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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was similar to other series I have read, with the strong female character that has been damaged by her past, but it was boring. The whole thing was just unbelievable. She supposedly doesn't have much magic but survives one attack after another. I found that I was nearly laughing at times when it was supposed to be serious. I won't be continuing with this series.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5 stars. Very original. I will definitely read book 2. October/Toby is an awesome heroine. I'm glad she's not one of the ones constantly talking about her own sexiness and stuff. Also glad this book wasn't super romance focused. The mystery part of the plot, which made up the bulk of it, was great. Everything worked out alright in the end. On to number two! As soon as I pay off my library fines from the books I didn't return before I went on vacation.
Reread October 31st, 2018
This is an excellent book. I love the series overall, and the growth that Toby shows throughout. Each book has a unique, distinct plot and mystery to unravel. 5 stars!
Reread May 19th to 22nd, 2021
This was a fun reread. I didn't really get into it until a third of the way through. It was the lack of Tybalt. Once he shows up, everything improves. (I'm not biased towards my favorite character at all, of course.) It was also nice to see the Luideag towards the end. She's great! And Toby herself is wonderful, although I'm glad she sees a bit of development from the start to the end of this book. It's a bit jarring to reread sometimes because Toby does go through a lot over the course of the series, and is pretty different later on in certain ways, haha. 4 stars!
Reread October 31st, 2018
This is an excellent book. I love the series overall, and the growth that Toby shows throughout. Each book has a unique, distinct plot and mystery to unravel. 5 stars!
Reread May 19th to 22nd, 2021
This was a fun reread. I didn't really get into it until a third of the way through. It was the lack of Tybalt. Once he shows up, everything improves. (I'm not biased towards my favorite character at all, of course.) It was also nice to see the Luideag towards the end. She's great! And Toby herself is wonderful, although I'm glad she sees a bit of development from the start to the end of this book. It's a bit jarring to reread sometimes because Toby does go through a lot over the course of the series, and is pretty different later on in certain ways, haha. 4 stars!
She seems to grow up a lot by the end of the book. But she still has a waya to go. I'm looking forward to see how the relationships between and other characters develop. If To keeps developing onto a more mature person and stops repeating the same mistakes constantly, this will be a great series.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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:
Yes
My brain is very jumbled.
I read this because I love the atmosphere and world building of Seanan McGuire's Wayward children series and I love urban fantasy. On those fronts, I was well fed. Even with this debut, Seanan's writing felt like it was simultaneously just for me, while also feeling like it should be read by anyone and everyone. In saying that, it could have used some polishing in parts and at times the descriptions felt a little repetitive; she's definitely refined her craft over the years but boy was this a strong starting point.
As I was reading Rosemary and Rue, I had the foresight of knowing there are at least another 30 stories to come in the October Daye series and that really showed. It felt at times like I was being pinballed from one scene to the next for the purposes of fleshing out Toby's backstory and the world in which the whole series is set, more so than for the specific purpose of the story that I was in. Each of these scenes then just sprinkled in a near death experience for Toby in order to make it relevant; someone comes to her rescue or she stumbles to the next place of (relative) safety, rinse and repeat.
Toby as a main character also has me conflicted. Everyone we encountered in the book seemed to hold her in such high esteem, especially for a changeling (mixed blood human and fae), but she was consistently making bad decisions and couldn't even save herself from her own mistakes. In the early part of the book her petulance about the fae world and avoidance of everyone who loved her because of her 'failures' was downright annoying. It also irked me that every male was a potential love interest, though I guess that was groundwork for future books. On the flip side though, I really enjoyed the moments we saw more of Toby's humanity, when she was reuniting with her friends in Shadowed Hills and the Tea Gardens, or taking the younger fae under her wing.
In summary, this wasn't a knockout book for me and if it wasn't a series, I'd be disappointed. I do however think it's laid a foundation that is exciting and has made me want to read on. It has potential to be a favourite series in the future and I'll probably look back on this installment way more fondly than I'm looking at it now.
I read this because I love the atmosphere and world building of Seanan McGuire's Wayward children series and I love urban fantasy. On those fronts, I was well fed. Even with this debut, Seanan's writing felt like it was simultaneously just for me, while also feeling like it should be read by anyone and everyone. In saying that, it could have used some polishing in parts and at times the descriptions felt a little repetitive; she's definitely refined her craft over the years but boy was this a strong starting point.
As I was reading Rosemary and Rue, I had the foresight of knowing there are at least another 30 stories to come in the October Daye series and that really showed. It felt at times like I was being pinballed from one scene to the next for the purposes of fleshing out Toby's backstory and the world in which the whole series is set, more so than for the specific purpose of the story that I was in. Each of these scenes then just sprinkled in a near death experience for Toby in order to make it relevant; someone comes to her rescue or she stumbles to the next place of (relative) safety, rinse and repeat.
Toby as a main character also has me conflicted. Everyone we encountered in the book seemed to hold her in such high esteem, especially for a changeling (mixed blood human and fae), but she was consistently making bad decisions and couldn't even save herself from her own mistakes. In the early part of the book her petulance about the fae world and avoidance of everyone who loved her because of her 'failures' was downright annoying. It also irked me that every male was a potential love interest, though I guess that was groundwork for future books. On the flip side though, I really enjoyed the moments we saw more of Toby's humanity, when she was reuniting with her friends in Shadowed Hills and the Tea Gardens, or taking the younger fae under her wing.
In summary, this wasn't a knockout book for me and if it wasn't a series, I'd be disappointed. I do however think it's laid a foundation that is exciting and has made me want to read on. It has potential to be a favourite series in the future and I'll probably look back on this installment way more fondly than I'm looking at it now.
I felt like there was a bit too much trying to introduce characters and different types of faeries and not as much mystery solving. But I'm curious to see what happens next, so I'll definitely keep reading.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I walked away from Rosemary and Rue with conflicting feelings. The plot had great potential, but the execution left something to be desired. October "Toby" Daye, our protagonist, is a changeling private investigator, but her detective work left much to be desired. Throughout the book, she hops from one person or location to the next, seeking clues for her investigation, but for the most part, she doesn’t uncover anything new. Instead, I felt like I was being drowned in excessive descriptions of habits, traditions, and behavioral patterns that took precedence over Toby’s story.
While I understand that this book serves as an introduction to a complex world, the delivery felt off-balance. The backstory and world-building were intriguing, and by the end, I was engaged once again—the conclusion certainly redeemed some of the slower sections. McGuire clearly put a lot of effort into crafting this fae world, so I’m hopeful that the next book in the series will have more consistent pacing and sharper execution.
One aspect I struggled with was Toby’s relationship with Devin. Toby was abused by Devin when she was younger, yet during her encounters with him, there’s a troubling tension as she experiences sexual arousal around him. I understand that Toby is tied to this halfway house and Devin for help, given her lack of other options, but her attraction to him felt uncomfortable, especially since he continues to exploit others. The idea of returning to an abuser for assistance could have been explored with depth, but the way her emotions played out left me uneasy.
By the end, I reluctantly admitted that I was more bored than engaged. The plot holes, inconsistent details, and dangling subplots pulled me out of what initially felt like an immersive experience. Despite the strong world-building, I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series, but there’s enough intrigue in the world that I might give it another chance.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No