THE BRIGHTEST FELL is an entertaining mix of the comfort of an adventure between well established characters with the dissonance and uncertainty of new blood thrown into the mix.  This deep into the series, October Daye's group of irregulars are beloved and entertaining, it is the unexpected appearance of her biological family that throws a wrench into the mix.

The mysterious truth behind Toby's heritage has been the last minute magical save in many a previous October Daye adventure, but it was a refreshing change to see her overpowered by the source of those abilities. I had a hard time calibrating my emotional reaction to Amandine to match Toby's.  Despite Amandine's old school high handedness (and general racism), Toby clearly has an emotional attachment to the woman who raised her.  As a reader that has only experiences Toby's chosen family, Amandine is very easy to hate as she threatens, abuses, and generally tortures the people Toby loves. Though Amandine's behavior isn't contextually unusual (the Luidaeg is the one who displays modern, softened behavior despite her reputation), it is very, very hard not to hate her entirely.

The contrast between the family Toby is born into and that which she has chosen is stark, but otherwise this is the usual, fantastic October Daye adventure with an extra layer of delicious danger on top.  Though Toby is often overmatched, this big bad is the source of Toby's own magical ace in the hole.  This time around it is Toby's humanity and friendships that win the day, making it once again that this series both delights and surprises.

(Originally published at Speculative Chic: http://speculativechic.com/2017/09/05/what-is-past-is-prologue-seanan-mcguires-the-brightest-fell/

To begin, you absolutely should not read this book unless you are caught up on the series. Why? The individual books all have their own, self-contained stories, but those stories have created the foundation upon which the next book always rests. By now, with ten books behind it, THE BRIGHTEST FELL is standing on quite the tall stack. Things that happened all the way back in book three, AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT, are referenced in the context of this story. Most of the expanded cast makes at least one appearance. Things that were hinted at a few books ago are finally, fully explained.

Familiar territory is explored here, both literally and figuratively. We see Toby return to places that she visited in past stories, including at least one locale that she thought to never see again. She meets up with characters that she hasn’t spoken to in far too long. She realizes that the things she overlooked and forgot have all come home to roost, and she is burdened by the thought that she could have done better. How human, this feeling of obligation and guilt over the things that seemed inconsequential in the face of other, seemingly bigger problems. Watching Toby struggle with this while in the midst of an extremely difficult and upsetting task is only one of several painful moments peppered throughout the story.

We meet October’s mother, Amandine, up close and personal. And Amandine is the worst. This is something that has been hinted at before by other characters who knew her, but seeing her in all of her terrible glory is chilling.

Happily, there are truly joyful moments as well. I won’t spoil it for you, but the opening chapter of the book had me grinning from ear to ear. It was absolutely perfect, and when you’ve read it, come back and squee at me because there’s no way that you will not agree with me that this was an awesome way to start our story. There are other moments of happiness, some quiet, some bright. The interaction between Toby and Simon was frequently touching as Toby learned that the erstwhile villain willingly followed the darkness for reasons that I will not spoil for you.

Bonus discussion!

The novel includes a brand new novella, "Of Things Unknown". This story places April O’Leary, an occasional character since her debut in book two, A LOCAL HABITATION, in the role of narrator. I solemnly swear that I will not spoil a single thing in this novella, but the events of A LOCAL HABITATION led to quite a bit of unfinished business. "Of Things Unknown" takes us back to the county of Tamed Lightning and takes a peek into how April is dealing with running the county she never wanted, and the guilt that she feels after she was an unwitting accomplice to the tragedies that occurred in book two. Not lying, I cried happy tears at the end.

In conclusion: Folks, THE BRIGHTEST FELL may be my new favorite novel of the series. The story moves at a lightning quick pace, but still manages to hold on to the hallmarks that make this an excellent series: witty dialogue, layered characters, gorgeous settings, and heart stopping moments of true pain. Everything in this world has consequences that must be dealt with, and it’s hard to see our beloved October go through so many difficult things. The book ends on a bittersweet note, and I’m already counting down to next year and volume twelve. It’s going to be a very, very long year.

I love this series. And one day I will hunt down each book individually and add them to my book shelf. For now I am happy to have had the chance to read The Brightest Fell. This story like all the rest took turns unexpected and ended happily, sad. 

