Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire starting October 5, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Shorts after Once Broken Faith

--Dreams and Slumbers-- Available on text editions of Once Broken Faith
--The Voice of Lions--
--The Act of Hares--
--Shore to Shore--
--The Instruments of Darkness--
--With Honest Trifles--

These shorts are available from Seanan's Patreon: https://seananmcguire.com/tobyshorts.php
I think for as little as $1/month (She charges per short story posted, but only posts shorts once a month I think)

Did my reread earlier and just haven't had time to come back and post... Might try to summon some brain cells later, or just to reply to yall as you read :D

Also my shorties plan is still on. I'm doing "publication" order because I haven't read the shorties yet. And most of the time, I'm a publication order kind of person even if the author themselves say its okay :D But I probably won't get to a lot of them till later this month. Busy with both Spooktober and general October/Halloween time plans.

Just started the last Secret Project, but really looking forward to this...

I'm opposite, I think, Emily--I like chronological order unless publication order is specifically recommended... though for prequels, I usually like to read book 1 first then go back...

The guide I'm following has only Dreams and Slumbers after Once Broken Faith...

I read this yesterday... had a couple thoughts...

I felt like this book foreshadowed ITSELF a bit, early on...

Some big things happen I've been waiting for you guys to see for awhile... like (view spoiler)[Tybalt running out of extra lives, and being saved by Toby+friends... he's died so many times in the early books of this series... he needs to be more careful now... (hide spoiler)]

The ending: (view spoiler)[THE FALL... full-on, bag of bones... (hide spoiler)]

@Emily: When Toby says (view spoiler)[your mother would kill me, or something to that effect... so many lines about Stacy are starting to feel ironic... (hide spoiler)]

In meta news, it sounds like Seanan McGuire is taking the gloves off... I hear there are 2 semi-major character deaths in the next InCryptid book, which is a Mary Dunlavy book... the ghost babysitter... the Covenant of St. George is upping their war with America / the Price-Healy family, after the events of the last couple books...

Exciting... after Sanderson taking his Cosmere gloves off... I would say Battle Ground did that pretty well with Dresden too... good time to be an SFF fan...

Started!!!

Chapter 1 (view spoiler)[I love the idea of a sleepover party! And I would kind of like Arden to get to come too... instead of crashing the party. I mean... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[Like I was saying, it's pretty clear with how desperate Arden is to wake up her seneschal and brother, that she REALLY REALLY needs allies--and friends. She's still really isolated! She needs to start building those bridges more... and having places and people she can be herself with. Toby's a tough place to start because of their history together, but Toby comes with a pretty chill group already made. At least Arden knows Toby will have her back as long as she does the right thing. Define "right thing"? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[I love that we're getting a beat of Toby & co just getting to hang. It definitely has "calm before the storm" vibes--but still. And that phone conversation with Luideag? I swear, this is the first conversation that has been almost familial--like "I'm just going to call up my aunt for advice on how to act at a party" instead of "the world is ending, help me before I die." Really love how far their relationship has come. Just from that one moment when Luideag's voice changed from murder to "Toby!" and full of warmth... made me happy. (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Started!!!

Chapter 1 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 2 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 3 [spoilers removed]"

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[Toby is TOTALLY that niece/nephew that always need dragged out of trouble :D

What did she get herself into, this time?... *exasperated Auntie Luideag vibes* (hide spoiler)]

LOL I love it!

Through Chapter Nine now--(view spoiler)["tatterdemalion"--I love it when a book teaches me new words. "ragged or disreputable in appearance. 2. : being in a decayed state or condition : dilapidated."

There was a mention somewhere earlier--probably Chapter 3--that Luideag is the Eldest Fae/Firstborn or something like that... so I'm guessing that that sentence in the previous book calling Eira the "elder" sister maybe was supposed to be "eldest" as in "eldest living"? Or something. Eira's definitely not older.

Loving the increase of the world. New Monarchs, new Kingdoms, new Stories. I'd like to learn more about the agrarian kingdom with the Golden Hind monarchs...

Very curious about the hints Toby has of the killer. Tin foil ripping. Shadows jumping. Shadows make me think of Shadow Roads... but the ripping... sound of a portal?

The Candela King is an interesting character--all pureblood prejudices but also caring for his family... (hide spoiler)]

Up to Chapter 14. (view spoiler)[The political ramifications coming up about elf-shot are interesting... and especially Evening's explanation. A nap is nothing to her... and maybe when she wakes up her problems will have killed each other.

Very curious about the hints she dropped--about Toby stirring up things she wanted to take advantage of, and that Toby has no idea what is going on. My first thought was there being more major power players in hiding, like Eira was. Big three?

I also appreciate every time that the books explain a little more about how the fae heritage works. Like the bit about Tuatha being Oberon's, heroes, and not very often rulers. Or Twylyth Teg being Maeve's. Dark and light, seelie & unseelie. What makes Maeve dark in this series, exactly? Other than Titania's smear campaign. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 16 (view spoiler)[Really interesting glimpse into Luideag's past. What about Riding at Halloween could have endangered Maeve? The Fae Ride also makes me think again of the story of Tam Lin, and Janet.

