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Loading... Rosemary and Rueby Seanan McGuireTo be honest I'm surprised I finished this one. It wasn't badly written, but I get frustrated with authors who believe they can substitute constant battles and fighting for plot. In this book the main character, Toby, would turn a corner and get attacked and almost beaten to death. Then upon awakening she'd be somewhat healed by friends, but two minutes later would be attacked again. When she wasn't being attacked, she was suffering from the effects of the "curse" that was placed upon her which (of course) would nearly kill her. I don't mind a bit of fighting but honestly by the time the fighting was done this book was over. And spending 14 years of her life transformed as a fish? Come on, where's her sense of humor? Won't be reading more of this series. ( )This was the kind of audio book I love for a long drive -- enough action and plot to keep me from drifting away, and enough creativity to keep things interesting. I'm not much of a mystery or thriller reader, but throw in a little well-thought out fantasy and count me in. 3.5-4 stars PNR can be fun, so can an erotic romance be. Contemporary, suspense and of course an historical one. I love them all. But there's nothing, nothing like a good UF, and this one was a pretty good one. I thought the world was interesting (not ground braking but interesting), characters I want to know more about and a very flawed even sad heroine which I didn't want to kill (trust me, after all the books I've been reading lately it's a major plus!). There were a lot of plot threads that just left hanging and I hope will be dealt with in later books. So all I can say is - more please... I've been meaning to read this for a while, but if I'm honest, urban fantasy is a hard sell for me. Which is weird, as I like it in tv- I'm a big fan of Buffy, for example, and I watched most of the early seasons of Charmed. Maybe I think more about what I'm reading than what I'm watching, making it harder for me to maintain the necessary level of suspension of disbelief. I don't know. I like Toby, as a character. Her trauma in the prologue is not what one would consider a run-of-the-mill backstory, even for a fantasy, and what she lost (and what she was forced to leave behind) is something that I look forward to seeing more of in future books in the series. I am definitely planning on reading more of the series, though I didn't love this one. The fantasy element of the world was not quite as lived and real feeling as, say, Redwall (which I read recently), another first book, and there were so many species and abilities that I had a hard time keeping track sometimes. I also got confused by physical, geographic references because I am not at all familiar with San Francisco, so more than once I was wishing for a map. Toby falls into some old tropes that I am not a fan of- having a Thing for most of the men in her life; having a backstory/reputation for being or doing something amazing but spending most of the on-page time getting hurt, passing out, and being rescued by other people; being one of those "self-reliant" types who make things worse than they have to be because they won't ask for help, because despite everyone liking them they never seem to internalize it. That said, I liked a lot of the smaller touches. Gillian; the blood thing Toby does; the rose motif (especially Spike); the different smells of peoples' magic; the box. It's an imaginative world, with some really interesting characters and politics, and I look forward to seeing how things unfold as the series continues! The first chapter (prologue, I guess?) was really outstanding and gripping. ...and then the rest of the novel started, and I wasn't sure I was even reading the same thing anymore? I don't know how to even explain it. I'm curious to see how it progresses, so I will eventually finish it, but I'm not curious enough to finish it now - not by any means. Rosemary and Rue 3.5 Stars As a changeling, October “Toby” Daye has never fit into either the human or the fae worlds, but vows to live a “normal” life when she is burned by the faeries one too many times. Unfortunately, the murder of an old friend forces Toby back into fae society as she renews old alliances and forges new ones while investigating the crime. Like many first books in a UF series, much of the book is taken up by the world building and this tends to overshadow the mystery. The fae world is very interesting albeit confusing with a variety of different races, abilities and agendas to keep track of. Toby is a likable and relatable heroine with just the right amount of strength, vulnerability and sass. Some have compared her to Kate Daniels but, personally, I don’t see the resemblance considering the fact that Toby tends to get her ass kicked quite often, is quite self-depricating and doesn’t have nearly the amount of snark as Kate. On the romance front, there are quite a few men in Toby’s life - too many in fact and it isn’t 100% clear what the attraction is. Moreover, her taste isn’t exactly wonderful although Tybalt has definite potential (I’m a sucker for a love-hate relationship). The mystery has some good twists and turns although Toby’s investigative skills are not all that and the villain is actually quite obvious once everyone else is ruled out. All in all, the world building is solid and the characters intriguing enough to continue with the series. Toby, the main character, is so negative and repetitive two-thirds into the book that it is wearing grooves in my head. I quit. I enjoyed feisty Toby and her world; urban fantasy with hidden Fae and halfbreed changelings. No