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October Daye #11
The Brightest Fell
Contains an original bonus novella, Of Things Unknown!
Things are slow, and October “Toby” Daye couldn’t be happier about that. The elf-shot cure has been approved, Arden Windermere is settling into her position as Queen in the Mists, and Toby doesn’t have anything demanding her attention except for wedding planning and spending time with her family.
Maybe she should have realized that it was too good to last.
When Toby’s mother, Amandine, appears on her doorstep with a demand for help, refusing her seems like the right thing to do…until Amandine starts taking hostages, and everything changes. Now Toby doesn’t have a choice about whether or not she does as her mother asks. Not with Jazz and Tybalt’s lives hanging in the balance. But who could possibly help her find a pureblood she’s never met, one who’s been missing for over a hundred years?
Enter Simon Torquill, elf-shot enemy turned awakened, uneasy ally. Together, the two of them must try to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the Mists: what happened to Amandine’s oldest daughter, August, who disappeared in 1906.
This is one missing person case Toby can’t afford to get wrong.
Things are slow, and October “Toby” Daye couldn’t be happier about that. The elf-shot cure has been approved, Arden Windermere is settling into her position as Queen in the Mists, and Toby doesn’t have anything demanding her attention except for wedding planning and spending time with her family.
Maybe she should have realized that it was too good to last.
When Toby’s mother, Amandine, appears on her doorstep with a demand for help, refusing her seems like the right thing to do…until Amandine starts taking hostages, and everything changes. Now Toby doesn’t have a choice about whether or not she does as her mother asks. Not with Jazz and Tybalt’s lives hanging in the balance. But who could possibly help her find a pureblood she’s never met, one who’s been missing for over a hundred years?
Enter Simon Torquill, elf-shot enemy turned awakened, uneasy ally. Together, the two of them must try to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the Mists: what happened to Amandine’s oldest daughter, August, who disappeared in 1906.
This is one missing person case Toby can’t afford to get wrong.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2017
688 people are currently reading
4031 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
508 books17.1k 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 789 reviews
September 8, 2017
*** 4.44 ***
A buddy read with the Wednesday UF group @ BB&B, because we LOOOOOVEEEE the Sea Witch!!!
Holy Karaoke Evil Amandine!!! WTH is wrong with this woman??? I can't believe any parent can ever be so clueless about her children's well being... I think all of those pure-bloods Fae and most of the First Born need a spanking and to be given a mandatory 2 years of life among humans as regular humans themselves, in order to hopefully learn some decency and generosity of spirit. Not that all of us are great human beings, but at least we know vulnerability and are well aware of our mortality, so as a majority we tend to respect the right of well being of our neighbors even when we don't particularly like or respect them. Obviously, the Fae, as beings of unbelievable power, are spoiled and arrogant, full of innate bigotry and sense of superiority, often justified, but never earned or deserved, so they often abuse this power with little to no thought about those who are effected by it. And for creatures with unlimited lifespan they sure know how to hold a grudge, which in my opinion is just a waste of time and energy, spending hundreds of years playing games in order to hurt each-other. I almost want to feel sorry for them, but I just can't find it in myself...
"..."“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she snapped. “You’re changeling filth and I don’t have to do as you say.”
“Does she heal like you normally do?” asked Quentin. “Because we could break her arms to distract her, and I bet I could carry her.”"..."
The book started with a William Shakespeare quote from Macbeth, after which the book is named and I love it!
"..."Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell."..."
It sure seems that this is the rule under which Fairy exists... With every new book in the series we are shown more and more how much the Fae and Humans can learn from each-other, if only they let themselves do so. Unfortunately, we also get examples of Fae with power and beauty close to perfection, creatures who should represent all the most pure and beautiful qualities of Creation, but they show themselves to be "fallen" on the inside... The theory of having to have pain in order to have joy is proven over and over, since those overwhelmingly "perfect" creatures think of all the rest of us as insects, as mosquitoes at which they can swipe and not think anything more about, even be pleased with our destruction, since we will not buzz around and bother them. This was wonderfully shown by the marvelously written Pixies and their colony. They have accepted that since they are small and have no big powers, they are considered a pest, despite them being sentient and having life and love and families just like the rest of the "big" humans and wingless. I fell in love with the little sparkly creatures and would love some more action of that scale in the future.
"...“Being your friend is like trying to get up close and personal with a natural disaster,” she’d said. “Sure, we have some good times, but we spend half of them covered in blood. We just want to spend an evening making you as uncomfortable as you keep making the rest of us.”
Not to be outdone, her eldest daughter, Cassandra, had blithely added, “Besides, we don’t think even you can turn a karaoke party into a bloodbath.”
All of my friends are evil"..."
In a day when everyone was in a celebratory mood and singing Karaoke, torturing Toby with bad singing and useless attempts to get drunk, one of those bright and beautiful creatures stormed back into Toby's life and as expected, there were consequences which will stick with the affected for a while... Amandine, Toby's long missing mother, showed up on her doorsteps and demanded she find her firstborn daughter, October's older sister who has been missing for over 100 years. Just to make things more painful, the Mommy Dearest took hostages in order to keep Toby in line... Needles to say, this was not pretty and many feelings were reawakened in her and in her sister-fetch May, all of them very hurtful. Thus Toby found herself teaming up with one of her biggest enemies, who also happens to be her step-father and her sister's dad, and together with her fateful Squire, once again she travels through different Faerie Realms, heads into danger and as always, almost dies, just to save the people she loves and considers her true family, blood connections be damned!!! Nothing comes easily, nothing works quite the way it should - after all this is the realm of the Fae and all of them twist reality in ways that it suits them.
"...“For years, I’d blocked out how she had hurt me, refusing to think about it, refusing to even remember that it had happened, because if she was Daoine Sidhe, as everyone told me, over and over, there was no way her hands could have been enough to cause that sort of pain. When my own daughter had been born, I’d been afraid to touch her, because what if that sort of feedback loop was just how things worked among the Fae, and no one had ever wanted to say anything in front of a flawed, mixed, mortal changeling?"..."
There were moments of laughter, as in the beginning, there were moments of hurt and pain throughout, but there were several moments of despair, which broke my heart... Thank goodness there were also moments of hope! I know that Seanan McGuire left us with many things to be resolved in the future, and I am grateful for the little moments of respite, as temporary as it might be. I also want to say that once again, my heart belongs to the Sea Witch, whose gift and curse make her one of the more complex characters and you never know if she is going to make you cry tears of joy or desolation... I want to know what happens to Peach and the policeman, I want to see the path Simon takes, and of course, I am intrigued and expecting some more sibling MMA Fighting:):):):) Can't wait for the next book to be out - I will read it just as this and the previous ones, as soon as it comes out:) You guys should too!
"...““Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” The wards flared more violently before dissolving into the smell of cut-grass and copper.
May wrinkled her nose as she pushed past me, snatched the keys out of my hand, and unlocked the door. “Most people don’t use Macbeth to seal their wards, you know.”
“Most people are boring,” I said."..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!
A buddy read with the Wednesday UF group @ BB&B, because we LOOOOOVEEEE the Sea Witch!!!
Holy Karaoke Evil Amandine!!! WTH is wrong with this woman??? I can't believe any parent can ever be so clueless about her children's well being... I think all of those pure-bloods Fae and most of the First Born need a spanking and to be given a mandatory 2 years of life among humans as regular humans themselves, in order to hopefully learn some decency and generosity of spirit. Not that all of us are great human beings, but at least we know vulnerability and are well aware of our mortality, so as a majority we tend to respect the right of well being of our neighbors even when we don't particularly like or respect them. Obviously, the Fae, as beings of unbelievable power, are spoiled and arrogant, full of innate bigotry and sense of superiority, often justified, but never earned or deserved, so they often abuse this power with little to no thought about those who are effected by it. And for creatures with unlimited lifespan they sure know how to hold a grudge, which in my opinion is just a waste of time and energy, spending hundreds of years playing games in order to hurt each-other. I almost want to feel sorry for them, but I just can't find it in myself...
"..."“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she snapped. “You’re changeling filth and I don’t have to do as you say.”
“Does she heal like you normally do?” asked Quentin. “Because we could break her arms to distract her, and I bet I could carry her.”"..."
The book started with a William Shakespeare quote from Macbeth, after which the book is named and I love it!
"..."Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell."..."
It sure seems that this is the rule under which Fairy exists... With every new book in the series we are shown more and more how much the Fae and Humans can learn from each-other, if only they let themselves do so. Unfortunately, we also get examples of Fae with power and beauty close to perfection, creatures who should represent all the most pure and beautiful qualities of Creation, but they show themselves to be "fallen" on the inside... The theory of having to have pain in order to have joy is proven over and over, since those overwhelmingly "perfect" creatures think of all the rest of us as insects, as mosquitoes at which they can swipe and not think anything more about, even be pleased with our destruction, since we will not buzz around and bother them. This was wonderfully shown by the marvelously written Pixies and their colony. They have accepted that since they are small and have no big powers, they are considered a pest, despite them being sentient and having life and love and families just like the rest of the "big" humans and wingless. I fell in love with the little sparkly creatures and would love some more action of that scale in the future.
"...“Being your friend is like trying to get up close and personal with a natural disaster,” she’d said. “Sure, we have some good times, but we spend half of them covered in blood. We just want to spend an evening making you as uncomfortable as you keep making the rest of us.”
Not to be outdone, her eldest daughter, Cassandra, had blithely added, “Besides, we don’t think even you can turn a karaoke party into a bloodbath.”
All of my friends are evil"..."
