I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I have some issues with it. It is plain to see just why this series has gone on as long as it has. The characters are interesting, the action is exciting, and the world that it is set in is intriguing.

I cannot say that October (the main character) has grown all that much. October is still rashly rushing out into dangers unknown with sometimes calamitous results. This time, although the risks are dire, the results were terrific.

I suggest that if this book has piqued your curiosity and you are a first-time reader, you may want to start at the beginning. And this bit of advice brings me to the reason that I had an issue with this book. There are so many secondary and tertiary characters plus discussions of characters that we haven't seen since the beginning. I feel like I need some help in keeping all these people straight. Perhaps a brief synopsis of the characters at the beginning of the future books.

Another issue I had is that there seemed to be a lot of padding this time. But no matter, because not every book is going to hit the 100% mark for everyone all of the time!

As I said, I thoroughly enjoyed this edition of the series, and I am looking forward to more of them.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

As hard as this may be to believe, we are now fourteen books (and at least twice that many short stories) into the October Daye Series. A Killing Frost is the latest novel in this series by Seanan McGuire, and it is absolutely worth the wait.

October Daye, aka Toby, is a Hero, with a capital 'H'. She saves the day, and keeps people safe. Now, all she wants to do is plan her wedding and have a few peaceful days to herself. It is a wish that is not so easily granted.

You see, fae law is a complicated beast, and it turns out that in order for her wedding to happen, Toby has to track down her legal father (legal in the eyes of the fae, that is), invite him to the wedding, or at least get his blessing It's that or risk Simon Torquill's anger – or the wraith of any who chooses to take offense for him.

“Better him than me. Of the two of us, he's the one who actually speaks 'diplomacy' with something other than a knife.”

Toby really just can't have an easy day, can she? A Killing Frost is no exception to that rule, throwing her into one mess from the next, and giving her plenty of opportunities to get covered in blood (usually her own). As per usual.

That being said, I wouldn't have it any other way. Toby is an amazing character, one who has changed so much over the course of these fourteen novels. While I do very much want her to have her happily ever after with Tybalt, I do still love seeing all the adventures and messes she keeps getting into.

While Toby has changed a lot, there's one thing we can always count on her for: blundering through the world and politics of fae. She's become more immersed over the years, but she is far from an expert. Hence the blindsiding she just received.

On the bright side, that means that we're going to see Simon's plot brought full circle, and I love that. I don't love his character, but nobody deserves the fate he found himself in at the end of the last book.

I've babbled enough about the fae politics and Toby's tendencies, it's time for me to move on with the rest of my review. There are a ton of elements and moments that I simply adored in this book. While not every character had a chance to shine (there are too many of them, at this point), plenty of fan favorites had a chance, as well as a few characters not shown for a book or two. That's one of the many things I love about this series, if I'm being honest.

There were a lot of shocking twists and turns over the course of Toby's latest adventure, and it seemed like every one of them raised the stakes. In that sense, it really is the perfect October Date story.

The conclusion was surprisingly (and pleasantly) positive, it brought about an event I've been waiting for – just not in the form I had anticipated. At all. Leave it to Seanan McGuire to continue finding ways to surprise her fans!

A Killing Frost was a dark and thrilling read, one that did justice to many characters who needed it, while laying the groundwork for bigger changes down the road. I don't know what that means yet, but I'm looking forward to finding out.


Shine in Pearls
Shine in Pearls is the short story included at the end of A Killing Frost, and it's one of those short stories that really does need the context of the book to make sense. More than that, it runs with the impact formed in the main novel, and turns it into something else.

I really don't think the story would read the same, if not read in order. So don't go jumping to the end to read this!

“The sea holds all manner of wonders you have yet to discover or explore.”

Shine in Pearls, like many of the other October Daye short stories, provides insight into other characters that flesh out the world. In this instance, there are two main perspectives, but three main characters.

Their story is compelling and heartbreaking, all the more so because of what we now know from A Killing Frost. Once again Seanan McGuire has managed to make secondary characters more likable, by providing an essential view on their lives – and pain.

Although October Daye and Tybalt finally have a chance at marriage, they are reminded of an old Faerie tradition which requires inviting the father of the bride to the wedding. Despite her unwillingness, October is determined to have nothing stand in the way of her impending nuptials and quests to find Simon Torquill. However, the long trail leading toward Torquill will forever change the balance and power of Faerie itself.

Verdict: Another home run for Seanan McGuire! As book 14 of the October Daye series, McGuire is just as meticulous with her world building as she was at the beginning of the series. More importantly, this book ends the story arc of Simon Torquill and answers many of the questions revolving around his role as a very tragic hero. It also brings a major player in Faerie back into play. I’m excited to see what trouble Daye gets into next!

I've long been a fan of the October Daye series, but I must say they are starting to feel very formulaic, which is not a good thing. Basic introduction of somewhat normal life is quickly interrupted by some report or warning of future problems or calamity necessitating October rushing off half cocked to try and address, liberally sprinkled with witticisms remarking on her seemingly unavoidable proclivity to stab people and/or be covered in blood. While I'm sure this is a common challenge most authors face for longer series like this, it has definitely impacted my enjoyment of the recent entries in the series like this one, and they no longer automatically go to the top of my must reads list. Although the resolution of the main story line here would seem to offer some intriguing possibilities for future volumes.

4.5 Stars

A Killing Frost is the fourteenth book in the October Daye series. At book fourteen, you’d think that maybe the story would start to feel flat or I might be losing interest, but you’d be dead wrong. I think each book builds on the others pretty well, with just a few books I felt were filler material along the way. I enjoy this series even more as October’s journeys continue and most of the time I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble she can get into next. This series is for lovers of tales with Fae in them.

“I trust her to be wild and impulsive and bold and self-destructive when it means someone else might be saved. I trust her to be the month she was named for, cold and kind by turns, endlessly storming, so that nothing can stand in her path but risk being blown away. I trust her to be October…”

Toby’s been engaged to the Tybalt the King of Cats for a few books now and even I’m starting to feel like she is dragging her feet to get to a wedding date. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t really want to get married, it is just means well she might just be a little nervous about it. But when she finds out that according to Fae custom if she doesn’t invite her stepfather to the wedding it could cause great offence and bring back a big bad that she has already thwarted (Fae customs are complicated). Well that just throws a huge wrench into her wedding plans.

You think it would be easy to just invite him. However, he made a deal with the Sea Witch awhile back and has lost his way home. Now Toby needs to go on a quest with her Death Omen sister and Princeling Squire to find a man cursed by the Sea Witch and invite him to her wedding. You thought planning your wedding was complicated.

This is another great adventure through Faery and roads not normally traveled. I love the world that Seanan McGuire has built for this series and how every book is a brand-new adventure. How can you not love a world in which the heroine is friends with the Sea Witch of all people/monsters, engaged to the King of Cats, has her own squire and seems to find some of the coolest characters to be friends with outside of just those. Her perky sense of humor and penchant for destruction make each tale interesting and keeps me guessing.

"Do you actually know where we're going, or did we just let a women who currently hates us all put us on a road to nowhere without a map?"

This is definitely a series that you need to read in order for anything to make sense and I can only say the series gets better over time. I was on the fence about it until about the third book when I became hooked and haven’t looked back since. So if you can handle a little cruelty, because the fae are not sunshine and rainbows, then this could be a good series for you.

Wedding bells are ringing...or wait, could that be the sound of another unsolicited quest approaching?!

After some fantastically unreasonable delays to her impending nuptials, October and Tybalt are at the home stretch. Unfortunately, date night between the two is hijacked by the ominous news that Toby can't marry unless her faerie father Simon (dun dun duuunnnnn) is invited. It seems the universe just cannot give our local hero a break! The rose roads are calling once again, and Toby has no choice but to follow them all the thorny way to Simon.

At this point in the series, I think Toby (and especially Tybalt) deserve a loooong honeymoon, where they can rest and relax far from faerie intrigues! This installment fleshed out a great deal of backstory and tied up quite a few loose ends I wasn't even especially aware of. I was a bit bummed that Tybalt was mostly absent in this book (by no fault of his own) and quite pleased that Toby hardly bled on anything (don't worry, she still ends up covered in someone else's blood). Simon is a sympathetic villain with a fascinating character arc, and both his negative and positive interactions with Toby were highlights for me. And oh, that sweet, sweet karma visited on Amandine!! Toby deserved a front row seat to that after all she's been through!

