4.5 hearts

The Innocent Sleep is the 18th book in the October Daye series. Told from Tybalt's PoV, we get to experience the events in the same timeline as book 17 from the other group of characters working to free those captured in Titania's illusion. While the shift in PoV took a little time to become accustomed to, eventually I got used to it and seeing the world not from October's perspective but that of Tybalt.

One minute October was there and she and Tybalt were having one of the happiest moments of their lives and then...The world is re-written by Titania, who is ever the sore loser and October is nowhere to be seen. Tybalt needs to find his wife, figure out why the court of cats is locked and no one can get in or out unless they are Royalty, save his people, find the Sea Witch and if he sees Titania, figure out how to kill her for causing this mess. It is daunting. Tybalt never thought he'd fall in love again after loosing his first wife and he has fallen in love with a woman who always seems to happen into messes and chaos. This time it is his turn to save her.
Love is a knife forever suspended an inch from your heart, and if it falls or you stumble into it, you can all too easily find yourself impaled and bleeding.

Because this story runs the same timeline as the Sleep No More, there are a few points in the story that overlap. In the beginning while Tybalt is trying to figure out what is going on in this new illusion Titania has made, I wasn't as engaged in the story because I had already read an entire book on it. But his journey was much different than Octobers and eventually, after his location of October, the story started to diverge enough that I was more engaged. It was actually eye opening in some ways to be in Tybalt's head to see how he sees the world around him and know the why behind a few of his actions in Sleep No More that were a bit extreme. I liked getting to know a few of the other characters a little better.

Between seers and all the other characters pulling together Tybalt has a shot at saving his wife, but the only catch is the perfect timing is four months away. This is testing all the patience he has, but never go against a seer who has told you the terms of your one shot. Tybalt and team get everything in place for the big day when all the stars will align and they get their shot to save Faery from being rewritten permanently.

Overall this is a great story and while there is a little repetition, it isn't too much overlapping with the previous book. If you are into this series and have made it to book 18, I think it will have so many of the things we all love about these stories.
“Do you think they just haven’t been letting her do blood magic?”
“Would you, if you were trying to keep her under control?”
Ginevra scoffed. “I wouldn’t try to keep that woman under control. Even if you wouldn’t kill me for even thinking about it, it would be like trying to wrestle a blizzard into compliance. Not the sort of thing you do when you want to keep all your fingers attached to your body.”

Bonus Story: Doubtless and Secure

Helmi is a Cephali from the undersea and this story is told from her PoV on the life of one of my favorite characters Diandra. Helmi has been there through it all, the courting of Diandra's mother, the births the deaths and everything in between. It was such an interesting story of the unique underworld and how it is a bit different from the Faery of the land. Helmi was an interesting character by herself, but I really enjoyed how she watched Diandra grow and become the woman she is in the stories today. The Undersea is pretty brutal, but I particularly liked seeing Patrick and Diandra's courting along with some of their day to day life. This story spans centuries and takes us right up to the rewriting of Faery by Titania. A very interesting glimpse into the undersea and the creatures in it.

The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire is the 18th installment in the authors October Daye series. For one bright, shining moment, Tybalt, King of Cats, had everything he had ever wanted. He was soon to set his crown aside; he had married the woman he loved in front of the King and Queen of all Faerie; he was going to be a father. After centuries of searching for a family of his own, he had finally found a way to construct the life of his dreams, and was looking forward to a period of peace—or at least as much peace as is ever in the offing for the husband of a hero.

Alas for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen, Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which does not include meddlesome shapeshifters or changelings like Toby getting in her way. Tybalt quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea and the rest of the Court of Cats.

Not only has Toby memories been erased of who she really is, but the Luidaeg is missing. Arden has been replaced as Queen and is now helping changelings escape to another friendlier Kingdom. The old Queen who once banished Toby is back on her throne. Dean, and Rayseline have disappeared to another realm; and May has been forced to hold up in the Library of Stars fearing that if she leaves, she won't remember her lover, Toby, and her friends. To make matters worse, Quentin, Toby's squire, is a hateful bigot who can't stand the sight of Toby or any other changeling.

To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart. With a little help from Raj, Ginerva, Dianda Lorden, Patrick, Simon, August, Arden and Nolan, plus Garm and Grianne, Tybalt will go on his own quest to stop Titania from permanently changing history.

