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October Daye #17
Sleep No More
October is very happy with her life as the second daughter of her pureblood parents, Amandine and Simon Torquill. Born to be the changeling handmaid to her beloved sister August, she spends her days working in her family’s tower, serving as August’s companion, and waiting for the day when her sister sets up a household of her own. Everything is right in October’s Faerie. Everything is perfect.
Everything is a lie.
October has been pulled from her own reality and thrown into a twisted reinterpretation of Faerie where nothing is as it should be and everything has been distorted to support Titania’s ideals. Bound by the Summer Queen’s magic and thrust into a world turned upside down, October has no way of knowing who she can trust, where she can turn, or even who she really is. As strangers who claim to know her begin to appear and the edges of Titania’s paradise begin to unravel, Toby will have to decide whether she can risk everything she knows based on only their stories of another world.
But first she’ll have to survive this one, as Titania demonstrates why she needed to be banished in the first place—and this time, much more than Toby’s own life is at stake.
Everything is a lie.
October has been pulled from her own reality and thrown into a twisted reinterpretation of Faerie where nothing is as it should be and everything has been distorted to support Titania’s ideals. Bound by the Summer Queen’s magic and thrust into a world turned upside down, October has no way of knowing who she can trust, where she can turn, or even who she really is. As strangers who claim to know her begin to appear and the edges of Titania’s paradise begin to unravel, Toby will have to decide whether she can risk everything she knows based on only their stories of another world.
But first she’ll have to survive this one, as Titania demonstrates why she needed to be banished in the first place—and this time, much more than Toby’s own life is at stake.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2023
365 people are currently reading
5766 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
508 books17.1k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
June 25, 2025
Seanan McGuire's Sleep No More continues the gray urban fantasy October Daye series and follows her life in the twisted reinterpretation of Faerie cast by Titania at the end of the previous book.
Seanan's writing is straightforward as always and the style suits an urban theme, though a bit heavy handed. The characters arcs are the most compelling factor in this book, hand in hand with the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the writing; One star for the characters; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the world-building - Three stars in total.]
Seanan's writing is straightforward as always and the style suits an urban theme, though a bit heavy handed. The characters arcs are the most compelling factor in this book, hand in hand with the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the writing; One star for the characters; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the world-building - Three stars in total.]
October 30, 2023
October Daye is one of my favorite characters and this is one of my favorite series. This is book 17 and this series really should be written in order for full enjoyment. I’ve reread this series many times and I currently owe myself another reread which I will indulge in soon despite the never ending tbr pile I’ve been neglecting. That being said while I enjoyed this book and what it added to the long arc of this series I don’t know if I can reread this one again. I found myself sympathizing with Tybalt’s pain because seeing my beloved Toby not know herself and spout the horrible classist crap from Tatiana was painful to read. Despite that I did greatly enjoy this and cannot wait for the next one which comes so much sooner than usual and leaves me happy.
** finished the re-read and decided this one wanted to be re-read as well.
** finished the re-read and decided this one wanted to be re-read as well.
November 15, 2023
Gosh, how did I miss a new Toby book? My only excuse will be (once again) my work.
I strongly recommend reading these books in order to experience the world Seanan McGuire has created.
Toby is like a dear old friend who runs into trouble but has learned to have others with her when the battle is about to happen.
The last book was a shock for all of us. It also ended in a HUGE cliffhanger. So please don’t read below if you don’t want to get spoiled about the last book.
---
In this new world that Titania has created, Toby is no one. She has been placed in Faerie with the sole purpose of caring for her sister August. Her father Simon treats her well and her mother, Amandine is still not a good mother.
Toby who is a changeling is delegated as the "help". She is not a fighter. She follows the rules she is given. She is meek and living in a tower without any real interaction with the courts. She is no hero.
Then the weirdest thing happens, Toby is told that her current reality is nothing but a lie created by Titania. The more blood Toby is in contact with, the more flashes she sees of another life that she doesn't know but maybe she should be part of.
I’m not going to lie, it was extremely hard to see Toby so weak. This Toby wouldn’t dream of talking back to any pureblood or of breaking the mold, fighting for a different life for all changelings.
The only thing that made it bearable was seeing how little by little we got glimpses of the real Toby and by the end, you knew she was going to do what she does best: Create some chaos and defeat the current threat.
If I could change something from Sleep No More it would be the amount of pages Tybalt has. He deserves so much more. A true King of Cats.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I strongly recommend reading these books in order to experience the world Seanan McGuire has created.
Toby is like a dear old friend who runs into trouble but has learned to have others with her when the battle is about to happen.
The last book was a shock for all of us. It also ended in a HUGE cliffhanger. So please don’t read below if you don’t want to get spoiled about the last book.
---
In this new world that Titania has created, Toby is no one. She has been placed in Faerie with the sole purpose of caring for her sister August. Her father Simon treats her well and her mother, Amandine is still not a good mother.
Toby who is a changeling is delegated as the "help". She is not a fighter. She follows the rules she is given. She is meek and living in a tower without any real interaction with the courts. She is no hero.
Then the weirdest thing happens, Toby is told that her current reality is nothing but a lie created by Titania. The more blood Toby is in contact with, the more flashes she sees of another life that she doesn't know but maybe she should be part of.
I’m not going to lie, it was extremely hard to see Toby so weak. This Toby wouldn’t dream of talking back to any pureblood or of breaking the mold, fighting for a different life for all changelings.
The only thing that made it bearable was seeing how little by little we got glimpses of the real Toby and by the end, you knew she was going to do what she does best: Create some chaos and defeat the current threat.
If I could change something from Sleep No More it would be the amount of pages Tybalt has. He deserves so much more. A true King of Cats.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
September 2, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Sleep No More is the seventeenth novel in the October Daye series and it is a trip. This is a well established series and you will need to read all the books in order to understand most of the storyline in this one. Titania is back with a vengeance and she might not be able to physically harm Toby, but that leaves a lot of latitude on what she is allowed to do. Being the Queen of lies, she had woven a huge one where Toby never met Tybalt, changelings all know their lowly place and purebloods rule. What would a faery look like if all those things were true and Toby is the submissive servant child of Amandine and Simon, born to serve her pureblood sister August.
It has been four months that October has lived in this lie and for the reader an October that has forgotten all of her history and how awesome she is, well it is a struggle. She doesn't understand why the man they call the King of Cats looks at her with something that looks both like pain and hate when they meet. She can't tell why when she accidentally tasted her blood different memories flood back of things she doesn't remember and when she rode someone else's blood it was the same. There is definitely something wrong but does she really want to give up this life and the family she has for the other version of Faery. We the reader are screaming yes...but Toby oh Toby isn't so sure and it takes some convincing from our favorite character the Sea Witch to assist her in coming out of this lie and possibly saving Faery before it helps Titania set this lie as fact.
Again a fantastically original story from Seanan McGuire. She really has created an intricate world and it was fascinating to see where all our favorite characters were and what they would be doing in an alternate Faery. It was also terrifying to see what Titania was capable of. I still hope we someday get to see Maeve as we now have two of the three in current time. Oberon while present is still somewhat of an enigma and we only get a few glimpses of him. There are a few issues with Titania's world, since in her version all the Sea Fae have been destroyed so she had to stash their land ridden halflings somewhere while trying to make this reality stick. As new horrors come to light Toby is driven more and more into the woman she really is and finds the version of herself as Sir October Daye who is willing to dive into danger, cause trouble and be the disruptive force she always is to set right what once was wrong.
Seventeen books into the series and again I am really wowed by the imagination and storytelling brought to life. I really look forward to reading the companion book to this one from Tybalt's PoV, since we don't get a lot of time with him in the story. But I'm sure there are going to be some great nuggets in that one as we see this world of lies through his eyes as he tries to get the love of his life back and hopes she remembers the news shared with him right before this nightmare happened.
If you are a fan of stories with Fae mythos in modern day, I have not found a better one. The first few books of the series are a little dark but by book three I was hooked and never looked back.
Bonus story:
Candles and Starlight is a bonus story told from Rayseline Torquill's PoV about her journey in Blind Michael's lands while she was tucked away with all the other halfling kids that aren't supposed to exist in Titania's world and the things they did to survive. I liked this story and how Rayseline is a different person than the one she used to be while she was going crazy. With her blood balanced she has a chance to become something else and she took this situation to really explore some of who she could be in the future. She may have even made up for some of the bad deeds of her past.
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Sleep No More is the seventeenth novel in the October Daye series and it is a trip. This is a well established series and you will need to read all the books in order to understand most of the storyline in this one. Titania is back with a vengeance and she might not be able to physically harm Toby, but that leaves a lot of latitude on what she is allowed to do. Being the Queen of lies, she had woven a huge one where Toby never met Tybalt, changelings all know their lowly place and purebloods rule. What would a faery look like if all those things were true and Toby is the submissive servant child of Amandine and Simon, born to serve her pureblood sister August.
It has been four months that October has lived in this lie and for the reader an October that has forgotten all of her history and how awesome she is, well it is a struggle. She doesn't understand why the man they call the King of Cats looks at her with something that looks both like pain and hate when they meet. She can't tell why when she accidentally tasted her blood different memories flood back of things she doesn't remember and when she rode someone else's blood it was the same. There is definitely something wrong but does she really want to give up this life and the family she has for the other version of Faery. We the reader are screaming yes...but Toby oh Toby isn't so sure and it takes some convincing from our favorite character the Sea Witch to assist her in coming out of this lie and possibly saving Faery before it helps Titania set this lie as fact.
