This book opens with an author's note, saying that the Events Of This Book have been planned since the beginning of the series. When I first read that note, I felt the declaration was a little overdramatic.

However, when I actually read the Events Of This Book, it turned out that it was just the right amount of dramatic. The plot twist(s) are well done, surprising, and pack an emotional punch.

This is book 16 of the October Daye series, which follows a Hero navigating the human world and the fairy knowes and everything in between.

I have now read book 3 and this book (#16). And they are linked in a supremely satisfying way. There are plot threads introduced in book 3 that are payed off here, and thematic patterns that continue and deepen. I assume that the rest of the books in the series feel as connected as these two, and conclude that fans of the series will be incredibly happy with this new entry and what it does for this world.

Now, after the "end" of this book -- after everything has been wrapped up -- we get another plot twist (or two?). I feel like this cliffhanger ending robbed the book of the nice closure that it had built, and soured my experience a little.

Here is my video review of this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDeZDm_wCc&feature=share&si=ELPmzJkDCLju2KnD5oyZMQ&t=376

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW books for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Series Info/Source: This is the sixteenth book in the October Daye series. I got an ebook of this to review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: I continue to be completely in love with this series! Toby and Tybalt are finally married but they end up diving right back into fairy's problems. Toby's old enemy, Raysaline, is up for trial to be awakened from Elf Shot and has a request of Toby upon her awakening. Things get even crazier when suddenly Toby's best friend's kids (the Browns) end up under attack. As things unfold we find out the events may tie back to Oberson and the first queens of fairy.

I never end up rating the October Daye books any lower than 5 stars. I love this world and these characters so much and they have been a part of my life for so long that it always like visiting old friends when I read these. This is an incredibly well done addition to this series and starts to bring the original fae (Oberon, Maeve, Titania) into the story. The secrets that are unraveled here are mind-blowing.

As in all of these books that writing is fantastic, the plot is intricate and intriguing, and the characters are amazing. The ending ends on a complete cliffhanger which I wasn't thrilled with but honestly was expecting and it makes a lot of sense given the rest of the story. This book also includes a novella that covers the Luidaeg's past which provided some heart-breaking background for our sea witch.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this installment in the October Date series. All of our favorite characters are here and some huge revelations are made. This was completely engaging, impossible to put down, and a bit heartbreaking as well. Will Toby ever get a break? I am desperately looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

Myth: 5/5

This is one of those books that’s been coming for awhile. The puzzle pieces have been building, the stars have been moving into alignment, it’s finally time to learn what happened with the three and how faerie truly broke. Somehow this book was even more action packed than others, and clever in its misdirections, always starting with contentious scenes leading you to think that this is about X and then throwing Y right into your face instead.

Magic: 5/5

The history of faerie is not so secretly my favorite. Oberon has been lurking in the background and might finally be pressured into doing….literally anything. The magic is great, there are still so many parts that we don’t understand, but I’m clearly hooked and ready to learn it all as Seanan McGuire hands it out.

Overall: 5/5

Buckle up! This one is a wild ride with lots of twist, heartbreak and Toby diving headfirst into the unknown but surely dangerous.

I've enjoyed this series since the beginning, and watching things come to such a total and complete head here was fascinating. You cannot fail to be impressed at the extensive world building and story building that led to this point. McGuire has done a fantastic job bringing her characters through ridiculous trials and tribulations that somehow never feel overblown even when objectively speaking they are. I am constantly amazed at her ability to keep finding new ways to torment poor Toby and her friends, as well as at their ability to manage the stressors with aplomb and style.

I wasn't sure where she was going to go as a follow-up to the wedding story, and in a million years would never have guessed this is where things would head. Then again, once I read it, it felt like such a natural next step. There are only so many ways McGuire can keep ramping things up, and I think the way she delivered this magnificent punch to the head was cool and snarky and aggressive and out of this world - exactly as it needed to be in the context of the story arc by book 16.

With this book we're getting into the really good stuff kids, here's hoping she brings the next installment along very soon.!