Without giving too much away hopefully

-It was strange not having the flirtation of Toby and Tybalt 
-Even the dynamic of Quentin and Toby was different, though it makes sense as to why
-I like the ending, though August really needs to grow up. 
-I came to like a character I didn't think I would and I also like how that changed at the end too. You grow to like someone just as Toby does and you feel rather conflicted about it. 
- When will someone do something about Toby's evil mother. Actually all the firsts need something done, why is only one held to truth?

The book ends but there's still pages left to read and it's for the next book "Of Things Unknown" and I can't even read that included chapter because it'll make me sad and impatient. I very much want the rest of the story.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Seanan McGuire's writing. Despite her different series being very different styles, the world-building and characterizations are strong and creative. But it's her characters that really make me love her books, and I've grown to care very much for Toby and her chosen family in the October Daye series.

Family, biological and chosen, is very much at the heart of this story. Toby's relationship with her mother Amandine has been at best complicated. Because Toby is a Hero of the Realm and it is in her character to want to save people, had Amandine asked her to find her long-lost sister August, she probably would have done it. But Amandine instead coerces her with a very real threat to her loved ones, and Toby undertakes the task under duress. 

August disappeared over a hundred years earlier after setting out on a quest to fulfill a prophecy about the progeny of Amandine. It's always been clear to Toby that she was a less-loved replacement for her missing sister, but Amandine's cruelty in forcing her to find August drives home some difficult truths for her. 

As expected, the search is difficult and Toby and her companions have to make some dangerous and heart-wrenching choices. Along the way, Toby sees loyalty and love--and their lack--from sometimes surprising sources, and her experiences reinforce her own notions of family and what is most important to her.

I look forward to her next adventure.

***This book was reviewed for Berkley via Netgalley

The Brightest Fell is number eleven (!) in the October Daye urban-fantasy/paranormal series. Eleven! How is this the first time I'm reading this series? It has all the things I love. It's got many types of Fae folk, including cait sidhe. I love cait sidhe! It has a sassy heroine, relatable and engaging characters, and a great storyline. I am mystified at the lack of this series in my life.

October 'Toby’ Daye has a most unexpected visitor in the early morning hours after her bachelorette party. Her estranged mother has come looking for help October isn't inclined to give. Unfortunately, pureblood Fae aren't in the habit of being told no, and those of the Firstborn even less so. When Toby refuses to cooperate, Amandine forces two of her friends into their animal forms, one cait sidhe and one ravenkin, and kidnaps them. 

Knowing how fickle her mother can be, October must find August sooner rather than later. There's just one problem. She's been missing for longer than Toby’s been alive. About a century to be exact. This takes 'cold trail’ to a whole new level. In order to have a chance at finding August, Toby must waken one of her most feared enemies from his enchanted slumber, and trust he will be more interested in helping with this particular case than he might be in harming her.

It’s his daughter that's missing after all. 

Coming in at this point in the series, I am forming first impression relationships with all of the characters. This will be interesting when I go back to the beginning, especially, I think, with Simon. I kept reading about how bad he is, or about the bad things he's done in the name of finding his daughter. Yet… I liked him from the moment he woke. He seems a person who's made a great many mistakes, but the underlying motivation is love. I disliked Amandine from the moment I met her. She came across as a real @$$. 

Family, and what defines it, is a big theme all through this book. Toby is looking for a sister who's never really been a sister, for a mother who never acted like a mother, while traveling with the person who is her legal, though not biological, father. To ensure Toby’s cooperation, two of her bond family, her family of choice, are taken. Oh yeah, and she's traveling with her Fetch, May. In this series, Fetches are death omens. May became family instead. Besides Toby’s familial relations, there's also the dynamic between Simon and his twin brother Sylvester. This quest forces Toby and the others to reconsider what they know about Simon. 

As I mentioned earlier, this is the first October Daye book I've read, so I cannot say how it stacks up against the rest of the series, but I found it to be well-written and very thought provoking. I loved that McGuire didn't do massive information dumps to recap previous information. I found it was rather neatly done as part of the on-going story, for the most part. Usually, by the time a series gets eleven books in, things start to flag. I didn't get that feel here, and I'm very eager to read the next one, and all the past ones. I just hope jumping in at this point doesn't ruin how I view the past books by knowing how the characters will evolve. Spoilers don't bother me. Obviously I would never have considered starting at the end instead of the beginning, but sometimes I don't like personality changes, and though they may have been gradual over books 1-10, it'll be abrupt to me. 

