Book Review: ‘Royal Gambit’ by Daniel O’Malley finds magic in the murder of a royal family member

Author Daniel O’Malley returns to the world of his series he started with “The Rook” with “Royal Gambit,” an enjoyable and sometimes unwieldy novel about the supernatural operatives of a paranormal secret service investigating a string of bizarre murders.

Gambit centers around the aristocratic Lady Alexandra Mondegreen (Alix) and her investigation into the mysterious murder of her childhood friend, the Prince of Wales. Alix has the unique talent of being able to shatter bones with just a touch of her hand, but she is resented by the other members of the service for the perceived favoritism that comes with her noble title. Her youth was spent as a secret bodyguard to Princess Louise, the woman who now finds herself next in line to the throne. This connection proves useful as the agency’s way into investigating who at the palace (or outside of it) could be responsible for the death of the heir apparent and gives Alix a chance to prove her worth as an asset to the agency.

O’Malley finds humor in showing how these agents with strange and sometimes absurd powers (one senior official can turn into a stegosaurus at will) adhere to the same bureaucracy and hierarchies as any other government organization. Along with coming to work on time and navigating office politics, there is a chance you will be the victim of a dinosaur stampede or watch your colleague turn into a tree.

Alix also emerges as a compelling heroine, driven by her ambition to rise within the ranks of the Checquy and prove herself, yet deeply committed to uncovering the truth behind the tragedy that struck a family she has genuine affection for. A highlight of the book is her sometimes awkward, but humorous journey as a new lady-in-waiting to the princess, having to balance garden lunches with dangerous missions.

Although intended as a stand-alone story, O’Malley assumes readers will quickly grasp the complexities of this world and how it operates without much prior knowledge. However, keeping track of the extensive rules and traditions of this secret service and upper-crust English society makes it difficult to keep engaged in the mystery at hand. The book gets bogged down in its mythology and is slow to give us plot developments. Further challenging the pacing of the novel are the constant additions to an over-large cast of characters, all with different supernatural abilities or aristocratic titles.

All of these elements lead to a clunky conclusion that too easily ties up loose ends and loses the impact of the tragedy that started the story. The book would have benefited from more clever twists and paranormal action, as opposed to heavy exposition about this super-secret agency and the people who run it. Ultimately, this makes for a fun, elevated beach read for those who enjoy their mystery novels with supernatural leanings and a dry British sense of humor.

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