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October Daye #20
A Divided Duty
Seanan McGuire’s New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated October Daye series finds Toby Daye torn between caring for her newborn daughter and keeping the world of Faerie―and her found family―safe.
October “Toby” Daye is settling into life with a baby, remembering the ins and outs of motherhood, and trying to find ways to balance her work with her desire to keep her baby safe at home and away from all the terrors Faerie has to offer. Her whole household is pitching in, from May all the way down to Raysel, the estranged daughter of Toby’s liege lord who is currently serving out a term of offense in Toby’s home.
Naturally, as everything is beginning to find a balance, it’s time for Raysel’s term of offense to end, and Luna Torquill very much wants her daughter back.
But Toby has been helping Raysel get the help she desperately needs, from giving her a safe place to hide all the way to finding her a licensed therapist who works with the fae, and Raysel isn’t ready to leave. Luna isn’t taking no for an answer, and before anyone can realize what she’s planning, she steals her own child away to Blind Michael’s lands.
Not even Luna knows all the terrible secrets her father and his works hid from the world, and not even she can protect her daughter from the monsters in their lineage. All too quickly, Toby must race the clock to save Raysel―before it’s too late for her to ever come home.
It’s been years, but now the question will be asked again: can she get there and back by the light of a candle?
October “Toby” Daye is settling into life with a baby, remembering the ins and outs of motherhood, and trying to find ways to balance her work with her desire to keep her baby safe at home and away from all the terrors Faerie has to offer. Her whole household is pitching in, from May all the way down to Raysel, the estranged daughter of Toby’s liege lord who is currently serving out a term of offense in Toby’s home.
Naturally, as everything is beginning to find a balance, it’s time for Raysel’s term of offense to end, and Luna Torquill very much wants her daughter back.
But Toby has been helping Raysel get the help she desperately needs, from giving her a safe place to hide all the way to finding her a licensed therapist who works with the fae, and Raysel isn’t ready to leave. Luna isn’t taking no for an answer, and before anyone can realize what she’s planning, she steals her own child away to Blind Michael’s lands.
Not even Luna knows all the terrible secrets her father and his works hid from the world, and not even she can protect her daughter from the monsters in their lineage. All too quickly, Toby must race the clock to save Raysel―before it’s too late for her to ever come home.
It’s been years, but now the question will be asked again: can she get there and back by the light of a candle?
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2026
About the author
Seanan McGuire
526 books17.4k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Here we are at book 20 in the October Daye series. That is a huge accomplishment for Seanan McGuire. A Divided Duty give fans of the series a glimpse into the home life of new parents Toby and Tybalt as they figure out how to be parents and have a day job. If said day job was being a hero of the realm and jumping into help when things go wrong for her Liege or her friends. Most people just have to figure out how to go back to a nine to five job, but not our girl. Good thing she has a lot of family support and the scariest faery godmother possible.
The one thing with books this far along in a story line is that a lot of time has to be spent on recapping so the reader remembers why they care about certain aspects of the story. I think Seanan McGuire does that well capturing a lot of the highlights in conversations between characters to refresh the readers' minds. Raysel has been living with Toby for almost a year paying off a debt and kinda hiding from her mom while she figures out her life. She is doing decent at taking responsibility for the havocs she caused in prior books and Toby is great at collecting teenagers that are helping Raysel adjust to her new life. When the Queen agrees that Raysel shouldn't be released back to her parents, her mother takes things into her own hands as mommy knows best. Toby is in a race with the clock to find Raysel and get her back before she is damaged forever.
This takes us back to Blind Michaels lands that were the stuff of children's (and some adults) nightmares. There is some fallout from some of the prior stories in the series and plenty of people have reason to be made at Sylvester and some of the pure bloods. Enough that Raysel may just be a pawn in bigger game.
If you have enjoyed this series so far then I think A Divided Duty will give you more of the same adventures of October Daye that you have come to enjoy. This is not a good place to jump into the series as all the stories build on one another so you would need to start from the beginning. But if you enjoy Fae stories skirting a darker line this series may be a good fit for you.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
I am very familiar with Mary Robinette Kowal's voice. She has narrated the other 19 books in this series and a few other stories I have enjoyed. Listening to October Daye is like settling in with an old friend telling me a story. The cadence and overall performance was done so well. She is a natural story teller and always captures the voices within this series the same an well making it easy to identify them no matter which book in the series I'm listening to. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Here we are at book 20 in the October Daye series. That is a huge accomplishment for Seanan McGuire. A Divided Duty give fans of the series a glimpse into the home life of new parents Toby and Tybalt as they figure out how to be parents and have a day job. If said day job was being a hero of the realm and jumping into help when things go wrong for her Liege or her friends. Most people just have to figure out how to go back to a nine to five job, but not our girl. Good thing she has a lot of family support and the scariest faery godmother possible.
The one thing with books this far along in a story line is that a lot of time has to be spent on recapping so the reader remembers why they care about certain aspects of the story. I think Seanan McGuire does that well capturing a lot of the highlights in conversations between characters to refresh the readers' minds. Raysel has been living with Toby for almost a year paying off a debt and kinda hiding from her mom while she figures out her life. She is doing decent at taking responsibility for the havocs she caused in prior books and Toby is great at collecting teenagers that are helping Raysel adjust to her new life. When the Queen agrees that Raysel shouldn't be released back to her parents, her mother takes things into her own hands as mommy knows best. Toby is in a race with the clock to find Raysel and get her back before she is damaged forever.
This takes us back to Blind Michaels lands that were the stuff of children's (and some adults) nightmares. There is some fallout from some of the prior stories in the series and plenty of people have reason to be made at Sylvester and some of the pure bloods. Enough that Raysel may just be a pawn in bigger game.
If you have enjoyed this series so far then I think A Divided Duty will give you more of the same adventures of October Daye that you have come to enjoy. This is not a good place to jump into the series as all the stories build on one another so you would need to start from the beginning. But if you enjoy Fae stories skirting a darker line this series may be a good fit for you.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
I am very familiar with Mary Robinette Kowal's voice. She has narrated the other 19 books in this series and a few other stories I have enjoyed. Listening to October Daye is like settling in with an old friend telling me a story. The cadence and overall performance was done so well. She is a natural story teller and always captures the voices within this series the same an well making it easy to identify them no matter which book in the series I'm listening to. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Seanan McGuire's A Divided Duty. Below is my honest review.
Well, Seanan's done it again. Another grand Toby adventure full of found family, the ties that bind, and a lot of bleeding. LOL
The Raysel, Sylvester, Luna storyline has been really well done. She's really plumbed the depths of these characters to show the darkest and brightest sides of personhood and how each can express in the same person.