📚📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended, especially if you like urban fantasy, or novels with Fae.

Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review. I also won a copy of an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.

October is back and enjoying life, things have been a little slow but she is happy. That is until her mother shows up and asks her to find her sister. What's worse is when she refuses her mother, she takes Jazz and Tybalt as hostages. 

That sends October to Sylvester and with an impossible request. She has to wake Simon and have him help her find August. Sylvester grants that request so long as October helps wake his daughter and win her a pardon when it is done. 

The trail starts at her mother's tower and leads them back into Blind Michael's realm, but it doesn't stop there. Things aren't always what they seem, and sometimes people don't realize the cost of the Sea Witch's help.

First, if you haven't read this series please go start with Rosemary and Rue it will be so worth your time. I love this series it is hands down one of my favorite urban fantasy reads. I have to say this is this the first book in a long without a lot of Tybalt in it and I loved it but I missed him. It also made me really dislike October's mother and sister.

With THE BRIGHTEST FELL, Seanan McGuire brings her much beloved October Daye series to an impressive eleven books. Even more impressive? The series still feels fresh, creative, and fun!

In some ways THE BRIGHTEST FELL feels like mixed fae and human changeling October Daye's greatest hits album. Throughout the story, we revisit some of Toby's biggest cases, recapping some of the craziness that's gone down over the past four years. All this recap means that newcomers to the series could jump in at book 11 rather than book 1, but I do think a lot of the emotional weight of the events in this story would be lost on those who haven't read the previous books. The quest that Sir Daye, Knight of the Realm finds herself on here is the culmination of all that came before, and I really appreciate the way that McGuire is able to make all these seemingly unrelated events come together in such a logical way.

As Toby, her squire Quentin, and a shady character from their past race through San Francisco, the Summerlands, and other parts of Faerie to save the lives of their friends (again), we get a chance to see the scope of the world McGuire has built here. From the different locales in Faerie to specific species of Fae to the history and politics of the Firstborn, no detail is unimportant. Ten books worth of top-notch world building is subtly woven into THE BRIGHTEST FELL, their importance finally revealed...and the result is impressive. Of all the urban fantasy series I've read and loved over the years, the October Daye series is by far the most consistently inventive.

The key to any successful long-running series is a dynamic cast of lovable and flawed characters - that's definitely not a problem for this series. Toby's tenacity, bravery, foolhardiness, and her wry wit make her an ideal protagonist, but it's her friends and family that really help this series shine. Many fan favourites appear here, including Danny the bridge troll taxi driver and some of the more noteworthy villains like Duchess Riordan. My one complaint? There's wasn't enough of Toby's betrothed, Tybalt! The cat shifter who loves Toby, Shakespeare, and leather pants is a beloved character for a reason. *happy sigh*

THE BRIGHTEST FELL is another strong story in a fantastic series, and it's sure to please old fans and newcomers alike...although longtime readers will find the story more rewarding!

Alright, book 11 in a series is perhaps not the best book to start with. But, I "discovered" Seanan McGuire thanks to her Wayward Children series and thought I try this, the latest book to see if it's to my liking.

Now, the book is perfectly alright, it was a lot to take in, a lot of characters to get to know, and a lot of history, but I enjoyed learning more about Toby, her friends, and family, etc. However, the story was a bit slow, with the hunt for Toby's sisters August not awfully thrilling. It's started off amusing with the bachelorette party for Toby, then Amandine, her mother shows up and kidnaps two important people in Toby's life and she will only get them back if she finds August. Yeah, she makes Joan Crawford feel warm and cuddly. I liked the story, but I did not love it. But, it did make me interested in reading the previous books.   

In the end, I will say that it was a pleasant book, I liked the characters, it was not hard to get into this book and understand what was going on, I just wish I had connected more with the story. The interesting thing is that there is a novella at the end of the book, which stars April O'Leary. And, story-wise was the novella much more interesting than the book's story.

