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the_jelli_bean's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic romp through the world of Sir October, Toby, Daye.
Her friends have thrown her the best Bachelorette party at a kareoke bar. The drinks, even though they don't effect her much, are flowing, and she is even loosening up a little bit.
That's all well and good until everyone says goodnight and she heads home with May, Jazz, and Quentin in toe. Only to be greeted by the person she never wanted to darken her doorstep, her mother. And mommy dearest comes with demands that start with taking Jazz and Toby's fiance Tybalt hostage.
Her friends have thrown her the best Bachelorette party at a kareoke bar. The drinks, even though they don't effect her much, are flowing, and she is even loosening up a little bit.
That's all well and good until everyone says goodnight and she heads home with May, Jazz, and Quentin in toe. Only to be greeted by the person she never wanted to darken her doorstep, her mother. And mommy dearest comes with demands that start with taking Jazz and Toby's fiance Tybalt hostage.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
4.0
The Brightest Fell: 4.5 stars. This was really good! Better than the last book, which I definitely still liked (I don't think it's possible for me to dislike a Toby book), but this one seemed to move the plot forward a step in a really interesting way. I was worried when it became clear Tybalt was going to be gone for like the entire book since Toby/Tybalt has always been my favorite part of this series (but not my only favorite part – I truly love everything about this series), but after like 4 straight books of them being together plus Ashes for Honor, I can deal with one book where Tybalt is massively sidelined. And it helped that we got so many answers – I think I'm starting to see where the endgame of the series might be with Oberon and the prophecy about Amandine's line (although I could also be completely far off). I loved Simon's redemption so much, and I never thought I would have Simon feelings, but he made me teary on like two separate occasions, and it was heartbreaking that he sacrificed himself for August. August was interesting and not at all what I expected, and I hope that in time she and Toby are able to become allies (I have less of a hope about her mother, who was also not what I expected, since I always thought Amandine cared about Toby in her own way, but maybe not, I guess!). I also loved the pixie stuff, and how after 11 books, we're still getting insight in different parts of the fae world. I particularly enjoyed Poppy and hope she shows up again.
I always will also love how Seanan leaves breadcrumbs and things that don't seem important at all have huge effects later on, like mentioning August in Ashes of Honor when we don't realize she's August. And I like how, with a cast as huge as it is by book 11, characters show up when there's a reason for them to be around, but there isn't the need to visit every single side character for an update in every single book. And I also liked how the plot in Ashes seemed somewhat unrelated to the overarching storyline at the time, but having a changeling teleporter who can break into Awnwn actually ends up having an impact on the story here because it allowed August to escape.
Basically, this series is comfort food to me. It's not perfect, but it's my favorite thing, and I will read as many books in this series as Seanan has in her to write. Also, two sidenotes: 1) I will ship Raj/Quentin forever, I don't care (even though Dean and Quentin are cute enough), and 2) are Tybalt and Toby ever going to get married??? I swear they have been engaged for like 3 times as many books as they were dating, and with each new book, I expect we're going to finally get their wedding, and then nope! Oh well, maybe the next one!
"Of Things Unknown": This was sad in some ways but really good. I loved seeing April's perspective and her relationship with Li Qin. The fun thing about the novellas in this series is getting more from characters there just isn't really time for in the book series unless they're directly relevant to the main plot, which waking everyone at Tamed Lightning wasn't. But at the same time, like, I get why this is a novella, but it seems like it's going to be a very weird thing in the main series to be like, "Oh yeah, January and the others got woken up between the last book and this one, surprise!" I don't see how there would be time for a story like this in the main books, but it also just seems like a huge thing to gloss over like that (unlike previous novellas which included things like Toby meeting Quentin's parents/Quentin and Dean starting their relationship, and Nolan being woken from elf-shot – all of which I enjoyed reading about but didn't feel vital to the series to actually read). In any case, this was good, and I'm glad I read it.