In this one, we get a little more closure on some of the fronts - a little more of Blind Michael's lands and victims, a little more for Raysel's penance, a little more for Luna's obsession, and some touches of how changed characters are after the big Titania world-shifting spell storyline.
I absolutely love this series, and really hate waiting for new ones. *sigh*
The attached short story/novella brings some serious character study for Quentin after Titania's spell, and for showing a hint of The Luidaeg's vulnerable side, which were both welcome and well done.
Five stars, and I highly recommend, but you can't just jump in on this one if you want all the meat of the story. This is book 20 after all. BOOK 20!!!
Well, Seanan's done it again. Another grand Toby adventure full of found family, the ties that bind, and a lot of bleeding. LOL
The Raysel, Sylvester, Luna storyline has been really well done. She's really plumbed the depths of these characters to show the darkest and brightest sides of personhood and how each can express in the same person.
In this one, we get a little more closure on some of the fronts - a little more of Blind Michael's lands and victims, a little more for Raysel's penance, a little more for Luna's obsession, and some touches of how changed characters are after the big Titania world-shifting spell storyline.
I absolutely love this series, and really hate waiting for new ones. *sigh*
The attached short story/novella brings some serious character study for Quentin after Titania's spell, and for showing a hint of The Luidaeg's vulnerable side, which were both welcome and well done.
Five stars, and I highly recommend, but you can't just jump in on this one if you want all the meat of the story. This is book 20 after all. BOOK 20!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Saving Rayseline
Until now, Rayseline Torquill has been a fairly minor character in the McGuire's October Daye urban fantasy series. In novel 20 (as McGuire points out, the series is no longer a teenager!), A Divided Duty, Raysel moves to the center of the story. She is the center in the sense that her well-being is the main subject of the novel. She is, unfortunately, mostly a passive center. The action is mostly our hero Toby, Toby's husband Tybalt, and Raysel's mother Luna.
Following the events of Silver and Lead, which saw the birth and attempted kidnapping of Toby and Tybalt's daughter Miranda, Toby is living a fairly peaceful and secluded life in San Francisco with Tybalt and and the many young folks who have become part of the family over the years. Aside from Miranda, Raysel is the most recent such acquisition. In past years Raysel had the misfortune to come under the influence of Evening Winterrose, who is more-or-less the principal villain of the series. As a consequence Raysel was put in an enchanted sleep. In a dream she asked Toby to take her in as a ward when she was awakened. This happened a few months before the events of Sleep No More. That's how Raysel became a member of Taby's household. Toby is trying to protect her while she recuperates and rehabilitates from her past life of crime.
When A Divided Duty begins, they both feel it is going well. However, that opinion is not universal. Raysel's mother Luna, who has always resented Toby, wants her daughter back. She solves this problem in the most direct way: she kidnaps Raysel. (That is in the publisher's blurb, and if the publisher has already spoiled, I'm free to mention it in a review without labeling it a spoiler.) Toby and Tybalt charge off to rescue Raysel.
It's a good story, but not, alas, very well told. Everyone talks about everything, endlessly. Raysel has psychological trauma in her past, and so does Luna, and so, indeed, does Toby herself. In fact, many of the other characters are fairly traumatized, and they talk about it. A certain amount of that is useful and even helpful to illuminate the action. But there is balance in all things! Or there should be.
If you're an October Daye fan (and I am), you're going to want to read this, anyway. Sadly, it felt more like a project than a good time.
Release date 29-Sep-2026.
But by Degrees
As usual, this novel is accompanied by a novella. This one is called But by Degrees, and it is about Toby's squire Quentin, whom readers of the series have long known. Quentin was traumatized by the events of Sleep No More. He is still trying to come to terms with having been turned into a bigot and a jerk by Titania's illusion. Quentin needs therapy, and he gets it. This novella is ALL TALK.
Dullsville, man!
Blog review.
Until now, Rayseline Torquill has been a fairly minor character in the McGuire's October Daye urban fantasy series. In novel 20 (as McGuire points out, the series is no longer a teenager!), A Divided Duty, Raysel moves to the center of the story. She is the center in the sense that her well-being is the main subject of the novel. She is, unfortunately, mostly a passive center. The action is mostly our hero Toby, Toby's husband Tybalt, and Raysel's mother Luna.
Following the events of Silver and Lead, which saw the birth and attempted kidnapping of Toby and Tybalt's daughter Miranda, Toby is living a fairly peaceful and secluded life in San Francisco with Tybalt and and the many young folks who have become part of the family over the years. Aside from Miranda, Raysel is the most recent such acquisition. In past years Raysel had the misfortune to come under the influence of Evening Winterrose, who is more-or-less the principal villain of the series. As a consequence Raysel was put in an enchanted sleep. In a dream she asked Toby to take her in as a ward when she was awakened. This happened a few months before the events of Sleep No More. That's how Raysel became a member of Taby's household. Toby is trying to protect her while she recuperates and rehabilitates from her past life of crime.
When A Divided Duty begins, they both feel it is going well. However, that opinion is not universal. Raysel's mother Luna, who has always resented Toby, wants her daughter back. She solves this problem in the most direct way: she kidnaps Raysel. (That is in the publisher's blurb, and if the publisher has already spoiled, I'm free to mention it in a review without labeling it a spoiler.) Toby and Tybalt charge off to rescue Raysel.
It's a good story, but not, alas, very well told. Everyone talks about everything, endlessly. Raysel has psychological trauma in her past, and so does Luna, and so, indeed, does Toby herself. In fact, many of the other characters are fairly traumatized, and they talk about it. A certain amount of that is useful and even helpful to illuminate the action. But there is balance in all things! Or there should be.
If you're an October Daye fan (and I am), you're going to want to read this, anyway. Sadly, it felt more like a project than a good time.
Release date 29-Sep-2026.
But by Degrees
As usual, this novel is accompanied by a novella. This one is called But by Degrees, and it is about Toby's squire Quentin, whom readers of the series have long known. Quentin was traumatized by the events of Sleep No More. He is still trying to come to terms with having been turned into a bigot and a jerk by Titania's illusion. Quentin needs therapy, and he gets it. This novella is ALL TALK.
Dullsville, man!
Blog review.
September 28, 2026
All right, I have to admit this is a LOT better than the previous Daye novel. I don't have to start screaming that Toby is acting like a completely befuddled moron again. Or that she's utterly ignoring the good advice of the people who love her.
This one just happens to be a pretty great tale about saving family. Or if not ACTUAL family, it's close enough as to make no odds. And if it comes with a bunch of baggage from 19 other novels, at least we have a moral compass to follow and some blood magic to keep the truly bad shit from getting that much worse.
But you know what I like most about this novel? We're returning to the land where we need a candle to light our way. And for those of you who still remember the series, that particular book is a true highlight.