The whole time jumpy thing with the ripping sound is making me think of Arden's old home--the little hidden pocket inside the bookstore. I wonder if this could be something like that... someone who can carve out a pocket of space? But why the jump? Looking forward to seeing how things go...

Also trying to do an inventory of named people, and see who suspects could be. And motivations. The King of Angels would have voted against the cure. Toby is for it--but doesn't have a vote. Or just trying to muck up the conclave? Could Eira be behind it somehow? Or the Golden Hind folk, trying to keep the conclave from voting for the cure? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17 (view spoiler)[Second time the Barrow Wight from Highmountain has ben mentioned--and emphasizing her emotional state. Suspicious.

And hey, barrows were the kinds of places in most faerie stories that involved time displacements.

Also faery rings. I first thought of a jewelry ring, before I remembered mushrooms. Wondering about portable possibilities.

Well, well, well. The Barrow Wight wins. Dammit. I was hoping for at least a chapter to feel smart about remembering that reference.

And Daoine Sidhe masters. Does it come back to Eira? Shaking up status quo seems in her bailiwick.

So... Tybalt was the original target? Or just another target? Good thing he's got multiple lives. I guess that's not common knowledge? (hide spoiler)]

And finished! I was a little surprised (view spoiler)[that it took Toby a little longer to put things together than I would have thought--I mean, she just noticed that the King & handmaiden were missing--but then, Tybalt almost dying would be pretty distracting.

Iain, just read your ending notes--so has Tybalt actually run out of lives then? I mean, he didn't actually die, so do we know if he would have come back? I mean, better safe than sorry is always good but... (hide spoiler)]

Read Dreams and Slumbers too--this had some nice nuggets in it. (view spoiler)[And now I am VERY curious about Stacy. Mostly Stacy, and not her husband... Stacy of the supposed mixed and mild fae blood... who has the same ears as her daughters, ears that Arden, trained in all the different Fae peoples, has never seen before. Stacy whose daughters are both Seers. Then there was the whole thing about how Karen doesn't look like either of her parents... making me think of Luna a bit. And how Luideag can make herself look like anything, and completely hide her heritage even from Toby's nose. Combine that with the mentions of missing Firsts we've had in the past book or so... like when Elliot went all starry-eyed over Luideag... and I'm leaning towards Stacy being another First in hiding, probably of Maeve's line... the Roane also have a gift of sight, after all--I wonder if they're mostly from Maeve's line?

Also making me think of other suspicious people... what's Marcia up to lately? When is she going to come back?

And bloody hell, why are there so many Firsts hiding in the San Francisco area? Is this going to come back to what Evening was hinting, about Toby stirring some things up? Are the Big Three sleeping somewhere nearby?

I also really liked getting an Arden POV. In fact, I really liked this story in general as an Epilogue to the book--I was feeling a bit cheated when we weren't shown the sleepers all waking up, and I've long felt that Arden needs more friends. If Walther and Cass can help flesh out that circle, that'll be good for her. Add on to that, the Luideag's price... and it really nicely wraps up Arden's first character arc. And I like how Cass called her a "changeling"--she was born fae, but essentially grew up human... so yeah, she is as much a child of two worlds as the others. (hide spoiler)]

Tybalt: (view spoiler)[it's been getting harder for Tybalt to come back, every time it happens... and it's happened alot... it seems like a mythos built on a cat having nine lives... but Tybalt said it wasn't exactly 9, it was a relative power thing and a king thing...

I think the implication was that he could have died here... not to mention, poison might not leave the system the same way other deaths do... (hide spoiler)]

The next book reveals why I never have anything nice to say about Amandine the Liar...

re: Tybalt--definitely something to track on my eventual reread...

re: Amandine--(view spoiler)[I found it really interesting that Toby claimed "Amandine the Liar" like a title in this book. I guess that is setting up for the next one. (hide spoiler)]

Also just realized that the book chapter images--a broken sphere shattered like glass--must be referencing (view spoiler)[the poor Merry Dancers... (hide spoiler)]

I have started and I am in chapter 12 (view spoiler)[ and the ramifications of the cure are interesting. I did not thought of how the cure would make the purebloods use it even more endangering the changelings even more. But it would be nice if everyone agreed not to use it as Tybalts or Diandas court do

Evelyn being a nuisance and making Karen go in her place...she is awful

Luideag is as great as ever and very funny seeing how even the kings cower before her (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[yeah, I felt for Arden and how close she came to wake up her brother. Hopefully the cure will get approved and she can wake him up

Luideag is the best. Their relationship is one of my favourite things in the series and how relaxed Toby is with her while everyone is literally shaking in their boots

maybe it refers to Eira being among the older sisters, in general and not calling her the eldest of everyone. Or it could be a mistake

Agreed, love to see more of the world (hide spoiler)]

Paula wrote: "I have started and I am in chapter 12..."

