This is another fast-paced and reliable addition to October Daye's story, and Toby's fans will eagerly eat it up and be back for more, even if the plot here is a bit confusing and unsatisfying.

Toby must (once again) drop everything and sojourn off into sketchy magical roads to save someone, and enter into another sketchy deal with the Luidaeg to sort it all out. A major mystery of the series is solved, but frankly, I have no idea what happened there. I reread those scenes twice, but I really feel like I need someone else to explain to me what was going on.

SO, in sum, I was underwhelmed. But I still love Toby, and I'll be keeping an eye out for her next adventure.

A new Seanan McGuire book is always a cause for celebration, and when it’s an ARC it somehow seems even better. Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for making at least one good thing happen in 2020.

I had to read The Unkindest Tide first as I often save a series book to read just before a new release, so I have had six amazing days totally immersed in the world of October Daye. I wondered how A Killing Frost could be as good as a book focusing on the Luideag (always my favourite along with the Aeslin mice), but these books just get better.

In A Killing Frost, October sets out to find Simon Torquill so she can invite him to her wedding as required by Faerie law. A scary adventure, fraught with weird and awesome dangers ensues. Spike, the rose goblin, (who needs a story of their own) goes along to help.

I love the world building in this series, and how McGuire uses backstories to fill in more and more detail as it progresses, so than in each book we learn more about Faerie. I’m looking forward to When Sorrows Come in 2021. Perhaps Tybalt and October will finally marry. Perhaps…

There’s also an excellent, bonus novella written from three points of view : Patrick, Dianda, and Simon Torquill.

Great read. I am starting to feel like this series should be wrapped up but it was fun to spend time with Toby and the gang. Thank you for the opportunity to rate and review.

Normally I love these books in this series, but this one felt forced. Didn’t dig it, or the bonus novella. I might be done with October Daye.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Seanan McGuire has hit it out of the park. The October Daye series is one I hold close to my heart. During a really hard time in my life these books were what got me through and reminded me of my love of reading. Sadly, I wasn't quite as enthused about the last book, but this one really made me remember why I love this series so much. All the characters feel so real like friends I truly know. The plot was one that kept me so engrossed I spent the whole day reading. I really do not want to give anything away because I really, truly love the ending to this book so much. It truly shows just how great an author McGuire is. Just know that there is a large twist that should hopefully please everyone else as much as I loved it.

The fourteenth book in the October Daye series sees Toby planning her much anticipated wedding. However, due to fairy rules, Toby discovers she must invite Simon which proves to be a problem. Simon is missing and cannot find his way back home after making a bargain with the Luidaeg (The Brightest Fell) and the deal he made is, of course, going to end up being an issue for Toby and her future.

I quite enjoying "A Killing Frost" and found it to be a quick, fun read. There are some big revelations in this book and a few tantalizing hints to new mysteries, including some oddities with Toby's friend Stacy that I am eager to learn more about. Toby, May, and Quentin are all prominently featured; Raj and Gillian are mostly absent (the latter of which I'm glad about). A solid addition to the series.

A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire is another great addition to the October Daye series. The thing I enjoyed most is that even though this is book
# 14, the quality has not dropped off.
Before October and Tybalt can finally marry,October must hunt down her bio dad Simon and invite him to her wedding or she could face retribution according the ways of faerie. Of course things go wrong along the way but some major things happen. So hard not to give anything away!! My favorite character is still the Luidaeg who is as awesome as always! I do wish October would show a little more growth as a character, I feel all the others have showed growth but not her . Looking forward to seeing what happens next with October and her wedding and all her sidekicks as well.
Recommend the series !

The writing was top notch as usual. The pacing was slow, and there wasn’t a lot of action. A couple of very important things happened that will alter the course of things going forward, but they felt understated when they happened.

I can’t say much about the plot without giving a lot away. It focused on Simon. He has had redeeming moments, but he’s done so many bad things. My feelings about him and the outcome are incredibly mixed.