Toby, with a ton-more Fae blood in her than before, with the authority of the Fae Court and a more loving position with the Sea Witch, is in a position to do a lot more good than before.
Now, if only the Fae would just stop the whole generational cycle of abuse. Please. Damn.
This one just happens to be a pretty great tale about saving family. Or if not ACTUAL family, it's close enough as to make no odds. And if it comes with a bunch of baggage from 19 other novels, at least we have a moral compass to follow and some blood magic to keep the truly bad shit from getting that much worse.
But you know what I like most about this novel? We're returning to the land where we need a candle to light our way. And for those of you who still remember the series, that particular book is a true highlight.
Toby, with a ton-more Fae blood in her than before, with the authority of the Fae Court and a more loving position with the Sea Witch, is in a position to do a lot more good than before.
Now, if only the Fae would just stop the whole generational cycle of abuse. Please. Damn.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My review of A Divided Duty, by Seanan McGuire:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 4, 2026
The only thing that I did not like about this book was that it ended. I wait patiently every year for the next book to come out and I try to take my time reading each novel because I love them so much! This book did not disappoint.
In this novel Toby has to help Raysel. Her mother wants her back but Raysel is not ready to go back home yet. In true Toby fashion, she must save the day again but this time she is forced once again to travel to Blind Michael's lands. Action, adventure, and lots of blood await.
This series just gets better and better. I am invested in all of the characters and feel like this world is a home away from home. I do not recommend reading this book as a stand alone. As the 20th novel there is too much backstory to fully appreciate this book for what it is. I liked that there was more insight into Blind Michael's lands. I also loved seeing Toby as a mother of an infant. Excellent novel!!
In this novel Toby has to help Raysel. Her mother wants her back but Raysel is not ready to go back home yet. In true Toby fashion, she must save the day again but this time she is forced once again to travel to Blind Michael's lands. Action, adventure, and lots of blood await.
This series just gets better and better. I am invested in all of the characters and feel like this world is a home away from home. I do not recommend reading this book as a stand alone. As the 20th novel there is too much backstory to fully appreciate this book for what it is. I liked that there was more insight into Blind Michael's lands. I also loved seeing Toby as a mother of an infant. Excellent novel!!
October 2, 2026
Meh. A plot that feels well worn on a path that feels often walked without adding much to the overall arc.
Spoilers hereafter.
Early chapters of this series have gotten tedious because of the exposition of the past 19 books. Very little happens and it's dull for someone who actually sorta remembers the past books. When i finally got to the meat of the plot, I texted my bestie: "Is Luna gonna kidnap the baby and take her to Blind Michael's skerry?" Because I do not need "baby in peril" story right now.
Bestie assured me that the baby was ok, but man I nailed that plot other than the victim, didn't i? It's a pretty common thread in the series: A child is endangered and Toby bargains with Ludaig and then rescues the child. Toby also gets betrayed by someone she thought was a friend from her childhood. Add in detailed discussions of how everyoen gets from point a to point B and endless emotional dissections of every sentence and action and ... I mean, the whole story could be summed up in a few paragraphs? I dunno. I was hoping for more? The past few books have been better but my god, if we never go back to that fucking skerry again....
Spoilers hereafter.
Early chapters of this series have gotten tedious because of the exposition of the past 19 books. Very little happens and it's dull for someone who actually sorta remembers the past books. When i finally got to the meat of the plot, I texted my bestie: "Is Luna gonna kidnap the baby and take her to Blind Michael's skerry?" Because I do not need "baby in peril" story right now.
Bestie assured me that the baby was ok, but man I nailed that plot other than the victim, didn't i? It's a pretty common thread in the series: A child is endangered and Toby bargains with Ludaig and then rescues the child. Toby also gets betrayed by someone she thought was a friend from her childhood. Add in detailed discussions of how everyoen gets from point a to point B and endless emotional dissections of every sentence and action and ... I mean, the whole story could be summed up in a few paragraphs? I dunno. I was hoping for more? The past few books have been better but my god, if we never go back to that fucking skerry again....
September 15, 2026
Series Info/Source: This is the 20th book in the October Daye series. I got this on ebook from NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: Previously this had been one of my absolutely favorite series. The last few books, though, have been really dragging for me. There is so much recapping, back story, and over explanation that the story moves forward at a slog. I find myself skimming paragraphs of over explanation to get back to the meat of the story.
Toby and crew are settling into life with new baby, Miranda. Unfortunately, Raysel's term of offense is about to end and Raysel isn't ready to return to her home and her overbearing mother, Luna. When the Queen gives her blessing to extend Raysel's term of offense, Luna flies into a rage. Luna kidnaps Raysel and drags her into Blind Michael's lands. Toby has a duty to Raysel. While Toby's crew babysit; Toby and Tybalt must make a deal with the sea witch to journey back into Blind Michael's lands.
This was soooo slow. There is so much recapping that it is painful. You are 25% of the way into the story before Raysel's kidnapping happens. That 25% is just a lot of recapping, over-explaining, and juggling daycare for Miranda. I don't need a complete explanation of every bit of history behind every type of faerie every single time a fairy type is mentioned. We got this background in previous books, and this series is published yearly. I feel like every book in this series has been getting worse and worse about this. I frequently found myself skimming paragraphs of backstory, recapping, and detailed explanation that just wasn't that pertinent to the story.
I am not sure what to say about the characters at this point. Toby has formed a wonderful found family at this point. Her and Tybalt are happily starting a blood family of their own as well. Toby continues to charge into danger and suffer grave wounds (which don't seem to matter because she's invincible now). I found the whole premise of this story to be very outside of her character. She is willing to sacrifice everything she has worked for to protect Raysel, a girl who did nothing but cause pain to others. Yes this is noble but it also seems a bit out of character and I think Tybalt is a saint for not protesting more. Tybalt and Toby have a right to protect their family and find happiness. Yes, Toby is invincible, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't hurt.
The whole storyline around Titania re-writing the world felt contrived and unnecessary to me. This book is mainly dealing with the emotional fall out all the characters had from when that happened. It feels like this series is being pushed to continue rather than getting the cozy ending it deserves.
There are characters in here who do deserve to have their stories told. The short story at the end of the book takes a shot at this by visiting Quentin's POV. I give this short story a 4/5 stars. I think if this series needs to continue (which I am not sure it should) we'd be better served by hearing from some of the side characters directly (like the Sea Witch, or Raysel, or any other number of intriguing side characters).
