An Artificial Night (October Daye #3)

Jan 12, 2011 The Flooze rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, owned, vanquished_2011, glutton_for_punishment

ETA: I've continued reading this series and want to point out I gave books four and five considerably higher ratings. Four stars each.
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“You mean well, but you’ve never been all that bright.”

So the Luidaeg says of Toby, and wow, is she right. She also claims that all heroes are idiots and that October is the most passively suicidal person she’s ever met. The sea witch’s opinions echo my own.

Previous books established Toby as a lousy detective. I’d h...more

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Dangerous Romance Book Reviews I was really intrigued with book one. Book two irritated me so much I had to stop myself from throwing it. I heard this book was even more frustrating...more
Oct 23, 2012 09:15am

The Flooze I wouldn't hire her in a million years!

One of the good things about the later books is she relies on her growing group of allies for help in figuring...more
Oct 31, 2012 03:50am

Aug 07, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairies, urban-fantasy, owned, bought-09-10, 2011

Holy repetition, Batman! I'm beyond frustrated with this series. On one hand I love the world and the characters. Her ideas are fantastic, but the way the characters go round and around and back again is ridiculous. How many times can Toby make a trek to the same place? How many times can she almost die? How many times does she have to say she's NOT A HERO? How many times do we have to be told that you're not supposed to say, "thank you," to the fae? Apparently over and over and OVER AGAIN.

So th...more Holy repetition, Batman! I'm beyond frustrated with this series. On one hand I love the world and the characters. Her ideas are fantastic, but the way the characters go round and around and back again is ridiculous. How many times can Toby make a trek to the same place? How many times can she almost die? How many times does she have to say she's NOT A HERO? How many times do we have to be told that you're not supposed to say, "thank you," to the fae? Apparently over and over and OVER AGAIN.

So the plot is; someone is stealing children and Toby has to find out who and stop them. This is basically the whole book. There's little more that goes on in between Toby trying to rescue the kids and not getting herself or her friends killed. This unfortunately brings me back to my feelings on the second novel; her books are bloated and full of inconsequential scenes. Tybalt is underused. Toby gets hurt a lot. It's basically the same thing over and over ad nauseum. What was worse this time were the numerous visits with Lily, Luna, the Luidaeg, and Blind Michael. So instead of Toby running around the same building back and forth like in the last book, she's running from knowe to knowe over and over again. I lost track of how many times she visited The Luidaeg, it was kind of ridiculous. Toby's life is basically lather, rinse, repeat and it's so disappointing.

The bright side to this story? Toby didn't have to solve anything. She's terrible at following clues and being a detective so at least we were saved from her bumbling around. We found answers to some of the mysteries, but not because Toby was looking for them.

I love the world McGuire has created. I like Toby, even though she can be dumb sometimes. I haven't given up on this series yet, mostly because there are still questions that I want answers to, but I would never be able to recommend this series to anyone and feel good about it.

Check out my reviews for the two books before this one: Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation.(less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Susana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: seanan-mcguire, favorites, urban-fantasy, 2012

Amazing story. Amazing book. A fast paced adventure, for me, this is one of the best urban fantasy books that i've read in a while.
An nighmarish quest, that may just finally be Toby's death. This character, is the stuff of legends. Like her friends tell her, she is a hero, and there's nothing she will not do, once her word and heart are given to her quest. She has absolutely no self-preservation instinct, in fact, she borders on the suicidal, but she has this amazing heart, that make's her go on...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, august-december-reading-challenge, fae, magic, hawt-heroes, sassy-heroines, supernatural, urban-fantasy, october-daye, intense-as-all-hell

Wow. Wow. And Wow. I feel like this series continues to get better. I was not expecting for so many of the things that played out to happen as they did. I knew that Toby could win in the end, but still not without losses (poor Quentin). I saw some reviews where readers expressed some annoyance with the way Toby kept returning to the same courts over and over again. But there were three roads and only certain people could set her on them. I didn't see a problem with that.

My biggest complaints are...more Wow. Wow. And Wow. I feel like this series continues to get better. I was not expecting for so many of the things that played out to happen as they did. I knew that Toby could win in the end, but still not without losses (poor Quentin). I saw some reviews where readers expressed some annoyance with the way Toby kept returning to the same courts over and over again. But there were three roads and only certain people could set her on them. I didn't see a problem with that.

My biggest complaints are just that Toby often decides to do something (play the hero, even when she doesn't want to), but when someone gives her something to help her do it, she questions it. For what she has to do, she really didn't have time for all of the questions. I couldn't blame the Luidsaeg for becoming exasperated with her in those instances. It also bothers me just how much Toby tries to take everything onto her own shoulders. I understand not wanting the people you care for to get hurt because they're around you, but a lot of what she has to do are not things that she can do alone. She has let these people into her life, she needs to woman up and really let them in. Sometimes, other people have to help you.

