What do you think?
Rate this book
October Daye #5.2
A Fantasy Medley 2
In A Fantasy Medley, editor Yanni Kuznia assembled a diverse quartet of stories from some of fantasy’s most exciting authors, and the sell-out volume earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Now Kuznia returns with A Fantasy Medley 2, offering absorbing new tales of the fantastic from four of the brightest stars in the field:
With “Quartered,” Tanya Huff returns to the world of her beloved Quarters series with the story of the young bard Evicka, whose mission to spy on an assassin brings peril, tragedy, and, ultimately, revelation.
In “Bone Garden,” Amanda Downum revisits Erisín, setting of her critically lauded novel The Bone Palace from the Necromancer Chronicles. Deadly spirits are preying on the city’s most vulnerable citizens in this story of secrets and sacrifice.
“The Sergeant and the General” finds Jasper Kent weaving a tale from the other side of the battle lines drawn in his Danilov Quintet, with a French veteran of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign haunted by more than just memories.
And in “Rat-Catcher,” Seanan McGuire travels into the past of the October Daye series to pull back the veils on both the world of 17th century London theater and the faerie Court of Cats as two worlds collide in one of the greatest conflagrations in history.
With “Quartered,” Tanya Huff returns to the world of her beloved Quarters series with the story of the young bard Evicka, whose mission to spy on an assassin brings peril, tragedy, and, ultimately, revelation.
In “Bone Garden,” Amanda Downum revisits Erisín, setting of her critically lauded novel The Bone Palace from the Necromancer Chronicles. Deadly spirits are preying on the city’s most vulnerable citizens in this story of secrets and sacrifice.
“The Sergeant and the General” finds Jasper Kent weaving a tale from the other side of the battle lines drawn in his Danilov Quintet, with a French veteran of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign haunted by more than just memories.
And in “Rat-Catcher,” Seanan McGuire travels into the past of the October Daye series to pull back the veils on both the world of 17th century London theater and the faerie Court of Cats as two worlds collide in one of the greatest conflagrations in history.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
1674 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
March 17, 2016
I only read "Rat-Catcher" by Seanan McGuire, a short story set in the world of October Daye, and providing some backstory for the character of Tybalt.
Thanks to Amy (Other Amy) for sharing the link to read this for free at Lightspeed where it was reproduced with permission of the author.
<3 Tybalt.
Thanks to Amy (Other Amy) for sharing the link to read this for free at Lightspeed where it was reproduced with permission of the author.
<3 Tybalt.
January 28, 2018
Review for Rat-Catcher by Seanan McGuire only (I'm having to add this review again because some idiot has deleted the story from Goodreads - yes they've been pissing about with Seanan's short stories again, even though this one IS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE BLOODY ANTHOLOGY!)
Rat-Catcher is a short story that was originally published in the A Fantasy Medley 2 anthology but can also be read online for free on the Lightspeed Magazine website.
I'm crazy about Tybalt so any story we can get from his point of view is a definite must read for me! Rat-Catcher is actually set long before the main series starts (although I'd recommend reading at least Rosemary and Rue first so you're familiar with Tybalt's character) way back when Tybalt was still just a prince called Rand and his father was the King of Cats.
I found it really interesting to see a younger, less confident version of Tybalt and I really loved the bond he shared with his two sisters. If you're familiar with the main series then you probably already know that princes have to kill the current king in order to claim the throne, in some cases princes challenge their king just because they long for power but that wasn't the case with Tybalt - he did it to protect his sisters and the rest of the Court of Cats which makes him the kind of leader that they both want and need.
I really enjoyed this glimpse into Tybalt's past and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the short stories from his point of view!
Rat-Catcher is a short story that was originally published in the A Fantasy Medley 2 anthology but can also be read online for free on the Lightspeed Magazine website.
I'm crazy about Tybalt so any story we can get from his point of view is a definite must read for me! Rat-Catcher is actually set long before the main series starts (although I'd recommend reading at least Rosemary and Rue first so you're familiar with Tybalt's character) way back when Tybalt was still just a prince called Rand and his father was the King of Cats.
I found it really interesting to see a younger, less confident version of Tybalt and I really loved the bond he shared with his two sisters. If you're familiar with the main series then you probably already know that princes have to kill the current king in order to claim the throne, in some cases princes challenge their king just because they long for power but that wasn't the case with Tybalt - he did it to protect his sisters and the rest of the Court of Cats which makes him the kind of leader that they both want and need.
I really enjoyed this glimpse into Tybalt's past and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the short stories from his point of view!
April 26, 2020
You can find this Tybalt origin story here.
I only have one real comment : now we have a September to add to the months-as-names list I started in book.. two? Three? Whichever. We are running out of months!
I only have one real comment : now we have a September to add to the months-as-names list I started in book.. two? Three? Whichever. We are running out of months!
September 30, 2015
Only read Seanan's Mcguire short Rat Catcher, the one about Rand/ Tybalt's.
It was revealing and heartbreaking seeing him among his family.
It was revealing and heartbreaking seeing him among his family.
partly-read
March 31, 2016Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
London is burning.
London is burning and she is dead, and yet I must consider myself victorious, for others yet live. It is a cold comfort. It will have to do. How small a stretch of time stands between here, where all is ashes, and the days when I was innocent and though myself yet young, and the world was meant to be my stage...
