McGuire, Seanan-- The Brightest Fell informal buddy read starts December 9, 2018

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This thread is open to discuss The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire



Synopsis

New York Times-bestselling October Daye series - Hugo Award-winning author Seanan McGuire - "Top of my urban-paranormal series list!" --Felicia Day

Things are slow, and October "Toby" Daye couldn't be happier about that. The elf-shot cure has been approved, Arden Windermere is settling into her position as Queen in the Mists, and Toby doesn't have anything demanding her attention except for wedding planning and spending time with her family.

Maybe she should have realized that it was too good to last.

When Toby's mother, Amandine, appears on her doorstep with a demand for help, refusing her seems like the right thing to do...until Amandine starts taking hostages, and everything changes. Now Toby doesn't have a choice about whether or not she does as her mother asks. Not with Jazz and Tybalt's lives hanging in the balance. But who could possibly help her find a pureblood she's never met, one who's been missing for over a hundred years?

Enter Simon Torquill, elf-shot enemy turned awakened, uneasy ally. Together, the two of them must try to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the Mists: what happened to Amandine's oldest daughter, August, who disappeared in 1906.

This is one missing person case Toby can't afford to get wrong. (less)

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[Devann]

i'm pretty wiped out from wheelathon so i don't think i'm gonna start this until tomorrow lol

[Cathy M.]

I'm pretty burned out too! Last night I didn't read, just watched movies and then went to sleep. Today will probably be a limited day for me too!

[Claudia]

I'm working on my last assignment for the semester which is due tomorrow so I will probably start tomorrow as well. Is it just the three of us left reading the series?

[Cathy M.]

Yep think it is just us 3.

[Claudia]

Poor unfortunate souls in pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them? Yes, indeed
Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true

[Devann]

soooo ...i still didn't start this today. -_-; in my defense i thought i had it with me when i went to my friend's house for the day but apparently i didn't. you just jogged my memory that this is the one with the karaoke party in it though lol. so good. i'm really excited for this one because there's so many things i love in it but also amandine is literally the worst and poor tybalt and jazz :( i promise i will actually start in the morning though!

[Cathy M.]

Claudia wrote: "Poor unfortunate souls in pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them? Yes, indeed
Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true"

Yes! I wouldve loved watching that :D

[Cathy M.]

Devann wrote: "soooo ...i still didn't start this today. -_-; in my defense i thought i had it with me when i went to my friend's house for the day but apparently i didn't. you just jogged my memory that this is ..."

I've been waiting for Amandine to finally make more that a brief appearance but didn't think it was going to be like this!!!

[Cathy M.]

Thru Chpt 5 -

(view spoiler)[i'm sorry but this talk of Rayseline just really makes me angry. Toby is going to HELP in her defense? Try to get her pardoned? Why does she even have to offer that? And why does it matter if Luna doesn't agree - its Sylvester's decision so screw her! Ugh. This should be interesting, Toby working with Simon. (hide spoiler)]

[Devann]

ok, i finally started! did chapters 1-7 today.

toby gets one (1) chapter of happiness per book lol

god, amandine is just the absolute worst. she might even make me more angry than the imposter queen and the king in silences because like ...i mean yeah they're awful but this is october's mother and she basically shows up at her house like 'wow it sure does suck that you're not dead but hey do this for me' #theworst

on the far other hand, this book actually makes me like simon, as much as i never thought that would happen. i mean don't get me wrong, he's still done some awful stuff too, but he's just so damn charming -_-;

the whole thing w/ raysel does bother me as well but like ...at this point we've woken up simon so i guess it's like might as well?

[Claudia]

This book is making me have Simon Torquill feels and I do not like it. I liked it better when he was just a straight up bad guy. I am feeling sorry for him. I've always had a weak spot for people who do horrible things but are not really evil. Ugh.

I also totally hate Toby's mom she is horrible.

[Cathy M.]

Only made it thru Chpt 9 so far & not much else to add. Simon did do some bad things and I'm not sure if he's atoned for them at this point but can admit that he has a certain charm to him.

And I really thought after Amandine saved Toby from the elf-shot that she would have some sort of affection for Toby but damn, she's cold-hearted!

The thing with Raysel just makes me mad because it's like Toby is going way above and beyond what is necessary. she already changed her blood but her offering to help SAVE Raysel just irritates me. I mean, yea sure, wake her. They are waking everyone else so I can see that. But Toby should've left it at that.