Wow! Seanan McGuire is on fire. Figuratively, of course. Anyway. The author deserves her accolades, and yes, worth the cost of transitioning to hardcover if you're able. This being the eleventh October Daye novel, it is truly magical—that means tense and bloody in Toby's world. Toby's wedding planning is interrupted by her mom: selfish, casually cruel and arrogant—that's right, she is related to the original Bad Fairy that people would rather not invite to anything. Her mother Amandine will October’s fiancé, the King of Cats, and her fetch’s lover Jazz hostage in their animal forms until Toby finds Amandine's other daughter and brings her back from whatever dimension she's been lost in since 1910. Throw in eternal rivalries and grudges eons old, and Toby must deal with the havoc wreaked. I can't tell you more, except that in Toby's world, though the magic folk are somewhat modern, they are still hidden from the mundane mortals, and McGuire's worldbuilding is superb. Read the whole series, if you haven't. There's a bonus novella, a wonderful surprise.  
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the review EARC; the raving is, as always, my own opinion.

I always, always forget how wonderful this series is until I read one of the books, and this book is no exception. We have reached the point in the series, and have a few books ago, where I’m not really sure what to say without giving away spoilers. However, I will do my best to do so. Toby’s mother shows up on her doorstep and demands she find Toby’s sister, August. Of course, Toby says no, but her mother will not take that for an answer and kidnaps two people dear to her to force her compliance. Toby must then embark on a quest to find her, and on the way, old enemies are made friends, she loses something dear to her, and some progress she has made on the family is lost. I am always blown away at how well this author weaves together events from other books, how wonderfully well she uses the English language, and how the simplest things can keep me engrossed in the book. And, you must read the novella at the end. It is a game-changer! If you love urban fantasy, you have to try this series; it is one of the, if not the very, best! If you read this series, this is a wonderful addition to this series as we always expect from the author. Very highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

"For once, everything in October “Toby” Daye’s life seems to be going right." - I knew that wasn't going to last. Poor Toby rarely catches a break. Besides, it would be a short book if there wasn't a conflict or catastrophe. :D The book opens with Toby's bachelorette party which was a hoot to read. But, In no time, Amandine shows up on Toby's doorstep and makes a request/demand. And oh boy, Amandine plays dirty. She is not nice. I didn't remember her being quite so cold or vicious in her earlier appearances. In "The Brightest Fell", she is queen bee bi*** and delights in rubbing Toby's face in it.

One again, McGuire pulls threads from earlier stories and weaves them into a new design, making you question what you believed and what you thought you knew. She even did something I thought was nearly impossible: she made me like, and feel sorry for, Simon Torquill. She started on that in the prior book but brought it to fruition in this book. Mind you, I still disagree with his choices but I understand them better now. Much of the book revolves around family, the family we're born with and the family we make for ourselves. McGuire examines these ties and shows us just how binding they can be, even when we want to turn our back and walk away.

Certain characters were missing and others had reduced roles and were missed, but McGuire worked magic with the remaining ones. The story was tight, the characterizations excellent and I was veering between crying and cheering with the occasional urge to pith my Kindle across the room. Toby goes right to her breaking point and I was seriously worried about her future. McGuire is evil; she needs to stop beating up and Toby and the gang! I know I'm being vague but so much happens and I really don't want to accidentally spoil anything. "The Brightest Fell" is a strong wrenching story, with twists and turns, pathos, humor, love, anger, and moments that made me gasp, curse, and read furiously. If you're new to the series, skip this book and get the first book, "Rosemary and Rue". This series simply must be read in order. You won't regret it.

Whoop whoop! Its bank holiday weekend and the weather is lovely. If you have been following my WIR you will know that the weather in the UK has been dismal with a capital 'D'....as in December. I could actually sit outside this afternoon without wearing a sweater. What a treat! Speaking of treats wait until you find out about what I have been reading.



I was super lucky to receive The Brightest Fell, the 11th instalment of the October Daye series, from the publisher via NetGalley. The story starts not long after the events of book 10 - Once Broken Faith - and opens with October's bachelorette party. It was a veritable supernatural convention with nearly every female character from the series in attendance. Just when things are looking up for the unlucky heroine her mother - Amandine the Liar - turns up on her doorstep demanding that October find her long lost daughter (Toby's half-sister). To ensure that October does what she is told Amandine takes Tybalt hostage. Toby has no choice - look for her sister who has been missing for decades or lose the love of her life. Toby needs help and sometimes that help comes from where she least expects it. The path to true love is a thorny one and now Toby is on the clock ...find her sister or lose everything.