A prince becomes a king. Loved the look inside the family dynamics of the Cait Sidhe here. Loved Tybalt's point of view (always). I'm surprised by the emotional distance I felt from this story. I do think that since I skipped it (having no copy readily available) and read "Forbid the Sea" first that I was a bit spoiled for this one. That story has Tybalt's voice and perfect heartbreak. (Maybe I am just off kilter, though; I have been, lately.) Anyway, lesson learned again: Read this series in publication order. (I.e. read this right after you've read book 6 in the series, Ashes of Honor . By the time you get here, this lovely short may have joined the free shorts on the author's site, since it does look like the full run of this anthology has sold out. We can hope.)
(I really had every intention of reading and rating the full book, but this book turned out to be something I did not realize it was: a sampler anthology for existing series. I have deep reservations about reading series works out of order. It's a personal failing of sorts. So this is something I would never have picked up to read had it not contained "Rat-Catcher." I tried to break with habit and read this; it is a rare book after all. But no dice. I read the story for 'my' series and that was it.)
Full review: 2/29/16
******************
Jan. 2016 Holy moly, my library system has acquired a copy somehow. I LOVE my library!!!
Ahem. *tamps down getting-series-current joy and goes back to serious reading*
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
London is burning.
London is burning and she is dead, and yet I must consider myself victorious, for others yet live. It is a cold comfort. It will have to do. How small a stretch of time stands between here, where all is ashes, and the days when I was innocent and though myself yet young, and the world was meant to be my stage...
A prince becomes a king. Loved the look inside the family dynamics of the Cait Sidhe here. Loved Tybalt's point of view (always). I'm surprised by the emotional distance I felt from this story. I do think that since I skipped it (having no copy readily available) and read "Forbid the Sea" first that I was a bit spoiled for this one. That story has Tybalt's voice and perfect heartbreak. (Maybe I am just off kilter, though; I have been, lately.) Anyway, lesson learned again: Read this series in publication order. (I.e. read this right after you've read book 6 in the series, Ashes of Honor . By the time you get here, this lovely short may have joined the free shorts on the author's site, since it does look like the full run of this anthology has sold out. We can hope.)
(I really had every intention of reading and rating the full book, but this book turned out to be something I did not realize it was: a sampler anthology for existing series. I have deep reservations about reading series works out of order. It's a personal failing of sorts. So this is something I would never have picked up to read had it not contained "Rat-Catcher." I tried to break with habit and read this; it is a rare book after all. But no dice. I read the story for 'my' series and that was it.)
Full review: 2/29/16
******************
Jan. 2016 Holy moly, my library system has acquired a copy somehow. I LOVE my library!!!
Ahem. *tamps down getting-series-current joy and goes back to serious reading*
February 16, 2014
I kind of read the first two novellas the wrong way round, but hey, it didn't take away the fact they were both fabulous reads... this one in particular!
In this, the first novella, we see the prince become the king and how this event took place... we also gain a bit of history here, the Great Fire of London and the Black Plague that followed, now I know how it really happened and what became of the Cat Courts!
It has to be time to get my claws (pardon the pun) into the first of the books now, I can't wait!
In this, the first novella, we see the prince become the king and how this event took place... we also gain a bit of history here, the Great Fire of London and the Black Plague that followed, now I know how it really happened and what became of the Cat Courts!
It has to be time to get my claws (pardon the pun) into the first of the books now, I can't wait!
July 30, 2013
There's just something about faeries and Elizabethan England that mix, isn't there? It seems like I can't turn around without tripping over a book that involves the two. And that's not necessarily a bad thing; I like faeries, and I like Elizabethan England. But as with most trends, it can become hard to find writers who are using the material in inventive ways. Fortunately, that's just what Seanan McGuire does with "Rat-Catcher". There are beings of faerie, but they are also cats. As one of them--a rebellious prince who tries to stay out of court politics--learns of an impending disaster that will burn London, magical and mundane alike, he struggles with his split loyalties. I wish I could be unconditionally enthusiastic about this novelette, but in spite of its fun premise and adequate execution, it didn't quite leave much of an impression on me.
Rand doesn't have much love for the goings-on in his father's court. He much prefers to spend his time in cat form, watching plays and hanging out with the actors. As an immortal, he is fascinated by mortality and the depth and passion associated with it. McGuire draws a contrast between the short-lived but brightly burning humans Rand observes and the dull, stagnant court that he attends as he tries to warn his father-the-king of their doom. The promise of eternal life makes each day seem less special, less important.
McGuire also touches on self-fulfilling prophecies, with Rand wondering whether London would have burned at all if they hadn't acted in response to this prophecy. This isn't something she explores in much detail, though.
And that's about all that I remember. "Rat-Catcher" isn't bad. In fact, I don't mind saying it's very good. It's a neat little story about a faerie-cat and his problems, with a good historical backdrop and some nice dialogue. Yet it is also an ephemeral experience; unlike some fiction, it has not left much in the way of a mindworm. I can tell how impressive a book is by how long it takes me to stop thinking about it after I finish reading it. "Rat-Catcher" does not take long to read and doesn't stick around for much longer thereafter.
As with most of the Hugo novelettes this year, I'd happily recommend this but am not all that impressed by it.
