Such Dangerous Seas

by Seanan McGuire

A Luidaeg novella, printed in the back of the hardcover edition of Be The Serpent (October Daye 16), in which gases are laid and fates are plaited.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Novella, Fiction, Fae, Paranormal, Grief

42 pages, Hardcover

Published September 6, 2022

About the author

Hi! 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. :(

Reviews

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these little vignettes that McGuire writes to supplement the October Daye series. Plus I always love to learn more about the Luidaeg's history. This gives us the origin of the geas that she is under and has a wonderful link to one of my favourite legends. Thank you, Ms. McGuire!

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one broke my heart reading it. Everything was so happy at the start for Luidaeg, her life so full of joy and it was ripped away by an evil bitch! I hated how by trying to right the wrong Luidaeg ended up getting more hurt, it makes you understand her actions in the present a bit more.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale of the Luidaeg is as sad as you anticipate it being. Revealing of what true monsters are.

[carmen! · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a good backstory!!

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, but I didn't really want to read the sad story about how the sea witch became the sea witch. The second-hand treachery, betrayal, and slaughter was plenty.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories about the sea witch - I enjoyed reading them. I always like how there's an extra novella at the back of the Toby books!

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such Dangerous Seas is the novella included at the end of Be the Serpent, the sixteenth novel in the October Daye series. Given that this is a prequel story involving the Luidaeg, you probably don't need to worry overly much about spoilers.

The Luidaeg wasn't always the Sea Witch that we know and love. She wasn't always bound by such strong (and horrific) gaes. That was forced upon her. This is the story of how the Luidaeg came to be bound.

It should probably go without saying, but Such Dangerous Seas is a pretty heartbreaking novella. Given the events that transpire here, I'm sure most readers could have figured that out on their own. Still, it hits all the harder following the events of Be the Serpent. So do your best to emotionally prepare for this one.

If you've ever had any questions about the gaes placed upon the Sea Witch, make a point of reading Such Dangerous Seas. This novella will explain everything, from why she cannot lie to how she sets terms and prices for her bargains. And yes, that will make her story hurt all the more.

Thanks to DAW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[Scratch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better novella in the October Daye universe than most. Seanan McGuire is a prolific writer, always stunning me with how quickly she can crank out several full novels, novellas, and short stories all in the space of a single year. But the tradeoff for that is often that these little novellas she adds to the end of her full-length novels are irrelevant, or pointlessly removed from the rest of the novel.

This particular novella follows the Sea Witch centuries in the past, right when she is first cursed with her many enchantments. She has talked about the magic limiting her ability to lie, or reject a request made to her by a hero, many times in the past. This was just the first time we actually saw the enchantments being cast. And really, it was a tad underwhelming.

I'm in an odd position in that I love this series, but I find myself deeply annoyed with Seanan McGuire herself as a person. Often, at any rate.

[Stephen Topp · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the novella at the end of the book is better than the book you just read.

Where the book before it felt (even during the plot twists) like it was paint-by-numbers, the novella at the end felt like a real story full of interesting characters. The only thing to really dislike about it is that we're running out of shades-of-grey characters. The Luidaeg has now completed her journey from a terrifying figure who did things for a mix of her own unknowable reasons and the curse that was put upon her to a completely sympathetic creature who has nothing but good and pure motivations.

So while I enjoyed the book, I worry this final step is going to make one of the more interesting characters in the series much more bland from here on out.

[Nirkatze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whoo boy. A Luideag POV short set around and just after the massacre of the Roane. This was seriously all over the place. A lot of good background and chewable tidbits to theory-mine, but the timeline is very messy and hard to follow. Perhaps on purpose--showing the Luideag's protean nature even in her internal narrative. There seems to be an emphasis on how Maeve's children, or at least the Luideag's, have access to the future, while Titania's, or at least Eira's, can see the past--and the past and present are all mixed up in this one.

But this is the first story where we really get to see Titania in her prime--and all her cruelty, and clearly see the model to which Eira aspires. Both of their hooks are shown in so many little bits... this story really is a necessary piece of lore.

