above London and see German aircraft approach. Forbidden by law to interfere, all they can do is watch as their city is bombed. Until Pamela, the most sensible of them, breaks all the rules and brings down a Nazi bomber with her bare hands. The three resolve to tell no one about it, but they soon learn that a crew member is missing from the downed bomber. Charred corpses are discovered in nearby houses and it becomes apparent that the women have unwittingly unleashed a monster.
 
Through a city torn by the Blitz, the friends must hunt the enemy before he kills again. Their task will take them from the tunnels of the Underground to the halls of power, where they will discover the secrets that a secret organization must keep even from itself.
 
Today. Lynette Binns, a librarian with a husband and child, is a late recruit to the Checquy, having discovered only as an adult her ability to electrify everyday objects with her touch. After completing her training, she is assigned to examine a string of brutal murders and quickly realizes that all bear the unmistakable hallmark of her own unique power. Unable to provide an alibi and determined to prove her innocence, she flees, venturing into the London underworld to find answers. But now she is prey, being tracked by her own frighteningly capable comrades.
 
As Lyn fights off powered thugs and her own vengeful colleagues, she will find that the solution to the murders and to the mystery of her own past lies in the events of World War II, and the covert actions of three young women during the Blitz.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Blitz:

“With a relaxed style and array of fun characters, including an agent who makes people who look at him see their mother and a baby goat that turns into a little boy, O’Malley's latest will appeal to his many followers.”―
Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Daniel O’Malley and the Rook Files series:

"Laugh-out-loud funny, occasionally bawdy, and paced like a spy thriller replete with chases, betrayals, and tragedies. There is slime, there is heartbreak, and there are wardrobe malfunctions... Fear not, dear reader: Daniel O'Malley's in charge, and the Checquy Files are in masterful hands."―
Joyce Sáenz Harris, Dallas Morning News

“Satisfying and spellbinding.”―
Charlaine Harris

"Utterly convincing and engrossing—totally thought-through and frequently hilarious. The writing is confident and fully fledged. Even this aging, jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic was blown away."―
Lev Grossman, Time

“Devilishly funny… O'Malley raises the action, monsters and witticisms to new levels… This ambitious romp reads like
X-Men meets Supernatural as narrated by Jasper Fforde, only funnier.”―Jaclyn Fulwood, Shelf Awareness

“The pace never lets up in this entertaining high-action read… O’Malley has fashioned a near-perfect supernatural thriller… Something unexpected happens on almost every page. Don’t start this book unless you’ve got lots of time, because you won’t want to put it down. It’s that good.”―
David Keymer, Library Journal

About the Author

Moira Quirk, a British actress and Earphones Award-winning narrator, co-narrated Ben Bova's Mercury and has narrated other popular audiobooks for which she received Audie Award nominations. She is a successful comedian and can be heard on Nickelodeon's cartoon My Life as a Teenage Robot as well as in The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, The Wild Thornberrys Feature, and Serendipity, among others. She has also lent her voice to several video games, including Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and Haunting Ground.



Daniel O'Malley graduated from Michigan State University and earned a master's degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He then returned to his childhood home, Australia. He now works for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, writing press releases for government investigations of plane crashes and runaway boats.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09HQLMKMZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 689 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316561532
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 3 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Rook Files
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,362 ratings

About the author

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Daniel O'Malley
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Daniel O'Malley is an Australian science fiction writer.

A graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He works for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. His first novel, The Rook (novel), was released in 2012 and was a winner of the 2012 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,362 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the novel's engaging storyline with its twists and turns, and appreciate how familiar characters appear in different time periods. The book receives positive feedback for its readability as an excellent addition to the series, with well-developed characters and sly humor throughout. Customers praise the writing style, with one noting O'Malley's skill in portraying women characters. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some customers finding it slow-moving.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

40 customers mention "Storyline"34 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, appreciating its interesting structure and engaging twists and turns, with one customer noting its unique premise.

"...The alternating time periods was very interesting and merged well in the end. Highly recommend if you loved the Rook." Read more

"...Then, the stories take off - lots of action, fighting, mayhem. The book became un-put-downable and so much more like its two predecessors...." Read more

"...Chapters go back and forth with great characters, action, and tension. The reveal of how they tie together is a bit anti-climactic...." Read more

"...to learn more about the history of the Checquy and to explore the fantastic supernatural world that O'Malley has created...." Read more

24 customers mention "Character development"20 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them compelling and fun to see familiar characters in different times. They enjoy the change of viewpoint with new characters.

"...Chapters go back and forth with great characters, action, and tension. The reveal of how they tie together is a bit anti-climactic...." Read more

"...I enjoyed getting to know Lyn, and very much appreciated her as a character...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed all the characters and actually was upset and sad when something really bad happened to them...." Read more

"...and this one balances that divide well, with sympathetic and interesting characters and storylines on both ends...." Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with many describing it as the best in the series and an excellent addition to the trilogy.