Rand doesn't have much love for the goings-on in his father's court. He much prefers to spend his time in cat form, watching plays and hanging out with the actors. As an immortal, he is fascinated by mortality and the depth and passion associated with it. McGuire draws a contrast between the short-lived but brightly burning humans Rand observes and the dull, stagnant court that he attends as he tries to warn his father-the-king of their doom. The promise of eternal life makes each day seem less special, less important.
McGuire also touches on self-fulfilling prophecies, with Rand wondering whether London would have burned at all if they hadn't acted in response to this prophecy. This isn't something she explores in much detail, though.
And that's about all that I remember. "Rat-Catcher" isn't bad. In fact, I don't mind saying it's very good. It's a neat little story about a faerie-cat and his problems, with a good historical backdrop and some nice dialogue. Yet it is also an ephemeral experience; unlike some fiction, it has not left much in the way of a mindworm. I can tell how impressive a book is by how long it takes me to stop thinking about it after I finish reading it. "Rat-Catcher" does not take long to read and doesn't stick around for much longer thereafter.
As with most of the Hugo novelettes this year, I'd happily recommend this but am not all that impressed by it.
January 3, 2013
Finally received my copy today! I only bought it for Seanan McGuire's Rat-Catcher. Though I'm sure I'll read the other stories later, this review is only for Rat-Catcher. I absolutely LOVED this story. I'm so happy to finally read about Tybalt's past. It was nice to get to see how Tybalt was then and how he is now, so different, yet so similar at the same time. Anyway, great read, anything Tybalt usually is :) Can't wait til The Chimes at Midnight comes out!
July 14, 2018
Among the questions that fans of the October Daye series might want to see answered, I think the story of how Tybalt became King of Cats ranks pretty high. It definitely did for me and it's fascinating to see young Tybalt, not yet grown into his manhood or power, and clock the differences and similarities.
(This short is available to be read for free on the Lightspeed website; search by title)
(This short is available to be read for free on the Lightspeed website; search by title)
July 11, 2013
Nominated for the Hugo novelette category in 2013.
This is just in the category of not my thing, really not my thing, definitely not my thing, it won't ever be my thing. Beyond that I don't really have the requirements to evaluate it. I'm not much of a cat person.
This is just in the category of not my thing, really not my thing, definitely not my thing, it won't ever be my thing. Beyond that I don't really have the requirements to evaluate it. I'm not much of a cat person.
June 5, 2021
Tybalt's bittersweet origin story can be read at Light Speed Magazine.
Want to read
November 8, 2012"Rat-Catcher" - Seanan McGuire travels into the past of the October Daye series to pull back the veils on both the world of 17th century London theater and the faerie Court of Cats...
March 3, 2021
Very short story, but nice to see the origins of our beloved King of Cats.
June 18, 2022
Tybalt! ❤️
May 3, 2019
I actually read the standalone version of "Rat-Catcher (October Daye 7.1) via http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic... (legal and free). How Tybalt became a King of Cats.
Read
July 24, 2025I only read the short story "Rat-Catcher" by Seanan McGuire for the October Daye series. It was a Tybalt story...so naturally I loved it.
January 24, 2013
I've been in the mood to read short stories lately & in the mood to read new authors, so I decided to treat myself to this luxe new anthology from Subterranean Press. Two of the authors (Tanya Huff & Seanan McGuire) are favorites of mine and two (Amanda Downum & Jasper Kent) I'd never heard of before. The idea of the anthology is that each author writes a stand-alone story set in the world of a series of theirs, something that would be a treat for fans of the series or a gateway for people new to that series. It's a wonderful idea for an anthology, and it worked out well for me. Three of the four stories were big hits with me & I'm not sorry I read any of them, so I call that a win.
Tanya Huff's story is set in the world of her Quarters series, and as I haven't read those books for a really long time and have forgotten almost everything about them, I found the first few pages to be heavy going. Lots of capital letters as things were Sung or Called or Walked and new nouns whose meanings needed to be inferred - that kind of thing can make me grumpy. But I quickly got up to speed: this is a world where bards travel to both learn and transmit information, and these bards can communicate with rather dumb little elemental spirits called kigh, who represent the four quarters of air, water, earth & fire. After I'd got that on board I was utterly engrossed in this story of a young bard out on a mission to find out exactly what sort of goings on are occurring at a mysterious holding in the dead of winter. And when I finished I was flushed with satisfaction & planning on going down to the basement to find those Quarters books and give them the long-overdue re-read that they clearly deserve. The best comparison I can give is with the early Valdemar novels, the ones written back in the day when comparing something to a Valdemar novel was a compliment.
Amanda Downum's story is set in a world I had never encountered before, but one that felt like a living, breathing place right off. I *loved* her world, it felt so real to me, and I felt so much sympathy for her main character. Gentian is not his real name, but it's the one he's using for now, as he tries to leave his refugee past behind and build a new life for himself as a performer (and prostitute) in his adopted city. I could have spent a lot more time in his rather louche theatre, getting to know all the denizens. Sadly for Gentian, his past would not stay hidden away in the refugee slum his family ended up in and he has to face his demons, quite literally. I will definitely be getting a novel of Downum's, I'm a bit torn as to which one. This story is apparently set in the world of the second volume of her necromancer series, so I don't know whether to start there, or with the first volume. I'm not hugely fond of demons, horror & gore as a rule, but I found this story so enjoyable that I am willing to give the necromancer books a go.
