Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1)

Feb 26, 2010

Katie(babs) rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The year is 1995 and October “Toby” Daye is on a stake out. Toby is engaged to Cliff, a human. She and Cliff also have a little girl named Gilly. They think she is a private detective who works cases dealing with deadbeat dads. But, Toby keeps a very big secret from them. She is a half-human, half-fae working on a very special case that deals with her liege, Duke Sylvester. Sylvester’s twin brother Simon vanished without at trace along with Duke’s wife, Duchess Luna and their daughter Rayseline....moreThe year is 1995 and October “Toby” Daye is on a stake out. Toby is engaged to Cliff, a human. She and Cliff also have a little girl named Gilly. They think she is a private detective who works cases dealing with deadbeat dads. But, Toby keeps a very big secret from them. She is a half-human, half-fae working on a very special case that deals with her liege, Duke Sylvester. Sylvester’s twin brother Simon vanished without at trace along with Duke’s wife, Duchess Luna and their daughter Rayseline. Because Toby loves and respects the Duke, she will try and find his wife and daughter.

Toby is able to find Simon in the San Francisco Japanese Tea Gardens. There Toby comes across Simon and another creature that is half Tuatha de Dannan and half Peri. Toby is wary of this Peri because they are a race that likes to cause pain. Toby watches as these two embrace as lovers would and before Toby can confront them or go for help, Simon locates her. Because Simon is too powerful for Toby, he transforms her into a koi, which is a type of fish, where she will remain in the Japanese Tea Garden pond for fourteen years.

Fourteen years later the curse has been broken and Toby has turned her back on the fae. Cliff and her daughter refuse to have anything to do with Toby because she was missing for so long. Toby walks around in a daze, working nights at a grocery store, remaining invisible and trying to be as human as possible. But the fae and those creatures that inhabit this world are all around her. Toby will have no choice but to enter back into the world that so ruthlessly destroyed her.

The reason is because one of Toby's friends, Evening, the Countess of one of San Francisco’s smaller fiefdoms needs Toby’s help. She left a few messages on Toby’s answering machine, which Toby ignored. But when one of the messages is a binding spell, Toby has no choice but to do what Evening orders. Evening knows she will be murdered and leaves it up to Toby to find out who has killed her.

Toby must confront her past and those who have cherished her as well as ruined her life. She must walk among the most evil and treacherous of all faeries even if it means placing her own life in danger once again.

Seanan McGuire’s Rosemary and Rue has one of the best prologues I have read in recent memory. I have never read one where the main protagonist is transformed into a fish and left to suffer that way Toby does. After the first twelve pages, I was expecting a rip roaring fantasy story that would keep me hooked till the very end. I made it all the way to page two-hundred and put the book down because there isn’t much to recommend here.

The main problem I had with Rosemary and Rue was page after page of info dumping and needless internal dialogue. At one point I thought, there has to be more to this. Something exciting has to happen. It doesn’t. There is really no action to speak of within these pages. My main problem is that there is too much telling and not enough showing. We see Toby basically sleep walking thorough each scene where we meet so many people from her past for no other reason that I can think of. We are introduced to her old lover Devin, who is some sort Oliver Twist Fagin type, but he at least bathes and is much sexier. He surrounds himself by teens he may or may not have sexual hankie panky with known as the Lost Children a.k.a Devin’s kids. Why do we meet Devin? Just to add some emotional angst for Toby because before she was with her human lover Cliff, she was with Devin.

We meet Sylvester who Toby seems to still respect but can’t stand at the same time. Could she possibly still have residual feelings because Sylvester was the one to have her investigate his missing wife and child that took fourteen years away of her life? His wife and daughter were returned safe and sound and Toby never once confronts these people as to where they were or wanting revenge against Simon who gave her gills. And by the way Simon is MIA the whole time. You would think after she escaped the pond she would go searching for Simon and get her revenge. You would also think those friends of Toby would want revenge for her or would aid in her fight against Simon. That never happens.

We never meet Cliff or Gilly because for reasons I can’t think of, they feel betrayed by Toby. When I read this, I was very confused. Your fiancé has been missing for fourteen years and when you're told she has been found, you feel she is a deadbeat who ran out on you and you daughter? What? Wouldn't he run into her arms and cry tears of happiness that his love has come back to him safe and sound? And what's up with Toby who seems to love Cliff and Gilly so much, but only calls Cliff on the phone but never goes to see him? Of course this scenario is never shown. It is glossed over because Toby tells the reader. We are told not shown. And don’t get me started on why Toby and Cliff never married before she disappeared. That in itself doesn’t make sense. Why? It is another case of Toby telling the reader but not giving much explanation on why.

Many things that Toby does is told and told some more. Pages upon pages of long winded paragraphs with faery terminology and a What’s Who of important faery creatures are mentioned from Toby. But hey, every so often Toby investigates dangerous places and mutters a few spells and meets even more fantasy like creatures. Toby waxes on and on about them, who they are, what they can do and that is all. I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia instead of a fictional story.

Toby is very much the underdog here and her life has been a horrible one. I guess I was supposed to be sympathetic to her plight, but I just found her to be too pitiful with no spine. Toby is hurt, angry and feeling betrayed. Why wouldn’t she channel this anger and kick some ass and take some names? Toby came across as too much of a sad sack, a woes is me I need some major therapy; leave me with my cats in the dark of my apartment I can barely afford because I work at Safeway.

Everything about Rosemary and Rue fell so flat. I wanted to shake some sense into Toby. Instead I felt no connection and left her to her grief where I rolled my eyes and moved onto something with more substance that will stick to the basics of writing where one will show not tell. (less)

like 22 likes

· see review

Jan 18, 2010

Rawles rated it

Shelves: speculative-fiction, young-adult-and-kid-lit

This started off strong, but it lost a whooooole bunch of steam as it went. The story never really felt like it was driving forward, just sort of meandering onward.