In a day when everyone was in a celebratory mood and singing Karaoke, torturing Toby with bad singing and useless attempts to get drunk, one of those bright and beautiful creatures stormed back into Toby's life and as expected, there were consequences which will stick with the affected for a while... Amandine, Toby's long missing mother, showed up on her doorsteps and demanded she find her firstborn daughter, October's older sister who has been missing for over 100 years. Just to make things more painful, the Mommy Dearest took hostages in order to keep Toby in line... Needles to say, this was not pretty and many feelings were reawakened in her and in her sister-fetch May, all of them very hurtful. Thus Toby found herself teaming up with one of her biggest enemies, who also happens to be her step-father and her sister's dad, and together with her fateful Squire, once again she travels through different Faerie Realms, heads into danger and as always, almost dies, just to save the people she loves and considers her true family, blood connections be damned!!! Nothing comes easily, nothing works quite the way it should - after all this is the realm of the Fae and all of them twist reality in ways that it suits them.
"...“For years, I’d blocked out how she had hurt me, refusing to think about it, refusing to even remember that it had happened, because if she was Daoine Sidhe, as everyone told me, over and over, there was no way her hands could have been enough to cause that sort of pain. When my own daughter had been born, I’d been afraid to touch her, because what if that sort of feedback loop was just how things worked among the Fae, and no one had ever wanted to say anything in front of a flawed, mixed, mortal changeling?"..."
There were moments of laughter, as in the beginning, there were moments of hurt and pain throughout, but there were several moments of despair, which broke my heart... Thank goodness there were also moments of hope! I know that Seanan McGuire left us with many things to be resolved in the future, and I am grateful for the little moments of respite, as temporary as it might be. I also want to say that once again, my heart belongs to the Sea Witch, whose gift and curse make her one of the more complex characters and you never know if she is going to make you cry tears of joy or desolation... I want to know what happens to Peach and the policeman, I want to see the path Simon takes, and of course, I am intrigued and expecting some more sibling MMA Fighting:):):):) Can't wait for the next book to be out - I will read it just as this and the previous ones, as soon as it comes out:) You guys should too!
"...““Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” The wards flared more violently before dissolving into the smell of cut-grass and copper.
May wrinkled her nose as she pushed past me, snatched the keys out of my hand, and unlocked the door. “Most people don’t use Macbeth to seal their wards, you know.”
“Most people are boring,” I said."..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!
September 20, 2017
I love that this is one of those series that gets better almost every book. I really had no idea that when I read Rosemary and Rue all those books ago that I was eventually going to fall in love with this series. Part of that is because Rosemary and Rue was a little bleak and depressing for about the first quarter of the book but since book three I’ve been completely hooked.
Our story starts off a little on the happy side with one of the funniest into chapters in a series I’ve read for awhile as Toby and all of her quirky friends are at a karaoke bar for her bachelorette party. All I have to say is Sea Witch singing Poor Unfortunate Souls, seriously it paints a picture.
It’s a good thing that we get this fun reprieve before family shows up and ruins everything. If you think you have mommy issues I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Toby has it so much worse than you ever thought of having it.
I’ve waited forever to get some insight into her mother Amandine and WOW she was not what I was expecting at all. That fae creature is horrible and so many bricks short of a full load her logic is baffling and brooks no argument lest you be turned into a toad. Amandine it seems would like to find August her child who has been missing for over a hundred years. October isn’t really excited to take on this quest as she is busy planning a wedding, being a hero of the realm and trying not to die. But Amandine isn’t one to take no for an answer and so she kidnaps Tibalt and Jazz just to make sure that October will be motivated to find her missing sister. Did I mention that Amandine is a little bit bat shit crazy???
And so we are off on a quest and need to wake up Simon, August’s father and the man that turned October into a fish for 14 years. Simon who has been one of the main antagonists for quite a while went up so many notches in my esteem after this book. Sure he made some horrible choices in the past but when he started down the slippery slope that became his undoing his first and foremost goal was to find his little girl who was lost. He started with the best of intentions but every choice he made was just one step closer to being the bad guy. But at least he is trying to make some reparations and start on the road back to being a better person.
But the best part of this series besides October because I love her, is the Sea Witch the Luidaeg. She is so cantankerous and acts so put out by everyone. It is so sad that in a way that is her coping mechanism so that people don’t get too close. So they don’t forget that do ask her for help is a binding deal that will cost them, she can’t refuse and the cost can be devastating.
I actually feel so sad for the Sea Witch. She genuinely wants to help the people she cares about but at the same time she can’t because of the rules she is bound by. She tries to give people outs and they don’t listen and still make their bargain even knowing that the cost will be high none of them seem to care in the moment. Plus The Sea Witch knows what is to come in the future and that someone from Amandine’s line is going to have to pay the price for that future. I very much worry for Toby since I think it is pretty clear after this book that both August and Amandine are not cut out for heroism.
The plot in this book was great and I loved getting to see more of the deep faery lands and meet up with a few characters from the past. Simon gets most improved character (not sure that will hold for later books but I’m crossing my fingers for him). August gets voted worst sister ever….I have no idea how October turned out semi-normal and nice looking at her other family members. And Amandine, oh Amandine I hope Oberon comes back and throws you over his knee to spank your spoiled, self-indulgent, selfish ass.
Good thing that October is working on building her new family. I think she is going to need them in the books to come.
Our story starts off a little on the happy side with one of the funniest into chapters in a series I’ve read for awhile as Toby and all of her quirky friends are at a karaoke bar for her bachelorette party. All I have to say is Sea Witch singing Poor Unfortunate Souls, seriously it paints a picture.
“I didn’t even know you invited her.”
“Uh, duh, I had to? It’s the Sleeping Beauty principle. You always invite the biggest badass on the block, or they show up later and curse everybody just to make a point. Besides, she’s having fun.
It’s a good thing that we get this fun reprieve before family shows up and ruins everything. If you think you have mommy issues I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Toby has it so much worse than you ever thought of having it.
I’ve waited forever to get some insight into her mother Amandine and WOW she was not what I was expecting at all. That fae creature is horrible and so many bricks short of a full load her logic is baffling and brooks no argument lest you be turned into a toad. Amandine it seems would like to find August her child who has been missing for over a hundred years. October isn’t really excited to take on this quest as she is busy planning a wedding, being a hero of the realm and trying not to die. But Amandine isn’t one to take no for an answer and so she kidnaps Tibalt and Jazz just to make sure that October will be motivated to find her missing sister. Did I mention that Amandine is a little bit bat shit crazy???
And so we are off on a quest and need to wake up Simon, August’s father and the man that turned October into a fish for 14 years. Simon who has been one of the main antagonists for quite a while went up so many notches in my esteem after this book. Sure he made some horrible choices in the past but when he started down the slippery slope that became his undoing his first and foremost goal was to find his little girl who was lost. He started with the best of intentions but every choice he made was just one step closer to being the bad guy. But at least he is trying to make some reparations and start on the road back to being a better person.
Because sometimes the best intentions could lead to some very dark places, and once you were there, it could be almost impossible to find your way home again, unless there was someone willing to help you. Unless you could get there and back by the light of a candle.
But the best part of this series besides October because I love her, is the Sea Witch the Luidaeg. She is so cantankerous and acts so put out by everyone. It is so sad that in a way that is her coping mechanism so that people don’t get too close. So they don’t forget that do ask her for help is a binding deal that will cost them, she can’t refuse and the cost can be devastating.
“ I have to give people what they ask me for. If you say you want a pony, I have to give you a pony. But I can ask you to pay whatever I want, and the more I don’t want to give you a pony, the steeper that cost becomes.” Her mouth twisted in an unhappy line. “If you’re an asshole about it, I can even fuck with you after I give you what you asked for. Asked to have a pony, not be a pony, but hey, one’s essentially the same as the other, right? Looked at from the right angle.”
I actually feel so sad for the Sea Witch. She genuinely wants to help the people she cares about but at the same time she can’t because of the rules she is bound by. She tries to give people outs and they don’t listen and still make their bargain even knowing that the cost will be high none of them seem to care in the moment. Plus The Sea Witch knows what is to come in the future and that someone from Amandine’s line is going to have to pay the price for that future. I very much worry for Toby since I think it is pretty clear after this book that both August and Amandine are not cut out for heroism.
Your mother never wanted to be a hero. She hated what her mother’s actions and our father’s blood had lain upon her, hated the expectation that she would sacrifice herself for the sake of others. She wanted to be a rose in a walled garden, and not one growing wild by the side of some crumbling, half- forgotten well. So she refused. She could have ended this centuries ago, and she refused.”
The plot in this book was great and I loved getting to see more of the deep faery lands and meet up with a few characters from the past. Simon gets most improved character (not sure that will hold for later books but I’m crossing my fingers for him). August gets voted worst sister ever….I have no idea how October turned out semi-normal and nice looking at her other family members. And Amandine, oh Amandine I hope Oberon comes back and throws you over his knee to spank your spoiled, self-indulgent, selfish ass.
Good thing that October is working on building her new family. I think she is going to need them in the books to come.
July 10, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
Unfortunately for me, I have so much I want to talk about for this novel, and yet almost ALL of it becomes spoiler territory!
Ugghh.
But! I think this is one of the strongest Daye novels since the battle with Blind Michael and even more interesting in a way or two than Toby's eventual falling in love with the King of Cats.
I'm sure I can get away with saying that her mother features very strongly and the consequences are very dire and the feels are very deep. I can honestly say that the buildup from all these previous novels and the eventual payoff in total entertainment value for this one is very, very, very high.
In fact, I'm kinda squeeing over here. I loved this novel. Not only was I super excited to have gotten the ARC because I'm a big fan of the series in general, but my own expectations were met and exceeded by the actual experience. The carryover storylines were some of the very, very best in the series and this direction....
Well, suffice to say, I'm very impressed and more than satisfied. :) :)
Unfortunately for me, I have so much I want to talk about for this novel, and yet almost ALL of it becomes spoiler territory!
