Late Eclipses

Late Eclipses (2011) Seanan McGuire

Apparently the beginning of March is THE time for new releases. I received a TON of books I’d had on pre-order this week, and had a very difficult time deciding what I wanted to read first. C. S. Harris and Rob Thurman won that decision hands down. Additionally, I started Jim Butcher‘s Changes but got so pissed off at it I’m not going to read the whole thing until the NEXT book comes out in paperback.

That brought the Toby Daye up next on the list, although she almost lost out to Carrie Vaughan, Jeanine Frost, and Robert Crais (I really wasn’t kidding about the number of long-awaited new releases I’ve received).

As if her life wasn’t complicated enough before, things get even more so for Toby. First, she’s called before the Queen of Mists. Then, as she’s reeling from that meeting, she’s told that Lily, Lady of the Tea Gardens, is deathly ill, and no one understands how or why. Then, while she’s trying to solve those problems, things get really ugly.

So, wow. That was an awful lot to pack into a single book. Yes, most of the events ended up being related, but not all of them, and… wow. In fact, it’s rather difficult to talk about this story without giving away a major plot point or five.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes, very much. It was fast paced, the characters were good as expected, and once things tied, pretty amazing story-telling.

And although there are plenty of open threads for further stories in this series, she did a very good job finishing the story arc and creating a satisfying ending.

I do believe you could read this book without having read previous books in the series, however, there may be some things that would be extra confusing, so you probably want to start at the beginning and read your way forward.
Rating: 8/10

Published by DAW

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