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The Checquy Files #4
Royal Gambit: A Novel
From the brilliant and hilarious author of
The Rook,
a delightful new supernatural When the heir to the British throne suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, Checquy operative and reluctant aristocrat Alix is assigned to be lady-in-waiting/personal bodyguard to the new Crown Princess, and must navigate the halls of power and privilege while investigating the supernatural murder of the Prince of Wales.
Alexandra "Alix" Dennis-Palmer-Hudson-Gilmore-Garnsey, the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her supernatural ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic property of the Checquy, the secret British government agency that deals with the supernatural. Her aristocratic ancestry made Alix the perfect asset for the Checquy to deploy close to the royal family. Since childhood, Alix has been coached to befriend Princess Louise, second in line to the throne, but despite all machinations, the two have never been close. Now an adult and a full Pawn of the Checquy, Alix is a skilled investigator unravelling supernatural manifestations for the security of the nation.
Everything changes when Louise's brother, the Prince of Wales, dies abruptly, and all signs point to an unnatural assassination. To protect Louise, the new and unwilling heir apparent, Alix is assigned to be her lady-in-waiting. Thrust into the limelight overnight—both in the everyday world and in the underground world of the Checquy—Alix must juggle her responsibilities and her loyalties as she attempts to unravel the murder, keep Louise safe, and learn how to smile graciously while eerie threats loom around every corner.
Alexandra "Alix" Dennis-Palmer-Hudson-Gilmore-Garnsey, the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her supernatural ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic property of the Checquy, the secret British government agency that deals with the supernatural. Her aristocratic ancestry made Alix the perfect asset for the Checquy to deploy close to the royal family. Since childhood, Alix has been coached to befriend Princess Louise, second in line to the throne, but despite all machinations, the two have never been close. Now an adult and a full Pawn of the Checquy, Alix is a skilled investigator unravelling supernatural manifestations for the security of the nation.
Everything changes when Louise's brother, the Prince of Wales, dies abruptly, and all signs point to an unnatural assassination. To protect Louise, the new and unwilling heir apparent, Alix is assigned to be her lady-in-waiting. Thrust into the limelight overnight—both in the everyday world and in the underground world of the Checquy—Alix must juggle her responsibilities and her loyalties as she attempts to unravel the murder, keep Louise safe, and learn how to smile graciously while eerie threats loom around every corner.
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First published July 15, 2025
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About the author
Daniel O'Malley
8 books3,236 followersDan 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews
July 21, 2025
This is the best book in the series since the iconic OG installment. Though the pacing sags a bit in the middle & I personally was not into all the royal talk, this had a really compelling main character and a fantasy police procedural plot that kept things moving. The ending was intriguing in terms of where the series could go, which is the first time I've felt that way since The Rook. This made me so happy to be back in the world!
December 23, 2025
The Rook, Daniel O'Malley's first book, was one of my favorites in 2013. It had a few problems, but on the whole, it was a creative and weird take on the supernatural investigation genre. The second, Stiletto, was a bust for me, so much so that after scrutinizing the reviews of the third, Blitz, I decided to skip it. But time heals all wounds, or at least allows for some sort of scar tissue, so I decided to go for Royal Gambit. There was a lot of it that was fun, although much like Stiletto, I would have supported some heavy editing. Far, far too much detail about aristocracy things. The brunch set-up, the different kind of tiaras, details palace, or whatever:
"Sand had been spread thickly on the cobblestones of New Palace Yard, to ease the footing of the horses and the humans and to assist the carriage in rolling smoothly. It flared bright under the hot sun."
The basic premise is that one of those talented members of the supernatural Checquy, Alexandra Many-Hypen, aka Lady Mondegreen, is tasked with being the woman on the inside of the Royal household when she gets named as a Lady-in-Waiting. Meanwhile, the Checquy has their hands full trying to track down the Prince's murderer. The plotting is decent, though tends to get boggy at times. In this case, part of the, well, plot, is that the Checquy just can't get a lead, so we spend a lot of time watching them go in and out of the office and look up things on the internet. Alix's skill is so potent that it had to be hobbled to keep the tension and danger going. That said, once events take off, it becomes more interesting. The last quarter of the book really had me paying attention.
"Crime scenes always had that feel of a place holding its breath, but private houses even more so."
I am not a fan of the aristocracy, so I know very little about various palaces and royal-related sites in England. I did use the fun 'look up' feature in my e-book and discovered one of the places featured in this story was actually torn down in the 1600s or so. Probably I should have read Blitz; I had been under the impression that this story was an urban fantasy-fied contemporaneous setting, but apparently there's an alternate-history kind of thing playing out. Maybe it would have led me to appreciate the many levels this story was different, but I doubt it.
I generally like O'Malley's narrative voice, an arch tone that is perfect for a secret agency whose members can do unusual things like turn into a dinosaur or grow jasmine vines out of their mouths:
"Whatever approach was taken, it was all done in complete secrecy and was perfectly legal, even if in accordance to laws that were themselves completely secret."
What is curious, yet again, is why O'Malley has a female lead and largely female cast. It's a bit odd. There's shopping, a tiara, 'moaning' over food (ugh, one of my hated markers of the manic-pixie-dream-girl, 'woman of appetites' stereotype), bonding over getting terribly drunk (sixteen shots??)