Ugghh.
But! I think this is one of the strongest Daye novels since the battle with Blind Michael and even more interesting in a way or two than Toby's eventual falling in love with the King of Cats.
I'm sure I can get away with saying that her mother features very strongly and the consequences are very dire and the feels are very deep. I can honestly say that the buildup from all these previous novels and the eventual payoff in total entertainment value for this one is very, very, very high.
In fact, I'm kinda squeeing over here. I loved this novel. Not only was I super excited to have gotten the ARC because I'm a big fan of the series in general, but my own expectations were met and exceeded by the actual experience. The carryover storylines were some of the very, very best in the series and this direction....
Well, suffice to say, I'm very impressed and more than satisfied. :) :)
September 8, 2017
4.5 Stars Buddy read with the fantastic UF Wednesday Group over at BB&B. Yay, a new October Day book!!!!!!!
….monsters were made from the best of intentions….
Oh how wonderful it was being back in this fantastic world Seanan McGuire has created.
For once it seems as if things just might be going October “Toby” Daye’s way. Nobody is trying to kill her, there’s no one who needs saving and all she needs to be doing is planning her wedding to the King of Cats and enjoying her bachelorette party.
Being a hero meant that sometimes the danger followed you home.
I was a hero now, too. I hadn’t sought the position. It had been shoved on me one stolen child and broken promise at a time. That didn’t make it any less mine. The people around me—the people I cared about—were always going to be in danger.
But after ten books we know things are never easy for Toby and her friends. When her mother Amandine takes Tybalt and Jazz as collateral hostage in order to force Toby to find her first borne and Toby’s sister, August, who’s been missing for a century, Toby has no choice but to do what she does best – fight for the ones she loves and find the missing. The only problem with this plan – needing the help of the man who stole fourteen years of her life, her step-father Simon Torquill who was recently elf-shot. Getting him awake is not a problem, but trusting him is a different matter.
“What I did, I did for the best of reasons. That doesn’t forgive it. If anything, that makes it worse, that a good man might become a villain thinking himself a hero in his heart. Take care, October. Your current quest . . . this is the road that broke me.”
To say I was surprised and captivated by the events in this book is a huge understatement. I have hated Simon since the first book but as most things in this series, nothing is ever black and white. It was eye-opening learning more about Simon and finding out just how far someone could fall, even if it was because of good intentions.
Toby was fantastic as always. I love her loyalty to the people she loves, how she would risk herself to keep them safe. And once again she proved why she’s the heroine of this series.
Then there’s Amandine and what a piece of work this woman is. I HATE HER! It’s amazing that Toby turned out so kind hearted (she must have gotten that from her human father) because this book just showed what a coldhearted bitch her mother is and the lengths she would go to get what she wants. I’ve always wondered if maybe she cared more for Toby than she let on and after the events in this book I finally got my answer. Seeing how awful Toby’s blood family is makes me appreciate so much the family she has built for herself.
The plot was intense with Toby and Quentin, her squire, together with Simon racing against time to find August and worrying myself sick that she wouldn’t be in time to save Tybalt and Jazz. It was strange not having Toby surrounded by her usual gang of wonderful friends and I must say I missed spending time with them all, but luckily we did see the Luidaeg (my favorite character) quite a lot and we also finally found out what her end game is. And after that ‘o shit’ ending, I really can’t wait to see what will happen next and whether Toby will manage to do what the Luidaeg wants….
I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful and captivating this author writes. This series is one of my favorite UF series’ and I cannot recommend it enough. READ IT.
August 31, 2017
The Brightest Fell
First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Berkley/DAW for approving me for an ARC in one of my absolute favorite series. I was given a copy of this book to read in exchange for nothing more than an honest review.
Seanan McGuire is one of the best writers I've had the pleasure of reading. She knows how to set up the action, to build the plot to the explosive scenes you know are coming, but somehow seem to still usually subvert expectations and provide an even better result than you had predicted. She excels at character development -- making us feel and care and relate and share hopes and fears with these characters. She's set up a beautiful, dark, lovely, dangerous, amazing world and an extremely diverse and developed cast. Most importantly, she knows just where the next piece of the story needs to take us to push the overall series narrative forward, every single time.
This novel is no exception. In fact, it's one of the brightest (see what I did there?) examples of her talents as a writer.
She finds a believable way to force October onto another hero's quest, with limited access to her true allies, plenty of complications along the way, and massive amounts of development in Toby's emotional growth AND in some of the secondary characters as well. It left the book feeling reminiscent of some of the earlier books of the series where the cast hadn't grown as large, but with the more mature and confident and loved Toby that has come from the series as time passes and her "family" grows. And this one referenced the events of so many of the other books, and revealed that so many of the little things were bread crumbs to a bigger story... I'm beyond excited for the next few books. I have a feeling that the search for Oberon is a big part of endgame, and I'm ready for Toby to show the world of Faerie just how amazing her and her family is.
I'm thoroughly impressed with Seanan McGuire every time I pick up one of her novels. Even the worst of her novels is still near to masterpiece. If you haven't started the October Daye series, it's time to jump in (with Rosemary and Rue, book 1). Seriously, you should have started years ago. Go, get on that. NOW.
(PS- Chapter one of this book is absolutely one of my favorite opening scenes from any book ever. It features one of the best characters to ever grace the pages of a book... and I can't say more, because spoilers.)
Of Things Unknown
Also included in this book is a brand new shorty, staring the creepy but cool digital Dryad, April O'Leary, and provides some resolution to some stories from way back in the beginnings of the series.
It's well known that most of McGuire's shorties can be extremely heartwrenching. This one was an interesting surprise -- not only because it's got some happy moments in it, but because we got to see October from someone else's perspective, we got to see the inner workings of a very intriguing character, and we got more of Seanan's ability to put fresh spins on myths and the fae, etc. Five stars for the shorty as well.
First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Berkley/DAW for approving me for an ARC in one of my absolute favorite series. I was given a copy of this book to read in exchange for nothing more than an honest review.
Seanan McGuire is one of the best writers I've had the pleasure of reading. She knows how to set up the action, to build the plot to the explosive scenes you know are coming, but somehow seem to still usually subvert expectations and provide an even better result than you had predicted. She excels at character development -- making us feel and care and relate and share hopes and fears with these characters. She's set up a beautiful, dark, lovely, dangerous, amazing world and an extremely diverse and developed cast. Most importantly, she knows just where the next piece of the story needs to take us to push the overall series narrative forward, every single time.
This novel is no exception. In fact, it's one of the brightest (see what I did there?) examples of her talents as a writer.
She finds a believable way to force October onto another hero's quest, with limited access to her true allies, plenty of complications along the way, and massive amounts of development in Toby's emotional growth AND in some of the secondary characters as well. It left the book feeling reminiscent of some of the earlier books of the series where the cast hadn't grown as large, but with the more mature and confident and loved Toby that has come from the series as time passes and her "family" grows. And this one referenced the events of so many of the other books, and revealed that so many of the little things were bread crumbs to a bigger story... I'm beyond excited for the next few books. I have a feeling that the search for Oberon is a big part of endgame, and I'm ready for Toby to show the world of Faerie just how amazing her and her family is.
I'm thoroughly impressed with Seanan McGuire every time I pick up one of her novels. Even the worst of her novels is still near to masterpiece. If you haven't started the October Daye series, it's time to jump in (with Rosemary and Rue, book 1). Seriously, you should have started years ago. Go, get on that. NOW.
(PS- Chapter one of this book is absolutely one of my favorite opening scenes from any book ever. It features one of the best characters to ever grace the pages of a book... and I can't say more, because spoilers.)
Of Things Unknown
Also included in this book is a brand new shorty, staring the creepy but cool digital Dryad, April O'Leary, and provides some resolution to some stories from way back in the beginnings of the series.
It's well known that most of McGuire's shorties can be extremely heartwrenching. This one was an interesting surprise -- not only because it's got some happy moments in it, but because we got to see October from someone else's perspective, we got to see the inner workings of a very intriguing character, and we got more of Seanan's ability to put fresh spins on myths and the fae, etc. Five stars for the shorty as well.
May 27, 2019
4.5 stars
Finally Amandine made an appearance!!! I had been waiting so long for this. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. Amandine is a formidable woman. She makes the Luidaeg look sweet and sane, and she’s known as the sea witch. I have the feeling this book only showed one side of her personality. As someone who loves psychology, I’m curious to see what makes her tick and why exactly she feels the way she does about Toby. I think there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Since these books are becoming increasingly character driven, I can’t talk about much in regards to the characters because there would be major spoilers. One thing that made this book very different from the others was the lack of Toby’s usual sidekicks. Quentin was around but not highly impactful on the plot. The other main character was someone from Toby’s past who she detests. I would love to say more, but I was absolutely shocked at how that played out. It was their unusual partnership that made the book great.
Amandine forced Toby’s hand and made her look for her long lost sister. In the century or so that she had been missing, no one could find her, and some incredibly powerful people looked. I like how the whole plot unraveled. The thing I didn’t like was that it was too convenient that Toby was the only person alive with the right abilities to possibly make it happen. The end game of the series has finally been laid out. Based on the few hints that were dropped, it’s looking grim. After all the title of the final book is When Sorrows Come. ETA: Since this review was originally written, book 13 is now titled The Unkindest Tide and the series has been extended through book 17.
Thank you so much to DAW and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
Finally Amandine made an appearance!!! I had been waiting so long for this. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. Amandine is a formidable woman. She makes the Luidaeg look sweet and sane, and she’s known as the sea witch. I have the feeling this book only showed one side of her personality. As someone who loves psychology, I’m curious to see what makes her tick and why exactly she feels the way she does about Toby. I think there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Since these books are becoming increasingly character driven, I can’t talk about much in regards to the characters because there would be major spoilers. One thing that made this book very different from the others was the lack of Toby’s usual sidekicks. Quentin was around but not highly impactful on the plot. The other main character was someone from Toby’s past who she detests. I would love to say more, but I was absolutely shocked at how that played out. It was their unusual partnership that made the book great.