Jasper Kent's story is set in a world that felt quite familiar after reading Sherwood Smith's Revenant Eve - Paris 1819. A young medical student takes rooms in a haunted house owned by a reticent Sergeant - but what is the house haunted by, exactly? And why? I won't spoil it for you by telling you. I was a bit jolted by the abrupt shift in POV from the medical student in 1819 to the Sergeant in 1812 or so, retreating back to Paris from the French invasion of Russia, but apart from that the story is well told. Military fantasy isn't really my thing, but I loved all the historical detail - and you never know, someday I might decide to check out the Danilov Quartet, which is apparently set on the Russian side of that particular war.
Seanan McGuire's story is a major treat. She has set it in the world of October Daye, but instead of foggy 21st century San Francisco, we get foggy 17th century London and the story of how Rand, Prince of Cats, had to leave his kittenhood behind and become Tybalt, King of Cats. Tybalt is one of the most immediately engaging characters in Toby's world - McGuire combines her love of cats and her ability to write convincingly from pretty much any point of view to create a convincingly cat-like man. And finding out more of his backstory is just pure jam, even if, since this is a Seanan McGuire story, it does come with the requisite dose of heartbreak. Plus she made me laugh when I realized that the chief object of Tybalt's flirtations in this story was a lady called September...
Tanya Huff's story is set in the world of her Quarters series, and as I haven't read those books for a really long time and have forgotten almost everything about them, I found the first few pages to be heavy going. Lots of capital letters as things were Sung or Called or Walked and new nouns whose meanings needed to be inferred - that kind of thing can make me grumpy. But I quickly got up to speed: this is a world where bards travel to both learn and transmit information, and these bards can communicate with rather dumb little elemental spirits called kigh, who represent the four quarters of air, water, earth & fire. After I'd got that on board I was utterly engrossed in this story of a young bard out on a mission to find out exactly what sort of goings on are occurring at a mysterious holding in the dead of winter. And when I finished I was flushed with satisfaction & planning on going down to the basement to find those Quarters books and give them the long-overdue re-read that they clearly deserve. The best comparison I can give is with the early Valdemar novels, the ones written back in the day when comparing something to a Valdemar novel was a compliment.
Amanda Downum's story is set in a world I had never encountered before, but one that felt like a living, breathing place right off. I *loved* her world, it felt so real to me, and I felt so much sympathy for her main character. Gentian is not his real name, but it's the one he's using for now, as he tries to leave his refugee past behind and build a new life for himself as a performer (and prostitute) in his adopted city. I could have spent a lot more time in his rather louche theatre, getting to know all the denizens. Sadly for Gentian, his past would not stay hidden away in the refugee slum his family ended up in and he has to face his demons, quite literally. I will definitely be getting a novel of Downum's, I'm a bit torn as to which one. This story is apparently set in the world of the second volume of her necromancer series, so I don't know whether to start there, or with the first volume. I'm not hugely fond of demons, horror & gore as a rule, but I found this story so enjoyable that I am willing to give the necromancer books a go.
Jasper Kent's story is set in a world that felt quite familiar after reading Sherwood Smith's Revenant Eve - Paris 1819. A young medical student takes rooms in a haunted house owned by a reticent Sergeant - but what is the house haunted by, exactly? And why? I won't spoil it for you by telling you. I was a bit jolted by the abrupt shift in POV from the medical student in 1819 to the Sergeant in 1812 or so, retreating back to Paris from the French invasion of Russia, but apart from that the story is well told. Military fantasy isn't really my thing, but I loved all the historical detail - and you never know, someday I might decide to check out the Danilov Quartet, which is apparently set on the Russian side of that particular war.
Seanan McGuire's story is a major treat. She has set it in the world of October Daye, but instead of foggy 21st century San Francisco, we get foggy 17th century London and the story of how Rand, Prince of Cats, had to leave his kittenhood behind and become Tybalt, King of Cats. Tybalt is one of the most immediately engaging characters in Toby's world - McGuire combines her love of cats and her ability to write convincingly from pretty much any point of view to create a convincingly cat-like man. And finding out more of his backstory is just pure jam, even if, since this is a Seanan McGuire story, it does come with the requisite dose of heartbreak. Plus she made me laugh when I realized that the chief object of Tybalt's flirtations in this story was a lady called September...
March 29, 2013
A collection of short stories edited by Yanni Kuznia. I admit, I bought it solely because Seanan McGuire had a story about Tybalt in it. I do have some books by Tanya Huff on my to-read pile and this being me, of course I read the whole thing cover to cover. I can't stand only reading one story out of a compilation or even reading them out of order. So now my thoughts on each story:
Quartered by Tanya Huff - Evicka, a Bard, is sent to spy on an assassin but the revelations she comes away with are more than anyone could have imagined. Bards in this world control kigh, spirits of some sort, through their songs and are used not only to spy but also to bring news to others and use their songs to influence people's opinions. Obviously a well built world and I'm intrigued to know more.
Bone Garden by Amanda Downum - Genetian ran away from his people several years ago but now his cousin is on the doorstep of the theater he works and lives at and tells him it has to do with the babies and women being killed. Again, it seemed pretty obvious that this was part of a larger world but I'm still undecided if I want to know more. I just didn't get really invested in it.
