Now in hardcover, the thirteenth novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling Toby Daye urban fantasy series!Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong.When the … wrong.
When the Luidaeg–October “Toby” Daye’s oldest and most dangerous ally–tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can’t refuse. Literally. The Selkies aren’t the only ones in debt to the Luidaeg, and Toby has to pay what she owes like anyone else. They will travel to the fabled Duchy of Ships and call a convocation of the Selkies, telling them to come and meet the Luidaeg’s price…or face the consequences.
Of course, nothing is that simple. When Dianda Lorden’s brother appears to arrest Dianda for treason against the Undersea, when a Selkie woman is stripped of her skin and then murdered, when everything is falling apart, that’s when Toby will have to answer the real question of the hour.
Is she going to sink? Or is she going to swim?
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The entire October Daye series is absolutely fascinating, a wonderful viewing of our concepts of the Fae.
First-this is one of my favorite series of all times! Writing-excellent, plot-excellent,
page length-too short!
I loved this book so much, thank you Ms. McGuire, this story will stay in my heart!
Seanan McGuire is one of my all time favorite writers. Her October Daye novels are brilliant! I’ve read all of them and now have to wait awhile for the next one. Please hurry and get publishing, Seanan!
I’ve been reading the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire since the first book, Rosemary and Rue. If I have a conversation with you and we start talking about books, I will for sure mention Seanan McGuire and one of her excellent series, such as the InCryptid series, the Wayward Children series, or this one. She is one of the few authors that I actively search for as to when her next book is coming out.
So it makes me sad to not give The Unkindest Tide five stars or even four. I wasn’t completely let down by the reading experience. Toby finally has to pay for all the favors the Luidaeg has granted her over the years. But the payment felt light. Just like this book felt light. But I expect a lot more from McGuire because I know she has the writing talent to be able to deliver.
One of the things that I enjoy so much with the October Daye series is the details in the story. The Fae and all the other mythical people and creatures have very complex lineages, customs, and rules. McGuire’s books need to be written in depth to encompass all of these details. To me, The Unkindest Tide was a shadow of previous books. The story was still there but the depth of the book was light and airy.
Will I still recommend the Toby Daye series? Of course. Will I read the next book in this series? Yes. Do I think you should read this one. Yes, especially if you’ve been reading the rest of the series.
I would love to hear what you’ve thought of The Unkindest Tide if you decide to read it.
I hate when a new book by this author comes out: I know I will devour it quickly, and it will be at least another year before I can read another in this series. Toby has come such a long way since the beginning of this series, and this book just shows how. She now has a huge circle of friends/family, a group she knows she can trust implicitly. She knows she has to protect them, but she can’t always, and when the Luidaeg comes to have Toby fulfill her debt, she knows she must let them enter danger. This book was filled with the flowery, wonderful writing the author is great at, we learn even more about Toby’s extended family (make sure to read the novella at the end), and we are inching closer to the end of the whole series as Toby’s number of allies grows as she plays her role as hero of the realm. Every book gets better and better, and I don’t want this series to end. If you love urban fantasy, this series is one of the best. Highly recommend!
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
The Unkindest Tide is another wonderful addition to the October Daye series. This is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series, and I am so happy that after 13 books the author still delivers intriguing and amazing story-lines. In almost each book we get to visit a new place and be introduced to new characters. The characters keep on growing and learning new things. It is amazing to see what else is possible and hidden in this amazing world. I loved that this book was focusing on the Luidaeg, she is one of my favorite characters, and I was happy to see that she played a major role in this book. What I love the most is that there is never a dull moment in this series, there is always something exciting going on. The story is not repetitive and Seanan is continuously expanding the phenomenal world she built.
In this book the Luidaeg has summoned all the Selkies to call in their debts from the deal she made hundreds years ago. She, October and others will sail to the Duchy of Ships, where all the Selkies in the world will be gathering to have their skins permanently bound to their bodies, to bring back the Roane. This book was action-packed, funny, emotional, and uplifting. Like always October gets herself into trouble, but always finds a way to get out of them. She is strong and loyal, and will always help the ones in need. We also get a couple of heartfelt scenes between October and Tybalt, which was a great addition to the story. There were also a couple of heartbreaking scenes, which made me want to hug both October and the Luidaeg. I think fans of this series will be satisfied and enjoy this book. I already look forward to the next book.
Well, it is finally here. For many, many books, we have known that Toby will have to pay her huge debt to the Sea Witch. And for several books, we have known payment will involve the Selkies and restoring the Roane. Finally the Luidaeg calls in the debt, and Toby’s whole gang, absent only Raj, heads out to sea.
We get to meet Captain Pete (one of my new favorite characters, just you wait) and re-unite with some old favorites (come on, Dianda Lorden is pretty kick-ass). The Dutchy of Ships is an interesting place and I enjoyed the first real description we get of Undersea politics. We knew from previous books that a war between land and sea would be a BAD THING but we finally get a better idea why, as we meet more Undersea fae and glimpse their powers.
Toby gets to take a quick jaunt underwater to play the role of hero, and for once, nothing goes terribly wrong. The problems are back on land- or at least the solid floor of a Dutchy floating in the middle of the ocean. Someone doesn’t want Toby to keep her bargain with the Luidaeg and commits murder to try and prevent it. Toby attempts to find the culprit amid a wash of politics.
Overall, an enjoyable book. I appreciated seeing the Luidaeg interact with so many more characters (no spoilers here, but when you read it, I think you will see who I mean). She finally seems to have real personality and not just be acting because someone forced her to do something. I can’t wait to see what the repercussions of this book will be. A solid 4.5 stars. Oh, and for those of you like myself, who love Tybalt, well, there is a particular exchange between Toby and Tybalt that I am sure will have you squealing. Now go get started reading.