Amandine forced Toby’s hand and made her look for her long lost sister. In the century or so that she had been missing, no one could find her, and some incredibly powerful people looked. I like how the whole plot unraveled. The thing I didn’t like was that it was too convenient that Toby was the only person alive with the right abilities to possibly make it happen. The end game of the series has finally been laid out. Based on the few hints that were dropped, it’s looking grim. After all the title of the final book is When Sorrows Come. ETA: Since this review was originally written, book 13 is now titled The Unkindest Tide and the series has been extended through book 17.
Thank you so much to DAW and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
April 11, 2021
I can't believe it. I truly can't. But we finally hit a book I.. liked? Enjoyed? Was moved by? Wow. Eleven books and finally an almost-winner.
I won't say every aspect of this worked for me (this isn't a five star, or even a four), but we got so close. And the bits that annoyed me? I mean, they were standard and expected at this point. But they were also very much in the minority.
This book continued the thread of unravelling and explaining much of the why of went on in the first book and what shaped so much of.. well, a lot of the rest of the series. We had a redemption of sorts, we had a rescue of another sort, and then we lost some of the ground that was won. It was a very bittersweet, very emotional, circumstance that nearly had me crying. I full on welled up.
I didn't think I would ever say those words. After all this time, I didn't think I'd ever write a mostly positive review for this series. Was it worth the journey to get here? Hahahah no, it's too soon, this was too small a victory, but. But it reminds me of what I've talked about with my buddies; this is an author, though under a different penname, that I've enjoyed and outright loved. But those books I enjoyed were written much more recently than these. And I wonder if now that I'm catching up to her current day style, and her ability to make me love her worlds, that some of that magic is seeping through into this world, too. Maybe.
Do I expect to love book twelve? No. I've run out of hope at this point (I am fueled only by stubbornness after all these lackluster reads, not to mention some weird ass novellas along the way, though a few good ones, too) b u t that doesn't take away the fact that this experience was enjoyable. This installment did a lot for me. Today was a good day.
3.5 stars
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
I won't say every aspect of this worked for me (this isn't a five star, or even a four), but we got so close. And the bits that annoyed me? I mean, they were standard and expected at this point. But they were also very much in the minority.
This book continued the thread of unravelling and explaining much of the why of went on in the first book and what shaped so much of.. well, a lot of the rest of the series. We had a redemption of sorts, we had a rescue of another sort, and then we lost some of the ground that was won. It was a very bittersweet, very emotional, circumstance that nearly had me crying. I full on welled up.
I didn't think I would ever say those words. After all this time, I didn't think I'd ever write a mostly positive review for this series. Was it worth the journey to get here? Hahahah no, it's too soon, this was too small a victory, but. But it reminds me of what I've talked about with my buddies; this is an author, though under a different penname, that I've enjoyed and outright loved. But those books I enjoyed were written much more recently than these. And I wonder if now that I'm catching up to her current day style, and her ability to make me love her worlds, that some of that magic is seeping through into this world, too. Maybe.
Do I expect to love book twelve? No. I've run out of hope at this point (I am fueled only by stubbornness after all these lackluster reads, not to mention some weird ass novellas along the way, though a few good ones, too) b u t that doesn't take away the fact that this experience was enjoyable. This installment did a lot for me. Today was a good day.
3.5 stars
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
January 16, 2024
These Antique Fables is a short story from January's point of view that can be purchased from Seanan McGuire's Patreon Page. She posts a short story there every month, some standalone but a lot linked to both her October Daye and Incryptid series, and you can receive them for as little as $1 each (there are other perks available for higher amounts but $1 is the minimum).
We've already met January and Li Qin but this is a chance to see how they first met and became a couple, just a little bit of luck led to love. I enjoyed seeing more of January's friendship with Elliot too and this also gives us a glimpse into January's childhood and answers some questions about what happened to her parents September and Malcolm.
Merged review:
Of Things Unknown is an April O'Leary point of view novella that can be found in The Brightest Fell, it follows on from events that happened at Tamed Lightning way back in A Local Habitation but timeline wise it's about three years on so should be read after The Brightest Fell.
April is a fascinating character, as a dryad who lost her tree and was somehow magically connected to a computer hard drive she's totally different from anyone else in the series. She thinks differently and doesn't understand emotions the same way most people do so it can be quite hard to relate to her, she comes across as fairly cold and logical but she does care about the people around her and she tries hard to do the right thing. She's just fairly childlike sometimes and has been easily manipulated by people who she should have been able to trust.
Anyway, April has spent three years as the Countess of Tamed Lightning since the death of her mother January. It's not a position she ever wanted and she finds it difficult at times but she's done her best to keep things running how her mother would want them and she's done a pretty good job of it. One thing she hasn't been able to do is get over events from A Local Habitation though, she is desperate to make amends for the mistakes she made and she thinks she's figured out a way to do it.
This was a brilliant novella that is going to have huge consequences in the rest of the series, I can't wait to see how certain things play out in the future and I was excited by the direction things went. It was nice to Toby from someone else's point of view and I enjoyed getting to know April a little better.
Merged review:
** Note: it's impossible to review this book without including spoilers for previous stories so please don't read this review unless you're up to date with the series and have read at least as far as Once Broken Faith **
Just when everything seems to be going right in Toby's world something, or in this case someone, has to come along and ruin it. Toby should be focusing on planning her wedding but an unexpected, and not particularly pleasant, visit from Amandine turns her life upside down and leaves her with an impossible task on her hands - track down Amandine's oldest daughter, August, who has only been missing without a trace for about 100 years, or both Tybalt and Jazz will pay the price. Failure isn't an option but Toby is going to have to pull out all the stops, including working alongside her sworn enemies, if she wants to have a chance at succeeding.
Amandine has been pretty much a minor character in the series so far, we know she's a firstborn and we know she's Toby's mother (and a pretty crappy mother at that!) but apart from the occasional brief appearance we've not really seen much of her so I was quite excited at the prospect of getting to know her. Well you know that saying "be careful what you wish for"? That definitely applies here because Amandine is so much worse than I could ever have imagined and I felt so badly for poor Toby for everything that Amandine puts her through. The Luidaeg may be Toby's aunt but she's been more of a mother to her than Amandine ever has or will.
So Toby's family reunion doesn't go well and now she's been set with the impossible challenge of finding her half sister or being responsible for the death of her fiancé. Toby is nothing if she's not determined but I have to admit the lengths she was willing to go to surprised me here, she has to go to the one person I didn't think she'd ever trust for assistance and it makes for really interesting dynamics in this story. It's hard because there are so many things I want to discuss in this review but all of them would be spoilers so I can't talk about them. What I will say is that the stakes are higher than ever, the risks are greater, Toby's life is in danger and things will never be the same again.
The Brightest Fell was everything I could have hoped for and then some, Seanan McGuire somehow manages to ramp up the level with every new book in this series and it has quickly become one of my favourite UF series of all time. I can't recommend these books highly enough and I'm desperately waiting for the next book to release.
Of Things Unknown Review:
Of Things Unknown is an April O'Leary point of view novella that can be found in The Brightest Fell, it follows on from events that happened at Tamed Lightning way back in A Local Habitation but timeline wise it's about three years on so should be read after The Brightest Fell.
April is a fascinating character, as a dryad who lost her tree and was somehow magically connected to a computer hard drive she's totally different from anyone else in the series. She thinks differently and doesn't understand emotions the same way most people do so it can be quite hard to relate to her, she comes across as fairly cold and logical but she does care about the people around her and she tries hard to do the right thing. She's just fairly childlike sometimes and has been easily manipulated by people who she should have been able to trust.
Anyway, April has spent three years as the Countess of Tamed Lightning since the death of her mother January. It's not a position she ever wanted and she finds it difficult at times but she's done her best to keep things running how her mother would want them and she's done a pretty good job of it. One thing she hasn't been able to do is get over events from A Local Habitation though, she is desperate to make amends for the mistakes she made and she thinks she's figured out a way to do it.
This was a brilliant novella that is going to have huge consequences in the rest of the series, I can't wait to see how certain things play out in the future and I was excited by the direction things went. It was nice to Toby from someone else's point of view and I enjoyed getting to know April a little better.
We've already met January and Li Qin but this is a chance to see how they first met and became a couple, just a little bit of luck led to love. I enjoyed seeing more of January's friendship with Elliot too and this also gives us a glimpse into January's childhood and answers some questions about what happened to her parents September and Malcolm.
Merged review:
Of Things Unknown is an April O'Leary point of view novella that can be found in The Brightest Fell, it follows on from events that happened at Tamed Lightning way back in A Local Habitation but timeline wise it's about three years on so should be read after The Brightest Fell.
April is a fascinating character, as a dryad who lost her tree and was somehow magically connected to a computer hard drive she's totally different from anyone else in the series. She thinks differently and doesn't understand emotions the same way most people do so it can be quite hard to relate to her, she comes across as fairly cold and logical but she does care about the people around her and she tries hard to do the right thing. She's just fairly childlike sometimes and has been easily manipulated by people who she should have been able to trust.
Anyway, April has spent three years as the Countess of Tamed Lightning since the death of her mother January. It's not a position she ever wanted and she finds it difficult at times but she's done her best to keep things running how her mother would want them and she's done a pretty good job of it. One thing she hasn't been able to do is get over events from A Local Habitation though, she is desperate to make amends for the mistakes she made and she thinks she's figured out a way to do it.