Some long-term ongoing fantasy series overstay their welcome. And then there’s October Daye, a series that 100% proves that there’s no such thing as too much or too long, so long as the writing and the plot make it worthwhile.

And in the name of Oberon himself, I’m here to declare that the 16th October Daye book blew me away, caught me in its spell, and will haunt me for the coming year (until #17 comes along).

In Be the Serpent, we pick up two months after the events of the previous book, When Sorrows Come. That book brought the long-awaited wedding of Toby and Tybalt — and being a book about October Daye, hero of the realm and a total bad-ass knight, it also brought plenty of bloodshed, mayhem, attempted overthrow of a kingdom, and an assortment of awful bad guys.

But hey, it ended with happiness! Toby and Tybalt are married — and in book #16, Be the Serpent, they’re living together in wedded bliss. I’m a little peeved that we didn’t actually get to see them enjoying their Disneyland honeymoon (I’d pay good money to see Tybalt on the Dumbo ride), but they had fun, and that’s what counts.

Happiness doesn’t last long, however. As the story opens, a hearing in the Kingdom of the Mists is just concluding when the children of Toby’s closest childhood friend begin to scream as if in dire pain. Rushing to their family home, Toby discovers a scene of blood and heartbreak. It’s almost too much to bear, and how can Toby share such terrible news with her dearest friend?

As the plot unfolds, true terror is revealed. And I really can’t say much more about the plot than that, because it’s a doozy and it took my breath away. What I will say is that events occur that upend Faerie as we know it, and that tie together storylines that go all the way back to the first book in the series.

The ending is a total gutpunch as well, and I can’t think of another book in the series that ended without our heroes being (at least temporarily) in a fairly good or at least safe place. The ending here is upsetting and nightmare-inducing, and I think I’m going to spend the next year really mad at Seanan McGuire for leaving me in such an upset state!

The book includes a bonus novella, Such Dangerous Seas, which is also deeply dark and sorrowful. (As opposed to the novella at the end of When Sorrows Come, which was basically a fun romp through Toby and Tybalt’s wedding reception — which now feels like a brief shining moment of joy before the horrors of Faerie came crashing back down). Such Dangerous Seas features the sea witch, the Luidaeg, one of my favorite characters — but it’s a terribly sad story about her earlier years and the awful things that happened to her.

Be the Serpent is shocking, heart-breaking, and scary as hell. It’s also yet another brilliant showcase for our hero Toby and her chosen family, who band together no matter what. Whatever happens to these characters, they love one another unreservedly, and their family ties, commitment, and loyalty are big pieces of what makes this series so special.

Having to wait a year for the next book is going to be terrible for my well-being! And I guess that’s a pretty clear indication of just how great Be the Serpent is. If you’re an October Daye fan, you’re probably already reading it!

And I’ll say, yet again, that if you haven’t read the October Daye series yet, you’re missing out on something special. Start from the beginning (Rosemary and Rue) — you won’t be able to stop!

The biggest reveal of this book happens right at the start (well, almost), but it doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Enjoyable probably being the wrong word, cause some parts hurt.
The cliffhanger is a mean one, too - can't wait to read 17!

Book 16 means a BIG old infodump up front. There are some pretty big infodumps in the rest of the book, too, but luckily Seanan Mcguire has a knack for making them relatively easy to follow (though not always.) I knew from the publisher’s blurb that something major was going to go down, and that someone close to her was not what they seemed, but WOW. I was NOT prepared. And it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, too. In my opinion, this is one of the better books that’s come out in this series for a long time, and up there as one of the best books in the series, period. If you’re a fan of this series, get your hands on this one as soon as possible – unless you’re someone who would rather wait a year for the next book than deal with a cliffhanger in this one.

