Mini-Review: Dreams and Slumbers (October Daye #10.1) by Seanan McGuire

Dreams and Slumbers picks up just after the events of Once Broken Faith (spoilers for the series to that point may follow.)

Arden, Queen of the Mists, now has the potion to wake her brother from the elf-shot spell he has been under for 80 years.  She’s excited but also very nervous.  Things don’t go as planned and she has to enlist the help of Walther, Cassandra (Stacie’s daughter and Karen’s older sister – remember that she was also kidnapped by Blind Michael) and the Luidaeg to save him.

This is another great addition to the October Daye series.  McGuire makes the most of these short stories.  They fill in some of the blanks that she just can’t give us as part of the main series.  We learn more about the secondary characters and their motivations.  It was nice to get to know more about Arden and Cassandra, especially.

4/5 stars.

Review: Once Broken Faith (October Daye #10) by Seanan McGuire

You know you are reading a great urban fantasy series when it’s book ten and you immediately look at Amazon and Goodreads to find out when book eleven is being released.  When I started reading this series, I thought it was okay.  Slowly, over these last ten novels, it has become one of, if not, my favorite urban fantasy series.

What makes it special?  McGuire tells a good story but it’s the characters who keep me coming back.  Toby is a strong, independent woman who has learned to live with her powers (strengths and weaknesses) and to depend on those around her when necessary.  Tybalt is…where to start?  He is my favorite UF male lead (aka alpha).  He supports Toby but, at the same time, lets her stand on her own when appropriate.  Toby’s relationships with her ‘kids’ including Quentin, Raj and Karen add another layer of complexity to her life.  May, Jazz, Walther, Arden…the list goes on.

I would love to spend an hour talking to McGuire about her plans for this series.  I suspect she knows the end game for Toby and while I’m very nervous about it (she deserves some semblance of an HEA), I know she is in good hands with McGuire.

5/5 stars.

A Red-Rose Chain (October Daye #9) by Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire publishes a Toby Daye novel like clockwork each September.  As soon as it is available for pre-order, I click the button to secure my copy.  Then, I get it and put it on the shelf.  Wait, what?  You don’t read it immediately, Mary?  No.  I force myself to hold it until I’m close enough to the next installment.  Seeing a new Toby book on the shelf allows me to know I always have one in the queue.  Now that we are only a month away from book 10, I finally allowed myself to read book 9.  Strange, I know.

A Red-Rose Chain is just what I’ve come to expect from McGuire’s Toby Daye series.  It is urban fantasy that focuses on the world of the fae.  But, really, it’s all about the relationships.  And, I love them all.  Toby and Tybalt have become my favorite UF couple.  Quentin, May, Jazz, Arden…I could go on and on.

This series is a must read and highly recommended.

5/5 stars.