I loved pretty much everything else about the book. Especially the big roles from Tybalt and Spike. I do so love Tybalt. (view spoiler) Spike is just fierce and adorable. Sure, he wouldn't be much good in a fight, but he sure would try and he's just plain useful.

I hadn't realized this series could get as dark as this. What was happening to those children was awful. I hated what Quentin had to learn from all of this. I know Toby feels horrible for him, too. Poor kid.

I do know that Toby may want to watch her back around Rayseline. She is completely off her rocker. I'd hate to see her take over the Duchy from her father one day, but she will. Toby might want to move far away when that happens.

I've got to move right into the next book. I seem to have an October Daye addiction.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Dianna Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a great read, this one!

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Jul 13, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-modern-fantasy

Exceedingly better than the previous one, like bitter and sweet. Toby is actually a real hero in this one. At the end of the last book, Sykvester wasn't happy and Toby had really let him down but there's no mention of that here. I wish that the author had carried that over to this book so Toby could redeem herself but it all worked out. I was worried that all the action would take place in the fae lands which isn't as interesting to me (it's almost cheating when you don't have to worry about the...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fairy-tale, fantasy, humor, mystery, thriller, urban-fantasy

My husband won an ARC of this book from the author, so I was lucky enough to read it before the release date. Sadly, that means I have to wait that much longer for the next one. Late Eclipses doesn't come out until March 2011, and I'm already impatient to read it.

This book introduces May Daye, an exact double only in memory and appearance to October (Toby) Daye. As her name being a spring month might imply, though, she's quite different from Toby. For starters, she may look like a changeling, bu...more My husband won an ARC of this book from the author, so I was lucky enough to read it before the release date. Sadly, that means I have to wait that much longer for the next one. Late Eclipses doesn't come out until March 2011, and I'm already impatient to read it.

This book introduces May Daye, an exact double only in memory and appearance to October (Toby) Daye. As her name being a spring month might imply, though, she's quite different from Toby. For starters, she may look like a changeling, but she's a Fetch, or a double sent to escort someone to the afterlife, which brings with it her own set of abilities and drawbacks. She never experienced everything Toby did; she only remembers doing so. She has no past of her own, but she does have her very own personality, which quickly diverges from Toby's. By the end of the book, she was starting to remind me of the author, but not in that awful Mary Sue self-insert way. She was charmingly quirky, and likable despite herself.

An Artificial Night has Toby facing off against one of the Firstborn, the powerful early Fae deeply entrenched in the world's mythology. The one she's determined to take down is Blind Michael, leader of the Wild Hunt. If you don't know the story, don't worry; once again, McGuire makes the mythology all her own, bending it in a way that's both faithful to the source, and very creative and new at the same time.

I really like how all of the books in this series are so different. McGuire doesn't plug into a formula and stick with it; she's mixing it up, so that each book could be read and enjoyed all by itself. I don't recommend this, though, because then you'd've missed out on Toby's earlier adventures, and you wouldn't know why all of the characters she interacts with are so important. You'd miss out on watching the relationships develop.

Speaking of, no matter your ship, this book has something for you. Toby doesn't even seem to realize she's getting enmeshed in love geometry, but there are several relationship choices she'll have to make up the line. Each of her suitors makes a strong argument in his (or her) case, without ever asking her to make a choice. This is another reason to look forward to what happens in future books. I generally trust authors to set up a character with who he or she belongs with, but I always have my secret hopes. McGuire has shown throughout these three books that she can be trusted to do right with her characters, even if she likes putting them through the wringer in the meantime.

And Toby really does go through the wringer in this one. There's more than one point in the book where the reader might think, "Oh, that's why the Fetch is here; this can't end well." Toby makes it through several scrapes by the skin of her teeth, and, as in previous books, gets only a few moments to catch her breath. The tension runs high, pulling the reader through a very compelling story. There wasn't so much as a word wasted in the narrative.

Throughout, we get a lot of fun treats. Toby's trademark wit is sprinkled throughout, with a lot of laugh-worthy and quotable lines. Toby gets to show off a little, testing her skill against an opponent even the formidable Luidaeg hesitates to confront. Fans of Tybalt (and yeah, I'm one) will find plenty of scenes to enjoy his tomcat charm.

If you've been reading the Toby Daye series, pick this up. If you haven't been, and you like urban fantasy, well, why the hell not? It's a wonderfully original take on fairy tales and myth in modern day, and I highly recommend it.

I once remarked, sort of offhand, that Seanan McGuire is a future NYT bestseller, that it was only a matter of time. I'm also a huge fan of Charlaine Harris, but I think these are better than the Sookie Stackhouse books. If nothing else, they're on par.(less)

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Nov 18, 2011 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, fairies-or-fae

Sigh. I shouldn’t have bought this book. After A LOCAL HABITATION disappointed me, I stopped reading the October Daye books. But the more recent installments have been getting rave reviews, and I wondered if I’d made a mistake. So I bought AN ARTIFICAL NIGHT and it irritated me every bit as much as A LOCAL HABITATION.

The theme for AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT appears to be heroism – October is a hero and does that make her foolish or admirable? Does she take risks for good reasons or because she has a d...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Nerija rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, folklore-fairytales

This feels like the Goblet of Fire of the Toby Daye series, or at least the Prisoner of Azkaban. This is the book where everything turns -- and not least because Toby meets her (view spoiler).

It started out so awesome. I was thinking this might be the one Toby book to get 5 stars from me. Then, of course, the repetitively repetitive repetition and Captain Obvious commentary bumped it down to 4 stars (have you noticed, also, how she likes to pull you ou...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Indiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, urban, fantasty, fairy, ebook

Even though this is the third book in a (so far) 6 book series, I ended up reading this one last. I read the first October Daye book and enjoyed it but didn't love it - although I did really think the world building and cast of characters were excellent. In looking over the reviews for the rest of the books in the series, it looked like the second and third ones were only so so with the remaining three getting better and better reviews with each book. So I skipped ahead to number 4 and read that...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Again, despite the interesting peripheral characters and good use of Faery, I spent most of this book wanting to punch Toby in the face. Toby is continually overlooking major things, or making poor decisions, or pushing away everyone who tries (quite reasonably) to help her, and she rarely faces any consequences from her actions. I'm also annoyed that at three books into the series we've still only been given tantalizing hints at more interesting larger stories. Plot threads set up early in book...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Eggletina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting intermingling of faerie creatures and lore in urban San Francisco, but I find so much about the internal logic, inconsistent behavior and plots in this series very frustrating, yet I'm compelled to read anyway. Toby and friends don't see the elephant in the room, they fail to ask what are obvious questions that would lead to actual, helpful answers, and only react (and often irrationally) to whatever situation they are in and aren't allowed to finish providing important information t...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Imalady rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series-i-stopped-reading, series-ended-up-disappointing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Could barely finish this, resorted to skimming. I've continued this series because the later books are apparently very good, but I'm not sure I can stomach anymore of such a mediocre heroine that we're supposed to believe is a professional PI, but somehow always manages to never deduce anything nor takes the time to think and look around her (everything that she needs is conveniently given to help herself or somehow she discovers some new blood power rme). The author makes a point through the ot...more Could barely finish this, resorted to skimming. I've continued this series because the later books are apparently very good, but I'm not sure I can stomach anymore of such a mediocre heroine that we're supposed to believe is a professional PI, but somehow always manages to never deduce anything nor takes the time to think and look around her (everything that she needs is conveniently given to help herself or somehow she discovers some new blood power rme). The author makes a point through the other characters that October is incredibly stupid, jumps headfirst, and prone to getting herself in dangerous situations. I think I would be okay with this assessment if October had any skills that made her worth someone asking her for help. I scratch my head every time someone chooses her for her help in anything.

I think I decided to stop reading this series when she made the deal with Blind Michael about taking her kids (her friend's kids and the Court of Cat kids) without the thought of Quentin's Katie or the 100% possibility that there are more children taken. Of course, she inwardly thinks she's missing something when the deal is made, but obviously will ruminate on this later (which really meant, I'll think about it when I'm confronted with it). This 'deal' could've had major repercussions and I would've liked to see fallout with her being successful in taking 'her' kids, but unable to take the others. Obviously, she's able to get away with all the children, but I just couldn't yet stomach another case of her being a complete idiot with no critical thinking skills.

I think I could tolerate her bumbles and mistakes if they didn't make her look like a complete amateur, not someone who was born in the 1950s, worked as a professional PI, grew up having to tough it with other changelings, and went through whatever other ordeals. The fairie world is not new to her, so why does it feel like she's not very good at dealing with them? When they become cryptic with her, she just laments on that instead of using her brain to think about what they could possibly mean. It's like you have to gift wrap every clue for her.

The author has built a world that is so interesting that I'm sad to see all this potential go to waste on such a terrible protagonist. Whether the next books are better, I have a firm impression of October Daye that I don't think I can let go of to enjoy them.(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Sheyla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 3 October Daye Series.
This installment starts with children missing.

First, there is her best friend's children disappearing during the night. Then, there is Tybalt asking for help finding some of the children from the Court of Cats who are missing and last, there is Quentin's human girlfriend who is gone too.

All the clues point to Blind Michael, an evil Fae who takes fae and mortal children for the Wild Hunt. The Fae children are forced to ride and the mortal children are the horses the fae...more

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Apr 13, 2012 bananananas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I liked this book in the series better than the previous one. We learned a bit more about the world that Seanan McGuire has created, and a little bit about the background of one of the characters. I enjoyed it, but there were aspects of this book that weren't so great.