Toby is likeable enough, but she's sort of ineffectual. She spends a large portion of the book constantly being battered about and recovering from various near-fatal injuries and in the grand scheme of the plot and what she's attempting to do, very rarely does she ever actually accomplish anything herself. Which is not to...moreThis started off strong, but it lost a whooooole bunch of steam as it went. The story never really felt like it was driving forward, just sort of meandering onward.

Toby is likeable enough, but she's sort of ineffectual. She spends a large portion of the book constantly being battered about and recovering from various near-fatal injuries and in the grand scheme of the plot and what she's attempting to do, very rarely does she ever actually accomplish anything herself. Which is not to say that she has to be an invulnerable superwoman, and having help is fine. But Toby (and thus the narrative since it's first person) constantly harps on how relatively weak she is as compared to all of the extremely powerful beings around her and that's consistently held up by the text, which leaves one wondering why exactly everyone wants her to do everything in the first place. Vague reasons involving fairy law and politics, also loyalties, etc. are bandied about and obviously if the very powerful people took care of their own shit and/or got other very powerful people to do so you wouldn't have much of a story, but as with all such things it becomes a little frustrating after a while.

I also found the book very easily telegraphed, which doesn't have to be a bad thing, but since it revolved around a mystery that sort of took away any suspense. Plus, my being able to figure out the characters' entire motivation and plot arc generally upon first introduction meant that Toby often being inexplicably oblivious about things became grating. There are insignificant things that mostly just make me do things like go "...He obviously doesn't hate you?!" at various intervals throughout the entire book. Then there are much more important things like why exactly she seems to be aware that one dude is a total fucking creeper and predator/user&abuser and is wary of it, yet also simultaneously seems to be completely flabbergasted by the idea of him being a terrible person.

At any rate.

2.5/5

Would probably read a follow-up in hopes of improvement if I got bored enough.(less)

like 7 likes

· see review

May 08, 2011

The Holy Terror rated it

Recommends it for: fans of Merry Gentry or Melissa Marr

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fairies, owned

In retrospect I think I was blinded at the time to this book's promising start. I give it 3.25 stars.

October Daye used to be a private investigator until she was turned into a fish and left in the Koi Pond in the Japanese Tea Gardens of Golden Gate Park. The spell lasted 14 years and October lost her entire life. She's trying to start over and then she receives a message on her answering machine from a friend. The friend knows that she's about to be killed so she curses Toby into fin...moreIn retrospect I think I was blinded at the time to this book's promising start. I give it 3.25 stars.

October Daye used to be a private investigator until she was turned into a fish and left in the Koi Pond in the Japanese Tea Gardens of Golden Gate Park. The spell lasted 14 years and October lost her entire life. She's trying to start over and then she receives a message on her answering machine from a friend. The friend knows that she's about to be killed so she curses Toby into finding out who her killer is, and Toby has no choice but to start unraveling the mystery.

First, one of two nitpicks; I wanted more description of the Fae races included. Even if McGuire didn't want to describe them in so much detail, a short description in the front of the book would have helped. Although, it might help out if you've read A Kiss of Shadows and the Merry Gentry series. A lot of the same Fae show up as well as a lot of the same concepts and themes of the Fae world.

She does include a pronunciation guide, which was helpful except for the mistake I found; kitsune is not pronounced kit-soon, it's a Japanese word and it's pronounced key-tsoo-nay. Also, I'm not sure why adding in how a word was pluralized was important, I'm sure we could figure it out as we went along whether she was talking about one or two fairies.

My second nitpick was some of the choices that Toby made. At times, she seemed to make bad choices that left me shaking my head and wondering what she was doing. Lily, an undine, even remarks on how Toby is just reacting and not acting, yet she doesn't do anything to rectify this until the last 10 pages or so. And about half-way in I could tell who the villain was and you'd think that Toby would have figured it out sooner. But really, it's a small nitpick and it ultimately didn't make me like Toby any less.

I am really excited to see if Toby gets a love interest in the next book. I really hope so because she was put through the ringer in this one. She needs some happiness. Honestly I'm normally the first one to complain and get bored when there's no romance at all, but this book was so action-packed I didn't even really notice.

All in all, an ok first book in new series, but not one without its faults.

Please check out my reviews for the next two books in this series: A Local Habitation and An Artificial Night.(less)

like 5 likes

· see review

Oct 16, 2011

Kim rated it

Shelves: paranormalfiction

Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read these days, but my love for it really began in the '80s, when I was reading Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, and the fabulous Bordertown anthologies. I love a good vampire story, and werewolves are growing on me as well (peculiar image, right?), but my true favorites are the stories of the fey, not the itty bitty cutesy faeries, but the elegant and dangerous ones found in the ballads of Thomas the Rhymer and Tam Lin. I've simply had a harder time fi...moreUrban fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read these days, but my love for it really began in the '80s, when I was reading Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, and the fabulous Bordertown anthologies. I love a good vampire story, and werewolves are growing on me as well (peculiar image, right?), but my true favorites are the stories of the fey, not the itty bitty cutesy faeries, but the elegant and dangerous ones found in the ballads of Thomas the Rhymer and Tam Lin. I've simply had a harder time finding the kinds of stories I like about the kinds of faeries I like as of late. With Rosemary and Rue, the start of the October Daye fantasy series, that just might have changed.

October Daye (Toby) is a changeling, part faerie and part human, working as a private detective in San Francisco. She is not fully accepted by the fey world, and she marries a human and has a daughter, but loses them both when she is cursed and vanishes for 14 years. When she returns, she has to start over and learn how the world has passed on without her. And then her friend Evening Winterrose is murdered, and Toby is cursed to solve her murder or die trying. . .

I found Toby to be an appealing character, both sympathetic and tough. My heart bled for her over the loss of her human family, and I winced with all physical damage she took. The story is fast-paced and full of surprises, but my favorite part of this novel has to be the setting. This is urban fantasy of the "they don't know we're among them" type, and McGuire does a terrific job of convincing the reader that unseen faerie creatures really do inhabit modern San Francisco. The world of Faerie, as McGuire paints it, is one of hierarchy, bargains and bindings, an invisible realm spread across the mundane world, with many of the fantastical creatures Toby encounters living in recognizable San Francisco landmarks. My favorite was the Japanese Tea Garden---it's been ages since I've been there, but I'm inspired to make another visit soon!