Overall, I felt like A Killing Frost is a build up book to whatever's gonna go down in the next installment. I am such a fan of Seanan McGuire's diverse cast and atypical relationships. She has a way of forcing her characters through hell for their happy endings, but darn if it isn't always worth it! Fans of the series can sit back and enjoy another of Toby's mis-adventures, but new readers may want to consider starting at the beginning. A Killing Frost rests on the shoulders of the books that came before, and you'd miss quite a lot by skipping to the latest installment. McGuire's story is lush with imagery and tantalizing hints of faerie, and I will happily follow Toby all the way to the altar, no matter how many books it takes!

A Killing Frost is a story about marriage and family, from the consideration of what does the bride wear when she assumes she'll end up covered in blood, to familial law. Toby doesn't so much seem to get Happily Ever After so much as Happy For Now, due to a mix of inescapable bad situations, Toby sense of duty and loyalty, and her indestructibility. However, Toby does generally complete her Quests, so going into the story, no matter how impossible, we have reason to believe that she will pull through even if there's a cost to pay.

When Toby learns that she has to invite her mother's husband, Simon Torquill, to her wedding lest someone claim insult against her and demand a price she cannot pay, her task seems particularly impossible. He is lost, has sacrified his way home until he finds Oberon, and until he fulfills his quest he is a deadly danger to everyone Toby cares for.

I feel that I can say that Toby finds a way, with a cost, to achieve her quest, without ruining the story.

The most interesting and fascinating things are what happens around it all. For much of the series Simon Torquill has been a boogeyman, the man who kidnapped Luna and Rayseline, and a partner to the assassin Oleander de Merelands. Several books ago, McGuire gave us a glimpse at the man Simon used to be, before he becomes lost to save his daughter. For all of the focus on the search for Oberon, this is a book about finding Simon in every meaning. Simon was once a good man, and there are those in Faerie that still remember the man he was. Changelings are not the only ones who have suffered for a power greater than their own.

There are happy endings in this book. Not the ones I expected at the start of the story, or even halfway through. The story is earnest and desperate and feeling. And just as she changes the balance of blood, Toby continues to change the balance of Faerie.

Advance Reader Copy courtesy of DAW (Penguin RandomHouse) in exchange for an honest review; changes may exist between galley and the final edition.

October Daye is back in an all new adventure of lost roads and missing persons. Toby's life is finally coming together. She and Tybalt are planning the wedding, her people are safe and she is almost karmically balanced with the Sea Witch. A romantic dinner for two turns into another quest when the Queen of the Undersea informs Toby that if she doesn't make sure that her in-the-eyes-of-faerie father - Simon Torquill gets an invite to her wedding - she will face the ire of his friends and enemies alike with enough force to end the need for a wedding. So Toby must again brave the rose roads to find her mother's husband - but how can you bring home someone who traded his way home away. Toby's got an idea, but Tybalt won't like it.

Another fantastic installment in the series. I always enjoy watching Toby tumble her way through faerie. Characters continue to grow - especially Simon - who started as a cardboard cut-out of a villain and has morphed into a character who always seems to be making the choice between the lesser of evils. It's nice to see the world expanding, though I am still waiting for the wedding.

This is a terrific series, and this is a terrific book in that series. October has been avoiding the planning for her wedding with Tybalt (and denying that she has cold feet), until she learns that the wedding can't even happen until she locates her missing stepfather/sometime enemy Simon. This sets October off on yet another epic quest, and more than a few surprises are found along the way to the original goal. This is a fairy tale with a shockingly happy ending (for a Seanan McGuire book), so enjoy it while it lasts (and until the next book comes out, no doubt to upend October's world yet again...).

Oh, my heart. It's somewhat odd to think that a significant event in the world of Faerie can feel somewhat minor key, but to be completely vague - it did, but not in a way that felt minimized. It felt deliberate and thoughtful, The heart of the novel is Toby's quest (it's always a quest with Toby) to find and restore Simon Torquill, her tormentor who has lost his memory of almost any good act and intention he had for decades.

McGuire's storytelling is as on point as ever. A Killing Frost is the fourteenth novel in the October Daye series and it feels as fresh as it did with the first couple of novels and as familiar as readers might hope. Seanan McGuire isn't afraid to break her readers hearts and then toy with them, but it is always in service to ever building and expanding and revealing the world of faerie, evolving what we know and what is possible.

Oh. My. Heavens. This book broke my heart and put it back together in the beautiful way that only books about beloved characters can do. This is the 14th novel in the October Daye series, and there have been several very long story arcs and big questions running since the beginning, and with this book we finally have the hints of resolution and answers to, well, at least some of them.

It’s hard to say a whole lot without spoiling, and this is a book that MUST NOT be spoiled, so this review is going to tread carefully. . .

Simon is one of the main focal points in this book, and while he’s been one of our reliable baddies since the beginning of Toby’s saga, he became a much more complicated character after The Brightest Fell - mostly because we the reader learned more about him. I really enjoyed having some of my Simon questions answered in this book. He continues to be a compelling character, and the more I learn about him the more I’m sympathetic to him, and I REALLY hated his guts before, so you know that’s some good character development and reveal when an author can make you sympathetic to one of your series-long, love-to-hate villains.

Toby continues to be the hero we love. She charges into her quests without revealing much of her plan so we just get to ride along. There are definitely a few classic Toby moments in this one, and lots of blood as is to be expected. While I wish she as a person would have a care for herself and those who love her when she’s hero-ing, as a reader I really love reading the scenes where she just follows her instincts and breaks all the rules to try and force the world to her will. It’s so great.

The Ludiaeg is amazing as always. Terrifying and compassionate in turns. I always get a little thrill when she enters the story.

Tybalt and Quentin continue to grow in their own ways and to call Toby on her nonsense, which I love. I could always do with more Tybalt, but that’s my own problem. #fictionalcrush

And May. I’ve always liked May, but she had never quite grabbed my attention as firmly as some of the other characters. That changed in this book.

And finally, plot stuff. Without giving anything away, there’s this one really big thing that happens in the second half of the book, and when I read it I was sitting on my couch literally freaking out because I had no one to talk to about it. It’s a huge moment, revealed with Seanan McGuire’s knack for writing world changing moments that are both timelessly epic and simply relatable.

So to sum up, I adore this series and it’s characters, and this book did a lot that made my reader heart very happy in terms of the big overarching story arc, world building and character development.

This is an unbiased review.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Once I started reading the October Daye series, I couldn't stop. Actually, this is something in common with all of the Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant books - they're compelling. And in the fourteenth book in the series, October Daye remains compelling.

The ongoing plot lines are continued here - the issues with Simon Torquill and his disappearance become central here, when Toby finds out that she has to invite him to her wedding since he is technically her father, by Fae law. If she fails to invite him, she can face some massive consequences. Until the beginning of this book, she was unaware of this obligation, so she could probably have gotten away with it - but Dianda and Patrick Lorden decide to inform her of this, for reasons of their own. Because of this, Toby now has to set out to find Simon, who disappeared in a previous book.

Just before she found out this information, she received a call from her niece Karen, informing her that Karen had a dream in which Toby had to go on a sort of quest, taking only Quentin and May, and not Tybalt or anyone else. So, of course, off she went on the quest to locate Simon.

As the series progresses, we've been learning more and more about the bloodlines in Fae, Toby's powers and Toby's heritage - and that continues here. So, she's learning, all the while practically dying and getting her friends injured and practically killed. As she never tires of noting, she always has to dress anticipating bloodshed, because someone is almost certain to stab her along the way.

This is another solid entry in the series. It hasn't gotten stale, and an unexpected event toward the end of the book promises some most interesting developments. I can't wait for #15!

"Now in hardcover, the fourteenth novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling Toby Daye urban fantasy series.

When October is informed that Simon Torquill - legally her father, due to Faerie's archaic marriage traditions - must be invited to her wedding or risk the ceremony throwing the Kingdom in the Mists into political turmoil, she finds herself setting out on a quest she was not yet prepared to undertake for the sake of her future....and the man who represents her family's past."

Given how many books she writes in a given year anyone else expecting with this pandemic and safer at home that Seanan will have like seventy books coming out next year?

<p>I knew when I started this book that I would be sad upon finishing since it meant I was caught up to the most recent volume. I was right, but this book was a fabulous ride and so much payoff happens in this story that I loved! Saying any of those would be such huge spoilers though, so you'll just have to read it for yourself! I hope Seanan's creative well isn't killed by 2020's apocalyptic shenanigans and she is able to continue writing Toby's story and publication stays on track :) Thanks for sharing this wonderful world and story, Seanan!</p>

<p>I truly don't want to spoil this story, so I'll just add that I love how this was handled. The character growth feels spot on. The story feels like it's reaching a crescendo. And the amount of blood is holding. Everything that I would want from a Toby book. Plus I can't wait to see what happens in the next book regarding a certain character :)</p>

<p>Big thanks to the publisher, DAW, for approving my NetGalley request!</p>

A Killing Frost is the 14th installment in author Seanan McGuire's October Day series. This book picks up 6 months after The Unkindest Tides. In summary, Toby is engaged to marry Tybalt, the King of Cats. She is an investigator that can straddle both these worlds. She is also a Dóchas Sidhe, meaning that she can change the composition in the fae’s blood, can read memories in blood, and can taste every fae’s magic through their blood. She's the daughter of Amandine the Liar, firstborn daughter of Oberon, absent Lord of Faerie. Unlike her mother, and her half-sister August, Toby is was born mortal but is now leaning heavily towards going full Fae after she's had to change the composition of her blood to survive. She's a knight errant and a recognized Hero of the Realm, thanks to Queen Arden Windermere in the Mists Knight. Toby has a chronic inability of not minding her own business which usually means she's covered in someone's blood or hers by the end of the story. Very much like Jennifer Estep's Gin Blanco.


As this story opens, Toby and May are preparing for Toby's hopefully soon to be announced date of her nuptials which is supposed to take place sometime during this series. Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone pretty much thinks that Toby is going to renege on the deal and break it off. But I digress. Toby gets a strange phone call from Karen, Toby's friend Stacy’s middle daughter who is a soothsayer. Karen tells Toby that she's going to look for someone she's lost. She's going to want to take everyone she can with her, but she can only take May, who is her retired fetch and now her sister, Quentin, her squire and Crown Prince of the Westlands, which is what Faerie calls North America, and Spike, the Rose Goblin. She's warned that she can't take Tybalt with her or people will die. As Toby and Tybalt are having a romantic dinner, a truth bomb smacks Toby upside her head. Of course, there's always a catch when it comes to Toby's happiness. You see my kind and wonderful readers; Toby can't legally get married until she gets the approval of one Simon Torquill who is under Fae law her actual father since he's still legally married to Amandine. Simon who is the twin brother of Duke Sylvester Torquill of Shadowed Hills.


The same Simon who turned Toby into a fish for 14 years and destroyed the life she'd been trying to build outside of Faerie which led to her losing her only daughter. If Toby doesn't get Simon's permission, someone could consider it a very public insult and demand recourse. Simon is lost in the darkness after giving up his way home so that August can return instead and who very much wants to murder Toby because of his loyalty to Evening Winterrose. Putting aside the fact that everyone but Toby knew that this was coming and failed to tell her, doesn't sit well with Toby or with me for that matter. Toby must dig deep and rely on fickle allies like Sylvester and his wife Duchess Luna who have come to be antagonists instead of allies. She must find Simon, convince him to come home, and in a bitter pill to swallow, Simon can only be released from Luidaeg, the sea witch's curse if he finds her father Oberon. What will Toby do?


Fairness in reviewing, I did not read the novella at the end of the book as I normally would do. Just didn't have the patience or the time to read about Patrick, Simon, and Duchess Lorden. Must be said, that was a surreal ending. Everything is about to change now. Lines are being formed. Enemies are soon to be revealed. An entire new chapter in Faerie is about to begin and who knows what it will bring along with it. It is very unlikely that Toby will be marrying Tybalt any time soon. We still don't know what really happened to the missing Queens Titania and Maeve. Readers need to be prepared for the next chapter in Toby's adventures.