For instance, how many times is she going to go into the lands of the villain? I think once was enough, twice I could see, but THREE times? And the third time wasn't really explained too well. I mean, I get why she did it but reall...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Krycek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series-out-of-order, tough-gals, urban-fantasy-paranormal-whatever

I enjoyed it. I really did. Some bits kind of bugged me, though. Maybe it was because I hadn't read the first two in the series, but it was hard for me to get a grasp on all the characters and their relationships. There were a lot of characters. Not all were major, mind you, but enough to keep me at a distance. Also, the pronunciations of the various names were kind of hard for me. I guess that's not so important, but I kept having to refer to the pronunciation guide just for comfort. To be hone...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Eleniel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: u-f-a-r

First and foremost, October Daye is not a hero. She ISN'T. There might be a thin line between hero and fool, but October has crossed the line long, long time ago(and sometimes I wonder if she ever was on the other side) and is now the biggest fool I've ever seen in the UF world. Okay, she wants to save someone, that's great. It's okay she's risking her life to do that, it's her choice. But being stupid isn't okay because we readers do not have to spend precious time and money just to see her mak...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Hunt is riding again. His hunt rides forth every 100 years and before it does it gathers new riders and steeds into the fold. But the source for these new recruits are children – fae children to ride, mortal children for horses and the nights before Samhain Michael recruits new steeds and riders from their homes.

And in comes October Daye. Her best friends have lost their children, the Court of Cats have lost children and her friend Quentin has lost his girlfriend to the Hunt and October, as...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, homey, urban

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

The Story
Something is stealing children in the night and Toby becomes involved when three of Stacy and Mitch's kids disappear—in one way or another. When she learns that five young ones from Tybalt's people and Katie, Quentin's human love, are also taken, the serious level goes way up. Then Toby's Fetch, May Daye, shows up.

To say that Toby has a hard roa...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Paradoxical rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

The third novel of the October Daye series, An Artificial Night, has the heroine go off on a quest (of sorts) to find several missing children who have been abducted by Blind Michael, the leader of the Wild Hunt. There are conditions surrounding this journey, such as no road being taken more than once and never asking for help--Toby can only get help if she doesn't ask for it.

I adore books with the Wild Hunt, and this book takes the same basic premise and gives it its own spin. I have also alwa...more The third novel of the October Daye series, An Artificial Night, has the heroine go off on a quest (of sorts) to find several missing children who have been abducted by Blind Michael, the leader of the Wild Hunt. There are conditions surrounding this journey, such as no road being taken more than once and never asking for help--Toby can only get help if she doesn't ask for it.

I adore books with the Wild Hunt, and this book takes the same basic premise and gives it its own spin. I have also always been a sucker for quests with rules and a real fairy tale flair to it, so all in all, this book was shaping up to be promising from the get go.

There were, however, huge disappointments. I did grow annoyed with Toby and her inability to just shut up and listen, and think her way through things. She's told the rules, but she always has to question them--they just are, and she's going to have to follow them anyway, but she never fails to be irritating about it anyway. I wish (and I keep saying this for each book in the series I review) that Toby could put things together a bit quicker than she does, especially when the reader is ten steps ahead of her and is impatiently waiting for her to catch up. I can't think of her as competent this way--more like a lucky bumbler who only manages to get things right at the most important times (and sometimes, not even then).

It doesn't help that the author suddenly gave Toby an aversion to her own blood when she's not in a fight or in some kind of crisis. Sigh. It also doesn't help that in every single book in the series so far, Toby always has a moment where she thinks she's going to die, and she stands there and accepts it. Only to not die. Which, okay, of course she's not going to die, but in every book? And she just stands there like a lump and accepts it? And it's always outside forces that have to save her then, and there I go again, getting frustrated in the main character.

Ignoring Toby's idiocy (which was really, really difficult), the plot was good. Great, even. It was interesting, and I liked reading it a lot when I could ignore Toby (this is very difficult seeing as they are first person POV novels). The atmosphere was suitably spooky and the other characters were pretty awesome (though, on the other hand, most of them had a single role they played and never deviated much from it).

Towards the end things really picked up and it was nice to see Toby be a little less irritating than she had been earlier on in the book. Things come to a head, Toby finally gets some truths beaten into her skull, and I actually rather liked the ending.

Rating this book is somewhat difficult. If I could ignore Toby, her actions, and her words, it was actually really good. But since Toby is such an integral part of the book--well. Overall, 2-3 stars, rounding up to 3 because I liked the ending and it was the sort of stuff I like to read (fairy tale flair and all). (less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Deborah Ross rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been enjoying Seanan McGuire's "October Daye" novels since the beginning. They're definitely a cut above the usual elves-in-San Francisco, solidly written and with a nice mix of the genre-familiar and interesting new elements (like Tybalt, King of Cats). Often, series lose momentum, repeat the same unresolved romantic and other tensions, and generally reflect the author's having exhausted the subject. Sometimes, the world and characters just aren't well enough developed to sustain more than...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