I'll admit that I had a few quibbles while reading Rosemary and Rue, but they were extremely minor and did not detract from the story at all. I am also slightly biased in that the book inspires nostalgia for my '80s favorites, as mentioned about, and San Francisco is one of my favorite cities; if neither of these applies to you, knock a star off my review. I'll bet you'll still really enjoy this book!

(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Sep 08, 2009

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: california, fantasy, folk-and-fairy-tales, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 3 likes

· see review

Sep 10, 2009

Michelle Dockrey rated it

Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Recommended to Michelle by: Seanan McGuire

Shelves: favorites

Full disclosure: this review may be doubly biased; not only is the author one of my best friends, but I'm in the proofing pool. I'm in an unusual position. I've had the privilege of watching this book and this series grow over drafts and years, from an unruly child into a beaming graduate. If authors are essentially releasing their children out into the world to make it on their own, I feel like I'm part of the proud family that's watched them grow up, or at least perhaps one of its well-love...more

like 14 likes

· see review

Mar 09, 2011

Misty rated it

Shelves: dorsch-book-club, folklore-myth-fable-fairy-tall-tale, read-in-2011, sci_fi-fantasy, supernatural-paranormal, noir

This was a recent book club pick, and while many (most) of the books that have been picked for the 1st half of this year elicited an underwhelming amount of excitement, I was at least moderately looking forward to this one: they almost always let me down, but I can't keep myself from reading about faeries.

This one, unfortunately, was not an exception to that rule. I missed the first part of the book club meeting, but from what I did see, it seemed that the disappointment was pretty ...moreThis was a recent book club pick, and while many (most) of the books that have been picked for the 1st half of this year elicited an underwhelming amount of excitement, I was at least moderately looking forward to this one: they almost always let me down, but I can't keep myself from reading about faeries.

This one, unfortunately, was not an exception to that rule. I missed the first part of the book club meeting, but from what I did see, it seemed that the disappointment was pretty universal. I think part of this was that it suffered from First Novel Syndrome. There was A LOT of repetition and useless blahdeeblah that just irritated me to no end, and showed McGuire's immaturity as a writer <-- not uncommon in a first book. There were kinks and pet peeves that just needed to be worked out, and mistakes and awkward style that just come with the business of writing when you're still trying to find your style. I found myself skimming l a r g e sections of the book, just wanting her to get on with it, already.

But perhaps the biggest turn off for me -- and I shouldn't have been surprised -- was the noir style. I'm not generally a fan of noir to begin with, and this just seemed to really drive that home to me. Everything I don't like about noir -- the endless talk, the posturing, the ceaseless introduction of new characters who may or may not be shady, and the inane conclusion-jumping coupled with the ability to overlook the obvious* -- they were all present and accounted for. I felt like, were I to listen to this on audiobook, it would be narrated by a female Humphrey Bogart wannabe in a cheesy "Now look heah, seeEE?" voice. It never felt like it's own thing, but like a concept McGuire was going for + a need to play fill in the blanks. And there was SO MUCH info-dumping, and SO MUCH writing in circles, I felt like I was going to rip my hair out. And the whole time, the WHOLE TIME, I was left wanting to shake Toby and ask her, If you're supposed to be this smart, kick-ass, unusual and good detective, WHY don't you seem to understand what's going on around you?
Ugh, I could go on, there were more things that irritated me, but it's really not worth it.

It was a shame, because I saw good elements there that made me think I might want to read further in the series, but I absolutely won't until a)someone tells me McGuire's writing undergoes a serious transformation, and b)it's a really rainy day that I'm ready to throw away.

*I mean, seriously. EVERYONE in my bookclub pegged the bad guy ON THE PAGE HE WAS INTRODUCED ON. He's described as a complete creeper, make-your-skin-crawl jackass that TOOK ADVANTAGE OF Toby when she was a kid, and STILL she doesn't suspect him?

Also, it disappoints me a little because I wanted to read Feed, but um, I just found out that it's written by McGuire using a pseudonym.

Side note: I much prefer the German cover of Rosemary and Rue --->

(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 05, 2010

Shanon rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, dfc-2, 2010

I really enjoyed this book. It has a ton of different fairy creatures. Some that I’m familiar with from other stories and others that were new to me. I liked the main character, October Daye. She was just stubborn and flexible enough to be believable (if that makes sense). Just a few minor things that are holding me back from giving this 5 stars.

The mystery was transparent. I love having a “Why didn’t I see that coming, it should’ve been so obvious?!?” moment when I finish book...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 25, 2009

faeriemyst rated it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, faeries, amazon-vine, own

Wow. That's about all I can think of to sum up my thoughts. Rosemary and Rue is a knock-out debut of what looks to be a fantastic series. The protagonist, October (Toby), is interesting, tough yet still fragile, sympathetic, and her character as a whole seems so realistic. The plot and mystery held my interest and I never fully grasped the truth, I pretty much found out when Toby did, and I respect an author who can do that without everything coming out of left field. The ending was melancholy, ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 20, 2010

Megan rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who loves fae stories or is a hard core UF fan & isn't bothered by extensive world building.

Shelves: faeries, did-not-finish, not-mine-library, urban-fantasy

Rosemary and Rue really isn't bad. I can't complain about the writing, the action, the mystery or the protagonist, October "Toby" Daye. But somehow, this book just never got a hold of my interest. I blame the world building ~ there is a lot of background information given. A lot. And frankly Toby Daye isn't all that different from so many other female protagonists found in UF books.

