BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Jax Reviews The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire with a Giveaway

Jax, Review, The Brightest Fell, Seanan McGuire, Giveaway, Bea's Book NookSeries: October Daye #11
Publisher: DAW
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 5th, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble * affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

For once, everything in October “Toby” Daye’s life seems to be going right. There have been no murders or declarations of war for her to deal with, and apart from the looming specter of her Fetch planning her bachelorette party, she’s had no real problems for days. Maybe things are getting better.

Maybe not.

Because suddenly Toby’s mother, Amandine the Liar, appears on her doorstep and demands that Toby find her missing sister, August. But August has been missing for over a hundred years and there are no leads to follow. And Toby really doesn’t owe her mother any favors.

Then Amandine starts taking hostages, and refusal ceases to be an option.

My Thoughts:

I love reading book series, being able to watch not just the central character grow, but the entire cast of characters develop from novel to novel. In urban fantasy with magic as an integral component, I always have the fear that their phenomenal cosmic powers will outgrow my not itty-bitty suspension of disbelief. Seanan McGuire has a brilliant gift for being able to tie the hands of Toby and the gang to keep things in check. It's one of many reasons I adore her writing. She's so mean to them, but it makes for the best stories!!

At this point in Toby's tales, her life is going in the right direction. There are things that could be better, but overall it feels like she's taken several large steps forward, with nothing shoving her back. It's amazing how fast that can change. The quest Toby's mother insists she undertake, drags Toby back - in memories and in abilities. Tracing steps laid long ago, Toby gets new perspective on her past, present and possible future. It's a bewildering, bittersweet journey. Somehow, at the end, Toby ends up a bit ahead of where she started. She's made strides in forgiving and fixing strained relationships.  She gains and loses an unexpected ally, and I hope the next few books lead her to find them again.

My favorite part of this book was seeing Toby more or less on her own again. She needed a reason to really see how much she has earned, in terms of respect, love and peace of mind. I love the rag tag crew that follows her into every skirmish, but this book was a time of reflection and discovery for just her. I feel like it shook her up, and let all the pieces of her life resettle into something better. Every long running series has a transition book that ties up all the lessons learned over the years, and propels the heroes into a new stage. I usually find them a bit tedious, but read them because they are literally pivotal for the books to come. This is clearly a transitional book for Toby, but I didn't find it the least bit boring. There is plenty of action, snark and humor.

See an excerpt from the book and what Bea thought of the book on her review. Also, leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing for the a copy of the first book in the series, Rosemary and Rue. Winner will be chosen via random.org. Giveaway ends at 11:59PM ET on Thursday Sept. 14th. No purchase necessary. US only.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for this captivating novel which I would enjoy. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've wanted to read this series for a while now so thanks for the chance to win!!

    starry_night1987(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't remember who introduced me to this series, but I'm a few books in and still enjoying it. I agree, the best thing about series is watching the characters grow and change.

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