[Devann]

yeah i would definitely not say that simon has made up for all he's done but he does seem to kind of be trying which is like ...way more than any other villain in this series has done lol

and i agree that toby definitely doesn't NEED to be doing all this for raysel, but i guess she's mostly just doing it to try to help sylvester ...and luna but of course luna is just being totally irrational about everything soooo

[Devann]

i read chapters 8-14 today. i'm more okay with it this time because i'm prepared for it but i'm still like SEANAN WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME SIMON TORQUILL FEELS OF ALL THE DUMB THINGS.

i like the part with the pixies too. it's great that they get taken prisoner by them and then toby and simon turn out to be like 2 out of their 3 most favorite people ever lol

[Claudia]

I just finished!!!!
ugh so much happened in this book which pissed me off.

Amandine is the worst. (view spoiler)[She had no intentions of returning Tybalt and Jazz. And then she has the gall to be like you don't want to make an enemy of me when she was the one who started it. (hide spoiler)]

August (view spoiler)[ turned out to be a brat and just as bad. I dunno I was kind of hoping she would be a character I liked and not another character to hate on Toby. The whole I won't forget this at the end just pissed me off. She instantly just wants Toby to drop everything and help her but hello Toby is still trying to recover from what Amadine did. Everything hat happened is August fault anyway for ignoring everyone and their warnings. Also, her whole attitude towards changelings pissed me off. (hide spoiler)]

Simon (view spoiler)[was probably the worst part of this book. He was regaining who he used to be and maybe with time maybe he would have been able to redeem himself and then boom he took the consequences for August and lost himself again. Now we have him back to being a bad guy without a reason to try and stay good. You know this means he's going to go back and awaken Evening. I'm tired of bad guys never dying. We need Toby to be able to kill her enemies so they can't come back. (hide spoiler)]

Sylvester (view spoiler)[has kind of banished Toby from his knowe because he is trying to stop avoid conflicts with Luna but that was pretty shitty. We already know he won't choose Toby over Luna despite him saying hat toby was the daughter of his heart. I'm with Toby that there are some things that can't be fixed and I think her relationship with Luna may be one of those things. Which is weird cause the Luna hate came out of nowhere. (hide spoiler)]

My theories of series going forward are that Toby is the one who will end up finding and returning Oberon. (view spoiler)[This book kept mentioning a prophecy that Amadine tried to avoid that her line would save faerie by finding and returning Oberon. She refused it not wanting to be a hero and all that entailed. August chased it wanting to be a hero. What if the whole thing referred to Toby and everything that happened was meant to happen to make sure Toby would be born and fulfill the prophecy. After all, if August had never gone missing her parents may not have split and Amadine may not have tried replacing her with a half human child. Without August disappearing she would never have gotten together with a human and have a changeling child. after all Amadine and August seem to have low opinions of changelings as it is. I dunno what do you guys think? (hide spoiler)]

[Claudia]

Devann wrote: " i like the part with the pixies too. it's great that they get taken prisoner by them and then toby and simon turn out to be like 2 out of their 3 most favorite people ever lol .."

That was one of my favorite parts as well. Like oh no we were shrunk and captured and then boom the pixies end up being like "wait it's October. She's good people. Sorry about the whole capturing you thing. It's great your visiting, stay with us a while,"

[Devann]

im only halfway through and probably won't finish til friday or saturday. i agree with most of your points except for simon as he's basically the high point of the book for me. i mean i agree that where he was at the end is annoying but i'm hoping that he will be able to further redeem himself in future books because this one really made me like him.

and i agree that toby is probably going to be the one to find oberon, although whether or not that will be a good thing remains to be seen as he honestly sounds like a bit of a dick from what we know so far.

[Cathy M.]

I'm on Chpt 15 now but so glad we finally got Simon's story - about why he took Luna & Raysel & what he did to them.

Haven't read all of your spoilers yet but from your and Devann's comments re the prophesy - that's what I was thinking as well. August wants to be a hero but she isn't so I don't think that's her role to play. So it has to be Toby - and everything that she's gone thru up to this point has been to prepare her for that final quest.

[Cathy M.]

Chpt 16 - Holy crap!!!! (view spoiler)[They found Officer Thornton!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Claudia]

Cathy M. wrote: "Chpt 16 - Holy crap!!!! [spoilers removed]"


I know I was really surprised by that as well. I'm glad they took him back home with them. I felt it was kind of shitty that he got left behind last time. I was honestly surprised he was still alive.

