Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Corsair (2016), 368 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Mythology. HTML:A Red Rose Chain is the ninth installment in Seanan McGuire's urban fantasy October 'Toby' Daye series.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Sweet_Serenity
Hmm. Not terrible, but nowhere near as good as I'd been anticipating it would be. The writing was kind of sloppy and stiff, particularly through the first 100 pages where every other line was an explanation of past events & characters rather than new plot. I understand that writers want to refresh
But I was still rather dissatisfied with the direction this book went. There wasn't much new here- a really good series can amp things up with each book, bring something original to each one, and build up to a crescendo by the finale (I think Kim Harrison's Hollows series does this best). In A Red-Rose Chain, Toby was running around trying to prevent a war with the kingdom of Silences- a bit of detective work, a bit of provoking people, a bit of fighting. I got incredibly bored. There were no game-changers, no wild surprises, no character developments. Toby pretty much ended up exactly where she started for all intensive purposes. Some of the stuff that went down might have serious consequences for the NEXT book, but that doesn't help make this one more exciting.
I did, however, ALMOST give this book three stars, because the world of Toby Daye is pretty spectacular, and there were some good action scenes towards the end. But I just started to feel more and more frustration on reflection, so two stars it is. I won't be rushing out to buy the next book- I'll probably borrow it from a library a few months after release, and save myself some disappointment.
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readers minds, but enough is enough. Trust your readers to remember things- noone picks up the ninth book in a series and decides to start there, so don't try to cater to that rare or imaginary person. I must admit, it did improve by miles towards the end when the real action started.But I was still rather dissatisfied with the direction this book went. There wasn't much new here- a really good series can amp things up with each book, bring something original to each one, and build up to a crescendo by the finale (I think Kim Harrison's Hollows series does this best). In A Red-Rose Chain, Toby was running around trying to prevent a war with the kingdom of Silences- a bit of detective work, a bit of provoking people, a bit of fighting. I got incredibly bored. There were no game-changers, no wild surprises, no character developments. Toby pretty much ended up exactly where she started for all intensive purposes. Some of the stuff that went down might have serious consequences for the NEXT book, but that doesn't help make this one more exciting.
I did, however, ALMOST give this book three stars, because the world of Toby Daye is pretty spectacular, and there were some good action scenes towards the end. But I just started to feel more and more frustration on reflection, so two stars it is. I won't be rushing out to buy the next book- I'll probably borrow it from a library a few months after release, and save myself some disappointment.
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com
If THE WINTER LONG was a cataclysmic event completing so many of the series' arcs, A RED-ROSE CHAIN is a triumphant rise from the ashes. Toby and her friends are thrown into unfamiliar waters with the highest of stakes, and the narrative
True to her growth over the course of the series, Toby doesn't face danger alone. While Tybalt may object to belonging to a Scooby Gang, this band of trusted friends both raises the stakes and adds rich dimension to the story. The villains they face are racist bigots, making it all the more satisfying to see the teamwork and skills of so many "lesser" individuals triumph in the end. Equally touching is the backstory of a familiar favorite. Walther accompanies Toby to a home he never hoped to revisit, and in the process achieves new intimacy and vulnerability with his friends.
At several points in this story, I found myself smiling and hugging the book to my chest. An adventure made all the more wonderful by these rightly beloved characters, A RED-ROSE CHAIN is romantic, hilarious, and just the right balance of peril and triumph. There seems to be no end to McGuire's magical world of faerie, and I can't wait for my next opportunity to adventure with Toby and her gang.
Sexual Content: References to sex, scenes of sensuality.
allthingsuf.com
If THE WINTER LONG was a cataclysmic event completing so many of the series' arcs, A RED-ROSE CHAIN is a triumphant rise from the ashes. Toby and her friends are thrown into unfamiliar waters with the highest of stakes, and the narrative
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sparkles along as they alternately quip and kick ass through this mystery. A return of everything fantastic about this series, A RED-ROSE CHAIN proves that with good and the bad revelations in her rearview mirror, Toby's adventures march triumphantly onward.True to her growth over the course of the series, Toby doesn't face danger alone. While Tybalt may object to belonging to a Scooby Gang, this band of trusted friends both raises the stakes and adds rich dimension to the story. The villains they face are racist bigots, making it all the more satisfying to see the teamwork and skills of so many "lesser" individuals triumph in the end. Equally touching is the backstory of a familiar favorite. Walther accompanies Toby to a home he never hoped to revisit, and in the process achieves new intimacy and vulnerability with his friends.
