Night and Silence
Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire Berkley Publishing Group DAW Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 04 Sep 2018
Review
Seanan McGuire continues to be one of the foremost authors of fae-centered urban fantasy. Her novels are unique in that her portrayals of the many kinds of fae and changeling are deeply rooted in folklore and legend. Her characters are simultaneously more real and more magical for their depth and complexity. Readers are not simply viewing a new world, they are being submerged in it. Despite Night and Silence being the 12th novel in the Toby Daye series, the novel is as captivating as any of its predecessors.
When Toby’s ex-husband and his new wife arrive at Toby’s door accusing her of kidnapping her daughter Gillian, there is no question of her not taking the case. The question is why was she taken and if it was one of Toby’s enemies, who knew of Gillian’s existence. At Gillian’s dorm, Toby finds an assortment of curiously powerful charms designed to repel fae - marshwater work, and a thin blooded changeling obsessed with Toby. Along with her allies, Toby tracks her missing daughter, in the process discovering secrets where she least expected - in the home of her ex-husband- and facing challenges from a dangerous enemy with a score to settle.
Night and Silence features many of the characters we’ve come to know through Seanan McGuire’s novels. We also get to know Gillian’s stepmother, and the reason behind her vehement hatred of Toby. In some ways, the plot is relatively straightforward, but it in no way detracts from its appeal. McGuire’s richly descriptive writing and her unique characters have a lot to offer readers. As a bonus, a short story retelling the end of Night and Silence from Gillian’s perspective is included. Night and Silence is an excellent addition to McGuire’s series, and is certain to satisfy fans and newcomers alike.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Night and Silence from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
Description Now in hardcover, the twelfth installment of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling Toby Daye urban fantasy series! Things are not okay. In the aftermath of Amandine's latest betrayal, October "Toby" Daye's fragile self-made family is on the verge of coming apart at the seams. Jazz can't sleep, Sylvester doesn't want to see her, and worst of all, Tybalt has withdrawn from her entirely, retreating into the Court of Cats as he tries to recover from his abduction. Toby is floundering, unable to help the people she loves most heal. She needs a distraction. She needs a quest. What she doesn't need is the abduction of her estranged human daughter, Gillian. What she doesn't need is to be accused of kidnapping her own child by her ex-boyfriend and his new wife, who seems to be harboring secrets of her own. There's no question of whether she'll take the case. The only question is whether she's emotionally prepared to survive it. Signs of Faerie's involvement are everywhere, and it's going to take all Toby's nerve and all her allies to get her through this web of old secrets, older hatreds, and new deceits. If she can't find Gillian before time runs out, her own child will pay the price. One question remains: Who in Faerie remembered Gillian existed? And what do they stand to gain? No matter how this ends, Toby's life will never be the same.
