Geekess reviewed A red rose chain by Seanan McGuire (DAW book collectors -- 1706)
Review of 'A red rose chain' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Second read: April 2023
358 pages
English language
Published June 29, 2015
Seanan McGuire: A red rose chain (2015)
- ISBN:
- 978-0-7564-0809-1
- OCLC Number:
- 900180112
Copied ISBN!
4 stars
(9 reviews)
"Things are looking up. For the first time in what feels like years, October "Toby" Daye has been able to pause long enough to take a breath and look at her life and she likes what she sees. She has friends. She has allies. She has a squire to train and a King of Cats to love, and maybe, just maybe, she can let her guard down for a change. Or not. When Queen Windermere's seneschal is elf-shot and thrown into an enchanted sleep by agents from the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby finds herself in a role she never expected to play: that of a diplomat. She must travel to Portland, Oregon, to convince King Rhys of Silences not to go to war against the Mists. But nothing is that simple, and what October finds in Silences is worse than she would ever have imagined. How far will Toby …
"Things are looking up. For the first time in what feels like years, October "Toby" Daye has been able to pause long enough to take a breath and look at her life and she likes what she sees. She has friends. She has allies. She has a squire to train and a King of Cats to love, and maybe, just maybe, she can let her guard down for a change. Or not. When Queen Windermere's seneschal is elf-shot and thrown into an enchanted sleep by agents from the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby finds herself in a role she never expected to play: that of a diplomat. She must travel to Portland, Oregon, to convince King Rhys of Silences not to go to war against the Mists. But nothing is that simple, and what October finds in Silences is worse than she would ever have imagined. How far will Toby go when lives are on the line, and when allies both old and new are threatened by a force she had never expected to face again? How much is October willing to give up, and how much is she willing to change? In Faerie, what's past is never really gone. It's just waiting for an opportunity to pounce."--Back cover.
patchworkbunny reviewed A red rose chain by Seanan McGuire (DAW book collectors -- 1706)
Review of 'A red rose chain' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
As these series goes on, there’s seems to be more and more that Seanan thinks needs a little recap or explanation in the first few chapters. I know I forget a lot between books but it just means it takes an awful long time to get into what is an otherwise great story. Maybe the (admittedly useful) pronunciation guide at the start could be extended to include these little reminders and leave the body of the novel for the plot to unfold.
Anyways, enough quibbling. A Red-Rose Chain focuses on discrimination in the fae world. Before Arden took over, the Mists wasn’t the most accommodating place for changelings but at least they were free. As Toby visits the Silences, the neighbouring kingdom, she soon learns how bad things can be for those who aren’t pure.
King Rhys of Silences does not let Toby forget who she is, or more importantly …
As these series goes on, there’s seems to be more and more that Seanan thinks needs a little recap or explanation in the first few chapters. I know I forget a lot between books but it just means it takes an awful long time to get into what is an otherwise great story. Maybe the (admittedly useful) pronunciation guide at the start could be extended to include these little reminders and leave the body of the novel for the plot to unfold.
Anyways, enough quibbling. A Red-Rose Chain focuses on discrimination in the fae world. Before Arden took over, the Mists wasn’t the most accommodating place for changelings but at least they were free. As Toby visits the Silences, the neighbouring kingdom, she soon learns how bad things can be for those who aren’t pure.
King Rhys of Silences does not let Toby forget who she is, or more importantly to him, what she is. She’s a changeling, so she’s beneath him, yet her blood holds a power he covets. With the scheming former Queen of the Mists at his side, Toby can’t risk turning her back for even a second.
I was a bit sad that all the politics and defying death meant there wasn’t much time for Toby and Tybalt’s wedding planning. They seem to be doing this at the start of the book, a sign that things are calm and they are getting on with life. So OK, preventing war comes first, but I would have liked a bit more of the happy. Maybe we’ll get the wedding in the next book…if it isn’t the scene of a mass fae slaughter.
Anyway, I love the world-building overall that has gone into this series and it’s my favourite fae world, even when sometimes the individual building blocks may be a bit wobbly. I’m not a huge fan of series going on indefinitely these days though, and I do hope this one doesn’t go on so long it loses its shine.
Subjects
- October Daye (Fictitious character)
- Fairies
- Fiction