The Sergeant and the General by Jasper Kent - A crotchety old man is befriended by a student living in the same building. When the student mentions getting a horse, the old man tells him there is no room and takes him down to the stables to see why. In the stables, there are no horses but only a pendant with the likeness of a horse and a name etched on it but that night and for several afterward, the student hears hooves on the stairs leading to the old mans flat but even when the hooves sound like they are next to him, he sees nothing. A few days later the old man is dead, clutching the horse pendant. Then we are told the meaning behind the pendant. In all, it was well-written but I found it disjointed and hard to care about the characters. It says that it's from a series but I definitely won't be looking for it.
Rat-Catcher by Seanan McGuire - Rand, adopted son of the King of Cats, has been charged to hear the message brought to Londinium, the fairy lands that coincide with London. What he reports back is that there will be fire that will sweep through all the lands and any who stay will burn but when the king decides to ignore the warning, Rand steps up to protect his people and a new king emerges from the battle, Tybalt. Very interesting to read how Tybalt became King of the Cats and my biggest complaint is that the story was simply too short. It told exactly what it needed to but not much more and there is soooooo much more I want to know about Tybalt. I imagine that for anyone who was more familiar with the other worlds in this medley, they felt the same way.
I came away from this happy with the story I bought it for and a new series to look into. Unfortunately, I don't think the other two stories were strong enough to truly stand on their own as good introductions to their wolds for people like me who were completely unfamiliar with them.
Quartered by Tanya Huff - Evicka, a Bard, is sent to spy on an assassin but the revelations she comes away with are more than anyone could have imagined. Bards in this world control kigh, spirits of some sort, through their songs and are used not only to spy but also to bring news to others and use their songs to influence people's opinions. Obviously a well built world and I'm intrigued to know more.
Bone Garden by Amanda Downum - Genetian ran away from his people several years ago but now his cousin is on the doorstep of the theater he works and lives at and tells him it has to do with the babies and women being killed. Again, it seemed pretty obvious that this was part of a larger world but I'm still undecided if I want to know more. I just didn't get really invested in it.
The Sergeant and the General by Jasper Kent - A crotchety old man is befriended by a student living in the same building. When the student mentions getting a horse, the old man tells him there is no room and takes him down to the stables to see why. In the stables, there are no horses but only a pendant with the likeness of a horse and a name etched on it but that night and for several afterward, the student hears hooves on the stairs leading to the old mans flat but even when the hooves sound like they are next to him, he sees nothing. A few days later the old man is dead, clutching the horse pendant. Then we are told the meaning behind the pendant. In all, it was well-written but I found it disjointed and hard to care about the characters. It says that it's from a series but I definitely won't be looking for it.
Rat-Catcher by Seanan McGuire - Rand, adopted son of the King of Cats, has been charged to hear the message brought to Londinium, the fairy lands that coincide with London. What he reports back is that there will be fire that will sweep through all the lands and any who stay will burn but when the king decides to ignore the warning, Rand steps up to protect his people and a new king emerges from the battle, Tybalt. Very interesting to read how Tybalt became King of the Cats and my biggest complaint is that the story was simply too short. It told exactly what it needed to but not much more and there is soooooo much more I want to know about Tybalt. I imagine that for anyone who was more familiar with the other worlds in this medley, they felt the same way.
I came away from this happy with the story I bought it for and a new series to look into. Unfortunately, I don't think the other two stories were strong enough to truly stand on their own as good introductions to their wolds for people like me who were completely unfamiliar with them.
February 2, 2013
A Fantasy Medley 2 is editor Yanni Kuznia's second collection of tales from top fantasy stars. This collection features stories by well-known names in the genre, and displays the dark edge of the modern fantastic. Each takes place in worlds many have already discovered and loved, breathing fresh life into the mythoi of these four fantastic authors. These short tales are individually well crafted, and together they create a piece which intimately binds dark and light, hope and sorrow into the reader's consciousness.
A few notes on each:
- Tanya Huff's Quartered: Set in Huff's world of the Quarters series, this tale is of Evicka, a bard on a mission. Simply told but surprisingly sophisticated, Quartered shows a talent for understanding the complexities of people and how our perceptions can be so different from the truth. Appearances can be deceiving, and sometimes there is a price for revelation.
- Amanda Downum's The Bone Garden: This is a sensually written story about different definitions of "haunting". She takes us on a journey to a place where spectres can haunt us--both literally and figuratively.
- Jasper Kent's The Sergeant and the General: This story is a little bit like War Horse--if it had been written by Edgar Allen Poe. It shows the hardships of war, forces us to consider the true meaning of loyalty, and is a dark tale that will both haunt and delight lovers of dark speculative fiction.
- Seanan McGuire's Rat-Catcher: This is a tale of 17th century London from a rather unexpected point of view. Calling to mind a bit of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, this story has moments of both beauty and tragedy, and is a bittersweet end to a hellish ride through the thorny rose garden of some of today's finest writers.
This is a good collection for any reader of speculative fiction, but especially for anyone curious about the styles and worlds of these four authors. Each story divulges the finely tuned abilities of each author and will probably make readers who have never read them want to know more about all four worlds represented in this short but satisfying collection. Recommended.
This book was provided to me by SF Revu in exchange for an unbiased review.
