O'Malley, Daniel

In this sequel to his debut novel, Rook, O'Malley strikes a skillful balance between irreverent humor and adventure. His narratives move back and forth, providing detail but without becoming cumbersome. This X-Men meets X-Files-style adventure will appeal to fans of superhero comics and adventure novels such as Brandon Sanderson's "The Reckoner" series. [See Prepub Alert, 7/20/15.]

First-time novelist O'Malley has fashioned a near-perfect supernatural thriller. The heroine is appealing, the villains all monsters or freaks, and 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. [See Prepub Alert, 7/11/11.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA