When dead changelings appear in San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit, Toby takes her concerns to the Queen of Mists and finds herself exiled. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire, the seventh audiobook in the October Daye series, held me from the first chapter and never let go….
by Seanan McGuire
Series: October Daye #7
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Length: 12 hours and 14 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
Things are starting to look up for October "Toby" Daye. She's training her squire, doing her job, and has finally allowed herself to grow closer to the local King of Cats. It seems like her life may finally be settling down...at least until dead changelings start appearing in the alleys of San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit.
Toby's efforts to take the problem to the Queen of the Mists are met with harsh reprisals, leaving her under sentence of exile from her home and everyone she loves. Now Toby must find a way to reverse the Queen's decree, get the goblin fruit off the streets - and, oh, yes, save her own life, since more than a few of her problems have once again followed her home. And then there's the question of the Queen herself, who seems increasingly unlikely to have a valid claim to the throne....
To find the answers, October and her friends will have to travel from the legendary Library of Stars into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists - and they'll have to do it fast, because time is running out. In Faerie, some fates are worse than death.
October Daye is about to find out what they are.
This series is positively addictive and I am struggling with myself not to binge all the audiobooks at once. I have burned myself out on a genre like this and even though binging is satisfying, I also know I will appreciate the stories more if I space them out.
Until the dead changelings, Toby was enjoying life. She has gotten closer to the King of Cats and has been enjoying her roommates. Now, she and her band of allies are in a race against the clock to keep her from being exiled and stop the distribution of goblin fruit. However, the Queen is determined to foil Toby’s plans and the stakes have never been higher.
Gads, the tale that unfolds, was suspenseful. We learned more about the Queen of Mists and reached out to the librarian at the Library of Stars as we traveled into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists.
Once again, Toby finds herself in grave danger. She will battle within herself, encourage others to stake claims, and need to rely on those around her to conceal her. I loved the history we learned, and the reveals about characters we’ve met.
McGuire’s world fascinates me and reconfirms my fear of the fae. Toby continues to grow and her relentless fight for the underdog makes her an authentic hero. She is clever, as are those she has in her circle. Poor Tybalt. The cat should have all gray hair with all the near death predicaments Toby finds herself in. Quentin continues to grow and we learn more about this young lad. Danny, the taxi driving Bridge Troll, is a favorite secondary character. I think he and the snarly sea witch are my favorites.
I highly recommend listening to the series. Mary Robinette Kowal is brilliant from the unique voices she provides to her tone. She enhances the overall tale and brings this delightful tale to life.
Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire offered an addictive ride as Toby & the Queen of the Mists battle. #urbanfantasy #OctoberDaye #audiobook #audiobookreview Share on XAbout 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.
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
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
I do enjoy a kick ass heroine! I’ve enjoyed this author writing under a different pen name (her zombie series). I’m wondering if there’s a romance? Must keep this series in mind.
Kimberly
Yes, there is romance throughout and hells yes, I love the Feed trilogy/books. I have read all of Mira Grant and this is the last series by McGuire. Then I am caught up.
Maureen @ Maureen's Books
Lovely review Kimberly. I’m not sure this one would be for me, but it sounds really interesting. I definitely do want to read more fantasy though.
Kimberly
You would need to read the series. There is romance but this is urban fantasy.
Ethan
It can be so tough to pace yourself and not binge a series. I’ve learned that often times a binge can just give me burnout. I try to sprinkle in those series titles amongst my other reads just to break them up a bit.
Kimberly
Yes, lesson learned a long time ago when i burned out on historical fiction by binging series non-stop. Pre-blog days…lol
Nadene
I have added this series to my wishlist. Glad to see its still going strong.
Kimberly
Wahoo!!
Anne - Books of My Heart
Gah this has been on my list since 2014 for a Read-along. I am glad to see you enjoying it so much but wish I was reading with you.
Kimberly
I am sure it will be a hit when you do it.