The Qwillery is thrilled to be taking part in the October Daye Reread Blog Tour with The Winter Long!
The newest October Day novel, Once Broken Faith, will be published on September 6th by DAW. You may read Melanie's review of Once Broken Faith here.
The Winter Long
October Daye 8
DAW, September 2, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 358 pages
October Daye 8
DAW, September 2, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 358 pages
Politics have never been October “Toby” Daye’s strong suit. When she traveled to the Kingdom of Silences to prevent them from going to war with her home, the Kingdom of the Mists, she wasn’t expecting to return with a cure for elf-shot and a whole new set of political headaches.
Now the events she unwittingly set in motion could change the balance of modern Faerie forever, and she has been ordered to appear before a historic convocation of monarchs, hosted by Queen Windermere in the Mists and overseen by the High King and Queen themselves.
Naturally, things have barely gotten underway when the first dead body shows up. As the only changeling in attendance, Toby is already the target of suspicion and hostility. Now she needs to find a killer before they can strike again—and with the doors locked to keep the guilty from escaping, no one is safe.
As danger draws ever closer to her allies and the people she loves best, Toby will have to race against time to prevent the total political destabilization of the West Coast and to get the convocation back on track…and if she fails, the cure for elf-shot may be buried forever, along with the victims she was too slow to save.
Because there are worse fates than sleeping for a hundred years.
Doreen’s Thoughts
In her forward to The Winter Long, Seanan McGuire states that the prior seven books all were for the purpose of telling this particular story about Toby Daye, a Halfling knight of the fairy realm and a sometimes private detective who solves mysteries. Years ago, when I read the first novel in this series, I had the feeling that there was more to the story. McGuire always has hinted about a lengthy period when Toby was transformed into a fish and trapped for years, and every book since then has provided another piece to that puzzle. This is the first time, though, that the reader gets to hear specifically about that particular time – who transformed her and why. What is most interesting is that Toby herself seems not to know the true facts behind one of the most influential acts in her life. What she believes about why she was transformed may not be true.
McGuire’s Faerie world has multiple kingdoms and fiefdoms, and Toby has been instrumental in righting some of the more grievous wrongs that can take place. Through Toby, we learned about the Firstborns, those individuals who were the first born among the Faeries and the most powerful. Toby’s greatest ally, the Luidaeg, is one of those Firstborn and has always seemed to be indestructible. However, Toby discovers that the Luidaeg is not the most powerful creature she knows. There is another who is even more powerful, and it appears that this individual has something against Toby.
It is difficult to talk about this book without spoiling the story. The Winter Long probably should not be read as a standalone novel; a reader should start with Rosemary and Rue and come to know McGuire’s world and its inhabitants better before diving into this one. It makes sense that McGuire needed to tell the other stories first before tackling the tale about Toby’s transformation. Like Toby herself, at the end of this novel, the reader still does not know everything about that event. However, this one finally broaches the subject of Toby’s imprisonment almost head-on. All the other novels only touched very lightly on the subject. For the first time, we get to hear from the “villain” himself, Simon, the brother of Toby’s liege lord, Sebastian. What Toby learns is that Simon has a closer relationship to her than she ever knew.
The story centers on the return of a character who has been presumed dead throughout the series. This individual ranks very high in the Faery hierarchy and, to Toby’s dismay, seems to be acting against Toby instead of for her as expected. Saying more would spoil the tale. Suffice to say, Toby and her friends are in danger once again, and Toby has to solve the mystery behind her own life.
We learn more about the Faery library, which was introduced in the previous novel. McGuire further deepens Toby’s ongoing relationship with Tybalt, the King of Cats, and starts to unwind the tangled web of Toby’s past. By the end of the novel, Toby has come to question most of her own beliefs about Sebastian, the liege who was like a father to her, the Luidaeg who has been her closest ally, and her own mother who is mysteriously missing in this book. Although the story closes with many questions, McGuire has provided enough intrigue that the reader is not disappointed with the fact that nothing is resolved; instead, I am eagerly looking forward to the next chapter.