I don't want to give too much away so apologies for being vague. I always enjoy the books in this series but I really wish that McGuire would give poor Toby a break. I guess it would make for a boring story if everything was sunshine and roses (well maybe not roses for Toby!) without the near death experiences, loss of loved ones or races against time. There is a lot happening in this instalment as the plot progresses at the same time as we find out more of events that pre-date even Toby. If this was an earlier book in the series then I would have loved it but 11 books in and I just hope that McGuire wraps the series up soon. That said, I do enjoy stories with strong female leads and Toby is nothing short of grave.

It’s September – time again for October (Daye), heroine of the great Urban Fantasy series by Seanan McGuire. For The Brightest Fell, eleventh novel about the Fae world in modern San Francisco, the expectations of the fans are huge. And this time the author confronts her readers – and Toby – with some long-awaited encounters.

Toby should have grown accustomed to unexpected visits. However when her mother Amandine stands in front of her house, she’s not able to find any words. The warm-hearted reunion, however, that readers might have secretly hoped for, remains unfulfilled. Amandine asks Toby to look for her missing sister, August. And to ensure her daughters co-operation, she’s willing to do anything.

Toby finds herself forced to seek help in unexpected places. With one of her oldest enemies she travels deep into the heart of the summerlands to fulfill her impossible quest …

Over the years Seanan McGuire has delivered an impressive amount of outstanding Urban Fantasy novels – and thus the expectations are pretty high. In light of this, The Brightest Fell has been a mixed bag. Basically, the author tells an exciting story with some unexpected twists and a high action level. It takes us to unknown spots in Faerie and shows us new aspects of beloved characters. One of them is the Luidaeg, still my personal favorite. Her performance in a karaoke bar at the beginning of the book is one of the highlights of the novel undoubtedly.

On the other hand, I have built up a high expectation over the years in which I became super-enthusiastic about the series. A lenghty encounter with Amandine; the mystery about August. Much of this is revealed by Seanan McGuire in this novel. But the answers are not always the ones I would have wished for. Partially, I was disappointed by the long-awaited encounters, because I had expected different things. I can hardly blame the author, but this is the reason why The Brightest Fell did not quite satisfy me that much.

Then there are wonderful moments, unexpected turns and scenes, which were simply magical. Tybalt does not appear often in this book, but Quentin plays a more important role again – a circumstance that I have greatly welcomed, and this helps the book in my opinion, as we don’t get more of the same-same. Instead we learn new things that logically fit into the overall cosmos.

Even if I was not 100% satisfied, The Brightes Fell is still a good book. I am curious how I’ll like it when I read it later for the second time – or third or fourth.

For the moment, the book can not compete with such great novels as An Artificial Night or the Game Changer The Winter Long, but Seanan McGuire has been very good at entertaining me and I’m sure there are some great adventures ahead. There’s still much to explain about Selkies and the Luidaeg, about the disappearance of Oberon, Titania and Maeve and some other things that are not resolved yet. (The Winterrose will probably not be trapped forever in her enchanted sleep).

If you love Toby, you can not miss The Brightest Fell anyway.

The book will be released in hardcover & ebook.

The advance copy was provided to me via Netgalley.

As always, I can not wait to get into each new October Daye adventure. How not to be? This series is really one of my favorite and Seanan McGuire always offers us new ideas that take us away completely!

Everything seems to be fine for October but it’s only the calm before the storm! Indeed, after celebrating her bachelor party with all her friends and allies, her life is turned upside down. Her mother, Amandine, is on the doorstep and summons for her to find her sister (while explaining to her what a disappointment she was). But then, October doesn’t allow her mother to dictate her actions and refuses at once. You can imagine that Amandine does not take it very well and then kidnaps Tybalt and Jazz so that our heroine goes in search of her sister.

I really had a great time with this story. We saw very little of Amandine and I was curious to learn more about her …. But poor October … Her mother is very cruel with her. And then there’s August. I was so eager to learn more about this lost sister and I admit that even if it is different from what I thought, it could not be otherwise. August could not be anyone else. Yet I confess that I am curious to see what is going to happen now because an evil is released and it seems that he wants more than anything for her to fall. But a solution is emerging and it is true that this is what links the whole series. I am therefore curious to see if this resolution will be in the next novel.

In any case, our heroine takes us with her in a new quest that won’t be very simple. Some enemies become allies and allies become enemies. Everything will change and Toby’s life will once again be overwhelmed. She will have to make difficult choices but she is ready to do anything to save her fiancé!

I have followed the October Daye urban fantasy series from the beginning, Rosemary and Rue, and it has been a must-read for me. October is a changeling (half human, half-fae) who has struggled to find her place, both in the mortal and in the fae world. In fact, she is the daughter of Amandine, one of the First Born of the fae, but Amandine has been a largely absent and shadowy figure until The Brightest Fell. The book opens on a happy note, during the bachelorette party for Toby at a San Francisco karaoke bar. The party was organized by Toby's "fetch" May, and it is no matter that Toby and her betrothed, Tybalt, King of Cats, have not even set a date. An uproarious good time is had by all until Toby returns home to find Tybalt there, A knock at the door brings Amandine with a demand. She wants Toby to find August, Toby's half-sister who has been missing for over a century. To enforce her demand, she takes hostages of Toby's nearest and dearest.

Amandine's demand takes Toby and her squire, Quentin, into Toby's past and the rabbit-hole that is the fae realm. Accompanying them is Toby's greatest enemy, August's father, Simon Torquil. There is plenty of magic and mayhem and an accounting of some of the decisions and actions Toby has been forced to take in previous books. The character of Amandine becomes clearer, but whether she is a monster or just nuts is still up in the air. The Brightest Fell foreshadows events to come and I hope they come soon, after time to take a breath. Seanan McGuire has built a rich fantasy world and I think that the series needs to be read in order to fully enjoy the latest novel.

I was delighted to receive an advance digital copy from DAW and NetGalley. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

The Brightest Fell, the 11th installment in the October Daye series, starts out giving you a glimmer of hope. It makes you believe that maybe this book will be the beginning of Toby and Tybalt getting that much closer to their much-deserved happy ending. But, as Seanan McGuire is famous for, that glimmer of hope doesn’t last, and Toby’s life takes another disastrous turn as her mother, Amandine, shows up on her doorstep, demanding Toby find her half-sister, August, who has been missing for a very long time. Toby, not having the greatest relationship with her mother in the best of times, refuses, so in order to compel her, Amandine kidnaps Tybalt and May’s girlfriend, Jazz, letting Toby know that if she doesn’t find August, she is never seeing her loved ones again. Talk about mommy issues! Now Toby must team up with her enemy, Simon Torquill, who also happens to be August’s father, not to mention the one who turned Toby into a fish 14 years ago, in order to find her before it is too late.
There wasn’t a lot I didn’t love about this particular book. Love and what one would or wouldn’t do in the name of love seems to be the bigger theme in this book. In addition, there is action, there is adventure, there is introduction to new and interesting characters, and revisiting some we haven’t seen for a while; there is the possibility for redemption, there is also heartache and heartbreak.  Plus, there is bleeding, when Toby is involved there is always bleeding. Over the course of the last ten books McGuire has created a rich, interesting world that straddles the line between mortal and faerie, with an amazing political structure and a marvelous cast of complex and multi-layered characters. Nothing is ever black and white in her world. Every character has as much chance of becoming the valiant knight type as they do becoming an evil villain, especially in the name of Faerie.  
Overall, this was one of my favorites in the series. I don’t want to say too much for risk of giving the good stuff away, but the thing I love about Seanan McGuire’s books is that you never really know which way they are going to go and this book was no exception. I left it feeling both hope and dread for the future …either our favorites are going to get their happy ending or everything is going to go terribly, horribly, let’s all wield a machete, wrong, and with the current players on the board after this book, you can’t help but feeling that this series is heading towards an epic showdown. Honestly, it felt way Empire Strikes Back-ish to me, which I love because I am a fan of a story taking you to a place you didn’t expect and are not quite sure how it will all turn out in the end.  
So, if you are a fan of urban fantasy and have not yet discovered the joys and sometimes pain of the October Daye series, I urge you to do so. For long time fans of the series, this is a fantastic addition to a world we already know and love. You will not be disappointed.

Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire continues the October Daye series in a novel that pushes at the lines that define Toby''s life.  Things are finally looking up for Toby and her fiance Tybalt when a knock at the door brings with it a trouble like Toby has not seen before.  What do you do when your past comes knock, knocking at the door?  Toby is a hero of the realm for a reason and this is a book that shows readers the hard choices made as Toby uses every bit of her experience to survive and rescue as many of her loved ones as she can.

The basics: The Brightest Fell is book #11 in Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series, published by DAW and will be available in hardback (for the first time!) and Kindle formats on September 5, 2017. 

Audiobook TBD, but in production. 