This was a brilliant novella that is going to have huge consequences in the rest of the series, I can't wait to see how certain things play out in the future and I was excited by the direction things went. It was nice to Toby from someone else's point of view and I enjoyed getting to know April a little better.
Merged review:
** Note: it's impossible to review this book without including spoilers for previous stories so please don't read this review unless you're up to date with the series and have read at least as far as Once Broken Faith **
Just when everything seems to be going right in Toby's world something, or in this case someone, has to come along and ruin it. Toby should be focusing on planning her wedding but an unexpected, and not particularly pleasant, visit from Amandine turns her life upside down and leaves her with an impossible task on her hands - track down Amandine's oldest daughter, August, who has only been missing without a trace for about 100 years, or both Tybalt and Jazz will pay the price. Failure isn't an option but Toby is going to have to pull out all the stops, including working alongside her sworn enemies, if she wants to have a chance at succeeding.
Amandine has been pretty much a minor character in the series so far, we know she's a firstborn and we know she's Toby's mother (and a pretty crappy mother at that!) but apart from the occasional brief appearance we've not really seen much of her so I was quite excited at the prospect of getting to know her. Well you know that saying "be careful what you wish for"? That definitely applies here because Amandine is so much worse than I could ever have imagined and I felt so badly for poor Toby for everything that Amandine puts her through. The Luidaeg may be Toby's aunt but she's been more of a mother to her than Amandine ever has or will.
So Toby's family reunion doesn't go well and now she's been set with the impossible challenge of finding her half sister or being responsible for the death of her fiancé. Toby is nothing if she's not determined but I have to admit the lengths she was willing to go to surprised me here, she has to go to the one person I didn't think she'd ever trust for assistance and it makes for really interesting dynamics in this story. It's hard because there are so many things I want to discuss in this review but all of them would be spoilers so I can't talk about them. What I will say is that the stakes are higher than ever, the risks are greater, Toby's life is in danger and things will never be the same again.
The Brightest Fell was everything I could have hoped for and then some, Seanan McGuire somehow manages to ramp up the level with every new book in this series and it has quickly become one of my favourite UF series of all time. I can't recommend these books highly enough and I'm desperately waiting for the next book to release.
Of Things Unknown Review:
Of Things Unknown is an April O'Leary point of view novella that can be found in The Brightest Fell, it follows on from events that happened at Tamed Lightning way back in A Local Habitation but timeline wise it's about three years on so should be read after The Brightest Fell.
April is a fascinating character, as a dryad who lost her tree and was somehow magically connected to a computer hard drive she's totally different from anyone else in the series. She thinks differently and doesn't understand emotions the same way most people do so it can be quite hard to relate to her, she comes across as fairly cold and logical but she does care about the people around her and she tries hard to do the right thing. She's just fairly childlike sometimes and has been easily manipulated by people who she should have been able to trust.
Anyway, April has spent three years as the Countess of Tamed Lightning since the death of her mother January. It's not a position she ever wanted and she finds it difficult at times but she's done her best to keep things running how her mother would want them and she's done a pretty good job of it. One thing she hasn't been able to do is get over events from A Local Habitation though, she is desperate to make amends for the mistakes she made and she thinks she's figured out a way to do it.
This was a brilliant novella that is going to have huge consequences in the rest of the series, I can't wait to see how certain things play out in the future and I was excited by the direction things went. It was nice to Toby from someone else's point of view and I enjoyed getting to know April a little better.
November 17, 2025
When I hear that Seanan McGuire wrote it, I know that I’m in for another perfect literary escape.
Toby finds herself in a precarious situation and the people that she has learned to depend on the most have been taken. She must depend on her own wits while leaning on the one person she should never trust.
And it all comes down to family…Amandine, Toby’s mother finally shows herself and for Toby this is not a good thing.
To put it frankly, I can’t say much more about the plot of this book without giving away a spoiler. Yes, it is that pack full of life altering changes. I can say that The Brightest Fell was one heck of an adventure and should not be missed.
October Daye is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series. To say, I was hyped about reading the 11th installment would be an understatement. So many times, the anticipation doesn’t live up to actuality…The Brightess Fell exceed my wildest imaginations.
I received this ARC copy of The Brightest Fell from Berkley Publishing Group - DAW. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Brightest Fell is set for publication Sept. 5, 2017.
Toby finds herself in a precarious situation and the people that she has learned to depend on the most have been taken. She must depend on her own wits while leaning on the one person she should never trust.
And it all comes down to family…Amandine, Toby’s mother finally shows herself and for Toby this is not a good thing.
To put it frankly, I can’t say much more about the plot of this book without giving away a spoiler. Yes, it is that pack full of life altering changes. I can say that The Brightest Fell was one heck of an adventure and should not be missed.
October Daye is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series. To say, I was hyped about reading the 11th installment would be an understatement. So many times, the anticipation doesn’t live up to actuality…The Brightess Fell exceed my wildest imaginations.
I received this ARC copy of The Brightest Fell from Berkley Publishing Group - DAW. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Brightest Fell is set for publication Sept. 5, 2017.
November 8, 2018
I wanted to moan about the price of this book and the fact it is not available in kindle however the story was too good and all encompassing. Poor Toby. Can nothing ever go right for her for more than a day or two. I love her self made family and the relationship she has with Quentin, Jazz and May. In this story we meet more of her family and NOT in a good way. The story leaves Toby and her family in a vulnerable place. Enough so that, despite the excessive price, I have been compelled to buy Night and Silence immediately! Stand out fantasy at its best.
October 1, 2018
Pureblooded faerie are assholes. That's the premise of this one, with Amandine paying October a visit and charging her with an impossible task and taking a terrible collateral in the process.
After Amandine assigns Toby her task, the author spends the rest of the book in dialogue with the premise as Ocotber is forced to take on Simon Torquill as her ally, a pureblooded faerie that has been an asshole to her in the past, but is a walking knot of contradictions. This book also ties a bow on several loose ends from previous books with visits to Blind Michael's realm and Annwn on the agenda.
This is a good book for long-time fans of the series. If you don't have an encyclopedic memory of previous books you might want to quickly skim them though as this one is steeped in material from them.
It's also the second book in a row I've read with long-running series that leaves the main characters victorious but deeply traumatized. I suspect it's a sign of the times.
After Amandine assigns Toby her task, the author spends the rest of the book in dialogue with the premise as Ocotber is forced to take on Simon Torquill as her ally, a pureblooded faerie that has been an asshole to her in the past, but is a walking knot of contradictions. This book also ties a bow on several loose ends from previous books with visits to Blind Michael's realm and Annwn on the agenda.
This is a good book for long-time fans of the series. If you don't have an encyclopedic memory of previous books you might want to quickly skim them though as this one is steeped in material from them.
It's also the second book in a row I've read with long-running series that leaves the main characters victorious but deeply traumatized. I suspect it's a sign of the times.
November 24, 2021
2021 re-read
As always so much happens in this world. Never a dull moment in Toby's life. Which is not a good thing, I'm afraid.
Old friends and foes come together in this book to break Toby's heart all over again.
One of my absolute favorite things about this series is how McGuire managed to develop such a vast and distinct cast of characters. And managed to make them interesting!
Luideag is still one of my favorites, but I confess that I wasn't expecting to like reading about Simon the way I did.
As for the rest of Toby's family, well... they are a disgrace!
As for the short in the end of the book, I had completely forgotten about it!
April really is something else.
September 10, 2017
Buddy read with my dear friends of the UF Group.
Amandine needs to die. And her spoiled brat of a firstborn daughter too. In fact Toby should dial herself back to a more mortal body and learn to cast iron bullets for submachine gun and go on a rampage. I hate, hate, hate Amandine and August! My hate for them overshadowed my joy of being reunited with all my favorite characters of this series!
The book started so well. In fact it started with some of the funniest, most joy inducing sentences I've ever read. I laughed my head off during chapter 1. I was filled with a fluffy feeling that I think was happiness. But just like Toby I knew it won't last. And then Amandine showed up. She is the worst possible parent Faerie has ever produced. She's a spoiled, entitled cruel brat. I kind of understand why evening disliked her. I don't think anyone other than Simon likes her. Oberon probably decided to disappear just to be rid of his youngest child. She's insufferable. And August is a carbon copy of her mother! The things that came from the mouths of those two are unbelievable. I still shake with rage hours after finishing TBF!
Despite the rage inducing female members of Toby's biological family, I enjoyed the book immensely. I even grew to like Simon, who's been one of the major antagonists of the series since the very beginning. I actually feel sorry for him. Being married to Amandine the Bitch and having that insufferable brat for a daughter is a punishment. Seeing things from his POV made me understand him better and even forgive him. Because in these few short chapters he became more of a parent to October than her mother ever was. And so when he I was more than a bit heartbroken. He deserved better. He still has a lot to answer for but now I can understand how and why he did all those atrocities. I would do anything for my child as well. And this time around Simon has October on his side so his chances of being saved are exponentially higher. I just hope that his return would require the lifeblood of a certain Firstborn. Because she needs to die and what better use than saving her husband.
Unfortunately I will need to wait at least two more years to see how this whole mess is resolved. And it scares me that there's an entire book in between this one and the big finale. I just can't handle if one of Toby's little family gets hurt again!
Amandine needs to die. And her spoiled brat of a firstborn daughter too. In fact Toby should dial herself back to a more mortal body and learn to cast iron bullets for submachine gun and go on a rampage. I hate, hate, hate Amandine and August! My hate for them overshadowed my joy of being reunited with all my favorite characters of this series!