Tybalt was not in it much, which is never my preference. I wish Toby would show some growth and consider him when she does something dangerous. She needs to stop using being a hero as an excuse for doing stupid and dangerous things and hurting the people she loves.

The Luidaeg was awesome as ever! I can’t get enough of her.

I am excited to see where all of this is heading. A reread will definitely be needed once I’ve let everything that’s happened sink in.

So much happens in this volume of the series, and it is all terrific! Plot bunnies and questions that were raised in the earliest volumes of the series are coming to fruition and being answered, all in satisfying ways. I worried a little when I read the description, because October having to invite Simon to her wedding felt almost MacGuffin-ish, but I take all my worries back, because chasing him down led to all this development, and sets up a new act in the next volumes of the series. We get promising interactions and updates with Rayseline Torquill, lots and lots of Toby and the Luidaeg sorting things out, and, well, I would say more, but that would involve MAJOR SPOILERS. The thing that strikes me, after this volume, is that even when I've guessed what McGuire is going to do, her execution of the thing I expected is EXTREMELY satisfying; and has already prompted me back to reread several earlier volumes of the series to see it being set up.

If you're new to this series, this book will be confusing; start at the beginning -- this is one sequence where it's absolutely necessary to read in order. If you're caught up with the earlier books, well; you're in for a treat.

A Killing Frost has everything that has made the October Daye series one of my favorites! Fans of the series will not want to miss this one, it is Toby at her finest! Toby is once again wearing the "Hello My Name is Hero" nametag as she works to clear a major hurdle before she can marry Tybalt. Some major overall series plot resolution seems to take place as a result, which might leave new readers a bit confused (hint: start with book 1: Rosemary and Rue, NOT A Killing Frost). Loved it!!

3.5 stars. Contains minor spoilers.

Another intriguing chapter in the October Daye series. Not as stellar for me as previous installments due to not having my fave character, Tybalt, for most of the story (or Raj and Gillian at all), and also because October makes a pretty stupid decision (she realizes it in hindsight) which I feel should've been obvious to her at this point in the narrative (rookie mistake) but I guess the author thought was necessary to move the plot along.

Toby proves herself a few times over though, showing she's still very much a hero of the realm, rescues a few people on the way, and helps certain relationships grow. I absolutely love Toby's relationship with her squire Quentin. He's come a long way from the stuffy gangly teenager he started as :)

I'm looking forward to finding out more about Cassandra and the mystery of her mother's history alluded to, to see if August and October can mend their sisterly fences, and if more of Raj and Gillian.

Leaving reviews on Goodreads, and Amazon/ B&N when the book publishes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy!
No surprises here--I've always loved this series, I think I might never tire of it. It must be hard to keep thinking of new ways to make Toby bleed. Nice of May to take over some of the bleeding. LOL. Wonderful series.

It's the first book I read by this author and the the first in this series and now I'm hooked and binge reading the whole series.
It' was a gripping and entertaining reading: a great world building, well rounded and likable characters and plot that kept me turning pages as fast as I could.
Even if it's not the first in the series I had no issues with the characters or the plot.
Can't wait to read the next installment, this one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I'm completely hooked on this series. I eagerly awaited October's next adventure and was not disappointed! I love the depiction of the fae and faerie world-building in this series, all of Seanan McGuire's books are worthwhile reads.

Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors. It doesn't matter what series she's writing, it's all entertaining. We always buy her for our library.

I love this series so much. Toby is just trying to enjoy a nice dinner out with Tybalt when her friends notify her that in order to get married without potential challenges, she has to find Simon. This starts a quest that, as usual, turns into a bit of a bloody mess and it's a miracle any of them make it out alive. Seanan McGuire's writing is fantastic as always.