*Thoughts* Even though the stories basically take place concurrently, I absolutely recommend that you read Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep as close together as possible. Why? Because there are a few points in the story that overlap. At one point in this series, I wasn't a fan of Tybalt's, but I have since changed my mind. You can tell the love that he has for Toby, and the fact that he's gotten comfortable around May, Jasmine, and Quentin, as well as accepting Raysel spending one year under Toby's guidance. We also get a bit of Tybalt's former life in Londinium.

The new relationship between August and Toby will hopefully last. The two of them became close when Toby didn't know who she was, and that she was a hero of the realm who has saved so many lives over the course of this series. August was very protective of Toby until each learned the truth about Titania's plans. No spoilers, but as Luidaeg says, we have definitely not seen the last of Titania and I do hope that the author explains what really happened to Maeve and if she too is hiding out in the California area like Titania was and whether she will be another thorn in Toby's side.

This story is once again followed by a short novella called Doubtless and Secure. It is told from the point of view of Helmi, a Cephali who has been around for a very long time. The story starts in 1612 and ends during the course of The Innocent Sleep. It is the story about Dianda Lorden, the ruling monarch of the Duchy of Saltimist (an undersea kingdom off the coast of California) plus when Dean and Peter arrived, and how she met her husband Patrick Twycross, son of Eira Rosynhwyr, and later how she agreed to add Simon and August to her growing family.

Myth: 4/5

I really enjoyed Tybalt’s perspective. My one comment for readers is that I’d put some space between reading The Innocent Sleep and Sleep No More. These are the same story, told from two perspectives, and while Tybalt and October aren’t together for the majority of the story, the overall plot is still the same. I read both in the same month, and I found The Innocent Sleep a bit repetitive in some places. Either way, it’s the same wonderful fae world we’ve come to love.

Magic: 4/5

As you might expect, with Tybalt in the driver's seat and the courts of cats so uniquely affected by the storyline, we get a bit more feline fun than normal.

Overall: 4/5

I loved being in Tybalt’s head. We’ve been denied his perspective for far too long! Now if only we could get into the Luidaeg’s!

It’s not my absolute favorite of her books but I enjoyed it. It’s Sleep no More from Tybalt’s point of view. I like his character so it was fun to see his side of things. Also, my cat is purring her little heart out as I type this review one handed on my tablet because the nights are getting cold and she feels that until spring the best place to sleep is 2 inches from my face held in one arm. So any book that goes into seeing the cats are okay in the end is good in my books!

In the 18th novel of the October Daye series, Seanan McGuire switches her main character point of view and it is a brilliant and insightful change that adds depth to the series and gives us a powerful story about the determination and hope of love. 

One of the reasons that this story is so brilliant is the voice of the character and that we already got October Daye’s point of view. Here, we get Tybalt’s point of view on the events of book 17 and it is eye-opening. For one, this gives the reader the chance to give the readers a view of what happened in Toby’s world that she was not privy to. But it also gives us a chance to get to know Tybalt better. We have always, except for short stories, seen events through October’s eyes but Tybalt has his own story, his own point of view, one that shows he is far more logical and practical than his beloved. His voice in this story is so distinct and intriguing as we learn the steps he takes to bring his love back to his arms. 

The story is powerful and engaging as it swept me along. I barely breathed as I swept through the novel, learning how Tybalt coped and the insight into his character is remarkable. If you love the October Daye series, I highly recommend book 18. Tybalt is just as intriguing in his own way as October, just as fascinating, and just as emotional. I love his encounters with October and how he gets her back. The conclusion is enchanting.

The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire


What a fascinating book!

I love Seanan McGuire. (Note: I review a bunch of her books so I am copying part of some of my other reviews here to save time.). 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 somewhat 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 Sleep No More - I couldn’t stand waiting any longer to find out what happened after Toby was ensorcelled to believe that she had never left her mother. It turns out that Toby wasn’t the only one affected (or is that effected?). A large chunk of Faerie was totally rewritten and it was a thrill to see our characters acting familiarly yet differently based on their new roles in this revised timeline. It reminded me of the TNG episode Condundrum in all of the best ways. As the book progressed, the cracks in the illusion start to show in interesting ways. I was very excited to see January, the cyber-dryad show up in a pivotal role. That was a stellar entry in this series.

But! It was not the only one this year! For the first time ever we get a mainline novel from the POV of someone other than Tobey! This book, which I also got an eARC of from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (and a physical ARC in an amazing influencer box, thanks again!) is from Tybalt’s POV.

