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katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
[2020:] I think this was the one where I finally turned and said "okay Damon, you have to read these, because I'm tired of not being able to share the jokes with you."
[2015:] This book was 80% what I always wanted this series to be, totally hitting the series stride where the rules and the geography are comfortable, and the characters are familiar enough (and so awesome) that you can see how they're changing and guess what they're not saying. The other 20% felt like tidying up some things that had to be dealt with eventually, so why not now. No complaints about the plotting, the stakes, the new characters introduced, or the development of existing ones (and wow, it's rare that I don't have a gripe about one of those).
I also really appreciated that Toby actually consumed some food and got some sleep.
[2015:] This book was 80% what I always wanted this series to be, totally hitting the series stride where the rules and the geography are comfortable, and the characters are familiar enough (and so awesome) that you can see how they're changing and guess what they're not saying. The other 20% felt like tidying up some things that had to be dealt with eventually, so why not now
Spoiler
(ahem, Connor and Gillian)I also really appreciated that Toby actually consumed some food and got some sleep.
dajoyofit's review against another edition
5.0
This book deserves double the stars. I can’t praise it enough. This is the strongest and the best book in this series yet for several reasons.
But first, this is not a PNR (paranormal romance). This is an Urban Fantasy novel. It is rare to find a leading female character that can hold a series all on her own. Most heroine’s in the fantasy genre fall in the PNR with the romance and sex carrying the story and the series. This is good for PNR, but not for a true Urban Fantasy. I was so afraid that McGuire would cave from pressure to turn her series into a PNR. Happily, she did not. Thank Oberon and Titania! That’s not to say that October is celibate or some form of a female eunuch. Far from it; however, October’s sex life isn’t even remotely what drives this series. Far from it.
The world building alone is richly satisfying. We get to see another layer of the fae world (their society and laws) with the introduction of the Undersea world of Faerie. Oberon & Titania would approve. The world of October Daye is believable. The way that McGuire interweaves Irish mythology and breaths a contemporary vibe into them is ingenious.
The Goblins alone about made me pee my pants and the pixies were my heroes.
The plot in this story was tight and methodically developed. It flows effortlessly off the page. There is nothing happenstance about the scenes in this book or the interactions between the characters. I appreciated the pace, because it allowed me to savor and absorb everything that was happening. The rhythm was consistent from start to finish, and was just slow enough to let us smell the flowers without feeling cumbersome.
The supporting cast of characters was the best I’ve read in a long while. It was a delightful surprise to see some of them were developed more fully. This book wouldn’t have been the same without them. They each added a rich complexity to the texture of this story. I especially loved getting to know more about the sea witch. I hadn’t expected such a private look into her character. It was amazing.
This story is filled with action, tender moments, love, war, tragedy, laughter, tears, and heartache.
I can’t wait to see what McGuire has in store for book #6. In the meantime, I plan to reread the series again.
But first, this is not a PNR (paranormal romance). This is an Urban Fantasy novel. It is rare to find a leading female character that can hold a series all on her own. Most heroine’s in the fantasy genre fall in the PNR with the romance and sex carrying the story and the series. This is good for PNR, but not for a true Urban Fantasy. I was so afraid that McGuire would cave from pressure to turn her series into a PNR. Happily, she did not. Thank Oberon and Titania! That’s not to say that October is celibate or some form of a female eunuch. Far from it; however, October’s sex life isn’t even remotely what drives this series. Far from it.
The world building alone is richly satisfying. We get to see another layer of the fae world (their society and laws) with the introduction of the Undersea world of Faerie. Oberon & Titania would approve. The world of October Daye is believable. The way that McGuire interweaves Irish mythology and breaths a contemporary vibe into them is ingenious.
The Goblins alone about made me pee my pants and the pixies were my heroes.
The plot in this story was tight and methodically developed. It flows effortlessly off the page. There is nothing happenstance about the scenes in this book or the interactions between the characters. I appreciated the pace, because it allowed me to savor and absorb everything that was happening. The rhythm was consistent from start to finish, and was just slow enough to let us smell the flowers without feeling cumbersome.
The supporting cast of characters was the best I’ve read in a long while. It was a delightful surprise to see some of them were developed more fully. This book wouldn’t have been the same without them. They each added a rich complexity to the texture of this story. I especially loved getting to know more about the sea witch. I hadn’t expected such a private look into her character. It was amazing.
This story is filled with action, tender moments, love, war, tragedy, laughter, tears, and heartache.
I can’t wait to see what McGuire has in store for book #6. In the meantime, I plan to reread the series again.
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
The latest installment of the October Daye stories is an excellent book.
In addition to a good immediate story (Toby must find the kidnapped children of a neighboring ruler to prevent war), many of the longer-running plot threads have started to come together as well.
In addition to a good immediate story (Toby must find the kidnapped children of a neighboring ruler to prevent war), many of the longer-running plot threads have started to come together as well.
serafim's review against another edition
4.5
i loved this book right from the intro, with sylvester giving toby sword lessons (i love him so much and he was having so much fun) and quentin getting squired to toby (i also loved how raj ended up a bonus unofficial squire) . the plot hook was good, with the threat of war creating good tension even though it was pretty obvious it was gonna get averted, and patrick and dianda were fairly immediately endearing. i absolutely loved how present the luidaeg was, and getting a bit more development on her relationships with people other than toby (that hug.... ❤️). the undersea was really cool, plus a bit more of toby's water trauma! raysel was a slightly better villain this time around, her tragic backstory hitting the right emotional notes and her objectives a bit less unsympathetic, but still not super compelling. throwing gilly into the mix was a great way to raise the stakes. tybalt was in top form, really Doing the Most for toby all book long. i didn't like how toby gave up her county at the end, her having to juggle being responsible for a whole knowe on top of everything else was an interesting dynamic that i wish lasted longer than one book. selkie origin story was really cool. and finally, the award for least emotionally impactful death goes to: connor . idk what it is about him that i just dont care? it completely puzzles me. but i very firmly Do Not, which sorta killed the intended effect of the ending a little (a lot)
accidentalspaceexplorer's review against another edition
4.5
Oof. Oof. I knew it was coming because I heard Seanan McGuire hint at something in a panel (which made me really appreciate the Shakespeare motifs more!) and I had to know what she was hinting at. Very good though, this one was very compelling.
mr_ryancowboy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
in_libris_speramus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kk7's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This one was hard. Fantastic book but d***. In this story someone has stolen the two sea princes. The sea queen believes it was the land queen and declares war. Basically, if there is a war, the sea will kick the lands rump. So Toby has to stop it. Things get much,much worse. She has to lose so much personally in order to save the kingdom.
stephanie063025's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
magzz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0