#the checquy

[whatthymeizzit]

[book--brackets]

The Wicked + the Divine by Kieron Gillan (2014-2019)

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever.

The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley (2012-2022)

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Tea Dragon by K. O'Neill (2017-2021)

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes THE TEA DRAGON SOCIETY, the beloved and charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives--and eventually her own. 

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper (1965-1977)

When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back, three from the circle, three from the track; wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; five will return, and one go alone.” 

With these mysterious words, Will Stanton discovers on his 11th birthday that he is no mere boy. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land. His task is monumental: he must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will create a force strong enough to match and perhaps overcome that of the Dark. Embarking on this endeavor is dangerous as well as deeply rewarding; Will must work within a continuum of time and space much broader than he ever imagined.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (1979)

In The Bloody Chamber - which includes the story that is the basis of Neil Jordan's 1984 movie The Company of Wolves - Carter spins subversively dark and sensual versions of familiar fairy tales and legends like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Bluebeard," "Puss in Boots," and "Beauty and the Beast," giving them exhilarating new life in a style steeped in the romantic trappings of the gothic tradition.

Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (2013-2022)

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night...Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley (2005-2012)

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta (2008-2012)

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

Damar by Robin McKinley (1982-1984)

Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Hillfolk. Her life is quiet and ordinary-until the night she is kidnapped by Corlath, the Hillfolk King, who takes her deep into the desert. She does not know the Hillfolk language; she does not know why she has been chosen. But Corlath does. Harry is to be trained in the arts of war until she is a match for any of his men. Does she have the courage to accept her true fate?

The Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook (1984-2000)

Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. 

Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her... 

[variouspolltournaments]

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

[someoctober]

i miss them. bad

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote YES if you have finished the entire book.

vote NO if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[dxppercxdxver]

going into the rook tag and blocking all the tv show bloggers like walking into my house after having gone away for awhile and shooing all the rats in the walls out with a broom

[sawbones-showdown]

[flammelikestoread]

Such a girlfailure... I love her

[wizardofahz]

Spent so much of the latter half of Blitz (The Checquy Files) trying to remember if they mentioned Lady Carmichael's power, and then the end...

Her power and poise... dang

[chiropteracupola]

martin brody and wanderlust or myfanwy thomas and steady, steady if you please?

...in the flesh cube!

[book--brackets]

Hi everyone, there’s only around 12 hours left to vote in preliminary rounds 1-8 for Best Fantasy Book. If you’ve yet to cast your vote, check out my pinned post for links to all the polls, and here’s a quick update on books at risk of being eliminated (less than 2% of the vote when adjusted for the 'see results' option) in all the polls:

Poll 5: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Poll 6: Legacy of Orisha by Tomi Adeyemi

Poll 8: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Fables by Bill Willingham

Poll 9: The Hollows by Kim Harrison

Poll 11: The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

Poll 13: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams, Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Poll 14: The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley, Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta

Poll 15: The Chronicles of Alice by Christina Henry

Poll 16: Entwined by Heather Dixon Wallwork

Poll 17: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker

Poll 18: Weaveworld by Clive Barker

Poll 19: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Poll 21: Traveler's Gate by Will Wight

Poll 24: Healer Seer by Victoria Hanley

Poll 25: Tales of Alderly by Alan Garner

Poll 27: Guides for Dating Vampires by D. N. Bryn

Poll 28: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Poll 31: Lilah's Adventures by Sherwood Smith

Poll 32: Knights of Liofwende by Garry Kilworth

[variouspolltournaments]

[readingaccountability]

march roundup!

since my last post i have finished:

blitz - daniel o'malley

goliath - tochi onyebuchi

just like home - sarah gailey

the three-body problem - cixin liu

the change - kirsten miller

my government means to kill me - rasheed newson

when we were magic - sarah gailey

the all-consuming world - kassandra khaw

upgrade - blake crouch

and i finished upgrade last night so nothing is in progress at the moment! <3

[someoctober]

hey look it’s the blorbos from last year! still my sillygirls

[tacanderson]

Revisiting Favorite Book Series

I mention in my last post that I normally don't re-read books. There are just too many books I want to read (seriously, my TBR pile is easily over 100 books). But this year I revisited several favorites. Of the 60 books I will have read this year, 16 of them were books I've already read. This post contains 12 of those I reread and two new books to this year.

The Rivers of London

First up, let's talk about The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. This has been one of our favorite series and my wife and I eagerly await each new release. This year, book nine in the series, Amongst our Weapons was released. Yes there are nine books in the series, plus three novellas, a slew of short stories, a series of comic books, and now a role playing game from the same publisher that brought us The Call of Cthulhu. It's probably the most popular series most people in the States don't seem to know about. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg opted the series for TV, but that was in 2019 and then the pandemic hit, and that hasn't gone anywhere. But I know Nick Frost his a huge fan of the series.

The Checquy Files

Like The Rivers of London, The Checquy Files (written by Daniel O'Malley) falls squarely in that urban fantasy genre and also takes place in London. Whereas The Rivers of London was, 'If Harry Potter grew up and joined the fuzz,' I'd describe The Checquy Files more like 'If The X-Men joined MI5.'

The Rook was turned into a short-lived series on Starz, that was originally being adapted by Stephenie Meyer (yes, the Twilight author), but she left as soon as filming started over creative differences. The series drifted pretty far from the source material, from what I understand, and was cancelled after one season.

I also find it interesting that Daniel O'Malley was born in Australia, went to college in the States (both for his undergrad and his Masters), and then moved back to Australia, but still set his book in London. I'm not sure if he ever lived in London, but having lived in London myself, I can safely say that it really lends itself to urban fantasy.

Murderbot!

I love all three of these series, but The Murderbot Diaries has a special place in my heart. The main character is a non-gendered, humanoid construct, cyborg - person. Basically a brain, skin, muscle, and something that's not blood, combined with a supercomputer and the insides of the Terminator. But it's the most relatable human character, that's not technically a human, you'll ever read. Imagine someone that hates their job, is annoyed at having to deal with people and just wants to watch TV all day. That's Murderbot.

Martha Wells is primarily a fantasy author, but I think this sci-fi series is her most highly rated. A good example of why authors should be willing to experiment.