So why do I keep reading this series? I honestly almost didn't pick up this book; I've been frustrated with this series since book 17 "Sleep No More" where the Titania reality shift happened. I do really love these characters, though and I think I keep picking this series ups in hopes of seeing the characters get some finality and peace in their lives.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay but I feel like 50% of this could have been cut without effecting the main story. There is so much recapping, back story, and over explanation in here that this really drags. I continue to love the characters but find the story itself to be very contrived. It is like this series is being dragged along by contrived and unnecessary events; I am really not sure what the point is anymore. I have been struggling with this series since book 17 and would love to see our characters get some closure and peace. If the series has to continue, it would be nice to have it focus on some of the side characters that have more compelling stories to tell.
Thoughts: Previously this had been one of my absolutely favorite series. The last few books, though, have been really dragging for me. There is so much recapping, back story, and over explanation that the story moves forward at a slog. I find myself skimming paragraphs of over explanation to get back to the meat of the story.
Toby and crew are settling into life with new baby, Miranda. Unfortunately, Raysel's term of offense is about to end and Raysel isn't ready to return to her home and her overbearing mother, Luna. When the Queen gives her blessing to extend Raysel's term of offense, Luna flies into a rage. Luna kidnaps Raysel and drags her into Blind Michael's lands. Toby has a duty to Raysel. While Toby's crew babysit; Toby and Tybalt must make a deal with the sea witch to journey back into Blind Michael's lands.
This was soooo slow. There is so much recapping that it is painful. You are 25% of the way into the story before Raysel's kidnapping happens. That 25% is just a lot of recapping, over-explaining, and juggling daycare for Miranda. I don't need a complete explanation of every bit of history behind every type of faerie every single time a fairy type is mentioned. We got this background in previous books, and this series is published yearly. I feel like every book in this series has been getting worse and worse about this. I frequently found myself skimming paragraphs of backstory, recapping, and detailed explanation that just wasn't that pertinent to the story.
I am not sure what to say about the characters at this point. Toby has formed a wonderful found family at this point. Her and Tybalt are happily starting a blood family of their own as well. Toby continues to charge into danger and suffer grave wounds (which don't seem to matter because she's invincible now). I found the whole premise of this story to be very outside of her character. She is willing to sacrifice everything she has worked for to protect Raysel, a girl who did nothing but cause pain to others. Yes this is noble but it also seems a bit out of character and I think Tybalt is a saint for not protesting more. Tybalt and Toby have a right to protect their family and find happiness. Yes, Toby is invincible, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't hurt.
The whole storyline around Titania re-writing the world felt contrived and unnecessary to me. This book is mainly dealing with the emotional fall out all the characters had from when that happened. It feels like this series is being pushed to continue rather than getting the cozy ending it deserves.
There are characters in here who do deserve to have their stories told. The short story at the end of the book takes a shot at this by visiting Quentin's POV. I give this short story a 4/5 stars. I think if this series needs to continue (which I am not sure it should) we'd be better served by hearing from some of the side characters directly (like the Sea Witch, or Raysel, or any other number of intriguing side characters).
So why do I keep reading this series? I honestly almost didn't pick up this book; I've been frustrated with this series since book 17 "Sleep No More" where the Titania reality shift happened. I do really love these characters, though and I think I keep picking this series ups in hopes of seeing the characters get some finality and peace in their lives.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay but I feel like 50% of this could have been cut without effecting the main story. There is so much recapping, back story, and over explanation in here that this really drags. I continue to love the characters but find the story itself to be very contrived. It is like this series is being dragged along by contrived and unnecessary events; I am really not sure what the point is anymore. I have been struggling with this series since book 17 and would love to see our characters get some closure and peace. If the series has to continue, it would be nice to have it focus on some of the side characters that have more compelling stories to tell.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
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What's A Divided Duty About?
In brief—because Raysel's not ready to come home, because she wants to keep doing therapy in a place with low expectations, and because she and Toby can work the system, the Queen decides that at the one-year mark, Raysel needs to stay in service to Toby.
Things get mighty tense at court when this is announced—tense enough that war could've broken out (literally). But cooler heads seemed to prevail for the moment.
Then Raysel's mom kidnaps her. If she can't be with her daughter legally, Luna will take Raysel out of the Queen's jurisdiction—out of anyone's jurisdiction—and bring her to Blind Michael's land. With both of them with Luna's mother in her father's land, Luna trusts that she and Raysel will be able to stay there in peace and re-establish a connection.
But, of course, things don't go the way Luna planned. Thankfully, Toby wasn't going to give her a chance to do anything anyway. Or so Toby's plan went.
What happens when neither plan goes right?
The Trauma That Keeps on Giving
So, if you're not familiar with the events of Be the Serpent/Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep you're probably not reading this post. But if you are reading and haven't read them...skip down to the next section.
One of the strengths of this series is that events matter—events from the third novel, An Artificial Night, were important to Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep, for example. So it's no surprise that the events of the three titles I mentioned in the last paragraph are still casting their shadows on these novels. Actually, so is An Artificial Night, now that I mention it.
In both the novel and the accompanying novella, But by Degrees, we see our heroes (and their opponents and allies) dealing with the repercussions of that trilogy—both when it comes to political fallout, psychological fallout, and emotional repercussions, and more. It's evident everywhere and will likely take you by surprise at how those show up in these pages. The trauma from those events, mixed with what's happened since then, combine to some twisted results—and simple new situations that are neither good nor bad, but are clearly the result of that trauma.
And honestly, I don't think we're done with that yet. Faerie (at least those living along the Western Coast) has a lot of healing and recovery to do.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
Well, I've read the previous nineteen books 1-3 times each, so naturally I'm going to pick up #20.
I kept reading because I can't imagine DNFing McGuire—especially not this one. I saw a few ways for this to end, and it really wasn't until the last moment that I was sure how it was going to go. There were a handful of surprises along the way—not just related to the plot, but because of what I talked about in the previous section.
What does this book tell us about humanity?
Underneath everything—the court intrigue, the kidnapping, the family conflict, Toby's work—even a lot of what the Luidaeg is up to (in both the novel and novella) has to do with healing and recovery. And the genuine human need for the space and time to pursue it. Toby's not meddling with Raysel, Sylvester, and Luna for kicks—or from some kind of vengeance (although that would be understandable). No, she's trying to give Raysel the time and space for recovery. She's trying to get Sylvester to see that it's what Raysel needs and to stand up for her to Luna. As far as Luna...well, that relationship has been damaged for so long, I'm not sure that Toby has much hope of anything.
But it's not just Raysel that needs to recover—Sylvester does. Many in his service do, too. The same can be said for the Queen in the Mists and those in her court or in her knowe. Dean's not in great shape, either. Or...or...or... you get the idea.
I'm not trying to echo what I said above, but I sort of am. But that's the heart of this book—that people who've been through something need to find a way to recover and heal. That will not look the same for everyone, but those who care for them need to try to realize what they need for that recovery and give it to them. Even if that goes against what they want (or think would be best). Those people that give you the space, time, and support to recover, to figure yourself out—they're your family, no matter what DNA or heritage says.