Tybalt is now October’s husband. In the first few books, he was on the frenemy to ally trajectory until I realized that he was the love interest! I disliked him alot at first but he grew on me over the years. His overprotectiveness went from irritating to endearing. And I’d recently started reading the short stories in this series that are from Tybalt’s POV so I was intrigued by this book.

In addition, I’ve always enjoyed stories that went behind the scenes of stories we’ve already seen- I remember being amazed and in love with the 1955 redux section of Back to the Future II and this book shares a lot of the fun stuff with that. It’s cool to see the events from a different perspective and Seanan McGuire does an excellent job here. You can see the meticulous attention to detail she puts into every part of the story.

But I’ve had a tough time writing this review - while I enjoyed the book and thought it was well written, it made me dislike Tybalt in a way I haven’t since book 2. His mind set and attitude are very off putting to me. I understand that his pregnant wife has been effectively kidnapped and, based on his personal history, that is especially traumatic for him, but his anger and unkindness and uncharitable attitude through much of the book make him a much less pleasant narrator to follow than October is. Maybe the difference is that October is a Hero and Tybalt is not? He’s the protagonist, sure, but he’s not out to save the day as much as he is out to save his wife.

This book has made me think a lot about the characters I have known and loved for years and it is impressive that Seanan McGuire is able to do that in such a long running series. She’s clearly not phoning anything in and is at the top of her game. I just wish that I found Tybalt more likeable.

Many of McGuire’s books have an underlying theme of ‘found family’, which, I have to admit, I absolutely love. The Toby Daye books are no exception. I think the decision to release Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep only a month apart was genius. The main character shift was a little jarring at first and I think it would have been harder to keep everything straight if the traditional publishing scheme of one book/year had been adhered to. Once I got used to the shift, it was fascinating to see Toby from outside as it were.

Read this one immediately after Sleep No More and enjoy!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#TheInnocentSleep #NetGalley

For all the October Daye fans out there this book is everything!!! I never realized how badly I needed a Tybalt story!

🐈‍⬛About 🐈‍⬛
This book takes place at the same time as the previous book, Sleep No More but told through the eyes of Octobers husband Tybalt.

Shortly after learning that his wife is pregnant with his child, Tybalt awakes to find himself in the Court of Cats surrounded by hundreds of subjects that are no longer able to travel the shadows roads. Only Royal cats still have the ability to travel and bring their people resources so they don’t starve.

At the same time Tybalt is determined to find his love and the rag tag family he and October created. What he finds is that no one remembers him. Everyone thinks his people were killed off centuries ago and October is no longer a Hero but a docile worker in her mothers home.

🐈‍⬛ My thoughts 🐈‍⬛
This book was impossible to put down once I started. While some events overlap with the previous book and were repetitive it was so cool to see into the mind of Tybalt and his true thoughts of the people around him and the events taking place.

Throughout the past 17 books we’ve learned bits and pieces about the Cait Sidhe but this story spent quite a bit of time within the courts and talking about their politics and abilities. A lot of the side characters in previous books had a chance to shine! I always love going to the undersea!!

If you’re a fan of the series this book will not disappoint and if you’ve never read Seanan McGurie’s October Daye series go pick up the first book Rosemary and Rue! This series is one of my favorite Fae series and I know you’ll love it!!!

Unfortunately I didn't realise this book was part of a much longer series by Seanan McGuire- I'm not sure how I missed this urban fantasy series but I have added the backlist of this series to my TBR list.I suspect the subtle rivalries and relationships between the characters would have made more sense if I had.
But despite this, I enjoyed this book and the premise of characters living in a different reality. Despite not reading the previous books I was pick up the gist of the stongs relationship between Tybalt and Toby , and the need for him to find his extraordinary wife.
The world building was detailed with special courts with cats and fae with plenty of action and magic.
The writing was engaging and I look forward o reading the authors backlist but this book will appeal to any fans of Seanan McGuire.

Getting Tybalt’s perspective in general is really interesting, as it sheds more light on how things like the Shadow Roads and the Court of Cats work, as well as how his mind works, and bits of backstory we’ve never heard before. His perspective on the events before and during Sleep No More provide more context and complexity about Titania’s plan and the world she created, as well as providing the whereabouts of some characters who were conspicuously absent in the other novel. The last chapter felt like less of an abrupt change in this one than in Toby’s novel, and filled in a few of the gaps that had made me dislike it (though not all.) Overall, I really enjoyed it! And I’m happy that this one has a less anxiety-inducing end than last year's installment, haha.

