One Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel, Book 5 (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

The fifth book in October Daye series, One Salt Sea, picks up one month after the events of book four, Late Eclipses. Someone has kidnapped the children of the Duchess of the undersea courts of Saltmist. Toby only has three days to find the kids, and in doing so, clear her Queen's name and stave off a war between the land and sea Fae.

One of the things I love about this series is the incredibly detailed worldbuilding. I've read many series involving the Fae, but this one seems particularly vivid and vibrant to me. Perhaps because in this one they are the only focus- we are not distracted by having to learn of other races- vamps, werewolves, etc. And incredibly, the worldbuilding in One Salt Sea is even more expansive than in the previous novels, largely due to the introduction of a new realm: the Saltmist, home of the undersea Fae. I'll be honest, I was slightly dubious about this upon reading the summary. I've seen many books featuring mer-people and other sea-dwelling folk and thought "hmm, how does that work then?", and never bothered with them. Since this is the continuation of one of my now favourite series, not reading this particular undersea adventure wasn't even a possibility. And how wrong I had been to dismiss books based on my own preconceptions. McGuire made me feel like I, too, was diving into the big deep blue for the first time. It was fascinating. Although I'm glad it wasn't this setting for the majority of the book, as I would have severely missed my landlubbers had I been denied access to them for too long.

Speaking of which, the full gang was out in force in this one, with equal time dedicated to all of my favourite characters. Obviously, if it were up to me I would have Tybalt on every page, but being slightly more realistic for a second, I can concede that he was probably in it just the right amount, considering what's going on in Toby's personal life currently.

This is the first book in this series to reduce me to tears. McGuire is some sort of evil genius, to be sure. Just when I was starting to appreciate certain characters and find a level of grudging acceptance where they were concerned, she goes and rips the rug out from under me. Before this book, this turn of events might have made me happy, but now?...now I'm just a blubbering mess, that's what.

And do you know what else makes me sad? That I now have to wait twelve stinking, agonising months until the next book, Ashes of Honor, comes out in September 2012!

Well, as you'll no doubt have guessed by this point, I am in love with this series. It's right up there with my other UF favourites: Kate Daniels, Horngate witches, Cassie Palmer, Mercy Thompson, etc., and I recommend it to ALL. Do yourself a favour and read them in order: Rosemary and Rue (Toby Daye), Local Habitation, A (October Daye Novels), An Artificial Night (October Daye Novels), Late Eclipses: An October Daye Novel, Volume 4 (October Daye Novels).

Seanan is doing a great job with the Toby Daye series. Here we have a character who grows with each novel, making believable changes as events impact her. This has to be something almost unique in fantasy, and especially in modern urban fantasy.

The author has created a very original "fae" type world, with some great ideas behind it - techno-druids being one of the most minor examples that sparkles on the page. A lot moves forward in this book for the overall series, as we learn things about Toby, her mother, her fetch, and other players, setting the scene for the next, and possibly last, book in the series.

For some strange reason this series hasn't really taken off in popularity, which I find very perplexing. So if you read any of the current batch of modern urban fantasy by female authors, or even if you haven't, try this - the story telling and characterisation and quality is really great: you'll thank me for it.

The sons of the Duchess of Saltmist have been kidnapped, and usual it's October Daye who is called upon to rescue them. The stakes are very high; if Toby doesn't find the boys, her country is going to go to war with those under the sea. To make the situation even more complicated, she's finally gotten together with Connor, a Selkie, and they may be forever separated if she doesn't succeed in her mission. With her many allies by her side, Toby sets out to find the kidnapper, even when those she holds most dear are threatened.

This particular book is a turning point for Toby - she is not the same woman at the end of the book as she was at the start of it. Several storylines that have been building over the course of the last few books - if not since the start of the series - actually see a resolution, and with devastating effect. Some of the things that happen to her are gut-wrenching, and the world really isn't going to be the same. She isn't even the same herself; thanks to the changes which took effect in the last book, Toby is still getting to grips with her own changed identity and magic.

The mythology and backstory of all of the characters continues to grow and change in this book. I loved learning more about the Luidaeg in particular, who finally starts to be revealed in this book, and who is becoming much more than an all-powerful sea witch. We also get bits and pieces about the other characters.

I think my only problem with the book really was that I don't like Connor very much. The entire time, I was busy rooting for Toby to finally realize that it's actually Tybalt she loves, which as you can imagine lessened the impact of parts of the book for me. I've heard some say this is a Peeta and Gale situation, but I don't think it is; there just isn't any chemistry at all between Toby and Connor, and I've actually yet to find anyone saying they prefer the latter. Nor does Toby really think about it; she loved Connor when she was young so she must love him now. Since Tybalt is by far the better, more complex character, I just couldn't get behind those bits of the story.

Regardless of personal preference though, One Salt Sea was a fantastic addition to the universe and one that has really, genuinely changed everything. I'm not sure how I'm going to wait until next year to get the sixth book, but I know I'll have it preordered as soon as I see it available. In the meantime, I'm going to read Feed, as Mira Grant is actually a pen name for Seanan McGuire, and hope for some more magic there.