Late Eclipses.
Apr. 11th, 2011 18:30![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starladyMcGuire, Seanan. Late Eclipses. New York: DAW Books, 2011.
This is the fourth book in Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye series, and at this point I am confident in stating that a) the books have thoroughly transmogrified themselves from their rather obviously urban fantasy origins in Rosemary and Rue, and b) I like this series a lot. I would, however, urge people to read the first book and skip the second, which is unquestionably the weakest of the four thus far. I think this one might be the strongest, though the third, An Artificial Night, is really good too.
The thing I really liked about this book--aside from what I love about all the books, which is Toby's hilariously sarcastic personality in combination with her unswerving commitment to her duty and her ability and willingness to take the sort of physical punishment that's frequently reserved only for male protagonists in sff--was that so many of the loose threads that were set up in the first three books were pulled tight into a knot in this one, and resolved in ways that were interesting and uncontrived. Not everyone likes Toby for what she's done and for what she will do, being her mother's daughter, and this book makes that clear and also makes clear that those with a grievance against Toby are, by and large, entirely understandably so.
I was also reminded, in a strange way, of Marie Brennan's Midnight Never Come--the Queen of the realm that encompasses the Bay Area in McGuire's books is more than a little like Invidiana, and this book also had a lot of more familiar Faerie elements in it. I also appreciated a lot of the Bay area elements, now that I've spent a good chunk of time living here--I think McGuire does a good job of making these very place-centric books without larding the localisms on too thickly. I certainly get more enjoyment out of them, in a local knowhow kind of way, since I moved here, but that for me only adds to the books' appeal.
I think it's possible to see McGuire becoming a better writer as the series goes along, and I'm very much looking forward to the next book, One Salt Sea. Nothing will be the same for Toby and her crew from here on out, but change is the way of everything, even those who are immortal. For those who like filk, you should check out "Oak and Ash and Rowan and Thorn," a filk by Cat Faber about Toby at the end of this book that was covered at its release party and that is quite awesome.
This is the fourth book in Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye series, and at this point I am confident in stating that a) the books have thoroughly transmogrified themselves from their rather obviously urban fantasy origins in Rosemary and Rue, and b) I like this series a lot. I would, however, urge people to read the first book and skip the second, which is unquestionably the weakest of the four thus far. I think this one might be the strongest, though the third, An Artificial Night, is really good too.
The thing I really liked about this book--aside from what I love about all the books, which is Toby's hilariously sarcastic personality in combination with her unswerving commitment to her duty and her ability and willingness to take the sort of physical punishment that's frequently reserved only for male protagonists in sff--was that so many of the loose threads that were set up in the first three books were pulled tight into a knot in this one, and resolved in ways that were interesting and uncontrived. Not everyone likes Toby for what she's done and for what she will do, being her mother's daughter, and this book makes that clear and also makes clear that those with a grievance against Toby are, by and large, entirely understandably so.
I was also reminded, in a strange way, of Marie Brennan's Midnight Never Come--the Queen of the realm that encompasses the Bay Area in McGuire's books is more than a little like Invidiana, and this book also had a lot of more familiar Faerie elements in it. I also appreciated a lot of the Bay area elements, now that I've spent a good chunk of time living here--I think McGuire does a good job of making these very place-centric books without larding the localisms on too thickly. I certainly get more enjoyment out of them, in a local knowhow kind of way, since I moved here, but that for me only adds to the books' appeal.
I think it's possible to see McGuire becoming a better writer as the series goes along, and I'm very much looking forward to the next book, One Salt Sea. Nothing will be the same for Toby and her crew from here on out, but change is the way of everything, even those who are immortal. For those who like filk, you should check out "Oak and Ash and Rowan and Thorn," a filk by Cat Faber about Toby at the end of this book that was covered at its release party and that is quite awesome.