I found this series years ago and fell headfirst into the world of October Daye. I've loved following her journey through many books and am so excited about the hardcover reissue! If you like faerie and myth you will absolutely love this series. Watching Toby grow into her power and build her chosen family has been a delight.

This was a really interesting world and set-up, but this felt very much like a first volume of a series, hence the three stars. I am definitely interested to see where this series goes though, as it's definitely an intriguing first entry. McGuire manages to pull me in to her books so easily.

This was a second go-around for me. Back when Rosemary and Rue was originally published, my young twenty-something self wasn't terribly interested in Toby's family issues. Now, a number of maturing years and two children later, I was much more invested in the plotline and the underlying strife that fills Toby's world. In the meantime, I have read a handful more of the books in this series, and Toby never strays from taking on problems from a family-saving sense of responsibility. Rosemary and Rue, though it may seem a bit rough around the edges so many years later, is the opening to what is a somewhat angsty but entirely adult urban fantasy series chock full of crazy characters and interesting relationships.

I love this author and this book did not disappoint. I have not read any of this series before the Re-release. I had no idea it was about fae but it didn’t throw the story off at all. She has such a unique and engaging writing style. I really enjoyed this read.

It's been ten years since the October Daye series began and to celebrate the decade, DAW Books has reissued the first book, <em>Rosemary and Rue</em>. For those of us who came to the series mid-stride, this is a real welcomed treat.

October "Toby" Daye is a half-human, half-fae changeling. This mixed blood may not be the only reason she's an outsider, but it definitely plays a factor. Hoping to focus on just one side of her life, Toby has renounced the fae world. Unfortunately, the fae world doesn't quite recognize this and she is drawn back in as a knight errant when the Countess Evening Winterrose is murdered and Evening's curse, a spell, forces Toby to investigate.

So...this is actually a little awkward to review, but I can't quite think of it as the first book in the series since (even though it is) because I have read a few others and I know a little more about Toby and her friends and her situation.

What works here is the introduction of all the major players and the set-up of the world(s). We really do get a pretty clear picture of Toby and her situation as half-fae, half-human and the trouble that this causes her. We also get a pretty good look at the hierarchy in the fae world, as well as their disfunction.

What <em>doesn't</em> work here is the introduction of all the major players and the set-up of the world(s). By this I mean that the book really feels like a set-up for future books and the series. It does not feel like a solid urban, stand-alone fantasy. I think that if I had read this book first, I may not have read any further volumes. But again, this is hard to say for sure since I <em>have</em> read other books in the series, which I have enjoyed quite a bit.

If you have come to the series late, this is great to read to look back and get some perspective on how it started. If you are new to the series, don't give up.

Looking for a good book? <em>Rosemary and Rue</em>, by Seanan Mcguire, is a reissue of the first book in the October Daye series. It's a bit rough but we can get a real feel for what is in store for the series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I'm always so excited to get ARCs of Seanan's books! And I was really happy to have received this anniversary edition of Rosemary and Rue!

This is the first book in the long-running October Daye series, which I'd been wanting to read, but hesitant to begin because of how many titles it included. I know there's usually a decent amount of conversation about Rosemary and Rue, especially when it's read after people have read some of her other work--to the point where I think it's actually an FAQ on her website.

While it's not as immediately gripping and elegant as some of the more current books I've read, it's still a solid start to the series. It does a great job of introducing the characters and the "light fantasy" world in which it's set. It starts right off with a mystery--or several--to keep the reader interested. And it's got a pretty memorable opening as well.

I haven't yet finished this entire series, but I definitely want to after reading this one!

This book is just great. I immediately read the rest of the series once i had read this one and enjoyed them all immensely. Toby is a great protagonist and as a Bay Area native, I really love seeing my home portrayed in literature.

I love Seanan McGuire writing style. I pretty much think that if she writes a restaurant menu, I'll read it, rave it, rate it 5 stars, and start shouting to the world that it was the best menu I ever read.

That been said, I'm picky with fae books. Why, because I hate how cruel just for the sake of being cruel the fae are. I grew up scared of fairy rings and with warnings about bargains, do not thank the fae and whatever you do, never EVER eat anything they have to offer.

So, of course, the first thing we read is Toby being transformed into a fish and lose everything she holds dear just because the fae can do it. Yeah. Not happy. Good thing I can't resist a Seanan's book, or a good mystery, right?

Because, even if the book isn't my favorite in the series, it is a great book. And re-reading it, did wonders to my soul.

Add a pre-fish story into the bargain? My careful set of rules stand no chance.

I love this book, and I love this author. I have re-read this series a number of times, and it never disappoints. It was interesting to revisit the beginning now that the series is so far in. I love the family that Toby has built for herself, and the hero she has become. I also love the larger plot lines that have developed over time.

This was an interesting premise that the author even admits was a little bit clunky in execution. I am going to try at least one more volume before writing the series off, but I wasn't overly impressed with this offering from an author who normally impresses me.