I always will also love how Seanan leaves breadcrumbs and things that don't seem important at all have huge effects later on, like mentioning August in Ashes of Honor when we don't realize she's August. And I like how, with a cast as huge as it is by book 11, characters show up when there's a reason for them to be around, but there isn't the need to visit every single side character for an update in every single book. And I also liked how the plot in Ashes seemed somewhat unrelated to the overarching storyline at the time, but having a changeling teleporter who can break into Awnwn actually ends up having an impact on the story here because it allowed August to escape.
Basically, this series is comfort food to me. It's not perfect, but it's my favorite thing, and I will read as many books in this series as Seanan has in her to write. Also, two sidenotes: 1) I will ship Raj/Quentin forever, I don't care (even though Dean and Quentin are cute enough), and 2) are Tybalt and Toby ever going to get married??? I swear they have been engaged for like 3 times as many books as they were dating, and with each new book, I expect we're going to finally get their wedding, and then nope! Oh well, maybe the next one!
"Of Things Unknown": This was sad in some ways but really good. I loved seeing April's perspective and her relationship with Li Qin. The fun thing about the novellas in this series is getting more from characters there just isn't really time for in the book series unless they're directly relevant to the main plot, which waking everyone at Tamed Lightning wasn't. But at the same time, like, I get why this is a novella, but it seems like it's going to be a very weird thing in the main series to be like, "Oh yeah, January and the others got woken up between the last book and this one, surprise!" I don't see how there would be time for a story like this in the main books, but it also just seems like a huge thing to gloss over like that (unlike previous novellas which included things like Toby meeting Quentin's parents/Quentin and Dean starting their relationship, and Nolan being woken from elf-shot – all of which I enjoyed reading about but didn't feel vital to the series to actually read). In any case, this was good, and I'm glad I read it.
atsumeri's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
artgor's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so intense!
Previously, I thought that Rhys was evil and racist, but, holy shit, Amandine is so much worse. Such casual and, at the same time, deliberate cruelty. Even Evening wasn't that bad. I was always a fan of the concept that blood ties can be a family's foundation, but they can't compensate for bad attitudes, which is a great example. I hope that one day Amandine gets what she deserves.
August seems to be just a spoiled brat. There is still hope that she will grow; let's see.
Simon proves to be a complex character. I understand him better, but I doubt I will ever like his personality.
I really love the series, the world, and the characters!
Previously, I thought that Rhys was evil and racist, but, holy shit, Amandine is so much worse. Such casual and, at the same time, deliberate cruelty. Even Evening wasn't that bad. I was always a fan of the concept that blood ties can be a family's foundation, but they can't compensate for bad attitudes, which is a great example. I hope that one day Amandine gets what she deserves.
August seems to be just a spoiled brat. There is still hope that she will grow; let's see.
Simon proves to be a complex character. I understand him better, but I doubt I will ever like his personality.
I really love the series, the world, and the characters!
katleap's review
4.0
4.5 stars
So so so much happens in this book. And it complicates everything wonderfully. We finally get to learn about August. And I have to say that the only reason Toby turned out as good as she did is that Amandine wasn't interested. And Simon. He makes me sad and I hope hope that we get to see him again.
So so so much happens in this book. And it complicates everything wonderfully. We finally get to learn about August. And I have to say that the only reason Toby turned out as good as she did is that Amandine wasn't interested. And Simon. He makes me sad and I hope hope that we get to see him again.
caedocyon's review against another edition
3.0
I was watching the number of pages left, so I wasn't expecting The Brightest Fell to end in such a dark place. (The last 60 pp are a novella I haven't read yet.) And then it was 1:50am and I couldn't sleep. Take that as a warning.
I like when McGuire shows the dark, harsh side of faerie, something closer to the spirit of almost every folktale she draws on. The harshness of faerie is talked up in the other books in the series, but in practice most of the bad stuff is counteracted by the end of the book, or maybe the one after. I suspect a lot of what happened in this book is also going to be Fixed at some point (except), but meanwhile we are left with lots of consequences and everyone is worse off at the end of the book than they were at the start.
This summer I experienced a violent event, and it's made me think a lot about violence in fiction and how trauma is or isn't represented. I didn't find The Brightest Fell's take as (personally?) compelling as that of He Says He Is An Experimental Theologian*, but it's certainly something that McGuire is thinking about in this book.