Representation: LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships, polyamorous relationship

CW: blood, death of a child

Be the Serpent is book number 16 (sixteen!) in the October Daye series. I can’t believe we have gotten this far. And wow, has so much happened. This book is not the place to start if you are new to the series; I repeat, do not start here.
But for fans who have been around since our heroine Toby was still dating Conor, well, how far we have come. Last we saw, Toby and Tybalt finally got married in an appropriately bloody occasion. Now, our heroes are relaxing in their wedded bliss- of course not. We thought Evening Winterose was the worst. And we were oh-so wrong. That’s all I can say without major spoilers. We find out more about the origins of the Three, the purpose of the Faerie rides, and more about how the Sea Witch Came to be in the short following the novel.
The book was a roller coaster from the first, and the threads of story planted in the very beginning of the series are finally starting to be realized. Some of my favorite parts involved October yelling at the King of All Faerie about what an absent leader he has been, and Toby talking to more enchanted structures. We end with a doozy of a cliffhanger, and I have not idea what is going to happen next. Guess we will just have to wait and see! A solid 4.5 stars.

Seanan McGuire has built a fantastic world in the October Daye series. A world rich in characters, histories, prophecies and magic. Toby McGuire is a hero in this world and in Be the Serpent she is about to be tested in ways she maybe wasn’t prepared for. This book ended up darker than some of the others in the series with a twist that I never saw coming.

“We could be standing at the intersection of twenty different flavors of reality and only seeing the two where we have any business being”

Titania is back and she is just as brutal as she ever was. Toby is going to have to reconcile herself to the implications of this and find a way to save all the Brown children who have ended up in Titania’s sights. With the help of her crew being Tybalt, Toby’s new husband and Cait Sidhe king, her trusted squire Quinten, fetch May, newly acquired father Simon, The Luidaeg (famous Sea Witch of the sea, yes that Sea Witch) and more but those will be the main player along with a very reluctant Oberon who are tasked with containing the newly returned Titania.

This story was WOW, I don’t know why I thought it was possibly going to be a little fluffier with a newly married Toby trying to figure out how to balance marriage with all of her hero duties but this was full of tense moments, emotional hits to the gut and a deeper understanding of The Three (Titania, Oberon and possibly Maeve). They are the makers of Faery and they have a lot of explaining to do in Toby’s eyes.

Toby is very hard to kill but she has a big part to play in this fight and she is going to be stretched farther than she ever has before. Not to mention the little secret she has yet to tell her new husband that is weighing on her mind.

This story was an unusual one for the October Daye Universe because there is definitely one completed story in this book but normally books in the October Daye series wrap up and end at a solid ending. We have a bit of a cliffhanger in Be the Serpent and I am on pins and needles seeing how it works out in the next book. Really a phenomenal story. I love Toby’s irreverence in the face of danger and those with more power than her. There is enough quick wit and funny things said to help with the dark tones of the book and give it a good balance. One of the best in the October Daye world.

I simply don't know how Seanan McGuire does it. This story just keeps getting better and better. What I appreciated the most about Be the Serpent was that it wasn't filled with ridiculous, gratuitous violence. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand how and why that happens a lot in Toby's life, but this was a nice relief. It was equal parts resolution to some long standing questions, and then opened up newer, cool questions that I couldn't have imagined. I only get to read one of these per year, but it's like coming home to my people every time.

October just can't catch a break! Just when she seems to be settled and happily in love, surrounded by her makeshift family, her husband, and reconciling with her father, things turn to chaos. The Brown kids are in trouble and being targeted. The source is a lot closer to the kids than October realizes. Be the Serpent is full of drama, violence, intrigue, and a bit of hope. I may be a bit angry with Seanan McGuire for the ending, but I will probably get over that once the next book in the series is announced.

What is great about this book is it cements the overall arching storyline. Oberon has returned and unfortunately all is still not right in the world. We learn a bit more about the construct of Fairie, the past, and the importance of balance to the fate of the world. October also makes some pretty solid observations about what all seems to be going on. She is starting to see the connections between events. I, for one, look forward to seeing how they unravel. She also has a big bit of news in the end, but don't get settled in and feel happy for too long, because McGuire will pull pull that rug from beneath you, reader, and make certain your celebration is cut short.