The novella at the end of this book was about Helmi and Dianda, their relationship and their origins. It was good, though slightly less interesting to me than the Rayseline one at the end of the other book.

I adore Tybault and concurrent books can be interesting if done right, so I’ve been looking forward to this book. I had faith this one would be another fantastic entry in the series. First let me back up and mention for those who don’t know (in case you’ve been sleeping under a rock or in Antarctica or something), the prior book is about exactly the same thing except from Tibet’s point of view.

Now that I finished book 17 and 18, I have to say that I think this would have worked better with a single book containing alternating viewpoint chapters. True, the single book might have been a bit longer, but I just read two books with not much difference within the covers. Certainly there is context and events that differ, but not enough to justify an entire novel.

Is the story good? Of course! That goes almost without saying. It’s a given. The debate is whether a reader wants the same story back-to-back. That’s a big time and money investment.

I think I lean toward Tybault’s story as my favorite. I hated how Tobey led such a crummy life in the other version. If she hadn’t worked free…yuck. This way I get to see the heroics without the accepted downtrodden aspects. So I guess what I’m saying is- if you read only one, read this one.

While I am not usually a fan of stories from multiple points of view, i enjoyed story being told from Tybalt's perspective. There was a good job of fleshing out of some concepts and side characters such as Ginevra. I really have liked the short stories appearing at the end of some recent books, and encourage an anthology of shorts from all characters.

First of all, this cover is stunning. I can not wait to order the physical copy as display it. The book was so fun to read. It was super well written and we all know how the story ends, so the emphasis was on the journey there.

The Toby Daye series of books has been a long standing favourite and so was excited when I got the news that I had access to this ARC.
The story is told from Tybalt (King of Cats) and Toby's husband point of view, which is a twist to the normal narrative which is from Toby's view. I personally loved the change and to see events from a different point of view , however this may not be the same for all other fans of the series. For me it gave greater depth and insight into Tybalt, the world of Cait Sithe and his feelings for Toby.
This really is a companion novel to Sleep no More which covers the same time period but as lived by Toby. Tybalt and Toby are happily married and have exciting news to share, but at this point Titania places a great work of magic on the world to recreate her own new version of reality. In this reality changelings are born to serve full Fae, and those fae who are inconvenient to Titania's new narrative are shoved / banished to various pocket realities or other realms. Tybalt has to save the Cait Sithe who are stuck in a shadow realm which only can be accessed by walking the shadow roads, a skill only available to a few. As well as this Tybalt works to save Toby, gain allies and convince other fae that they are living an illusion, one which only a few fae can see through.
We are reunited with long established characters, most of whom believe in the illusion cast and not all of these characters are negatively affected by the changes wrought. Tybalt fights with his allies to reinstate the correct reality and if you have read Sleep no More then it is no surprise that he triumphs.

This book also includes a novella Doubtless and Secure at the end of The Innocent Sleep. This covers Dianda's life and how she came to be ruler of Saltmist in the Undersea.
Definitely a book for those invested in the October Daye series but may not be to all fans tastes. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this reivew, all views are my own.

The Innocent Sleep follows Tybalt, King of Cats, who loses his perfect life when Titania, the Summer Queen, takes over. Banished and unrecognized by the woman he loves, he must convince her to see through the illusion and reclaim their reality. The story delves into Tybalt's struggle for a new beginning after his happily ever after is shattered.

I anticipated a completely new storyline following the events of the previous book, Sleep No More. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that it unfolds concurrently, but from Tybalt's viewpoint instead of October's.

The Innocent Sleep pleasantly surprised me, as I'm typically not a fan of revisiting the same story from a different point of view. However, in this case, the characters were apart majority of the book, giving it a fresh feel akin to a new story altogether.

Exploring Tybalt's perspective while October pursued her own path provided a unique depth to the narrative. It was heartbreaking to see Tybalt powerless to make things right. I could feel his frustration in having to wait for some things to fall into place.

The side characters were a highlight, and their dynamic added richness to the tale. Ultimately, I found myself enjoying this book much more than I initially anticipated.

I was surprised and excited by the book being in Tybalt's POV. I should have known since the cover has him on it and all the other covers had Toby. I have read Seanan's Tybalt POV short stories before and like them and I really liked getting a longer thing. It was fun, if stressful (in a good way!) matching up the plot with Sleep No More. I was glad to see May! I was confused when she was absent from Sleep No More but the explanation here made a lot of sense.