The book started so well. In fact it started with some of the funniest, most joy inducing sentences I've ever read. I laughed my head off during chapter 1. I was filled with a fluffy feeling that I think was happiness. But just like Toby I knew it won't last. And then Amandine showed up. She is the worst possible parent Faerie has ever produced. She's a spoiled, entitled cruel brat. I kind of understand why evening disliked her. I don't think anyone other than Simon likes her. Oberon probably decided to disappear just to be rid of his youngest child. She's insufferable. And August is a carbon copy of her mother! The things that came from the mouths of those two are unbelievable. I still shake with rage hours after finishing TBF!
Despite the rage inducing female members of Toby's biological family, I enjoyed the book immensely. I even grew to like Simon, who's been one of the major antagonists of the series since the very beginning. I actually feel sorry for him. Being married to Amandine the Bitch and having that insufferable brat for a daughter is a punishment. Seeing things from his POV made me understand him better and even forgive him. Because in these few short chapters he became more of a parent to October than her mother ever was. And so when he I was more than a bit heartbroken. He deserved better. He still has a lot to answer for but now I can understand how and why he did all those atrocities. I would do anything for my child as well. And this time around Simon has October on his side so his chances of being saved are exponentially higher. I just hope that his return would require the lifeblood of a certain Firstborn. Because she needs to die and what better use than saving her husband.
Unfortunately I will need to wait at least two more years to see how this whole mess is resolved. And it scares me that there's an entire book in between this one and the big finale. I just can't handle if one of Toby's little family gets hurt again!
September 4, 2017
"For once, everything in October “Toby” Daye’s life seems to be going right." - I knew that wasn't going to last. Poor Toby rarely catches a break. Besides, it would be a short book if there wasn't a conflict or catastrophe. :D The book opens with Toby's bachelorette party which was a hoot to read. But, In no time, Amandine shows up on Toby's doorstep and makes a request/demand. And oh boy, Amandine plays dirty. She is not nice. I didn't remember her being quite so cold or vicious in her earlier appearances. In "The Brightest Fell", she is queen bee bi*** and delights in rubbing Toby's face in it.
One again, McGuire pulls threads from earlier stories and weaves them into a new design, making you question what you believed and what you thought you knew. She even did something I thought was nearly impossible: she made me like, and feel sorry for, Simon Torquill. She started on that in the prior book but brought it to fruition in this book. Mind you, I still disagree with his choices but I understand them better now. Much of the book revolves around family, the family we're born with and the family we make for ourselves. McGuire examines these ties and shows us just how binding they can be, even when we want to turn our back and walk away.
Certain characters were missing and others had reduced roles and were missed, but McGuire worked magic with the remaining ones. The story was tight, the characterizations excellent and I was veering between crying and cheering with the occasional urge to pith my Kindle across the room. Toby goes right to her breaking point and I was seriously worried about her future. McGuire is evil; she needs to stop beating up and Toby and the gang! I know I'm being vague but so much happens and I really don't want to accidentally spoil anything. "The Brightest Fell" is a strong wrenching story, with twists and turns, pathos, humor, love, anger, and moments that made me gasp, curse, and read furiously. If you're new to the series, skip this book and get the first book, "Rosemary and Rue". This series simply must be read in order. You won't regret it.
One again, McGuire pulls threads from earlier stories and weaves them into a new design, making you question what you believed and what you thought you knew. She even did something I thought was nearly impossible: she made me like, and feel sorry for, Simon Torquill. She started on that in the prior book but brought it to fruition in this book. Mind you, I still disagree with his choices but I understand them better now. Much of the book revolves around family, the family we're born with and the family we make for ourselves. McGuire examines these ties and shows us just how binding they can be, even when we want to turn our back and walk away.
Certain characters were missing and others had reduced roles and were missed, but McGuire worked magic with the remaining ones. The story was tight, the characterizations excellent and I was veering between crying and cheering with the occasional urge to pith my Kindle across the room. Toby goes right to her breaking point and I was seriously worried about her future. McGuire is evil; she needs to stop beating up and Toby and the gang! I know I'm being vague but so much happens and I really don't want to accidentally spoil anything. "The Brightest Fell" is a strong wrenching story, with twists and turns, pathos, humor, love, anger, and moments that made me gasp, curse, and read furiously. If you're new to the series, skip this book and get the first book, "Rosemary and Rue". This series simply must be read in order. You won't regret it.
November 17, 2017
THE BRIGHTEST FELL is an entertaining mix of the comfort of an adventure between well established characters with the dissonance and uncertainty of new blood thrown into the mix. This deep into the series, October Daye's group of irregulars are beloved and entertaining, it is the unexpected appearance of her biological family that throws a wrench into the mix.
The mysterious truth behind Toby's heritage has been the last minute magical save in many a previous October Daye adventure, but it was a refreshing change to see her overpowered by the source of those abilities. I had a hard time calibrating my emotional reaction to Amandine to match Toby's. Despite Amandine's old school high handedness (and general racism), Toby clearly has an emotional attachment to the woman who raised her. As a reader that has only experiences Toby's chosen family, Amandine is very easy to hate as she threatens, abuses, and generally tortures the people Toby loves. Though Amandine's behavior isn't contextually unusual (the Luidaeg is the one who displays modern, softened behavior despite her reputation), it is very, very hard not to hate her entirely.
The contrast between the family Toby is born into and that which she has chosen is stark, but otherwise this is the usual, fantastic October Daye adventure with an extra layer of delicious danger on top. Though Toby is often overmatched, this big bad is the source of Toby's own magical ace in the hole. This time around it is Toby's humanity and friendships that win the day, making it once again that this series both delights and surprises.
Sexual Content: References to sex.
The mysterious truth behind Toby's heritage has been the last minute magical save in many a previous October Daye adventure, but it was a refreshing change to see her overpowered by the source of those abilities. I had a hard time calibrating my emotional reaction to Amandine to match Toby's. Despite Amandine's old school high handedness (and general racism), Toby clearly has an emotional attachment to the woman who raised her. As a reader that has only experiences Toby's chosen family, Amandine is very easy to hate as she threatens, abuses, and generally tortures the people Toby loves. Though Amandine's behavior isn't contextually unusual (the Luidaeg is the one who displays modern, softened behavior despite her reputation), it is very, very hard not to hate her entirely.
The contrast between the family Toby is born into and that which she has chosen is stark, but otherwise this is the usual, fantastic October Daye adventure with an extra layer of delicious danger on top. Though Toby is often overmatched, this big bad is the source of Toby's own magical ace in the hole. This time around it is Toby's humanity and friendships that win the day, making it once again that this series both delights and surprises.
Sexual Content: References to sex.
August 31, 2017
THIS SERIES IS SERIOUSLY ADDICTIVE.
Read at your own peril.
It's difficult, if not impossible, to describe the plot without releasing major spoilers concerning the earlier books, so I'll avoid it.
A quick rundown of the series for the uninitiated: October is a half-human, half-fae woman who has lived her life awkwardly straddling the real world and the world of the fae. Her magic is related to blood, but her true strength is in her intelligence, combat training, and uncanny (yet not magical) ability to make powerful people like her. These all make her a better private investigator, both in human and fae matters.
October Daye does not waste any time. The plot is action packed with a single-minded determinedness -- you won't waste any time on side plots that don't add much to the story.
You'll get the feeling that the previous books have been leading us to something big, and this book pulls us further along on that trajectory. The only downside of this book is that readers will hate having to wait for the next one.
Received via Netgalley
Read at your own peril.
It's difficult, if not impossible, to describe the plot without releasing major spoilers concerning the earlier books, so I'll avoid it.
A quick rundown of the series for the uninitiated: October is a half-human, half-fae woman who has lived her life awkwardly straddling the real world and the world of the fae. Her magic is related to blood, but her true strength is in her intelligence, combat training, and uncanny (yet not magical) ability to make powerful people like her. These all make her a better private investigator, both in human and fae matters.
October Daye does not waste any time. The plot is action packed with a single-minded determinedness -- you won't waste any time on side plots that don't add much to the story.
You'll get the feeling that the previous books have been leading us to something big, and this book pulls us further along on that trajectory. The only downside of this book is that readers will hate having to wait for the next one.
Received via Netgalley
February 9, 2019
"Sometimes the places that should be home aren't," Simon said. "Sometimes there's no one we can blame for that, and so we blame ourselves, because aren't we the easiest targets? It's not like anyone will come to our defense when all the loathing and finger-pointing is happening in the privacy of our own minds."Re-read: February 2019
"Aren't you supposed to be the bad guy here?" I asked.
"My apologies. I forgot my place for a moment."
I love Simon so much. He is such a sweetheart. He has done terrible things for what seemed like good reasons in his mind. It's just like what October said:
People are complicated. That's the problem with people. It would be so much easier if they could all be put into easy little boxes and left there, never changing, never challenging the things I decided about them.
The main points I took from re-reading The Brightest Fell are as follows:
1. Amandine is a b****, who needs to be slapped and/or die. Both at best.
2. August is a spoiled brat, who might join her mother in the previous actions, but there MIGHT be some redemption for her.
3. Simon deserves better. Toby deserves better. Torquills deserve better. Luidaeg deserves better. Honestly, just everyone who has ever met Amandine basically deserves better.
4. Can we finally, pretty please, meet Oberon? And possibly Maeve? Titania can stay where she is, because from what we've head about her she isn't all that much fun to hang out with.
Original review: December 2017
I can't remember last time book left me feeling this sad and... I don't know. October Daye books don't usually have happy endings that make you feel like everything is right in the world, but this one feels a little bit more unfinished than the others. Toby, Tybalt, Quentin, May and Jazz are back home, but they are not safe and they are not really happy either.