While this is book 16 in the series, I am very happy to see that the story hasn't lost it's appeal. McGuire knows how to construct a story and keep the reader interested even after all these books! It's one of the reasons this is one of my top series to read. There is never a sense that the story construction is a matter of 'going through the motions'. The story is well thought out, filled with interesting elements, and is really engaging.
Overall, a great book. I would strongly suggest the readers explore the previous books first. There's a lot of information and while McGuire does a great job of summing things up, the backstory of everything is definitely worth the time spent.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review the great addition to the October Daye series.

The latest October Daye novel leaps right into the action. Be the Serpent begins with Raysel’s trial where she is woken and October officially adopts her into her band of teenagers, but when two of Stacy’s prophetic children collapse, the main plot barges in—and it is a doozy.

Be the Serpent is a whirlwind of plot as Tatiana is uncovered, the Three’s motives are revealed, and Oberon’s character is developed. It could have moved a bit slower and the characters’ relationships shown a bit more, but on the whole this installment is a must read in the series.

Wow. This book was well paced, action packed, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I can't summarize the plot without spoilers, so hopefully it's sufficient to say that things that Seanan McGuire has been hinting at since the very beginning have come to pass. I think it would be quite clear, even without reading the author's note, that these events have been planned since book one.

This book does end with in a cliffhanger, as a warning. Even so, I can't recommend this series highly enough.

A free ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Titania is terrible, and it was about time someone stood up to Oberon and forced him to contribute. The cliffhanger ending was unexpected and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Be The Serpent is the Sixteenth installment in author Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. Timeline, this story takes place in June of 2015. It has been 6 years since Toby was released from her 14 year captivity as a koi fish in which she lost both her husband and her daugher. After once again saving the day in Toronto, she's now married now to Tybalt, the King of the Cats. She's also Knight of Lost Words, Hero of the Realm of the Kingdom of the Mist, and named Realm Breaker by more than a few former enemies who are weary of this new turn in Toby's life.

Before I continue with this review, I want to express how hard it is to write this without spoilers. The author, in fact, pretty much warns readers ahead of time that she used the pandemic to write a entirely new story arc that will rock Toby’s world and have consequences on the Fae and everyone that Toby has surrounded herself with. If you have read this series from the beginning, you know that fate has found ways to dig at Toby at all angles and in some ways, Toby has changed Faerie for better or worse.

Be the Serpent picks up with a hearing in Arden's court to determine whether Rayseline should be woken after being asleep for 4 years thanks to being elf shot. If you've followed this series closely, you know that Rayseline has made a choice, and now that choice is being revealed. Going into this story, I was extremely peeved at Sylvester for allowing his wife to treat Toby like garbage, thus breaking a bond that was like the one that Toby has with her squire, Quentin.

At the beginning of the day, Toby thought that her biggest problem would be persuading the queen to waken an elf-shot prisoner and give Toby custody of her, to save Raysel from her parents Sylvester and Luna. At the end of the day, Toby has found that someone extremely dangerous has been hiding in plain sight. Someone who she grew up with. Someone who she loves like a sister, and someone who has been there since Toby was a street rat. With the help of Tybalt, Quentin, May, Simon, and The Luidaeg, along with a very reluctant Oberon, Toby must face her most dangerous threat yet.

We have known from early on that Toby was the subject of several prophecies. Also, the Luidaeg has plans for her and has made it apparent that she is the only one allowed to murder Toby, when she's finished with her. As is the nature of fairy tale prophecies, some of them have come true. But not in the way that anyone thought they would. If you want to read a HOLY!!! CRAP!!! cliffhanger ending, you must prepared for two stunning revelations that happen within minutes of each other.

The story reaches deep into the past and deep into the future. How was Faery born? Could Maeve being hanging around waiting to return? Will what was broken in the Broken Ride be fixed? This book ends with a short novella Such Dangerous Seas that features Luidaeg as well as several other characters. The story pretty much reveals why Luidaeg is unable to lie to anyone. It's a good story.

The October Daye series by Seanan McGuire is one of my all-time favourites and never fails to disappoint. In ‘Be the Serpent’, the sixteenth book in the series, I still find myself utterly captivated by Ms McGuire’s masterful story crafting as I was in Book 1, Rosemary and Rue. Toby is back, along with her stalwart companions, as long-held beliefs are shattered, and the consequence of Queen Maeve’s broken ride becomes due. As Ms McGuire skilfully weaves together the complex clues that have been teased throughout the series, you will laugh, smile, and cry. There are devastating losses and fundamental secrets revealed as Toby urgently tries to protect her loved ones from an enemy closer to home than we ever expected.

