Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series is one of my favorites, particularly the audio version narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal. Silver and Lead is the nineteenth novel in the series, and something is rotten in Faerie. Suspense, tears and treachery await you in this installment.
by Seanan McGuire
Series: October Daye #19
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Length: 12 hours and 11 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
Something is rotten in Faerie. In the aftermath of Titania's reality-warping enchantment, things are returning to what passes for normal in the Kingdom in the Mists—until it's discovered that the royal vaults have been looted, and several powerful magical artifacts are missing. None are things that can be safely left unsecured, and some have the potential to do almost as much damage as Titania did, and having them in the wrong hands could prove just as disastrous.
At least the theft means that Sir October "Toby" Daye, Knight errant and Hero of the Realm, finally has an excuse to get out of the house. Sure, she's eight and a half months pregnant, but that doesn't mean she can’t take care of herself. But with the sea witch offering to stand godmother to Toby's child, maybe there are greater dangers ahead for Toby and her family than it appears....
Old enemies will resurface, new enemies will disguise themselves as friends, and Queen Windermere must try to keep her Hero on the case without getting herself gutted by the increasingly irritated local King of Cats. Sometimes, what's been lost can be the most dangerous threat of all.
As with most urban fantasy, I recommend listening to the October Daye series in the order of its release. Story arcs and relationships are better enjoyed and understood. In Silver and Lead, October (Toby) is eight and a half months pregnant and has been lying low since the events of the previous book. Things have been quiet in Kingdom in the Mists, that is until someone loots the castle’s vault, stealing magical artifacts, and the Queen of Mists calls her hero to find the culprit.
Tybalt, the King of Cats, is not happy that Toby has been called into service, but these magical items are far too dangerous to be left lying about. Naturally, McGuire pulled me right into the story as Toby once again does the Queen’s bidding. At first, Toby is excited to be out and welcomes the case, but soon she will need to not only save the day but protect her unborn child as the danger grows.
I love the characters in the October Daye series. Toby’s found family gathers around to aid her, and as we investigate, we see them come to her aid. The story weaves in old and new characters with twists that will rip your heart out even as the author works to stitch it back together.
Mary Robinette Kowal continues to narrate the series and has become the voice of these characters. It is her voice I hear in my head whenever I re-read past books in the series. I highly recommend listening!
I devoured Silver and Lead and cannot wait for the next story in the October Daye series. If you love urban fantasy, the world and characters McGuire has created in the October Daye series have me ranking it among the best out there.
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.
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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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Audiobook Challenge
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
Anne - Books of My Heart
I have wanted to read these and it was high on my list for a Read-along back when there were only 12 books. Sigh. I’ve been collecting the audiobooks. Glad to see they are still good for you. Robin usually reviews these.