cliffhanger ending but clearly more to follow. Should build to a juicy series full of mythical beings, Fae politics, and more of Toby. A much hyped to me series I mistakenly put off as another formulaic dystopian (based on posts from other readers and author's books written under "Mira Grant"). Glad I finally started the series. "It can't all be dreams because a broken dream will kill you as surely as a nightmare will, and with a lot less mercy. At least the nightmares don't smile while they take you down." This unusual Urban Fantasy series focuses on a changeling (half human, half fae) stuck between the politics of different fae branches while fitting in with the human world. Kind of. Toby used to be a private investigator for her leige, but she was almost killed and punished a severe way. When she recovered from this (I'm careful with spoilers about this shocker), she was left with a lot less ties to the human world, to say the least. This book's pretty grim - a lot of bad things happen and good people die. There's depressing events and turns in the protagonist's life, as well as some glimpses of goodness and family warmth coming forth from unexpected sources. It's not written in the typical Urban Fantasy or fantasy tone, but more similar to a noirish/hard case mystery crime style. Despite the writing style being workable and the worldbuilding unique, Toby makes a great main character: she's smart but not unreasonably so; she's kind but not mushy and unrealistic; she's tough but average-tough, not that unrealistic stuff that's growing old in UF trends. The other characters...it's confusing on what to think of them. They're multi-dimensional. Why an average rating? Despite the promise of a mystery and the alluring world, little really happens. She investigates, but nothing grabs my attention. Honestly I kept getting a little bored. I should have felt more emotional oomph with the bad stuff after she recovered at the beginning, I should have been more invested in the story, but for some reason I just wasn't. The structure was sound and the foundation firm, but inside it was a little plain and under-furnished. Really the mystery wasn't strong because the character would try a different person to talk to, literally going through a mental list of who to go to next, till the answer was revealed by a last person she tried talking to. It became annoying how Toby almost died between questioning scenes, that grew old fast, and instead of helping the pace it started hurting it. Usually a character attacked and near death keeps things exciting and thrillingly tense, but it became so expected and routine that I started skimming it for the next recovery. Finally, while the world building is complex, the author opened the book where everything's already established in the character's mind and relationships, leaving the reader attempted to catch up. I couldn't get these weird relationships she had with these unusual characters, I really couldn't understand the connections and motivations there. I will try the next book in the series - it's a long running series and has a fan base, so I'm assuming there must be something there, hopefully easier to attach to when I'm finally able to understand and appreciate the relationship connections. It was pretty good. I might have even enjoyed it if it weren't for the abusive pedophile. It was pretty good. I might have even enjoyed it if it weren't for the abusive pedophile. What a fascinating book! There were some really sad sections for our main character, Toby, but I enjoy a bit of angst now and then. The pace was fabulous and the author's take on Faerie and Fae realms is so intelligent and unique. It's clear she did her research, too. The writing was awesome and flowed so easily that I could just curl up and forget the rest of the world! Toby did tend to put up personal walls, but I'm hopeful that she will learn to allow others to assist her in the future instead of attempting to fight all her battles alone. There is tremendous potential here. I'm moving to the next installment ASAP! Set in the modern-day San Francisco Bay area, October ‘Toby’ Daye is a PI who investigates the normal, but also the supernatural. Being half-fae herself, she has quite a few tricks up her sleeves when it comes to detecting the truth. Toby Daye is also a mother and a fiancé. But then a case goes tits up and Toby is turned into a fish in Lily’s garden for the next 12 or 14 years. Afterward, she doesn’t want to live a fae life and she’s doing her best to cut all her fae connections away. The death of a friend pulls her back into the world with a binding curse. Toby is awesome, for a lot of reasons. She has this whole backstory that we only get pieces of in this book and that past definitely affects the choices she makes. She isn’t perfect and sometimes she willingly lies to herself in an attempt to capture a few moments of happiness. She’s flawed and interesting, courageous and humble, clever and distrusting. All this makes her a great lead character. When Countess Evening Winterose is murdered, a curse is set upon Toby to find her killer. She also has to keep an unusual and powerful item safe. In attempting to do both these things without being killed herself, she has to reconnect with her old fae life. She once swore fealty to the Duke of Shadowed Hills, who has tried to welcome her back since her fishy experience ended, only to be politely rebuffed by Toby. Then there is her old flame Devin of Home, who has a variety of unwanted half fae kids hanging around running odd jobs for him. Tybalt of the Court of Cats has stayed in her life, whether she likes it our not. Lily only has sway in her garden but