I can't wait to get my hands on the audiobook. I struggle reading traditional books so Rook took me a while to finish and there was a lot that I forgot by the time I got to the end. I loved Jackaby so I am super excited to reread this book. The story moved along at a good pace and I enjoyed the book.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy to see a new standalone in the world of Jackaby, and even more excited to see Miss Rook as the main character. As much as I enjoyed the "Sherlock-ness" of Jackaby, I always liked the character of Miss Rook. Ritter does an excellent job of portraying Miss Rook's struggles to adjust to her new powers, as well as her struggles with her own and others' expectations of her in general. My complaints mainly boil down to three things: 1) the mystery is solved via an infodump, essentially, so it felt like a bit of a letdown; 2) we didn't get enough of many of the characters that played such a big role in the Jackaby series; and 3) several parts of the story felt a bit repetitive. But overall, this was a solid read, and again, I really like how much of what happens in New Fiddleham can be seen as a reflection of what's happening in our own world, which is a great way to give student readers a way to make those connections and think about those issues.

This book has a lot of good thing about it but sadly it was just not to my taste. I will give it a fair shake and three stars but I didn't really enjoy myself while reading.

I haven't read the whole Jackaby series, so I was a little lost. But it was still a good adventure to read!

As a self-proclaimed major fan of this series, who has read the original tetralogy probably somewhere around 10 times in the last year, I was understandably worried that the new book wouldn't live up to my expectations. Thankfully, all of my concerns were squashed almost instantly!

Rook is a wonderful return to the world of New Fiddleham. It captures everything I loved about the original four books: the jaw-dropping reveals of The Dire King, the beautifully wound mystery of Ghostly Echoes, the wholesome fun of Beastly Bones and the newfound magic of the original installment. The overall conspiracy is made up of many strange occurrences going on in the quaint New England town, all neatly braided together into an easy to follow, yet still complex plot. New magic and new beasts keep the plot exciting, and keep the reader guessing up until the very end. I can also assure you that, despite what the book's description might make you think, our favorite fab four are all back in this new installment (plus Douglas and Ogden, for good measure!)

If you are new to the series, I would definitely recommend checking out the original series first (and not just because I adore them), but because there are, naturally, many references to moments that will be spoilery if you're planning to go back.

All I could think about as I read was how much I wanted more! The ending is just slightly open-ended, so I can only hope William Ritter treats us to more adventures with Abigail, Jackaby, Charlie and Jenny in the future.

Thanks to Algonquin YA and NetGalley for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

MY FAVORITE SCOOBY DOO GANG IS BACK! ♡

An important note: It’s best to read the original four Jackaby books prior to reading Rook! This is written as a standalone, and it can decidedly be read as such without too much confusion, but you’ll get major spoilers for the first four books, and I’d wager it might be a more enjoyable read when you’ve seen where these guys started.

As with the original series, Rook has everything you could ask for:

- Murder! Mystery! Magic!
- Ghosts, plural!
- Goofy, dashing, and ever-so-slightly traumatized characters (a personal favorite)
- Soft romances, and unshakeable friendships
- A human-turned-duck who lives in a pond located on the third floor of a building. Duh. 

Rook is a perfect addition to Abigail’s story. It’s sweet, hilarious (seriously, I highlighted SO many great jokes), and, of course, magical. In many ways, this fifth installment of the series takes on a much lighter tone/atmosphere than the previous books, painting New Fiddleham in vivid new colors like we’ve never seen it before. We explore new sides to Abigail that even she is unfamiliar with, and get to stumble along with her as she finds her footing. The road is rocky, but filled with excitement, horror, and high-strung emotions. Ritter’s writing has undeniably improved over the years, and the depictions of the world and the chaos inside Abigail’s head and heart were absolutely perfect. 

The returning characters have grown so much since we first met them; there are new dynamics to explore, but each and every one of them still feel like the characters we’ve grown to love and adore. The unfortunate side to Rook being a “standalone” is that it’s intended to be accommodating to new readers without feeling heavy or confusing; I’d have loved to see a little more domestic interaction and emotional development with some of our old favorites (or indeed, would have loved to have seen more of them in general), but alas, we can’t have it all.

Regardless, this is a must-read for new readers with a taste for historical fantasy and old Jackaby fans alike! As always, I highly recommend this series. :-)

(Also, I can’t help but notice that we were given quite an open ending… I happily hesitate to call this a fifth and final installment, but only time shall tell!)

It’s been such a pleasure to read this book early and I’m so incredibly excited for other people to experience this book. It was lovely being back in this work and back with these characters after so long away. Ritter truly has created some of the most loveable characters in literature and to see them again in a new adventure was a joy to read about. The Jackaby series as a whole is incredibly underrated and I would love to see it getting the hype that it deserves. There were a few points that weren’t the best in this book, I definitely would have liked to see more of the characters we encountered in Jackaby but it makes sense that the book focused even more on Abigail than the previous series. I do also think the plot was kind of predictable but that didn’t actually take away any of the enjoyment for me. Overall this was a fantastic book and Ritter is an incredible writer.

This newest entry in Ritter’s popular Jackaby series picks up with Abigail Rook getting used to being the Seer of New Fiddleham. She struggles to accept this momentous change to her life, complicated by guilt at having inherited the Seer ability from Jackaby, who is also trying to adapt to life without the sight.

Complicated is a good word for what’s going on here. As usual, it’s a good story and includes the colorful characters fans have come to love. There’s a lot going on, and lots to keep straight, which is challenging if it’s been awhile since you read the last book.

Even so, fans will adore this and will be looking for more from this author.