The book takes place over a 24-hour period and begins with Toby attending Queen Arden’s court to speak on behalf of Rayseline, Toby’s liege lord’s daughter who was elf-shot several years earlier. Pure blood Fae elf-shot victims usually sleep for 100 years, however, due to the previous adventures of Toby, a cure was developed that could awaken the sleepers early. There is some concern in awakening Rayseline as prior to her being elf-shot, she had left a trail of destruction and bodies behind her, in part due to the trauma of being kidnapped as a child and in part due to the mixed Fae heritage, she bore being incompatible. Toby entered Rayseline’s dreams a while ago and got permission to balance her blood, removing the conflicted inheritance and making her pure Daoine Sidhe.

Once the court is concluded, Toby is conferring with her friends when they are interrupted by an unexpected warning by Cassandra and Karen Brown. Leaping into action, Toby and Tybalt rush to offer their aid, setting into motion the chain of events throughout the book. I don’t want to go into too many specifics and run the risk of spoiling the story for anyone, but I will say that the book isn’t the sweeping adventures Toby usually experiences. Instead, the book focuses on the momentous revelations surrounding Fae history and the ramifications for Oberon, Titania and Maeve disappearing 500 years earlier. There was less emphasis on Toby’s friends and the relationships between them, instead, the narrative revolves around Toby uncovering the truth about past events. Don’t worry, we still see Tybalt, May, Quentin, Raj, etc, they are just not integral to the overall story.

As the events of the book take place over such a short time period, the pacing is brisk with no areas that I found tiresome or uninspired. It doesn’t centre as much around the action Toby takes, instead our attention is on the secrets she is uncovering. We get some great dialogue between Toby and Oberon, and I love that she calls him out on being a crappy parent and King even whilst internally acknowledging that it’s a bad idea due to his power. There was one little plot hole that may have been fixed in the release as my review is based on an ARC copy. I will edit this once I get my ordered copy, but it struck me as odd that Julie has a quick scene before going off with another group. When we meet that other group a short time later, she has disappeared, and nobody mentions she was ever with them or her whereabouts. Towards the end of the book, she is mentioned in a different context, but I would have thought that Toby would have reacted to her vanishing without a trace. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the plot but is just something that stuck out to me.

Ms McGuire continues to build on the foundations of her previous books with more of the Fae history uncovered and the lore explained. There were some genuine ‘ah-ha’ moments as missing pieces of information were divulged and previous events were given unexpected importance. As per the author’s note at the beginning of the book, the events of ‘Be the Serpent’ have been planned since the beginning of the series and the effortless writing style and undeniable storytelling talent are on full display. I particularly liked the explanation of how the different Fae powers came into being, that Faerie itself directed the progeny of Oberon, Titania and Maeve, the Firstborn, to satisfy the requirements it needed. It opens the doorway to several interesting possibilities on why Toby’s abilities are needed in Faerie.

Overall, ‘Be the Serpent’ is a captivating read from cover to cover, and I found that I could not put it down. Toby continues to be an amazing main character, fiercely protective of those she feels is family and willing to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. The world-building is rich in detail and the lore sophisticated. The secondary characters are well developed with unique quirks that make them come to life. I cannot recommend this book and series highly enough. I do want to note that ‘Be the Serpent’ ends on a cliffhanger and not a little one. If you have enjoyed other books in the October Daye series or just appreciate a great urban fantasy book you will love ‘Be the Serpent’. Note, if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I would suggest going back to Book 1, ‘Rosemary and Rue’. Even though the first chapter does contain an exceptionally well-written summary, there is a lot of content you will miss if you haven’t read the rest of the series.