Once upon a time, Toby and Tybalt went on a date. If you are a familiar reader of the series, you know that something has to have gone wrong. Welcome to book 14 of the October Daye series. For new readers, go check out Rosemary and Rue.
But I am assuming that if you are reading this, you are well-versed in the Toby-verse. Therefore, it will be no surprise to you that Toby has to go on quest before she can get married. Specifically, she needs to find Simon and invite him to her wedding. This wouldn’t be an issue except for the events of book 13, which left Simon without his memory or a way to get it back. The only way to help him is to meet the requirements of his quest: find Oberon, who has been missing for centuries.
I liked that so many threads from older story lines are gently plucked in this installment. We have appearances by Luidaeg, Luna, Sylvester, Rayseline, Dianda… I could go on. It lays the groundwork for future novels involving some old characters. I don’t want to give too much away, so I will only say that I liked the book, especially the wedding, and can’t wait for the next one.

A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire

Short version of review: excellent book but don’t start here! It’s worth it to read this series from the beginning!

Longer version: I love Seanan McGuire. She has quickly become my favorite living writer and I feel very lucky that she is so prolific. I was first introduced to her work when her book Parasite , written as Mira Grant, was nominated for a Hugo Award. I loved it and quickly devoured the Newsflesh series before I realized that Mira Grant and Seanan McGuire were the same person.

I started reading her works under her own name, starting with Sparrow Hill Road, which is amazing, but I picked it because I was intimidated by her long running October Daye series. I had read some Urban Fantasy before, and I fondly remember Mercedes Lackey’s Diana Tregarde books, but my tastes run more to science fiction and then secondary world fantasy, so I was hesitant to dive into such a long series. I picked up the first book, Rosemary and Rue, when it was on sale as a kindle daily deal, and I found it disappointing compared to her other work. I reminded myself that it was her first published novel, so I cut it some slack. Then Incryptid was nominated for the Best Series Hugo in 2018 and I dove into that instead. I loved it! So I vowed to give Toby another chance. And I was so glad that I did! It is no one of my favorite series.

I was overjoyed when The publisher and NetGalley awarded me an eARC of A Killing Frost, book fourteen of this series. It is fantastic, but you should NOT dive into this unprepared. You need to read the previous volumes to really appreciate how much a master of her craft Ms. McGuire truly is.

As the author herself has commented more than once, writing a fulfilling well planned out series is a different challenge than just writing one good standalone book. Each book in the series has to be rewarding and stand alone, while building on what came before in a way that feels fair and giving clues and hints for the future. It is no small task, and there is a reason that Seanan McGuire has been on the Hugo ballot every year the Best Series Award has existed.

Based on A Killing Frost, I plan on nominating the October Daye series for Best Series Hugo once again and this time I bet it wins!

The October Daye series is now officially the longest (Urban Fantasy) series I have read and I am still loving it. The world that Seanan McGuire has created is very intricate and vast. The characters are like family members and I love seeing them grow in each book. In this book October has to find Simon, who is lost and has pieces of his memory missing, and invite him to her wedding otherwise he can claim offense which could be a very bad thing. She brings along May and Quentin on this mission. With each book we learn new things and even more secrets are revealed. 

I enjoyed this book a lot and I think it was a great addition to the series. October once again has a lot to deal with. She has to protect her family and also figure out how to solve different mysteries. October is definitely one of my favorite heroines, and I love that she isn't alone anymore and that she has a huge group of people she can depend on. Seanan McGuire is a phenomenal writer and she always knows how to keep me hooked to the story until the end. I already look forward to the next book.

Of course this is not the place to start in October’s journey after this many books! Thing happen which seem important but no forward progress has really been made. The next book will probably be where the threads really all come together. If you’re following along in Toby‘s journey you’ll read this one and hope the next one comes quickly.

This is NOT the book to start the series on. It wraps up a major plot line, and is so satisfying. I love how much Toby and her family have grown over the series, and this book continues that growth. Toby is ready to finally marry her Cait Sidhe love, Tybalt, but a huge wrench is thrown in the plan when she finds out that she must invite Simon Torquill to the wedding. A man who has lost his 'home' and is evil again. Toby sheds blood again on the way attempting the impossible.