At several points in this story, I found myself smiling and hugging the book to my chest. An adventure made all the more wonderful by these rightly beloved characters, A RED-ROSE CHAIN is romantic, hilarious, and just the right balance of peril and triumph. There seems to be no end to McGuire's magical world of faerie, and I can't wait for my next opportunity to adventure with Toby and her gang.
Sexual Content: References to sex, scenes of sensuality.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the ninth book in the October Daye series and this series just keeps getting better and better. There are thirteen books planned for this series. Book 10 is supposed to be titled Once Broken Faith and is planned to release in September 2016. This is one of my absolutely favorite urban
Queen Windermere’s seneschal has been shot with elf shot and a message delivered with his sleeping body, the Kingdom of Silences is declaring war on the Kingdom of the Mists. The Kingdom of the Silences believe that Queen Windermere does not have true right to her throne.
When Toby makes a mistake she leaves herself in the Queen’s debt and the Queen decides that as payment Toby will serve as the diplomat to the Kingdom of Silences and work to prevent this war from happening. Toby along with Tybalt, May, Quentin, and Toby’s alchemist friend travel to the Kingdom of Silences and find out that their visit will be full of many perils and many mysteries.
I love the characters in this book, I love McGuire’s writing style and just love this world. This is one of my favorite book series right now; every book is just so engaging and intriguing.
Honestly I love these books so much I never sure what else to say about them. McGuire does an excellent job of balancing magic, world-building, awesome characters, action, mystery, and intrigue. You just never know what crazy things are going to happen from page to page.
Overall I am in love with this series; each book has been better than the book before. This whole series is highly recommend to urban fantasy fans; the first couple books in this series were a bit rough around the edges but McGuire’s writing has improved a ton since then and is absolutely spectacular.
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fantasy series.Queen Windermere’s seneschal has been shot with elf shot and a message delivered with his sleeping body, the Kingdom of Silences is declaring war on the Kingdom of the Mists. The Kingdom of the Silences believe that Queen Windermere does not have true right to her throne.
When Toby makes a mistake she leaves herself in the Queen’s debt and the Queen decides that as payment Toby will serve as the diplomat to the Kingdom of Silences and work to prevent this war from happening. Toby along with Tybalt, May, Quentin, and Toby’s alchemist friend travel to the Kingdom of Silences and find out that their visit will be full of many perils and many mysteries.
I love the characters in this book, I love McGuire’s writing style and just love this world. This is one of my favorite book series right now; every book is just so engaging and intriguing.
Honestly I love these books so much I never sure what else to say about them. McGuire does an excellent job of balancing magic, world-building, awesome characters, action, mystery, and intrigue. You just never know what crazy things are going to happen from page to page.
Overall I am in love with this series; each book has been better than the book before. This whole series is highly recommend to urban fantasy fans; the first couple books in this series were a bit rough around the edges but McGuire’s writing has improved a ton since then and is absolutely spectacular.
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LibraryThing member adamwolf
I enjoyed this a lot. It's the 9th book in the series--you probably know if you'll like it or not.
It isn't as earth-shattering in immediate consequence as the 8th, but I have a feeling some of the changes will be felt for books to come.
It isn't as earth-shattering in immediate consequence as the 8th, but I have a feeling some of the changes will be felt for books to come.
LibraryThing member AnnieHidalgo
I won The Brightest Fell, and then realized that I was several books behind in Toby's story. This is the second I've read in a week, catching up. Here's what is puzzling me for the moment, about the October Daye books - I love to browse things like Amazon and Librarything and Goodreads, and check
But I love Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant for maybe the same reason that I loved Terry Pratchett so much, that they both take a genre and write a book that is indisputably of that genre, and yet says a lot about us in the 'real' world as well. Her characters are human, and they deal with human problems. They stand up on their own merits, and to a deeper reading as well, and they make you think about things, while not feeling like some kind of thinly veiled allegory, or like they are hitting you over the head repeatedly with Important Thoughts. I wish Amazon could select for that, while it is picking future reads for me. The good news is, Seanan is prolific, so it'll be a long while before I run out of things she's written!
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out their lists of 'people who read this also read'...and they never serve me well for the October books. They always send me to a long list of urban fantasy books that only come in paperback. The kind where they'd like you to know right up front how irresistible/hardcore the heroine is, where she's prancing around in skimpy clothing on the cover, or thinking about her werewolf lover, or something. And it's not precisely that I'm trying to say that there's anything wrong with that. But I love Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant for maybe the same reason that I loved Terry Pratchett so much, that they both take a genre and write a book that is indisputably of that genre, and yet says a lot about us in the 'real' world as well. Her characters are human, and they deal with human problems. They stand up on their own merits, and to a deeper reading as well, and they make you think about things, while not feeling like some kind of thinly veiled allegory, or like they are hitting you over the head repeatedly with Important Thoughts. I wish Amazon could select for that, while it is picking future reads for me. The good news is, Seanan is prolific, so it'll be a long while before I run out of things she's written!