This book is about both efforts to find those ways to recovery, and what happens when they're prevented or ignored.
So, what did I think about A Divided Duty?
I'm always amazed at how quickly I start thinking of Toby's world as a comfort—one day I'll go in remembering it and looking for it, but it wasn't with this book. But right away, it happened. Sure, I knew it was going to get dangerous soon—because it always does. But that's okay, because Toby's determination and optimism make you think it'll be okay again soon.
Toby goes to some dark places here (in multiple senses of the word), but she doesn't seem to let it get to her as much as she might have otherwise. Maybe that's because she and Tybalt are in a really good place and he's watching her back. Maybe it's because Miranda's at home waiting for her with May, and as long as Miranda's good, Toby's good. She also seems more confident in her own magic (and even learns a bit more about it).
Speaking of Miranda—she's at a really young age now, so she's conveniently left at home with May and the rest to look over her. But that won't last for long, I don't think—if only so that May can do more than cook and babysit. I'm eager to see Toby and Tybalt balance parenting and heroics.
Toby has to face some of her biggest fears, and come to grips with a job she maybe could've done better years ago, which was good to see her deal with. And she does so with her typical aplomb and flair—and her husband and a member of her Urchin Squad (Cassandra's term) by her side.
Good tension, good action—a good puzzle (or two) for Toby to solve. When the penny finally dropped for me, I was flabbergasted (arguably shouldn't have been) and delighted—McGuire played me like a fiddle. Which makes me so happy. This was everything you want in a Toby Daye novel.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—my thanks to both for this. This post contains my honest opinion about a book I chose to read.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
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What's A Divided Duty About?
In brief—because Raysel's not ready to come home, because she wants to keep doing therapy in a place with low expectations, and because she and Toby can work the system, the Queen decides that at the one-year mark, Raysel needs to stay in service to Toby.
Things get mighty tense at court when this is announced—tense enough that war could've broken out (literally). But cooler heads seemed to prevail for the moment.
Then Raysel's mom kidnaps her. If she can't be with her daughter legally, Luna will take Raysel out of the Queen's jurisdiction—out of anyone's jurisdiction—and bring her to Blind Michael's land. With both of them with Luna's mother in her father's land, Luna trusts that she and Raysel will be able to stay there in peace and re-establish a connection.
But, of course, things don't go the way Luna planned. Thankfully, Toby wasn't going to give her a chance to do anything anyway. Or so Toby's plan went.
What happens when neither plan goes right?
The Trauma That Keeps on Giving
So, if you're not familiar with the events of Be the Serpent/Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep you're probably not reading this post. But if you are reading and haven't read them...skip down to the next section.
One of the strengths of this series is that events matter—events from the third novel, An Artificial Night, were important to Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep, for example. So it's no surprise that the events of the three titles I mentioned in the last paragraph are still casting their shadows on these novels. Actually, so is An Artificial Night, now that I mention it.
In both the novel and the accompanying novella, But by Degrees, we see our heroes (and their opponents and allies) dealing with the repercussions of that trilogy—both when it comes to political fallout, psychological fallout, and emotional repercussions, and more. It's evident everywhere and will likely take you by surprise at how those show up in these pages. The trauma from those events, mixed with what's happened since then, combine to some twisted results—and simple new situations that are neither good nor bad, but are clearly the result of that trauma.
And honestly, I don't think we're done with that yet. Faerie (at least those living along the Western Coast) has a lot of healing and recovery to do.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
Well, I've read the previous nineteen books 1-3 times each, so naturally I'm going to pick up #20.
I kept reading because I can't imagine DNFing McGuire—especially not this one. I saw a few ways for this to end, and it really wasn't until the last moment that I was sure how it was going to go. There were a handful of surprises along the way—not just related to the plot, but because of what I talked about in the previous section.
What does this book tell us about humanity?
Underneath everything—the court intrigue, the kidnapping, the family conflict, Toby's work—even a lot of what the Luidaeg is up to (in both the novel and novella) has to do with healing and recovery. And the genuine human need for the space and time to pursue it. Toby's not meddling with Raysel, Sylvester, and Luna for kicks—or from some kind of vengeance (although that would be understandable). No, she's trying to give Raysel the time and space for recovery. She's trying to get Sylvester to see that it's what Raysel needs and to stand up for her to Luna. As far as Luna...well, that relationship has been damaged for so long, I'm not sure that Toby has much hope of anything.
But it's not just Raysel that needs to recover—Sylvester does. Many in his service do, too. The same can be said for the Queen in the Mists and those in her court or in her knowe. Dean's not in great shape, either. Or...or...or... you get the idea.
I'm not trying to echo what I said above, but I sort of am. But that's the heart of this book—that people who've been through something need to find a way to recover and heal. That will not look the same for everyone, but those who care for them need to try to realize what they need for that recovery and give it to them. Even if that goes against what they want (or think would be best). Those people that give you the space, time, and support to recover, to figure yourself out—they're your family, no matter what DNA or heritage says.
This book is about both efforts to find those ways to recovery, and what happens when they're prevented or ignored.
So, what did I think about A Divided Duty?
I'm always amazed at how quickly I start thinking of Toby's world as a comfort—one day I'll go in remembering it and looking for it, but it wasn't with this book. But right away, it happened. Sure, I knew it was going to get dangerous soon—because it always does. But that's okay, because Toby's determination and optimism make you think it'll be okay again soon.
Toby goes to some dark places here (in multiple senses of the word), but she doesn't seem to let it get to her as much as she might have otherwise. Maybe that's because she and Tybalt are in a really good place and he's watching her back. Maybe it's because Miranda's at home waiting for her with May, and as long as Miranda's good, Toby's good. She also seems more confident in her own magic (and even learns a bit more about it).
Speaking of Miranda—she's at a really young age now, so she's conveniently left at home with May and the rest to look over her. But that won't last for long, I don't think—if only so that May can do more than cook and babysit. I'm eager to see Toby and Tybalt balance parenting and heroics.
Toby has to face some of her biggest fears, and come to grips with a job she maybe could've done better years ago, which was good to see her deal with. And she does so with her typical aplomb and flair—and her husband and a member of her Urchin Squad (Cassandra's term) by her side.
Good tension, good action—a good puzzle (or two) for Toby to solve. When the penny finally dropped for me, I was flabbergasted (arguably shouldn't have been) and delighted—McGuire played me like a fiddle. Which makes me so happy. This was everything you want in a Toby Daye novel.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—my thanks to both for this. This post contains my honest opinion about a book I chose to read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Love this series.