“The truth is, four months ago, Titania wrapped as much of Faerie as she could reach in an illusion so seamless that it’s taken us this long to find a way to reach you. We need your help if we’re going to put Faerie back the way it’s meant to be. We need you so we can save our world.”
“Oh,”I said faintly. “Is that all?”
Again a fantastically original story from Seanan McGuire. She really has created an intricate world and it was fascinating to see where all our favorite characters were and what they would be doing in an alternate Faery. It was also terrifying to see what Titania was capable of. I still hope we someday get to see Maeve as we now have two of the three in current time. Oberon while present is still somewhat of an enigma and we only get a few glimpses of him. There are a few issues with Titania's world, since in her version all the Sea Fae have been destroyed so she had to stash their land ridden halflings somewhere while trying to make this reality stick. As new horrors come to light Toby is driven more and more into the woman she really is and finds the version of herself as Sir October Daye who is willing to dive into danger, cause trouble and be the disruptive force she always is to set right what once was wrong.
Courage isn’t knowing everything will be fine. It’s knowing everything might not be, and doing what needs to be done anyway, because someone has to.
Seventeen books into the series and again I am really wowed by the imagination and storytelling brought to life. I really look forward to reading the companion book to this one from Tybalt's PoV, since we don't get a lot of time with him in the story. But I'm sure there are going to be some great nuggets in that one as we see this world of lies through his eyes as he tries to get the love of his life back and hopes she remembers the news shared with him right before this nightmare happened.
“Why are you in my dream?” I asked, challenging.
Lowering his hands, he looked at me. Without anger, without hate, with only sorrow and love in his eyes. “Because, little fish, a man is allowed to weep for the loss of his heart,”
If you are a fan of stories with Fae mythos in modern day, I have not found a better one. The first few books of the series are a little dark but by book three I was hooked and never looked back.
Bonus story:
Candles and Starlight is a bonus story told from Rayseline Torquill's PoV about her journey in Blind Michael's lands while she was tucked away with all the other halfling kids that aren't supposed to exist in Titania's world and the things they did to survive. I liked this story and how Rayseline is a different person than the one she used to be while she was going crazy. With her blood balanced she has a chance to become something else and she took this situation to really explore some of who she could be in the future. She may have even made up for some of the bad deeds of her past.
September 5, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and to DAW for gifting me an early copy of this book and its followup, The Innocent Sleep. You'll find my honest review below. If you haven't read the rest of the series, especially Be the Serpent, please skip this review. I'm avoiding spoilers, but it might still reveal a little more than you'd want to know.
I don't even know where to begin... after the cliffhanger that Seanan McGuire so cruelly left us with at the end of Be the Serpent (I can still hear her maniacal laughter, unless that belongs to The Summer Queen...), I have been living in a state much like Toby - blurred, unreal, and going through the motions. This book brought me back to reality in all the right ways.
First, we have an entirely new world, thanks to You Know Who, evil jerk that she turned out to be... or do we? It seems that a few territories have been affected by magic, changing those who live inside them to who She wants them to be - to get the inconvenient ones out of her way, to trap her enemies where they don't question her, and to remake some parts of Faerie over into the one she always wanted. Of course, her magic isn't entirely capable of all of that, but that doesn't mean she is without a plan. Thankfully, not everyone is as vulnerable to illusions as the rest, but alas, dear Toby is VERY entrenched in her new life and new reality.
Cue the outsiders rocking her world.
This one was a romp through Toby's history, through the world of Faerie as we know it - and as She made it anew, and towards Toby's future.
Highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, folklore fans, Fae story fans... but PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, start at the beginning. Don't just jump in here. You'll regret missing SO MUCH.
I don't even know where to begin... after the cliffhanger that Seanan McGuire so cruelly left us with at the end of Be the Serpent (I can still hear her maniacal laughter, unless that belongs to The Summer Queen...), I have been living in a state much like Toby - blurred, unreal, and going through the motions. This book brought me back to reality in all the right ways.
First, we have an entirely new world, thanks to You Know Who, evil jerk that she turned out to be... or do we? It seems that a few territories have been affected by magic, changing those who live inside them to who She wants them to be - to get the inconvenient ones out of her way, to trap her enemies where they don't question her, and to remake some parts of Faerie over into the one she always wanted. Of course, her magic isn't entirely capable of all of that, but that doesn't mean she is without a plan. Thankfully, not everyone is as vulnerable to illusions as the rest, but alas, dear Toby is VERY entrenched in her new life and new reality.
Cue the outsiders rocking her world.
This one was a romp through Toby's history, through the world of Faerie as we know it - and as She made it anew, and towards Toby's future.
Highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, folklore fans, Fae story fans... but PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, start at the beginning. Don't just jump in here. You'll regret missing SO MUCH.
November 2, 2023
This is the seventeenth book in the October Daye series, yet McGuire keeps the story fresh and captivating. The previous book, Be the Serpent, ended on a cliffhanger that was annoying, but it's satisfactorily explained and resolved in this one. It's a very good What If...? story, with many of the main characters having minor (or very different) roles and features the return of several characters from early books that we haven't seen for a while. I especially liked April and the clever interplay of science and magic she represents. October isn't herself for much of the story, but still has some funny or striking lines, such as: "Now I found that I had all these whirling bits of information hanging at the edges of my thoughts, telling me things about refrigerators, like that the light inside would go off when I closed the door. Why did I need to know that? Why did anyone need to know that? Did cheese prefer to sit in dark?" for example, which I found delightfully whimsical. On a more serious note, I was struck by the recurring theme of forgiveness and redemption and how well she portrayed some characters sympathetically who seemed utterly incorrigible in earlier stories. I enjoyed the novel and am now intrigued to read the next book (which came out just a month after this one) and is billed as the same story told from Tybalt's point of view. This one includes an original novella (as I believe all of the DAW McGuire books do), featuring Raysel and Dean, set adjacent to the October novel, and I thought it was also excellent.
July 25, 2025
What a tangled web we weave...
Seanan McGuire did a terrible thing. Be the Serpent, book 16 in her October Daye series, ended shortly after a triumphant battle in which Toby and her friends defeated Titania, the evil Summer Queen of Faerie, and forced her to submit to a geas that by all rights, should have kept Toby and her friends safe -- Titania cannot harm Toby or her family. But Titania is ancient and wily. Her final words to Toby are
So this is where Sleep No More begins. Toby is living in an illusory world crafted by Titania. This is a Toby you will hardly recognize. She is submissive, a timid servant. And it is not just Toby. Titania's Brave New World covers several faerie realms in the vicinity of San Francisco. Everyone there has been brainwashed to perceive a distorted history that makes a world as Titania believes it should be. Several things that Titania believes should not exist do not exist in Titania's illusory world. For instance, shapeshifters (Cu Sidhe and Cait Sidhe among them) died out long ago, and the Undersea is uninhabited.
Titania is powerful, but not all-powerful. She is one of these people -- you probably know some in Real Life -- who is so smart she's stupid. She is the queen of illusions, but her ability to alter reality itself is limited. That leaves cracks in the edifice she has constructed.
The exploitation of the first crack is a splendid little story involving some of my favorite characters from the October Daye world . I really enjoyed this. After the opening of that first crack, though, the story becomes more of a slog. The illusion Titania created is complex and built of many parts, and it takes Toby and the allies she gradually gathers (and you, her reader) time and effort to work their way through them in detail.
Toby's husband Tybalt is a minor character in Sleep No More. Presumably he is off somewhere else doing other important stuff most of the time. Indeed, we know from the publisher's blurb that book 18, The Innocent Sleep, will tell Tybalt's story during this time.
Seanan, you are not yet forgiven. We're still mad about the cliffhanger and the wimpification of our badass heroine. Perhaps The Innocent Sleep will clear your account.
CANDLES AND STARLIGHT
As usual, McGuire ends the book with a bonus novella. This one is called Candles and Starlight, and is temporally contemporaneous with Sleep No More. It is told in the first person, by Toby's sort-of-cousin Rayseline, the daughter of her sort-of uncle Sylvester Torquill. Raysel has had a super-messed-up childhood and is still afraid of a bunch of powerful fae. Near the end of Be the Serpent Raysel and Toby managed to make Toby Raysel's legal guardian for a year. Raysel is looking forward with gleeful anticipation to a year of living in Toby's home with Quentin, May, etc.
She doesn't get it, because she and Toby are caught in Titania's spell almost immediately. Candles and Starlight tells her story from that point until the moment when she appears in Sleep No More.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Sleep No More. This review expresses my honest opinion.
Blog review.
Seanan McGuire did a terrible thing. Be the Serpent, book 16 in her October Daye series, ended shortly after a triumphant battle in which Toby and her friends defeated Titania, the evil Summer Queen of Faerie, and forced her to submit to a geas that by all rights, should have kept Toby and her friends safe -- Titania cannot harm Toby or her family. But Titania is ancient and wily. Her final words to Toby are
“I can’t hurt you.” She finally smiled. “But I can make you someone else’s problem.”And then, in the final chapter we met a new Toby, living as a servant with her mother Amandine the Liar and her pureblood sister August, with her husband Tybalt nowhere in evidence. Clearly Titania found a loophole to subject Toby without "harming" her, within what her geas understands as harm.