Author Seanan McGuire obviously put quite a bit of thought and time into constructing the w...more

like 6 likes

· see review

Feb 03, 2012

Elodie Diebolt rated it

· review of another edition

Voilà une saga qui me tentait depuis sa sortie et que j’avais vraiment très hâte de découvrir! La couverture est juste magnifique avec son illustration et ses couleurs. La quatrième de couverture me semblait très alléchante et il n’en fallait pas plus pour me donner envie de lire ce livre. Je suis parti sans a priori, sans idée sur ce que j’allai trouver à l’intérieur puisque j’en ai très peu entendu parler mais j’ai été ravie de me faire mon propre avis et ce fut une très agréable surprise!
...moreVoilà une saga qui me tentait depuis sa sortie et que j’avais vraiment très hâte de découvrir! La couverture est juste magnifique avec son illustration et ses couleurs. La quatrième de couverture me semblait très alléchante et il n’en fallait pas plus pour me donner envie de lire ce livre. Je suis parti sans a priori, sans idée sur ce que j’allai trouver à l’intérieur puisque j’en ai très peu entendu parler mais j’ai été ravie de me faire mon propre avis et ce fut une très agréable surprise!

L’intrigue du livre repose en grande partie sur la recherche d’un assassin que le personnage principale va devoir trouver à tout prix. Son originalité repose sur l’univers où se déroule l’histoire qui est notre monde moderne mais aussi de nombreux royaumes magiques. La mythologie du peuple Faë est également très originale et très bien travaillé et j’ai vraiment aimé les description des différents endroits magiques qui m’ont permis de les visualiser et de rêver. On rencontre également d’autres créatures fantastiques vraiment très intéressantes comme par exemple le Doppelganger ou encore la Luidaeg.

Le personnage principale est October Daye, une jeune femme mi faëe, mi humaine que j’ai beaucoup apprécié. Elle m’a impressionné par son courage et sa force mais aussi pour sa persévérance. Elle a un caractère bien trempé et ne se laisse pas démonter facilement et encore moins marcher sur les pieds! Beaucoup de personnages gravitent autour d’elle et parmis eux, Devin, un homme auquel est attaché depuis de nombreuse années et qui au premier abord m’a touché pour ensuite me répugné. Tybalt est un autre personnage que j’ai apprécié et sur lequel je me suis trompé puisque sous des apparences froides et dures, c’est au final un homme loyal qui m’a beaucoup plu et agréablement surprise avec son caractère doux caché. Autre personnage qui m’a plu, Lily, une jeune femme douce et calme qui a beaucoup aidé October et dont j’ai vraiment apprécié la caractère posé. Il y a encore bien d’autres personnages comme par exemple Manuel et Dare qui m’ont beaucoup touché et pour qui j’ai ressenti beaucoup d’affection mais le bémol est peut être justement le trop grand nombre de personnages présent.

Le récit se déroule à San Francisco de nos jours mais également dans certains royaumes Faës. Le narrateur est Ocotber elle-même et j’ai vraiment aimé avoir son point de vue, ses sentiments par rapports aux évènements et sa vision des choses! Le vocabulaire est riche mais suffisamment courant tout de même pour une compréhension accessible à tout. La richesse du vocabulaire porte surtout sur le vocabulaire propre au peuple des Faës et à leur univers. La plume de l’auteur est fluide et agréable, sans fioriture. Je l’ai trouvé très directe, sans description inutile ou longues et ennuyeuses. J’ai adoré l’univers à la fois sombre et pleins de magie que l’auteur nous décrit ainsi que sa mythologie concernant le peuple Faë que j’ai trouvé très bien travaillé et recherché. Le rythme de l’histoire est soutenue et elle comporte beaucoup d’actions ainsi que beaucoup de rebondissements. L’auteur m’a tenu en haleine jusqu’au bout et m’a donné envie d’en savoir toujours plus au fur et à mesure que les pages se tournaient.

Pour conclure, j’ai passé un excellent moment de lecture avec un livre bourré d’action, de rebondissements mais aussi de magie et de créatures fantastiques toutes plus intéressantes les unes que les autres. Je vous recommande vivement ce second tome qui séduira les féru de fantasy et d’action! Quand à moi, j’ai vraiment hâte de lire le second tome qui se trouve dans ma PAL.(less)

like

· see review

Jan 16, 2012

Jacob Proffitt rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The characters were interesting and the world was a good twist on the typical faerie lore. Further, the heroine is an excellent mixture of cynical and vulnerable that is both engaging and charming.

The ending, however, left me scratching my head and angry at both the author and heroine--I couldn't really tell if the fault was in the character or author as the (in)action seemed to me to come out of left field. Details in the spoiler.

...more

like

· see review

Jan 09, 2012

Candice Trebus rated it

I expected to hate this book. I dislike the fantasy genre almost entirely, and the fact that it was supposed to be “urban fantasy” was insulting. I read a few reviews and I disliked the book even more… I even toyed with the idea of skipping Fantasy Month altogether over this particular book choice. But I got a Kindle Touch for Christmas and I considered buying it just to try the device… but even then, at $8.00, it wasn’t making itself a good case for being bought. Then my boyfriend looked over a...moreI expected to hate this book. I dislike the fantasy genre almost entirely, and the fact that it was supposed to be “urban fantasy” was insulting. I read a few reviews and I disliked the book even more… I even toyed with the idea of skipping Fantasy Month altogether over this particular book choice. But I got a Kindle Touch for Christmas and I considered buying it just to try the device… but even then, at $8.00, it wasn’t making itself a good case for being bought. Then my boyfriend looked over at my screen and saw that the book had the “X-Ray” feature. Curious, I touched the “buy now” button. And I kept touching that screen until the book was done.

Damn me! I actually enjoyed it… in a very guilty sort of way. I imagine it’s like growing up on trashy romance novels, graduating with a degree in Literature, but secretly enjoying the Twilight books for the sex scenes.

For me it was Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown and R. L. Stine… until I somehow discovered Asimov, Bradbury and OSC, my “gateway authors.” So maybe with my combined “trashy mystery novels” upbringing and incredibly low expectations of the book, I came away surprised that this October Daye book was good.

So what made this book “good?” First of all, the world was vividly painted. It helped that it was set in San Francisco, a city I find myself in at least once a month for book club, but moreover, it was very well described. Every character with tails and scales, every rose made of glass, every unimaginable shrubbery-like creature moved and interacted in such a way that made them colorful and completely believable. Add all of that to the element of smell and taste, senses I have in acute abundance, and I was able to very thoroughly immerse myself in a world that tasted as rich as it was described.