[Devann]

managed to get through chapter 20 today. i was glad they found him as well because it was never really something i thought about on my first readthrough but you all brought it up back in book whatever it was and i was like oh yeaaaaah that's gotta suck lol

probably shouldn't be surprised that august is awful because i assume that amandine being 'nice' to and 'loving' a child she raised could have no other outcome but like DAMN GIRL. poor october, her blood balance is always just sliding all over the place.

ugh, whenever october was like 'stop being you' and simon was like 'wish i could'. SEANAN, THESE SIMON FEELS ARE UNACCEPTABLE lol

[Claudia]

Devann wrote: "ugh, whenever october was like 'stop being you' and simon was like 'wish i could'. SEANAN, THESE SIMON FEELS ARE UNACCEPTABLE lol"

That was the exact same reaction that I had as well.

[Cathy M.]

Finished!

Tybalt - (view spoiler)[I really missed him in this one! So used to him being around, and the banter between him & Toby. REALLY REALLY hope him & Jazz are able to get over what Amandine did to them!!! How do the fae get over PTSD??? (hide spoiler)]

Amandine (view spoiler)[Definitely not winning any awards. How she reacted when August came back was brutal. Could you just imagine Toby? In the past she had wanted her mother's approval and to see her be kind and loving to August had to have hurt, no matter what their relationship is now. And you are you right - not intending to give back Tybalt & Jazz? So not cool. (hide spoiler)]

August - (view spoiler)[God, another character I absolutely loathe. Bratty is right, so would be spoiled. Amandine and Simon obviously doted on her so the outlook doesn't look good that she'll change any. She was used to getting her way so I thought it was in character for her to get pissed about Toby refusing her at the end. Just not looking forward to her in the next books...
Also gotta say it's a little scary how good at her powers she is, and how quickly and easily she changed Toby's blood. (hide spoiler)]

Simon - (view spoiler)[He was finally starting to change for good (smelling more like apples than the rotting fruit) all for him to give it up for stupid August. I understand why he did it, just really didn't like that he did. I think you're right Claudia - he's probably going to find a way to wake Evening. Yay another villain to come back (for the 3rd time!). I'm tired of that too. There needs to be a better way.

What I don't get is how he remembers Toby, or remembers that he hates her. She was born after August disappeared, and she is Amandine's daughter and Sylvester's subject. Him kidnapping Raysel & Luna, & turning Toby into a fish was a plot to distract Sylvester. (Did I understand that right?) So I assume Simon "lost" his memories of his family, but would that include Evening (since he was working for her) or what he did while in her service (kidnapping)? I'm just not getting how he has certain memories that are tied to others he lost... (hide spoiler)]

Sylvester & Luna - (view spoiler)[so disappointed in how all this turned out. I used to love Sylvester and I was always in his corner even when Toby thought he betrayed her. Luna's hate really did come from left field but I'm glad that she's not as big of a character as she used to be. I almost want to tell Sylvester to grow a pair & not let Luna bully him but know that's not right. She's his wife... (hide spoiler)]

Poppy - wonder how she'll cope with being human-sized! She was a cutie & hope we'll see her again

Officer Thornton - I was the one who asked about the future of him because it was so messed up that they didn't take him when they left Annwyn! Somewhat glad he's back in the mortal world but don't know if he'll be able to deal. It's probably been too long. Poor guy.

[Devann]

i finished this morning as well. i agree that amandine is just the worst. when she was like 'would you make an enemy of me' i was just like ??? how do you not get that she loathes you at this point. like honestly, points to toby for not murdering her mother because i probably would have. and august as well. i'm actually kind of surprised she even bothered to come by at the end and semi-apologize before she turned awful again. maybe there might be some small hope for her but they'd have to get her away from amandine first.

and that's a good point about the weird loopholes in simon's memory. i don't think it comes up in the next book but maybe we'll get more insight in the future.

i wonder why toby's mom even had her. i mean i guess she just wanted a human doll to play with basically but it's still kind of messed up that she birthed a kid just to watch them die. although i guess 'kind of messed up' is understated for amandine. we get more info about her and HER mother in the next book that is pretty interesting though.

[Cathy M.]

Devann wrote: "i finished this morning as well. i agree that amandine is just the worst. when she was like 'would you make an enemy of me' i was just like ??? how do you not get that she loathes you at this point..."

Very true, August kept talking down to Toby & referring to her as just a changeling so why would she even go there!

It doesn't make sense that Amandine would want Toby to be human just to watch her die a mortal life. Especially with her being all distraught over August's disappearance. That will be interesting to learn more about their family line.

[Claudia]

Now I just want to know where the series is going to go from this point. Like seriously there is always so much going on and more questions and things to solve pop up.

[Devann]

yeah, i mean i am definitely enjoying the books and whatever 'side quests' she wants to take toby on are fine with me but i would like to know if she has a plan for how long the series will be overall just so i know the pace we're moving at lol