~* 3.5 Stars *~
When October "Toby" Daye answered a knock at the door and came face to face with her Fetch, she knew it was going to be a rough week. Fetch are harbingers of death and when they look like you and have your memories, you can pretty much kiss your butt goodbye. After a frantic phone call from her friend Stacy about her missing kids and another who won't wake up, a confrontation with the King of Cats about missing Cait Sidhe children (kittens?), a painful healing at Lily's Knowe, an...more ~* 3.5 Stars *~
When October "Toby" Daye answered a knock at the door and came face to face with her Fetch, she knew it was going to be a rough week. Fetch are harbingers of death and when they look like you and have your memories, you can pretty much kiss your butt goodbye. After a frantic phone call from her friend Stacy about her missing kids and another who won't wake up, a confrontation with the King of Cats about missing Cait Sidhe children (kittens?), a painful healing at Lily's Knowe, an ominous conversation with her friend and her liege lord's wife Luna, and having to deal with the ever terrifying and powerful Luidaeg, Toby realizes that the Fetch is, quite literally, the least of her worries. And how sad is that?

Toby never wanted to be a hero, but finding and saving the children being taken by a twisted Firstborn is the sort of quest for which ballads are sung...and they tend to lead to glorious funerals. With help she needs but can't ask for and a journey down roads she can't travel she may make it out...but alive will never be part of the bargain.

This third book in the October Daye series left me feeling oddly conflicted and a little perplexed. I've liked Toby since the series started with Rosemary and Rue. I like her personality and her chaotic and haphazard way of problem solving. She's certainly not the strongest, fastest, smartest, or biggest badass in her world, but she ekes out a living as a PI with questionable skills, falls into the most difficult and deadly situations with surprising ease, and has the oddest and most cryptic conversations with the oddest and most cryptic people. Something about her bumbling victories and her self-effacing attitude, combined with her loyalty and determination to do the right thing is appealing to me. And she makes tough, sometimes heartbreaking choices - but she makes them well. I like her.

I'm not as sure about liking the plot of this book, though. Or maybe it's the way it was written... Probably a combination of both, actually, but this is the first in the series that I had some real problems with. I will say I tend not to like transitional books in a series as a general rule, and this felt like a transitional book in parts, with Toby making some admittedly needed realizations about her character and her personality as the world she inhabits and the people she surrounds herself with shifted a little to allow for those realizations. One of those realizations didn't appeal at all, though. Toby batted the word 'hero' around like it was a rank or office to be recognized and accepted. Maybe it's a personal thing, but heroes that label themselves such just...well...aren't. In my opinion, at least.

On a technical side, I found the book lacking in exposition in a few critical cases. Most notably in the case of Toby's friends Mitch and Stacy and their children. Obviously Toby is a very close personal friend of that family, but I don't remember them from either of the two previous books. That's not terribly surprising given the number of books I read, but as memory serves, in the first book Toby spent her post-koi time avoiding all things fae and letting previous friendships languish, in the second, she wasn't in town, so I don't recall Mitch and Stacy and how they became important enough to Toby that their kids call her 'aunt.' That wouldn't have been such a big deal if the entire plot of the book hadn't revolved around Toby's struggles to return those children to their parents. But it did. Some exposition that placed that couple and their kids in Toby's life and the timeline of their friendship would have helped me reconnect with the series and brush off the reading cobwebs. Without it, I felt disconnected to the characters and confused about Toby's frantic emotional reactions. There was also a lack of exposition relating to Toby's misspent youth, though names from her past were mentioned more than once.

When removing myself from the difficulty I had with the depth of friendship between Toby and Mitch and Stacy and just looking at the plot alone, I think it was imaginative and original, and provided genuine-feeling danger and crises. Toby is obviously doomed to suffer grievously through this series, as the author is always thinking up new ways to make her life miserable. Good for readers, bad for Toby. I have to admit, though, I'm greedy for more Tybalt. I have a huge fondness for the King of Cats. He always seems to be around when Toby needs him, but nowhere near enough for my full reading enjoyment. After three books, I'd appreciate a furthering of the development of their relationship, if there's going to be any. They're still playing at being adversaries (at least Toby is...Tybalt is mostly just being cryptic) and that's getting a little old.

Admittedly, I wasn't thrilled with the way the story developed in regards to Luna, and am a little perplexed at the difference in her character from the first book to this one. Maybe I'm misremembering, but there seemed to be a lot of character inconsistency there. And frankly, I don't think nearly enough was done to address some of the things she did in this book. I also had some issues with May and the lack of resolution to that plot thread. She's great and all, and provided a lot of comic relief, but if that particular sword of Damocles is going to be hanging over Toby's head through the series it's going to make the whole series seem pretty fatalistic. And really, there's nothing more depressing than a suicidal heroine, no matter how passive/aggressive she is about it, so lets hope that's not a theme that's oft repeated.