Secondly, I enjoyed the mystery. No, I didn’t enjoy the predictable antagonist/ lover or the main story-line that was absolutely transparent or the way Toby’s lies (yes, that included the “deception” of withholding information) got in the way of excluding good friends from the list of suspects. What I enjoyed was the manner in which the story evolved to create more unsolved mysteries, like what happened to Sylvester’s wife and child in the 12 years that they were gone? Where is his twin brother? Why is the Queen thought to be losing her mind after thousands of years of existence? Does the King of Cats have a little changeling crush? What will the Sea Hag do with that enchanted key?

And thirdly, I have to admit that I enjoyed the Devin character. I’m saying this because I want to throw down a Goodreads brawl about it. J/K, no… it’s actually a little more complicated than that. See, I’ve been in an abusive relationship. I’ve been in love with alcoholics. What I liked about this changeling character was how convincingly his character was written and how no enchantments are strong enough to fix a broken person. Maybe the half-fae in him was what led Devin to create an entire Home for changelings with daddy issues. And I’d like to think that it was the human half that abused the young and impressionable because even after a few hundred years, you still stick to what you know. When you realize that you’re good at manipulating people, it takes a lot of wisdom to use that skill for good, when it’s so easy to just use people instead. I’ve known a lot of abusers growing up and I’ve been (unfortunately) on both sides of that fence, so this character was… disturbingly familiar.
(less)

like

· see review

Jan 07, 2012

Vivienne rated it

I would have LOVED this book in middle school. I would have loved it, read every book McGuire ever wrote, and wanted to be Toby.

Regrettably, it just really didn't do it for me now.

I found the protagonist, a first person narrator, incredibly difficult to like. In fact, I disliked her. I've read plenty of books where I disliked the main character and loved the book, but that's generally because the main character was MEANT to be disliked. I think I'm supposed to love Toby, and ...more

like

· see review

Dec 21, 2011

Somewhatbent rated it

Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel[return]Seanan McGuire[return]DAW (2009), Paperback, 368 pages[return][return][return]Drat it, Seanan! You really do make it hard to not write a spoiler filled review! I shall endeavor to do your craft the credit it deserves. Sigh[return][return][return]Rosemary and Rue may be Seanan’s debut novel, but is FAR from the beginning of her writing career. As a writer who has her quill in all manner of projects, from novels to writing – and singing – bawdy song...moreRosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel[return]Seanan McGuire[return]DAW (2009), Paperback, 368 pages[return][return][return]Drat it, Seanan! You really do make it hard to not write a spoiler filled review! I shall endeavor to do your craft the credit it deserves. Sigh[return][return][return]Rosemary and Rue may be Seanan’s debut novel, but is FAR from the beginning of her writing career. As a writer who has her quill in all manner of projects, from novels to writing – and singing – bawdy songs, to doing what she does in her ‘other life’ (which benefits many people greatly) she’s always processing huge amounts of information to be used later. And she eventually will find a place for every single scrap of it. I know she will![return][return]Having said that, R&R is a complicated story from the start, as we discover Toby, a half-bred human/fairy, trying to put things together after spending a considerable amount of time rather inconveniently indisposed after the PI assignment she was working goes terribly wrong. [return][return]As a Private Investigator in San Francisco she handles all kind of cases, from the mundane missing mutt to the crafty dealings of the Fae. She settles down to a ‘relatively’ normal life, working at Safeway, because her PI license was suspended during her unexplained absence, and comes home one morning (liking the night shift) to find a message that embroils her in an investigation – whether she likes it or not. [return][return]This is something that she can’t walk away from, and has her ranging the locales of San Francisco as well as the ways to the Faerie Lands. You see, she’s not just Toby Daye, the worst night clerk Safeway had ever seen, she’s also October Daye, Knight of the Shadowed Hills, in service to His Grace, Duke Sylvester Torquill of the Shadowed Hills and the Daoine Sidhe.. You just know it’s going to get complicated.[return][return]Ms McGuire writes a complex and crafty tale… far too much to be one book, or even the three that are currently contracted for. There are a lot of loose threads hanging around this tapestry, but I believe, given the opportunity, Seanan will skillfully weave them all together in as many books as it takes. When she does, it will be a truly spectacular tapestry.[return][return]Overall; 4 Stars (hate to dock you that star, but there are still too many things running around loose in here. One of them probably carried it off -- are Rose Goblins like raccoons and find *Shiny* things irresistable?)(less)

like

· see review

Dec 12, 2011

Fangs for the Fantasy rated it

October Daye, fae Changeling, has a mystery to solve.

Of course, her last time investigating for the fae didn’t end well. In fact it ended with her spending 14 years as a fish. 14 years in which she lost everything, her mortal partner, her daughter, her job, her friends, her life – everything. She’s not eager to jump back in there.

But her friend, Evening Winterrose one of the few, if not only, friends she has managed to keep and the one who helped her put her life back togethe...moreOctober Daye, fae Changeling, has a mystery to solve.

Of course, her last time investigating for the fae didn’t end well. In fact it ended with her spending 14 years as a fish. 14 years in which she lost everything, her mortal partner, her daughter, her job, her friends, her life – everything. She’s not eager to jump back in there.

But her friend, Evening Winterrose one of the few, if not only, friends she has managed to keep and the one who helped her put her life back together has been murdered. Horrifically, and brutally murdered with cold iron, the worst possible death of a fae. If that were not enough to inspire her to act, Evening called a curse on October before she died – a curse that demanded she find Evening’s killer or be destroyed by the curse.

October must make contact with her old liege, her old friends and her enemies, juggle her old issues and handle one of the most powerful magical artefacts of legend all with the limited magic of a Changeling.