"...It's a four for a good read, continuing the series. The two parallel stories are interesting...." Read more

"...I'm waiting for the 1st book so I can begin the trilogy. Happy reading." Read more

"...All in all, it was a good book. The ending seems pretty obviously pointing to a sequel." Read more

"The first two books were excellent. I skipped ENTIRE chapters of this one. The WW2 section is disjointed and extremely slow...." Read more

6 customers mention "Development"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the development of the book, with one noting it's a solid sequel and another describing it as beautifully put together.

"...It is beautifully put together and has great action but the key is the beautifully wrought and congruent personalities of the protagonists...." Read more

"...I found the letter the Indian woman writes her parents to be absolutely beautiful and the most memorable part of the book and the writing...." Read more

"...And as in the previous two, the characters are compelling and utterly believable...." Read more

"...what to expect after such a long break from the last book but this was lovely...." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's sly humor.

"...is on show (I had to look up a couple of his words) as is his sly humour - e.g. whilst examining a person with known magical powers that could rot..." Read more

"This third in the series has the same sly wit and social crit, the same interesting and complex characters, including a tour of the London criminal..." Read more

"...And the sly humour is still subtle - you read a sentence then stop reread and realise just how ridiculous it actually was...." Read more

"...Probably the Rook the most as it was my first and ever so funny...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer specifically noting how well O'Malley portrays women characters.

"Ok - I love these books. Mr. O’Malley is a brilliant and original writer. However, this one needed an editor in a terrible way...." Read more

"...getting to know the new protagonists and I admire how well O’Malley writes women; as a woman myself, I connect with and understand the characters’..." Read more

"These were two well written and absorbing stories, with intriguing and attractive protagonists, and well structured plots...." Read more

"Well written and enjoyable read. Usually WWII stories bore me but this one did not. Great installment in the series." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some expressing happiness for Stiletto while others find it slow moving.

"...The two timelines were clunky and unnecessary, and the connection between them was too tenuous to support writing both out...." Read more

"...I was very happy for Stiletto, and equally happy for a third entry into the Checquy series...." Read more

"...The WW2 section is disjointed and extremely slow. Based around three characters whose very existence is boring...." Read more

"Loved Rook, liked Stiletto, Blitz had serious issues...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
    I loved the Rook, thought Stilleto was okay but the author had added this third installment and thought it as good as the Rook. The alternating time periods was very interesting and merged well in the end. Highly recommend if you loved the Rook.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2022
    There are two stories to this book. First one, takes place during the Blitz, and concerns a team of three young women - all of whom have magical talents. Second one, is set in current times, and concerns a youngish (35) woman struggling to come to terms with her late-developing magical talent that can send bolts of killing electricity into anything metal. There is a connection between the two stories, but it comes quite late (at 85%) in the story and doesn't suddenly make everything clear.

    As another reviewer says "hang in there". I almost didn't - the first 1/3 or so was a bit boring. I kept putting the book down, and going and doing much-loathed chores and was seriously considering a 2-3 star review for an author I loved. Why boring? - well, there was a prolonged lead-in to the 'meat' of the stories, plus tedious info dumps and the author kept wandering off piste and telling side-tales which allowed him to expand on the magical/monstrous creatures his fertile imagination came up with, but which didn't actually advance the two stories. Could have done with a stricter editor here.

    It's not all female characters - male characters have parts to play as well, but their roles are subordinate to the women. The author's facility with the English language is on show (I had to look up a couple of his words) as is his sly humour - e.g. whilst examining a person with known magical powers that could rot any natural cloth, the doctors were wearing polyester, except for one doctor who had skipped the briefing memo and had to "abruptly excuse himself".

    Then, the stories take off - lots of action, fighting, mayhem. The book became un-put-downable and so much more like its two predecessors. From then on, I really enjoyed the book and was sorry when it ended.
    17 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2024
    The story is split between WWII and the present day. Chapters go back and forth with great characters, action, and tension. The reveal of how they tie together is a bit anti-climactic. I still really enjoyed this book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2024
    Blitz offers us a chance to learn more about the history of the Checquy and to explore the fantastic supernatural world that O'Malley has created. I was very happy for Stiletto, and equally happy for a third entry into the Checquy series.

    There are quite a few characters with POVs, which is a blessing and a curse. I enjoyed getting to know Lyn, and very much appreciated her as a character. It took a supporting character to get me to appreciate Bridget, but she won me over in the end. Unfortunately I never really clicked with Pamela or Usha. And this kind of leads into why Blitz feels a bit scattered.

    Spoilers for specific nitpicks.

    We get too much detail on things that don't have any impact on the story, but felt like world-building that was just tacked on. Usha's letter, the orientation pamphlet, the alliterations.

    Alicia didn't feel like a person. There was a huge opportunity missed to connect her to Hans as a rogue family branch.

    On that note...why was there even two timelines? Hans didn't matter. I kept waiting for some connection but literally it was a footnote about how rarely the lightning family gets involved post-christian influence. Did I miss something? This should have been two books/novellas. Separately I enjoyed each on their own merit, mashed together I was just confused.