In the end, there was much of this book that I liked very much and some that I wasn't all that crazy about. I still commend McGuire's imagination and her ability to make a reader such as myself, someone who tends to shy away from fae mythos, really dig the series as a whole. I can't say this was my favorite book of the first three, but I'm still quite fond of Toby, even with her peccadilloes and idiosyncrasies, yearn for more Tybalt, and have a lot of warm feelings for several other secondary characters. I also think this was the most streamlined plot and best technically written book in the series, even with the issues I had. I'm looking forward to returning to October Daye's world with Late Eclipses, which will be available March 1st, 2011.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.(less)

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Feb 16, 2011 Twiggy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, magical

This was a real return to form after book 2. The fae setting is further developed in an imaginative manner and the author has invested considerable energy in creating her characters world. The story is based on the ancient legends of the Wilde ride. in this story the Ride is controlled by Blind Michael , who every 100 years steals both fae and human children. Of course Toby comes to the rescue as she is determined to free the children from Blind Michael. This involves putting her life on the lin...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the third book in the October Daye series by Seanan Mcguire. The 4th book, Late Eclipses, will be out in March of 2011. Right now there are seven books contracted for this series. This was a great installment in this series. The book was different from the previous books in that most of it takes place in the Summerlands and it is more of a questing/adventure type of story. I loved it.

October is contacted when a variety of children go missing. It's not just fairy children either. Tybalt w...more This is the third book in the October Daye series by Seanan Mcguire. The 4th book, Late Eclipses, will be out in March of 2011. Right now there are seven books contracted for this series. This was a great installment in this series. The book was different from the previous books in that most of it takes place in the Summerlands and it is more of a questing/adventure type of story. I loved it.

October is contacted when a variety of children go missing. It's not just fairy children either. Tybalt wants her to find some of his missing cats, her friend's half-fairy children have disappeared, and Quentin's teenage human girlfriend is also gone. October ends up having to venture deep into the heart of the world of Blind Michael, one of the First Born Fairies. The hard part isn't going to be saving the children, it's going to be saving herself.

This book was a bit different from the previous books in that it has October going through more of a quest through the fairy lands. She spends a lot of time dealing with heavy hitters, mainly First Born fairies. We get to learn a lot more about where Luna, her kind of foster mother, came from and Luna's history. It was fun to have some of that mystery dispelled. This book also gives you a lot more insight into how the fairylands work and the history behind them.

October, Toby, takes a lot of damage in this book...physically, mentally, and emotionally. The nice part about that is you see how much the people in Toby's life care about her. Tybalt and Connor are both vying for her attention somewhat. Tybalt is in the story some and teases the reader with some interesting comments and problems; again I hope that a future book really features on him. It seems like there is a lot to learn about Tybalt. All our favorites are in this story as well Connor, Quentin, Spike (the rose goblin) etc. The newest characters that join the cast are May, Toby's Fetch, and Luna's mother (whose name I won't say in order to avoid spoilers).

All in all, despite the wonderful cast of characters this book is about Toby. It is about Toby deciding how she wants to live her life and whether she will be a Hero or not. The story is dark, the pace is breakneck and the book is hard to put down. I also think McGuire's writing style has vastly improved from the first book. The dialogue sounds natural and the book is very easy to read. I love how McGuire mingles urban fantasy, mystery, folklore, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes in a cohesive way.

There are a couple things I didn't like about the book, and these prevented me from giving it a 5 star rating. I thought Toby was too passive. She gets pushed around a lot of the book and spends a lot of time passed out. This was true for the end of the second book also. Maybe Toby just needs to be tougher. Hopefully we will see her do more to drive her own destiny in future books. Also I thought Toby returning to Blind Michael's lands multiple times started to get a little repetitive. By the final time Toby returns to his lands, I was thinking "Really, we have to go back there AGAIN!?"

Overall this was a great installment in this series. You learn a lot more about the characters and about the Summerlands in general. I wish Toby had been a bit more assertive and spent less time unconscious; but aside from that I have been really impressed with this series. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I eagerly await Late Eclipses.(less)

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Dec 24, 2010 Ithaca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-my-misspent-youth

An Artificial Night is an underdog story in which the protagonist confronts an almost unkillable force. Except it doesn't do that very well, since the heroine's method of dealing with problems is simply to first go to the Luidaeg for help and then charge blindly into danger - the trickery and cleverness that makes an underdog story compelling is missing.

Toby comes across as too stupid to live. She's slow to figure out a puzzle given to her at the beginning, and she consistently charges blindly...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Marcia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I would like to suggest that McGuire reboot the series, turning it into The Adventures of Tybalt and the Luidaeg. Because I would totally read that book.

Okay, in an effort to be a more positive person than my usual cranky self, I'll start with the good. The world-building remains detailed, and it's clear that the author really understands her own world. The actual writing is strong, and unlike so many other authors in this genre, McGuire avoids repetitious descriptions, so most passages do feel...more I would like to suggest that McGuire reboot the series, turning it into The Adventures of Tybalt and the Luidaeg. Because I would totally read that book.