There is also a novella at the end of the book, ‘Such Dangerous Seas’, that tells the story of how the Luidaeg was bound by Titania through the treachery of her sister Eira. The cruelty she experiences is heartbreaking and makes me loathe Eira even more than I did. It’s a great novella and I am so glad we finally got the story of the binding.

5 out of 5 stars!

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this review. Whilst I received my review copy for free, this review is my honest and unbiased opinion. I have subsequently purchased a copy of the book for my collection.

‘Be the Serpent’ is the sixteenth book in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire. As of August 2022, the main series consists of the following books, but there are some short stories and novellas that you can find details on via the author’s bibliography.

Book 1: Rosemary and Rue
Book 2: A Local Habitation
Book 3: An Artificial Night
Book 4: Late Eclipses
Book 5: One Salt Sea
Book 6: Ashes of Honor
Book 7: Chimes at Midnight
Book 8: The Winter Long
Book 9: A Red-Rose Chain
Book 10: Once Broken Faith
Book 11: The Brightest Fell
Book 12: Night and Silence
Book 13: The Unkindest Tide
Book 14: A Killing Frost
Book 15: When Sorrows Come
Book 16: Be the Serpent

This was a fantastic and heartbreaking addition to the October Daye series. The reveal of who Stacy truly was one a reveal that I had guessed at, but having it confirmed was heartbreaking, given the way that it went down. McGuire did not shy away from making this book a difficult addition to the series, given the deaths within. The ending was such a shock and I am so very eager to see what will happen in the next installment.

Whimper…
It’s hard to say much of anything about a book this far into a series without venturing into spoilers. But whimper... I wanna go to my happy place now. This one may not be for the faint of heart and delicate natured…
I’m going to read a kids comic book next. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

October is married and is officially on a break from being a hero for the Queen of Mists. She's adjusting to her new normal, but apparently, there is an old ally who actually isn't. Toby is soon back to fighting for her life and the life of her community and found family, paying for sins that were never hers.

Be the Serpent is the sixteenth Toby Daye book, and it's been such a ride from the first book! Definitely read them first, it'll make so much more sense who the characters are, the complicated relationships that they have, and why they mean so much to Toby. They're worthwhile books, I promise. There's a teeny bit of summary of the last book, as well as the hilarious visual of Tybalt and Toby having their honeymoon in Disneyland. Faerie doesn't always sound logical, so keep that in mind; as Toby says, "making sense is something that happens to other people."

As with other books, the fun and camaraderie of the beginning quickly change, and then the story hurtles toward the end. Oberon had been found but still tries to hide away, Maeve remains missing, and Titania had disappeared. These three founders of all Faerie still play a role in modern-day fae due to the bloodline powers, and any Firstborn can develop new and odd powers that Faerie needs. Toby had her fun, but the murder of her best friend's daughter means that an investigation must be launched. Strange magic is around, including spells no one alive knows. Finding out what happened is a horror of its own, and leads to revelations about the nature of the Three, the curses laid out on several characters, and even why Toby has the power that she does.

This has been an incredible addition to the series and its world-building and showcases not just Toby's love and humanity, but the growth she had over the six years in this 'verse. She's as impetuous as ever, but it's been tempered somewhat. The conclusion is surprising as well as inevitable, as they usually are in this series. There will be ramifications for future novels that I can't wait to read. The included novella showcases the Luidaeg and the origins of the geasa that Titania laid upon her. It's heartbreaking to see what was hinted at earlier in the series, so I hope her revenge eventually comes to pass.

Be the Serpent is the 16th book in the October Daye series. I am still fully invested and dedicated to the story and awesome characters. I always look forward to what type of new adventure/mess October will find herself in. Seanan McGuire really threw a curveball in this book. I didn't see the plot coming and it broke my heart when I understood what was going on. This book is a bit more emotional than what I am used to from this author and tears rolled down my cheeks multiple times.

I couldn't put this book down and finished reading it pretty quickly. I was just that hooked and intrigued by the story. I love being reunited with my favorite characters in each book, and seeing October's relationship grow stronger with the people she loves. Be the Serpent is a very strong addition to the series, and especially the ending has me dying to get my hands on the next novel. I am confused but also pretty excited to see what will happen next.