Would I read it again? Probably not, although I also wouldn't call it a waste of time. Much more likely to go back and read The Rook.
"Sand had been spread thickly on the cobblestones of New Palace Yard, to ease the footing of the horses and the humans and to assist the carriage in rolling smoothly. It flared bright under the hot sun."
The basic premise is that one of those talented members of the supernatural Checquy, Alexandra Many-Hypen, aka Lady Mondegreen, is tasked with being the woman on the inside of the Royal household when she gets named as a Lady-in-Waiting. Meanwhile, the Checquy has their hands full trying to track down the Prince's murderer. The plotting is decent, though tends to get boggy at times. In this case, part of the, well, plot, is that the Checquy just can't get a lead, so we spend a lot of time watching them go in and out of the office and look up things on the internet. Alix's skill is so potent that it had to be hobbled to keep the tension and danger going. That said, once events take off, it becomes more interesting. The last quarter of the book really had me paying attention.
"Crime scenes always had that feel of a place holding its breath, but private houses even more so."
I am not a fan of the aristocracy, so I know very little about various palaces and royal-related sites in England. I did use the fun 'look up' feature in my e-book and discovered one of the places featured in this story was actually torn down in the 1600s or so. Probably I should have read Blitz; I had been under the impression that this story was an urban fantasy-fied contemporaneous setting, but apparently there's an alternate-history kind of thing playing out. Maybe it would have led me to appreciate the many levels this story was different, but I doubt it.
I generally like O'Malley's narrative voice, an arch tone that is perfect for a secret agency whose members can do unusual things like turn into a dinosaur or grow jasmine vines out of their mouths:
"Whatever approach was taken, it was all done in complete secrecy and was perfectly legal, even if in accordance to laws that were themselves completely secret."
What is curious, yet again, is why O'Malley has a female lead and largely female cast. It's a bit odd. There's shopping, a tiara, 'moaning' over food (ugh, one of my hated markers of the manic-pixie-dream-girl, 'woman of appetites' stereotype), bonding over getting terribly drunk (sixteen shots??)
Would I read it again? Probably not, although I also wouldn't call it a waste of time. Much more likely to go back and read The Rook.
August 6, 2025
3.5/5
I’m a huge fan of O’Malley’s Checquy files, especially the first book. Like other books in the series, Royal Gambit works as a standalone. As expected, it is imaginative and well-written, but it also gets in its own way.
Alix Mondegreen, a noblewoman with the power to shatter bones by touch, investigates a high-stakes murder mystery involving the royal family. As a member of the Checquy, a secret British agency that handles supernatural threats, she is assigned to protect Princess Louise, the new heir to the throne, after her brother dies under bizarre circumstances.
I liked Alix - she’s ambitious, competent, and able to deal with personal stakes. O’Malley’s world is strange, and paranormal weirdness is sometimes less intimidating than government bureaucracy. It’s a fun mix. People turn into dinosaurs, mysterious cubes appear in brains, and there’s always a new supernatural angle to investigate. When the book moves, it really moves. Sadly, it doesn’t move enough for large parts.
The pacing is slow. The book spends too much time on side details, royal protocols, and long explanations of how the Checquy operates. O’Malley clearly enjoys building his world, but the result is a story that often stalls. The main plot (a royal assassination with supernatural roots) loses tension under the weight of all the digressions. And that’s a shame because this story is good.
The cast is also too big for the story it’s telling (subjective). New characters keep showing up, each with a quirky name or power, but few leave a strong impression. Sometimes, it feels overstuffed, like the book is trying to do too much at once.
Still, when Royal Gambit works, it works. The dry humor lands. The world is fascinating. And Alix’s journey is worth following, especially given an excellent finale.
probablyThis is a solid entry in the Checquy series with strong writing and an intriguing premise, but it’s dragged down by certain self-indulgence. I wish it had better focus and momentum.
Audiobook narration: Moira Quirk is a treasure. I said it in the past and will repeat every time I listen to the story narrated by her.
I’m a huge fan of O’Malley’s Checquy files, especially the first book. Like other books in the series, Royal Gambit works as a standalone. As expected, it is imaginative and well-written, but it also gets in its own way.
Alix Mondegreen, a noblewoman with the power to shatter bones by touch, investigates a high-stakes murder mystery involving the royal family. As a member of the Checquy, a secret British agency that handles supernatural threats, she is assigned to protect Princess Louise, the new heir to the throne, after her brother dies under bizarre circumstances.
I liked Alix - she’s ambitious, competent, and able to deal with personal stakes. O’Malley’s world is strange, and paranormal weirdness is sometimes less intimidating than government bureaucracy. It’s a fun mix. People turn into dinosaurs, mysterious cubes appear in brains, and there’s always a new supernatural angle to investigate. When the book moves, it really moves. Sadly, it doesn’t move enough for large parts.
The pacing is slow. The book spends too much time on side details, royal protocols, and long explanations of how the Checquy operates. O’Malley clearly enjoys building his world, but the result is a story that often stalls. The main plot (a royal assassination with supernatural roots) loses tension under the weight of all the digressions. And that’s a shame because this story is good.
The cast is also too big for the story it’s telling (subjective). New characters keep showing up, each with a quirky name or power, but few leave a strong impression. Sometimes, it feels overstuffed, like the book is trying to do too much at once.
Still, when Royal Gambit works, it works. The dry humor lands. The world is fascinating. And Alix’s journey is worth following, especially given an excellent finale.
probablyThis is a solid entry in the Checquy series with strong writing and an intriguing premise, but it’s dragged down by certain self-indulgence. I wish it had better focus and momentum.
Audiobook narration: Moira Quirk is a treasure. I said it in the past and will repeat every time I listen to the story narrated by her.
November 24, 2025
What do quokkas, stegosaurus, and tiaras have in common? This book, of course! I'm always happy for a jaunt into the strange mind and world of Daniel O'Malley, that peculiar combination of bodily horror plus dry and often inappropriate humor and a heaping of supernatural weirdness. The randomness of the weird is a big part of the appeal, actually.
Pawn Alexandra (Alix) Green is an investigator in the shadowy paragovernmental organization of the Checquy. Her expertise is in botany (although I don't believe it; she hardly notices a single plant throughout the whole story, and I walked past a 15" salmon in a dry creek last week without seeing it because it was Not A Plant), but as for why she's in the Checquy, that's another, um, skill altogether. Unusually amongst the Checquy, she's been allowed to maintain her title and connection to her noble family. The combination of title and unusual skills makes her uniquely valuable to the royal family when crown prince Edmund is murdered, the only clue a perfect granite cube found in his skull.
So it turns out that I find even fictional royals and their goings-on basically uninteresting, and my eyes glazed over a bit in the scenes that Alix plays lady-in-waiting to the new crown princess. Tiaras, dresses, even cute vintage boots - yawn. The investigation into the murder is more interesting (exploding mandarins! bioengineered quokkas! out-of-control bosses in the most flamboyantly literal ways!). The Checquy, full of magical people or not, is still a bureaucracy:
There are also conversations like this:
O'Malley is so confident in his weirdness that it's genuinely beguiling - from ambushes with masses of blonde hair to the aforementioned incident with the stegosaurus (this is the point at which I started laughing out loud while waiting for my car to be serviced).
At the same time, the most pointed criticism of the Checquy is found in this fourth book, in which its amoral or perhaps immoral willingness to use people for all they're worth to achieve its ends is laid bare. In a way, Alix is sort of coming of age in realizing more of who she is apart from a pawn of the Checquy. Not bad, for someone who was taken into the fold at age 6.
As usual, this is a book set in England that is riddled with Americanisms (high school, 'gotten,' cookies, and it's been a very long time since I was in England). It really makes me wonder why a major publisher wouldn't get even one Brit to proofread this thing.
Let's say 3.5 stars overall, rounding down because of the boring court stuff. I'm down for another.
Pawn Alexandra (Alix) Green is an investigator in the shadowy paragovernmental organization of the Checquy. Her expertise is in botany (although I don't believe it; she hardly notices a single plant throughout the whole story, and I walked past a 15" salmon in a dry creek last week without seeing it because it was Not A Plant), but as for why she's in the Checquy, that's another, um, skill altogether. Unusually amongst the Checquy, she's been allowed to maintain her title and connection to her noble family. The combination of title and unusual skills makes her uniquely valuable to the royal family when crown prince Edmund is murdered, the only clue a perfect granite cube found in his skull.
So it turns out that I find even fictional royals and their goings-on basically uninteresting, and my eyes glazed over a bit in the scenes that Alix plays lady-in-waiting to the new crown princess. Tiaras, dresses, even cute vintage boots - yawn. The investigation into the murder is more interesting (exploding mandarins! bioengineered quokkas! out-of-control bosses in the most flamboyantly literal ways!). The Checquy, full of magical people or not, is still a bureaucracy:
"Well, it's not like we're putting witches on trial now," said Alix. If we found any witches, we'd probably sit them down and explain the juicy retirement plan they'd be eligible for if they signed up with us.
There are also conversations like this:
"So maybe her power manifested, and then she went insane. Like that chef in St. Ives who could suddenly hear the thoughts of plants and so started serving vegan steaks," said Scagell.
"That doesn't sound that insane," said Chuah. "Wait, if he could hear plants thinking, why was he serving vegan steaks? Did he not like what the plants were thinking?"
"He was serving steaks made of vegans," said Smith heavily.
O'Malley is so confident in his weirdness that it's genuinely beguiling - from ambushes with masses of blonde hair to the aforementioned incident with the stegosaurus (this is the point at which I started laughing out loud while waiting for my car to be serviced).
At the same time, the most pointed criticism of the Checquy is found in this fourth book, in which its amoral or perhaps immoral willingness to use people for all they're worth to achieve its ends is laid bare. In a way, Alix is sort of coming of age in realizing more of who she is apart from a pawn of the Checquy. Not bad, for someone who was taken into the fold at age 6.
As usual, this is a book set in England that is riddled with Americanisms (high school, 'gotten,' cookies, and it's been a very long time since I was in England). It really makes me wonder why a major publisher wouldn't get even one Brit to proofread this thing.
Let's say 3.5 stars overall, rounding down because of the boring court stuff. I'm down for another.
Read
August 11, 2025I absolutely loved the first two Chequy books and have been dying for the new ones to come out in the UK. This is a worthy successor (albeit with a couple of slippage in the British setting but hey). Funny, exciting. female-focused and wildly inventive in the peculiar magic; it also never loses sight of the humans caught up in this frankly insane world. Absolutely delightful and hugely enjoyable.
September 19, 2025
A book with three distinct parts, the boring beginning, the nostalgic middle and the exciting ending.
Do I care about Royal life, protocol, succession plans and palaces? Resoundlingly no. I get why O'Malley put it in, he is somewhat obsessed with British culture but there were way too many pages dedicated to it.
He also loves his world a bit much so we go through one ridiculous ability after another just to indulge his imagination. Not horrible but sort of leaning in to those of us already hooked on the series.
Finally, the ending saved it. Drama, tiny surprises and some sentimentality.
Will read the next but this was not the best entry in the series
Do I care about Royal life, protocol, succession plans and palaces? Resoundlingly no. I get why O'Malley put it in, he is somewhat obsessed with British culture but there were way too many pages dedicated to it.
He also loves his world a bit much so we go through one ridiculous ability after another just to indulge his imagination. Not horrible but sort of leaning in to those of us already hooked on the series.
Finally, the ending saved it. Drama, tiny surprises and some sentimentality.
Will read the next but this was not the best entry in the series
January 23, 2026
Another enjoyable entry in the world of the Checquy. This time we follow Alix, a Checquy agent with her feet in two different worlds: the supernatural bureaucracy that protects Britain from unnatural threats using powered (like Alix) and mundane folks alike and British high society, being a close friend of the royal family from an early age. The action kicks off with the very unnatural death of her good friend and royal heir (no, this is not a spoiler it is literally in the book description and first pages of the book) and the investigation that follows.
I think it is important to not approach this book as a mystery to be solved. The book is more about the character development of Alix as she navigates her duty to the Checquy, her role as a lady in waiting to the royal princess (and close friend), the feeling of isolation in her job given the privileges that have been extended to her but not her powered peers (such as being allowed to stay in touch with her family), and her social relations. In fact the mystery of the path ebbs and flows throughout the book, with the investigation hitting numerous quiet times where other aspects of Alix's life come to the forefront of the narrative.
As always there are colorful characters, sharp dialogue, and a really good story all wrapped up together. I eagerly await the next installment in this delightful series.
(On a side note: this is the fourth installment in the series and every protagonist has been a woman, and a well written one at that. I don't have much insightful to say about that, but I thought it was worth pointing out how well O'Malley has done creating new and compelling female leads every book)
I think it is important to not approach this book as a mystery to be solved. The book is more about the character development of Alix as she navigates her duty to the Checquy, her role as a lady in waiting to the royal princess (and close friend), the feeling of isolation in her job given the privileges that have been extended to her but not her powered peers (such as being allowed to stay in touch with her family), and her social relations. In fact the mystery of the path ebbs and flows throughout the book, with the investigation hitting numerous quiet times where other aspects of Alix's life come to the forefront of the narrative.
As always there are colorful characters, sharp dialogue, and a really good story all wrapped up together. I eagerly await the next installment in this delightful series.
(On a side note: this is the fourth installment in the series and every protagonist has been a woman, and a well written one at that. I don't have much insightful to say about that, but I thought it was worth pointing out how well O'Malley has done creating new and compelling female leads every book)
June 12, 2025
Thank you Little, Brown and company and Netgalley for the ARC for a honest review. I really enjoyed this highly anticipated sequel to a fun series. Alix’s powers were neat and I found her more sympathetic than some of the other characters in the previous books. It slowed a little in the middle but I pushed through and it was worth it. It’s always fun reading a new checquy story and learning more about the organization and London. I enjoyed reading only one time like this time and following one character. This book overall was a lot of fun and weird!
June 21, 2025
The Rook was one of the first unnecessarily gross and very weird urban fantasy reads and it opened my eyes to the genre. I was, therefore, delighted to be given the opportunity to read and review the latest entry in the Chequy files series. As this is book four in the series, let's go in order. If you are already an avid reader of these books, should you sign up for the latest? To make a long story short--yes! This one has all the grossness, hilariously specific powers, political intrigue, and supernatural shootouts you could want. Go forth. Enjoy. In fact, if you were, as some readers (but not this reader) turned off by the split timelines of the third entry, this one is a return to usual structure, so don’t worry.
If you are a potential new reader to the series, let’s discuss if you should pick this up. I’ll say this--it’s kind of a James Bond/The Avengers send up. It’s funny and irreverent. Do you like The Atrocity Archives? Do you think the super powers available to The Avengers make too much sense? Do you think something like “can turn into a very particular kind (just one species) of tree” might be funnier? Then yes you should try these out. Do you have a weak stomach? Do you like your books to make sense? Then pass on and look for greener pastures.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
If you are a potential new reader to the series, let’s discuss if you should pick this up. I’ll say this--it’s kind of a James Bond/The Avengers send up. It’s funny and irreverent. Do you like The Atrocity Archives? Do you think the super powers available to The Avengers make too much sense? Do you think something like “can turn into a very particular kind (just one species) of tree” might be funnier? Then yes you should try these out. Do you have a weak stomach? Do you like your books to make sense? Then pass on and look for greener pastures.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
July 18, 2025
I’m truly baffled by Daniel O’Malley’s attempt by the end of this book to get the reader to feel that the Checquy, including the characters we’ve come to know over the previous three books, are the enemies in this world, on behalf of some British aristocrat who feels she isn’t appreciated enough. The book was well-written, just like the other books, though the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, so I really struggled with this rating. I understand some groundwork was laid with Myfanwy’s discomfort at no non-powered court members, and more so in Blitz with Pamela’s rage at the Checquy not using their powers to stop the Nazis, but Alix was just not the sympathetic character who could really convince the reader that the Checquy was sinister enough to justify her actions. Maybe this is a very American perspective, but her “pal-ing around” with the King after her abduction made me dislike her and her choices much more, rather than feeling better about the direction the story took. He was more PERSONALLY manipulative of her than we ever had cause to believe the Checquy was, for entirely selfish, rather than national security reasons. Overall, a technically well-written book, but a complete disappointment as an addition to this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2025
This standalone in the Rook series was a blast. It was very different than my usual fare these days and I couldn’t put it down. I do think the story maybe bit off too much in terms of plot (I wanted more lady-in-waiting duties), but it was satisfying to return to the world of the Checquy.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC!
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC!
November 9, 2025
I will read anything and everything by Daniel O'Malley until the end of time.
July 26, 2025
Serien har genfundet energien. Når man hele tiden og uafbrudt har lyst til at læse videre… det er den bedste følelse.
April 10, 2025
In some ways an improvement from the previous installment, which really suffered from being split between the two timelines. I felt this got a bit repetitive in the middle and could’ve used a tighter edit — there’s a lot of telling instead of showing in almost throwaway asides that distracted me from the ongoing story.
The book suffers the most from a) poor pacing, b) trying to make me care about a royal family, and c) world building plot holes. You’d think by the 4th installment in a series, the world building would be better, not worse. But there were so many things I couldn’t suspend disbelief for or however that saying is supposed to go.
One major point being the lack of any knowledge of an equivalent supernatural organization anywhere in Europe (“the continent” as they refer to it). With as many manifestations as the UK has, you’d think either Europe would be overrun by supernatural entities OR there’s a Checquy equivalent. They have records going back to the 1500’s but NO trace of ANY other country in the EU having a similar organization? This defies logic to me.
Alix is a likable lead, but I wanted more development for her character by the end. Another big annoyance for me was the major flaws of the Checquy as an organization being pointed out by a last-minute villain who makes GOOD OBSERVATIONS but is then quickly gotten rid of. And afterwards Alix is like “yeah they had a point but they were also crazy.” Babe, they had all the points! It is indeed horrible to abduct children from their families in order to indoctrinate them to service to a job they never get a choice in having! That’s an obvious bad thing to do!
Some really cool powers in this one, and what felt like a lot more body horror than previous books (but perhaps I’m just misremembering). Kinda wanted more Grafter presence cause every time they appear it’s something wild and fun.
Anyway, it’s not a bad read, a lot was compelling and fun. But I felt it suffered from the dual settings and multiple attempts to elicit empathy for British royals.
The book suffers the most from a) poor pacing, b) trying to make me care about a royal family, and c) world building plot holes. You’d think by the 4th installment in a series, the world building would be better, not worse. But there were so many things I couldn’t suspend disbelief for or however that saying is supposed to go.
One major point being the lack of any knowledge of an equivalent supernatural organization anywhere in Europe (“the continent” as they refer to it). With as many manifestations as the UK has, you’d think either Europe would be overrun by supernatural entities OR there’s a Checquy equivalent. They have records going back to the 1500’s but NO trace of ANY other country in the EU having a similar organization? This defies logic to me.
Alix is a likable lead, but I wanted more development for her character by the end. Another big annoyance for me was the major flaws of the Checquy as an organization being pointed out by a last-minute villain who makes GOOD OBSERVATIONS but is then quickly gotten rid of. And afterwards Alix is like “yeah they had a point but they were also crazy.” Babe, they had all the points! It is indeed horrible to abduct children from their families in order to indoctrinate them to service to a job they never get a choice in having! That’s an obvious bad thing to do!
Some really cool powers in this one, and what felt like a lot more body horror than previous books (but perhaps I’m just misremembering). Kinda wanted more Grafter presence cause every time they appear it’s something wild and fun.
Anyway, it’s not a bad read, a lot was compelling and fun. But I felt it suffered from the dual settings and multiple attempts to elicit empathy for British royals.
July 30, 2025
Book four in the series, and the author manages to keep this fresh! I think some of that is that each book is about a different character or characters. This book is about Lady Mondegreen, a pawn who works with Checquy and has been raised since her powers were discovered at age six to be connected to the British royal family. She is a longtime friend of the Princess, which, when the Crown Prince dies under mysterious circumstances, explains why she is summoned to be part of the investigation. The book explores some additional powers, and I really liked the main character's perspective. She feels like an outsider in every situation, someone with two lives.
October 24, 2025
More and more it looks like the Rook was a one-off, all the other books not as goood or good at all.
Could have rated this a 1,but the main character is well written as is the Checquay organization.
if you love the Briish royalty, this book is for you.
if not, its a poor story. All of the protocal, ladies in waiting and other rouyal stuff has no bearing on the story. Total mis direct. And don't get me started on the boots.
The villain hardly ever appears and is quickly dispatched.
Hard to believe he is so stupid as to use the PRince of wales as proof.
and in the end, it was another secret society.
ugh. waste of time reading this book.
you're execting for it to develop and it never does. All a big prank on the reader by the author.
Could have rated this a 1,but the main character is well written as is the Checquay organization.
if you love the Briish royalty, this book is for you.
if not, its a poor story. All of the protocal, ladies in waiting and other rouyal stuff has no bearing on the story. Total mis direct. And don't get me started on the boots.
The villain hardly ever appears and is quickly dispatched.
Hard to believe he is so stupid as to use the PRince of wales as proof.
and in the end, it was another secret society.
ugh. waste of time reading this book.
you're execting for it to develop and it never does. All a big prank on the reader by the author.
July 19, 2025
I really do enjoy this series but the swerve this one took! Still so fun to read but hmmm at some choices.
August 26, 2025
LOVED this!
September 30, 2025
I'm definately not a royalist, so when a novel where 80 % of the narrative takes place in royal circles keeps me intensely interested to the point where i loose sleep, it must be something.
Picking up more or less directly from the prevous novel, but yet again with another POV, this time a Checquy operative planted in the royal family as a child to act as additional protection.
As the Checquy structure is now more or less established in the first 3 books, O'Mally wisely focusses more on the personal side of being an operative and especially on the complication of being part of a royal family, but there's still enough weird stuff to keep readers of the previous books satisfied.
Picking up more or less directly from the prevous novel, but yet again with another POV, this time a Checquy operative planted in the royal family as a child to act as additional protection.
As the Checquy structure is now more or less established in the first 3 books, O'Mally wisely focusses more on the personal side of being an operative and especially on the complication of being part of a royal family, but there's still enough weird stuff to keep readers of the previous books satisfied.
August 8, 2025
While The Rook is one of my favorite books of all time, and Stiletto was a worthy follow-up, I thought Blitz was a bit of a slog. Like the other books in the series, this one follows a new protagonist, Alix Mondegreen, as she investigates a supernatural murder (in this case the murder of the crown prince of England). This book seems like a direct sequel to Stiletto in that Felicity Clements and Odette Leliefield appear a number of times, and even Myfanwy Thomas from The Rook shows up in a few scenes. The alliance with the Grafters that was brokered in Stiletto is also a main point, and the Grafters are shown to be fully integrated in the Checquy during this book. Alix is a fun point-of-view character, as she is a member of the British aristocracy and has direct access to the King. The involvement of the royal family adds some great characterization to this one, and I zipped through this one much like I did with The Rook and Stiletto. The idea that and seemed a little unrealistic, but it provides an interesting continuation point for the series. I do wonder if this new threat is a way to reincorporate some point of view characters from the Checquy court again, as I do think the series suffers a bit when over and over we're getting stories about the pawns while the bishops, chevaliers, and rooks are never really involved except at a bureaucratic distance. Regardless, hopefully looking forward to a fifth book in the series.
August 22, 2025
I think I liked this new entry as much as I like the original. Strong characters and a twiststy and turny plot. A similar "character thrown into the deep end and unsure how they'll make it through" equation to the first book, but handled completely differently. I really liked this, and found myself making time to read in a way I haven't felt for a bit.
July 28, 2025
While this book lacks the initial shock value of The Rook, its story was every bit as satisfying. I really liked Alix and I loved the plot. There were strong characters and growth and the right amount of weirdness. Stiletto and Blitz didn't appeal to me (I have yet to finish Blitz). I personally think that I needed the distance of the other two novels to be able to fall back in love with world. (I also might have finally accepted that Rook Thomas herself won't be the protagonist of every book in the series.)
If I had written this review yesterday when I finished the book, my review would have only been the praise above. But....on reflecting more, I think I'm disappointed in the ending. I wholeheartedly agree that Mr. O'Malley left all the breadcrumbs and that Alix connected the dots at the end, but it still feels a little Deus ex Machina (maybe I just feel this way because I didn't pay attention to the clues as they were presented). I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in the King and in Alix (separately and for different reasons) and in their relationship (I'm not sure it really would have withstood what was revealed).
Looking forward to another book in this series (fully accepting that it will feature a new character)!
If I had written this review yesterday when I finished the book, my review would have only been the praise above. But....on reflecting more, I think I'm disappointed in the ending. I wholeheartedly agree that Mr. O'Malley left all the breadcrumbs and that Alix connected the dots at the end, but it still feels a little Deus ex Machina (maybe I just feel this way because I didn't pay attention to the clues as they were presented). I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in the King and in Alix (separately and for different reasons) and in their relationship (I'm not sure it really would have withstood what was revealed).
Looking forward to another book in this series (fully accepting that it will feature a new character)!
July 20, 2025
This was my first encounter with the supernatural, spectacular, world of the Checquy. Thankfully, Royal Gambit still works well as a standalone novel in the series for those readers who haven't been privy to O'Malley's creatively crafted world.
Describing the vibe is tricky...Is it X-Men meets Monty Python meets Inside Job? It is hard to pin down the special kind of chaotic fun, with a dash of murder mystery, and the surprising touch of emotional depth that made me love the characters.
Perhaps it's Downton Abbey meets Men in Black, meets Sherlock?
Okay, you know what, let's just say it's impossible to define, and maybe that's the playful appeal behind O'Malley's masterfully crafted, fantastical fiction. I was taken on a deliciously absurd trip, and hadn't wished it to end so soon.
Describing the vibe is tricky...Is it X-Men meets Monty Python meets Inside Job? It is hard to pin down the special kind of chaotic fun, with a dash of murder mystery, and the surprising touch of emotional depth that made me love the characters.
Perhaps it's Downton Abbey meets Men in Black, meets Sherlock?
Okay, you know what, let's just say it's impossible to define, and maybe that's the playful appeal behind O'Malley's masterfully crafted, fantastical fiction. I was taken on a deliciously absurd trip, and hadn't wished it to end so soon.
July 24, 2025
When the heir to the British throne suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, Checquy operative and reluctant aristocrat Alix is assigned to be lady-in-waiting/personal bodyguard to the new Crown Princess, and must navigate the halls of power and privilege while investigating the supernatural murder of the Prince of Wales. Alexandra "Alix" Dennis-Palmer-Hudson-Gilmore-Garnsey, the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her supernatural ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic property of the Checquy, the secret British government agency that deals with the supernatural. Her aristocratic ancestry made Alix the perfect asset for the Checquy to deploy close to the royal family.
This is the fourth book of the Checquy Files series by Daniel O'Malley and I enjoyed the latest addition. I really loved Alix and I felt so bad for her for the majority of the book. She is put in a terrible position by her parents (who are awful), the organization, and the royal family. Aside from the supernatural murder and the ins and outs of existing within the royal sphere, this is really a story about finding your place in the world and finding somewhere to belong.
The best part about this book for me was the supernatural murder mystery. It was interesting to follow and the worldbuilding is what I always enjoy about this series. I was far less interested in the English royalty aspects. I don't follow the royals in real life and those stretches where she was navigating her way a lady-in-waiting tended to lose my interest a bit. But overall, a very fun read and I really liked the ending of the book and her eventual connection with Princess Louise. If he does continue this series I am definitely interested in continuing on.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fourth book of the Checquy Files series by Daniel O'Malley and I enjoyed the latest addition. I really loved Alix and I felt so bad for her for the majority of the book. She is put in a terrible position by her parents (who are awful), the organization, and the royal family. Aside from the supernatural murder and the ins and outs of existing within the royal sphere, this is really a story about finding your place in the world and finding somewhere to belong.
The best part about this book for me was the supernatural murder mystery. It was interesting to follow and the worldbuilding is what I always enjoy about this series. I was far less interested in the English royalty aspects. I don't follow the royals in real life and those stretches where she was navigating her way a lady-in-waiting tended to lose my interest a bit. But overall, a very fun read and I really liked the ending of the book and her eventual connection with Princess Louise. If he does continue this series I am definitely interested in continuing on.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2025
Okay, this book was amazing...so much fun. Such inventiveness, wackiness, and the sheer joy of writing is rarely found by me. I had to look up so many words! And highlight so many turns of phrase! And it was so worth it! O'Malley's dry and understated humor, combined with the over-the-top craziness of his world is right down my alley.
The rest of the series is great, so I encourage you to read them all if you're starting here. If you want to see my enjoyment in action, I think I've shared my highlights/made them public. (See link above).
This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year.
Here's are some more entirely unsolicited reading recommendations: 1st, read all the others in the series, 2nd, have you read Terry Pratchett? You should. 3rd, what about Ben Aaronovitch? 4th, how about Jodi Taylor? If you've not, you might start with The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal. If you like that, you can go back and read all her books. And, if you enjoy O'Malley's wit and humor, but are okay with an American version instead, you might try T. Kingfisher. Or Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell.
I love this type of book. Hilarious and smart. On that note, if you have any recs for me, put them in the comments.
The rest of the series is great, so I encourage you to read them all if you're starting here. If you want to see my enjoyment in action, I think I've shared my highlights/made them public. (See link above).
This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year.
Here's are some more entirely unsolicited reading recommendations: 1st, read all the others in the series, 2nd, have you read Terry Pratchett? You should. 3rd, what about Ben Aaronovitch? 4th, how about Jodi Taylor? If you've not, you might start with The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal. If you like that, you can go back and read all her books. And, if you enjoy O'Malley's wit and humor, but are okay with an American version instead, you might try T. Kingfisher. Or Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell.
I love this type of book. Hilarious and smart. On that note, if you have any recs for me, put them in the comments.
November 11, 2025
I think this 2025 title is my favorite installment of its urban fantasy series yet, and like the others, it can essentially be read as a standalone piece. The Checquy are a British intelligence agency tasked with protecting the realm from supernatural threats using their own special abilities, and while characters from one story often pop up in another, the organization is large enough for the overarching premise to encompass many such protagonists. (It's very similar to Torchwood in the extended Doctor Who universe, and not only for the entwined ruthlessness and dysfunction of its various members.)
Here we're introduced to Lady Mondegreen -- a name that made this linguistics nerd chuckle every time I saw it -- as she investigates a mysterious death, is forced to rely more on her noble society connections than she would ideally prefer, and ponders just where her top-secret career is going. The first of these matters is inherently somewhat weightier than the rest, but the slice-of-life drama is still handled well by author Daniel O'Malley. And although I wondered around the middle of the novel if he was perhaps packing too much extraneous detail into the plot, it all ties together pretty satisfactorily in the end.
This isn't really a conventional mystery with clues for an astute reader to follow and connect, but it's an interesting case study for how the heroes can use their particular skills to pursue the truth themselves. The crown prince has been struck dead by the spontaneous appearance of a solid granite cube within his brain, and though no one is sure quite how or why the murderer did it, responsibility plainly falls to the Checquy to discretely look into the attack. Powers in this setting range to all sorts of random extremes, from turning oneself into a tree to breaking other people's bones at a touch, and half the fun is seeing whether a given instance represents merely a colorful aside or something that will be substantially incorporated into the action.
I also appreciate how the writer develops a bit of a critique across this book for how the department leaders both wield and protect their influence at court. There's been a minor thread of that throughout the previous adventures too, but it's more central here as an issue the heroine has to confront and think through for herself, and it adds a further nuanced strength to the proceedings that I've personally enjoyed.
[Content warning for body horror, gun violence, torture, and gore.]
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Here we're introduced to Lady Mondegreen -- a name that made this linguistics nerd chuckle every time I saw it -- as she investigates a mysterious death, is forced to rely more on her noble society connections than she would ideally prefer, and ponders just where her top-secret career is going. The first of these matters is inherently somewhat weightier than the rest, but the slice-of-life drama is still handled well by author Daniel O'Malley. And although I wondered around the middle of the novel if he was perhaps packing too much extraneous detail into the plot, it all ties together pretty satisfactorily in the end.
This isn't really a conventional mystery with clues for an astute reader to follow and connect, but it's an interesting case study for how the heroes can use their particular skills to pursue the truth themselves. The crown prince has been struck dead by the spontaneous appearance of a solid granite cube within his brain, and though no one is sure quite how or why the murderer did it, responsibility plainly falls to the Checquy to discretely look into the attack. Powers in this setting range to all sorts of random extremes, from turning oneself into a tree to breaking other people's bones at a touch, and half the fun is seeing whether a given instance represents merely a colorful aside or something that will be substantially incorporated into the action.
I also appreciate how the writer develops a bit of a critique across this book for how the department leaders both wield and protect their influence at court. There's been a minor thread of that throughout the previous adventures too, but it's more central here as an issue the heroine has to confront and think through for herself, and it adds a further nuanced strength to the proceedings that I've personally enjoyed.
[Content warning for body horror, gun violence, torture, and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/lesserjoke
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
January 25, 2026
This is the fourth book in the Checquy (pronounced she-kay) series, and honestly, this is one of my favorites so far. The Checquy is a secret British government agency charged with keeping that country’s supernatural population in check. While yes, there is at least one vampire, most of these supernaturals are more like X-men, if that makes a difference to you. Some members of the Checquy have special powers,but not all of them do. The main character, Alexandra, has the ability to break bones with her mind. She has been a member of the Checquy since childhood, and because she is also the Twelfth Lady of Mondegreen, she has literally grown up with the children of the royal family. When the Crown Prince suddenly drops dead and the cause is determined to be caused by supernatural activity, the Checquy are called in to investigate, and Alix becomes a key member of that team. Alix is a great character. She has never felt truly trusted by her coworkers, most of whom assume she got her position because of her connections to the royal family, and she has never been close to her family because she was taken by the Checquy for training when she was just six. Also, working for a covert government agency makes it difficult to maintain close friendships, so Alix has always been a bit of a loner. Besides the urgency of this unique investigation and the various supernaturals Alix must confront, she is also forced to come face to face with some difficult personal truths.
July 22, 2025
I was very excited to learn months ago that Daniel O'Malley had written another book from The Checquy Files, after having stumbled on The Rook years ago in the library. Other than a not-particularly good television series came from that it was difficult to finding more of his work but managed to find the others and snap them up. The Chequy stories share a somewhat related background to The Laundry Files from Charles Stross but relying a little more on humor and a little less on outright creepiness: a Shadow Bureaucracy protecting humans from threatening supernatural forces. Both agencies are located in London but The Chequy are concerned primarily with protecting the British Isles while the Laundry battles across multiple dimensions with heavy Lovecraftian overtones. O'Malley is great fun, and I snorted more than once following his heroine.
May 8, 2025
A great return to the Checquy - the supernatural bureaucracy takes on the royal family! A pawn has been embedded in the orbit of the royals since the discovery of her powers, only to find herself at the center of the action when the heir to the throne is found dead, and supernatural murder is suspected. Fast-paced, with a sense of humor and lots of tiaras.
December 23, 2025
Another winner from O’Malley. The more I sat with it after finishing the more I liked it. It suffers from a slower pace at the beginning but I realized that the ending benefitted emotionally from the groundwork in the first 100 pages. It takes a while for the action to kinda get going but this is worth it. Sometimes I felt there were too many characters to keep track of but that is a minor gripe to the overall enjoyment. More please!
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