One Salt Sea (October Daye, Book 5) Seanan McGuire

 

One Salt Sea was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. And then... less. But that's because things happened that I didn't want to happen, but I totally understand why the author took things in that direction. So, no points off for the "and less" part.

I think that I know where things are eventually going to go. I think that several books from now we'll find out that Quentin is King Sollys' son, I also think that eventually Toby will end up as Queen of the Cats, or consort to the King, or whatever title she will have once she and Tybalt are together. And we all know that someday the Queen is going to have to be deposed. But... those are my theories for future books. For this one....

I think this may have been my favorite book of the series. The plot, the interactions between the characters, the new things we learn about several of the characters, the directions I can see the series going (not just what I wrote above, but a lot of things I can't say or they would be spoilerish).

Here's the blurb:

Now that she's a member of the landed nobility, October "Toby" Daye is dealing with a whole new host of challenges—not the least of which is figuring out the limits of her newly-enhanced abilities. Still, it feels like she's finally getting a handle on her life. She has a boyfriend, a roommate, and even a squire. Things couldn't possibly get better...

...but they can get a whole lot worse. Someone has kidnapped the sons of Duchess Dianda Lorden of Saltmist, and to prevent a war, the Luidaeg is calling in all Toby's debts. Toby will need to be smarter, sharper, and quite possibly damper than ever before if she wants to come out of this in one piece—and the fight is getting more personal than she could have dreamed.

One Salt Sea is the fifth book in the October Daye series, a modern urban fantasy set in both the San Francisco Bay Area and the Faerie Kingdom of the Mists which overlays Northern California. It will be released in North America by DAW Books on September 6th, 2011.

And from the back cover:

October "Toby" Daye is finally doing all right. She's settling into her new role as the Countess of Goldengreen; she's actually dating again; she's even agreed to take on Quentin as her official squire. Life is looking up all around—and that inevitably means it's time for things to take a turn for the worse.

Someone has kidnapped the sons of Duchess Dianda Lorden, regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist. To prevent a war between land and sea, Toby must not only find the missing boys, but also prove that the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. She'll need all her tricks and the help of all her allies if she wants to make it through this in one piece.

Toby's search will take her from the streets of San Francisco to the lands beneath the waves, and her deadline is firm: she must find the boys in three days' time, or all of the Mists will pay the price. But someone is determined to stop her—and whoever it is isn't playing by Oberon's Laws...

As the battle grows more and more personal, one thing is chillingly clear. When Faerie goes to war, not everyone will walk away.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was a stroke of genius. At first I thought it was predictable, but the farther we got into it, the more impressed I was.
• Pacing was perfect
• Prose and dialogue were several levels above and beyond what you'd expect from a skilled author. Seriously well done.
• Character development was superb. No new characters, but the ones we already know are developed further.
• World-building in this series is detailed and interesting and logical, and One Salt Sea continues that tradition.

I really am going to have to think of a category that shows the best of the best. Maybe I'll start a list for "The Best of the Year". If I do, this one will be near the top.

• Book Rating: One Salt Sea: 10 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

It looks like we'll have to wait a year between books from this point forward.  It was nice to get two books a year for the first of the series, I hate to see that coming to an end.  We do know what the next two books will be titled, I'll be watching for blurbs and excerpts.







1. Rosemary and Rue
2. A Local Habitation
3. An Artificial Night
4. Late Eclipses
5. One Salt Sea (September 6, 2011)
6. Ashes of Honor (Sept 2012)
7. The Chimes at Midnight (Sept 2013)
 
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Home Improvement: Undead Edition

 

While several of my favorite authors have stories in Home Improvement: Undead Edition, the truth is that I got this book for the October Daye story by Seanan McGuire.

I'll talk about the stories I read:

If I Had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris
Another Sookie and Sam story. The short in the The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (reviewed yesterday) is also a Sookie and Sam story. I said yesterday that I think Ms. Harris may be trying to set us up for a Sookie and Sam HEA as we near the end of the series. Or, she could be throwing us curve balls. Either way, it was an okay story - a 7 of 10.  The Sookie short I reviewed yesterday was much better than this one.

Gray by Patricia Briggs
A vampire story, set in Chicago, but in Mercy Thompson's Universe, so we are already familiar with the rules. I believe it is all new characters, if they've been mentioned I don't remember them. It was a good story, 9 of 10.

The Strength Inside by Melissa Marr
This one was creepy, with the ending reminding me of a few of the Twilight Zone episodes. The story was okay, but the ending was great. I'm pretty sure that if Melissa Marr wants to build a fence that her homeowner's association isn't going to argue with her.  9 of 10.

Through This House by Seanan McGuire
Toby!! What a great story. One Salt Sea comes out next week, this was a great appetizer for the main event. The story easily gets a 10 of 10 from me.