    I'm still looking forward to any future books, but this one was a little messy.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024
    I really loved this series and was so happy that the author continued the story so to speak. I really enjoyed all the characters and actually was upset and sad when something really bad happened to them. You do need to just go with the "flow" of the story and characters which are unlike any that you have met in other stories. I wish the author would continue the story well beyond the three that are in this series! I really hated finishing each book until I heard there was another book following the story.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2022
    I’ve read quite a few present day/WWII parallel storylines lately, and this one balances that divide well, with sympathetic and interesting characters and storylines on both ends. Fair warning: it’s a while before they converge, so just go with it. Also, it’s definitely a sequel. If you haven’t yet read Rook and Stiletto, read those first.

    Blitz may not quite reach the level of Rook (though I admit to having a unreasonable love for Rook!), it is an engaging and fun addition to the world of the Cheque. I really enjoyed it, although I think I would rather have seen the two stories stand on their own, as a separate standalone story and it’s sequel (or prequel…you really could do it either way). But that may also just be my desire for more Daniel O’Malley books!

    After starting the book on my Kindle, I found I didn’t want to put it down, so I bought the Audible version as well. As always, I adore the Whispersync functionality. The narration was superb. Moira Quirk managed to make each character feel unique and real, and I had no problem telling them apart, or feeling like she was “putting on an accent” as sometimes happens when a book has this many characters.

    In short, Daniel O’Malley has another entry on my list of “books I will definitely read again.” I can’t wait for the next one.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
    Every last book of the Rook files is fantastic and this was no different. It’s very unique premise. Do yourself a favor and pick up copy now.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
    I out aside everything else I had to do to read this book (after reading the first two with increasing pleasure). It has been a while since a book did that to me, so I'm intensely grateful and look forward to other books from Mr. O'Malley.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • S. MacNiven
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the first two
    Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2023
    This was two stories in one book, with the chapters alternating between one MC in WW2 Britain and the other MC in present-day Britain. That made it a little confusing to follow at first, but it smoothed out as it went on. The plot wasn't as easy to follow as the first two because of the two storylines.
  • H T M Kenward
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is the third book in a magnificent trilogy. (The Rook / Stiletto / Blitz) A masterpiece.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2023
    This is the third book in a magnificent trilogy. (The Rook / Stiletto / Blitz) A masterpiece. Read it ! This deals (among other things) with the WW2 Blitz on London; the nature of friendship and betrayal; and how "history" foreshadows later events. Yes, it has science fiction elements (secret government organisation; people with "powers"; a "secret war" that most are unaware of; and, of course, a parallel history to our own. I have NEVER anticipated the release of a new novel as much as I did "Blitz" !
  • Karlee Anne Burgess
    5.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying third instalment in the Chequay Files.
    Reviewed in Australia on November 14, 2024
    Another great read from O'Malley. I'm amazed at the imagination and wit, character depth and the incredible world the author has created. A spy thriller spliced to an urban fantasy, this is a great, original and funny read.
  • Rudolf P.
    3.0 out of 5 stars mehr Anekdotensammlung als Handlung
    Reviewed in Germany on September 2, 2024
    Dieses Buch wirkt mehr wie eine Anekdotensammlung aus der Chequey und weniger wie ein Handlungsträger.
    Band 1 & 2 waren wirklich gut. Ok, dann darf es im Band 3 auch mal einen Einbruch geben.
    Report
  • Ken Jill
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the wait.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 9, 2022
    A protracted wait between Books 2 and 3 of The Rook Files, but well worth the wait.
    Daniel has the ability to build a great fantasy/paranormal world and people it with engaging characters. The parallel stories of Bridget and Lyn--each living in a different time period: the 1940 blitz and the present day respectively--and who have similarities which become more and more apparent as you get closer to the climax of the book. Without giving away spoilers, Daniel has enhanced his personnel of the Checquy with more outlandish and therefore useful supernatural abilities than in the two previous novels.
    If I had to find fault, it was clear that the author is not English, for quite a few American terms crept into the 1940 chapters (such as truck instead of lorry, etc.); also, the criminal world in London in the 1940s would have made greater use of English slang (especially Cockney) amongst their gang members.
    On a different note: I ordered copies of both the print and Kindle editions. Sadly, there were many typos in the Kindle edition not found in the print copy.
    In spite of the minor flaws mentioned above, it was a wonderful book. More please!
    Customer image
    Ken Jill
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Worth the wait.

    Reviewed in Australia on December 9, 2022
    A protracted wait between Books 2 and 3 of The Rook Files, but well worth the wait.
    Daniel has the ability to build a great fantasy/paranormal world and people it with engaging characters. The parallel stories of Bridget and Lyn--each living in a different time period: the 1940 blitz and the present day respectively--and who have similarities which become more and more apparent as you get closer to the climax of the book. Without giving away spoilers, Daniel has enhanced his personnel of the Checquy with more outlandish and therefore useful supernatural abilities than in the two previous novels.
    If I had to find fault, it was clear that the author is not English, for quite a few American terms crept into the 1940 chapters (such as truck instead of lorry, etc.); also, the criminal world in London in the 1940s would have made greater use of English slang (especially Cockney) amongst their gang members.
    On a different note: I ordered copies of both the print and Kindle editions. Sadly, there were many typos in the Kindle edition not found in the print copy.
    In spite of the minor flaws mentioned above, it was a wonderful book. More please!
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