has made it clear Toby is always welcome there. With this curse upon her, Toby must reconnect with all these fae characters and more to solve the case. Toby isn’t the only one with an interesting past. The Duke’s wife and daughter also underwent an ordeal about the same time Toby was gone. It obviously changed them but we only find out enough to entice us to learn more. I loved Luna’s rose garden because it’s beautiful and a bit eerie. I love the amount of mythology pulled into the tale. It’s a great mix of the San Francisco that exists today and these bits of mythology. The story has a solid murder mystery feel to it also, taking itself seriously. There is definitely a price to be paid to find the answers Toby seeks. The story has a great mix of fae magic and detective seriousness. I’m looking forward to reading Book 2. The Narration: Mary Robinette Kowal did a pretty good job, and was spot on for Toby herself. She had distinct voices for all the characters, though her Spanish accent was a bit forced. It became smoother as the story went on. I loved her gruff voice for the taxi driver and Tybalt’s pissed off voice. New series, new author. Not a bad read at all! October-Toby Daye is a changeling and also a PI. One day while following a Fae while on stake out he turns her into a Koi and she spends the next 14 years and 10 months in the Tea Garden pond in SF. She's avoiding most of the people she used to know but Evening Winterrose leaves her a message she can't ignore. Solve her murder or die as a binding. So Toby has to go back to friends for help in solving Evening's murder. She's surprised by who she learns is the murderer and so was I. This was a disappointing novel with a lackluster heroine. We keep getting references to a past history, which apparently was so significant that the heroine was knighted for services rendered. If so, she shows no evidence of any such ability in this book, as she blunders from scene to scene, usually rescued by someone else. Everyone also seems very attracted to her, or admiring of her--again, one is not sure why. Just having "attitude" surely isn't that attractive, especially since it doesn't seem to be leavened by humour. October Daye is one of those urban fantasy series I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. And unless you count her novels written under the name Mira Grant, I’ve never read anything by Seanan Mcguire before either, so this was a good opportunity to knock out two birds with one stone. The series’ eponymous protagonist is a half-human and half-fae changeling with an incredible and downright uncanny history. The book’s prologue takes us back fourteen years ago as October “Toby” Daye investigates a missing persons case for her liege lord Duke Torquil, but her stakeout ends in disaster when she is ambushed by the fae suspect and magically transformed into a fish. And in that form she stayed, for fourteen damn years. The book officially begins not too long after Toby returns to herself, but she’s only a shadow of who she once. The world has passed her by while she was trapped in that koi pond. Her human family who long thought her dead are now having trouble coming to terms with her reappearance, and Toby herself is unable to face old friends, especially Duke Torquil, whom she believed she failed. Turning her back on both the human and the fae worlds, Toby retreats into herself and attempts a solitary life of night shifts and takeout, but those plans are shot when a pureblood fae countess is murdered and Toby is charged to find her killer. Now not only is Toby forced back into fae society, she also has no choice but to step back into her old role as a private investigator. Many people I know who have read both Seanan Mcguire’s books and also her Mira Grant books have told me that the writing styles under each name could not be any more different. Those folks are right. The author also uses her names to write very different genres, which is probably the reason for their disparate styles – and from what I’ve read, I think I enjoy her urban fantasy more than her horror. The two Grant books I’ve read, namely Feed and Parasite both suffered from very hackneyed plotlines and stunted character development, but Toby Daye was a breath of fresh air with her very unique and natural voice, along with the author’s vision of fae politics and their interactions with the human world. McGuire’s writing flowed a lot better for me in this novel. That’s not to say the book was perfect, though. The story in Rosemany and Rue itself didn’t blow me away – it’s a paradigmatic UF murder investigation which involves a lot of talk and little to no mystery in the traditional sense. After that awesome prologue, the intro drags on while we follow Toby through a tour of fae country as she makes stop after stop to tell others that the great Countess Evening Winterrose is dead and/or to ask for help. As the main protagonist, Toby is also prone to seriously bad decision-making, and maybe I just missed something, but I’m very skeptical of the author’s warped, cynical reality where a young woman can bleed all over a public bus from a gunshot wound and everyone around her can just pretend it’s not happening. Still, it’s the background elements and potential for good side stories that really caught my attention here. The stage is set and all the players are in place, now all we have to do is sit back and let things take their course. I have a feeling the complex social hierarchies in the fae world itself should add a lot of flavor to this series and make it stand out, and I’m also interested to see if Toby will ever connect with her human fiancé Cliff and their daughter Gillian again. I’m not typically that picky about my urban fantasy; all I’m looking for in any first book to a series is that it’s entertaining and that it serves as a good escape, and Rosemary and Rue passed the test. What I do know is that I think I’m done with Mira Grant books for now, but I’m definitely open to continuing with Seanan McGuire’s October Daye. As with most UF, I expect the books will get better once the series finds its stride. Some readers like their fictional friends kept safe, never truly in harm’s way, despite immediate apparent dangers; you just know they’ll make out just fine in the end. I am not one of those readers—I like it when happy endings are not guaranteed, and the protagonist gets knocked around a bit. And hoo boy does October “Tobey” Daye, protagonist of Seanan McGuire’s Rosemary and Rue, get knocked around. A lot. The half-Fae private investigator was once a knight of the Fae court, until she lost 14 years of her life in the line of duty; now she wants nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, she gets pulled right back in when a death curse binds her to solve the murder of Evening Winterrose, one of the oldest and most powerful figures of fairy nobility in San Francisco. It’s going to take all Tobey’s resources to form alliances and avoid getting killed, assuming the binding curse doesn’t kill her first. I like my urban fantasy dark and gritty, and this fits the bill nicely. The Fae are delightfully treacherous, the stakes are high, and the suspense holds strong throughout. It’s very much a mystery with magical trappings, à la earlier Dresden Files installments. I had my suspicions of the culprit but was still guessing until the big reveal. The “urban” factor is also there though, as the landscape of San Francisco also plays a role in the events as they unfold. One of the appeals of urban fantasy, like its parent genre fantasy, is the variety of magical systems and beings authors choose to flavor their worlds with. Faeries—the scary, trickster-ish, fickle type, not the cute Disney-fied constructs—add an interesting dimension, and McGuire has done her homework to come up with a diverse range of magical entities, ranging from Redcap hitmen to Selkies to haughty Cait Sidhe. These are beings with long lives and memories, and as readers, we only see a portion of the Fae machinations; Rosemary and Rue is the first of a series, providing enough closure of the main case to be satisfying but leaving tantalizing threads dangling for future resolution. This would appeal to Dresden Files fans; it has the mystery focus of earlier installments combined with the darker tone of later ones. Readers looking for another tough female lead, though, may want to try Laurell K. Hamilton’s earlier Anita Blake novels. Debo decir que la manera en que la protagonista estuvo captiva durante años (pobrecita) fue casi poética . This book hits all the right tones for urban fantasy: a strong yet wounded heroine, a complex mystical world operating parallel to and sometimes overlapping with our own, a single book mystery for the heroine to figure out, and an overarching mystery that leaves the reader wanting to come back for more. The book takes a little bit to get set up. There’s a flashback to before Toby was a fish then the book pops quickly forward to the (near) present when Toby escapes being a fish. It at first struck me as a bit of an odd beginning, but by the end of the book I was loving it. The fact that Toby has a 14 year gap means that there are elements about her world she has to learn or relearn, meaning when key parts of information need to be told to the reader, it comes across as natural that Toby will need to learn about it or remember it. She did have those 14 years away, after all. It’s a plot-telling device, but it’s smart. It also isn’t forgotten when it comes to Toby’s character. The fact that she lost her family and all those years deeply impact her psyche, and that’s as it should be. It helps automatically make her a more well-rounded character. Halfings are common in urban fantasy, but the ones in this universe are particularly well-done, mostly because there’s just so many of them. Toby isn’t an anomaly, halflings are a constant, persistent problem for the fae to have to deal with. They don’t quite fit into fae, but they also can’t just banish them for the humans to deal with. The humans don’t even know they exist, in fact, most humans who do mate with fae never even know that they did. While some fae are open to and embrace the halflings, others are not. Similarly, some halflings will give anything to just fit into fae or into the human world, while others are comfortable living partly in each. The fact that there are so many halflings allows for a lot of diversity and keeps Toby from looking like a marked heroine. She is just one of many, dealing as she can. I appreciate the everywoman aspect this lends her. Toby is also extremely likeable. She’s down-to-earth and matter-of-fact about everything. She has many quotes that sound like an average person talking but contain a kernel of wisdom. She’s a humble smart woman who maybe doesn’t realize just how much savvy she does have. The fae world is incredibly complex and yet makes a lot of sense. There are many different types of fae, and they are smoothly introduced. My personal favorite are the Caid Sidhe. The Caid Sidhe are fae who shapeshift into cats, and even in bipedal form have some cat-like features and abilities. The king of the cats has a bit of a love/hate relationship with Toby that is fun to see. But also, fae cats. How is that not fun? Realistically, though, I wouldn’t have loved seeing the Caid Sidhe so much if there hadn’t