So this is where Sleep No More begins. Toby is living in an illusory world crafted by Titania. This is a Toby you will hardly recognize. She is submissive, a timid servant. And it is not just Toby. Titania's Brave New World covers several faerie realms in the vicinity of San Francisco. Everyone there has been brainwashed to perceive a distorted history that makes a world as Titania believes it should be. Several things that Titania believes should not exist do not exist in Titania's illusory world. For instance, shapeshifters (Cu Sidhe and Cait Sidhe among them) died out long ago, and the Undersea is uninhabited.
Titania is powerful, but not all-powerful. She is one of these people -- you probably know some in Real Life -- who is so smart she's stupid. She is the queen of illusions, but her ability to alter reality itself is limited. That leaves cracks in the edifice she has constructed.
The exploitation of the first crack is a splendid little story involving some of my favorite characters from the October Daye world . I really enjoyed this. After the opening of that first crack, though, the story becomes more of a slog. The illusion Titania created is complex and built of many parts, and it takes Toby and the allies she gradually gathers (and you, her reader) time and effort to work their way through them in detail.
Toby's husband Tybalt is a minor character in Sleep No More. Presumably he is off somewhere else doing other important stuff most of the time. Indeed, we know from the publisher's blurb that book 18, The Innocent Sleep, will tell Tybalt's story during this time.
Seanan, you are not yet forgiven. We're still mad about the cliffhanger and the wimpification of our badass heroine. Perhaps The Innocent Sleep will clear your account.
CANDLES AND STARLIGHT
As usual, McGuire ends the book with a bonus novella. This one is called Candles and Starlight, and is temporally contemporaneous with Sleep No More. It is told in the first person, by Toby's sort-of-cousin Rayseline, the daughter of her sort-of uncle Sylvester Torquill. Raysel has had a super-messed-up childhood and is still afraid of a bunch of powerful fae. Near the end of Be the Serpent Raysel and Toby managed to make Toby Raysel's legal guardian for a year. Raysel is looking forward with gleeful anticipation to a year of living in Toby's home with Quentin, May, etc.
She doesn't get it, because she and Toby are caught in Titania's spell almost immediately. Candles and Starlight tells her story from that point until the moment when she appears in Sleep No More.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Sleep No More. This review expresses my honest opinion.
Blog review.
September 8, 2023
Tons of recapping and exposition. October's had the personality sucked out of her for the vast majority of the book. Meh climax. The sea witch at least keeps the reader awake. And...I suppose August gets development.
I can't believe this is the book that gets a parallel novel. I'm definitely not going to read Tybalt's Version.
I can't believe this is the book that gets a parallel novel. I'm definitely not going to read Tybalt's Version.
November 7, 2023
October is wrapped up in the illusion created by Summer Queen Titania, who has re-crafted Faerie to suit her own prejudices. In this fantasy, Toby believes that she has grown up with happily married Amandine and Simon as parents, destined to be her beloved sister August's handmaiden. She knows her place as a changeling, bowing and scraping, expecting no favours. Not at all the October Daye that we know and love. In fact, it has to be a very, very powerful spell to keep the independent and compassionate October under control.
The illusion receives its first challenge when she is handed a leather jacket and notes that it smells of pennyroyal. Then she ends up bleeding and puts the sore finger in her mouth. Apparently the spell can't change the strength of her blood magic and she gets a glimpse of reality and Tybalt. October is stubborn and determined to stand by Simon and August, but she keeps being pulled toward helping other people. You can't change a person's basic nature, even if you change their environment completely. Also a reflection on that eternal “What if…?” question. What if this or that aspect of my past had been different? Would I be an entirely different person? Probably not. We are who we are and only become more ourselves as we age.
Maybe not the most riveting of the 17 volumes of the series, but enjoyable nonetheless. With the Luidaeg on her side, Toby can accomplish many things, and as she says at one point, “I do some of my best work while dramatically underprepared.” Expanding her found family yet again, Toby does what needs to be done. Just like the hero she is.
The illusion receives its first challenge when she is handed a leather jacket and notes that it smells of pennyroyal. Then she ends up bleeding and puts the sore finger in her mouth. Apparently the spell can't change the strength of her blood magic and she gets a glimpse of reality and Tybalt. October is stubborn and determined to stand by Simon and August, but she keeps being pulled toward helping other people. You can't change a person's basic nature, even if you change their environment completely. Also a reflection on that eternal “What if…?” question. What if this or that aspect of my past had been different? Would I be an entirely different person? Probably not. We are who we are and only become more ourselves as we age.
Maybe not the most riveting of the 17 volumes of the series, but enjoyable nonetheless. With the Luidaeg on her side, Toby can accomplish many things, and as she says at one point, “I do some of my best work while dramatically underprepared.” Expanding her found family yet again, Toby does what needs to be done. Just like the hero she is.
June 5, 2023
"Sleep No More" is the 17th book in the brilliant October Daye urban fantasy series, and my, what a book! I love the author and, having read and loved all the books in the series, I was delighted to get an ARC of her new book.
The previous book ended in a high cliffhanger and drama, with Titiana's threats to get a tit for tat, and Toby waking up in Amandine’s tower in Titiana's twisted version of Faerie. This book continues from the point where the last book ended.
Titiana (the Summer Queen and the second wife of Oberon) whisked Toby into another version of reality (she is, after all, the queen of illusions), the world as she thinks it ought to be. Titania had made Faerie in her own ideal image, and it isn't a pretty sight. All those she deems inferior (such as shapeshifters and beasties) disappeared from this alternate version of Faerie.
Toby lives in Amandine's Tower, together with her step-father, Simon, her sister, August, and her mother, Amandine "the Liar". She is just a low changeling handmaid who is not permitted to use her blood magic, and she is seemingly happy with her lot. She doesn't remember her old life, Tybalt, and other cared-for family members. However, something is rotten in the state of Summerland, in the way changelings are treated, and slowly Toby comes to realize that.
The plot thickens when Li Qin Zhou, the Duchess of Dreamer's Glass, requests the presence of one of Sylvester's bloodline, and Toby volunteers to go. The first cracks of this "perfect" world show when Toby gets a taste (literally) of another life and reality. Wherever Toby is, chaos occurs, so what follows next is a highly intoxicating adventure in the usual Toby fashion that I highly recommend.
I loved the book! It is not the simplest adventure - it takes a while for all the wrinkles to smooth out - but I didn't mind and enjoyed the ride. Give me more of Toby's world!!! I didn't want to leave that world and say goodbye to my favorite characters. We don't see much of Tybalt here, more the pity, but it will be modified in the next book, which I look forward to.
I liked that past events were recapped in the form of flashbacks and explanations to Toby by the Luidaeg (one of my favorite characters) and other characters. It helped to refresh my memory as, after all, it's been a while since I read the previous book. I also liked the relationship that developed between August and Toby. I must say that I liked August better in this book.
It was also interesting to see another (submissive) side of Toby, although I much prefer her usual kick-ass side. The author drew the reader from the first page of this heart-pounding story of deception, illusions, and ceaseless action... Where nothing is what it seems, and every truth brought to light exposes a darker illusion.
There is a bonus to the reader at the end of the book, a novella featuring Rayseline. It was nice to see the events from her perspective. Truth be told, I don't like her and feel she got off lightly after what she has done. The same goes for Simon. He may have had his reasons to do what he did to Toby, but he laughed while he did it. A big no-no. He redeemed himself a bit in the last books, though.
If you didn't read any of the books in the series (is it possible??), you should start from the first book and read it in order. Each book starts from where the previous book ended, so you need to read them in order to understand the subtle nuances and all the goings on.
If it wasn't already clear from my glowing review, I absolutely loved the book and am eagerly looking forward to reading the next installment. I must have it and now! Yes, I can't delay gratification when it comes to books. If you loved the other books of the series, you will love this one as well. This is a book you won't want to miss! Seanan McGuire is a master storyteller, and I am a willingly captured audience!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
Review in my Blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2023...
The previous book ended in a high cliffhanger and drama, with Titiana's threats to get a tit for tat, and Toby waking up in Amandine’s tower in Titiana's twisted version of Faerie. This book continues from the point where the last book ended.
Titiana (the Summer Queen and the second wife of Oberon) whisked Toby into another version of reality (she is, after all, the queen of illusions), the world as she thinks it ought to be. Titania had made Faerie in her own ideal image, and it isn't a pretty sight. All those she deems inferior (such as shapeshifters and beasties) disappeared from this alternate version of Faerie.
Toby lives in Amandine's Tower, together with her step-father, Simon, her sister, August, and her mother, Amandine "the Liar". She is just a low changeling handmaid who is not permitted to use her blood magic, and she is seemingly happy with her lot. She doesn't remember her old life, Tybalt, and other cared-for family members. However, something is rotten in the state of Summerland, in the way changelings are treated, and slowly Toby comes to realize that.
The plot thickens when Li Qin Zhou, the Duchess of Dreamer's Glass, requests the presence of one of Sylvester's bloodline, and Toby volunteers to go. The first cracks of this "perfect" world show when Toby gets a taste (literally) of another life and reality. Wherever Toby is, chaos occurs, so what follows next is a highly intoxicating adventure in the usual Toby fashion that I highly recommend.
I loved the book! It is not the simplest adventure - it takes a while for all the wrinkles to smooth out - but I didn't mind and enjoyed the ride. Give me more of Toby's world!!! I didn't want to leave that world and say goodbye to my favorite characters. We don't see much of Tybalt here, more the pity, but it will be modified in the next book, which I look forward to.