I received this book as an ARC, so thanks go out to Netgalley for that... As for the book, well........... I was underwhelmed, which is not to say that it was a bad book or anything, just a little slow, and predictable, and I couldn't quite nail down the time frame. Was it in the 1880s? was it the 1920's? was it a steampunk setting? was it the 1880s and steampunk (which would actually make sense to me)? I do know that it involved witches and fairies and people who turn into dogs and elves and trolls and so on and that was actually pretty cool, but man, the pacing on this book, for me was slow... and the story itself, while really kinda cool, was just sort of meh. I mean that I like the fantasy element, but I wasn't that involved in the whole thing and really, it was kind of boring. Regardless, I can think of at least 5 of my students who would eat this up in a minute and I am excited to recommend it to them. I think that they are going to be beside themselves with this. Also, did this remind anyone else of that random Will Smith Netflix movie, Bright? The one with the ogre cops and stuff? It did to me.

I didn't realize this was a part of a larger series and the main character was really cool! I need to track down the rest even though it was a bit spoiled for me. 


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jackaby and Miss Rook are back at it again in New Fiddleham.  This time Rook is staring at auras and trying to figure out what that smell means.  Back on the case Jackaby and Rook try to take on the strange mysteries in New Fiddleham while Rook is trying to work out what her life will be now that she has new powers and new dangers to face.  Life is never boring for Jackaby and Rook.

Back for more adventures with Abigail and Jackaby. In Rook, Abigail is now grappling with her new abilities. Throughout the story we see her grow and find her confidence in herself. I loved this next chapter in the Jackaby series. I hope for more to come.

I just reviewed Rook by William Ritter. #Rook #NetGalley 
I was given a free ARC for my honest opinion. 

So this one took me by surprise. I really had no idea what to expect, so I was excited to read about a main character, who was an investigator, who could also read people’s auras. Overall I feel as though I read a decent young adult novel, it still needs some fine tuning to be declared a Really Good read, as opposed to an ok read.  The main characters were generic in archetype and the storyline was somewhat predictable. (Spoiler alert: surprise, the government police guy is really a bad guy 🙄) As generic as it was at times, the author did keep my interest enough to keep reading. I was curious as to learning more about the paranormal portion of the characters, but only an appetizer was served. This might have been better if it was edited down to a short story version, as it reads more like one. Oh, and someone needs to run this through some more editing. Spelling and grammatical errors still abound. AND…I don’t know if it’s because I had this downloaded on the Kindle, but I did not like how the first word of the chapter was split up. The first letter was on one line with the rest of the word on the line below…see below for an example. This drove me crazy and I didn’t see any point. 

T

here is not point to beginning all chapters like this.

3.5 Having adored the Jackaby series I was really looking forward to this continuation of the story. It started a little slow but picked up at the half point and then took off. If this is the first time reading the series I would suggest starting at the beginning otherwise it might leave the reader frustrated and confused. It was nice to see Abigail come into her own and make a name for herself.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel.  I did not realize that this novel was tied to a series.   I didn't understand some of the references or character motivations.

Hear ye, hear ye, Cult of Jackaby members:

We have been blessed with another (final?) installment to the post Dire King world of New Fiddlehaven.  Things pick up six months after the fall of the Dire King and Abigail gaining the Sight.  New Finglehamp is reeling from the arcane forces that attacked the town as well as the now-realization that nonhumans walk among them.  Tensions are high.  Magic is afoot.

This book delivers all the best things:
- Mystery, mayhem, and murder
- Douglas (all hail our feathered overlord)
- Soft Arbie content (we stan our cute couple)
- More of Jackaby and his wackiness
- Further exploration of New Fliddlesham

It's a lovely sequel to the Jackaby series and really shows the chaos and adjustment a nonmagical world would be plunged in to upon dealing with a magical world.  It feels back to the roots of Jackaby while also refreshing and new.  Each character still feels authentically themselves while having grown from the last four books and the trauma we all endured by the Dire King's plan.  If you're a fan of New Fiddleham and our lovely Paranormal Investigators, you need this book.

I like this addition to the Jackaby series. Having somehow missed the last installment, I thought I would be confused by what was happening, but I was wrong. Read this of you've already started the series. For fans of supernatural historical mystery.

Abigail Rook never intended to have powers or "The Sight" but now she does. Now what is she to do?! After being the surprised receiver of her boss and friend, Jackaby's, gift of sight Abigail must do what she's always done, the best she can. That's all before a slew of missing supernatural neighbors, several deaths, her parents arriving, and a suspicious government agency being thrown into the mix. Can she rise to the occasion and solve the mystery before all of New Fiddleham riots?

So first, the cover is BEAUTIFUL! Much like the original series, the cover art is striking and very atmospheric. I was so thrilled to be granted this book as an ARC, because I LOVE the Jackaby series and hoped that William Ritter would revisit the world. Rook was more than I ever imagined. The whole mystery was so well put together, I was still guessing right up until the final 1/3rd of the novel. I enjoyed that communication and leadership were really main themes of the novel. Knowing how to trust, communicating feelings and accepting help were very well written into the plot. Abigail's worries and issues with her new power are never brushed off by her friends but they try to help her work through them, Jackaby especially does his best to help, in his own way of course. Old characters return, DOUGLAS, and new characters are introduced with an ending that feels wrapped up but with space to expand the world should the author choose to. Well done! I do hope for more stories from this world because I don't know if I'll ever get enough.

Rook is a book is similar to the Sherlock Holmes in regards to the creation of his characters and mysteries. Abigail Rook is the main character, she is a tad naive and is spontaneous. As a Britt, she has traveled throughout various parts of Eastern Europe and Germany, The book takes place between both Europe and America which is good for developing the imagination of the interactions between either party in respect to cultural differences. This book is sequestered on the shelf and I would love for my library to have a copy of it, and yet, it may take a few more reviews to bring that magic around.