been such a variety of fae. It’s a richly imagined world that is really fun to visit. The mystery is good, with Toby investigating a murder. There were plenty of plot-twists, although I did guess the responsible party far in advance of the ending, which was a bit of a bummer. I also must say that I’m not really a fan of heroines getting wounded within an inch of their life only to be saved by magic repeatedly. It removes some of the sense of danger for me. I did appreciate that for once there was an urban fantasy heroine who was never threatened with rape. That was a nice change of pace. I’ll take forcibly changed into a fish over that any day. Overall, this book sets up the incredibly complex fae world of the series, as well as establishes the heroine’s character and background quite well. Readers will easily fall into the incredibly imaginative world that Toby partially lives in that runs parallel to and sometimes hand-in-hand with our own. Some readers may find the mystery a bit predictable, but this is an excellent first entry in an urban fantasy series that will leave the reader eager to pick up the next and go back to this rich world as soon as possible. Check out my full review, featuring quotes! Great first book in this series. McGuire constructs a compelling cast, and a falliable, stubborn, loyal and determined heroine. There are plenty of mysteries that start in this book and get taken up later, and plenty that might not (or haven't yet). I adore how deeply this series is set in celtic lore. Some series bounce around with new mythologies, which is sometimes exciting, I like that this one goes into such depth. This was my second time through this book, I think the only thing that doesn't ring true is the supposed friendship between Evening and Toby. Since all our knowledge of it comes after her death, there is a lot of "telling" us about how the friendship worked, but I see virtually no evidence in the story to support its existence. This is a minor quibble, really, and characters like rose goblins and the Luidaeg are fantastic. Her nutcases are truly, gloriously unstable, and her villains are often complex people whom we can understand, even as we disagree (abhor) with them. These are books where the white hats keep on goin' in the face of long odds with high magic, class conflict and good friendships. I didn't find Rosemary and Rue terrible, but I didn't find it intriguing either. Rosemary and Rue centers on Toby Daye, a half fae detective who's trying to live a normal human life. But when Countess Evening Winterrose is murdered, Toby is pulled back into her old world as she hunts for the killer. What made Rosemary and Rue stand out from many similar urban fantasy novels was the use of Celtic mythology instead of the typical vampires and werewolves. I did like the use of Celtic mythology, but it wasn't enough to get me involved in the book. The plot itself didn't feel very suspenseful or coherent. Instead of a single, driving story, it felt like a bunch of scenes just strung together. Events happen, but they don't have much of an impact, either emotionally or on the plot. Some of the most interesting elements were set up by the prologue but were left underutilized. I was really hoping that there would be some sort of reunion between Toby and her daughter - it would give a relationship to center the book around (and one different than the normal romance) and give me a reason to care about Toby. The characters were forgettable. I've already forgotten most of their names, and I'll probably forget them entirely in a few more months. None of them really breathed, not even Toby, who I never was able to connect with. I won't be picking up the sequel, and I wouldn't recommend it either. Originally posted on The Illustrated Page. Why had I never heard of these books until recently, and why I had I not read them before now? This book was so wonderful. I loved the portrayal of San Francisco, the Faerie Kingdoms, and all the various types of fae involved. I didn't even catch on to who the villain was until not long before Toby did (although it WAS before her). I'm definitely going to be reading the next book as well. Female Harry Dresden? Great first book in this series. McGuire constructs a compelling cast, and a falliable, stubborn, loyal and determined heroine. There are plenty of mysteries that start in this book and get taken up later, and plenty that might not (or haven't yet). I adore how deeply this series is set in celtic lore. Some series bounce around with new mythologies, which is sometimes exciting, I like that this one goes into such depth. This was my second time through this book, I think the only thing that doesn't ring true is the supposed friendship between Evening and Toby. Since all our knowledge of it comes after her death, there is a lot of "telling" us about how the friendship worked, but I see virtually no evidence in the story to support its existence. This is a minor quibble, really, and characters like rose goblins and the Luidaeg are fantastic. Her nutcases are truly, gloriously unstable, and her villains are often complex people whom we can understand, even as we disagree (abhor) with them. These are books where the white hats keep on goin' in the face of long odds with high magic, class conflict and good friendships. I started out really liking this but then it just sort of went down hill... one of those books you continue reading even though you aren't really enjoying it... finally I skipped to the last 10 pages and read that so I could figure out who was the bad guy (yes, I was right)... still not sure why I should care though. |
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