McGuire has created a fascinating picture of Faery culture that takes the classic structure and turns it on its head. Her descriptions, her world-building, and her characterizations all are top-notch. Her stories are more in line with the Grimm telling rather than the Disney movies, but the Brothers never provided such a rich, detailed account as that of Toby Daye.
In her forward to The Winter Long, Seanan McGuire states that the prior seven books all were for the purpose of telling this particular story about Toby Daye, a Halfling knight of the fairy realm and a sometimes private detective who solves mysteries. Years ago, when I read the first novel in this series, I had the feeling that there was more to the story. McGuire always has hinted about a lengthy period when Toby was transformed into a fish and trapped for years, and every book since then has provided another piece to that puzzle. This is the first time, though, that the reader gets to hear specifically about that particular time – who transformed her and why. What is most interesting is that Toby herself seems not to know the true facts behind one of the most influential acts in her life. What she believes about why she was transformed may not be true.
McGuire’s Faerie world has multiple kingdoms and fiefdoms, and Toby has been instrumental in righting some of the more grievous wrongs that can take place. Through Toby, we learned about the Firstborns, those individuals who were the first born among the Faeries and the most powerful. Toby’s greatest ally, the Luidaeg, is one of those Firstborn and has always seemed to be indestructible. However, Toby discovers that the Luidaeg is not the most powerful creature she knows. There is another who is even more powerful, and it appears that this individual has something against Toby.
It is difficult to talk about this book without spoiling the story. The Winter Long probably should not be read as a standalone novel; a reader should start with Rosemary and Rue and come to know McGuire’s world and its inhabitants better before diving into this one. It makes sense that McGuire needed to tell the other stories first before tackling the tale about Toby’s transformation. Like Toby herself, at the end of this novel, the reader still does not know everything about that event. However, this one finally broaches the subject of Toby’s imprisonment almost head-on. All the other novels only touched very lightly on the subject. For the first time, we get to hear from the “villain” himself, Simon, the brother of Toby’s liege lord, Sebastian. What Toby learns is that Simon has a closer relationship to her than she ever knew.
The story centers on the return of a character who has been presumed dead throughout the series. This individual ranks very high in the Faery hierarchy and, to Toby’s dismay, seems to be acting against Toby instead of for her as expected. Saying more would spoil the tale. Suffice to say, Toby and her friends are in danger once again, and Toby has to solve the mystery behind her own life.
We learn more about the Faery library, which was introduced in the previous novel. McGuire further deepens Toby’s ongoing relationship with Tybalt, the King of Cats, and starts to unwind the tangled web of Toby’s past. By the end of the novel, Toby has come to question most of her own beliefs about Sebastian, the liege who was like a father to her, the Luidaeg who has been her closest ally, and her own mother who is mysteriously missing in this book. Although the story closes with many questions, McGuire has provided enough intrigue that the reader is not disappointed with the fact that nothing is resolved; instead, I am eagerly looking forward to the next chapter.
McGuire has created a fascinating picture of Faery culture that takes the classic structure and turns it on its head. Her descriptions, her world-building, and her characterizations all are top-notch. Her stories are more in line with the Grimm telling rather than the Disney movies, but the Brothers never provided such a rich, detailed account as that of Toby Daye.
The Qwillery Giveaway
What: Two entrants will each win one copy of The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire from the publisher. US / CANADA ONLY
How: Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below. Note that comments are moderated.
Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US or Canadian mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on September 11, 2016. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change without any notice.*
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Tour Wide Grand Prize Giveaway
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And check out the entire October Daye Reread Blog Tour:
| 8/25 | Bea's Book Nook |
| 8/26 | Love to Read |
| 8/29 | Book Swarm |
| 8/30 | Book Junkiez |
| 8/31 | Bea's Book Nook |
| 9/1 | Urban Fantasy Investigations |
| 9/2 | Fully Booked Reviews |
| 9/3 | The Qwillery |
| 9/5 | I Smell Sheep |
This sounds like a very fascinating series. I'd love to get into it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this intriguing and interesting giveaway.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite series. A signed copy of the set would be really nice!
ReplyDelete