A few notes on each:
- Tanya Huff's Quartered: Set in Huff's world of the Quarters series, this tale is of Evicka, a bard on a mission. Simply told but surprisingly sophisticated, Quartered shows a talent for understanding the complexities of people and how our perceptions can be so different from the truth. Appearances can be deceiving, and sometimes there is a price for revelation.
- Amanda Downum's The Bone Garden: This is a sensually written story about different definitions of "haunting". She takes us on a journey to a place where spectres can haunt us--both literally and figuratively.
- Jasper Kent's The Sergeant and the General: This story is a little bit like War Horse--if it had been written by Edgar Allen Poe. It shows the hardships of war, forces us to consider the true meaning of loyalty, and is a dark tale that will both haunt and delight lovers of dark speculative fiction.
- Seanan McGuire's Rat-Catcher: This is a tale of 17th century London from a rather unexpected point of view. Calling to mind a bit of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, this story has moments of both beauty and tragedy, and is a bittersweet end to a hellish ride through the thorny rose garden of some of today's finest writers.
This is a good collection for any reader of speculative fiction, but especially for anyone curious about the styles and worlds of these four authors. Each story divulges the finely tuned abilities of each author and will probably make readers who have never read them want to know more about all four worlds represented in this short but satisfying collection. Recommended.
This book was provided to me by SF Revu in exchange for an unbiased review.
April 18, 2021
When I found out there was a Tybalt story, one of my favorite characters in the October Daye series, I jumped at the chance to read it!
The author lets Rand’s voice shine through in Rat-Catcher as he tells his story and eventually changes his name to Tybalt. Though a much younger man/cat, the way Rand speaks and thinks is very similar to the Tybalt in the original October Daye series. In this particular story, the reader learns about Rand/Tybalt’s siblings and the sweet and endearing love he has for his sisters. I also thought his care toward the humans he sees every day at the theater was heartwarming. It melted my heart when he tried to warn the humans of the tragedy that was going to occur by just approaching them in his cat form and curled up in one of their laps. And even though his father’s abusive, Rand takes it in stride and ultimately does what he thinks is best.
Plot-wise, Seanan McGuire keeps everything moving fairly quickly. However, I did find the ending to be fairly abrupt and found myself reading a couple of scenes more than once to make sure I understood what was occurring. Then, when Rand goes through the Shadow Roads, I just found myself confused. I assume it’s a magical portal type area, but I can’t be 100% sure. Maybe I’m just over-analyzing and confusing myself, but I would’ve like a little more clarity and a little more time on these roads to understand what they are.
Lastly, there were some questions that were left unanswered. Poking around, it looks like there is a continuation of Rat-Catcher, so maybe some of those questions will be answered there. However, I still feel a bit dissatisfied with the way Seanan McGuire decided to leave these questions unanswered.
Overall, this was a nice little addition to Tybalt’s story and I do plan on reading the next one, however, I wish there was more. I would recommend this short story to those who enjoy October Daye series, specifically Tybalt’s character and would like to learn a little more about him.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2021/04/18...
The author lets Rand’s voice shine through in Rat-Catcher as he tells his story and eventually changes his name to Tybalt. Though a much younger man/cat, the way Rand speaks and thinks is very similar to the Tybalt in the original October Daye series. In this particular story, the reader learns about Rand/Tybalt’s siblings and the sweet and endearing love he has for his sisters. I also thought his care toward the humans he sees every day at the theater was heartwarming. It melted my heart when he tried to warn the humans of the tragedy that was going to occur by just approaching them in his cat form and curled up in one of their laps. And even though his father’s abusive, Rand takes it in stride and ultimately does what he thinks is best.
Plot-wise, Seanan McGuire keeps everything moving fairly quickly. However, I did find the ending to be fairly abrupt and found myself reading a couple of scenes more than once to make sure I understood what was occurring. Then, when Rand goes through the Shadow Roads, I just found myself confused. I assume it’s a magical portal type area, but I can’t be 100% sure. Maybe I’m just over-analyzing and confusing myself, but I would’ve like a little more clarity and a little more time on these roads to understand what they are.
Lastly, there were some questions that were left unanswered. Poking around, it looks like there is a continuation of Rat-Catcher, so maybe some of those questions will be answered there. However, I still feel a bit dissatisfied with the way Seanan McGuire decided to leave these questions unanswered.
Overall, this was a nice little addition to Tybalt’s story and I do plan on reading the next one, however, I wish there was more. I would recommend this short story to those who enjoy October Daye series, specifically Tybalt’s character and would like to learn a little more about him.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2021/04/18...
March 23, 2015
I'm giving this book five stars for the Seanan McGuire story, Rat-Catcher. This is about how Rand, Prince of Cats, became Tybalt, King of Cats. It's set 10 years before Forbid the Sea and explains why Tybalt was alone after the great fire of London. Rat-Catcher doesn't have the poetry of Forbid the Sea, but it's still beautiful in its way.
Quartered by Tanya Huff is a vignette from Quarters series and wasn't really a story per se. I haven't read that series so I can't really comment on this.
Bone Garden by Amanda Downum was good. This is the story of a young man who ran from his poverty stricken, low status town to the big city. He became an actor/singer and an unapologetic prostitute. The woman that he wanted to marry before the need to escape overwhelmed him comes to the city to ask for his help with something akin to demons that are destroying their people. My description is very dry, but the story is not.
