Things are not okay.
In the aftermath of Amandine's latest betrayal, October "Toby" Daye's fragile self-made family is on the verge of coming apart at the seams. Jazz can't sleep, Sylvester doesn't want to see her, and worst of all, Tybalt has withdrawn from her entirely, retreating into the Court of Cats as he tries to recover from his abduction. Toby is floundering, unable to help the people she loves most heal. She needs a distraction.
She needs a quest.
What she doesn't need is the abduction of her estranged human daughter, Gillian. What she doesn't need is to be accused of kidnapping her own child by her ex-boyfriend and his new wife, who seems to be harboring secrets of her own. There's no question of whether she'll take the case. The only question is whether she's emotionally prepared to survive it.
Signs of Faerie's involvement are everywhere, and it's going to take all Toby's nerve and all her allies to get her through this web of old secrets, older hatreds, and new deceits. If she can't find Gillian before time runs out, her own child will pay the price.
One question remains: Who in Faerie remembered Gillian existed? And what do they stand to gain? No matter how this ends, Toby's life will never be the same.
I don't know how Seanan McGuire continues to write compelling installments of the October Daye series but she does.
Night and Silence is the 12th in an urban fantasy series that is easily one of my top five "must reads". This is one of those series that I would recommend starting at the bottom and reading your way up. October "Toby" Daye has too much backstory to simply start in the middle, although the author does do a good job of getting you up to speed if you've forgotten what happened in the previous book.
One thing that Seanan McGuire does well is persecuting her MC. Toby's life is not sunshine and roses. Sometimes good, sometimes terrible, there are no quick fixes in Toby's world. McGuire's characters certainly suffer for the greater good, and sometimes for the lesser evil. I love that her characters not only change and grow but experience setbacks. Unlike authors whose characters develop in leaps and bounds, McGuire's are more two steps forward and one step back. While there is romance, it takes a backseat to the storyline and character development. I appreciate that it's there, but if I want to read romance, Imma gonna read romance, know what I mean?
While Night and Silence isn't my favorite of the twelve, it certainly is a great continuation of the series. If you love urban fantasy, especially fae urban fantasy, and you haven't read the October Daye series, do yourself a favor and pick it up!
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4 Paws Up!
About the Author
Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things.
I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).