I liked that past events were recapped in the form of flashbacks and explanations to Toby by the Luidaeg (one of my favorite characters) and other characters. It helped to refresh my memory as, after all, it's been a while since I read the previous book. I also liked the relationship that developed between August and Toby. I must say that I liked August better in this book.
It was also interesting to see another (submissive) side of Toby, although I much prefer her usual kick-ass side. The author drew the reader from the first page of this heart-pounding story of deception, illusions, and ceaseless action... Where nothing is what it seems, and every truth brought to light exposes a darker illusion.
There is a bonus to the reader at the end of the book, a novella featuring Rayseline. It was nice to see the events from her perspective. Truth be told, I don't like her and feel she got off lightly after what she has done. The same goes for Simon. He may have had his reasons to do what he did to Toby, but he laughed while he did it. A big no-no. He redeemed himself a bit in the last books, though.
If you didn't read any of the books in the series (is it possible??), you should start from the first book and read it in order. Each book starts from where the previous book ended, so you need to read them in order to understand the subtle nuances and all the goings on.
If it wasn't already clear from my glowing review, I absolutely loved the book and am eagerly looking forward to reading the next installment. I must have it and now! Yes, I can't delay gratification when it comes to books. If you loved the other books of the series, you will love this one as well. This is a book you won't want to miss! Seanan McGuire is a master storyteller, and I am a willingly captured audience!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
Review in my Blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2023...
January 12, 2024
The seawitch, as always, is the best. Long live the Luidaeg.
Despite my excitement at the end of the last instalment, one of my most enjoyed reads of the series, this one.. well. This one was a classic October Daye novel aka frustrating AF. McGuire has basically (temporarily) reset the world and given everyone personality transplants and it is not a fun time (but it's not supposed to be). However the problem is that the first 30% of this was unbearable and almost incomprehensible; no jokes, I fell into a three hour coma the first time I picked this up. It does get easier along the way as certain things come to light but..
.. those personality transplants? Really inconsistent. There's a line this particular Toby things about in relation to one of the other characters that I think McGuire took to heart and that's (paraphrasing here) : the rules are there until they are inconvenient. And I think that's been kind of the case for a lot of characters throughout this series but especially in this instalment. Everyone has a new personality until it's not relevant to the plot and then they flipflop all over the place. Toby included. She is an even more reluctant hero in this version of her life (understandably) and therefore is very resistant to wanting things to change and yet.. when this has been dragged out too long and we are coming up on the finale of the story, suddenly she's frustrated by others, wanting to do the right thing, and there's not enough transition here to make it believable that she wants to up-end everything she's known and believes in the span of a day. No matter the good intentions and the proof that is being shown to her. This Toby wouldn't.
So that's annoying.
And to make matters worse, everything gets resolved super easily, making the stakes of the whole situation (which we knew were never really that high to begin with once things got going) an additional flop. Fun.
This was a hard instalment to get through because it epitomized everything I dislike about this series and turned it up to eleven. Not my favourite. Definitely a bummer. And book eighteen is just the same from another POV so I'm going to push on and read that now or else I never will.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Despite my excitement at the end of the last instalment, one of my most enjoyed reads of the series, this one.. well. This one was a classic October Daye novel aka frustrating AF. McGuire has basically (temporarily) reset the world and given everyone personality transplants and it is not a fun time (but it's not supposed to be). However the problem is that the first 30% of this was unbearable and almost incomprehensible; no jokes, I fell into a three hour coma the first time I picked this up. It does get easier along the way as certain things come to light but..
.. those personality transplants? Really inconsistent. There's a line this particular Toby things about in relation to one of the other characters that I think McGuire took to heart and that's (paraphrasing here) : the rules are there until they are inconvenient. And I think that's been kind of the case for a lot of characters throughout this series but especially in this instalment. Everyone has a new personality until it's not relevant to the plot and then they flipflop all over the place. Toby included. She is an even more reluctant hero in this version of her life (understandably) and therefore is very resistant to wanting things to change and yet.. when this has been dragged out too long and we are coming up on the finale of the story, suddenly she's frustrated by others, wanting to do the right thing, and there's not enough transition here to make it believable that she wants to up-end everything she's known and believes in the span of a day. No matter the good intentions and the proof that is being shown to her. This Toby wouldn't.
So that's annoying.
And to make matters worse, everything gets resolved super easily, making the stakes of the whole situation (which we knew were never really that high to begin with once things got going) an additional flop. Fun.
This was a hard instalment to get through because it epitomized everything I dislike about this series and turned it up to eleven. Not my favourite. Definitely a bummer. And book eighteen is just the same from another POV so I'm going to push on and read that now or else I never will.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
September 3, 2023
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
After being left on a gripping cliffhanger in the previous book, I was eagerly anticipating "Sleep No More" to see what would unfold next. Although I usually don't prefer 'amnesia' tropes, I was intrigued to see how Seanan would handle it. As the story progressed, I found myself piecing together the puzzle little by little, and I appreciated how the author skillfully portrayed an alternative world.
The vivid depiction of October's journey, pulled from her reality and thrust into a twisted version of Faerie manipulated by Titania, captivated me. Witnessing a different side of October while glimpses of her true self shone through was truly engaging. The struggle of the characters trying to break the spell and convince October of her situation added depth to the plot.
Throughout the book, there was never a dull moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the seamless blend of action, magic, mystery, and humor. The inclusion of emotional moments added a touching dimension to the story. Overall, "Sleep No More" proved to be a fantastic addition to the series, certain to delight fans. I'm now excited to dive into the next book, which offers Tybalt's perspective on the events, and I'm eager to experience how he perceived everything.
After being left on a gripping cliffhanger in the previous book, I was eagerly anticipating "Sleep No More" to see what would unfold next. Although I usually don't prefer 'amnesia' tropes, I was intrigued to see how Seanan would handle it. As the story progressed, I found myself piecing together the puzzle little by little, and I appreciated how the author skillfully portrayed an alternative world.
The vivid depiction of October's journey, pulled from her reality and thrust into a twisted version of Faerie manipulated by Titania, captivated me. Witnessing a different side of October while glimpses of her true self shone through was truly engaging. The struggle of the characters trying to break the spell and convince October of her situation added depth to the plot.
Throughout the book, there was never a dull moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the seamless blend of action, magic, mystery, and humor. The inclusion of emotional moments added a touching dimension to the story. Overall, "Sleep No More" proved to be a fantastic addition to the series, certain to delight fans. I'm now excited to dive into the next book, which offers Tybalt's perspective on the events, and I'm eager to experience how he perceived everything.
September 10, 2023
Besides J.D. Robb's In Death Series (and I am at least 20 books behind on that series) and Kim Harrison's Hollows Series (also behind on the one with the addition of the new books) oh, and the Sweet Valley High Books when I was a teen, this is the longest I have stuck with any series and somehow Seanan McGuire manages to surprise me every time. McGuire has built such a rich, fascinating world and somehow has kept it all connected and fresh. I know some people have an issue in that most of the stories are told almost entirely from Toby's point of view, but I happen to love the writing style. I am, however, very highly anticipating the new book in October told from Tybalt's point of view. I usually don't like it when an author does that type of thing, but I love these characters so much and am so invested in the story that I am counting down the days.
July 20, 2023
I think I'm physically unable to give an October Daye book anything less than a 5-star rating.
August 21, 2023
For some reason, I am not as enthralled with this book as others are. I still don't like the fact that the author spends more time with inner dialoguing than she does on any action. This makes the book seem like it is too long. It isn't, but that is what it feels like to me.
I feel that there is much that needed to be written in this book and wasn't and much that was written that shouldn't have been. I'm not sure if you could call this a cliffhanger or not. It just left me very confused about some things, especially if you read the novella at the end.
I wonder when Titania is going to show back up and what she will do for revenge? And will Oberon ever get off his hind end to really help make things better for the Fae? Will Maeve come back, and if so, will that be the end of the series?
Well, it seems that I have more questions than answers, so as much as I did not LOVE this book, I did enjoy it enough to keep reading to find out the answers.
Well, onto the next arc in this series. I'll keep you posted.
*ARC supplied by the publisher DAW Books/ Astra Publishing House, Inc., the author, and NetGalley
I feel that there is much that needed to be written in this book and wasn't and much that was written that shouldn't have been. I'm not sure if you could call this a cliffhanger or not. It just left me very confused about some things, especially if you read the novella at the end.
I wonder when Titania is going to show back up and what she will do for revenge? And will Oberon ever get off his hind end to really help make things better for the Fae? Will Maeve come back, and if so, will that be the end of the series?
Well, it seems that I have more questions than answers, so as much as I did not LOVE this book, I did enjoy it enough to keep reading to find out the answers.
Well, onto the next arc in this series. I'll keep you posted.
*ARC supplied by the publisher DAW Books/ Astra Publishing House, Inc., the author, and NetGalley
December 21, 2023
Sleep No More pulled me in from the very first page as things in Faerie are upside down and the Toby we know is lost to us.... Holy crap. After the events of Be the Serpent and that killer ending, well ... I had to jump right in. We find ourselves in an alternate Faerie. One where Toby lives with her parents, Amandine and Simon Torquill, along with her sister, August. She doesn't remember Tybalt or Quentin or Mae, not even the Sea Witch triggers memories of her other life.