October Daye is an interesting character, despite some issues I have with her that I’ll go into later. She’s very much the bottom rung of fae society being a changeling and surrounded by forces that are much more powerful than her and always will be. She has her own place but isn’t comfortable with it and it’s clear throughout this book that she really doesn’t want to be here, doesn’t want to be dragged back into the fae world and isn’t comfortable navigating its murky currents

The world heavily involves the fae – which is always a favourite of mine. And it has an extremely diverse range of fae both shown and referred to, pointing to a lot of knowledge on the author’s part and a dedication to include more than the usual well trodden ground. I’m certainly eager to read more about it and I think I’d be tempted to read the next book simply for greater elaboration on the world.

Plotwise it’s a murder mystery. Detective mysteries are exceedingly common in the genre. Usually if it’s not a romance, it’s a mystery (and often both) which can make it hard for a mystery story to stand out. And, I have to admit, this book didn’t really stand out to me – but it didn’t stand out to me as awful either. The plot was interesting, it kept me wondering, the culprit wasn’t instantly obvious and the protagonist was intelligent and reasonable and lacked the sudden magical flashes of inspiration that so dogs many mysteries

Read More

(less)

like

· see review

Oct 25, 2011

Ivanna rated it

Shelves: faery, paranormal-romance

October Daye aka Toby berusaha sebisa mungkin untuk menghindar dari dunia Fae. Namun setelah kematian temannya Evening Winterose, Toby yg terpaksa harus mencari tau siapa yang membunuh Evening dan itu artinya dia harus kembali ke dunia yang telah dia hindari selama ini.

Toby akhirnya kembali ke Home dan Devin orang yg pernah penting dalam hidup Toby.. CLBK deeehhh.

Penyelidikan Toby pun menemukan penyebab kematian Evening yaitu si pembunuh menginginkan kyk semaca kotak Pandora ...more

like

· see review

Oct 20, 2011

Theresa rated it

October (Toby) Daye is a half-faerie changeling who has made a career for herself in the human world as a private investigator. But the idyllic life she has been living with her boyfriend and daughter is shattered when an investigation goes wrong and she is turned into a fish and trapped in a pond for fourteen years. After the spell is broken Toby's life is changed forever as her family believes she abandoned them. Blaming her ill-fated career as the reason for her loss, Toby walks away from bei...moreOctober (Toby) Daye is a half-faerie changeling who has made a career for herself in the human world as a private investigator. But the idyllic life she has been living with her boyfriend and daughter is shattered when an investigation goes wrong and she is turned into a fish and trapped in a pond for fourteen years. After the spell is broken Toby's life is changed forever as her family believes she abandoned them. Blaming her ill-fated career as the reason for her loss, Toby walks away from being a private investigator and shuns all contact with the rest of the fae world.

But Toby isn't allowed to continue ignoring the fae world when a friend is murdered and their dying curse ensnares Toby in an enchantment that compels her to find the killers.

I'm somewhat on the fence about how I feel about "Rosemary and Rue." The book is very readable and a nice diversion when you're looking for some light entertainment. McGuire introduces a lot of different fae characters, both half and full-breed, and it's always fun to see how an author uses the mythology-- and she does a good job here of making them both exotic and interesting. Toby is a likable heroine, though not always convincing as the smart P.I. she's supposed to be. One of my quibbles with urban fantasy is the tendency to have the main characters running around from one disaster to the next and that is definitely the case with "Rosemary and Rue." But I couldn't dismiss the book the way I would others of its kind because there is a certain credibility in the idea that the curse Toby is under is so strong that she can't take a more measured approach to her investigation.

The secondary characters were also fun, if not thoroughly original. Toby, despite her self-imposed isolation, has a lot of people who care about her including friends from her childhood and a former lover; and they prove to be very reliable when it comes to patching up Toby's many injuries. They're a familiar mix of well known and semi-trusted people from Toby's former life. The one unique spin is that some of Toby's friends only help her in exchange for favors-- as is traditional among the fae.

"Rosemary and Rue" is like a lot of likable, but slightly forgettable, urban fantasies. There's a lot of action and a twist here and there, but nothing that makes me want to go out of my way to recommend the book as the next big thing. It's one that will reliably entertain those who like the genre but isn't unique enough to make my short-list of favorites. I may read the second in the series to see if Toby becomes a more able investigator as the story continues-- I wasn't hugely impressed with Toby's flashes of insight or her ability to deliver the requisite one-liners (though you gotta love someone who names their cats Cagney and Lacey). I don't want to knock "Rosemary and Rue" too much because it does what it's supposed to do-- which is entertain. I wanted to see how the story would resolve itself and thought the journey was enjoyable. I just feel that the book can't be given extra points for originality and continuity and hope those are things that will appear in later books.

3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars.(less)

like

· see review

Oct 19, 2011

Melani rated it

Rosemary and Rue-Seanan McGuire. This is a fun, well written urban fantasy that was worth reading. I absolutely enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. (Best part about coming to a series late is that you have TONS to catch up on). I loved the interplay of sidhe legends and customs with modern San Francisco. The only thing I have quibbles about is that there really isn’t a good reason why Celtic beings travelled to San Francisco specifically and the New ...moreRosemary and Rue-Seanan McGuire. This is a fun, well written urban fantasy that was worth reading. I absolutely enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. (Best part about coming to a series late is that you have TONS to catch up on). I loved the interplay of sidhe legends and customs with modern San Francisco. The only thing I have quibbles about is that there really isn’t a good reason why Celtic beings travelled to San Francisco specifically and the New World in general. They’re just there with no explanation- but honestly this is something that a lot of urban fantasy dealing with foreign legends does, Neil Gaiman might be the only exception that I know of. I’m willing to let that slide though for the image if kelpies in the fog ridden streets of San Francisco.

I loved Toby. She is broken and broken badly but you can absolutely see the reasons why. Also the villain in this particular book is one of the most cold-hearted bastards I’ve seen in urban fantasy in a long while. Not because he does evil things, but because he presents as a good guy even as he does it. The betrayal at the end of the novel hurts.

Of course the question is: what sets this book apart from the other urban fantasies? Well for starters, it doesn’t suffer from the lone female problem so prevalent in a lot of urban fantasies,* Toby has lots of females around her, both helpful and hinderous. And she talks to them, about things other then the men in her life. And speaking of the men in her life, there are several romantic possibilities, but those plots are in the background and simply add to the day to day interactions Toby has with people.

