One Salt Sea

Seanan McGuire became a favorite author from my first reading of Rosemary and Rue and has had me eating out of her literary hand all the way through book four. She has spoiled me with her originality, humor, pacing, dialogue and an ensemble that ranges from the sinister to the sublime. Gifted me with an automatic `buy-it-new-and-keep-it' series, she did. Until One Salt Sea...

Ironically, I found One Salt Sea to be a little...dry. Granted, the slapstick episodes (mermaid/wheelchair/wild ride) were kind of fun, the dialogue was as witty as ever (loved Danny's description of his talks with the rocks), and some of the scene setting was inventive (description of Luidaeg's "apartment" is always a favorite), but...

... The romantic elements made an unfortunate turn away from `bristle' toward `blah'. By book five, the author's ongoing attempt to sustain romantic tension between Toby and, well, anyone, has imploded into the area of `gratuitous romantic subplot'. One abrupt sexual encounter with Connor - check. One steamy-but-perennially -unconsummated encounter with Tybalt - check. All the sensuality of a tech manual. And to make matters worse...

***Spoiler alert***

In OSS, Connor came to the forefront as a `tragic hero'. Selkie. Undersea theme. Establishment of Rhone/Selkie back-story. I get it. All that notwithstanding, it was difficult to enjoy a piece that focused so heavily on (IMO) the author's weakest character. Have never been given a reason to understand Toby's ubiquitous fixation on Connor. The occasional "Hi, I'm back. Let's jump in the sack" does not chemistry make. And positioning him as tragic hero in OSS does not a hero make. His role was delivered like a check-mark on a plot outline. Flat. Dry. A transitional device. Perhaps a means to dispose of a previous encumbrance to clear the way for some sort of long-awaited ta-da between Toby and Tybalt, without making Toby look fickle. Instead, she just looks oblivious.

And what of the formerly tough, wily, acerbic and very much on-his-own-agenda Tybalt? In OSS, the author reduced him to Toby's fetch-and-carry lapdog...uh...cat. A real disappointment inasmuch as one of Tybalt's most tantalizing appeals has been that he remains true to his cat nature - independent, intricately agenda-ed, and tricksy. Seems that the author has basically emasculated the most alpha of her male characters, and a neutered Tybalt is an uninteresting Tybalt. At this rate, it would not be surprising if he turned out to be her step brother, on orders from Amandine to protect her, and those fleeting kisses/cuddles have just been red herrings...

That said, one 'okay' book from Seanan McGuire is still better than many other UF authors' best material, so I will be following her into her sixth book. With claws crossed.

References to previous storylines....

After being saved by her mother in Late Eclipses, Toby is now working on finding balance again: with her stronger Fae abilities, with her new title as Countess of Goldengreen, and with her reblooming relationship with Connor. When the news comes that the sons of the Saltmist Duchy have been taken, Toby is tasked with discovering where they are before war begins between land and sea. When the task becomes personal, Toby will stop at nothing to save the children - no matter the cost.

I thought that it would be difficult to top Late Eclipses, but I should have known better. This book builds upon everything that Toby has been through the past stories and keeps leading her down the path of change. This is definitely a pivotal book, as relationships with many characters begin, end, and transform. McGuire's ability to make Toby strong and vulnerable shines in One Salt Sea, and her continued relationship with children, her own and others, show the parallels to Toby's own views on her relationships with her mother, her foster families, and the one she is creating around her.

It isn't only Toby that amazed me in this book. The triangle of Toby, Connor and Tybalt comes into play and demonstrates how she can feel so "differently the same" about two men. The Luidaeg, Quentin, Sylvester, May and others all are woven into a strong story of how one person can be tasked to stop a war between races, but can continue to find others to fight. The hints at the end of what we will see in the next stories leave me anxiously anticipating Ashes of Honor next fall.

The fifth book in New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, One Salt Sea picks up one month after the events of book four, Late Eclipses. A changeling (part fae, part human) knight turned Countess, October "Toby" Daye's life is finally beginning to take on some semblance of "normal"--she's becoming more comfortable with her role as nobility, actually dating again, and her life is starting to look up. That is, until war is threatened when someone kidnaps the children of the Duchess of the undersea courts of Saltmist. Toby only has three days to find the kids, clear her Queen's name, and stave off a war, a feat made even more difficult by the fact that someone is determined stop her--someone who isn't afraid to break the rules. And the stakes are much higher than usual--as the back cover blurb states, "When Faerie goes to war, not everyone will walk away."