What a twisted tale with the evilest of villains. I devoured this from start to finish and held my breath waiting and needing everything to go back...for Toby to go back to her friends and Tybalt. McGuire outdid herself, as did Mary Robinette Kowal with her narration. She grabbed the alternate world and ran with it. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
September 7, 2023
The first part of this book was so disturbing! Toby wasn't Toby, faerie wasn't faerie, nothing was right. I felt so confused, but it was nothing like Toby as she encountered people that knew her, but she didn't know. As Toby became more Toby and they all discovered the plot, things started to get back to normal. The big scene at the end wasn't really a big battle at all, more a war of words and luckily for us, Toby and her side won. With mortal enemies now made, it will be interesting to see where things go from here for Toby and her crew.
December 7, 2023
I seem to be in the minority here, but I found this book pretty boring. I've read the entire series so far, and it has its ups and downs. This is one of the latter.
It's quite obvious from the outset that this book can only end with Toby defeating Titania and restoring reality. Knowing how a book ends is fine; the journey to get there can still be interesting. The issue is, it really isn't. For three-quarters of the book, spell!October just bleeds and breaks spells and encounters old friends she doesn't remember. At one point, the Luidaeg comments that they don't have time to do the whole reunion thing every time, and I second that motion.
I borrowed the next book, Tybalt's perspective, at the same time from the library. I wonder if it'll be less dry?
It's quite obvious from the outset that this book can only end with Toby defeating Titania and restoring reality. Knowing how a book ends is fine; the journey to get there can still be interesting. The issue is, it really isn't. For three-quarters of the book, spell!October just bleeds and breaks spells and encounters old friends she doesn't remember. At one point, the Luidaeg comments that they don't have time to do the whole reunion thing every time, and I second that motion.
I borrowed the next book, Tybalt's perspective, at the same time from the library. I wonder if it'll be less dry?
October 2, 2023
3.75 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I was scared to start this one, and do you know what? I was totally right! This book hurts so much! Mind me, the author was brilliant, and this is one of the most original books ever, not only in this series but in general, because what the author did here is pretty unique, if you consider the series as a whole. And I admit that without problems. What she did was amazing. But it was also quite awful, because how can you make me suffer so much? And how can you make your characters suffer so much??
To be really really short about the plot, in the last book our dear heroes unintentionally free Titania (that’s not technically what happened, but it fit and it is the short version so it will do), and she is not really happy about the state of the world so she invents a new world, that is more of her liking, trapping everyone, or almost everyone, in that realm (and in a couple of the nearest ones) in a fake reality created by her. In this reality changelings are not free to roam, they are “created” only to serve the pureblood, and the society is more rigid. There are other differences but this is the core of it. Ah, one last small thing. Since Titania is one of the Queens of Faerie (one of the three who created all of Faeries, not just a queen of a small realm) she is above revenge and small pettiness, so obviously this world is also keyed to make October suffer the most.
All things considered, she didn’t manage this part too well, at least! But what is not hurting October is hurting us readers. And it hurts a lot!
It hurts so much! And for different reasons. The main three are (from the less hurtful to the most)
1)We see an October that is not herself, and yet… yet she is, at least in part. And knowing her as you get to know her, and seeing her like this, is bad. And what’s worst is that she is happy in there. And this hurt so much more. In part because you see how a loving family (and loving here is to be taken loosely) could have made a huge difference and because the same thing, a happy family (so to speak) could become a chain. We have a lot of contradictions like that in the book and they all hurt something bad. (I am not saying that the book does not work or that the author did a poor job or that we have plot holes, not at all. I am saying that you get to see the two sides of everything and this makes you suffer more)
2)This point is a spoiler for the previous volumes. Be warned. So, we finally, finally get to witness the wedding, Toby and Tybalt managed it, at last, and… and we don’t get to see the happy couple. And it is so annoying! We waited so long for it!!! And it’s not enough that you have to wait 16 books for it to happen, no, once you see it happen you have to see the couple torn apart by Titania and her new reality. Argh!! It is maddening, really.
But this part is more annoying than hurtful. What’s distressing is that Toby has no memory of Tybalt. At all. While Tybalt wasn’t ensnared in the magic, he remembers everything! You can feel his pain so neatly and you are right there, suffering with him. This part was devastating. And still, still this is not the part that made me suffer the worst. Do you want to know what was the worst of the worst? Keep reading!
3)The Luidaeg. She is my favorite character in the series, and she had no easy life. Her past is so full of pain, damage, and sadness. But she was slowly going back to happiness, to wholesomeness and she was finally part of a (found) family again. And it was so good. And here she is confronted with a Toby who has no memory of her whatsoever, a Toby who is scared of her because she is the Sea Witch. And this, this was devastating.
I have used the word “hurt” so much in this review, so I am a tad sorry for the repetitiveness of it all, but it is that this book pained me to no end. But this is a testament to the fact that the author really knows what she is doing, and if you want to try a series that is still good after going on for so long, you should definitely try this one out!
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I was scared to start this one, and do you know what? I was totally right! This book hurts so much! Mind me, the author was brilliant, and this is one of the most original books ever, not only in this series but in general, because what the author did here is pretty unique, if you consider the series as a whole. And I admit that without problems. What she did was amazing. But it was also quite awful, because how can you make me suffer so much? And how can you make your characters suffer so much??
To be really really short about the plot, in the last book our dear heroes unintentionally free Titania (that’s not technically what happened, but it fit and it is the short version so it will do), and she is not really happy about the state of the world so she invents a new world, that is more of her liking, trapping everyone, or almost everyone, in that realm (and in a couple of the nearest ones) in a fake reality created by her. In this reality changelings are not free to roam, they are “created” only to serve the pureblood, and the society is more rigid. There are other differences but this is the core of it. Ah, one last small thing. Since Titania is one of the Queens of Faerie (one of the three who created all of Faeries, not just a queen of a small realm) she is above revenge and small pettiness, so obviously this world is also keyed to make October suffer the most.
All things considered, she didn’t manage this part too well, at least! But what is not hurting October is hurting us readers. And it hurts a lot!
It hurts so much! And for different reasons. The main three are (from the less hurtful to the most)
1)We see an October that is not herself, and yet… yet she is, at least in part. And knowing her as you get to know her, and seeing her like this, is bad. And what’s worst is that she is happy in there. And this hurt so much more. In part because you see how a loving family (and loving here is to be taken loosely) could have made a huge difference and because the same thing, a happy family (so to speak) could become a chain. We have a lot of contradictions like that in the book and they all hurt something bad. (I am not saying that the book does not work or that the author did a poor job or that we have plot holes, not at all. I am saying that you get to see the two sides of everything and this makes you suffer more)
2)This point is a spoiler for the previous volumes. Be warned. So, we finally, finally get to witness the wedding, Toby and Tybalt managed it, at last, and… and we don’t get to see the happy couple. And it is so annoying! We waited so long for it!!! And it’s not enough that you have to wait 16 books for it to happen, no, once you see it happen you have to see the couple torn apart by Titania and her new reality. Argh!! It is maddening, really.
But this part is more annoying than hurtful. What’s distressing is that Toby has no memory of Tybalt. At all. While Tybalt wasn’t ensnared in the magic, he remembers everything! You can feel his pain so neatly and you are right there, suffering with him. This part was devastating. And still, still this is not the part that made me suffer the worst. Do you want to know what was the worst of the worst? Keep reading!
3)The Luidaeg. She is my favorite character in the series, and she had no easy life. Her past is so full of pain, damage, and sadness. But she was slowly going back to happiness, to wholesomeness and she was finally part of a (found) family again. And it was so good. And here she is confronted with a Toby who has no memory of her whatsoever, a Toby who is scared of her because she is the Sea Witch. And this, this was devastating.
I have used the word “hurt” so much in this review, so I am a tad sorry for the repetitiveness of it all, but it is that this book pained me to no end. But this is a testament to the fact that the author really knows what she is doing, and if you want to try a series that is still good after going on for so long, you should definitely try this one out!
September 7, 2023
3*5 stars
September 21, 2023
Despite everything the Summer Queen has done to warp Toby's thoughts and feelings, she soon begins to display her true personality as the story progresses. In the end, she and her friends are able to break the Queen's spells and return the world to its previous state, but the Queen herself is not defeated and continues to pose a threat to Toby and everyone she loves for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Expected publication: 2023
Change to Expected publication: September 2023
Change to Expected publication: September 2023
September 3, 2023
Wow, what an intense story. I now need to read Tybalts story to see what happened from his perspective. The real hero of this story is Luidaeg. She's seriously a badass.
November 1, 2023
Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is book 17 in the October Daye series, and prior to picking this up I was starting to wonder how much more we could get from this series without it becoming stale. I was very pleasantly surprised at how fresh this book felt!
Without getting into the summary of the series up until this point, this book picks up in Amandine’s tower where Toby believes she has always lived, with no memories of the side characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the series. Told from Toby’s perspective (as is usual), we also don’t know what is going on for a large chunk of this book. But this proved to be quite effective - it highlighted different, and at times new, aspects to these characters and explored how they would react in situations which are totally incompatible with the story to date, in a fun and engaging way. The stakes have never been higher, but the tone was quite different from that of some of the recent entries in this series.
If your interest in this series has been flagging recently, I highly recommend picking up at least this entry as it truly does feel incredibly fresh. Seanan McGuire has done an incredible job at breathing new life into a series after so many books!
This is book 17 in the October Daye series, and prior to picking this up I was starting to wonder how much more we could get from this series without it becoming stale. I was very pleasantly surprised at how fresh this book felt!
