Daniel O'Malley (The Rook) expands on the intriguing and hilarious paranormal world of the Checquy, Great Britain's ultra-secret espionage and law enforcement agency for supernatural matters. In a devilishly funny follow-up, Stiletto, he leads readers into the ranks of the Checquy's mortal-enemies-turned-recent-allies, the Grafters, a Belgian society of scientists who make Victor Frankenstein look unimaginative.
Rook Myfanwy Thomas, a key member of the Court of the Checquy, could go down in history for the ceasefire with the Grafters--if she can keep the two sides from poisoning, dismembering or liquefying each other. Each Checquy member became an agent thanks to a supernatural talent; each also received rigorous combat training from a very young age. The Grafters possess physical modifications perfected through countless surgeries and technological innovations.
Bridging the gap will fall to Odette Leliefeld, and her assigned Checquy minder, Pawn Felicity Clements, whose power is psychometry. Despite their mutual disgust and suspicion, the two brilliant young women must pull together in the face of fatal, seemingly Grafter-originated attacks on the Checquy that threaten the negotiations.
While not without flaws--namely, a slightly bloated plot and not enough Myfanwy--and possessed of a steep learning curve for the uninitiated, this sequel delivers the imagination, action and sardonic wit of its predecessor in spades. O'Malley reaches new heights of grotesquery in the best possible way with details of the Grafters' lives. This ambitious romp reads like X-Men meets Supernatural as narrated by Jasper Fforde, only funnier. Readers should begin with the first book, then approach this one ready to meet some wisecracking, butt-kicking additions to a stellar character roster. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads