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Stiletto
624 pages
A delightfully macabre and sharply witty urban fantasy where supernatural diplomacy is just as deadly as the monsters.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like attending a high-stakes corporate merger where half the board members have tentacles and the other half are armed with magical combat training. It is a delightfully weird, briskly paced romp that thrives on the friction between mundane bureaucracy and grotesque supernatural horror. The narrative crackles with dry, irreverent wit, grounding its wildest, slimiest paranormal concepts in the relatable frustrations of office politics and diplomatic red tape. You are pulled into a paranoid, energetic atmosphere where bitter rivals are forced into close quarters, slowly transforming simmering hatred into a chaotic, grudging respect. It is an absolute treat for anyone who loves their urban fantasy served with a heavy dose of deadpan humor, competent heroines, and unapologetic weirdness.
- Mood
- quirky
- paranoid
- energetic
- macabre
- Tone
- wry
- irreverent
- deadpan
- snarky
- bureaucratic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- bureaucratic absurdity · unlikely alliances · overcoming institutional prejudice · supernatural diplomacy
- The writing
- Dryly humorous and highly detailed, contrasting horrific supernatural anomalies with the mundane language of office administration.
- The arc
- Moves from tense, paranoid hostility to a chaotic, grudging camaraderie amidst world-ending stakes.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in dry British wit, competent women navigating absurd crises, and the collision of high-stakes urban fantasy with office politics.
Content notes
- body horror
- gore
- violence
- medical trauma
About the book
"In this spirited sequel to the acclaimed The Rook, Myfanwy Thomas returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic -- and slimy -- supernatural war. When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers--and the bureaucratic finesse--to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries: The Checquy--the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and... The Grafters--a centuries-old supernatural threat. But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women who absolutely hate each other, can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war. Stiletto is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks, from an author who "adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof " (Booklist)"--
Description from Open Library.
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