I devoured this book. If you’re looking for more urban fantasy to read and you haven’t picked up these books (or at least this one, I suppose I’ll withhold judgment on the books I haven’t read yet) what’s stopping you? It’s a fun good read.

*Mercy Thompson I’m looking at you (though that’s certainly not the only series that suffers from this problem). Though to be fair, Patricia Briggs has gotten much better at this as she’s written. Seriously look at her older fantasy novels and give me one, ONE female character who isn’t the main. So annoying. Well written stuff, but annoying.(less)

like

· see review

Oct 11, 2011

Kathy Davie rated it

Shelves: fantasy, urban

First in the October Daye urban fantasy series revolving around a half-fae, half-human private detective in San Francisco.

The Story
While on a case, Toby gets made and turned into a fish by Simon and Oleander. Fourteen years later, the spell wears off and Toby emerges into a world where her daughter and husband want nothing to do with her. Well, damn it, since the fae world is what screwed up her personal life, Toby decides to shun all of 'em until the Countess Evening Winterrose p...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 22, 2011

Aleah rated it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

October (Toby) Daye was an up-and-coming private investigator with a husband and young daughter at home counting on her to come back in one piece. And things were going well enough until she ran into a bad guy that put her out of commission for 14 years. Finally back on her own two feet, Toby's left with a new reality where her husband and daughter want nothing to do with her. Disillusioned with her old life, Toby's turned her back on the P.I. business and is barely making a go of it as an overn...moreOctober (Toby) Daye was an up-and-coming private investigator with a husband and young daughter at home counting on her to come back in one piece. And things were going well enough until she ran into a bad guy that put her out of commission for 14 years. Finally back on her own two feet, Toby's left with a new reality where her husband and daughter want nothing to do with her. Disillusioned with her old life, Toby's turned her back on the P.I. business and is barely making a go of it as an overnight cashier at the local convenience store. That is until Evelyn Winters, an old friend, is brutally murdered and it's up to Toby to find out who's responsible.

This sort of sounds like any other tough lady detective story, but Rosemary and Rue offers up a twist. Toby isn't just any other P.I., she's a changeling. Her mother was a pureblood fairy who decided to play housewife with a mortal man. The baddie that knocked her out of the loop for so long wasn't a standard villain, he was a pureblood who thought it would be amusing to turn Toby into a fish. She spent those 14 years in a koi pond with no recollection of who or what she truly was. Evelyn Winters was thousands of years old and, knowing her murder was coming soon, placed a curse on Toby. Toby is now compelled to solve this murder or she will be joining Ms. Winters in the great beyond.

This was a fun little urban fantasy, but parts of it left me a bit cold. In one scene Toby battles with a doppelgänger in her living room, a gun is hidden behind the curtain only a few feet away. Toby knows the gun is there, but rather than grab it she runs to her bedroom where there's no escape. If she's as smart and sassy as she's written, she would have made a dive for the gun. It made no sense. She also has a confusing love/hate relationship with a weirdo who runs a flop house where she used to live. It's made clear that the guy is a creep, requiring sex as payment for favors from most of his young wards. He's just slimy. And still our headstrong heroine is stealing kisses from him even as she's promising one of his new victims that she'll help her escape. I was baffled. It was a quick read and had won a Hugo, so I stuck through to the end. I don't regret that I read it but I doubt I'll be finishing the series.(less)

like

· see review

Aug 04, 2011

Amanda rated it

October Daye is a changeling, a half-human, half-fae who is stuck between two worlds. After being cursed for fourteen years to live as a fish in the Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco, October is thrown back into a new life where her fiancee and daughter have moved on without her. After a close fae friend, and Queen, dies mysteriously, October searches for the woman's killer and returns to the world she would rather leave behind.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. I loved pr...moreOctober Daye is a changeling, a half-human, half-fae who is stuck between two worlds. After being cursed for fourteen years to live as a fish in the Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco, October is thrown back into a new life where her fiancee and daughter have moved on without her. After a close fae friend, and Queen, dies mysteriously, October searches for the woman's killer and returns to the world she would rather leave behind.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. I loved practically everything about it. The writing was vivid, rich and seemed to flow effortlessly between sentences and scenes. The dialog was fun, realistic and made the characters jump off the page. The characters were fabulous. Each one was unique, and I could feel their emotions living inside the book. Particularly October, even though she tends to seem a little pathetic and somewhat emo at points, felt like a truly multi-faceted characters with realistic (well, as realistic as you can get with an urban fantasy) problems. I was especially happy that October seemed to have viable motivations for her actions, rather than just doing something purely for the purposes of advancing the plot.

McGuire's world-building is phenomenal. It's one of the best I've read this year. McGuire has the amazing ability to build the world and explain its mechanics to the reader while still moving the plot forward and not dumping pages of information onto the reader at once. McGuire seamlessly integrates her own mythology, based off traditional Celtic lore, into the real city of San Francisco, and blends the two together into a unique world for the universe of October Daye.

Fans of paranormal romance beware. There is some romance in this novel, but it is not a major part of the plot at all. October does not have a love interest (just an ex). I found this very refreshing for an urban fantasy/mystery novel, but readers who are looking for romance shouldn't expect it here.

The only tiny issue I had with this book is that it felt like October spent much of her time in the middle of the book running between different faery locations for no other reason than for McGuire to introduce more of her world. There were plot reasons, but they seemed a tiny bit thin...but that's being really picky.