The Brightest Fell finally fully introduces Amandine. I always though I won't really like that woman and I was right. She is a terrible person. I still can't get myself to understand why she got a mortal husband and changeling child when she didn't really want them at all. For all of you who think that Amandine is some amazing god-like being, let me tell you the truth. She is terrible. The only thing she cares about is her firstborn daughter August and everyone else is just trash to her. Her another daughter, October, is merely a tool to get August back and a terrible disappointment. Are you asking what is that terrible thing October did to deserve this? She chose fairy (and life) instead of dying as mortal to make her mother happy.
To be honest, I don't even have words to describe how much I wanted to slap Amandine throughout this whole book. August isn't much better, but I feel like there might still be hope for her. And Simon... Poor Simon. If only he didn't fall in love with Amandine, he might have been a wonderful person. What's worse, in this book, we caught glimpse of the person he could be if he didn't get lost.
However, this book wasn't quite as depressing as I probably make it seem. The first chapter was pure gold. October having bachelorette party with all of her friends in karaoke bar was amazing. The Luidaeg singing Little Mermaid song is something I really want to see with my own eyes. By the way, we are at book 11 in this series and the Luidaeg is still the best character. Please, Luidaeg, don't even change. If you change or something happens to you, I will cry my eyes out and Quentin's heart will probably break.
Speaking of Quentin, the kid grew up so damn fast. When he and Toby went to Acacia's land, my heart broke for both of them as well as for all the kids that died there. But even tough it was though, Quentin got through it. Once, he will make the best king ever. He and Raj might even make divided courts and Court of Cats work together for the first time.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Hopefully Toby will find Oberon, find out who Amandine's mother is, bring Simon back and put elf shot in Amandine and August. I really hope those two will die horribly or leave somewhere far away because as long as they are near, Toby and others will never feel safe.
Plus, I can't wait to see what will happen with Officer Thorton, Poppy and many others. And hopefully, we will FINALLY find out what's Toby's role in Luidaeg's deal with Selkies.
October 2, 2017
So, so good.
UPDATE: a kind book fairy reached out and offered me a copy on behalf of the author. Thank you!
Ugh. I'm in the Uk. The only available format is hardcover at £17 /$20 and a two month delivery time? No kindle option and no paperback option.
*sigh*
UPDATE: a kind book fairy reached out and offered me a copy on behalf of the author. Thank you!
Ugh. I'm in the Uk. The only available format is hardcover at £17 /$20 and a two month delivery time? No kindle option and no paperback option.
*sigh*
October 11, 2017
There is always something compelling about the October Daye series, something that draws my attention to every single chapter, every single page and each written word.
Seanan McGuire
writes this series with a magical imagination!
The Brightest Fell is probably one of my favourites in the series, the emotions from reading this were not expected, Simon played a big part in this book and he drew me in, I did not expect my feelings to change because of his past but boy was I wrong. However, there was a sadness left behind when finishing off the final chapter and although I want to 'smack' August in the mouth, I am sure she will play an equally big part in the next book with October.
Loved every minute of this installment and I am still as eager for the next book as I was when I read book 1 and was waiting for book 2! Simply Amazing!!
The Brightest Fell is probably one of my favourites in the series, the emotions from reading this were not expected, Simon played a big part in this book and he drew me in, I did not expect my feelings to change because of his past but boy was I wrong. However, there was a sadness left behind when finishing off the final chapter and although I want to 'smack' August in the mouth, I am sure she will play an equally big part in the next book with October.
Loved every minute of this installment and I am still as eager for the next book as I was when I read book 1 and was waiting for book 2! Simply Amazing!!
December 16, 2018
Another amazing yet infuriating book in this series. I feel like I've been saying that about the last three books, but the villains are all so horrible and incredibly easy to hate lol. Amandine is the literal worst and it is entirely incomprehensible to me that she doesn't understand why Toby hates her, but I guess purebloods just be like that sometimes all the time. Also Seanan, how dare you make me fall in love with Simon???? What is this??? I didn't sign up for Simon Torquill feels and yet you've given me more than I can handle. I mean I never really hated him, but that was more like 'ok he's the silver tongued asshole twin and he's a total douche but he's probably fun at parties' kind of thing and not like ...actually making him relatable. You never know what to expect with this series lol
October 12, 2017
Well wasn't this just perfect! Loved this novella, loved April's story and what a fantastic ending.
August 9, 2019
Ah, I've been waiting for this. August is here and she's exactly how I pictured her. She kinda reminds me of my own sister, only my family is half as crazy. At least I'd like to think so.
Over and out
Over and out
June 24, 2018
The more things change in this series, the more they stay the same. And that make sense in a world that features characters who have lived hundreds of years if not more. Since the very first book in the series Toby has faced so much prejudice and disdain for being a changeling. We have seen the fae characters wrinkle their noses at any and all beings they considered lesser. In many ways, this precept stands above all other things. And it rings more true than ever here.
The story begins with Toby in a happy place. She celebrating her bachelorette party; she has a great group of friends and family she loves. She has a future with Tybalt and she’s really quite grateful for where things stand. And that’s a huge flashing sign that everything’s about to go to hell. Which of course it does.
Toby’s mother is back. And she is horrible. We learned in prior books that Toby had an older sister, August, who disappeared before Toby was even born. Now mommy dearest wants her back and she doesn’t mind twisting the knife into her youngest daughter to do it. Amy is a Firstborn which we’ve seen in other books is usually an indicator that she is pretty lacking in empathy or morality. I doesn’t make it any easier to see how little regard she has for Toby. For God’s sake, she chose to have Toby with a mortal man. She chose to make a changeling, yet Toby doesn’t hold a candle to her real daughter, the pureblood fae.
Trust me when I say Toby has no choice but to do as her mother asks. She has the best motivation possible. And she has to make a deal with the Sea Witch to find the means to be successful in her mission. It takes her into the Summerlands and brings her face to face with the repercussions of her actions in prior books. We revisit some things that had essentially been put to bed. But in this world, nothing is ever really over.
Toby is separated from all of her tribe for the vast majority of the book, and I missed them. But this book did not feel like it existed in a bubble, because of all of those threads I talked about coming back to be tied up. Toby is put through the wringer, but isn’t she always? She goes through so much to do the right thing.
I’ll admit, it took me a little while to remember all of the backstory. The series has become quite dense, and that’s more noticeable here because the author has plucked so many strands from those earlier books. But it’s gratifying to see some of the chickens come home to roost. They almost feel like Easter eggs for long-time readers. That being said, this is not the place to jump into this series. If you are interested, you should start at the beginning with Rosemary and Rue.
There is a lot to like about this book and really nothing that I didn’t. It is hard to see Toby get so many hard knocks, but I suppose that there wouldn’t be much story left to tell if her world were allowed to give her much of a break. She is such a great character, the embodiment of a hero. Which makes sense, because that’s what she is. No matter how much it hurts.
A very good installment.
Rating: A-
*ARC provided by publisher
The story begins with Toby in a happy place. She celebrating her bachelorette party; she has a great group of friends and family she loves. She has a future with Tybalt and she’s really quite grateful for where things stand. And that’s a huge flashing sign that everything’s about to go to hell. Which of course it does.
Toby’s mother is back. And she is horrible. We learned in prior books that Toby had an older sister, August, who disappeared before Toby was even born. Now mommy dearest wants her back and she doesn’t mind twisting the knife into her youngest daughter to do it. Amy is a Firstborn which we’ve seen in other books is usually an indicator that she is pretty lacking in empathy or morality. I doesn’t make it any easier to see how little regard she has for Toby. For God’s sake, she chose to have Toby with a mortal man. She chose to make a changeling, yet Toby doesn’t hold a candle to her real daughter, the pureblood fae.
Trust me when I say Toby has no choice but to do as her mother asks. She has the best motivation possible. And she has to make a deal with the Sea Witch to find the means to be successful in her mission. It takes her into the Summerlands and brings her face to face with the repercussions of her actions in prior books. We revisit some things that had essentially been put to bed. But in this world, nothing is ever really over.
Toby is separated from all of her tribe for the vast majority of the book, and I missed them. But this book did not feel like it existed in a bubble, because of all of those threads I talked about coming back to be tied up. Toby is put through the wringer, but isn’t she always? She goes through so much to do the right thing.
I’ll admit, it took me a little while to remember all of the backstory. The series has become quite dense, and that’s more noticeable here because the author has plucked so many strands from those earlier books. But it’s gratifying to see some of the chickens come home to roost. They almost feel like Easter eggs for long-time readers. That being said, this is not the place to jump into this series. If you are interested, you should start at the beginning with Rosemary and Rue.
There is a lot to like about this book and really nothing that I didn’t. It is hard to see Toby get so many hard knocks, but I suppose that there wouldn’t be much story left to tell if her world were allowed to give her much of a break. She is such a great character, the embodiment of a hero. Which makes sense, because that’s what she is. No matter how much it hurts.
A very good installment.
Rating: A-
*ARC provided by publisher
October 10, 2018
Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell.
Here I am, eleven books into the October Daye series, still enjoying it immensely. This is one of the books which is tough on Toby—she learns that hard, hard lesson that we sometimes have to learn. Your family doesn’t always have your best interests at heart. Sometimes you have to lean on your friends, lean on them hard, and trust your own instincts and abilities.
People can surprise you—Simon Torquill certainly plays that role in this book. Simon was put to sleep for a century in the last book and Toby is forced to bargain to have him awoken before the elf-shot has worn off. He’s not her choice of confederate, but her mother Amandine has left her no choices. McGuire makes a pretty good case for not judging our competition until we have spent some time with them.
It seems that everyone gets hurt in some way in this installment—May & Jazz are ripped apart, Tybalt is imprisoned, Raj has to assume the responsibility of the Kingdom of Dreaming Cats, Sylvester must allow something that will enrage his wife, Simon must save his daughter, The Luidaeg must put up with a constant parade of intense fae folk through her formerly isolated home. Toby gets pulled back towards humanity and must find a hope chest to return herself to her new Fae normal.
