Author
Daniel O'Malley
Associated Country
Australia
Daniel O'Malley is an Australian novelist known for his inventive blend of fantasy, science fiction, and thriller elements. He was born in Canberra and studied in the United States, earning a degree from Michigan State University and a master’s in medieval history from Ohio State University.
Before becoming a full-time author, O’Malley worked for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, writing press releases and acting as a spokesperson—an experience that influenced the bureaucratic and institutional detail found in his fiction.
He gained international recognition with his debut novel The Rook (2012), the first installment in the Checquy Files series, which combines supernatural intrigue with espionage. The novel won the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and was later adapted into a television series. O’Malley’s work is known for its originality, dark humor, and imaginative world-building, establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary speculative fiction.
Before becoming a full-time author, O’Malley worked for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, writing press releases and acting as a spokesperson—an experience that influenced the bureaucratic and institutional detail found in his fiction.
He gained international recognition with his debut novel The Rook (2012), the first installment in the Checquy Files series, which combines supernatural intrigue with espionage. The novel won the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and was later adapted into a television series. O’Malley’s work is known for its originality, dark humor, and imaginative world-building, establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary speculative fiction.
Books
Royal Gambit 2026
The Checquy Files, Book 4
Alexandra Dennis-Palmer-Hudson-Gilmore-Garnsey (call me “Alix”), the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic...
Blitz 2023
The Checquy Files, Book 3
September, 1940. Three women of the Checquy, the secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats, stand in the sky above London and see German aircraft approach. Forbidden...
Stiletto 2017
The Checquy Files, Book 2
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...
The Rook 2012
The Checquy Files, Book 1
Myfanwy Thomas awakens in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, she must trust the instructions left by her former in order to survive. She quickly learns that she is a Rook,...