There's been a royal kidnapping in the Undersea and of course, it's October's job to solve it. Not quite as riveting as the past two installments, but still good.

This was the book where I noticed that there's just a little too much editorializing. October has a comment on everything, and it makes four part dialogue exchanges into five page longs excursions into her mind. I understand that the author is trying to make the series accessible. Most fantasy readers follow dozens of series, and a little recap here and there is helpful, especially for folks who follow the series in real time rather than reading several books at once. My second pet peeve is the fact that we have to describe the smell of magic every time a character does something. Chances are good that I'll remember that October's magic smells like copper and cut grass, and Tybalt's smells like musk and pennyroyal, well into my dotage.

Seanan has broken my heart in this book.

I am found of Toby Daye and I enjoy how Seanan draws me in each time. Can't wait for the next one.

I think this might be the end of my run with this series. The world of Faerie as an entire concept is not one of my favorites, and I just can't find enough connection with Toby. I only made it through a couple chapters of this one before I realized I was avoiding picking it up, so it's time to let it go.

This might be my new fave of the October Daye series.

While it starts off a little ridiculous with the kidnapping of a child, this feels like a turning point in the series for Toby's family, her romance, and her relationship with Sylvester's court.

I love McGuire's ability to make us love her characters - and to cherish them because she doesn't keep them safe.

Another great installment in one of my favorite series. This particular installment is really a story about the lengths a parent will go to for her child. McGuire seems to really have a thing to kidnapped and abused children, it's a topic that has come up in all of the novels in the series. It could start to feel tired and redundant, but it didn't. The relationships between the characters and their motivations are so believable that these stories, despite their similar themes, each resonate in their own unique way.

Part of what makes this series so engaging is the supporting cast. McGuire has been able to create a world in which a strong woman lead is not some bizarre exception. Toby is surrounded by other kick-ass women who all talk to each other about things other than men and have relationships with each other that some depth! Most notable in this story was Luidaeg. The sea witch is one of the most intrigue supporting players and we get to see more of her backstory with hints of more to come in the near future.

Another completely addictive Toby read! It was fast-paced and high stakes, with several new revelations. I look forward to the next book.

Re-read begun 7/6/16 via audio format

I love this series! This book was particularly good. The characters draw you in to well developed world.

Re-read 2023

Every time I dive back into this series, I pick up more seeds that McGuire has sown that I did not notice before. This story was rich with those gems and gold nuggets.

In this book, the land of the fae finds itself on the brink of war between and land and sea. Of course, Toby finds herself stuck firmly in the center of it. True to form, Toby takes up the hero mantle in an effort to prevent the war and to save the kidnapped sons of an undersea noble.

One of the things that I love about a good series is that the author has the opportunity to build a family of characters. Just like in life, you gradually get to know them bit by bit. Some characters enter, some exit. It lends itself to rich story telling. In this series, I believe that each book is accessible on its own or as part of the series. It just so happens that the cast of this series is among my favorites. Which accounts for why I like to start over and reread the entire series.