But in summary: loved this book. Can't wait for the sequel! (less)

like

· see review

Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. X rated it

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, superior-worldbuilding

The plot: October Daye (Toby) is a changeling, half human and half fae. Changelings are too magical to live as a humans, but weak compared to pureblooded fairies - they're the second class citizens of the fairy world. Still, Toby had carved out a life for herself as a private investigator on the supernatural beat... until she was put on the trail of a villain who, one step ahead, got rid of the pesky PI by turning her into a fish. It took fourteen years for Toby to break that spell and regain he...moreThe plot: October Daye (Toby) is a changeling, half human and half fae. Changelings are too magical to live as a humans, but weak compared to pureblooded fairies - they're the second class citizens of the fairy world. Still, Toby had carved out a life for herself as a private investigator on the supernatural beat... until she was put on the trail of a villain who, one step ahead, got rid of the pesky PI by turning her into a fish. It took fourteen years for Toby to break that spell and regain her own body and mind; now, freshly released from her metamorphosis, she wants nothing to do with the fae. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a choice. An old friend and powerful pureblooded fairy, the Countess Evening Winterrose, is murdered and with her dying breath she curses October to find the killer and exact justice, or die trying.

The good: The voice here is very strong - it's written from the first person and October is smart, world-weary, and straightforward. She's dipping back into a world she knows very well, so she makes an excellent guide, and as a reader I was pleased to be in her capable hands. The fairy underworld of San Francisco is brilliantly depicted, a strange and alien place that is tucked into the nooks and crannies of a familiar city. The fairies, and their customs, are both beautiful and monstrous. Details about October's past leak into the story at just the right pace. The world building is exhaustive, and it feels like there will be plenty to explore over the course of a long (I hope!) series.

The bad: October does a lot of scuttling here and there looking for clues, and at some point all the ping ponging around started to feel like a saggy middle. Several times October decided to go somewhere to get information, made the trip, and then got badly injured in an assassination attempt right as she arrived. Realistic maybe, but after a few repeats I was really impatient for her to gather a clue or two in between beatings. I stopped getting excited when she embarked on an outing because I knew in a few pages, she'd be on the lookout for medical attention and I'd be reading another chapter or two about magical triage.

I was also a little bit annoyed because Toby is set up with two potential love interests, both of whom are identified largely by how much Toby and the guy in question "hate" one another. Except this "hatred" is expressed, throughout the novel, in the form of...uh...trust and affection? At one point, Toby asks for help from this guy who "hates" her so much that he's been following her around for decades and doing nefarious things like, um, making a mean joke or two. She asks him to do something very important, and then explains that she's only trusting him because she doesn't trust him. We're supposed to buy this as fairy logic - and I'll give the author some leeway there - but mostly I thought the set-up was really transparent, unless, that is, adults are supposed to behave like 3rd graders with a schoolyard crush.

But enough criticism. ROSEMARY AND RUE was really one of the more promising urban fantasies I've read in a long time, and I will pick up the sequel.(less)

like

· see review

Jul 12, 2011

JoAnn Peeler rated it

Recommends it for: People who love good urban fantasy

Shelves: fantasy-read, faeries

It is no secret -- I love faeries. The legends and myths from the old country inspire my imagination like no other books from the fantasy genre. With Rosemary and Rue Seanan McGuire has started a new urban fantasy series that rings true and gives new new life to the legends of old. October (Toby) Day, a changeling, lives in the modern world where she works as a private detective. However, as a knight for one of the local faerie lords her life is thoroughly intertwined with the politics and issue...more

like

· see review

Apr 21, 2011

Paradoxical rated it

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

We are placed in a time of October Daye's--and yes, that is her real name--life where one part of it is closing and another is beginning. The book begins with her trying to track down the whereabouts of her liege-lord's wife and daughter. Toby is a changeling, and we hear constant reiterations of the fact that changelings are not nearly as powerful as full blooded fae, which gets somewhat tiring. She is also knight to a fae lord, has a human fiance and child, and is pretty good with her life, be...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Apr 17, 2011

ALPHAreader rated it

This is Seanan McGuire’s debut novel.

‘Rosemary & Rue’ has one of the most intriguing prologue’s I have ever read. In the opening chapter changeling P.I. October ‘Toby’ Daye is working a missing persons case. She is searching for her fairy King’s missing wife and child, presumed kidnapped by his brother, Simon Torquill. While tailing her suspect Toby is caught out – and Simon exacts a terrible punishment. He turns Toby into a fish and leaves her in a garden pond for fourteen years.
...more

like

· see review

Apr 15, 2011

Sigrid Ellis rated it

Shelves: fiction-fantasy, fiction-mystery

So, here's a true fact about me. If your story features: a first-person narrative told by a jaded female narrator whose been kicked around by life, made a lot of bad decisions, and doesn't trust anyone anymore; a light mystery or crime plot with lots of shady characters who are all more powerful than the protagonist and have their own agendas; and a supernatural, fantastical, or superheroic element, I will read it.

Laurel Hamilton's Anita Blake books, before they turned into the all se...more

like 1 like

· see review

Mar 23, 2011

Kay rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like

· see review

Mar 09, 2011

Laura rated it

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, urban-fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal-thriller

Books-a-Million had just put out new coupons which were burning holes in my pocket. I was ready for something new but I was nervous about purchasing a book by an author who already had the series going. I did not want to get hooked on a new series; unfortunately, publishers don't seem to publish many one-off books any more. I'd heard good things about Seanan McGuire so I decided to give it a shot.

I like it. I liked the main character, October "Toby" even if she did spend an...more

like

· see review

Mar 04, 2011

Shawna rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Brilliant, intricate, engaging, funny, sad, every bit as good as I'd heard.

Seanan McGuire has opened up San Francisco to many new possibilities with the urban fantasy world and life of October "Toby" Daye, changeling and trouble-magnet. Never let it be said that Toby leads a boring life, unless you consider murder and interrealm intrigue dull. Tanya Huff wasn't lying when she compared this book to a hypothetical illicit love-child novel between herself and Jim Butcher. As wit...more

like

· see review

title link	preview: Rosemary and Rue
avg rating	preview: Rosemary and Rue Goodreads rating: 3.79 (3519 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294549-rosemary-and-rue?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308971694m/6294549.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294549-rosemary-and-rue?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire[/url]

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (11)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Seanan McGuire

Books by Seanan McGuire

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Rosemary and Rue

Quotes from Rosemary and Rue

Groups That Shelved Rosemary and Rue