The Sergeant and the General by Jasper Kent is a bit of a tough read because you know what's coming . It begins with a young student doctor fascinated with his reclusive landlord and then jumps back in time to explain how the landlord, sergeant Melle', became that way.
Quartered by Tanya Huff is a vignette from Quarters series and wasn't really a story per se. I haven't read that series so I can't really comment on this.
Bone Garden by Amanda Downum was good. This is the story of a young man who ran from his poverty stricken, low status town to the big city. He became an actor/singer and an unapologetic prostitute. The woman that he wanted to marry before the need to escape overwhelmed him comes to the city to ask for his help with something akin to demons that are destroying their people. My description is very dry, but the story is not.
The Sergeant and the General by Jasper Kent is a bit of a tough read because you know what's coming . It begins with a young student doctor fascinated with his reclusive landlord and then jumps back in time to explain how the landlord, sergeant Melle', became that way.
August 16, 2022
[edit 8/16/22: just noticed that goodreads is once again doing its thing of getting rid of short stories across the site so just wanted to note that the only story i've read here is the one by Seanan McGuire, which was previously listed as a separate title since it was posted on - I think - Lightspeed's website]
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
I feel like Seanan has probably 1. named Tybalt because of this line and 2. waited very impatiently until she was six books into her series to use it for a short story. This is a nice little short about young Tybalt and how he became a king of cats. Tybalt is probably my favorite character other than Toby so I really love the insight into his backstory that we get here.
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
I feel like Seanan has probably 1. named Tybalt because of this line and 2. waited very impatiently until she was six books into her series to use it for a short story. This is a nice little short about young Tybalt and how he became a king of cats. Tybalt is probably my favorite character other than Toby so I really love the insight into his backstory that we get here.
July 14, 2013
Meh. Cats.
I guess this somehow fits into the October Daye series, with which I am unfamiliar. Since I'm not excited about either cats in fiction or fairies (the cats in the story are essentially a type of fairies), it didn't do much for me. It was competently executed, though. Not too much exposition for the size of the novelette, and a conclusion that seemed to fit the size of the story.
I guess this somehow fits into the October Daye series, with which I am unfamiliar. Since I'm not excited about either cats in fiction or fairies (the cats in the story are essentially a type of fairies), it didn't do much for me. It was competently executed, though. Not too much exposition for the size of the novelette, and a conclusion that seemed to fit the size of the story.
April 5, 2015
Read for the 2013 Hugos. (Rat Catcher)
This was a really cool story. It's an interesting world. I liked the main character and particularly how he progressed, which is the point the story, after all. Probably my favorite of the stories in its Hugo category.
This was a really cool story. It's an interesting world. I liked the main character and particularly how he progressed, which is the point the story, after all. Probably my favorite of the stories in its Hugo category.
July 29, 2013
Lovely... I'm a sucker for faerie stories like this. I could easily read a series of novels set in this world.
Ah... after looking at Goodreads, I see that there IS a series of novels set in this world! MEOW!
Ah... after looking at Goodreads, I see that there IS a series of novels set in this world! MEOW!
January 15, 2013
Eep! It's here! :))))
Seanan McGuire's story in this is "Tybalt's Origin Story". Enough said :)
Seanan McGuire's story in this is "Tybalt's Origin Story". Enough said :)
August 1, 2013
Fascinating story of cat fae, prophesy, and sibling love, set in the London Fire. Completely had my attention.
January 31, 2025
Rating for Ratcatcher only
September 5, 2020
A Fantasy Medley 2 is one of those ‘taster’ anthologies that feature stories from ongoing series. The publisher's cunning plan is to get you hooked on a set of characters and a fantasy setting so you buy all the books. If the tasters are good enough, it works. So do these four tales cut the mustard? Let’s see.
In ‘Quartered’ by Tanya Huff the young bard Evicka, due to go Walking in winter, the fourth quarter, is given a dangerous mission. She has to visit a timber holding granted by the late king to ex imperial assassin Vireyda Magaly and her lover Gyhard i’Stevana. They’re suspected of being up to no good and Evicka can drop in on them as part of her Walk and check what’s happening. I mostly enjoyed this but have two nits to pick. There’s a part near the end where Evicka does an internal monologue that’s a bit too cute for my taste - like something from Friends. She also wonders about rhyming words in English which rather scuppers the fantasy otherworld suspension of disbelief, unless they speak English there. Other than that, a rather sweet story well told.
‘Bone Garden’ by Amanda Downum is a darker piece of work. The setting is the city of Erisîn from her novel The Bone Palace. Gentian is a modestly successful actor but his real name is Kostya and he was a Rosian refugee. He’s escaped from the ghetto these last ten years but his past catches up with him when he finds cousin Sonya collapsed in a doorway. He takes her in and gets involved again in the troubles of his people. A tale of spirits, fortune tellers and sacrifice with sensual prose.
‘The Sergeant and the General’ is by Jasper Kent. The background is that of his Danilov Quintet. Paris, 1819 and a young medical student takes up lodgings in a house owned by Sergeant Mellé, a veteran of Napoleon’s tragic Russian campaign. When he decides to get a horse he finds that the landlord has a strange relationship with that animal. The structure was odd, beginning with the student’s story told in the first person and then cutting to the sergeant's tale back in Russia with his one-eyed horse General Kutuzov. As a history fan and a one time resident of Paris (for three months), I enjoyed this and liked Jasper Kent’s clean, straightforward prose style enough to look for more of his work.
