Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire is the first audio in the award-winning series October Daye. October “Toby” Daye is is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills to uncover a mystery in this exciting urban fantasy filled with magic, fae and suspense.

The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival―but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas.

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery…before the curse catches up with her.

Years ago I read Rosemary and Roe and life happened, new books arrived and I never picked it back up despite having read/listened to everything by McGuire/Grant. I’ve spent the past year collecting the audible editions of the series through credits, sales, birthday gifts, etc. Now I have begun the series in earnest.

McGuire is a talented author whose worlds and characters enchant me. I loved Toby from the start as we learned of the magic in this world and the fae. The fae scare me and are not to be messed with. Give me an ogre to battle or a sorcerer to trade wit with. LOL

Toby is a changeling who is half human and half fae. She is an outcast and due to the treatment she has received from both sides; she has denied the Faerie world, and putters along in the human world. When Countess Evening Winterrose is murdered and binds Toby to find her murderer, she is pulled back into the Faerie world and resumes her former position as knight errant. The tale that unfolds was marvelous.

McGuire brings a fresh look to the world of faerie and her world building is seamlessly woven into the tale, giving listeners a look at its splendors, darkness and even horror. Listeners will quickly fear for Toby, as it is quickly apparent she will not complete her mission unscathed. I loved all the detail, from the use of magic to the blood oaths.

Fans of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files will immediately find themselves pulled into the world of October Daye. Like Harry, you will see Toby’s vulnerability, fears, desires and ability to kickass when the situation warrants. I confess I am rather excited at the prospect of listening to the fifteen audiobooks that lie ahead, not to mention the countless novellas in between. Ah, bliss.

Mary Robinette Kowal narrates and after a little adjusting with the speed, I found my sweet spot with her, and enjoyed her voice for Toby and secondary characters. She sets the tone and brings the author’s world to life.

If you haven’t yet discovered Seanan McGuire, I recommend you explore her titles and that of her pseudonym Mira Grant, where she writes science fiction and horror.

Amazon | Audible

About Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire is a native Californian, which has resulted in her being exceedingly laid-back about venomous wildlife, and terrified of weather. When not writing urban fantasy (as herself) and science fiction thrillers (as Mira Grant), she likes to watch way too many horror movies, wander around in swamps, record albums of original music, and harass her cats. Seanan is the author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series of urban fantasies; the Newsflesh trilogy; the Parasitology duology; and the "Velveteen vs." superhero shorts. Her cats, Lilly, Alice, and Thomas, are plotting world domination even as we speak, but are easily distracted by feathers on sticks, so mankind is probably safe. For now.

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About Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Spare Man,The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, four Hugo awards, the Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Uncanny, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary Robinette, a professional puppeteer, also performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and John Scalzi. She lives in Nashville with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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