I’m disappointed with R&R given all the praise I’ve heard and the other Seanan McGuire books I’ve read.

October Daye is half fae. This initially sounds pretty great, but it quickly turns out that it is not: half-breeds are abused, secondhand wretches with far less power than fullblood fae. Toby is sworn to a lord and functions as a kind of detective. When his wife and daughter disappear, she sets to work tracking down the culprits—and finds herself trapped in a pond as a koi fish for 7 years. This is covered in the prologue to the book, and our real story begins months after Toby has regained her human form and is failing at adjusting to life in the human world.

R&R suffers from a lot of things that bother me about urban fantasy in general: way too much exposition, pacing issues, POV characters who do stupid things, obvious villains, and uninteresting love interests. If you love urban fantasy, these may be nonexistent issues for you. Still, it is remarkable to see one of her earlier works and how much she has grown as a writer. This is definitely an urban fantasy more in the vein of McGuire’s Cryptid series than her Wayward Children series or her recent novel Middlegame.

I've been assured by many friends that this series gets better, but the start is definitely uneven, both in characterization and in plot. Still, the worldbuilding is fun, and I can see why this is such a widely recommended urban fantasy series. I'm not super interested in "magical noir mystery" so it's not a selling point for me but if you are, have at it! The additional novella at the end of the tenth anniversary edition is fun; it tells the story of how Toby got away from Home and earned her knighthood.

October 'Toby' Day is part fae and part human. Because of how secretive the fae are, she has to make her half-human status a secret from her boyfriend and daughter. When she is transformed for fourteen years during a job spying on a fae, she can't tell her family and therefore loses them. This lose makes her turn her back on the fae world.. Until an old friend is murdered and puts a spell on Toby to bring her justice.

A huge thanks to Netgalley for giving an ARC of the reprint of this book. As a fan of Seanan McGuire, I tried to read this book but my dislike for the main character made me not finish. If only I continued reading I would have discovered that my complaints about Toby being too self sufficient that she's stupid get addressed early on in the book. The novella at the end of the book, Strangers in Court, helps see why she was hesitant to ask for help in the beginning. She really thought that no one truly liked her.

The fae world is intricate and makes me very happy that there are thirteen more books to read.

I took off a star because there is a love triangle. And even Seanan McGuire can't make me enjoy a love triangle.

Rosemary and Rue is the beginning of the Toby Daye saga. Toby's spent the last 14 years as a fish; her husband and daughter have moved on; she's trying to scrape together a life as a changeling with little magic. The murder of a court noble drags her back into the faerie realm and its politics.

For those familiar with the series, this Ten Year Anniversary edition is a chance to return to Toby's more mortal days, still as familiar as they used to be. It was fun to revisit the start of relationships now well established and the additional novella was a treat.

If you are looking for well-written urban fantasy and a cast of characters you will grow to love, look no further than Rosemary and Rue. The bonus is, of course, that there is a full series to follow so you won't have to wait years like this reader to find out what happens next.

This is the one that started it all, and began my favorite UF series of all time. It gives me great pleasure to have it again!

This is the book that started it all- all of Toby's adventures. This is a reprint of the first book of this series. October Daye, or Toby, as she is known, is a half-blood Fae/Fairie. She doesn't really belong to either the mortal or Fairie worlds, and is constantly looking over her shoulder. When she is magically transformed into a fish for several years, she loses the life she had before-daughter loving partner, and has to start over. Nebula-award-winning author Seanan McGuire really hits her stride in this series full of richly flawed characters with amazing backstories and intricate plots within plots.

Got the 10th anniversary Rosemary and Rue from Netgalley just to read this short story. Seeing October before the 1st book was a little shocking, since it's been ages since I've seen her so human. An interesting short story, especially since we see her interactions with Tybalt at this early stage.

With a heroine who doesn't want to be a hero anymore, Toby is plunged back into the world of the fey that she had tried to leave after being cursed into a fish for over 10 years losing her human family in the process. Toby is bound by a death curse to find out who killed the Countess and during the process she also delves back into her old life. The story is fast paced and rather enjoyable. I'm waiting for the next one.

Review for the novella

This novella is a prequel to Rosemary and Rue but doesn’t need to be read before it. It tells the story of how Toby is able to leave Devon without repercussions and become a knight of the realm. Some of the details of this story are hinted at in later books and it is nice to see it all laid out for the reader. Currently the only way to read this is in the 10th anniversary edition of Rosemary and Rue.

Wow, has it really been 10 years since this first book in the October Daye series was published? The series is still going strong after the recent publication of the 13th book, The Unkindest Tide, and it is enjoyable to go back and revisit where it all began in Rosemary and Rue. This hardcover anniversary edition also includes a bonus novella that explores in more detail October's time on the mean streets under the suspect guidance of Devin, but if you already have the original I don't know that the novella is incentive enough to repurchase.

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire, a reprint of the first book in the series to celebrate the Ten year anniversary. This is the book that started it all for me by this Author. Fell in love with the series and can't wait to read each new book.