Like most urban fantasy, it’s important to read/listen to the October Daye series in the order of its release. Toby’s transformation, allies, wards and romance all unfold throughout, as do many, many trials and dangers that bring us to the events in A Divided Duty. It’s a brilliant series with characters and stories I love.
Mary Robinette Kowal narrated the series except for the Innocent Sleep, which is in Tybalt’s perspective and narrated by another. (I recommend reading that one as the narration ruined it.) Kowal does a stellar job of capturing these characters and bringing the world to life.
In A Divided Duty, Toby and Tybalt are settling into life with Miranda and their motley crew. It's absolute bliss. Therefore, Toby feels somewhat hesitant when she has to carry out official court duties. However, Raysel’s terms are about to end, and the child wishes to remain with Toby despite Luna’s protests. Things will be determined by the Queen. During the event, Luna gets angry and Raysel goes missing. Toby feels a sense of duty to Raysel and so she and Tybalt make a deal with the Sea Witch and set off to find her.
The story that unfolds takes us back to Blind Michael’s land as Toby places herself in peril despite the risks. McGuire sheds light on the fallout from Titania’s re-write and those left behind after Michael’s demise. While Toby is playing the role of hero and protecting those she loves, the story also focuses strongly on Raysel and her transformation and addresses Luna’s issues.
I loved the character interactions between Tybalt and Toby to seeing Luideag in the role of godmother and Aunt May babysitting. Fans of the series get exactly want they want as McGuire continues to develop secondary characters and Toby’s found family.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
Like most urban fantasy, it’s important to read/listen to the October Daye series in the order of its release. Toby’s transformation, allies, wards and romance all unfold throughout, as do many, many trials and dangers that bring us to the events in A Divided Duty. It’s a brilliant series with characters and stories I love.
Mary Robinette Kowal narrated the series except for the Innocent Sleep, which is in Tybalt’s perspective and narrated by another. (I recommend reading that one as the narration ruined it.) Kowal does a stellar job of capturing these characters and bringing the world to life.
In A Divided Duty, Toby and Tybalt are settling into life with Miranda and their motley crew. It's absolute bliss. Therefore, Toby feels somewhat hesitant when she has to carry out official court duties. However, Raysel’s terms are about to end, and the child wishes to remain with Toby despite Luna’s protests. Things will be determined by the Queen. During the event, Luna gets angry and Raysel goes missing. Toby feels a sense of duty to Raysel and so she and Tybalt make a deal with the Sea Witch and set off to find her.
The story that unfolds takes us back to Blind Michael’s land as Toby places herself in peril despite the risks. McGuire sheds light on the fallout from Titania’s re-write and those left behind after Michael’s demise. While Toby is playing the role of hero and protecting those she loves, the story also focuses strongly on Raysel and her transformation and addresses Luna’s issues.
I loved the character interactions between Tybalt and Toby to seeing Luideag in the role of godmother and Aunt May babysitting. Fans of the series get exactly want they want as McGuire continues to develop secondary characters and Toby’s found family.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
October 4, 2026
Book twenty and October Daye is still going strong. At this point, she is a mother again, having to take care of her infant baby with her husband Tybalt, when danger comes to call for her ward Rayseline. It's interesting how the characters in this book are still dealing with the emotional damage from a few books ago. McGuire is good at showing realistic emotions in characters.
I loved the novella at the end of this from Quentin's viewpoint. Always happy to get a bonus novella in here.
I loved the novella at the end of this from Quentin's viewpoint. Always happy to get a bonus novella in here.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire is an addictive fantasy, number twenty in the series and is still just as compelling as book one. In fact, because Seanan McGuire has built an entire rich history with the series, this book has a weight and depth to it that you can only get with a long standing series. She quickly summarizes the recent past within the previous books and the dilemma that Toby currently faces is set up. It is written with an eye to both previous readers but also those that might be newer to the world.
What I, as a long-time reader, love is the way Seanan ties together threads from previous books and demonstrates that in her world, there are always consequences and nothing is forgotten. I like that Toby must face past events and help resolve them in order to save Raysel. I also like that the puzzle of what is happening must be solved and even when the adventure is straightforward, Toby is asking questions about trauma, consent and how magic should be used. I love that the common magical world is questioned and the story always makes me look at magic with a new understanding, all the while her character is funny and charming.
If you are a fan of the series, you will love this recent addition. It brings up several past events and resolves some of them or at least asks questions for the reader to consider. The adventure is compelling, the mystery engaging and Toby is heading out on her adventure with help while not always rushing in quite as quickly as in the past. I love that Toby gets the opportunity to be a mother and how she balances that with her other obligations. And I can’t wait for more.
What I, as a long-time reader, love is the way Seanan ties together threads from previous books and demonstrates that in her world, there are always consequences and nothing is forgotten. I like that Toby must face past events and help resolve them in order to save Raysel. I also like that the puzzle of what is happening must be solved and even when the adventure is straightforward, Toby is asking questions about trauma, consent and how magic should be used. I love that the common magical world is questioned and the story always makes me look at magic with a new understanding, all the while her character is funny and charming.
If you are a fan of the series, you will love this recent addition. It brings up several past events and resolves some of them or at least asks questions for the reader to consider. The adventure is compelling, the mystery engaging and Toby is heading out on her adventure with help while not always rushing in quite as quickly as in the past. I love that Toby gets the opportunity to be a mother and how she balances that with her other obligations. And I can’t wait for more.
October 13, 2026
But By Degrees (short story in the same volume): 4.75
October 16, 2026
October Daye #20, that’s wild. I'll keep reading them for as long as she keeps putting them out, though! In this installment we see things finally come to a head with Sylvester and Luna over the fate of Rayseline. Toby only has the girl's best interests at heart – her mother, not so much. I was glad we finally saw Toby reconcile somewhat with Sylvester, whose relationship with her had been strained for quite some time. Parental love is a strong theme in this book, especially with our first real glimpse of Toby and Tybalt as parents to their own daughter, Andi. (Though let's be real, they've been parenting a passel of fae teenagers for quite some time.) It also explores the heavy toll it takes when that love is absent, or manifests itself in unhealthy ways. With the focus on Raysel, there's also a lot that explores forgiveness and character growth. At this point in Toby's adventures, it feels like a significant portion of the book is just recapping or rehashing things that have happened in previous books, but it never really feels like these parts of the books drag, and the plot is quick enough to keep things moving along. Nothing truly monumental happened in this installment, but I did get the feeling like the pieces are getting moved into place for something big in a future book.
The short story at the end was another Quentin POV, which was welcome because he was barely in the book itself. It goes into Quentin's complex feelings about his alter ego and his behavior in Titania's version of faerie, something which hasn't been explored much in the main text and which I've been wanting them to talk out. I legit teared up at this one, and it very much needed to be talked about, so I'm glad they went there and hope he'll get into it with Toby in a future book.
I'm going with four and a half stars overall. I received an advanced copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The short story at the end was another Quentin POV, which was welcome because he was barely in the book itself. It goes into Quentin's complex feelings about his alter ego and his behavior in Titania's version of faerie, something which hasn't been explored much in the main text and which I've been wanting them to talk out. I legit teared up at this one, and it very much needed to be talked about, so I'm glad they went there and hope he'll get into it with Toby in a future book.
I'm going with four and a half stars overall. I received an advanced copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2026
I always enjoy spending time in October's world. That said, this book was the first one in the series that felt like filler. To be fair, the last several books have been a veritable feast of plot movement: the return of the selkies; the reveal that Toby's ex-husband's new wife is Janet from the Faerie Ride (and Toby's great-grandmother); Amandine and Simon's divorce; the return of Oberon; Toby and Tybalt's wedding; the reveal that Toby's best friend Stacy was Titania in disguise; Titania's subsequent world-changing curse; and last but not least, Toby and Tybalt having a baby. We've had banger after banger in this series for years, so I can't begrudge the author for slowing things down a bit before we launch into the next phase. Sometime soon, Maeve is going to make an appearance and Oberon is going to be exposed. Also, Quentin's squireship will be coming to an end which means he'll have to go back home and start preparing to be crowned the new High King of the North American fae.
But before all that happens, we've got to sit down and deal with the trauma of Titania's curse. There's a lot of talking about feelings in this book. That didn't bother me, because the relationships among the characters has always been important. I actually would have preferred it if we spent the whole time dealing with things closer to home and taking a breather from questing, because the central conflict here is a combination of things we have seen and done before. Raysel gets kidnapped, AGAIN. She's still annoying and my least favorite character, I don't care about her trauma because she killed CONNOR (!!!!) and I wish she would go away for a few books. Unfortunately, she's Sylvester's daughter and living with Toby for the duration so I'm bracing myself because she's not going anywhere. Toby has to go Blind Michael's lands, AGAIN. Toby has to confront Luna about her overbearing ways, AGAIN. We didn't spend enough time on the parts that I enjoyed most: Instead, we get to watch Toby run headlong into danger while wishing she could stop and pump. I have a 2 year old and the descriptions of the newborn phase were accurate enough to take me out of my reading bubble.
Overall, still a good time and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book as always.
But before all that happens, we've got to sit down and deal with the trauma of Titania's curse. There's a lot of talking about feelings in this book. That didn't bother me, because the relationships among the characters has always been important. I actually would have preferred it if we spent the whole time dealing with things closer to home and taking a breather from questing, because the central conflict here is a combination of things we have seen and done before. Raysel gets kidnapped, AGAIN. She's still annoying and my least favorite character, I don't care about her trauma because she killed CONNOR (!!!!) and I wish she would go away for a few books. Unfortunately, she's Sylvester's daughter and living with Toby for the duration so I'm bracing myself because she's not going anywhere. Toby has to go Blind Michael's lands, AGAIN. Toby has to confront Luna about her overbearing ways, AGAIN. We didn't spend enough time on the parts that I enjoyed most: Instead, we get to watch Toby run headlong into danger while wishing she could stop and pump. I have a 2 year old and the descriptions of the newborn phase were accurate enough to take me out of my reading bubble.
Overall, still a good time and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book as always.
September 30, 2026
After I wasn't as impressed with last year's Toby book, this one I enjoyed much more again. Everyone has so much trauma to deal with by this point and I love how the series acknowledges that. This had some great character moments, I loved the domesticity of Toby and Tybalt as new parents and baby Andi stole all the scenes she was in - even though she wasn't in too many of them because not even Toby would take a baby on an adventure to Blind Michael's lands. I loved the development we got for Sylvester. Luna is becoming more and more of a nightmare though. I liked where the plot was going. It did kind of lack urgency for me a bit - at this point there was no doubt that Toby would succeed once more, and I wasn't too worried about something going terribly wrong in a permanent way, even if poor Raysel just got another helping of trauma piled on top of all the trauma she already had.
There's a novella at the end, as usual. This one is from Quentin's POV and actually made me cry a bit. That poor boy has been so messed up by Titania's warped reality!
There's a novella at the end, as usual. This one is from Quentin's POV and actually made me cry a bit. That poor boy has been so messed up by Titania's warped reality!
August 26, 2026
I got a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
Compared to the last 19 books this one was a little hard to get into -- part of the issue for me was going back to Blind Michael's skerry. The environment and some of the characters didn't really gel for me until after the 75% mark. But even a 4-star book from Ms. McGuire is better than most of the 5-stars I've recently read from other authors.
Plus, can you blame anyone for taking it a little easy after reading the masterfully plotted and written 2-novel story of #'s 17 & 18?
In A Divided Duty, I loved seeing the progression of Raysel's journey, 99% of the characters made me fall in love with them again, the world out of the skerry was beautifully described, and the banter between Toby & Tybalt was really fun, and did a great job of showing their evolving relationship. I thought the plot was well done, especially since I could see the reason for the use of the skerry. But the initial travels in the skerry reminded me of the Cure song, "A Forest" - bleak, seemingly never ending, and not all that interesting until some of the structures got involved.
And the short story at the end was AMAZING! (I may be a little biased...)
Compared to the last 19 books this one was a little hard to get into -- part of the issue for me was going back to Blind Michael's skerry. The environment and some of the characters didn't really gel for me until after the 75% mark. But even a 4-star book from Ms. McGuire is better than most of the 5-stars I've recently read from other authors.
Plus, can you blame anyone for taking it a little easy after reading the masterfully plotted and written 2-novel story of #'s 17 & 18?
In A Divided Duty, I loved seeing the progression of Raysel's journey, 99% of the characters made me fall in love with them again, the world out of the skerry was beautifully described, and the banter between Toby & Tybalt was really fun, and did a great job of showing their evolving relationship. I thought the plot was well done, especially since I could see the reason for the use of the skerry. But the initial travels in the skerry reminded me of the Cure song, "A Forest" - bleak, seemingly never ending, and not all that interesting until some of the structures got involved.
And the short story at the end was AMAZING! (I may be a little biased...)
October 21, 2026
Book 20 in the series and I still enjoy these characters. Toby and Tybalt as parents was wonderful to see. I still don't like scenes in Blind Michael's domain even if he's no longer there, but they were necessary for the story, of course.
The added short story "Bit By Degrees" was a wonderful look into Quentin's emotional reactions to Titania's screwing up the world.
Read in October 2026.
The added short story "Bit By Degrees" was a wonderful look into Quentin's emotional reactions to Titania's screwing up the world.
Read in October 2026.
October 23, 2026
Full review here:
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
Honestly, this was one of the better entries in the series of late, and it was good to feel less rushed than opme of the teen volumes. (This is book 20 in the series.)
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
Honestly, this was one of the better entries in the series of late, and it was good to feel less rushed than opme of the teen volumes. (This is book 20 in the series.)
November 2, 2026
4 Stars:)
November 1, 2026
The whole book felt like exposition. I was bored.
October 21, 2026
This starts slow. The first 25% of the book nothing happens. I appreciate how McGuire weaves in the rehashing of what has already happened, but it also makes it hard to skim over the recap since there might be new story happening (there wasn't, not really, which was the problem). It took me much too long to get through that first 25%. Once the book takes off, I zoomed right through it.
The bonus novella/short at the end is... whiney. At first I thought it was nice to have Q's view, especially as he was virtually absent from the main book, but it's not a good story. It could have been like five pages long and then would have been fine. But, it's just repetitive self-pity and self-recrimination.
The bonus novella/short at the end is... whiney. At first I thought it was nice to have Q's view, especially as he was virtually absent from the main book, but it's not a good story. It could have been like five pages long and then would have been fine. But, it's just repetitive self-pity and self-recrimination.
October 6, 2026
I was excited for this book, and then this book was absolutely nothing but rehashes and the same shit going on between Tybalt and October.
[October does something]
[Tybalt gets overprotective, defendant]
[October tells him to calm down, she's fine]
[Something happens to October]
[Tybalt rehashes the same dialogue he had earlier on when something happened to her]
[October tells him to calm down, she's fine]
The two stars is for the plot, but what sunk this thing is the endless talking, talking, talking, and nothing happening. It feels like this book was supposed to be longer or more drawn out. But, still, if you want some action with your October story or mystery? You're not gonna get it here.
For me, the series has kind of hit the Buffy S4 of it all. When she went off to college it doomed the series. I'm not saying that October has to grow up (she's pushing 40), but the same shit and same info dump as if we're *just now* entering the October saga can be cut. I mean, we're on book 18, right? Who is gonna jump into an October book by now? This was one of the issues I had with the Baby Sitters Little Sister stories, Karen would spend the 2nd or 3rd chapter info dumping her story of her life like we we're absolutely ignorant of it. Maybe Ann M. Martin wanted the Karen stories to be approached at any point of time, but so much has happened in October's story that to read it out of order is a bizarre choice because it relies on past incidents and character decisions.
Overall, this was probably the lowest book for me. I hope it rebounds by the next book or I might just drop this series.
[October does something]
[Tybalt gets overprotective, defendant]
[October tells him to calm down, she's fine]
[Something happens to October]
[Tybalt rehashes the same dialogue he had earlier on when something happened to her]
[October tells him to calm down, she's fine]
The two stars is for the plot, but what sunk this thing is the endless talking, talking, talking, and nothing happening. It feels like this book was supposed to be longer or more drawn out. But, still, if you want some action with your October story or mystery? You're not gonna get it here.
For me, the series has kind of hit the Buffy S4 of it all. When she went off to college it doomed the series. I'm not saying that October has to grow up (she's pushing 40), but the same shit and same info dump as if we're *just now* entering the October saga can be cut. I mean, we're on book 18, right? Who is gonna jump into an October book by now? This was one of the issues I had with the Baby Sitters Little Sister stories, Karen would spend the 2nd or 3rd chapter info dumping her story of her life like we we're absolutely ignorant of it. Maybe Ann M. Martin wanted the Karen stories to be approached at any point of time, but so much has happened in October's story that to read it out of order is a bizarre choice because it relies on past incidents and character decisions.
Overall, this was probably the lowest book for me. I hope it rebounds by the next book or I might just drop this series.
Review of advance copy
Also read: novella, But by Degrees 9/28/2026
October 15, 2026
These books are always a fun ride, but I will confess this one felt a bit more underdeveloped and talk-y than usual. I think the tone was a bit too light for the stakes, and it felt like a wasted use of Blind Michael's lands (which are one of the best settings in this world). Another small issue was that this series works best, imo, when it operates with larger "adventuring parties", and for this book Toby was only paired up with Tybalt, then Chelsea and then Tybalt again (not even Quentin!). That said, I enjoyed seeing more of Sylvester, Chelsea and the post-baby family dynamic. I enjoy even the more "filler" installments of these books, but yeah it'll be a while before I return to this one.
September 30, 2026
One would expect book twenty of a series to be read by people who have read and enjoyed the first nineteen books. I certainly have. (If you haven't, this is not a place to start. Try the excellent series starter, "Rosemary and Rue".) The October Daye series has been going strong, with some of the books being excellent. Most of the books stand on their own, and also advance the larger plot.
"A Divided Duty" fleshes out some frankly-minor plot lines, but much of that flesh is made of soap opera. October's relationship with her Lord, Sylvester, is strained because, frankly, he's been a cruddy superior and a worse relative. Her relationship with Luna, her Lord's wife is beyond strained, because Luna hates her and has been behaving insanely. Sylvester's relationship with Luna is unhealthy. Raysel, their daughter, is crushed by bad family dynamics. (The immediate-family dynamics are bad. The extended-family dynamics are horrible.) It comes as something of a relief when Raysel is kidnapped by immediate family, and October must venture to extended family to rescue her.
This is pretty much a side story. The situation at the end of the book is almost identical to the situation at the start of the book. Some family dynamics have improved, but they are not dynamics the reader is likely to have cared much about, and the overall plot has received a small spoonful of advancement. Bottom line: This is a weaker entry in a very strong series.
"A Divided Duty" fleshes out some frankly-minor plot lines, but much of that flesh is made of soap opera. October's relationship with her Lord, Sylvester, is strained because, frankly, he's been a cruddy superior and a worse relative. Her relationship with Luna, her Lord's wife is beyond strained, because Luna hates her and has been behaving insanely. Sylvester's relationship with Luna is unhealthy. Raysel, their daughter, is crushed by bad family dynamics. (The immediate-family dynamics are bad. The extended-family dynamics are horrible.) It comes as something of a relief when Raysel is kidnapped by immediate family, and October must venture to extended family to rescue her.
This is pretty much a side story. The situation at the end of the book is almost identical to the situation at the start of the book. Some family dynamics have improved, but they are not dynamics the reader is likely to have cared much about, and the overall plot has received a small spoonful of advancement. Bottom line: This is a weaker entry in a very strong series.
October 8, 2026
I love October Day, but I feel like the beginning of this book was filled with a lot of details to help you remember previous books and the actual story was a lot shorter and quicker because of that
October 7, 2026
I am begging for us to get to the point
October 4, 2026
This could have been a short story. There are way too many loose ends from past books that have still yet to be wrapped up. Be the Serpent felt so epic. I want more of that.
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