These books which contain the difficult choices and make Toby work with people she would normally avoid often end up being the most powerful in the series and this book is no exception. At the end, there is no question that she still has far to go, but we pause to let everyone rest & regroup. I’m next in line at the library for book number 12, Night and Silence, but it will probably be a couple of weeks, giving me time to rest and consider too.
Here I am, eleven books into the October Daye series, still enjoying it immensely. This is one of the books which is tough on Toby—she learns that hard, hard lesson that we sometimes have to learn. Your family doesn’t always have your best interests at heart. Sometimes you have to lean on your friends, lean on them hard, and trust your own instincts and abilities.
People can surprise you—Simon Torquill certainly plays that role in this book. Simon was put to sleep for a century in the last book and Toby is forced to bargain to have him awoken before the elf-shot has worn off. He’s not her choice of confederate, but her mother Amandine has left her no choices. McGuire makes a pretty good case for not judging our competition until we have spent some time with them.
It seems that everyone gets hurt in some way in this installment—May & Jazz are ripped apart, Tybalt is imprisoned, Raj has to assume the responsibility of the Kingdom of Dreaming Cats, Sylvester must allow something that will enrage his wife, Simon must save his daughter, The Luidaeg must put up with a constant parade of intense fae folk through her formerly isolated home. Toby gets pulled back towards humanity and must find a hope chest to return herself to her new Fae normal.
These books which contain the difficult choices and make Toby work with people she would normally avoid often end up being the most powerful in the series and this book is no exception. At the end, there is no question that she still has far to go, but we pause to let everyone rest & regroup. I’m next in line at the library for book number 12, Night and Silence, but it will probably be a couple of weeks, giving me time to rest and consider too.
March 25, 2018
Worst October Daye in the series it needed more Tybalt
April 16, 2025
Best book so far. Soo good!
November 24, 2017
“Because sometimes the best intentions could lead to some very dark places, and once you were there, it could be almost impossible to find your way home again, unless there was someone willing to help you. Unless you could get there and back by the light of a candle.”
Uff, EVERYTHING CAN BE A SPOILER!
How do I write a review?
Well, the only thing I can say is that this is another amazing installment in the October Daye series. From the blurb, you know Amandine is Toby's mother. She's also a Firstborn and she has been missing for most of the books. However, Amandine is back and she wants Toby to find her other daughter, August. At the beginning, Toby doesn't want to get involved. She's finally in a happy place in her life. She has good friends and she's in love. Planning her wedding should be a priority on her to-do list. Yet, this is not to be. Amandine won't take no for an answer. She will take whoever is important to Toby to get her to do what she wants.
Just like all the books in this series, The Brightest Fell is action-packed. So many things happen and you just have to try to keep up. One event will trigger a chain reaction that can't be stopped. There are always great twists which come as a surprise. Seanan McGuire's creativity amazes me. That's why after eleven books, I'm still a huge fan.
“The Luidaeg is singing Disney songs.”
My favorite character on The Brightest Fell besides Toby was the Luidaeg. The character that I was hoping had redemption was Simon. The character that needs to pay: Amandine who's nothing but a spoiled brat.
One thing I missed the most in this book was Tybalt. I have come to adore them as a couple and I want to listen to his one-liners. He's one of my favorite male characters in a UF series (Adam from the Mercyverse is another one of my favorites). After all, how can anyone not love the King of Cats? I certainly do.
“I love you. Take comfort in that. Even in your dreams, you are no longer capable of imagining a world in which I do not love you. Hold fast to that ideal.”
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Daw via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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September 26, 2017
I did not like this one. There's only so many stories I can read filled with . . . I can't think of the right words at the moment. All that I can think of seem wrong - bitter characters, whiny characters forced to do what they have the power to do but don't want to do, etc. Characters that react instead of act.
Has Toby ever acted of her own accord? She seems to always be reacting. Like here - 1) sister-fetch May wants to hold a party for Toby's upcoming - currently unscheduled wedding. So she does. Toby kept saying no, etc. May holds it in a karaoke bar. Toby does not like being forced to sing. She sings. She reacts to the world around her and doesn't act on her own desires; 2) momma turns up, asks Toby to go find the long lost sister, Toby kinda wants to do so, but not for momma. So she says no. Momma freezes everyone, forces the cat to turn into a cat - shoves cat into tiny pain filled cage; turns May's girlfriend into raven (which she is, being a kind of wereraven), shoves raven into cage. Tells Toby to get August and the 'toys' would be returned. Toby reacts to this demand and hunts for sister.
Whiny, bitter, reacting Toby. *shrugs* I've been off and on with this series - If you looked at the ratings I gave, you'd see an odd mix of ratings. 3 stars, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 2. Well, until I looked, I didn't recall that none had dipped to 2 before now, nor that I had that long stretch of 4 star books. *shrugs again* I'll probably read the next in this series. Might, maybe, might read that Velveteen book I hadn't read yet, and/or that Newsflesh one I haven't read yet (though it's a parallel book that doesn't push the series forward, since the series is already complete, but instead shows a story that had already occurred and doesn't star the main characters from the series). Probably won't try the mermaid book, any more of the index books, or the . . . um . . orphans books?
I'm tired of sadness. Everyone's always so sad in this author's books (whether under this name or her other name).
Rating: 1.64
September 26 2017
Has Toby ever acted of her own accord? She seems to always be reacting. Like here - 1) sister-fetch May wants to hold a party for Toby's upcoming - currently unscheduled wedding. So she does. Toby kept saying no, etc. May holds it in a karaoke bar. Toby does not like being forced to sing. She sings. She reacts to the world around her and doesn't act on her own desires; 2) momma turns up, asks Toby to go find the long lost sister, Toby kinda wants to do so, but not for momma. So she says no. Momma freezes everyone, forces the cat to turn into a cat - shoves cat into tiny pain filled cage; turns May's girlfriend into raven (which she is, being a kind of wereraven), shoves raven into cage. Tells Toby to get August and the 'toys' would be returned. Toby reacts to this demand and hunts for sister.
Whiny, bitter, reacting Toby. *shrugs* I've been off and on with this series - If you looked at the ratings I gave, you'd see an odd mix of ratings. 3 stars, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 2. Well, until I looked, I didn't recall that none had dipped to 2 before now, nor that I had that long stretch of 4 star books. *shrugs again* I'll probably read the next in this series. Might, maybe, might read that Velveteen book I hadn't read yet, and/or that Newsflesh one I haven't read yet (though it's a parallel book that doesn't push the series forward, since the series is already complete, but instead shows a story that had already occurred and doesn't star the main characters from the series). Probably won't try the mermaid book, any more of the index books, or the . . . um . . orphans books?
I'm tired of sadness. Everyone's always so sad in this author's books (whether under this name or her other name).
Rating: 1.64
September 26 2017
August 23, 2017
Four and a half
After so many books the author has clearly decided to take things up a notch and I have to say this book just kept hammering away at any preconceived ideas about the characters within this world. I think I'm probably used to Toby having to bloody a few people up in order to save the day but this time it's going to take a lot more than nifty knife skills to solve her problems.
Toby's mother isn't exactly the warm fuzzy type and I'm not revealing too much when I say their relationship is anything but close. So you would imagine if Amandine turned up wanting Toby to track down her missing sister August ( who Toby has never met) that it might be the beginning of a reconciliation but alas mommy dearest doesn't ask she just takes! Oh and when I say takes believe me Amandine can be the cruelest, most uncaring parent you could ever imagine. So ok then Toby has a lot riding on this task but the person who seems best suited to helping isn't exactly her friend or is he?
Without giving too much away I can say that the author took an unlikeable character who I thought we'd seen the last of and completely turned things around. Toby is without her usual allies for much of this story and relies on her instincts. Never fear the Sea Witch is here but her connection to the task is not really a happy one. Toby does make new friends along the way but as with so many things in life there are consequences. Toby has finally found her place in the world and unfortunately everything she has worked for starts slipping away. The twist towards the end was utterly heart wrenching and the writing was so on point as reconciliation and painful heartbreak shared the page. I'm not sure how I feel about mommy dearest or indeed even August but it seems that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree no matter how beautiful it might be!
Please read this series in order to get the best out of it.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
After so many books the author has clearly decided to take things up a notch and I have to say this book just kept hammering away at any preconceived ideas about the characters within this world. I think I'm probably used to Toby having to bloody a few people up in order to save the day but this time it's going to take a lot more than nifty knife skills to solve her problems.
Toby's mother isn't exactly the warm fuzzy type and I'm not revealing too much when I say their relationship is anything but close. So you would imagine if Amandine turned up wanting Toby to track down her missing sister August ( who Toby has never met) that it might be the beginning of a reconciliation but alas mommy dearest doesn't ask she just takes! Oh and when I say takes believe me Amandine can be the cruelest, most uncaring parent you could ever imagine. So ok then Toby has a lot riding on this task but the person who seems best suited to helping isn't exactly her friend or is he?
Without giving too much away I can say that the author took an unlikeable character who I thought we'd seen the last of and completely turned things around. Toby is without her usual allies for much of this story and relies on her instincts. Never fear the Sea Witch is here but her connection to the task is not really a happy one. Toby does make new friends along the way but as with so many things in life there are consequences. Toby has finally found her place in the world and unfortunately everything she has worked for starts slipping away. The twist towards the end was utterly heart wrenching and the writing was so on point as reconciliation and painful heartbreak shared the page. I'm not sure how I feel about mommy dearest or indeed even August but it seems that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree no matter how beautiful it might be!
Please read this series in order to get the best out of it.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
January 23, 2020
I reserve the right to wait to rate this book until I've read the shorts I've missed and then read it again.
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