Stories I didn't read:

• Woolsley’s Kitchen Nightmare by E. E. Knight
• The Path by S. J. Rozan
• Rick the Brave Stacia Kane
• Full-Scale Demolition Suzanne McLeod
• It’s All in the Rendering by Simon R. Green
• In Brightest Day by Toni L.P. Kelner

I'm not going to rate the book as a whole since I didn't read the whole thing.

Late Eclipses (October Daye, Book 4) Seanan McGuire

 

Late Eclipses is the fourth October Daye book, and this series just gets better and better. I loved the first book, didn't care so much for the second book, the third book blew me away, and the fourth book is even better than the third.

Here's the blurb:

With Blind Michael and his Hunt safely behind her, October "Toby" Daye is doing her best to settle back into a normal routine—or as normal of a routine as she can manage, with her personal Fetch now paying half the rent. Still, things seem to be mostly under control...until the events of a single night send everything reeling. Now, with the Queen of the Mists watching her back and the Lady of the Tea Gardens deathly ill, Toby has no choice but to get involved, no matter how much she wants to avoid it.

The trials ahead will be some of the worst faced by Toby and her strange band of allies, and not even Tybalt will be able to escape totally unscathed. What's worse, the Luidaeg is unavailable to help them. This time, they're on their own. And people keep making Toby wear dresses, which is just adding insult to dangerous injury...

Late Eclipses answers a lot of questions, which in turn creates even more questions. We begin to learn a little more about what happened before Toby was born, and some of what happened while she was a fish. It's going to be very hard to talk much about the book without giving spoilers, so I'm not going to be able to discuss what I liked and what I loved as much as I'd like. There are some very tough issues in this book though, we've seen in the past that Seanan McGuire isn't afraid to kill off important characters... as much as I wish it were otherwise.

Tybalt has hinted at something Toby must discover about herself, and we begin to understand what Tybalt has been getting at. He's right. It's big. And I believe we only know a portion of it, which means it's likely to just get bigger.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot this time is a continuation of previous story arcs and is very well done with a few twists thrown in to keep it interesting. The story arcs aren't finished, but it was a good place to stop the action. There are still lots of unanswered questions, but no cliffhanger. 
• The pacing was hectic and frantic with just a few slowdowns. It worked.
• Prose and dialogue are once again beautifully done. Faerie comes to life in all it's glory and disgust. We are shown the beautiful and the ugly, the happy and the sad.... with enough humor thrown in for some laugh out loud moments.
• Character development continues to be exceptionally well done for many of the characters.
• World-building is beautiful, detailed, and amazing. This world ties in with our world over and over again, making it believable and bringing it to life in sometimes spooky ways.

I can easily give Late Eclipses a 10 of 10, and I'll be keeping the series at a 10 of 10 as well.

• Book Rating: Late Eclipses: 10 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

The next book in the series, One Salt Sea, is due out in September, so we've only got to wait six months to see what happens next, and hopefully get some more answers.






1. Rosemary and Rue
2. A Local Habitation
3. An Artificial Night
4. Late Eclipses
5. One Salt Sea (September 6, 2011)

 

The Top 18 books of 2010

 

It's the end of the year, time to look back on the best books of 2010. This list is not the best books I've read this year, but the best book I've read this year that were also published in 2010. Clicking on the numbered titles will take you to my review of that book. Clicking on the book images will take you to Amazon's page for that book.


1. Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews 

This is my favorite series, so it's probably no big surprise that book four of this series comes in at my favorite book of the year.  The books available now are shown below. The next book is Magic Slays and will be available in May.





2. Blood Cross (Jane Yellowrock, Book 2) by Faith Hunter

This is a new series for me, and I've fallen in love with Jane Yellowrock. I've already read and reviewed an ARC of book three, and if it were released in 2010 it would certainly be on this list as well.  The books in this series are:

3. Frost Moon (Skindancer series Book 1) by Anthony Francis

Another debut series for me, and I've been watching for the second book to be released but so far all I've seen are teasers from the author. I can't wait for book two, because book one knocked my socks off.


4.  Spider's Bite: An Elemental Assassin Book by Jennifer Estep
5.  Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin Book 2) by Jennifer Estep
6.  Venom (Elemental Assassin, Book 3) by Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep released three books in her new Elemental Assassin series this year, and all three were incredible. I couldn't decide which to rate highest, so I've just got them all listed in order. Gin Blanco is a likable kick-ass heroine, and she's got a supporting cast that work great as well. The books in this series are shown below, with Tangled scheduled for release in April.

7. Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher

There have been a few books in this series that didn't work for me. A few books of "same thing, different book". But Changes was in a class by itself. Looking through the list, I'm surprised I've put it at number seven, because when I read it I felt for sure it would be one of the top three books of the year. But there have been some really good books this year, so it's all the way back at seven. I'm not going to show all twelve book in this series, if you haven't read the series and want to start, the first book is Storm Front.


8.  Vicious Grace (Book 3 of The Black Sun's Daughter) by M.L.N. Hanover

Another new series for me this year, and another series with a completely new twist on the Urban Fantasy genre. The fourth book, Killing Rites, is due to come out in the fall. The books available now are shown below.




9.  Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) by Patricia Briggs

I loved Silver Borne.  The books in this series keep getting better and better.  In a really good series we see character growth, so it's a lot of fun to watch Mercy grow as a person. She actually (gasp) learns from her mistakes instead of making the same mistakes over and over again. The books available now are shown below, and River Marked will be out March 1.

10.  Play of Passion (Psy-Changelings, Book 9) by Nalini Singh

I adore Nalini Singh, and I love her Psy-Changelings. This series is more of a Paranormal Romance, which isn't usually my thing... but the series is written so well, and the metaphysics and world building are so original, that it's one of my favorite series. I can't wait for Kiss of Snow to release in May, and I expect it will be one of my top three or four favorite books of 2011. I'm not going to show all nine books in this series, but if you haven't read this series and would like to start then you really should read them in order. The first book is Slave to Sensation.


11.  An Artificial Night (October Daye Book 3) by Seanan McGuire

Another new series for me this year. I thought the first book was really good, I didn't care too much for the second book, and the third book blew me away. The books available now are shown below and the fourth book, Late Eclipses, is due out March 1.




12. Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter Book 2) by Nalini Singh

I'm still on the fence about whether I'm going to love this series or not. However, the second book took place in The Forbidden City in Beijing, and having spent the better part of the day there a few times, and since the main character gets to stay in The Forbidden City... sleep in a room, attend balls there, etc. -- I loved the fantasy of it. The book itself was a really good book, even without my love for the location, and the series certainly has promise. I think the first two books have set us up for the series, and the next book should give a better idea of where things are going from here.  The books available now are shown below, and the next book is Archangel's Consort.




13. Roadkill (Cal Leandros, Book 5) by Rob Thurman

This is not one of my favorite series. In fact, I've got the series listed as an 8 of 10. But Roadkill? Oh. My. Goodness. This is the best book, by far, of the series. I laughed, I cried. And there were philosophical points that I read and re-read and allowed to soak into my psyche. Oh, and there was a plot, and an adventure or two (or three) along the way.

14.  Kitty Goes to War (Kitty Norville, Book 8) by Carrie Vaughn

This is another of my favorite series, Carrie Vaughn continues to amaze me by pulling out plots and twists that keep this series like a breath of fresh air. Each book heads off in a unique direction, each is a surprise. I thought I knew what Kitty Goes to War was going to be about. I was so very, very, wrong. It was much different, and was a very good book. I won't list all of the books in this series, but I highly recommend it, and if you want to start at the beginning the first book is Kitty and the Midnight Hour.  And yes, the series is about a werewolf named Kitty. The name came first, before she was turned against her will. The titles are cute, but the books are quite serious. The next book will be titled Kitty's Big Trouble and is due out in June.

15. Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom Book 5) by Devon Monk

The Allie Beckstrom series just keeps getting better and better. I had trouble getting through the first book, but did because so many people said the series is really good once you get past the first book. And? They were soooo right. There is a good bit of worldbuilding, and a lot of rules to this world, but it's the characters and the storylines and the plots that make this series. The books available now are shown below, the next book will be titled Magic on the Hunt and is due out in April.

16.  Shadow Blade (Shadowchasers book 1) by Seressia Glass

Another debut series by a debut author, I gave the first book in this series a 10 of 10, but the second book received a 9 of 10. The third book, Shadow Fall is due out in June and will be the litmus test for whether I stick with the series or not.


17.  Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

The only book in today's list that isn't an Urban Fantasy. Ms. Gilman's first visit to China was a dozen years before my first visit to China, and she really made the sights, sounds, smells, and culture of China come alive in a way that is very difficult to do. Undress me in the Temple of Heaven is more than a travel memoir, it's one of those truth-is-stranger-than-fiction books.


18.  Tempest Rising (Jane True, bk 1) by Nicole Peeler

Yet another new series for me this year, the Jane True series is a quirky urban fantasy with a bit of a new twist on the genre. Sort of.  I described the first few books as fun and lighthearted. I've already read an ARC of Tempest's Legacy (due out next week) and the lighthearted part goes away.  It's still quirky and fun, but things get a lot deeper and a lot more emotional in the third book. I have a feeling that Tempest's Legacy will be a lot higher in the 2011 listing next year.