In previous novels, the storyline has seemed rushed, like McGuire simply couldn't take the time needed to fully express the story. However, in book four, McGuire seemed to find a good pacing for the narrative, and I'm happy to say that she settles into that pacing in One Salt Sea. The suspense of working on a deadline is there, but the plot and story do not seem rushed. It's a relatively steady pace which works phenomenally well for Toby's story, and I am very pleased with the results, as One Salt Sea quickly became my favorite of Toby's (mis)adventures.

The worldbuilding in One Salt Sea is more expansive than in most of the previous novels, largely due to the new realm Toby encounters--the Saltmist, home of the undersea Fae. McGuire's research shines through again, and she brings a feeling of correctness to this world that is so different from anything we've seen in Toby's story thus far.

One of the things that struck me the most about One Salt Sea, as opposed to the rest of the novels, was the degree to which I connected with the secondary characters. While the secondary characters have been developed in previous books, I hadn't felt as much of a connection with them as I did in One Salt Sea. This is partly due to becoming more and more familiar with the characters, but can also be attributed to the writing style and content of the novel. As such, there was one character in particular whom I began to warm up to I hadn't really cared for before.

Apart from the secondary character developments, we get a number of more introspective moments from the protagonist herself. These moments serve to develop some absolutely delicious internal conflicts as well as external character tensions. I am personally looking forward to where they will go, and how they will affect Toby in the future.

All in all, I believe this is the best Toby novel to date.

[...]

An unknown adversary kidnapped the three sons of the Duchess of Saltmist Diandra. The ruler of the undersea duchy believes the Queen of the Mists abducted her children. Toby saves the life of the Diandra's spouse Patrick from an assassin. Still the Duchess gives the Countess of Goldengreen October "Toby" Daye and the latter's boyfriend Connor O'Dell three days to safely bring home her children and prove that the Queen did not take the lads by finding out who did or war at land and at sea will follow.

Toby, her newest squire Quentin, Connor, the Luidaeg and Tybalt investigate the abduction on the streets of San Francisco. However, the clues lead to the Pacific. Someone insanely ignores Oberon's Laws and ergo wants to prevent Toby and her team from succeeding in rescuing the abducted sons; that adversary uses any deadly means necessary.

The latest Toby Daye urban fantasy (see Late Eclipses) is an excellent entry that focuses on the convoluted untrustworthy agreements between the paranormal leaders. With a stunning late twist, the story line is a fast-paced exciting thriller. Fans of the series will relish Toby's latest escapades as the clues lead increasingly to a paranormal psychopath.

Harriet Klausner

My standard disclaimer: by the time I give feedback on a novel, most everything that there is to be said about a novel, has already been said. So I'd rather just say that: (1) I only give 4 or 5-star reviews, and only when I really, really, really like a novel; (2) I'm a voracious reader of urban fantasy, and take my reading list very seriously, and would never recommend anything that would be a waste of your time, and (3) I can't think of a three yet. I just wrote this disclaimer. Give me time to come up with one.

Anyway, this novel will appeal to fans of faerie lit and urban fantasy. Check out her Newsflesh novels under the name MIRA GRANT (not just extraordinary novels, but the best zombie lit novels I've read yet; phenomenal stuff).

I easily consider the October Daye series to be newcomer, A-list urban fantasy, right up there with Ilona Andrews, and rapidly gaining ground on Hamilton, Briggs, Harris and Harrison!

ONE SALT SEA remains one of my favorite October Daye books. There is trouble brewing when the children of of of the sea fae nobility are kidnapped, and October is put on the trail of the kidnapper--for if a land fay is found guilty of this, there could be war...and no one benefits from bloody, deadly Fae wars.
I love the sheer chutzpah that October uses to help the parents, and the realm of the Sea is wonderful--makes me wish I could go there, even with the painful solution given to Toby so she can breathe underwater...
This story shows the growing competence Toby shows under impossible and highly demanding circumstances. I've come to love Sir Toby, her heroism, and her courage.

I have really complicated feelings about Toby. On the one hand, I spend a good bit of my reading time wanting to scream at her for the choices and decisions she makes. On the other hand, these books must be really well written because I am done with the series to date and anxious to buy the next one. The side characters are well rounded, I enjoy spending time with them. It is one of those where I feel worried the whole time I am reading, and so enjoy the second time through a lot more.

One Salt Sea was another solid installation in the October Daye series. This series isn't on the 5-star level as books that garner 5 stars tend to make me think about them a lot more after the reading and/or possibly change my view on something. I would give it 4.5 stars, but I rounded up. The book leaves you wanting more, but doesn't end on a cliffhanger (yay!). This series has a lot of character development and tends to flow really well.

One Salt Sea was a quick, enjoyable read.

This installment is, by far, my favorite. It had me laughing out loud at the interactions between Toby and Tybalt and sobbing along with Toby and the Ludaeg.

I love a story that invokes full immersion into a writer's world and One Salt Sea does just that. The characters are well rounded and things within the world are explained without taking away from what is happening in the story.

This series has become one of my all time favorites, right up there with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden Files.

One Salt Sea (book 5) is another will written novel with the usual interesting well developed characters. The story line contains lots more information about Toby Daye's world. Toby continues to find ways to make things right in the end. I would recommend this series too anyone who enjoys will written novels. Enjoy reading

As usual, a visit with Toby Daye is an interesting and engrossing experience, and as usual, I am left with a lot of questions.

In this book, Fae knight and part-time detective October Daye must find a pair of missing children to head off a ruinous war between the land and sea fae, and a third child to head off a tragedy of her own. Naturally the most powerful people in her world are either aligned against her, or powerless to help. The fact that the war may tear her from the man she loves is simply icing on the cake.

The book moves along at a good clip, and Toby's voice remains an entertaining one. Add to that the fact that we get a bunch of revelations about the Ludiaeg and a picture of life amongst the sea fae.

Why then can't I go five stars? I think for the following reasons and questions...

WHICH ENTAIL SPOILERS

I think the biggest thing that gave me a bit of nagging frustration with this book was Toby's lack of gumption in her personal life. We know from the first book that she makes poor choices about who to love (or sleep with), and we were teased time and again in this book with Connor's wishy-washiness. Toby is told several times that he has a suspicious ammount of "but it wasn't my fault" in his past, and she reacts time and again to the "I'm king, and I accept my responsibilities and consequences" Tybolt, but the plot structure saves her from having to come to a realization that she has chosen badly by arranging for Connor to die a hero. Likewise, she avoids taking the hard path of staying in her daughter's life even if it is a human life. I can kind of see how being turned into a horse terminally freaked Quentin's girlfriend out, but nothing worse than what human kindappers would have done has happened to Toby's daughter (I'm not saying that isn't bad -- it certainly was!). To just accept that being around Fae would drive her crazy in itself seems odd for the woman who is supposed to be re-writing the rules of faery. Finally, the resolution to the war that Toby comes up with entails her dropping her noble title and giving up her homestead. This just feels like backsliding. We know Toby doesn't enjoy being a countess, but the brief glimpses we get of her domain show that she is trying something new and special, and to just give it up (and to give up on proving the Queen wrong about giving her a posioned chalice) feels totally wrong. If nothing else, she has just sold Marcia down the river, and spit on the alliance with the Cait Sidhe.

Also, Toby's detective skills continue to be fairly minimal, consisting in this book of calling someone up on the phone and asking if he knows who did it. As it happens, he does..

I'm also still trying to figure out why the villian thought his plan would work out to his advantage, and why he thought a psychotic girl would be a good confederate (and how he got access to her..)

And why an outnumbered army in a society which doesn't hesitate to use tech for transportation or communication wouldn't invest in some guns..

With this book I came to the conclusion that October Daye would be someone I would enjoy knowing in the real world. There is a complexity to her and to her relationships that make her interesting company. In the world of cotton-candy fiction it was a real treat to share a stolen afternoon with someone who had a story to tell and life experience to share.

I love this series. This particular novel spins Toby's world on its axis, I will have to place a spoiler alert if I dare say any more! If you're a fan of the previous books, buy this. Now. You will not be disappointed. A totally new fae world to learn about, well-crafted and endlessly entertaining. Keep up the great writing, Seanan!

This is the fifth book in the October Daye series, following "Late Eclipses". Toby Daye has been asked to find the missing children of the Duchess of Saltmist. The Duchess believes they were kidnapped by the Queen of the Mists and is ready to go to war if they are not returned. The stakes are raised when Toby's estranged daughter, Gillian, is kidnapped as well. I enjoy seeing Toby continuing to develop and evolve as a person. Definitely a keeper!

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!

I didn't think anything could beat "An Artificial Night" but I sit corrected. Ms McGuire, thank you for another wonderful story about Toby and her friends. And for those who are about to read it, a word of warning, don't start it unless you have the time or you'll lose a lot of sleep finishing it.

I love this series. This installment was an emotional rollercoaster. I'm wondering if Toby will be sane in the next book! Beautifully written, great characters, heartbreak and joy. Well done Seannan McGuire!!

...the mourning of Connor O'Dell is nearly non-existent. This is the most disappointing part of the novel for me. I would have expected some type of emotional reaction towards the unveiling of his death, rather than a little after thought of him at the end of the novel.