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LibraryThing member Lauren2013
Red-Rose Chain
3.5 Stars
Changeling Knight of the Mists, October Daye, is not known for her diplomatic skills, but when the court of Queen Arden Windermere is threatened by the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby is dispatched to negotiate a peaceful settlement. However, after witnessing the
While Red-Rose Chain is slower and rehashes several plot points from previous books, there is some good character development including intriguing details on Walther and glimpses into Tybalt's enigmatic past. The insights into the nature of Toby's blood and her related powers are also compelling.
The villains are profoundly evil and the last few chapters are particularly intense with one or two touch and go moments for Toby.
One annoying element that actually pertains to the series as a whole is the fact that the fae rarely receive their just desserts. Consequently, the ending failed to appease my growing blood lust. Ah well, one cannot have everything…
In sum, Toby and her friends are very appealing characters and it is always fun and exciting to read about her adventures. Looking forward to the next one.
3.5 Stars
Changeling Knight of the Mists, October Daye, is not known for her diplomatic skills, but when the court of Queen Arden Windermere is threatened by the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby is dispatched to negotiate a peaceful settlement. However, after witnessing the
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atrocities committed in the realm, Toby must decide whether to act in defiance of faerie or do nothing and allow others to suffer. While Red-Rose Chain is slower and rehashes several plot points from previous books, there is some good character development including intriguing details on Walther and glimpses into Tybalt's enigmatic past. The insights into the nature of Toby's blood and her related powers are also compelling.
The villains are profoundly evil and the last few chapters are particularly intense with one or two touch and go moments for Toby.
One annoying element that actually pertains to the series as a whole is the fact that the fae rarely receive their just desserts. Consequently, the ending failed to appease my growing blood lust. Ah well, one cannot have everything…
In sum, Toby and her friends are very appealing characters and it is always fun and exciting to read about her adventures. Looking forward to the next one.
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LibraryThing member tldegray
I love, love, love how much Toby has grown and changed since the first book. I love the attachments she has to people and how those attachments--and personal attachments of all kinds--are at the heart of this book.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
The ninth book in the series has Toby leaving the kingdom as an ambassador to the Silences to prevent a war. The false queen is there using the king she set up on the throne in order to try and take back the Mists. Of course things are not as they seem in the Mists and Toby is on the hunt for any
What I liked about this was stuff you found out about certain people from previous books and what Toby thinks she can do with her magic. I’m hoping for at least a short story to cover the promise she made at the end of the book.
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ally she can get her hands on to stop the war and maybe put the old royal family back on the throne. What I liked about this was stuff you found out about certain people from previous books and what Toby thinks she can do with her magic. I’m hoping for at least a short story to cover the promise she made at the end of the book.
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LibraryThing member m_mozeleski
Brutal, October. Brutal!
LibraryThing member Anniik
This is a series that I have entirely enjoyed. I love watching the characters grow, and seeing how they make it through the increasingly dire circumstances that McGuire puts them through. Even though this is the ninth book of the series, it hasn't lost anything or become repetitive...it's like you
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learn a little more about the world and it comes just that much more to life with every installment. It was interesting to see inside a new Kingdom in this book (really our first look outside of the Kingdom in the Mists), and to see the new cruelties that the Fae are capable of in McGuire's world. This book was easy to read, compelling, and the kind of book where you just have to stay up a few more minutes to finish it up. Really enjoyed this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Toby finds herself playing diplomat in a realm that is not what it seems and with a queen she deposed, only now she's going to have to deal with complicated politics. It's a story where things are messy and where you learn more about the past of some of the motley crew Toby is gathering around
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herself. Show Less
LibraryThing member jazzbird61
My only complaint is that it felt short.
Language
Original publication date
2015-09
ISBN
9781472116284
Local notes
When the King of Silences declares war on the Mists, Toby somehow finds herself at the head of the diplomatic mission that's supposed to keep things from turning uglier than they already are. With May, Tybalt, and Quentin to help her, there's a chance she can pull this off...but with Walther concealing connections to the deposed royal family of Silences, there's also a chance that things are about to get very, very ugly.