The latest installment of the October Daye series does not disappoint. After many trials and tribulations, it looks like October is finally ready for her wedding. But when well-meaning allies inform her that she must invite Simon—her father under Faerie law and sometimes nemesis—she must find him sooner than she would have preferred. To proceed without him could risk political calamity. So, she sets off on a quest to save him, the outcome of which will change October's world forever.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

It's a testament to how much I love this author and series that despite the large pile of arcs I have right now, and the super limited time, I got approved for this two days ago and finished it last night. Very few books these days are more exciting to me then finding out what's in store next for October and her increasingly large cast of allies and enemies. "A Killing Frost" is a fantastic installment in the series, and has some major unexpected plot developments that should have huge implications going forward.

Most of this book follows the usual Toby structure. There's a quest, there's Toby figuring out which allies she can or should take on said quest, and of course there is Toby bleeding all over everything in order to solve her problems. In this particular book, the seemingly innocuous desire to plan her wedding means that it's time to go track down Simon, who is legally her father due to faerie's convoluted system of inheritance.

The further Seanan McGuire gets into this series the more impressed I am with her world building. There are now so many complex plot and character threads in the story that it makes the big reveals even more shocking and emotional. Having been with these characters for over a decade, learning about the intricacies of their political and personal relationships, we're really able to feel the weight of new elements when they're introduced. Even the side characters who don't feature much in this particular volume get some moments, and since this series is so long and has so much room to breathe, it doesn't feel unreasonable to go entire books without seeing particular people. I'm also endlessly impressed with the level of foreshadowing in these books. After this one I feel like going back and rereading the entire series again to see what new clues I might pick up.

This is my favorite urban fantasy series out there. For readers who've been following along for awhile, be assured that the series is as strong as ever. For new readers who may be daunted at the idea of starting a series that just hit book 14, do it anyways. The characters are endlessly delightful, the plot is meticulously paced and planned, and each book is self contained enough to be a satisfying read while still advancing the overall story. As always with Seanan McGuire, the cast is diverse in both gender and sexuality, and you will never have to worry about things like sexual violence making it in to her work. Of course, if massive quantities of blood bother you then that's a different story.

My only complaint is that now I have to wait a year and a half to find out what happens next!

(The now expected novella at the end is another gem. It gives some great backstory for a couple of long time favorite side characters.)

I actually finished this one several days ago - I was approved and read it straightaway in a day. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Toby Daye stories. Actually, most Seanan McGuire (or Mira Grant, for that matter) stories. She has a marvelous, immersive writing style - I fall into her books quickly and wander around in her worlds until the last pages (and sometimes even longer, as her characters tend to linger in my brain, roaming about while they wait for the next installment).

October's story continues to develop in new and interesting ways, and McGuire has done an extraordinary job bringing full backstories to so many of her (previously) ancillary characters with the latter books in the series. I am always astonished at the breadth and depth of the world-building she undergoes, in everything from her long-form series like this one to her shorter stories and novellas (both in-series and stand-alone). I am also continually amazed at the way she weaves storylines and character development together across multiple books - sometimes serially and sometimes skipping several in the interim. I can't imagine how she plots this all out, there must be an FBI-quality map of criss-crossing threads spanning several walls in her house to keep them all straight!

I have particularly enjoyed watching the family relationships around Toby develop: Simon, Amandine (Almandine!), Sylvester, and August have all shaped October, even when she didn't realize they were doing so, and seeing how their characters evolved over time has really helped deepen Toby's own story. I love this series because the good guys don't always do good (or at least not anyone's good but their own), the bad guys often turn out to be (unsung) heroes, and redemption is possible but ALWAYS comes at a cost. I think these are solid messages worth remembering these days, and the way she weaves these lessons into her storytelling - never preaching, never heavy-handed, always softly almost as an afterthought - means that they resonate without interrupting the story. It's a very cool feature of the series for me, and one I look forward to watching continue to develop over time!

A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire, another book that's hard to put down. Toby gets thrown into the deep end yet again from the very first chapter, and the twists and turns keep coming with just a hint of foreshadowing. You won't want to miss this read if you're a fan of the series!