‘The Court of Cats exists in the tenuous membrane between the Summerlands and every other realm of mortal or Faerie and passage to it is through the shadows ‘which are the burden and birthright of the Cait Sidhe.’ It’s July 1666, London, and Rand, Prince of the Court, is watching Romeo and Juliet when his younger sister Jill comes to fetch him for he has been summoned by the King. Rand is to be the cats' envoy to the Divided Courts for the latest of their assemblies, travelling there via the Shadow Roads. ‘Rat-Catcher’ by Sean McGuire is set in his October Daye series. The cat people are different - not just humans in fur but with genuine feline qualities. They’re competitive and merciless. Rand, the first-person narrator, is a sympathetic character coping with a difficult situation. The background is well thought out and the story entertaining. I really enjoyed this one.
My version of A Fantasy Medley 2 is a paperback advanced uncorrected proof of the deluxe hardcover edition priced at $20. The book is a few years old and I guess I’m lucky to have it because the secondhand price is double that now, perhaps because fans of the several series involved want to get the individual stories. The first couple of tales were entertaining enough and I rate highly the last two; not a bad average for any anthology.
In ‘Quartered’ by Tanya Huff the young bard Evicka, due to go Walking in winter, the fourth quarter, is given a dangerous mission. She has to visit a timber holding granted by the late king to ex imperial assassin Vireyda Magaly and her lover Gyhard i’Stevana. They’re suspected of being up to no good and Evicka can drop in on them as part of her Walk and check what’s happening. I mostly enjoyed this but have two nits to pick. There’s a part near the end where Evicka does an internal monologue that’s a bit too cute for my taste - like something from Friends. She also wonders about rhyming words in English which rather scuppers the fantasy otherworld suspension of disbelief, unless they speak English there. Other than that, a rather sweet story well told.
‘Bone Garden’ by Amanda Downum is a darker piece of work. The setting is the city of Erisîn from her novel The Bone Palace. Gentian is a modestly successful actor but his real name is Kostya and he was a Rosian refugee. He’s escaped from the ghetto these last ten years but his past catches up with him when he finds cousin Sonya collapsed in a doorway. He takes her in and gets involved again in the troubles of his people. A tale of spirits, fortune tellers and sacrifice with sensual prose.
‘The Sergeant and the General’ is by Jasper Kent. The background is that of his Danilov Quintet. Paris, 1819 and a young medical student takes up lodgings in a house owned by Sergeant Mellé, a veteran of Napoleon’s tragic Russian campaign. When he decides to get a horse he finds that the landlord has a strange relationship with that animal. The structure was odd, beginning with the student’s story told in the first person and then cutting to the sergeant's tale back in Russia with his one-eyed horse General Kutuzov. As a history fan and a one time resident of Paris (for three months), I enjoyed this and liked Jasper Kent’s clean, straightforward prose style enough to look for more of his work.
‘The Court of Cats exists in the tenuous membrane between the Summerlands and every other realm of mortal or Faerie and passage to it is through the shadows ‘which are the burden and birthright of the Cait Sidhe.’ It’s July 1666, London, and Rand, Prince of the Court, is watching Romeo and Juliet when his younger sister Jill comes to fetch him for he has been summoned by the King. Rand is to be the cats' envoy to the Divided Courts for the latest of their assemblies, travelling there via the Shadow Roads. ‘Rat-Catcher’ by Sean McGuire is set in his October Daye series. The cat people are different - not just humans in fur but with genuine feline qualities. They’re competitive and merciless. Rand, the first-person narrator, is a sympathetic character coping with a difficult situation. The background is well thought out and the story entertaining. I really enjoyed this one.
My version of A Fantasy Medley 2 is a paperback advanced uncorrected proof of the deluxe hardcover edition priced at $20. The book is a few years old and I guess I’m lucky to have it because the secondhand price is double that now, perhaps because fans of the several series involved want to get the individual stories. The first couple of tales were entertaining enough and I rate highly the last two; not a bad average for any anthology.
March 7, 2018
Like so many others to review this, I read only Rat-Catcher for Tybalt's back story. Following Seanan McGuire's short fiction in the complicated timelines of her larger body of work is a challenge on its own.
I purchased a copy of this book before the story itself became available for free. At the time, it looked as if it might never do so. This would not be a book to purchase if you do not follow any of the included authors' series. Probably explains the obscurity of the book.
I think Seanan is extremely clever in her series, and this one takes her homage to Shakespeare a step further, to the theatre, to London burning and the Great Plague. Fascinating how she weaves her modern tale back through the strands of history. I'd love to know if her story arc for this series came to her as a whole or appears piece by piece as she writes it.
I purchased a copy of this book before the story itself became available for free. At the time, it looked as if it might never do so. This would not be a book to purchase if you do not follow any of the included authors' series. Probably explains the obscurity of the book.
I think Seanan is extremely clever in her series, and this one takes her homage to Shakespeare a step further, to the theatre, to London burning and the Great Plague. Fascinating how she weaves her modern tale back through the strands of history. I'd love to know if her story arc for this series came to her as a whole or appears piece by piece as she writes it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews