"Silver and Lead" by Seanan McGuire

 

I’m a great fan of the author and have read all the books in the October Daye series."Silver and Lead" by Seanan McGuire is the 19th book in the series, set four months after the events of the previous one. I eagerly dove back into Toby’s world - and found it just as captivating as ever!

October (Toby) and her family are still recovering from Titania’s spell. Toby is now eight and a half months pregnant, so Tybalt and the rest of the family make sure she stays at home, safe and sound. She feels trapped, so when the Queen of the Mists asks her to locate powerful magical artifacts stolen from the royal vault, she jumps at the chance to get out of the house. And since this is Toby we’re talking about, it’s not long before there’s blood, chaos, and even more blood.

I loved the book and flew through the pages. Toby may be pregnant, but she’s still Toby - rushing into danger and taking care of her family. I loved the way the author portrayed the symptoms of her pregnancy. Toby is more tired, can hardly run, and she tries to take better care of herself - well, tries is the key word. But pregnancy doesn't stop her from doing what needed to be done. She understands that her family is worried about her, especially her husband, Tybalt. He lost a wife and a baby during childbirth, so while Toby doesn’t love being constantly monitored, she gets where he’s coming from. This added a deeper emotional layer to the story and to her character.

I appreciated that the author started the book with a recap of previous events to refresh our memory. She does a great job setting the scenes in San Francisco and the Faerie realm, making everything feel real. The atmosphere in this book felt a bit darker and more emotional, which made sense given Toby’s situation.

I loved meeting some old friends again—especially Spike, the rose goblin. Bigot characters like Dame Altair were irritating, to say the least. There’s plenty of action, and as the story builds, there are surprising twists that keep things moving. The book combines an engaging plot, strong writing, and a well-paced story, which makes for a compelling read.

Have I told you how much I LOVE this fabulous series?? Every new book is a celebration for me! There’s even a bonus at the end: a novella featuring Simon in Undersea, with some surprising developments. I really enjoyed seeing this side of him. The book explores themes of loss, motherhood, responsibility, trauma, and found family - and the way they are woven into the narrative makes the story even more compelling.

The book is a worthy addition to the series, and I can’t wait for the next one. If you’re already a fan, you’ll love it. If you haven’t started the series yet, definitely begin at the beginning, since the books are all connected. Highly recommended! As I’ve said before - and will keep saying -Seanan McGuire is a master storyteller, and I am a happily captured audience!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "Silver and Lead" by Seanan McGuire