On a technical level, I loved that this is one of the books where lots of dangling threads from earlier stories get picked up, and there's some great character and relationship development (though May and Jazz, as always, feel like an afterthought). On the other hand, it's a little over-written. I realize that we needed something substantially happy and fun at the beginning to set off against the rest of the book, but the bachelorette party dragged on and on. (a. I don't care about the Toby/Tybalt relationship, b. Toby just exclaims over how embarrassed she is, repeatedly, for approximately 700 pages.) There were other points where I had to take a moment to goggle at how many different metaphors and similes could be packed into a single paragraph. I want to give it 4 stars for the plot, but the writing drags it down to a solid 3.
* So yes, part of the reason I've been posting less on GR is that I spent a couple weeks in August/September blazing through about 1,000 pages of [b:Welcome to Night Vale|23129410|Welcome to Night Vale (Night Vale, #1)|Joseph Fink|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447774088s/23129410.jpg|42677282]/[b:His Dark Materials|18116|His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3)|Philip Pullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442329494s/18116.jpg|1943518] crossover fic. I highly, highly recommend it.
ETA: went back and finished the novella a few days later.
TALK ABOUT NOTHING HAVING ANY CONSEQUENCES EVER!
I like when McGuire shows the dark, harsh side of faerie, something closer to the spirit of almost every folktale she draws on. The harshness of faerie is talked up in the other books in the series, but in practice most of the bad stuff is counteracted by the end of the book, or maybe the one after. I suspect a lot of what happened in this book is also going to be Fixed at some point (except
Spoiler
Amandine, who is finally revealed to be a real piece of work, whewThis summer I experienced a violent event, and it's made me think a lot about violence in fiction and how trauma is or isn't represented. I didn't find The Brightest Fell's take as (personally?) compelling as that of He Says He Is An Experimental Theologian*, but it's certainly something that McGuire is thinking about in this book.
On a technical level, I loved that this is one of the books where lots of dangling threads from earlier stories get picked up, and there's some great character and relationship development (though May and Jazz, as always, feel like an afterthought). On the other hand, it's a little over-written. I realize that we needed something substantially happy and fun at the beginning to set off against the rest of the book, but the bachelorette party dragged on and on. (a. I don't care about the Toby/Tybalt relationship, b. Toby just exclaims over how embarrassed she is, repeatedly, for approximately 700 pages.) There were other points where I had to take a moment to goggle at how many different metaphors and similes could be packed into a single paragraph. I want to give it 4 stars for the plot, but the writing drags it down to a solid 3.
* So yes, part of the reason I've been posting less on GR is that I spent a couple weeks in August/September blazing through about 1,000 pages of [b:Welcome to Night Vale|23129410|Welcome to Night Vale (Night Vale, #1)|Joseph Fink|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447774088s/23129410.jpg|42677282]/[b:His Dark Materials|18116|His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3)|Philip Pullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442329494s/18116.jpg|1943518] crossover fic. I highly, highly recommend it.
ETA: went back and finished the novella a few days later.
Spoiler
TALK ABOUT A FIX-IT!TALK ABOUT NOTHING HAVING ANY CONSEQUENCES EVER!
devrose's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
This book is one of the most emotional ones in the series.
holmechnic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
waterfairy's review against another edition
4.0
Another awesome addition to the series. The over-arc story just gets better - the progress from book 1 to now is something that can be clearly seen.
The worst is waiting for the next book. I really need a time travel machine!
The worst is waiting for the next book. I really need a time travel machine!
srharris's review against another edition
4.0
This was actually one of my favorites in the series. Even though I didn't get a lot of Tybalt time and I was annoyed about what happened to him and Jazz, I was happy that Toby didn't get beat and bloody through most of the book.
Ever since August was mentioned, I was curious about what happened to her and it was nice to see, but honestly if she is going to be in future books, I hope her attitude changes.
Another good read.
Ever since August was mentioned, I was curious about what happened to her and it was nice to see, but honestly if she is going to be in future books, I hope her attitude changes.
Another good read.