[Lexicon Aficionado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love and hate this book. I loved the glimpse of happiness that Annie had but having known how it would end, it was so hard to read. What was even harder was reading about the narcissistic mother and daughter duo getting their way in real-time, instead of Annie's retelling (which was already hard enough). Narcissists are a pet peeve so I was almost at the point of knocking my head against the wall. Only my adoration of Annie made me continue and reading her suffering in real time made me love her even more. Poor Annie. I hope she never retires to the bottom of the ocean even after Toby removes her enchantment permanently.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using the novellas to provide the vignettes of non-main characters in the world has been a wonderful way to learn of the characters while they are “off stage”. This particular novella should not be rad until the book it’s attached to. It provides the circumstances of the why and how the Luidaeg is bound with the geas. It is heartbreaking and shows further how bound she truly is, where how much damage has occurred all because Eira has “seen” (or been told) of a future that I suspect has been her creating by doing these actions. Such a sad novella. Don’t try to read if you want to be lifted.

[Julianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was enjoyable, but I really didn't need it.
Some of the narrative power behind the Luidaeg's geases is that we the readers aren't fully sure of their extent. Being able to read the exact wording of at least this one takes a bit of its power away. That being said, actually seeing Eira and Titania interact was fun in its way, and I liked the little tidbit about why the Luidaeg tends to wear her hair up.

[Carolyn F.]

This is a novella at the end of Be the Serpent.

I started it and knew what it was going to be about. I don't want to read something so sad today. I'll read it at a later day.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this novella takes place long (decades? centuries?) before the events of Be the Serpent, the spells entangling its characters originated or are explained in this story about earlier in the life of October Daye's aunt, the Luidaeg/sea witch and her father Oberon's other queen, Titania, a rival line of descent.

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella is also published in the back of the ebook version.

Most of it is a story we already know, or could guess (though why the Sea Witch couldn't be just a little more patient to vastly improve her odds? Not explained)

The twist at the end is very nice. Enchanting even.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t always have a fantastic memory, so there have been things I’ve wondered about the Luidaeg that I wasn’t sure if McGuire had already explained. Reading this novella explained a lot, and I hadn’t missed/forgotten it all! Crushes your heart, but the background info is worth it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella fills in some background on why the Sea Witch is who she is and how her relationships with both Eira and Titania reached the point they are at now. It didn't consistently hold my interest, but I'm glad I read it for that background.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

We finally see how the Sea Witch is bound, and how truly terrible Titania is. The language and tone in this one is slightly more archaic, which I understand, but I also find it slightly off putting. Still a strong story though.

[Nessarose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too short. Give me more sea witch!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Luidaeg-centered shorts are always so...
*deep, sad sigh*
...yeah.

[Roseann Bowe]

This story explains much of why and how the Luidaeg is the way she is. It honestly made me want to cry. Titania is honestly the worst person to have ever breathed.

[Gina Gallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated them before this novella—but now, I really hate them! They took EVERYTHING from the her-even her name. That was horrid. Horrid.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was 10/10. I am always in for more Luidaeg backstory and the heartbreak is so real. Phenomenal.

[Shonnella Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titania = the purest form of evil

[Tzurky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novella about the sea witch’s past. I love the sea witch. She’s my favorite character (possibly even of all time) and so I loved this story as well, heartbreaking though it is.

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning more about the roots of the Sea Witch was special but frightening.

[Tiffany M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these novellas at the end of the books! It is like a little snack of lore of the world in which I'm so invested.

[Sam Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lonesome and tragic, but filled in some scenes of some ancient happenings that are extremely important to the main series, so it was a nice bonus. Not essential to the main story (just an in0scene look at what we already know happened in summary) though, which I really appreciate since I'm usually audiobook only and these short novellas are frustratingly excluded from the audio format.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard to read this book, it almost pushed my buttons, but I know where her story is going to go, so I had to keep reading!

*Second Read June 21st, 2023*
This was such a great story, but the hardest to read, because Titania and Evening are just the worst!

*First Read June 24th, 2022*
Oh, this story hurt! I was just so enraged on her behalf, of what she went through!