The publisher’s blurb:  "The first Toby Daye hardcover is finally here, and Seanan’s wise-cracking, fast-talking, tough-as-nails heroine is at her best. Toby’s life has finally calmed down, and she’s got nothing on her mind except wedding planning and relaxing with family. So, of course, that doesn’t last long. Toby’s mother, Amandine, appears, making demands, taking hostages, and forcing Toby to hunt down a missing person—none other than Toby’s sister August, who’s been gone since 1906."

TL;DR Toby-Goes-A-Questing, once again! For once Toby actually has a straightforward task: find her sister to save loved ones. She’ll either accomplish it or not.

Spoiler Free Review: Even though she’s running across the realms of Faerie, Toby’s only really got one task. But The Brightest Fell isn’t really about that task. She’s got to find August (or her body) to move the overall plot of the series forward, but the real journeys Toby takes in TBF are emotional ones. She examines and is forced to make decisions in her relationships with Sylvester, Amandine, The Luidaeg, her own blood, and a whole host of other characters - friends, family AND foe. Ultimately these emotional journeys are the meat of The Brightest Fell, where the quest to find August is merely the skeleton on which to build the rest of the body.

The Brightest Fell is now in my top 3 Toby books (who could possibly choose just one?). Many elements from past novels in the series are reused, but they don’t feel used and stale. We return to the original Toby-Doesn’t-Get-A-Break-Unless-She’s-Knocked-Out drumbeat of a plot that was so quintessential “early Toby.” Because of this, the book speeds by and before you know it, you’ve run out of pages, but not questions. Never questions.

The ultimate goal of the series is laid out plainly. We’ve gotten hints and been able to guess from earlier novels, but it’s stated clear as day in The Brightest Fell. Of course, this means that while The Brightest Fell answers some lingering questions from previous novels, it leaves us with more than we started with.

4.5


Things have never been easy for October Daye. Pretty much, when things start to get quiet, it’s time to start worrying. At least this time around Toby gets to enjoy her karaoke bachelorette party (thrown by her fetch May) before all hell breaks loose.

When Toby’s absent mother, Amandine, shows up and demands Toby find her long lost stepsister August, Toby is quick to dismiss Amandine’s demands. I mean Toby owes nothing to the mother that abandoned her long ago. When Amandine takes Tybalt and May’s girlfriend Jazz as collateral to ensure Toby’s cooperation, Toby will have to turn to the last person she’d ever think of asking for help: Simon Torquill.

Simon is, as we more recently learned in the series, Amandine’s husband, therefore he’s August’s father (Toby’s stepfather), so he’s an extremely useful resource when trying to recover August, who, by the way, has been missing for one hundred years.

Simon was truly a standout character for me in this book. He’s been painted the villain from the very beginning after he turned Toby into a fish for fourteen years and ruined her life with her human fiancé and daughter. He has a chance to redeem himself somewhat here, and we learn that maybe things aren’t exactly what they seem when it comes to his past. A novella featuring Simon and Amandine would be one I’d quickly devour should Seanan McGuire choose to write one. I loved how Toby’s devotion to those she loves, and her willingness to do anything to get them back, mirrors Simon’s own experiences when he went in search of August by himself once upon a time. Simon holding on to his failures was heartbreaking to read. The Brightest Fell was not lacking on these moments, which made it one of the more tear-worthy reads in the series thus far.

The Brightest Fell deals a lot with family. I’ve been looking forward to Amandine properly showing up for a while now, and while I could have hoped for more page-time from this extremely complicated character, it definitely solidified the idea that families are not always what you’re born into. Sometimes, as with Toby, you make your own family, and we see that here when you compare Toby’s relationship with May (who despite initially being her fetch, is now her sister is all ways that matter) and the non-existent relationship with her true sister August.

The Brightest Fell was nearly perfect for me. I’d say one of the only things I’m a little disappointed about is the fact that I’m starting to dislike Tybalt being use too frequently as of late as the catalyst by which Toby is forced to solve whatever mystery is going on at present. I loved when he would lend the helping hand to Toby and I don’t think that should change just because they are now engaged. He’s a captivating and powerful character. I don’t like seeing him delegated to the background.

While I won’t tell you how things end up working out I will say that The Brightest Fell seems to set up more complications to come in the near future for Toby. I loved getting to walk back through memory lane as the history we thought we knew plays out before us, and before we embark on new uncharted territory.