Without getting into the summary of the series up until this point, this book picks up in Amandine’s tower where Toby believes she has always lived, with no memories of the side characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the series. Told from Toby’s perspective (as is usual), we also don’t know what is going on for a large chunk of this book. But this proved to be quite effective - it highlighted different, and at times new, aspects to these characters and explored how they would react in situations which are totally incompatible with the story to date, in a fun and engaging way. The stakes have never been higher, but the tone was quite different from that of some of the recent entries in this series.
If your interest in this series has been flagging recently, I highly recommend picking up at least this entry as it truly does feel incredibly fresh. Seanan McGuire has done an incredible job at breathing new life into a series after so many books!
September 3, 2024
First part of this could be summed up to some sort of amnesic Toby with Stockholm syndrome.
JC, I am never reading this again.
The author seems determined to ruin these series. Because it was not only painful to read, it was also boring.
The endless descriptions of every single thing -_- it drags forever!
Once again, only the Luiedeag made this readable.
JC, I am never reading this again.
The author seems determined to ruin these series. Because it was not only painful to read, it was also boring.
The endless descriptions of every single thing -_- it drags forever!
Once again, only the Luiedeag made this readable.
September 17, 2023
This is just an amazing series that gets better and better. It is so hard because I read these books so fast but then I get sad as I near the ending because I don't want it to end. I can't wait for the next one.
September 14, 2023
Seventeenth in the October Daye urban fantasy series and revolving around a former half-changeling, half-fae knight. The focus is on a perfect Titania-created Faerie.
Unless you’ve read the entire series, you’ll miss a lot of how this land of Faerie has changed.
My Take
I really did NOT like this story at the start but I did get into it better as it went along. I still don't like it. I hated the concept that McGuire put forth, showing us how awful Faerie could be under Titania. The whole idea of bearing a child you'll turn into a servant, the disgust for whole branches of fae. It was bad enough in the old "world", but this one is so much worse. Even if August and October are living together in the same household.
It's October’s conflicts over “knowing her place” and being happy about it versus her desire to get out and see things that makes things interesting, although that opening chapter was quite confusing. I was under the impression that the Hamadryad family was on the move during Moving Day — “We departed on the first hour of the Moving Day festivities”. My confusion about this world only grew deeper — which is why I gave Sleep No More a low rating. I gotta say McGuire did a great job of obfuscating why what was happening was happening.
McGuire is using first person protagonist point-of-view from October's perspective, and I do think McGuire could of used it better. Sure it was well done, but . . . it was too easy in some ways. It felt as if October was accepting things too easily OR at least not fighting the truths she learns very much. Maybe I'd've liked it better if there'd been more angst . . . I dunno.
Amandine. Yeah, that’s a fae at whose death I would rejoice. She is the nastiest woman! She’s bringing up October to be comfortable as a servant in someone’s household, maybe August’s. It’s a law in this Faerie that each noble house and Firstborn bear a changeling child to ensure there’ll be servants. What the Luidaeg reveals about Amy's actions during October's childhood made me want to scream!
The twists and turns McGuire does to “explain” why things are the way they are in this new world are enough to make me gag. Although, I did enjoy Arden’s revenge on Oleander!
Toby does get her wish for adventure and McGuire uses this to show up how medieval Toby’s life is. It also begins to open Toby’s eyes to other truths. This traveling about also shows us how different life is in Sleep No More compared to all the previous stories in the series.
Chrysanthe has a nice agreement with her fae and others, as does Duchess Zhou. Simon hasn’t had his experiences and has had a, ahem, hypocritical family life in which he’s fooling himself about October. Nice that some aren’t suffering too badly. Then again we learn about the Cait Sidhe being trapped and the Undersea's trauma.
This story holds a version of Luna that never ran away from home. I can see why she ran. There's also a bit of back history on the Cait Sidhe and how the Cat Courts were formed which is fascinating. Poor Tybalt. He’s so confused and angry!
That Etienne is something of a hypocrite as well, as you’ll learn when you read some of his back story. Hmph.
Oh, wow. The Luidaeg summarizes up Titania’s reasons for doing what she’s done, and how October is at the heart of so much of it. Her explanation is riveting. Ah, geez. We also learn more about October’s childhood and what Amy was doing to her, a drop at a time. It does bring up a question. The Luidaeg tells October that changing someone’s blood balance to human meant death. Does she mean that now that person would eventually die or that they died on the spot? It does serve to point up Amy’s selfishness. Yeah, really, that woman should just die.
It’s noted that Titania doesn’t create but does decorate.
There is wisdom at the end in terms of love and friendship, about true parentage,
Oberon. Oh, brother. What a mess he’s made. He didn’t think anything through and created a murdering monster.
It’s a Faerie shaped to Titania’s “perfect” preferences . . . *shudder*
The Story
Something is very wrong in Dreamer’s Glass and Duchess Zhou requires someone of Sylvester’s bloodline to cope with it. Luckily, it’s Moving Day and therefore safe for a changeling to be on the move between lands.
It was a mistake to let October out into this new Faerie . . . where she encounters people who knew her before. They know that she can save them, as she always has before.
The Characters
Mother’s Tower is . . .
. . . home base for Amandine the Liar, the Firstborn of Oberonand Janet Carter and August and October’s mother, who has the power to balance someone’s blood. Father is Simon, Count Torquill, Sylvester’s twin and sworn alchemist to the Rose of Winter, a Simon who had been born a changeling. The easily bored August is the elder and “true” daughter while October, a.k.a. Aunt Birdie, is the required changeling servant daughter; both are Dóchas Sidhe, blood balancers.
Shadowed Hills is . . .
. . . a backwater duchy ruled by a bachelor Duke (and uncle and hero) Sylvester Torquill. Sir Etienne is Sylvester’s seneschal and has a new squire, Quentin, a blind foster who hates and despises changelings. Bridget “Bess” Ames is Etienne’s human wife and a professor of folklore; Chelsea is their “changeling” daughter. Sir Grianne is a Candela with a crew of Merry Dancers and Sir Garm is a Gwragen, known for their illusions. Kerry is a Hob changeling and October's friend; Melly is her mother, the unofficial chatelaine of the knowe. Meriel. Ilya is a Bannick who works in the laundry. Helen is an unaffiliated changeling. Ormond. Sir Tavis is a Bridge Troll. Jin is an Ellyllon healer.
Dame Eloise Altair, a minor local Daoine Sidhe noble, pretends to be nice. Kyle, a Bridge Troll, runs with her in the night. Luna is a Blodynbryd who owns the Summer Roads Key that had belonged to her grandmother; Blind Michael is her father. January ap Learainth, who still lives at her father’s halls in Briarholme, would have been cousin to October. Rayseline, in the “other” story, was supposed to serve a year in October’s household.
Golden Shore is . . .
. . . a kingdom of refuge for changelings where King Theron and Queen Chrysanthe are Ceryneian Hinds. And there’re no extradition treaties. Arden and Nolan Windermere, brother and sister, who can trace their lineage back to Armorica, are working for them, rescuing changelings. They used to live in Muir Woods. Madden, a Cu Sidhe, is the Windermeres’ best friend. King Gilad and Queen Sebille Windermere had been Arden and Nolan’s parents and the rulers of the Kingdom in the Mists before they were murdered by Oleander de Merelands.
The Duchy of Cattails is . . .
. . . within Golden Shore. Dame vch Gwenlan has a farm here.
Wild Strawberries is . . .
. . . a kingdom from which a lot of changelings are fleeing.
The Kingdom of Silences requires . . .
. . . Amy's services.
Dreamer’s Glass is . . .
. . . a duchy ruled by Li Qin Zhou, a Shyi Shuai, a luck fae. Siôn is a Coblynau with a gift of finding. Terrie-Alexander is a Gean-Cannah changeling. April O’Leary is a cyber dryad who hasn’t changed and reminds an unknowing Toby of too much and hurts Li Qin with what she doesn’t remember. Avebury, a Barrow Wight, is a familiar! cook. Minna is Avebury’s sister who has never come back to visit. In the other world, the duchy had been ruled by Duchess Riordan.
Tamed Lightning is . . .
. . . the county ruled by January O’Leary, the Countess of Tamed Lightning, who is April’s other mother and Li Qin’s wife . . . but not here. Yui had been January’s talented alchemist.
The Undersea is . . .
. . . an entire kingdom cut off. The impossible Dean Lorden is the son of a Merrow, Dianda, and her beloved Daoine Sidhe, Patrick Lorden. Peter is Dean’s younger brother.
Chained Thunder had been . . .
. . . a failed fiefdom.
Oberon is the Lord of all Faerie with two queens: Titania, the Summer Queen, a.k.a. the Lady of Flowers and Mother of Illusions, and the “dishonored” Maeve, the Winter Queen, a.k.a. the Lady of Frost and the Traitor Queen.
The Luidaeg, a.k.a. Antigone of Albany and the sea witch, is a banished, dead?, daughter of Oberon and Maeve. Other siblings included Ismene, Hirsent, and Mug Ruith was her youngest brother, who became Blind Michael whose hunts stole and transformed children into Riders and Ridden. Blind Michael married Acacia, the Mother of the Trees, Firstborn of the Dryads and of the Blodynbryd, and Titania’s daughter. Eira Rosynhwyr, a.k.a. the Rose of Winter, is a Firstborn of Titania. The Cait Sidhe are the only line descended from all of the Three: Erda is a daughter of Titania, Malvic is a son of Oberon and Titania and the first King among Cats, and Jibvel is a son of Maeve.
