Four months after the events of Silver and Lead, October “Toby” Daye is settling into motherhood once again, now the bonus of not having to hide her or her child’s true nature from the other parent. Of course her life is even more dangerous now than it was when Gillian was young, so thankfully Toby has a full household to help her keep her daughter safe in the house, away from the terrors that Faerie has to offer. (Still trying to find that work/life balance, huh?) So she and Tybalt get a cast of thousands as caretakers, from the Luidaeg, Miranda’s godmother and terrifying sea witch, (Teeth. A lot of teeth.) to her mother’s death omen/sister May, to her cousin/estranged daughter of Toby’s liege lord Rayseline, who is currently serving out a term of offense in Toby’s home.
But of course, when everything is going well, someone has to throw a wrench in, and this time it’s Luna: Raysel’s term of offense is ending, and Mommy wants her home. (There is a Youtuber, B. Dylan Hollis, who recreates vintage recipes, and said in one of his videos: “Raisins. Why is is always the raisins?” Well I say, “Luna. Why is it always Luna?” Can we not get some Roundup for this shrub?)
Raysel, however, doesn’t want to go; Toby has been helping Raysel get the help she desperately needs, from giving her a safe place to hide all the way to finding her a licensed therapist who works with the fae, never mind that Raysel likes the house, May has taken her under her wing, and one of the guests is very protective of her as well. But of course Luna is the spoiled brat she’s always been, so in the middle of the audience determining whether Rayseline will stay or go, her mother kidnaps her and runs off to her father’s lands; Blind Michael, bogeyman of Faerie. Blind Michael, bogeyman of Toby.
However, Luna doesn’t know everything her father did in his skerry, and she can’t protect her daughter from the monsters in their lineage, or the secrets hidden in Blind Michael’s lands. So Toby is in a race against time to save Raysel (she failed once, she won’t fail again; especially since now she’s made Raysel a promise. Now, there’s so much more for them all to lose)—before it’s too late for her to ever come home.
It’s been years, but now the question will be asked again: can she get there and back by the light of a candle?
Family was built on so much more than blood.
Before I get into my (admittedly) short review, a gripe.
(Though to be honest, it’s the day after the book was released; how much detail can I really go into?)
I love Seanan McGuire’s work, I really do. And I’d have to, to go to the lengths I did to get a copy of this book.
See, I was promised an ARC; that fell through. So I pre-ordered it from my local bookstore; they cancelled the order, due to McGuire “not being their usual fare”. (Translation: she’s not a tradwife, Right-wing, or appearing on either Oprah’s or Reese Witherspoon’s booklists.) Then I reserved it at the only Barnes & Noble that seemed to have it: a hour and a half northeast of my house. I drive there- they’ve sold the one copy they got in (the one I reserved) to an employee’s friend. S0 I look online, and there are two other Barnes & Nobles carrying it, both in different states. (For those who know the area, or care: I live in Northernmost New Jersey, near the New York border. Went to Paramus, New Jersey to pick up the book, and then had to decide between Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania or Stamford, Connecticut. #FML) So after a five hour total round trip, I got home, and preceded to stay up until five in the morning reading it. Next book, I’m just pre-ordering from a reputable store.
But the book: the book was wonderful. I have loved Toby since Book One, and I will continue until one of us dies. Tybalt is a delight, the Luidaeg can never do anything wrong (though there is a small part of me that is starting to slightly wonder if she actually likes Toby), and for as little as Quentin is in this book, he’s great. The three biggest characters are probably Toby, Tybalt, and Chelsea Ames, and who would have guessed the last one? We get a Patrick, a Dianda, and a Raj cameo, which are always all to the good (Seanan note: more Raj, please.) You also get more insight into the dynamics of the Daye/Rand madhouse. And you get baby Miranda, aka the air raid siren. Not much in book, much felt. And Walther, and Cassandra, and Danny, and Lowri, and Etienne and Bridget, and Dean, and Simon, and Madden.
Of course with the good you get the bad: you have (of course) Luna, but you also get Sylvester, and Arden, and Nolan. And I’m sorry, but Arden and Nolan I run hot and cold on, and Sylvester? I know/suppose that McGuire is trying to write him as sympathetic (or at least damaged, but with a reason and trying), but he is trying (so very trying), and weak, and I don’t know why Toby won’t just cut him loose. (I do know: lifelong trauma.) And Luna? Can she join the list of people that we’ll hopefully never see again?
The story is fast-paced and action-filled, after a build-up; in fact, if I had one quibble, it would be that I slightly feel like there was more buildup to the plot points mentioned in the synopsis than on the actual plot points themselves. Not a big critique, but a small one.
Does this book bring the Maeve angle any closer to completion? I don’t think so. Does it do anything for the plot other than affect some people’s relationships, expose a ton of long-reaching cracks in Faerie thanks to Titania, and show why Toby, whether she wants to be or not, is a Hero? Maybe? This is one book that at the end I can’t honestly tell you where she’s going from here (other than further into the thorny woods, as per her Author’s Note.) But boy, did I enjoy the journey.
Bonus: The included short story gives you a closer look at Quentin, post- Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep.
Read this series if you haven’t; you won’t be disappointed.
(Though to be honest, I think this is how a lot of the children in this book series feel; Dr. Voss, the therapist, would probably be able to retire to her own private island if she took all of Faerie as her patients.)
