Blitz: A Novel

Started reading directly after work on Thursday and couldn’t stop until a really embarrassing late/early hour. This is really two separate books with interweaving themes. It is beautifully put together and has great action but the key is the beautifully wrought and congruent personalities of the protagonists. As Usha reminds us “people are people”, and the author nails that.Don’t expect a lot of Myfanwy or Odette - the pop up but that’s about all. You won’t miss them though, there are plenty of characters to keep you entertained. And the sly humour is still subtle - you read a sentence then stop reread and realise just how ridiculous it actually was.Great work, really hope there are further planned - I feel like there’s enough material to go on for ages. And I want to know what happened with Bridget and Gerald, and Tilly, and Georgina and Pawn Seager…

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.

Excellent addition to the series. Very complex plot, superb characters, easily believable world superimposed on reality/history. Red herrings, surprises, twists and turns, this novel had a treasure trove of surprises. I enjoyed it very much.After reading the first book, I bought the second, and this one, as soon as I knew the publication date. I’ll buy the fourth and any other books in this series to come just as quickly.

These were two well written and absorbing stories, with intriguing and attractive protagonists, and well structured plots. I can see why they were published as a single, interleaved novel. But they shouldn't have been. The connection between them, while obvious from the start, was ultimately irrelevant to the plot of the earlier story, and only tenuously related to the plot of the latter story. The result is that the reader is forced to jump back and forth between stories, significantly disrupting the flow in both, but with no payoff for the disruption. Both stories are quite good, but the reading experience was much less so.

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.

First, all those 5s are BS. 5s should be for world class masterpieces.It's a four for a good read, continuing the series. The two parallel stories are interesting. The cracks in the Chequey's social rules are showing in both stories and that's interesting. In a way, it's like the Potter series where the normals are just tolerated by the supers. The moral dilemma of supporting an occupying Nazi regime didn't ring true. I think more of the agents would abandon their loyalty to the organization. After all the American and Irish branches told the UK branch to shove it to follow their own countries interests. I also don't buy that there aren't other national organizations in modern times. That the Israelis, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, etc. haven't figured this out and tooled up their own agencies isn't realistic. Same problem in Potter. I would have expected a wave of American, European and Asian equally competent magicians to take down Voldy.However, the book is fun and worth the read. I recommend it.

Fast delivery and very well packaged book. It looked brand new! The dust cover was in prestine condition. I'm so pleased with my purchase. I'm waiting for the 1st book so I can begin the trilogy. Happy reading.

I love the two storylines alternating between present day and WW2 London. Normally I steer clear of WW2 plots because I am just sick of them, but this is done from such a unique perspective that I enjoyed it immensely. I really enjoyed the history of the Checquey and the insights into its inner workings. And as in the previous two, the characters are compelling and utterly believable. It's easy to believe that the Checquey exists, and that if it did, it would be exactly as described. A truly wonderful read. If you enjoy the supernatural, you will love this!

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.

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.

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" !

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!

Fantastic Product.