Tybalt is one of Malvic’s, a Cait Sidhe and king of the Court of Dreaming Cats in San Francisco. He’s also Toby’s husband after events in When Sorrows Come , 15. Raj (of Erda’s line) is Toby’s nephew and heir. Depending on which story we’re in, Ginerva is either a visiting Princess from the Court of Whispering Cats or Queen Regent to the Court of Dreaming Cats.
Know that the Cait Sidhe have been extinct for centuries . . . in Titania’s Faerie. None of the beast kind walk in Titania’s Faerie.
The Browns had been Stacy and Mitch’s children. Seers all. Anthony, Jessica is no more, and Andrew are those who appear. May Daye had been October’s Fetch in the other world until she was simply Toby’s sister. Jazz is May’s significant other. Poppy is the oversized pixie who is the Luidaeg’s apprentice.
The Queen of the Mists is the false one. Moving Days are Samhain and Beltaine when the courtiers, changelings, and servants could move between demesnes without giving offense. Lughnasa is a banned festival. Eion and Maia are Hamadryads, descended from Melia. Their beloved changeling children are Ashla and Gable. The Library of Stars. In either world, changelings are lesser, born to be servants to the fae. The Iron Tree is the ultimate execution device. Night-haunts eat dead fae and leave behind a simulacrum. “Devin” is here and runs Home where changelings can find refuge.
There are Roads that were opened by or for specific groups: the Blood Road, the Thorn Road is for Maeve’s children to escape Titania’s, the Road of Rust is for the Gremlins, and the Shadow Roads belong to the Cait Sidhe and are used by the Candela. The Moorland Trail had been a shortcut. The Rides — a true Ride is always a sacrifice — occurred every seven years to deliver a sacrifice to the Heart (the very core of Faerie) to heal the wound that happened when the Three were made. The Changeling’s Choice is when a changeling must choose between being fae or human.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a gloomy brown wallpaper, well-suited to the storyline with an oval mirror reflecting a grim, forward-facing Toby. In front of the mirror is another grim long-haired Toby in her black leather jacket and a long green gown, holding a sword. At the top is an info blurb in yellow with the author's name in white below it. To the left of Toby's hips is a black badge with an inner yellow border and another info blurb. The title is a'slant below Toby's hips in a yellow distressed font. Trapped between the first and last words of the title is the series info in yellow.
The title is the heartfelt wish of many who wish to Sleep No More in Titania's "perfect" world.
Unless you’ve read the entire series, you’ll miss a lot of how this land of Faerie has changed.
My Take
I really did NOT like this story at the start but I did get into it better as it went along. I still don't like it. I hated the concept that McGuire put forth, showing us how awful Faerie could be under Titania. The whole idea of bearing a child you'll turn into a servant, the disgust for whole branches of fae. It was bad enough in the old "world", but this one is so much worse. Even if August and October are living together in the same household.
It's October’s conflicts over “knowing her place” and being happy about it versus her desire to get out and see things that makes things interesting, although that opening chapter was quite confusing. I was under the impression that the Hamadryad family was on the move during Moving Day — “We departed on the first hour of the Moving Day festivities”. My confusion about this world only grew deeper — which is why I gave Sleep No More a low rating. I gotta say McGuire did a great job of obfuscating why what was happening was happening.
McGuire is using first person protagonist point-of-view from October's perspective, and I do think McGuire could of used it better. Sure it was well done, but . . . it was too easy in some ways. It felt as if October was accepting things too easily OR at least not fighting the truths she learns very much. Maybe I'd've liked it better if there'd been more angst . . . I dunno.
Amandine. Yeah, that’s a fae at whose death I would rejoice. She is the nastiest woman! She’s bringing up October to be comfortable as a servant in someone’s household, maybe August’s. It’s a law in this Faerie that each noble house and Firstborn bear a changeling child to ensure there’ll be servants. What the Luidaeg reveals about Amy's actions during October's childhood made me want to scream!
The twists and turns McGuire does to “explain” why things are the way they are in this new world are enough to make me gag. Although, I did enjoy Arden’s revenge on Oleander!
Toby does get her wish for adventure and McGuire uses this to show up how medieval Toby’s life is. It also begins to open Toby’s eyes to other truths. This traveling about also shows us how different life is in Sleep No More compared to all the previous stories in the series.
Chrysanthe has a nice agreement with her fae and others, as does Duchess Zhou. Simon hasn’t had his experiences and has had a, ahem, hypocritical family life in which he’s fooling himself about October. Nice that some aren’t suffering too badly. Then again we learn about the Cait Sidhe being trapped and the Undersea's trauma.
This story holds a version of Luna that never ran away from home. I can see why she ran. There's also a bit of back history on the Cait Sidhe and how the Cat Courts were formed which is fascinating. Poor Tybalt. He’s so confused and angry!
That Etienne is something of a hypocrite as well, as you’ll learn when you read some of his back story. Hmph.
Oh, wow. The Luidaeg summarizes up Titania’s reasons for doing what she’s done, and how October is at the heart of so much of it. Her explanation is riveting. Ah, geez. We also learn more about October’s childhood and what Amy was doing to her, a drop at a time. It does bring up a question. The Luidaeg tells October that changing someone’s blood balance to human meant death. Does she mean that now that person would eventually die or that they died on the spot? It does serve to point up Amy’s selfishness. Yeah, really, that woman should just die.
It’s noted that Titania doesn’t create but does decorate.
There is wisdom at the end in terms of love and friendship, about true parentage,
Oberon. Oh, brother. What a mess he’s made. He didn’t think anything through and created a murdering monster.
It’s a Faerie shaped to Titania’s “perfect” preferences . . . *shudder*
The Story
Something is very wrong in Dreamer’s Glass and Duchess Zhou requires someone of Sylvester’s bloodline to cope with it. Luckily, it’s Moving Day and therefore safe for a changeling to be on the move between lands.
It was a mistake to let October out into this new Faerie . . . where she encounters people who knew her before. They know that she can save them, as she always has before.
The Characters
Mother’s Tower is . . .
. . . home base for Amandine the Liar, the Firstborn of Oberon
Shadowed Hills is . . .
. . . a backwater duchy ruled by a bachelor Duke (and uncle and hero) Sylvester Torquill. Sir Etienne is Sylvester’s seneschal and has a new squire, Quentin, a blind foster who hates and despises changelings. Bridget “Bess” Ames is Etienne’s human wife and a professor of folklore; Chelsea is their “changeling” daughter. Sir Grianne is a Candela with a crew of Merry Dancers and Sir Garm is a Gwragen, known for their illusions. Kerry is a Hob changeling and October's friend; Melly is her mother, the unofficial chatelaine of the knowe. Meriel. Ilya is a Bannick who works in the laundry. Helen is an unaffiliated changeling. Ormond. Sir Tavis is a Bridge Troll. Jin is an Ellyllon healer.
Dame Eloise Altair, a minor local Daoine Sidhe noble, pretends to be nice. Kyle, a Bridge Troll, runs with her in the night. Luna is a Blodynbryd who owns the Summer Roads Key that had belonged to her grandmother; Blind Michael is her father. January ap Learainth, who still lives at her father’s halls in Briarholme, would have been cousin to October. Rayseline, in the “other” story, was supposed to serve a year in October’s household.
Golden Shore is . . .
. . . a kingdom of refuge for changelings where King Theron and Queen Chrysanthe are Ceryneian Hinds. And there’re no extradition treaties. Arden and Nolan Windermere, brother and sister, who can trace their lineage back to Armorica, are working for them, rescuing changelings. They used to live in Muir Woods. Madden, a Cu Sidhe, is the Windermeres’ best friend. King Gilad and Queen Sebille Windermere had been Arden and Nolan’s parents and the rulers of the Kingdom in the Mists before they were murdered by Oleander de Merelands.
The Duchy of Cattails is . . .
. . . within Golden Shore. Dame vch Gwenlan has a farm here.
Wild Strawberries is . . .
. . . a kingdom from which a lot of changelings are fleeing.
The Kingdom of Silences requires . . .
. . . Amy's services.
Dreamer’s Glass is . . .
. . . a duchy ruled by Li Qin Zhou, a Shyi Shuai, a luck fae. Siôn is a Coblynau with a gift of finding. Terrie-Alexander is a Gean-Cannah changeling. April O’Leary is a cyber dryad who hasn’t changed and reminds an unknowing Toby of too much and hurts Li Qin with what she doesn’t remember. Avebury, a Barrow Wight, is a familiar! cook. Minna is Avebury’s sister who has never come back to visit. In the other world, the duchy had been ruled by Duchess Riordan.
Tamed Lightning is . . .
. . . the county ruled by January O’Leary, the Countess of Tamed Lightning, who is April’s other mother and Li Qin’s wife . . . but not here. Yui had been January’s talented alchemist.
The Undersea is . . .
. . . an entire kingdom cut off. The impossible Dean Lorden is the son of a Merrow, Dianda, and her beloved Daoine Sidhe, Patrick Lorden. Peter is Dean’s younger brother.
Chained Thunder had been . . .
. . . a failed fiefdom.
Oberon is the Lord of all Faerie with two queens: Titania, the Summer Queen, a.k.a. the Lady of Flowers and Mother of Illusions, and the “dishonored” Maeve, the Winter Queen, a.k.a. the Lady of Frost and the Traitor Queen.