Give me more Tybalt all of the time. I love being able to see what the rest of Faerie was doing while Toby was stuck in Titania's illusion.

Series Info/Source: This is the 18th book in the October Daye series. I got a copy of this through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I was a bit disappointed in this book (similar with book 17, "Sleep No More"). Some of the beginning of the story was intriguing, but then once Tybalt catches back up with October it is basically a repeat of "Sleep No More". The fact that you already know how everything turns out if you have read "Sleep No More" takes a lot of the urgency out of the story.

This book follows Tybalt and starts right before Titania rewrites fairy to her liking. Tybalt wakes up confused in the Court of Cats and is forced to unravel the mystery of where Toby went and why things have changed so much.

There were a couple things I enjoyed at the beginning of this book. I loved learning more about the Court of Cats and Tybalt's past. I also enjoyed being able to delve into the Library of Stars and learn more about that. Additionally, getting to meet some of the monsters in the deep of the Saltmist kingdom was fun.

Unfortunately, once Tybalt meets up with October, the book is basically a copy of "Sleep No More" but with a couple of different scenes when Tybalt isn't with October. It's fairly boring. I am not sure what McGuire is doing here, but I didn't enjoy "The Innocent Sleep" much either and this was even worse. I hope this series wraps up soon before I start to really dislike it.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was fairly disappointing. There were some aspects in the beginning of the book that I enjoyed but once Tybalt meets up with Toby this is a copy of "Sleep No More". I guess it is somewhat interesting to know Tybalt's thoughts on what is going on, but at this point in the series we know him pretty well and hearing from Tybalt didn't really give more insight into his character, I actually liked him less by the end of this book.

I plan on continuing with the series because I have stuck with it this long, but I have been enjoying each book less and less. Hopefully this series will wrap up soon because I am not sure where McGuire is going with all of this.

I thought Seanan McGuire couldn't break my heart any more than she did in "Sleep No More."
I thought I wouldn't enjoy a novel from Tybalt's POV as much as I have the ones from Toby's.
I was very, very wrong.

It's an ambitious concept. "Sleep No More" and "The Innocent Sleep" tell about the same timeframe, and most of the same events, as each other, but from the points-of-view of two of the main characters in the series. Toby's POV is a heartbreaking tale of our favorite hero reduced to being a servant to her bloodkin, with no knowledge of the life she's led. It's even more heartbreaking when you remember that Toby spent fifteen years as a fish, losing her mortal family. Faerie has taken more from Toby than it's ever given her, and this latest loss of agency is especially cruel.

Luckily, Toby has acquired friends and made a new family, who are determined to stop Titania and reverse the spell. Tybalt, Toby's husband, is the King of Cats. The Cait Sidhe have been made extinct in Titania's "reality," and this, for me, was the worst part of both books. The poor cats, trapped and starving, not knowing what happened or why, and relying on the few who can travel the Shadow Roads. (I don't do spoilers, normally, but it all works out okay.)

There are tie-ins from many of the previous books, and some characters who died are alive, well, and in some cases, unfortunately thriving in Titania's pocket universe.

Why you should read it: because it's amazing piece of work, even if we hadn't previously had the story through Toby's eyes. Toby's such a presence that I thought it would be weird to have a story where it's really everyone else who is taking action. It isn't weird at all; it's wonderful, and I really enjoyed minor characters getting some page-time.

Why you might not want to read it: McGuire has put novellas at the end of the Toby books for the last however-many, and Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep each have one. Might The Innocent Sleep have worked just as well as a novella at the end of Sleep No More? I don't think so. Having a full-fledge novel gave more insight into the characters who would normally have been working behind the scenes or gotten short shrift, storywise, and we got to feel the full horror of what Titania had done to the Fae. It also gave more dimension to the characters whose lives were actually improved under the spell, and the quandary this caused in which reality should be kept. This is also not the book with which to jump into the series; you need the background of all that came before to fully appreciate this book.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from DAW via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Seeing October’s world from Tybalt’s point of view added another dimension that I didn’t know I was missing!

I absolutely adored Sleep No More and getting to see the events of the story from a completely different perspective - and therefore interact with different characters and see how other parts of faerie were effected by Titania’s spell - was fascinating!

I love October and Tybalt’s relationship, and seeing how much he cares for her firsthand, as well as how infuriating her behaviour must be for those who care about her, was a really interesting experience when you’re used to seeing everything from Toby’s point of view.

I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series, and I will be picking it up right away!