Okay, in an effort to be a more positive person than my usual cranky self, I'll start with the good. The world-building remains detailed, and it's clear that the author really understands her own world. The actual writing is strong, and unlike so many other authors in this genre, McGuire avoids repetitious descriptions, so most passages do feel fresh. Also, as I might have mentioned, Tybalt and the Luidaeg are awesome, and I kept reading just to hit the next scene with either character.

Yeah, that exhausted my good will. This series continues to frustrate me, because the writing is good and the world has such potential. However, two things really held me back from giving this one more than three stars. First, so many of the secondary characters are cardboard cutouts whose only defining characteristic is their relationship to Toby. Seriously, try to describe Lily, Sylvester or Connor's personalities without mentioning Toby. Lily serves tea and gives medical care to Toby. Sylvester acts like a father figure to Toby and gets mad when others hurt her. Connor doesn't love his wife and likes to mope around Toby a lot. Because I have no reason to care about them, I don't care about Toby's relationship with them -- which means the motivations for most of her actions don't matter to me, either.

Also, for the third book in a series, there's been remarkably little progression from the end of book 1. Most of the characters behave exactly as they did before and their relationships are exactly the same. There is SO MUCH to explore -- Toby's relationship to her mother and daughter, to Tybalt, hell, even to milquetoast Connor. Just make something happen, already! When things remain static, I just feel like I'm reading the same book over and over again, and this series is running that risk.

Despite all those complaints, I'll likely read the next one, though, just because I so like Faerie San Francisco and want my next installment of The Tybalt and Luidaeg Show. However, this series is definitely on probation, because I need something to happen if I'm going to continue to care.(less)

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Jul 27, 2010 Joshua Keezer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How many miles to Babylon?

An Artificial Night is the third book in the October Daye series. Rosemary and Rue was the first and introduced us to the October Daye faerie universe. A Local Habitation, the second book in the series, drove us deeper into that world with a locked door mystery. An Artificial Night, the third book, pits October Daye against one of the first-born, Blind Michael. In this book, there is no question who the villain is. The book is all about how is October Daye going to go u...more How many miles to Babylon?

An Artificial Night is the third book in the October Daye series. Rosemary and Rue was the first and introduced us to the October Daye faerie universe. A Local Habitation, the second book in the series, drove us deeper into that world with a locked door mystery. An Artificial Night, the third book, pits October Daye against one of the first-born, Blind Michael. In this book, there is no question who the villain is. The book is all about how is October Daye going to go up against Blind Michael, rescue the kidnapped children, and survive.

In An Artificial Night, Seanan McGuire demonstrates that normal doesn't belong in Toby's dictionary. The book opens with our protagonist dodging a barghest, a corgi sized fae dog with a lethal scorpion stinger. After finishing the job with our old friend Danny, the bridge troll, Toby does about the last thing I would expect. She goes to a four year old's birthday party.

The beginning of the book's pacing seems slow at first. The primary mystery is presented very early when Toby learns of abductions of children of pure blood, changeling, and mortal lineage. Toby is already on the case when she is asked by the last person in the world readers would expect to come to her for help. It takes a while for Toby to figure out who is behind this problem. Most of that time, Toby is getting a faerie equivalent of the Magic 8-ball's “Reply Hazy, try again”. Once the answer is finally solved, the book picks up speed and doesn't slow down. Though, for a while I did find myself checking how far I was into the book. I blame this on reading the back of the book. It leaves an implication that the book is about a single journey into a land by candleNight. It lies.

An Artificial Night is darker than the previous two books in the series. I think the analogy of a dark room lit by nothing but candleNight is more than appropriate for how dark. I was very creeped out at times and even found myself saying the “How many miles to Babylon?” rhyme as I read it. There is one particular discovery at a set of stables that left both Toby and myself disgusted. This visceral reaction is both a testament to not only just how dark this book is but to how powerful Seanan McGuire is as an author.

The typical October Daye tropes are still to be found in An Artificial Night. Toby is forced into a costume change. Tybalt has some unkind words to describe Toby. Toby gains at least one new scar. Toby's car is victim to her investigation. Much to my displeasure, Toby finds herself falling unconscious numerous times. However, unlike the previous books, this book opens up a new element to the October Daye universe. While I found myself annoyed at how many times Toby was staring at the inside of her eyelids, I at least enjoyed what was found there. And, if you read the excerpt from Late Eclipses printed at the back of the book, you will see strong hints at things to come.

Speaking of strong hints at things to come, this book is once again hinting at something stronger down the line. As if the introduction of newest May wasn't enough, a series of conversations between Tybalt and Toby suggest something that is taking place behind the scenes. I can't help but feel that each book of the October Daye series is building up for something explosive down the road.

In the end, there is something for everyone in this book. Seanan McGuire continues to use her superb mix of wit and tension to keep the reader in just enough suspense that they don't snap. The plot is captivating and just like its predecessor, A Local Habitation, there are pieces that careful readers can figure out before Toby does. Also, as best that I can tell, every major and minor character in the October Daye universe makes an appearance. I was hard pressed to think of a character that didn't make an appearance and even harder pressed to come up with a character that wasn't mentioned. Even April from A Local Habitation makes a brief appearance.