Has it been a month, already?... time is flying...

Paula wrote: "I have started and I am in chapter 12..."

Yeah, me neither--(view spoiler)[I totally thought their logic was off. Purebloods already have no compunction about using Elf-Shot... I thought this would go the other way, and have them start using kill-shots instead to take out their enemies, because Elf-Shot doesn't actually remove pieces from the board anymore... (hide spoiler)]

Have to go chase down that line again...

Iain, nope, only almost two weeks

Nirkatze, agreed

It kinda feels like it... or more like 3 weeks...

Lots of Buddy Reads... and some real life stuff

yeah, it feels longer for me too, lately my weeks feel way longer than they actually are

I'd drink to that, if I drank. Cheers folks. *lifts a glass of kombucha*

finished! (view spoiler)[ Toby being a pile of goo was horrifying. Was this the scene you told about Iain?

Poor Tybalt, he almost died again and I definetly don't want that. I liked how Toby noted that it was weird that she, a half mortal, was harder to kill than Tybalt, a pureblooded fae, but those healing gifts of hers are really handy

I am curious what will happen to Simon. Will they leave to wake up in a hundred years or maybe reduce the sentence a bit? (hide spoiler)]

Paula wrote: "finished!..."

(view spoiler)[

1) Yes... this is basically the most hurt Toby can ever physically become...

So McGuire moves on to psychological pain for a bit...

Toby still gets into scrapes in future books... altho, I was proven right later on, and she had some plot armor in the wedding book... gotta be able to walk down that aisle...

2) Simon Simon Simon... so much happens with Simon, as happens with basically every non-dead villain in this series... nothing ever plays out how you'd expect... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ yeah, that bit about Riding at Halloween in Luideags flashback is interesting and defiently something to keep an eye on. No idea what story is that of Tam Lin, but I'll look into it

And I agree. Stacy is looking suspicious. She is either a firstborn or someone in her line is

Maybe Marcia will show up next book (hide spoiler)]

Iain, ooh, nice to get to see more of Amandine next book
(view spoiler)[ without any bones she truly is goo monster. Thankfully she will never be that again, maybe

Uuf, psychological pain, poor Toby can't catch a break. She is used to physical pain so I guess it's time to spice things up

yay, they finally get the wedding. All that talk but I was afraid they would never have a break

cool, I am very intrigued with Simon (hide spoiler)]

Paula wrote: "Nirkatze ..."

Ballad of Tam Lin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_Lin (view spoiler)[Nirkatze mentioned it, way back in book 3, the first time we saw Blind Michael's Wild Hunt... and it killed me... she basically called one of the biggest reveals of the series, right from the beginning, thanks to folklore knowledge... not too surprising, really, given how much Seanan McGuire draws from mythology/folklore/etc, in all her series... (hide spoiler)] (big spoiler talk in there, but I think it's fair to say, I doubt you guys figure everything out... Seanan still knows how to layer in extra surprises... we're only a few books away from answers now)...

Stacy: (view spoiler)[suspicions abound for awhile, with no answers (hide spoiler)]

Marcia: I think she's scarce, until the Selkie book?...

Paula wrote: "Iain, ooh, nice to get to see more of Amandine next book..."

We're a few months from the wedding book (#15)

@Paula--dittoing your intrigued with (view spoiler)[Simon! Very excited to see the "so much happens" that Iain mentioned!

And yikes for psychological--being turned Fish wasn't enough, eh?

Tam Lin story... what I remember, anyway... Tam Lin, or Tamerlane, is a human who wandered into faerie long ago, and is a favorite of the Fairy Queen... somehow he makes contact with a human woman, Janet (can't remember how) and they fall in love... one night, the Fae go on their Wild Ride, and Janet interrupts them (there's rules about this, but I don't remember the specifics). Janet challenges the Queen to release Tam Lin... if Janet can keep hold of him through a set number of transformations or a set time, he will go free. Oh, and Janet is pregnant with Tam Lin's child at the time, which is why she was able to challenge the Queen for rights to him... anyway, the Queen changes Tam Lin into a wolf... a snake, and I think fire or smoke, maybe something else, but Janet succeeds, and they both go free. Probably Wikipedia has a better description, lol. (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I read this yesterday... had a couple thoughts...

I felt like this book foreshadowed ITSELF a bit, early on...

Some big things happen I've been waiting for you guys to see for awhile... like [spo..."

@Iain, I noticed that too... I'm still looking for (view spoiler)[ any line about Stacy and any kind of hints McGuire sprinkles in... There's not many so far though (hide spoiler)]

Iain, it's nice to know that the Ballas of Tam Lin is important

And thank you Iain for the link and Nirkatze for the summary

Yeah, reading the link, my memory was pretty off on parts, but it's been a while since I read through my book of British Isle myths, lol. Also read Tam Lin a long time ago..