The Luidaeg, a.k.a. Antigone of Albany and the sea witch, is a banished, dead?, daughter of Oberon and Maeve. Other siblings included Ismene, Hirsent, and Mug Ruith was her youngest brother, who became Blind Michael whose hunts stole and transformed children into Riders and Ridden. Blind Michael married Acacia, the Mother of the Trees, Firstborn of the Dryads and of the Blodynbryd, and Titania’s daughter. Eira Rosynhwyr, a.k.a. the Rose of Winter, is a Firstborn of Titania. The Cait Sidhe are the only line descended from all of the Three: Erda is a daughter of Titania, Malvic is a son of Oberon and Titania and the first King among Cats, and Jibvel is a son of Maeve.
Tybalt is one of Malvic’s, a Cait Sidhe and king of the Court of Dreaming Cats in San Francisco. He’s also Toby’s husband after events in When Sorrows Come , 15. Raj (of Erda’s line) is Toby’s nephew and heir. Depending on which story we’re in, Ginerva is either a visiting Princess from the Court of Whispering Cats or Queen Regent to the Court of Dreaming Cats.
Know that the Cait Sidhe have been extinct for centuries . . . in Titania’s Faerie. None of the beast kind walk in Titania’s Faerie.
The Browns had been Stacy and Mitch’s children. Seers all. Anthony, Jessica is no more, and Andrew are those who appear. May Daye had been October’s Fetch in the other world until she was simply Toby’s sister. Jazz is May’s significant other. Poppy is the oversized pixie who is the Luidaeg’s apprentice.
The Queen of the Mists is the false one. Moving Days are Samhain and Beltaine when the courtiers, changelings, and servants could move between demesnes without giving offense. Lughnasa is a banned festival. Eion and Maia are Hamadryads, descended from Melia. Their beloved changeling children are Ashla and Gable. The Library of Stars. In either world, changelings are lesser, born to be servants to the fae. The Iron Tree is the ultimate execution device. Night-haunts eat dead fae and leave behind a simulacrum. “Devin” is here and runs Home where changelings can find refuge.
There are Roads that were opened by or for specific groups: the Blood Road, the Thorn Road is for Maeve’s children to escape Titania’s, the Road of Rust is for the Gremlins, and the Shadow Roads belong to the Cait Sidhe and are used by the Candela. The Moorland Trail had been a shortcut. The Rides — a true Ride is always a sacrifice — occurred every seven years to deliver a sacrifice to the Heart (the very core of Faerie) to heal the wound that happened when the Three were made. The Changeling’s Choice is when a changeling must choose between being fae or human.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a gloomy brown wallpaper, well-suited to the storyline with an oval mirror reflecting a grim, forward-facing Toby. In front of the mirror is another grim long-haired Toby in her black leather jacket and a long green gown, holding a sword. At the top is an info blurb in yellow with the author's name in white below it. To the left of Toby's hips is a black badge with an inner yellow border and another info blurb. The title is a'slant below Toby's hips in a yellow distressed font. Trapped between the first and last words of the title is the series info in yellow.
The title is the heartfelt wish of many who wish to Sleep No More in Titania's "perfect" world.
August 30, 2023
Series Info/Source: This is the 17th book in the October Daye series. I got a copy of this on ebook through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: I feel like I will probably be in the minority when I say that this was by far my least favorite October Daye book to date. I really hope this series ties up soon. The below contains spoilers for previous books in this series (but not this book).
The story starts with us following an October who is happy with her life as the daughter of Amadine and Simon Torquill. She is a changeling and is hidden away in Amadine's tower, her main goal in life is to provide companionship to her sister September. As Moving Day approaches (a day where faerie can safely cross the borders of different kingdoms) things start to unravel. October finds out that her life may not be this relatively peaceful existence. People keep calling her a hero and she begins to discover she can do powerful blood magic.
I hate the "oops the main character lost her memory" plot device and that is basically what this story is. Yes, it does this creatively but we spend the whole book watching Toby get back to who she was at the end of book 16.
I just don't see a lot of point to it. Yes, the characters do grow some as a result of their unique experiences in this book, but in the end it seems that more harm than good was done. These characters end up remembering all their experiences from the twisted new version of faerie they've been dwelling in; in some cases this is good...in most cases this is bad.
This is still very well written, McGuire is a top notch author and always writes beautifully. I am just a bit dismayed at the turn this story took and how long this series is being drawn out.
I have "The Innocent Sleep" to review and read as well, and will be reading that in a couple of weeks. I am going to try to just sit back and trust McGuire's thought process because she very rarely lets me down as an author. However, I couldn't help but feel like this was filler.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was well written but a weak installment in the October Daye series. This felt a lot like filler to me and I am not sure why we needed this book. However, I am going to try and trust McGuire's process and hope that somehow this was vital to the series. I will be reading "The Innocent Sleep" soon, which covers the same time period as this book but from Tybalt's POV.
Thoughts: I feel like I will probably be in the minority when I say that this was by far my least favorite October Daye book to date. I really hope this series ties up soon. The below contains spoilers for previous books in this series (but not this book).
The story starts with us following an October who is happy with her life as the daughter of Amadine and Simon Torquill. She is a changeling and is hidden away in Amadine's tower, her main goal in life is to provide companionship to her sister September. As Moving Day approaches (a day where faerie can safely cross the borders of different kingdoms) things start to unravel. October finds out that her life may not be this relatively peaceful existence. People keep calling her a hero and she begins to discover she can do powerful blood magic.
I hate the "oops the main character lost her memory" plot device and that is basically what this story is. Yes, it does this creatively but we spend the whole book watching Toby get back to who she was at the end of book 16.
I just don't see a lot of point to it. Yes, the characters do grow some as a result of their unique experiences in this book, but in the end it seems that more harm than good was done. These characters end up remembering all their experiences from the twisted new version of faerie they've been dwelling in; in some cases this is good...in most cases this is bad.
This is still very well written, McGuire is a top notch author and always writes beautifully. I am just a bit dismayed at the turn this story took and how long this series is being drawn out.
I have "The Innocent Sleep" to review and read as well, and will be reading that in a couple of weeks. I am going to try to just sit back and trust McGuire's thought process because she very rarely lets me down as an author. However, I couldn't help but feel like this was filler.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was well written but a weak installment in the October Daye series. This felt a lot like filler to me and I am not sure why we needed this book. However, I am going to try and trust McGuire's process and hope that somehow this was vital to the series. I will be reading "The Innocent Sleep" soon, which covers the same time period as this book but from Tybalt's POV.
June 21, 2023
What ? Who ? How ? Yes this book will have you scratching your head in bewilderment because what has happened to these characters we know ? Who has messed up their lives ? More importantly how will October remember that she is October, Changeling and hero !
Regular readers of this series will remember that Titania has the power to cast powerful illusions and this one is a doozy ! As this began it took me by surprise just how very different everyone was and I hate to admit it but Toby did seem truly happy and content but hang on because there are anomalies that even Toby cannot ignore. So begins a journey to self for Toby, risking everything she loves and discovering that family is what you make it and always worth the risk !
The writing as usual is top notch, the ideas in play astounding and the outcome as heartbreaking as it's joyful. This series and its numerous characters continues to surprise and delight this reader and is a huge recommendation for those seeking books about the Fae and just how cruel they can be !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Regular readers of this series will remember that Titania has the power to cast powerful illusions and this one is a doozy ! As this began it took me by surprise just how very different everyone was and I hate to admit it but Toby did seem truly happy and content but hang on because there are anomalies that even Toby cannot ignore. So begins a journey to self for Toby, risking everything she loves and discovering that family is what you make it and always worth the risk !
The writing as usual is top notch, the ideas in play astounding and the outcome as heartbreaking as it's joyful. This series and its numerous characters continues to surprise and delight this reader and is a huge recommendation for those seeking books about the Fae and just how cruel they can be !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
July 23, 2023
I don’t read the synopsis to a Seanan McGuire book, I just get to reading as soon as it’s in my hands. So I was a bit surprised when I started Sleep No More and it began as a look into her past. And then I was even more surprised when Toby was a different Toby.
After getting into the rhythm of the story I realized it was a “what might have been”. Which I thought was a nice change of pace. Perhaps McGuire was trying a different writing style. And then the niceness started to drop away and we began to get the type of book I am always up for when I’m reading an October Daye novel or novella.
Wow! I had been wondering how McGuire could compete with how she ended book sixteen, Be The Serpent, and that was my mistake. I shouldn’t have had any doubts and only believed in a Queen of Urban Fantasy.
It was so interesting seeing how McGuire gave us a different perspective of well established characters, and reminding me of some that I hadn’t read about in awhile.
Another fantastic book in the October Daye series, and I’m looking forward to many, many more.
After getting into the rhythm of the story I realized it was a “what might have been”. Which I thought was a nice change of pace. Perhaps McGuire was trying a different writing style. And then the niceness started to drop away and we began to get the type of book I am always up for when I’m reading an October Daye novel or novella.
Wow! I had been wondering how McGuire could compete with how she ended book sixteen, Be The Serpent, and that was my mistake. I shouldn’t have had any doubts and only believed in a Queen of Urban Fantasy.
It was so interesting seeing how McGuire gave us a different perspective of well established characters, and reminding me of some that I hadn’t read about in awhile.
Another fantastic book in the October Daye series, and I’m looking forward to many, many more.
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