This book warmed my heart to two characters, one old and one new. There was something about the appearance of the rose goblin, Spike, that seemed not only natural, but right. The rose goblin is in the book more than some of the other major characters and somewhere along the line, I realized that Spike has become my favorite minor character. As for the new character, there is Raj. I would very much like to have Raj for a son. If anyone is aware of a Cait Sidhe adoption program, please let me know.

I'm the first to admit that I am a very picky reader. I have a hard time finding books on the store shelves that I'll even try, let alone like. An Artificial Night provided for me everything I want in a novel. The characters are rock solid. The plot is phenomenal. I even found myself cheering with glee one moment and nearly weeping another. This book was overall superb and is a must read for anyone that finds at least a remote interest in Urban Fantasy.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Terry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

With AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT, Seanan McGuire is back in form. Her third October Daye urban fantasy opens with the private investigator responding to a "weird call" for monster removal. When the monsters are rounded up, real life intrudes. Toby gets a case investigating the disappearance of several fae and human children. She is determined to bring the children home, even though she will have to challenge Blind Michael, a Firstborn and self-proclaimed god who leads The Hunt.

Heroism and coming home ar...more

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May 02, 2012 Maya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An Artificial Night is the third of the October Daye Urban Fantasy novels. It is also the best in the series up until now. I have the impression that Seanan McGuire gave us two books to get used to a complex world with dozens of fairy races and a large cast. Now we’re set to dwell deeper into the backgrounds of Fairie and the stories of the characters, as Toby faces the famous Wild Hunt.

Book three doesn’t continue with the same “solve the murder mystery case”-formula and the villain is very quic...more An Artificial Night is the third of the October Daye Urban Fantasy novels. It is also the best in the series up until now. I have the impression that Seanan McGuire gave us two books to get used to a complex world with dozens of fairy races and a large cast. Now we’re set to dwell deeper into the backgrounds of Fairie and the stories of the characters, as Toby faces the famous Wild Hunt.

Book three doesn’t continue with the same “solve the murder mystery case”-formula and the villain is very quickly revealed. Which is good, because frankly, Toby’s investigative skills aren’t very impressive (she even jokes about it herself). The story leaves the human world behind and takes place mostly in Fairie. The realm of the Wild Hunt is a creepy childhood nightmare and creates an excellent atmosphere. There are several roads to the Wild Hunt and for Toby to take them she frequently moves back and forth between the same places. I didn’t mind it so much, but it can get frustrating.

The colorful and likeable cast of the series is back in full force. Most of the old characters return, we learn quite a bit about some of them, and a few new ones are introduced. I like almost all of them and the author manages to give each one a distinctive personality. Toby is kind of crazy (or suicidal, yes), but her narrative voice is still pleasant and one of the nicest I’ve encountered in UF.

Toby has also developed a bit, gotten a little smarter, less trusting … even if she still makes some big mistakes (like forgetting Katie o_O ) and runs head-first into trouble. Sure, she is not perfect and making mistakes is human and all, but sometimes she is really too slow for somebody stuck in a live-threatening situation.

Romance is really not the main focus of the series, but the relationship between Toby and Tybalt also develops further. I’m happy the author didn’t choose the standard road of “being inexplicably attracted yet hostile to each other for whatever reason”. The progress is slow, but definitely there. Now I really want to know what’s going on in Tybalt’s head. Hopefully he will get some more screentime in the next books.

The writing is good, with some wonderful and funny lines, but there is a lot of talking about “being a hero”, which was pretty weird. Hero, in this case, apparently means someone noble who sacrifices himself for others without much of a second thought. Toby falls under this category and she got a bit too lucky at times. She is supposed to be a weak changeling, but she has to save the day while the purebloods stand by and watch? Ok, some help her on the way, but Toby still gets to do most of the work.

In the end, these novels are not perfect and not for everybody. The characters and the world are what keeps me reading and entertained. Seanan McGuire has an impressive imagination and after three thoroughly enjoyable books I guess it’s save to count October Daye among my favorite Urban Fantasy series.

You have to find out for yourself if you can live with Toby and being stuck in the same places a lot, but in my opinion, the wonderful cast and setting are well worth the try for anybody who enjoys the genre.(less)

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Jan 25, 2011 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fantasy

I won't write a long review. My feelings for this book fall along the same lines as the previous two. So instead of repeating my self over, I'll keep this short.

Same fun world.
Same bad investigator, Toby. At least in this book she admits it. But does her investigating skills improve, not really.
Same non existence of any kind of romance. Even though there are hints to something. Why leave tiny hints when nothing is coming to fruition? Frustrating! I was rooting for Tybolt and Toby but now I'm b...more

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An Artificial Night (October Daye #3)

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